Archive of Our Own

Chan stared across the bed at his phone with a gut full of anxiety. The offending device shone up at him mockingly, displaying a text message from his mother excitedly confirming two plane tickets to Australia. Two. With a disgruntled groan, Chan snatched the phone from its place lodged in the doona and trod downstairs, through the common area and down the hallway to Hyunjin’s bedroom door. Knocking sharply, he sighed in relief when he heard the door unlock.

“Oh you look awful, come on in,” Hyunjin greeted him with a sympathetic smile, stepping aside for Chan to enter.

“I need your advice,” Chan mumbled.

Hyunjin laughed, “Ohhhh you must have fucked up bad if you’re coming to me for advice, what did you do?” he joked, plopping down in his desk chair and gesturing Chan to take a seat on the bed as if it were a poor substitute for a therapist’s lounge.

Chan flopped down dramatically. “So my Mum thinks I have a boyfriend and she’s told the whole family,” he started.

“Okay that sucks but we can work with that”.

“She also told them all I’d be bringing him to the family Christmas party,” Chan continued, looking up at the ceiling.

“Okay, okay. Still not awful”.

“Now she’s booked and paid for business class plane tickets to Australia for me and my not-real boyfriend to meet the family”.

Hyunjin gave a pained whistle, “Yeah, you fucked up. How did you even manage that?”

Chan turned to face Hyunjin, “I don’t know, I must have said something and I think she misunderstood but before I realised, she told everyone! I don’t know what to do!” he grabbed one of Hyunjin’s pillows and held it over his face.

“Now, I have an idea but it’s absolutely dreadful and I take no responsibility for it blowing up in your face,” Hyunjin started, leaning back in the chair nonchalantly.

Shooting up into a sitting position, Chan nodded at the blonde. “I’ll take whatever you’ve got on offer”.

“You could always sucker someone into pretending to be your boyfriend for the trip in exchange for a free vacation, then once it’s all over with you wait a month and tell her you broke up. Easy” Hyunjin rounded off his idea with an innocent grin and a thumbs up for effect.

Chan pursed his lips in concentration for a moment. “Okay but that could work,” he watched the way Hyunjin’s face dropped.

“Wait no, I was kidding don’t actually do that! It’s a terrible idea!” Hyunjin waved his hands defensively.

It was too late, Chan had already made up his mind, shrugging. “Look, it’s a free vacation. I don’t see how it could go wrong”. He tossed Hyunjin’s cushion back onto the pile and shuffled to swing his legs off the bed, seated on the edge of the mattress. “So, what do you think? Wanna come to Australia with me?”.

Hyunjin barely contained his laughter. “Absolutely not, and even if I did, I can’t. I’ve got a trip planned with my family over Christmas and I’m dying to see Kkami, so you’ll have to find another poor soul to bargain with”.

Chan huffed. “Fine, I’m sure one of the others will help”. He pulled out his phone, opened his messages and thumbed through the names, searching for a suitable option. With a triumphant aha he opened his thread with Seungmin.

[13:16] Chan: Hey so y’know how you’re extremely generous and always willing to help a friend in need?
[13:18] Seungmin: I am not a man who fears easily but this message rattled me to my core.
[13:21] Chan: ok so basically can you pretend to be my boyfriend in exchange for a free holiday to Australia so I don’t disappoint my family?

Hyunjin raised his eyebrow expectantly at Chan, who watched Seungmin’s typing bubbles appear and disappear intermittently. When the reply finally came through, Chan snorted, holding up the phone to show Hyunjin, who slapped a hand to his chest in feigned offence before breaking into hysterics.

[13:25] Seungmin: Christopher for my own sanity I need to know that you didn’t come up with this idea by yourself.
[13:26] Seungmin: Because it sucks.
[13:26] Seungmin: Also no.
[13:26] Seungmin: <3

With a huff, Chan locked his phone and got up, poking out his tongue at Hyunjin’s cackling form. Suddenly, his phone dinged again, and he pulled it out to check almost too quickly, too hopefully.

[13:29] Lino: Don’t even ask <33333

Chan frowned. So Seungmin was with Minho then.

Another ding.

[13:32] Innie: soz hyung, I’ve got plans too. Felix might appreciate a trip home tho?

Oh sweet, sweet genius Jeongin, Chan thought to himself, already feeling far more hopeful about his ridiculous plan than before.

-

Chan spent most of his afternoon on the common room sofa waiting for Felix to get home, which proved to be much later than anticipated. By the time Felix had barely taken two steps into the room, Chan had practically pounced on him, greeting him far too enthusiastically and slinging a weirdly casual arm around Felix’s shoulder before leading him to the sofa, ignoring the way his friend’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

“You good bro?” Felix asked, flopping down onto the sofa across from Chan.

“So, I have a proposal for you,” Chan began.

Felix smirked, “What, no dinner first?” he joked, expertly dodging Chan’s incoming swat.

“How would you like to come with me on a completely free trip back home for Christmas?” Chan smiled a little too sweetly.

Felix raised an eyebrow. “There’s gotta be a catch, which of my limbs do I have to give up in return?”

Chan waved him off. “Oh, god no! It’s nothing like that! It’s just a fun vacation between bros who also are pretending to be boyfriends in front of my entire extended family so I don’t disappoint my parents. Easy!”

The silent beat between them lasted only a few seconds before Felix completely lost himself in hysterics. “You’re absolutely kidding yeah? Like, you’re not serious are you?” he laughed, tears streaming from his eyes.

“It’s literally my only option! Stop laughing!” Chan pouted.

Felix took a few deep breaths to ground himself. “Just tell them it was all a misunderstanding, I’m sure it’ll be fine”.

“She’s already told everyone,” Chan put his head in his hands and groaned loudly, “and she’s bought the plane tickets too”.

Felix rolled his eyes with an exasperated smile. “I’m not gonna stop you but you have to know that this is a dumb idea yeah?”

“So you’ll do it?”

Patting Chan gently on the shoulder, Felix gave a sympathetic smile. “Sorry, Jisung’s family has already invited me to the mountains with them and I’d feel terrible bailing on them. Have you asked anyone else?”

Chan sighed, “Yeah, Hyunjin’s got plans, Seungmin and Minho said no, and Jeongin was the one who suggested you. I don’t really know who else to ask.”

“You could always ask Changbin?” Felix offered, nonchalantly yet barely concealing a smirk that Chan didn’t quite know what to make of.

“There’s no way he’d agree to it,” Chan sighed again. He would be lying however if he said that the idea of Changbin being his fake boyfriend wasn’t even a little bit enticing, if the little flip in his heart was anything to go by.

Felix leaned back on the sofa, stretching his legs out to rest on the coffee table. “I reckon it’s worth a try asking him,” he checked his phone, “he’s got a PT sesh’ tonight with the physio majors but he should be finished at about nine. If you offer him a ride home he might be more inclined to help, and look – if you absolutely can’t find literally anybody else then I’ll see what I can do about cancelling my plans”.

Chan checked the time on his own phone. 8:35pm, just enough time to get ready and meet Changbin at the gym. “Sweet, cheers bro! You’re a legend!” he jumped up, giving Felix a quick hug on the way up before trotting up the narrow stairwell to get changed into some less dishevelled clothes, then almost tripping back down the same stairs to race out. He stopped to give Felix a cheery thumbs up before closing the door behind him with a thud.

-

The night air blew icy around Chan’s body as he leaned against the door of his car, rubbing his freezing hands together and feeling thankful that he was able to get a park so close to the doors of the gym.

A little after nine, Changbin emerged from the building looking wholly unfazed by the frigid temperature in his plain black t-shirt and thin tracksuit pants. He looked at Chan for a second, squinting before the recognition hit him. He jogged over to the car with a smile on his face. “Hey, what are you doing here?” he asked, warm breath sending puffs of steam into the air.

Chan smiled back, “I heard you might need a lift. Was thinking we could go get a late dinner too if you’re up for it?” he asked innocently.

Thankfully, Changbin remained none the wiser, simply nodding gratefully before flopping into the passenger seat of Chan’s old Holden.

The pair made casual conversation on the drive to the restaurant, Chan eventually pulling up in front of their favourite late-night chicken joint, such a regular haunt for the duo that the staff immediately led them to their favourite booth in the back as soon as they walked in the front door.

Chan handed a menu to Changbin, smiling wide. “My shout tonight, as much as you want”.

“You’re sure?” Changbin raised an eyebrow curiously, surprised by Chan’s offer.

The elder simply nodded, before smiling up at the approaching waitress and ordering his meal. Changbin ordered tentatively, not wanting to overstep, but Chan made sure to add the extra sides that he knew his friend liked. His bank account might suffer for it later, but Chan was desperate, and something about the surprised smile on Changbin’s face made him feel warmer than the room heaters could.

The food slowly began to come out, and it wasn’t long before their table was piled with all sorts of delicious dishes. They both dug in, talking about anything and everything while they chowed down on the feast. Chan offered compliments and platitudes wherever he could, so many that Changbin eventually became suspicious of the generosity of Chan’s praises.

Leaning back in his seat, Changbin took a swig of his drink and raised an eyebrow at the man across from him. “You’re being extra nice today, what’s going on?” he smirked.

“Nothing!” Chan blushed, worried that he may have been too obvious, “I just wanted to treat my best friend to a nice dinner is all!”.

Changbin raised his brow further.

“Okay and maybe I have a very small proposition for you,” Chan sighed, shoulders falling.

“I knew it, hit me,” Changbin replied, amused.

Chan took a breath and poked at his food with his chopsticks. “Look, before you tell me, I know it’s literally the dumbest thing in the world but in my defence it was Hyunjin’s idea first”.

“Chan”.

“Okay! So basically there’s been a big misunderstanding and now my mum thinks I’m bringing my boyfriend to Christmas, so she’s paid for all the flights and everything and told the whole family,” Chan retold his dilemma once more.

Changbin shoved a chunk of chicken into his mouth and shot a confused look to the man across from him. “Since when have you had a boyfriend?”

“That’s exactly the problem, I don’t!” Chan huffed dramatically.

Swallowing his food thickly, Changbin leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. His pecs bulged slightly with the pressure and Chan tried his best not to notice that detail. A moment of silence hung between them before Changbin spoke. “So, where do I fit in here? Do you want me to hook you up with someone?”

Chan held his hands up defensively – almost too quickly. “No! No, I was actually wondering if you wanted to… well, be my fake boyfriend in exchange for a free trip to Australia?” His cheeks burned hot and Chan hoped that Changbin couldn’t see him flushing. Instinctively, he reached for his glass to take a drink and hopefully hide his red face.

Changbin was silent for a long moment, eventually picking up his chopsticks and grabbing some more chicken. “Sure, why not?” he replied nonchalantly.

The sound of Chan choking on his drink seemed to echo through the room as the few other patrons all looked in his direction. Quickly wiping up his face, he stared wide-eyed up at his friend, who was smiling at him casually as he ate. “Are you serious? You’ll actually do it?” he asked almost too loudly.

“Yeah, I’ve got no plans this year, and I’d be stupid to turn down a free holiday,” Changbin shrugged, “and besides, I’ve always wanted to try a summer Christmas”.

Nothing – literally nothing – could have prepared Chan for this response, and he had to truly force himself not to launch across the table and bear hug Changbin. “Thank you, seriously Changbin, you’re a lifesaver. You’ve not only saved my life today but you’ve saved my poor sweet mother’s heart,” Chan said with a laugh, though not without sincerity.

It was Changbin’s turn to laugh now, shaking his head at Chan. His laughter softened to a fond chuckle as he stuffed the last of his food into his mouth, eyes trained on the table in front of him.

Chan quirked an eyebrow slightly at the tonal shift, half-fearing that Changbin was having second thoughts. “Are you sure you’re a hundred percent on board with this? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable if you aren’t, y’know, into guys or anything like that,” Chan quietly asked, mentally kicking himself for overlooking the latter part of that thought. Despite being best friends, Chan and Changbin hadn’t ever really discussed Changbin’s sexuality before, but Chan knew that his friend had had a few girlfriends in the past. It didn’t seem fair for Chan to make Changbin pretend to be something he wasn’t just for his own sake.

Changbin immediately shrugged, “I’ve never really thought about it, but I’m definitely not opposed to dating guys. I kinda like the sound of it if I’m honest”.

That was not the answer Chan was expecting, but he’d be lying if the words didn’t pool a little heat in his lower abdomen. The intrusive thought of Changbin – strong, gorgeous, playful Changbin – getting railed by another man took up residence in the back of his mind, and Chan tried his best to trash the thought as quickly as it arrived. Christopher you should NOT be thinking about your friend that way, he thought, quickly finishing his own plate to try and hide the creeping redness in his cheeks.

The pair left soon after, Chan paying the bill and driving them both home in a relatively comfortable silence. Once back in their apartment, Changbin bid Chan goodnight and trod off to have a shower, leaving Chan to slowly make his way back upstairs to his bedroom and get himself ready for bed. The chill of the winter night still stung his skin, so Chan decided to have a shower of his own to heat his body back up to a cozy degree. If he spent most of that shower touching himself to that same thought of Changbin spread open and getting fucked stupid – well, that was his shameful little secret and no one would ever need to know.

-

Fly-out day crept ever closer, and Chan frankly was not ready.

It had been a little over a week since Changbin agreed to be Chan’s fake boyfriend, and the anxiety had piled up with every passing day. What if Changbin was having second thoughts? What if he was only saying yes because he just didn’t want to say no to his friend and he actually hated the idea? It was all too much for Chan to think about, and after a week of Felix and Minho exasperatedly telling him to just talk to Changbin about it, Chan decided to head downstairs to pay the man a visit.

Changbin’s door wasn’t closed when Chan walked into the hallway, the timber open just enough so Chan could see the man lounging on his bed with a set of headphones on. With a gentle knock, he poked his head in, stomach doing a flip-flop when Changbin looked up and pulled his headset off with a smile, beckoning Chan in.

Closing the door behind him, Chan perched himself in the cheap dorm office chair and took a deep, grounding breath before speaking. “Hope I’m not bothering you, I just wanted to check in with you about this weekend. I think we should set some boundaries to make sure you aren’t uncomfortable y’know?” he started, eyeing Changbin as the latter tossed his phone aside and heaved himself upright.

“It’s okay Channie-hyung, I really don’t care what happens, I just wanna make sure your family’s hospitality doesn’t go to waste,” Changbin chuckled reassuringly.

Chan pouts, furrowing his brow a little. “You say that but what if they expect us to like, idk hold hands or hug or whatever?”.

Changbin fully laughed at the question, “God forbid we don’t save room for Jesus! Seriously Chan, it’s fine. It can’t be any worse than Felix when he’s in a clingy mood”.

“Yeah but what if they expect us to… kiss?” Chan stumbled on the last word, unsure why he felt so nervous to even bring it up. “I don’t want to make things awkward”.

Rolling his eyes, Changbin moved to sit fully on the edge on his bed, facing Chan. “Again, I really don’t mind dude, it’s just a kiss. If you want, we can kiss now so that it won’t be awkward if we have to while we’re there?” he offered nonchalantly, as if it were the most normal thing in the world to ask of a bro.

Chan on the other hand did not fare as well with the question. His heart skipped a beat out of nowhere and his cheeks lit up in a rosy flush. “A-are you sure?” he replied in a small voice, yet again unsure as to why he was affected so much by all of this. Changbin was attractive, yes. Undoubtedly. Was he attracted to Changbin? They were just besties, friends since the beginning of university. Chan didn’t actually want to date Changbin for real, so why did his body betray him like it was all he wanted?

“Yeah dude, roll your chair over here and kiss me like you’d kiss anyone else, that way we’ll be prepared if they do mention it”. It was almost cruel how casually Changbin was able to say any of those words as if they didn’t affect him.

Swallowing thickly, Chan complied. He rolled the office chair over to the side of the bed where Changbin was sitting expectantly. Without giving himself any more time to psyche himself out, Chan leaned in and locked his lips with Changbin’s, slotting their mouths together perfectly on the first try. It surprised Chan how warm Changbin’s mouth was. Were all kisses this warm? He couldn’t remember any others in that moment. Especially not when Changbin raised his hand and gently placed in on the side of Chan’s face, holding his head and threading a couple of his fingers into Chan’s curly locks. Instinctively, Chan pressed deeper, and Changbin accepted it, opening his mouth slightly and inviting the other’s tongue to explore. Tentatively, Chan accepted the offer, and the pair moved their tongues together in a slow rhythm for what could have been minutes? Hours? Days? Chan couldn’t tell. All he knew in that moment was that he was kissing his best friend, and it was good.

When the pair finally pulled apart for air, they locked eyes for just a second before Changbin brought a hand up and wiped his mouth. “See? No more awkwardness,” he chuckled, eyes still dark in a way Chan just couldn’t place.

“Was that your first kiss with a man?” Chan asked before he realised he’d even said anything.

Changbin shrugged a little again, “Yeah, it was. Not as different as I thought it would be though”.

“Sorry if it was terrible, haha,” Chan awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

“It wasn’t bad, it was actually one of the better kisses I’ve had in my life,” Changbin replied casually, leaning back and reaching for his phone as if he hadn’t just had a proper make-out with his best friend.

Chan blanched, coughing nervously and beelining for the door in an attempt to escape, offering up a frankly pathetic little “See you tomorrow,” as he did so. Changbin simply smiled and gave a thumbs up as he popped his headset back on.

-

Getting to Australia proved to be nothing short of a comedy of errors.

Jisung had offered to drive Chan and Changbin to the airport for their five-am flight, missing no less than three turns and getting them there with merely thirty minutes to spare before they were called to board. There was something exhilarating about sprinting through Seoul Airport to their gate, finally boarding and almost immediately breaking into hysterical laughter as they collapsed into their seats, the flight attendants eyeing them with a judgemental gaze.

After roughly 25 hours and a frantic stopover later, the two men tumbled out of their plane into Sydney airport, jetlagged and barely awake enough to even remember to collect their luggage from the carousel on their way out. Their driver greeted them with a kind smile and ushered the pair into the back of the car, packing the heavy suitcases into the back with a practised ease.

The bright Sydney city lights gave Chan a wash of warm nostalgia, and he took every opportunity to point out a particular sight or area that he used to frequent as a kid, or somewhere that Felix mentioned going once or twice. Changbin listened and looked intently, enthralled by the scenery and thankful that Chan had advised him not to wear a coat when they landed. Even with the combination of night air and the car’s air conditioning, Chan could still see the smallest beads of sweat forming on Changbin’s brow and upper lip.

The car finally pulled up unceremoniously in front of a nice, neat suburban house, the driver helping them with their bags before bidding the pair goodnight. Chan was sure his heart was beating hard enough to escape his chest as the pair quietly approached the front door. “Are you absolutely sure you still want to do this? We can just tell them we’re friends?” Chan offered quietly, just for Changbin’s ears.

Changbin simply rolled his eyes and fixed his shirt before knocking confidently on the door, each knock resonating in Chan’s body like an omen of pure anxiety.

After a short moment the door swung open, Chan’s parents on the other side with beaming smiles. A small dog bounded forward and jumped up on Chan’s legs excitedly, letting out a little yap every so often when Chan stopped patting her. Chan greeted his parents with enormous hugs, cheeks flushing as they playfully scolded him for not introducing his guest.

Changbin eyed Chan, who was blushing too hard to speak. “Hi, I’m Changbin, Chan’s boyfriend. It’s really wonderful to meet you finally!” Changbin smiled sweetly, bowing low before readily accepting the oncoming hug from Chan’s mother.

Oh, he’s a natural at this, Chan thought, watching the way Changbin shook his dad’s hand before grabbing both suitcases.

“You head in first babe, I’ve got these,” Changbin directed that gorgeous smile back at Chan, who almost melted on the spot at being called Babe in that tone.

Chan’s mother gave Changbin a quick tour of the house, giggling appreciatively whenever Changbin would compliment her design choices or tell her that a particular family photo on the wall was beautiful. Eventually she showed them to Chan’s childhood bedroom, all set up for them with extra pillows and fluffy towels folded neatly on the end of the bed.

“Dinner shouldn’t be too far away, I’ll let you settle in first!” Chan’s mum smiled as she ducked off back downstairs leaving the two men to themselves.

Changbin wastes no time looking over Chan’s old room, smiling softly at the huge array of sports ribbons and medals on the wall. “You didn’t tell me you were a prodigy,” he joked, moving to start unpacking his suitcase.

Chan scoffed, “Says you, how come you didn’t do an acting major?”, he joked as he started unpacking his own belongings, surprised to see so many of his old clothes still folded neatly in his wardrobe.

“I’m a man of few words and many talents,” Changbin winked, laughing as he changed into a nice pair of sweatpants and a clean t-shirt.

It was Chan’s turn to laugh, rolling his eyes at the comment. Truth be told he was genuinely taken aback by how quickly Changbin flipped from Best Friend to Perfect Boyfriend. He wondered how many of his ex’s parents he had to practise on before Chan’s folks. Maybe this week wasn’t going to be so difficult after all?

As if on cue, Chan heard his dad calling him from the bottom of the stairs. “You ready?” he said to Changbin, who gave a perky thumbs up and followed behind as Chan led him downstairs to the dining room, where Chan’s parents had gone all out with dinner. A dizzying array of barbecued meats and salads were piled high next to a plethora of side dishes and more sauces than both men could count.

“Everything looks absolutely delicious, thank you so much for the meal, and thank you for having me in your home,” Changbin spoke as he took his seat next to Chan at the table, immediately offering to pour drinks.

The night went smoothly, with Chan finding himself feeling infinitely less anxious than he did when they’d arrived. It was easy for him to fall back into jokes with his family, cringing when they told Changbin a particularly embarrassing childhood story, and listening intently as Changbin told them about his own family when asked. Something almost homely washed over Chan, and he couldn’t help but smile at the feeling. He was back home, with his family, Berry sniffling at his legs waiting for food and his best friend by his side. Things felt right.

“So, how did you two meet?” Chan’s dad asked innocently, loading his plate with another helping.

Instantly, Chan felt his heart drop out of his body. They’d never actually come up with a story for how they met and started “dating”. Chan could feel cracks forming in his lie and started to panic internally.

As if reading his thoughts, Changbin reached his hand across and took Chan’s, giving it a squeeze before turning back to Chan’s dad. “We actually got assigned the same apartment, so we were housemates for a while before we really got to know each other,” Changbin started, hand not once letting go of Chan’s. “We used to have movie nights and then Channie-hyung invited me to his end of semester art exhibition, and I remember thinking his work was so beautiful, and I just fell in love from there,” he continued.

Chan mentally applauded Changbin for the ease with which he answered the question. The facts were true, they had met on move-in day and bonded over a shared love of the arts. The part about the exhibition was true as well, just painted with a romantic brush that Chan was genuinely captivated by. Changbin was absolutely too good of an actor to not take up some kind of minor in the craft.

“My major is creative writing and literature, and Channie-hyung was my main inspiration for my poetry unit, it was really easy to write about him but much more terrifying to show him the poems. Thankfully, he really loved them, and we’ve been together ever since. It sounds a little cheesy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Changbin finished, punctuating the end of his story with a chaste kiss to the back of Chan’s hand.

The poems, Chan definitely remembered the poems. He remembered Changbin being so nervous to admit he’d enjoyed writing poetry, despite showing Chan some of the most beautifully written pieces he’d ever read. He’d never admit it to Changbin, but he was so proud of his friend that he actually kept one of them, one that likened the anatomy of a flower to that of the heart and the sublime fragility of both. It was a stunning piece, a deeply personal lament about love and fear, the beauty of both in the face of lost love. Whichever of Changbin’s exes had inspired it must have done a number on the poor guy. An indescribable feeling encased Chan’s heart at the way Changbin was able to twist that truth into a beautiful love story, it was nothing short of enthralling. It felt so real, so genuine. Chan was infinitely more thankful that Changbin was the one who said yes to this entire plan because he was certain none of this other friends could have pulled off such a convincing act.

A sharp squeeze of the hand brought Chan out of his thoughts and back to the present, where his parents were both looking at him expectantly, as if to corroborate the story. With an embarrassed chuckle Chan leaned over and snuggled up to Changbin’s side slightly. “I remember the poems,” he said, barely thinking about what he was saying, “Calyx, I think it was called. It was beautiful”.

Changbin stiffened under Chan’s grasp at the mention of the name, but Chan thought nothing of it.

Thankfully, Chan’s mum interrupted the moment, gushing about how cute of a story it was and how excited she is that her son had found love like in the movies. The boys could only chuckle and agree with her, thankful that the tension had dissipated finally.

Eventually, once the family had long since eaten the last morsel of food, Chan’s mum stood to begin clearing the table. Changbin instantly stood as well, unprovoked, and began piling plates into his arms and offering to do the dishes. Chan watched with a smile, standing to move his own plate. Just as he’d taken a step towards the kitchen, his dad clapped him on the shoulder. “We’re really happy for you Channie, Changbin seems wonderful. I can tell he makes you really happy,” his dad smiled fondly.

Conflicting feelings arose in Chan at the comment. On one hand, he felt incredibly guilty that all of this was just a ruse, but on the other hand he felt somehow… warmed by the idea that Changbin had his parent’s approval. Maybe it was just that it made it easier to pretend? Chan tried his best not to dwell on it for now, not until the pair were finally alone and getting ready for bed.

Chan grabbed his pillow, “I can sleep on the floor if it makes you more comfortable?” he offered, and Changbin couldn’t help but laugh in response.

“Don’t be an idiot hyung, it’s just a bed,” he rolled his eyes as he climbed under the thin blanket, thankful for the lack of a full duvet as the warm summer night air crept in through the window.

“Okay, okay! Just making sure!” Chan chuckled defensively before climbing in next to Changbin. The sound of the ceiling fan was all that could be heard, breaking up the deafening silence in the pitch black room. Chan stared open-eyed yet unseeing at the ceiling, waiting a few moments before softly speaking. “Hey, thanks for that earlier, that was a good cover story,” he said.

It took a long moment before Changbin spoke, offering up a quiet “yeah,” as his only response.

Chan swallowed. “You ready for the big day tomorrow?” he asked quietly.

“I am, are you?” Changbin replied.

“There’s only one way to find out I guess”.

-

Christmas morning went off without a hitch, Changbin fitting in to the family traditions seamlessly. He offered a helping hand wherever possible, and was immensely grateful to be presented with a Christmas gift from Chan’s parents, a gesture that Chan could tell meant a lot to him.

Chan was just as warmed to see that Changbin had brought gifts for both of Chan’s parents as well, something that Chan certainly didn’t ask nor expect him to do. Changbin really was going above and beyond to make a good impression, and Chan had to admit it was supremely endearing. He’s just being a really good friend, Chan reminded himself, mood souring slightly at the word friend in a way that he wasn’t anticipating. This whole experience thus far had been a lot more of an emotional rollercoaster than Chan was expecting, and he couldn’t for the life of him understand why. Maybe it was the guilt of taking his friend away from his own family at Christmas, making him do something out of his comfort zone just for Chan’s sake. It was incredibly selfish, when he thought about it, but it didn’t quite fit the kind of emotions he was having.

Maybe it was that a tiny, small part of Chan somehow wanted it to not be fake?

Nonsense, he chastised himself, don’t get caught up in the wrong idea Christopher. Chan looked up at where his best friend was siting on the tiled floor laughing with his mum over something silly that Berry had done with the wrapping paper. He couldn’t help but smile.

Changbin looked up and shone a sunny smile at his fake boyfriend in return before getting up and slipping down onto the sofa next to Chan, snaking an arm around his waist for good measure, not once stopping his conversation with Mrs Bang.

The fun and games shifted quickly into work mode as Chan’s parents began organising the house for their afternoon guests. Chan’s dad had already started shuffling furniture and cleaning the barbecue whilst his mum busied herself prepping food. The boys offered a hand where they could, moving around eskies and setting up a fire pit with an array of mismatched outdoor chairs. Light, upbeat music floated in the air and the casual conversations of the family made the work all the more fun.

Eventually, Chan’s dad called the duo over. “We’ve got things from here, Channie why don’t you take Changbin to the bottle-o to get some drinks for yourselves tonight? The one down the road is still open today, you can take my car,” he smiled.

Chan couldn’t help but crack a smile at the offer. Thanking his dad for the use of the car, the two men took off down the streets of Chan’s neighbourhood in search of liquid courage. God knows Chan would need it to survive what the night would bring.

It only took around ten or so minutes to arrive at the liquor store, a garish orange building that Chan remembered all too well from his eighteenth birthday. The memory made him grimace as he locked the car behind them.

“Did you bring ID?” Chan asked instinctively, gesturing at Changbin’s wallet.

Changbin raised an eyebrow, “ID? Why?” he asked, pulling out his wallet to show Chan the plastic card.

Chan chuckled, opening the door for a confused Changbin, “They’re gonna check”.

They walked around for a bit, eyeing the selections before Chan spoke, “So what do you feel like?” he asked casually.

“I don’t really know, what do Australians drink?” Changbin asked, eyes scanning the array of colourful bottles.

Chan couldn’t help but laugh at that, gesturing to a large yellow carton with a bunch of red X’s on the logo. “That’s about as Aussie as it gets,” he laughed, doing his best to not acknowledge the burning in his cheeks as he watched Changbin effortlessly haul the carton up onto his shoulder, tank top providing an excellent view of Changbin’s toned biceps in all their glory.

The pair made their way to the counter, Chan offering to do all the talking. Not that the cashier was listening, she was far more interested in bombarding Changbin with questions and eyeing him up and down hungrily. Changbin nervously tried to tell the woman that he didn’t speak very good English as he followed Chan in presenting their IDs. The admission didn’t seem to stop the wandering eyes of the cashier, and Chan felt a bubble of jealousy rise to the surface in his chest. Without thinking, he slipped his hand into Changbin’s back pocket and pulled at him so the pair were flush at the hip, swiftly cutting off the cashier’s advances.

If Chan clocked the smirk that crossed Changbin’s face, he didn’t admit it. He also didn’t let that hand leave Changbin’s pocket until they’d reached the car. Just in case.

-

Sitting on his bed, Chan fumbled with the clasp of his bracelet, mind racing with a million thoughts at once. What was with the possessiveness earlier? He’d never felt that way about his friends before, especially not about Changbin. Something stirred in him that he’d never felt before, thoughts only cut off by the sound of the bedroom door clicking shut behind him. Turning to look in the direction of the noise, Chan gasped softly at the sight in front of him.

Changbin stood in the doorway, silver hair tousled back half off his face and revealing a subtle wash of shimmer eyeshadow. A neat white button-down was tucked into a pair of impossibly tight black skinny jeans, the fabric on the shirt straining in places to keep the man’s muscles in check. The whole ensemble looked.. well gorgeous. Chan had never seen Changbin this dressed up before, even to go out to the clubs they frequented in their early years of university. By god, it suited him.

Rising to his feet, Chan fumbled a little for words as he looked Changbin up and down. “You look amazing,” he said softly, noting the way Changbin’s ears flushed at the compliment.

“Thanks, you do too Chan,” Changbin replied, watching the way Chan’s chest rose and fell under his tight burgundy dress shirt.

The tension between them could have easily crushed diamond, neither really sure what to say next, both just looking at the other with indescribable expressions. Finally, Chan cleared his throat and asked Changbin once more if he was ready, receiving a smirk and a nod in response, a grounding affirmation that they could endure whatever the night threw at them.

-

Neither Chan nor Changbin were prepared for the sheer amount of people that mingled and flitted about downstairs when they finally descended the timber staircase. Changbin slipped his hand into Chan’s and gave it a reassuring squeeze, not letting go the whole time he was walked around and introduced to family, friends and god-knows who else. Chan did his best not to overwhelm the other man, but it proved a difficult task when everyone wanted to say hello to “Channie and his pretty new boyfriend”. One aunt remarked unashamedly that Changbin was the only one of Chan’s boyfriends she liked, a comment that made Changbin bow low with gratitude, though mostly to hide his laughter.

Eventually the flow of introductions ceased and the pair were able to catch their breath and grab a drink from one of several eskies scattered amongst the house.

“Geez, they seem to love you,” Chan laughed, playfully punching Changbin’s shoulder.

Changbin puffed his chest out with fake bravado for a moment before bursting out into giggles, “It’s because I’m perfect, you should really get on my level Channie-hyung”.

Just as the pair went to take a step across the threshold onto the back deck, Chan’s mum stopped them in their tracks, smiling playfully and pointing above their heads to the doorframe. Both men looked up to find they’d been stopped under a mistletoe, and by the looks of it Chan’s mum wasn’t going to let them leave until they’d fulfilled the sacred holiday tradition. Adding to the stress of the situation, Chan realised that his mum had her phone at the ready to snap a picture of the kiss.

Chan looked at Changbin nervously, eased somewhat by the casual smile he was met with.

“It’s okay Chan, it’s just one photo,” Changbin leaned in and whispered in Chan’s ear, sending shivers down the older’s spine, “Kiss me like you kissed me in my room”.

Now that should absolutely not have affected Chan the way it did, the older grabbing Changbin softly by the jaw and pressing a kiss to his lips, Changbin immediately pressing harder, deeper. The kiss was familiar, sort of… sensual, but still as appropriate as it could be considering Chan’s family was watching (some of whom offered wolf-whistles and cheers at the sight of the PDA).

The phone camera clicked and the boys pulled apart, taking a second to look each other in the eye, faces only mere inches apart. “Was that okay?” Chan asked almost inaudibly.

Changbin’s eyes remained trained on Chan’s. “More than,” he whispered, before pulling away to excitedly ask Chan’s mum to show him the picture, pulling out his own phone and asking for a copy, probably to show Jisung or Felix later.

Chan stood in a daze, lips feeling almost cold without the warmth of Changbin’s on them any longer. More than? Chan repeated in his head a hundred times over, unsure about what he was feeling. Was it fair for him to want another kiss? Was it right for him to be this kiss-drunk off such an innocent smooch? A buzz in his pocked snapped him out of his daze, and he checked his phone to find he’d been sent a copy as well. The picture was undoubtedly adorable, the pair looked so natural as their lips locked under the flower sprig hanging from the door. Yeah, Chan would definitely save that picture.

-

The night progressed easily to their relief, the boys flitting between groups for small talk. They’d started taking bets between each other over how long it would take for one of them to be asked about university or something similarly generic. Chan and Changbin eventually ditched the grownups in favour of playing in the yard with the kids, Chan and the troupe of children doing their best to indoctrinate poor Changbin into the art of backyard cricket to no avail. Eventually, they all settled on a game of touch football, with Chan and Changbin captaining each side like their lives depended on the win.

Chan skulled the rest of his beer and called a timeout as his legs were getting tired, earning him unending teasing from the kids – and Changbin – about being an old man. He waved them off and pulled up a camp chair on the sidelines, watching fondly as the kids tried to teach Changbin about the concept of Red Rover, and subsequently making him ‘it’ for the first round. Immense fondness swelled in Chan’s chest as he watched Changbin flail helplessly in a vain effort to catch the agile children as they bolted past him to the other side of the yard.

Seeing the pure joy radiating from Changbin’s face as he ran around, the laughter bubbling up and spilling over as he finally managed to catch one of the kids – it was a lot for Chan to take in. He had to concede that Changbin looked beautiful like this. Actually, Changbin looked beautiful most of the time - when he was hunched over his laptop in the early hours of the morning writing short stories, when he was shouting in fear over bacon crackling and spitting on the stovetop, or when he sat in Chan’s passenger seat and sang loudly along to whatever terrible music Chan decided to put on for the trip regardless of if he knew the words or not. No matter what he was doing, he did it beautifully.

Love was a strange thing to Chan. He’d never really experienced it for real before. Sure, crushes came and went, and he’d told plenty of boyfriends he’d loved them, but whatever it was floating and sparking in Chan’s chest as he watched his best friend – it felt new. Different. Chan dwelled on their first kiss back in Changbin’s bedroom, and on the butterflies he felt during the time they spent locked together by the lips – a feeling he’d previously put down to nerves but now felt like something else, the same feeling he got when he kissed Changbin under the mistletoe. There was also the possessiveness at the store, the jealous gurgle at the idea of Changbin being flirted with by anyone else. That surely can’t be a sign that he just wanted to be friends with Changbin? He’d had these tiny, creeping thoughts about wanting more from Changbin from the moment Changbin first called him ‘babe’ in front of his parents. Maybe his brain was trying to tell him this whole time that he wanted to be more than just Changbin’s fake boyfriend?

Chan’s chest tightened at the possibility, thoughts racing at lightspeed. At that moment, Changbin turned and smiled at him from the yard, a smile filled with pure unadulterated joy, laughter slipping from his perfect lips, happiness unable to be contained. Time screeched to a halt and everything seemed to click into place as they locked eyes.

I love him, Chan thought, I’m in love with Seo Changbin.

The revelation floored Chan, his breath hitching and tears beginning to well in his eyes. He was in love with his best friend, and more than anything he didn’t want them to go back to normal when they left Australia. It almost felt like a cruel joke of the universe, having Chan realise his feelings now, when they could only live this fantasy for a mere week more. He couldn’t tell if he should be grateful or heartbroken that he had the chance to experience what dating Changbin would be like before everything went back to normal.

A string of text alerts brought Chan back to the present, and he unlocked his phone and wiped a single rogue tear from his cheek.

[22:18] Lixie: MERRY CHRISTMAS CHANNIE!!!! <3 <3 <3
[22:19] Lixie: How’s things going with changbinnie??? Anyone caught on yet????

Chan debated internally on how to reply to the message. Steeling himself, he simply forwarded the mistletoe picture.

[22:24] Banga: [Banga has sent an attachment]
[22:25] Banga: He’s a really good actor.

A tense few moments passed before Chan received a reply.

[22:30] Lixie: OH MY GODDDD SDFGHJ CHAN are you SURE that’s just acting????? Either way – scheme well-done I hate to say it but Hyunjin was right!

As much as he wanted to believe otherwise, unfortunately it had to be the truth.  Chan couldn’t risk asking otherwise.

Chan’s heart nearly jumped out of his chest as Changbin jogged up to where he was sitting. “Hey, I’m gonna grab another drink, you want anything?” he asked, still smiling.

Chan blinked. “Yeah, I’ll come with,” he replied, still dazed from his earlier epiphany.

Thankfully, the kitchen was clear when the pair arrived inside the house, offering Chan enough privacy to have a quick check-in about the situation as a whole.

“How are you going? Y’know, with everything?” Chan asked tentatively, hopping up to sit on the bench and gesturing vaguely.

Changbin cracked open a can of beer and took a swig, smile not leaving his face. “Really well, actually the best I’ve felt in a long time. I think I’m the favourite Bang child now, not sorry!” he chuckled.

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself now,” Chan rolled his eyes.

“Hey – It’s not my fault I’m the perfect boyfriend”.

Chan had to agree – Changbin really was the perfect boyfriend. Just not your boyfriend, his brain unhelpfully supplied, sending a nauseating churn through his stomach.

“Man, if this is how you treat all your girlfriends I’ve gotta admit – I’m jealous,” he thought outloud, before realising the words had even slipped from his lips. Instantly his face paled.

Changbin took a step closer, “You haven’t even experienced half of the Changbin Boyfriend Experience,” he replied, punctuating his sentence with a wink.

“Wh-what does that mean?” Chan stammered, mouth dry.

Placing his can on the bench, Changbin stepped forward, slotting right between where Chan’s knees were spread. He leaned in, breath ghosting on the shell of Chan’s ear. “I’d be happy to offer a free sample later if you’re curious,” he half-whispered, before pressing a lightning fast peck to Chan’s cheek.

That didn’t just happen – surely? Every tangible thought vacated Chan’s head the instant those words registered in his brain. Did Changbin just offer up what he thought Changbin just offered? Every nerve in Chan’s body sparked, skin tingling and heart thudding so hard against his ribcage that he thought it might actually break through his sternum and kill him on the spot. Either Changbin was a really good method actor, or he really actually wanted to-

“You boys alright in here?” the voice of Chan’s mum ripped him back to attention.

There were two options – either he pretended that he’d understood it as a friendly thing and he’d carry on like nothing was wrong, or…

Chan doubled over, hand on his stomach. “Yeah I’m feeling a little nauseous. It’s been a while since I’ve had a drink, I think I’m a little out of practise,” he smiled half-heartedly at his mum.

“Oh, are you okay?” Chan’s mum replied, immediately rubbing his back in comforting circles.

Chan tilted his head to glance at Changbin, smirking.

Immediately Changbin caught on, grabbing a plastic cup from a stack on the bench and filling it with tap water. “It’s okay Mrs Bang, I’ll take him upstairs and keep an eye on him,” he said, earning a grateful yet worried “Thank you, you’re a good boy”.

Once the pair made it up the stairs, Changbin turned to lock the bedroom door behind the pair before gently placing the water cup on the bedside table. Chan stood by the side of the bed, cheeks flaming. Changbin strode over until there was mere inches between them. “I’m guessing you’re not as sick as you seem?” Changbin spoke in a low voice, almost a growl.

The sound was so different to anything Chan had ever heard from the man, and he felt that voice resonate through his body and straight to his cock. Taking a shaky breath, Chan decided to test the waters even further. “I guess I’m cured, it’s a miracle,” he spoke just as low, eye contact not breaking, “I am still curious about that sample you mentioned however”.

Changbin’s eyes darkened, stare boring into Chan’s soul. “I need to hear you say you want it”.

Chan gulped, this was the point of no return. Even if Changbin didn’t have feelings for him, he seemed to want this just as much, if not more than Chan did. Was it cruel to allow himself to have this one night with no promise of more? Probably, but Chan didn’t particularly care. He’d take whatever he could get and cherish only the memory if he had to. Merry Christmas Chan, he thought, looking Changbin directly in the eye.

“I want it. I want you”.

In an instant, Changbin had Chan pinned to the bed, the force of which sent the bed shifting an inch or two across the floor. Changbin crashed his lips against Chan’s with fervour, drinking in the kiss like it would save his life. Chan was more than happy to oblige, letting his body submit to every touch. The pair kissed like this for a while, Changbin straddling Chan and kissing deeply into his mouth, every sound and moan spurring him on to kiss harder.

Eventually, the duo broke apart, Changbin immediately attacking Chan’s neck and jaw with bites and kisses. “How do you want me baby?” Changbin asked between bites.

Chan’s mind was hazy to say the least, intoxicated on the feeling of Changbin’s weight on his body and lips on his throat. He wanted nothing more than to just submit. “Please, I don’t care, I’m yours,” he moaned, voice whiny with want.

Changbin let out a soft “fuck”, grinding his hips down instinctively against Chan’s. “Didn’t pin you for a submissive type, but that’s okay, I can’t wait to own you properly,” he spoke low and raw, and Chan practically whimpered.

With another roll of the hips, Changbin moved to grab both of Chan’s wrists and pin them above his head with one hand, the other hand expertly popping buttons on Chan’s shirt, allowing more access for his mouth to roam. Eventually his lips reached Chan’s nipple and he gave it a long lick before biting it gently, causing Chan to let out a moan. Changbin smirked and moved the hand holding Chan’s wrists to place over his mouth.

“Careful now, wouldn’t want your whole family to hear you getting fucked now would we?” he smirked up at Chan, swiftly tugging the hem of the shirt out of Chan’s pants before leaning back up to whisper in Chan’s ear. “If that’s how you sound now, I can’t wait to hear what you’ll sound like with my cock inside you,” he growled.

Chan’s brain completely short circuited at that. Changbin fully intended on fucking him, and by the sounds of it, Changbin very much didn’t intend on letting him walk straight the next day. The thought of it was all he needed to fill out the rest of his growing bulge, the pressure almost painful as his cock strained in his tight jeans. “Wanna taste you, please,” he begged.

Changbin immediately moved off Chan’s lap and sat on the edge of the bed, unzipping his jeans and sliding them off with only a hint of struggle. “You wanna taste me? On your knees then,” he commanded, and Chan scrambled to comply, knees hitting the carpet with a muted thud. Changbin looked down at the man kneeling between his legs and reached out to slowly slip the dishevelled dress shirt the rest of the way off Chan’s shoulders and onto the floor, admiring the toned contours of Chan’s musculature.

Feeling the gaze on his body, Chan flushed red, colour dusting his chest and shoulders gently. He looked up at Changbin, trying to read the gaze he was receiving. It was as if something shifted in the air ever so slightly, and Chan couldn’t tell what it was. He watched as Changbin pulled his own shirt off without bothering to unbutton it. Letting his eyes roam, Chan took in the almost godly sight before him, his best friend – no, the man he was in love with – looking down at him hungrily, the bedside table lamp illuminating his stunning body as if he were glowing from within. Chan took in the body before him, the solid biceps and pecs that Chan needed to have in his mouth at some point before this whole thing had to end. Eyes trailing further and further down, Chan finally noticed the way Changbin’s cock strained against his underwear.

Letting out a whimper, Chan licked his lips, a motion that did not go unnoticed by Changbin. Reaching out a hand, Changbin cupped Chan’s chin and leaned down closer to his face. “You wanted to taste me? Put that pretty mouth of yours to work then,” he growled, and Chan practically leapt into action.

Large hands roamed wherever Chan could get them as he mouthed at the bulge in Changbin’s underwear, teeth eventually pulling at the waistband and tugging the fabric down, freeing Changbin’s cock to pop up right in front of Chan’s eyes. Leaning back, Chan took the sight in. He’d seen a few cocks in his time, and he figured he could just be biased because of the whole being in love thing, but Changbin’s was perfect. The size and shape seemed to be made exactly to Chan’s preferences and he hadn’t even put it inside himself yet. Leaning in, he licked a long stripe up the base, spurred on by the surprised gasp that fell from Changbin’s plush lips.

After a couple more licks and gentle nibbles, Chan decided to show off his skills a little bit, taking the whole thing into his mouth and throat in one go, swallowing around it and shivering at the deep moan that Changbin let out, hands shooting up and into Chan’s hair. That was the fire at the starting line, and Chan immediately started sucking and slurping with fervour, tongue expertly manoeuvring around the head as he pulled back, every now and then dipping into the slit and lapping up the beads of precum that leaked out.

Sucking off Changbin felt like a dream, and Chan was more than content to just stay servicing him like this forever. Unfortunately, that dream was cut short by Changbin pulling Chan off by the hair. Chan looked up with wide, slightly teary eyes and Changbin panted.

“Fuck, you have no right to be so good at that Channie, you nearly made me cum before I got to fuck you,” Changbin spoke breathily.

Chan moaned, he’d completely forgotten that he was about to get railed, too lost in the thrill of Changbin’s cock in his mouth. He accepted Changbin’s hand as the other man helped him off his knees and onto the bed, the two men kneeling face-to-face on the mattress.

Changbin’s confidence seemed to falter slightly at that point, and Chan clocked it immediately. “Hey, are you okay? We really don’t have to if you’re uncomfortable?” he asked, reaching a comforting hand out to stroke Changbin’s bare thigh gently.

Changbin’s head shot up, hands held out defensively. “No! I want to, I really, really do. I just…” he started, face flushing red.

“You can tell me, it’s okay,” Chan reassured.

Changbin chuckled nervously, “Y’know how when we kissed back in my room and you asked me if that was my first kiss with a guy?” he started.

“Yeah?” Chan replied, confused for a moment before suddenly realising. “Ohh, oh okay yeah, that’s okay! I can walk you through it if you want?” he offered.

Changbin nodded eagerly, making Chan chuckle fondly. “Top drawer, I should still have some stuff in there” Chan gestured to the bedside table.

“Oh gross, is this from when you were in high school?” Changbin laughed as he grabbed a half-empty lube bottle from the drawer.

It was Chan’s turn to be embarrassed at that. “No! I left it here last time I came back to visit. No condom?” he queried, and Changbin shook his head. “Are you clean?” Chan followed up.

“Yeah, got tested about a month ago, haven’t been with anyone since. You?” Changbin asked.

Chan nodded. “Yep, all clear here, if you still want to?” he replied.

Changbin nodded and crawled back over to where Chan was sitting. “So uh, prep first? I read that it’s important,” he spoke nervously.

“Yeah, you wanna prep me or do you wanna watch me do it myself?” Chan replied, suddenly curious about Changbin’s research.

“I want to try, I want to make you feel good,” Changbin replied, and the words shot directly to Chan’s already aching cock, still trapped in the confines of his jeans. Without much more hesitation, Chan finally rid himself of the offending garment, underwear and all, laying back on his elbows.

Changbin swallowed thickly at the sight of Chan lounged naked in front of him, cock hard and leaking already. “You’re so beautiful,” he spoke quietly, and Chan flushed bright red.

“You too,” Chan replied.

The to men just stared at each other for a moment, relishing in the sight of the other in full, naked glory. Eventually, Chan cleared his throat with a chuckle, “So uh, you’ve fingered a girl before?” he asked.

Changbin shrugged playfully, “Once or twice, yeah,” he joked, smirking at the way Chan rolled his eyes.

“Well, it’s not that different, just go one at a time and I’ll let you know when I’m ready,” Chan responded, “How do you want me?”.

“Like this, I uhh, I want to face you if that’s okay?” Changbin stammered almost shyly, and Chan couldn’t help but flush even redder if that were even possible for him at that point.

“Yeah, I’d like that,” Chan replied, laying back and spreading his legs, exposing his hole to his best friend for the first time in what should have been a much more nerve-wracking experience for him. He definitely didn’t ignore the way that Changbin licked his lips at the sight, and before Chan could say anything, he felt Changbin’s strong hands running up his legs and rubbing his thighs. One of the wandering hands grabbed Chan’s leg under the back of the knee and pushed it back towards his chest, further exposing Chan’s hole for the other hand to tease at with featherlight touches.

“Sorry, could you uhm, help me please?” Changbin moved his hand from Chan’s hole to grab the lube bottle, holding it out and thanking Chan when he took it and poured a generous amount on the waiting fingers.

Changbin immediately brought the slick fingers back, teasing the tip of his index finger in and out of Chan’s rim, watching the way Chan whimpered and whined for more contact, before finally slipping the whole digit in and curling it, pumping It slowly in and out.

Chan gasped softly at the intrusion, hips bucking upward slightly in search of more. “More, please,” he whimpered, moaning as Changbin complied and slid another finger in, slowly scissoring them in and out.

“Wait a second…” Changbin mumbled to himself, and just as Chan opened his mouth to speak, Changbin’s fingers curled and pressed right on Chan’s prostate, sending a jolt of pleasure shooting through his body and causing Chan to throw his head back in a silent scream. Changbin smirked to himself before rubbing the same spot repeatedly, revelling in the way Chan seemed to turn into a whimpering mess at the action. He even slipped a third finger in for good measure, an action that was instantly rewarded with a delicious moan.

Chan finally lifted his head up to face Changbin properly, “Please, want you, need you,” he whined.

Changbin pulled all three fingers out and leaned in close to Chan’s face, kissing him hard. He pulled back and smirked, “Beg me like you mean it,” he growled.

Were it anyone else, Chan would have felt far more embarrassed at the way he instantly began begging almost incoherently, hands grasping at Changbin’s arms as he babbled nonsense to the tune of “Please Binnie, please fuck me, I’ve been so good, please, please, please”.

Finally, Changbin pulled back to sit up, twisting to grab a pillow and manoeuvre it under Chan’s hips. He grabbed the lube again and coated his cock with it, hissing at the contact before tossing the bottle aside and lining up with the head pressing against Chan’s wet hole. Slowly, he pushed inside, sliding in all the way to the hilt and stopping, waiting for Chan to adjust and give him the go-ahead to move.

Chan had no idea how he was going to last more than two minutes of having Changbin inside him like this, feeling the warmth of his cock deep inside. After a moment he nodded, signalling Changbin to move. He groaned as he felt the other man slide slowly out of him before pushing back in, gradually building up to a steady pace. Chan gripped the pillow above his head as Changbin fucked him, each thrust punctuated by a soft “Oh, oh oh,”.

“Fuck Channie, you feel so fucking good, so tight,” Changbin panted as he slammed into Chan, the sound of skin slapping on skin almost echoing in the room, the sound of loud music playing downstairs concealing the sound well enough. Changbin swung Chan’s legs up and over his shoulders and pushed in deeper, “So good, so good for me baby,” he continued.

Chan couldn’t help but moan at the praise, grabbing Changbin’s shoulders and pulling him down into a crushing kiss, ignoring the way his body practically folded in on itself. Chan broke the kiss and in a bold move, pulled Changbin’s head to the side by his hair and latched on to his neck, biting and sucking a delicious bruise into the soft skin.

Changbin let out a pleasured cry, and when Chan detached his lips he pulled back to look Chan in the eye. “Tell me what you want baby, I’ll give you anything, you only have to ask,” he spoke, his tone softer than Chan was expecting, and it gave him goosebumps.

“I want you to ruin me, please,” Chan looked Changbin directly in the eye as he spoke, words deliberate.

Changbin faltered slightly, before moving to grasp Chan around his waist. “As you wish,” he smirked, before pulling out almost completely and slamming back in hard, setting a brutal pace and practically pulling Chan backwards onto his cock as he fucked into him. The grip was bruising, and Chan couldn’t help but lay back and enjoy every moment of it, words coming out as unintelligible moans and ramblings.

Suddenly, Changbin moved one of his hands to stroke Chan’s neglected and leaking cock, and Chan knew he wasn’t going to last much longer. Thankfully, Changbin beat him to it, “I’m getting really close,” he panted, hips becoming erratic as he neared his orgasm.

“Me too, so close,” he panted, moving to lock his legs around Changbin’s waist. “Want it inside, please,” he looked up at Changbin with glassy eyes, and that was all it took for Changbin to tip over the edge, coming deep inside Chan with a loud, wanton moan.

The sight of Changbin coming was too much for Chan, who spilled all over Changbin’s hand and his own stomach only a moment later, the other man’s name loud on his lips as he did so.

Changbin slipped out of Chan and flopped down onto the bed beside him, both men panting loudly, slick with sweat. They lay together like that for a while, neither man daring to disturb the peace. Eventually, Changbin sat up, leaning over to the bedside table and grabbing the lukewarm glass of water from earlier and holding it out to Chan, who accepted gratefully. Changbin rubbed Chan’s back as he drank down the water then took the empty cup once he was done, placing it back on the nightstand before laying back against the pillows and gesturing Chan to join him.

Chan didn’t hesitate to curl up against Changbin’s side despite the warmth. “So uh, was that part of the act too?” he joked awkwardly after a while, unsure of what to make of the whole situation but mentally slapping himself for pointing it out.

Changbin tensed slightly, “I uh, I was never acting,” he confessed quietly, pulling away from Chan and sitting up. “I really do like you Chan, I have for a long time now. I completely understand if that makes you uncomfortable, I know I should have said something sooner but yeah, that’s kinda why I was so open to the whole idea. It sounds really dumb but I just wanted to know what it would feel like for you to love me back even for a little while, which is selfish, I know,” he rambled quietly before sighing, “I’m sorry”.

To say Chan was floored would be an understatement. A million thoughts raced through his mind, but the only one that mattered to him at that moment was that Changbin felt the same. Changbin loved him. Chan felt like he was floating, his heart blooming and body warm in the best possible way. “You mean we don’t have to go back to normal when we get back home?” was all he could get out.

Changbin blinked, clearly surprised, before a huge smile spread across his face. He leaned in and grabbed Chan’s face gently, looking into his eyes. “This can be our normal if that’s what you want. I’ll give you anything you ask for Chan, I mean it,” he spoke, tone hopeful, searching Chan’s face for any sign of hesitation.

“I want that, more than anything,” Chan smiled, “I just want you”.

“I’ve waited so long to hear you say that,” Changbin leaned in and kissed Chan at that, not roughly or with any sense of urgency. A deep, loving kiss spurred on by years of unspoken feelings. Chan kissed back with equal passion, mouths moving against each other in a comfortable rhythm, tongues exploring in new ways.

When they broke apart, Chan leaned his head against Changbin’s forehead, noses touching lightly. He couldn’t help but giggle softly, “It feels so much nicer when it’s for real”.

The pair lay together for a little while longer before Changbin insisted they shower, both sneaking off to the bathroom together and cleaning each other up slowly, hands exploring each other’s bodies slowly and deliberately. If Changbin decided to get on his knees and give his first blowjob under the delightfully cool shower spray, well, that’s his business.

Once the duo made it back to the room, they snuggled in together under the thin flannel sheet, opting to remain naked to achieve optimal cooling in the warm summer air.

Chan grabbed his phone absently, noticing an abundance of text messages from a clearly intoxicated Felix asking him for updates on the plan.

Changbin glanced over and chuckled, snatching the phone from Chan’s hand and taking a quick snap of the pair together, Chan pressed comfortably in the crook of Changbin’s shoulder, both men looking dishevelled and covered in hickeys. The icing on the cake though, at the moment that Changbin snapped the photo, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to Chan’s forehead.

[01:07] Banga: [Banga has sent an attachment]
[01:08] Banga: oops

Both men laughed hysterically as a flood of incredulous replies piled in, with Felix rightfully losing his absolute mind over the turn of events. Even Jisung texted him, clearly having seen the picture off Felix’s phone. A garish gif appeared in the text of a cake that was crudely iced to say ‘congrats on the sex’, which they both agreed was very Jisung to send. It can accompanied with a text telling them both that they’re terrible at sticking to plans, which neither could really disagree with.

Changbin leaned in and gave Chan another kiss on the lips. “Not to be cheesy, but you’re the best Christmas gift I’ve ever received, I love you,” he spoke softly, voice fond.

“I could say the same about you,” Chan giggled, cheeks bright pink. It was undeniably cheesy, but it was Changbin, and that’s what made it okay.

Chan snuggled in closer to Changbin’s side and closed his eyes, smiling. “I love you too”.