In His Arms - Wonheon ( Wonho x Jooheon )

Chapter 7 : One Step Closer

Wonho entered Barton Supplies hardware store with something close to hesitation. It has been years since he’s stepped foot in a place like this but he’s a man on a mission and nothing is going to stop him from getting it done. Besides, he’s already placed his order in and he’s already gotten the call that the order is ready, so he isn’t planning on spending much time here. Not when he has so much to do back at home. But in order to do that work, he has to get his order first.

“Hello, sir,” a young, brown-headed woman beamed up at him as he stepped up to one of the counters. She’s smacking on a piece of bubble gum as she talks in between. “Anything I can help you with today?”

Wonho glances at her name tag reading Jennie, before nodding his head, “Yes, I put in an order for a few windows. Got a phone call about an hour ago that they’re ready for pickup.”

“Okay, cool,” Jennie drummed her fingers against the counter. “I just have to go get Hyungwon, the owner, since he’s in charge of all that stuff. Should take about two seconds.”

Before Wonho can say anything, the young woman is gliding from behind the counter top, leaving Wonho standing there with his hands shoved inside his pockets and turning his head from side to side to look around the shop. It’s quite large and pretty well stocked, in his opinion. There’s a strong scent of lumbar and metal and there’s a few handful of people scattered throughout the aisles. From what he can see, it seems that the shop is packed with everyday needs; from light bulbs to hundreds of different types of nails and screws, to collections of ceiling fans and doors, there’s even an entire four rows designated for high-powered tools. It seems like a one-stop-shop for any carpenter or someone just wanting to put some remodeling work into play.

“Mr. Shin Wonho?” a voice says and Wonho turns back towards the counter, straightening up at once. But when his eyes land on the person speaking, his lips part in surprise, a downright shock that shoots through him like a beam of electricity. Because that man standing in front of him is the same blonde man that Jooheon spends his time with. That man is the one that is in a relationship with Rosé, and the same man that Jooheon goes to their house three times out of the week. This man knows Jooheon, personally; has physically talked and touched Jooheon.

Wonho swallowed thickly at the thought, feeling the sharp jab in his stomach. Of all the people, it has to be this man? It’s almost like a sick joke is getting performed before his very eyes. “Uh, yeah, that’s me.”

Hyungwon grinned at him and lets out a low whistle as he jabs a thumb behind him. Wonho follows the movement and sees a large, tightly packaged pile on a wheelable flat cart. The Windows , he realizes.

“Some pretty heavy stuff you ordered. Shatterproof. Bulletproof. Double-paned glass. Are you one of those doomsday preppers or just really paranoid?” Hyungwon asks with an amused grin.

“I… I, uh, just had a break in,” Wonho answered, his fingers fidgeting inside his pockets. “Wanted to take more precaution.”

Hyungwon’s brows rise at that. “That sucks, dude. You live in the city or are you on the outskirts?”

“Outskirts,” he said. Wonho scratched at the skin by his fingernails. “Far outskirts, really. My closest neighbor is three miles down the road.”

“Wow. My closest neighbor is like ten feet from my front door,” Hyungwon laughs out.

Wonho pretends to find that bemusing, cracking a thin smile at the blonde but really, all he can think is I Know. Because Wonho knows where Hyungwon lives. Wonho knows Hyungwon is with Rosé, a red headed woman and Wonho knows that Hyungwon, Rosé, and Jooheon have movie nights on Friday evenings and they eat dinner together on Mondays and venture out to an old fashioned italian restaurant named Giuseppe's on Wednesdays for lunch.

Wonho knows this man when all Hyungwon knows about him is his name. Wonho won’t be ignorant to say that isn’t weird because it’s weird as fuck. There is no getting around that.  

“It’s good that you want to secure your house up but you know that these don’t open, right?”

“Yeah.” Wonho replied. Short and sweet. Right to the point. “I’d prefer it that way.”

Hyungwon began to type away at the checkout computer. Wonho pulled out his wallet from his back pocket. “Okay, Well, you can put your worries aside now. No one’s getting in or out through these.”

“Good.” Wonho slid his credit card across the counter and didn’t blink as Hyungwon swiped it. The sound of the machine spitting out the receipt was music to Wonho’s ears. He was one step closer.

Hyungwon handed over the receipt, along with Wonho’s card, and nodded towards the wrapped up windows. “Want some help loading up? If you bring your truck up front, I can get a few of my guys to load these up for you. They’re pretty heavy.”

Wonho slid his wallet back into his pocket and kept his gaze lowered as he nodded his head. “That’d be great actually,” he answered. He rubbed his palms on the back of his jeans, feeling the sweat coat his hands. Wonho couldn’t ignore the sick feeling that if Hyungwon knew what the windows were for, or more importantly who they were for, then they’d be having a very different conversation.

But Wonho kept his mouth closed and only muttered his thanks once Hyungwon and his men had finished loading the windows up in the truck.

                              x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Hours later, with a fair trickle of sweat coating his brow and neck, Wonho looked down at one of the new windows resting on top of a work table he had laid out. He has a hammer in one hand, gripped tightly with white knuckles and in one strong movement, Wonho banged the tool against the glass and held his breath as he pulled it back away. When he looked back down, there was no crack, no dent, not even a scratch.

Wonho smiled at the sight and rubbed his fingers gently against the unblemished surface.

He’s getting the house ready and now he’s one step closer.