The Deal * Seokmin x Joshua

Seventeen

"I can't look. I'm too scared..." Seokmin danced around from one foot to the other as Soonyoung pushed him aside. "I'll look," he said and Seokmin waited with his eyes closed. "Aw man," Soonyoung grumbled and Seokmin's face fell as his eyes opened. "Didn't I get it?" He turned to look at the list right as Soonyoung dissolved into giggles and punched his shoulder. "I was just grumbling because we both got callbacks and I don't want to go up against you again!"

He couldn't believe it. His subconscious made him look around for Joshua, excited to tell him and see the glimmer of pride in his eyes, but then he remembered. Joshua wasn't here. He was at the coffee shop making heart eyes at Jeonghan while he was here with Soonyoung. Exactly how it was supposed to be.

"Cast callbacks!" Soonyoung yelled as he swung an arm around Seokmin's shoulder as they moved out of the way for others. "Can you believe it?" the man yelled loudly as they began to walk away. "We need to celebrate. Junhui and Minghao will have to have a party!" He stopped to grab his phone out and resumed his walking and leaning on Seokmin as he chatted animatedly on the phone to his friends bubbling out instructions and suggestions. Seokmin wasn't even sure where they were going as the older boy began to steer him back towards the dorms.

"Which building is yours?" Soonyoung asked and Seokmin pointed. "I'll walk you home," Soonyoung said as he continued to keep up with his constant and incessant chatter. Seokmin wasn't even sure what he was talking about any more. His mind began to wander as he longed for the soothing company of Joshua beside him instead of this walking talking noise machine wrapped up in adorable packaging. He wondered what Joshua was doing, if he was sitting in the corner looking like the perfect dream boyfriend, his fluffy brown hair askew as he stared wistfully at the stunning blond barista behind the counter. Joshua and Jeonghan were made for each other with their beautiful looks and their matching aesthetic. They should be in coffee advertisements together or sitting in the park reading poetry to each other. It made Seokmin feel sick.

He snapped back to reality to find Soonyoung still babbling on about something which turned out to be whether or not he should wear a full 50s style suit to the callback. "I have one somewhere but I'm pretty sure Minghao used it on the scarecrow we made that time we went down to the beach and he thought the seagulls were trying to steal his vodka.... anyway do you think a cat can wear a bow tie? And by can I mean should? If the occasion calls for it?" Soonyoung finally stopped talking to take a breath and grinned at Seokmin who shrugged. He didn't have a more appropriate response ready.

"Coming to my party tonight?" he asked and Seokmin nodded. "I can bring my friends right?" Soonyoung smirked. "You can bring them. And your tall, handsome, sophisticated foreign boyfriend." Seokmin blushed as he remembered confessing to Soonyoung and how stinging the rejection was. Now he knew him better he understood what the boy had been talking about. Soonyoung had the attention span of a squashed pumpkin and was definitely not made for commitment. Especially the kind of commitment a sweet, virginal, romantic boy like Seokmin wanted. "I, ah, I'm really embarrassed about that," Seokmin knew he had to bring it up. "I don't know what I was thinking when I confessed to you." His hands went nervously into his hair and Soonyoung just chuckled at him. "I just thought you were so, um, talented and sexy, and so popular," Seokmin blushed as Soonyoung winked at him. "And what do you think of me now?" He waggled his eyebrows up and down and Seokmin laughed. "Well, hyung, I still think you're all those things. But I definitely think we'd made great friends." "I like the sound of that," Soonyoung swung his arm around Seokmin again as they walked briskly towards Seokmin's dorm.

"You want to come in?" Soonyoung swung to door open and Soonyoung shook his head. "Got a party to plan. Come anytime after 7!" He didn't wait for Seokmin to say goodbye as he turned and whirled away down the corridor leaving Seokmin smiling in his wake. He shook his head a little as he wondered what he had been thinking. Him and Soonyoung together would be a nightmare.

"Hey," Jihoon was seated on the couch with his feet up on the coffee table. A laptop balanced precariously on his knees as he sipped at a cup of Coke as big as his head. "I guess your good mood means you've seen the lists." "I still can't believe it," Seokmin's smile was so wide his cheeks were beginning to hurt, "I never expected this." "You were really great," Jihoon said as he leaned over and put the cup down. "I've listened to a lot of people sing and I've never heard anyone sing with such emotion before. If you get that part I might have to give Joshua free tickets to every show." Seokmin went red for the millionth time today. Every thought of his pretend boyfriend made his cheeks heat up and his nose and ears turn pink and he quickly retreated to his room.

He pressed his back against the door and quickly formulated a plan.

"Hey Hansol," He said brightly when his friend answered the phone. "Soonyoung invited us to a party tonight," he said quickly as he began to rummage through his clothes, "Do you guys want to come?" Seokmin listened to muffled voices before Seungkwan obviously grabbed the phone. "Seokmin, what exactly is going on? Does Joshua know you're hanging out with Soonyoung?" "Of course," Seokmin sighed heavily. This was getting so complicated and he half wished his friends didn't care about him so much. "Nothing weird is going on, okay? Soonyoung told me to invite Joshua." He knew the personal invite from the popular dancers would be too much for Seungkwan to resist. "Fine. Meet at your dorm at 7:30," Seungkwan said before abruptly hanging up. He didn't even ask about the callback.

Seokmin chose a nice button up shirt, black with a white pattern, and black ripped jeans. Things Joshua had gifted him so he knew he would like them. He picked up his phone and sent a text to Joshua about the party and hoped with every fibre of his soul that he would want to come. He remembered what had happened last time they went to a party, how the warm courage of alcohol and weed had led to them kissing in the middle of the dance floor and he felt hot all over. The kiss, the best moment of his life so far, he could still feel it as he remembered the heat of Joshua's hands on his body. He wanted it again. He wanted more. He wanted things he'd never wanted before, the weight of Joshua's body on top of his, the warmth of bare skin under heavy blankets, an insatiable need to open himself up and give it all to Joshua. Everything he could give. He wanted slick kisses and urgent hands and heat and desire and pleasure. He wanted it all.

Maybe he could somehow walk the fine line between drunk enough to act on his feelings without being so drunk he did something stupid. Something he would regret. Maybe he could just hope for a crumb of Joshua's affection and attention and be happy with that. Maybe he could try and be sexy, alluring and sophisticated, and hope like hell Jeonghan wasn't around to compete with.

He had to try something. This party might be his last chance.