OTP | Verkwan ff ✔️

ORANGE-I

A week had passed since Seungkwan stopped taking the pills, and the tension between him and Vernon had only grown thicker.

Their once lively, passionate relationship had become a cold, silent battlefield. Seungkwan stuck firmly to his "No Sex" agenda, and Vernon... well, Vernon seemed confused but still clueless as to why things had become so strained.

He would try to sneak a hug, go for a kiss, or just get close, but Seungkwan would dodge, find excuses, or outright turn away. It wasn't that Seungkwan didn't still love Vernon... he did, deeply... but he felt like Vernon wasn't truly understanding him. There was a growing loneliness in his chest that only deepened with each passing day.

Every time Vernon attempted to bridge the gap, Seungkwan would throw up a new wall.

Vernon, for his part, seemed stuck between trying to figure out what he had done wrong and stubbornly refusing to accept any responsibility. He still didn't see the big deal about "being wild and free," as he liked to call it.

But to Seungkwan, it was much more than that. It was about trust, respect, and partnership-things that Vernon seemed to brush off as unimportant.

That day, their friends decided to visit Soonyoung, who was still recovering from his lung cancer treatment. They all piled into the hospital, arms full of snacks and gifts to lift Soonyoung's spirits.

Even though Soonyoung was usually the one bringing energy to any room, today it was everyone else's job to keep him entertained and cheerful.

Seungkwan and Vernon showed up together, but anyone with eyes could see that something was off between them.

As soon as Vernon tried to sit beside Seungkwan on the hospital bed, Seungkwan quickly shuffled to the other side.

When Vernon reached out for his hand, Seungkwan acted like he needed to check his phone or adjust his shirt. Every move Vernon made was met with a subtle yet clear rejection, and the others started to notice.

Jeonghan was the first to pick up on it, of course. His sharp eyes darted back and forth between Seungkwan's cold avoidance and Vernon's increasingly frustrated expressions.

Then Joshua caught on, whispering something to Jeonghan that made him nod.

Within minutes, the group was exchanging confused looks, silently questioning what was going on.

"Hey, everything cool between you two?" Jeonghan finally asked, leaning back against the wall with a suspicious smirk.

Seungkwan stiffened but kept his eyes glued to his phone. "Everything is fine," he muttered, his voice clipped.

But Vernon, who had been stewing in his frustration for days, had clearly reached his breaking point. "Fine?" he scoffed, throwing his hands up. "Sure, if by 'fine,' you mean no touching, no kissing, no anything!" His voice was louder than he intended, and the room went awkwardly silent.

Soonyoung's eyes widened from his hospital bed, his interest piqued. "No touching?" he repeated, his voice raspy but playful. "What, are you two in middle school again?"

Seungkwan's face flushed with embarrassment, his fingers tightening around his phone. He could feel the stares of everyone in the room, but he kept his gaze down, refusing to engage.

Vernon, however, was too deep in his frustrations to notice Seungkwan's discomfort. "I mean, I don't get it!" he continued, pacing now as if the movement could somehow shake loose the confusion in his head. "One day everything is great, and the next, we are on this weird 'No Sex' thing. And I still don't understand what the big deal is. I never told him to take those stupid pills. I never said I didn't want a baby. So why am I getting punished here?"