aversion | bbangnyu

37

TW: homophobic slurs

"Chanhee...?"

With a nervous laugh, Chanhee looked up from his phone as he held the sweatshirt against Younghoon's face, doing everything he could to make sure he stayed hidden. "Juyeon—what are you doing here?"

The boy raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. "I could ask you the same question...that your boyfriend?" He asked, gesturing to the hidden figure on Chanhee's lap.

"He's my—yeah and he's asleep...I really don't want to wake him up," the younger spoke, trying to tell them he wasn't really interested in talking.

A small scoff came from Hyunjae as he looked his ex girlfriends best friend up and down. "You sure he isn't dead? How else would you get a boy to sit with you?"

As if to prove a point, Younghoon shifted in Chanhee's lap, dramatically moving one of his legs. "No," Chanhee answered quietly, "he's not dead."

"Who is that? Nobody from our school I'm guessing because I haven't heard of any other fags."

Chanhee's fingers tightened around the fabric as he listened to Juyeon's words before he spat, "I'm not too sure it's your business anyway."

"How's Yeri?" Hyunjae blurted out.

"Not interested."

"How would you know?"

With a sigh, Chanhee answered, "because she has a date on Saturday."

Tongue poking at his cheek, Hyunjae scoffed once again before hissing, "You're a lying little faggot—I haven't heard anything about her going out with another guy."

"Guys," Haknyeon urged, "this is stupid—let's just go somewhere else if you have a problem with him."

"Yeah whatever," Juyeon muttered as he let the boy pull him towards his car.

As the group walked away, Chanhee noticed the youngest turn around to give the boy one last glance, an almost apologetic look on his face. "They're gone," he whispered as he lifted the sweatshirt from Younghoon.

A frown rested on Younghoon's lips as he pushed himself up. He grabbed Chanhee's face and moved it from side to side, feeling as if he needed to check every inch of the boy. "Are you alright?" He asked softly.

Chanhee's eyebrows furrowed together at how worried the elder seemed to be at something that had just become normal to him. "Yeah—I'm fine, they didn't do anything," he reassured.

Those words however didn't seem to give Younghoon any semblance of comfort, instead he felt his eyes well with tears as he was flooded with a rush of emotions.

"Are you okay," Chanhee asked gently, after letting out a small laugh at the tender hearted boy, "I'm fine—everything's alright, Younghoon."

"It's not though," he whispered at last, "it's going to take everything in me not to knock Juyeon out the next time I see him—he can't talk to you...like that—none of them can," Younghoon paused as his voice broke, taking a few seconds to try and compose himself, "I hate myself for not saying anything to them, Chanhee, I'm your boyfrie—somebody you go on dates with I shouldn't just sit here and let them be complete assholes to you—I'm sorry."

Chanhee sent the boy a warm smile as he put his hands on either side of Younghoon's face, wiping any stray tears lingering on his cheeks away. "Younghoon, listen, it means the world to me that you care so much—I mean that...but you're just going to end up outing yourself. That's just going to make things worse for us—for you. Right now I can deal with a couple idiots calling me a faggot, I have for this long."

Grabbing Chanhee's wrists, Younghoon took a deep breath, his bottom lip quivering as his lungs filled with oxygen. "You shouldn't have to," he whispered.

Chanhee grabbed the back of Younghoon's neck and gently pulled his head down to rest on his shoulder before asking, "You're really cute, do you know that?"

"Me? Why?"

"Because you act so tough around everybody else but around me you can't say you're going to beat Juyeon up without crying."

"I cry all the time, Chanhee, but you're the only person that won't make fun of me."

✨✨✨

After their less than successful date, the two found themselves back at Chanhee's house, watching a movie together on his couch.

"I'm sorry our date was ugly and then got ruined by my stupid friends," Younghoon started quietly, not having to talk too loudly since Chanhee's head rested in the crook of his neck.

"It's not your fault," Chanhee whispered, "Let's try again some other time—but go to a park further away and prettier."

A small smile formed on Younghoon's lips as he let out a soft hum, "I'll do some park research and find the prettiest one for you."

Chanhee's father cleared his throat as he walked into the living room, expecting Chanhee to detach himself from the boy...but that didn't seem to be happening. His son only looked up at him from where he laid on his...Younghoon. "Yes?" He asked, sending his dad a smile.

"Oh nothing..." the man said awkwardly as he sat down in the chair to the right of the two.

"Younghoon, honey," Mrs Choi started as she appeared in the room, "Are you going to stay for dinner tonight?"

"Would that be alright?"

Quickly nodding, she sat down in the last empty chair before adding, "oh of course, I'd love it if you'd stay."

"Then yeah...thank you, Ma'am."

She waved off the boy, having told him countless times he didn't need to be so formal with her, yet still getting the same result. "Did you have fun today?" She asked the two.

Chanhee raised his head as sent her a small frown, "we did not plan things very well—a picnic is a lot more work than I thought."

"The next time you want to have a picnic just come over the day before and we can all make some snacks together—I'll even make your dad help, Chanhee."

"Why don't we ever have picnics anymorec, Jieun?" Mr Choi sulked from where he sat across the room.

Mrs Choi clapped her hands in front of her face before gasping, "how fun would it be if we all went out together?"

"Yeah a double date with my parents...nothing weird at all," Chanhee muttered.

———
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