𝐒𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐭│𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐮 ✓

96

Odera

"Are you worried about it?" Minghao asked out of the blue, a few hours after all the commotion he had settled in his room, Jun sat awkwardly on his floor as his conflicting emotions were left to fester.

"Worried about what?" Jun asked, "Well there's only a week until the ceremony now, you don't think you'll go, do you?"

"Where's this coming from? No, I won't. I can't, I- Hao you haven't known me for that long but I've done some fucked up stuff in my time, I assure you I'm not going anywhere." He said.

"But aren't you at least a little nervous? I kind of thought you were an asshole at first and in some ways you still are but that doesn't mean you deserve to be in a place like this, surely?"

"I don't think I'm as innocent as you make me out to be, yesterday-"

"Do you remember any of it?" Minghao's ears perked up, Wonwoo had told him the pair had been left alone and he did feel pretty sore so he was wondering if Jun had any idea.

The older sunk his face into his palms, he was worried how Minghao would react if he knew and what it would change but he had to tell him. Jun knew putting it off would make it worse so in one breath he spilt it all, "WehadsexIthinklastnightmaybe."

"Can you repeat that?" Minghao asked, eyes widening as his brain processed it. "Oh."

"Yeah."

"You don't like, like me though do you, it was just the drugs?"

Jun was quick to nod and Minghao didn't like how his chest sunk at the news. He was an adult, well, just about and he wasn't going to get angry about it he was just surprised.

"That explains the pain then," He chuckled dryly, he'd been through so much today he didn't know how to feel. "Sorry um- I don't remember much, I shouldn't have told you I just-"

"Don't worry about it, we're cool, right?"

"Just two bros."

"Two bros chillin-"

"I will be sick if you do that, don't you dare start when I've been through this much today." Jun was able to laugh at Minghao's instant retreat, glad this didn't change anything.

Their laughter was slightly awkward but truthful. "Don't feel bad about it though, there's no need to apologise."

"I wasn't your first or anything, yeah?"

"You were. It's really okay."

Jun went red again, Minghao truly seemed to be taking it well but he couldn't help but blush furiously with embarrassment. "Thanks for securing my place in Odera I guess."

"Jun that's not going to change anything, honestly we'll live. Aki is my main whore anyway and since you own her I am obligated to tolerate you." Minghao said, Jun huffing in mock complaint.

Minghao was good at hiding things, good at hiding the way his mouth desperately wanted to twitch into a frown and the way his eyes felt glazed. He'd had enough of the day and this was just one more thing but he couldn't let it get to him, it wasn't Jun's fault and he didn't blame him, that was true enough but it didn't make it easy when his heart was sending conflicting signals.

On the floor below, Soonyoung and Jihoon were processing it all. For once they'd given themselves a day off so were laying comfortably in their room, "You don't think I'm going to go, do you?" Soonyoung asked. Jihoon had to laugh, "Are you mocking me? Soons you're the worst one out of all of us. If you belong in Healina then god help us all, there is something seriously fucked with this system."

"Hoonie don't laugh at me like that, what if! From what we've heard I wouldn't be so certain." Soonyoung moved uncomfortably in his place, the year had been so busy for them he'd been trying to ignore the impending event, "Don't worry about yourself, worry more about me," Jihoon replied.

"But you did all those things to try and stop it, it'll be enough I'm sure."

"But we don't know how it works, we base it off of arbitrary things." Soonyoung wrapped his arm around Jihoon's shoulders, "It's not going to happen." He repeated, kissing on his ear. "Yuck, stop that you weirdo," Soonyoung smiled although it was half fake.

He did hope they'd both stay in Odera but part of him wasn't sure at all. Not about the ceremony, not about their future, not about them. Soonyoung was one to overshare quite often but he felt this weird undisclosed gap in the relationship, the way Jihoon would just go with whatever he said, be cold around other people with him and he especially couldn't stop thinking about their first time together, the way Jihoon made it seem like it was all just to make sure he didn't go to Healina. These things upset Soonyoung but he was the energetic one, he couldn't let it show and he knew that he'd have many years to come to iron out any issues, Jihoon had been by his side since they were in nappies and he couldn't bare to think of him being anywhere else.

"Soonie?" Jihoon said, snapping the older out of his thoughts. "We're going to be okay, yeah?" Soonyoung nodded, kissing the top of his head softly, Jihoon kissing back this time.

"What's the bet Jeonghan has arranged some massive surprise party before the ceremony?" Jihoon asked as he pulled away. "Oh, one hundred percent." Soonyoung smiled as his ever persistent nature urged him to kiss his boyfriend again and again, a little less talking to ease his troubled mind.

"I am telling you Cheol, none of them are going to see this coming!" Jeonghan proclaimed a few days later, marching around the market like he owned the place while buying every interesting party decoration that caught his eye.

"Sure they won't, Wonwoo's going to kill you for this, you know?" Seungcheol said, arms already full of shopping bags. He learnt pretty early into the year it was easier to just go along with it and not to question Yoon Jeonghan.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. If only Joshua could see this, his party will pale in comparison!"

"You aren't seriously trying to compete with someone who doesn't even know you're throwing a party."

"Oh trust me, he knows." Seungcheol also learned not to question the intrinsic bond between the two either.