Someone was yelling, no screaming, the screeching echoed and bounced against the walls of the room. It took Ravi a couple seconds to realize it was him, but that didn’t stop him. There was no choice in the matter, to not scream would be to not see, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the person lying on the bed, his bed. It was a moment stuck in time, maybe even on infinite loop, the more he saw the more he yelled until a pillow came flying toward his face and knocked into it with a soft fwoomp. And for once it hadn’t been Hongbin that had thrown it.

His roommate looked just as shocked as he did, mouth agape and huge eyes darting back and forth between himself and him. This was his quarantine!? Unbelieveable! Slapping one hand onto Hongbin’s wrist and one over his own eyes, Ravi started dragging his friend from the room. A chorus of ‘what are you doing?’, ‘at least grab some clothes!’, and ‘I can explain!!’ followed him as he reached out with his feet to be sure he didn’t run into the wall or the pull out couch mattress directly in the living room. He didn’t dare remove his hand from his eyes until he heard the soft glide of the bedroom door shutting and they were safely out.

“Hongbin-ah!” Ravi started, eyes wild and nearly wheeling with urgency. “Hongbin-ah, I need you to take me to see a specialist, right away. I think I’m sick. I feel sick. Do I feel hot?” He lifted his own clammy hand to press against his face, the blush on his cheeks had ignited his skin with heat. “I feel hot. I must have a fever. I have a fever and I’m delusional. What sort of infection did you bring into our room! I thought you were joking about the quarantine, but now I’m sick.” Something much like panic was bubbling up Ravi’s throat. “Hongbin-ah, why are you laughing?! I’m serious, your infection got me sick! I need help.”

In his hour of need, what was his so-called best friend doing? Clutching his sides and laughing until tears leaked from his stupid pretty eyes. Ravi could hear, through the never ending tirade of giggles, a few words and phrases when Hongbin actually was able to draw in enough breath to do anything but grin like an idiot. “I’m sorry,” he tried holding up a hand in apology but then dropped it back to his side for another gut busting laugh. Maybe the infection had different symptoms for different people; Hongbin was giggly under normal circumstances but this was ridiculous. They both needed to see a specialist. “I’m sorry, it’s not funny,” though hardly anyone would believe that with the way he dissolved into laughter again. “You’re not sick!” Another giggle. “I’m really sorry though, that wasn’t how I pictured introducing you.” Another laugh.

Alerts were sounding inside Ravi’s mind. Klaxons sirening that something was very, very wrong. ‘Introduce’ him? Three problems rose up to be knocked down. One, how was his mysterious cafe customer crush someone that Hongbin could have ‘introduced’ him to? Two, just how had he ended up there, in their apartment, in their bed? (Sweet mother of god, he didn’t want to think about that last part too hard.) Three, if he wasn’t a figment of his imagination, then that meant he’d really walked right in there half and on display. Heat ran up his neck and steamed out of his ears, he was sure. “Hongbin, please,” Ravi tried to sound as earnest as possible to his friend he was still slightly hiccoughing from his laugh attack. “Please tell me that Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes isn’t in our bedroom.”

That seemed to sober him up, the laughter dying abruptly and his eyes rounded into saucers, there might have even been a twitch under one of them. “What?” he hissed as quietly as he could grabbing Ravi’s arm and dragging him farther away from the bedroom door. “What?” Hongbin whispered again like all of his voice had left him. For a moment his eyes looked far away, his mind gone somewhere while he was processing the information. It was a little creepy looking, the way they looked almost vacant, but then they snapped back to stare directly at his roommate. “Le-- Taekwoon-ssi is your Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes?” Worry sparked behind those brown orbs.

“Taekwoon?” It was Ravi’s turn to hiss. Months of effort and Hongbin just dropped that right into his lap? Had he always known? How come he’d never heard of this Taekwoon? They told each other everything. Absolutely everything, ever since, well, forever. As long as he could remember at least. Their first kisses, the first time they’d cheated on a test, or stole something. That had been hilarious, a nine year old Hongbin had been so distraught with guilt that he’d accidentally left a corner market without paying for his item that he’d made Ravi go back with him three days later and get down on their knees to apologize and pay. Ravi hadn’t done a thing wrong (that time) but of course he’d gone with him anyway. That’s what friends did.  A prick inside his heart started but he resolutely ignored it. “Who is he?” ‘Why haven’t I heard about him?’ He added on mentally. ‘Introduce’? It sounded like he was getting ready for marriage.

A look like guilt ran over Hongbin’s face, his lips almost pouting, Ravi could see the nine year old him again and it made his heart tighten. Why? What was so bad that he’d look like that? “You remember that job I had yesterday?” Ravi only nodded and kept peering close at his friend who seemed less and less like he wanted to look at him. “For that musical?” Again, he nodded, Hongbin was staring at the floor by that point. “With that actor I’m a fan of…” Was that it? Ravi couldn’t help the sigh of relief. A crush, he just had a crush on him. Like that time in high school when they’d both secretly been planning to ask the same boy out and then shared it with each other. Sure it had been awkward (and a little hilarious later) but that wasn’t so bad. “He kissed me.” Wait, what.

A knock at their front door interrupted Ravi before he could press the matter further. Hongbin sent one more distressed look his way and he wanted to call foul for using those eyes of his to his own advantage even unintentionally. Ravi could only slump against the wall as his friend ran to answer the door. This was all way too much for one Ravi to take in. Especially in the morning, even more especially on a morning when he didn’t have to do anything or go anywhere. No convenient escapes, or excuses to just get out, but then again he wasn’t even sure if wanted to. It didn’t matter though, he wasn’t going anywhere with the state he was in, but somehow the idea of going into the bedroom to fetch clothes was way too daunting. He knew what was in there.

Taekwoon. It felt weird. It was weird. Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes had been the man’s name in Ravi’s head for so long that actually having another to replace it with felt strange. His mind rebelled at the idea. Probably because some part of him had wanted to learn it from the man himself. Maybe he’d thought about times when he’d ask during taking his order and he’d get back a soft reply, acknowledgement that all his effort was worth it. Stupid romanticism of course, but how could he help it after he’d for sure got a smile the previous day. Strange, it felt a lot longer than one day. Ravi wasn’t sure what had possessed him to say it, ‘it’s good to see you again’. Was it because he’d missed the chance to talk to him at the register? Nothing could have stunned him more than the quiet response of ‘yes’ or that adorable small smile.

And the same day those same lips had been on Hongbin’s. Something odd wrapped itself around his heart and squeezed, painfully. His hand reached up to rub the heel of his palm over his chest. Hongbin and Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes, kissing. He couldn’t tell which one he was more in envy of, probably both and wasn’t that a giant ‘ you’ from his brain. A groan tore out of his throat and he sank to the ground, head buried in his hands. Could the day start over? He wanted to call reset, go back and re-do the last hour.

Before he was even sure what he was doing, Ravi was crawling across the floor to rummage in his pack. His trusty notebook emerged along with a pen. The words were there, all there in his head, he didn’t even need a beat, that was there too. “Start over,” he murmured and wrote as fast as he could before any of the words leaked out of his brain. Black on white, the sudden appearance of words, the sound of the pen scratching on paper was all he could hear. All he wanted to hear. He didn’t hear the sound of a shutter as Hongbin stood near the window and snapped a picture of his friend with a sad look in his eyes. Didn’t hear the sound of Hongbin storing away the fold out couch or dragging the coffee table back into position, setting the food he’d ordered out onto it.

It wasn’t until a pile of clothes landed near him that he was pulled out of the zone. He’d already got all the words down, every one of them, but he’d been staring at the paper, trying to divine something more from it than his own feelings. “I brought you some clothes.” Hongbin was scratching the back of his neck, a sign Ravi knew meant he was feeling awkward and out of place. “And I ordered breakfast, haejangguk.” Another smile that said ‘sorry’ and his roommate was walking back toward their bedroom.

Hangover soup? Hongbin never got hangovers, that bastard could drink until the sun came up and his liver would just chug away like a champ. He’d only seen him get well and truly faced once, like they’d thought it was a personal challenge to see if he could. It had taken much too large a portion of their funds and what could only be called an ungodly amount of alcohol. That had also been the first night he’d crawled into bed with him and slept nestled against his back. At the time neither of them could remember how they’d got home or ended up sleeping in the same space, but a week later Ravi had been able to figure it out. He’d carried Hongbin after he had finally passed out and then just rolled down next to him and slept.

So, if it wasn’t Hongbin then it must have been Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes. No, Taekwoon, he corrected himself. Guess no one had warned him that it was an unfortunate side effect of drinking with his roommate. But since he was thinking about it, something he’d tried to avoid doing so far, the tall man’s eyes had looked bloodshot when they’d met his own. The glare he’d sent at Ravi after throwing the pillow at his head must have meant he wasn’t pleased with all the noise he’d been making. Understandable. It probably said something that even with hair that looked thoroughly mussed (don’t think about it, don’t think about it) and his eyes red and slightly puffy from a night of drinking, he’d still looked so good to Ravi and even more of a mystery.

He dragged his to the bathroom with the clothes Hongbin had brought him tucked under an arm. Slipping into the shower, he let the hot water pound on his scalp and back for a couple of minutes while he dumped all his thoughts down the drain. It wasn’t the end of the world. What had he learned? Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes had a name, Taekwoon. He was a musical star. Somehow, he’d gone drinking with Hongbin. Were they alone? How was it he ended up coming back to their place? No, he was focusing on the things he did know. They’d got drunk, or half of them had. They’d kissed. Hongbin felt guilty. Was it about the kiss? Or bringing him home? Or both? Off track again. He was going to have to face eating breakfast with both of them. Or he could leave, he had clothes, he could just stream for the exit. But that was too much like running away, and he didn’t want either of them to think he was running.

The quick dry spun hot hair around him until his hair was a fluffy mess (largely the way he liked it) so he just dragged on the clothes Hongbin had brought him. Dark jeans and a thick blue sweater, because he forgot to take a jacket sometimes he guessed was the reason. Of course Hongbin would be thinking about that. It was so like him.

Both his roommate and their guest, for lack of a better term, were seated at the coffee table with bowls of soup and rice and cups of coffee. A setting was laid out for him as well and he felt a little guilty for thinking about running earlier. Settling down he ducked his head in thanks and began eating, trying to focus on the food, trying to avoid noticing how a pair of Cat Eyes were staring at him as he did so.

“Kim Ravi-ssi,” the soft voice startled the hell out of him and he bobbled a spoon of soup on the way to his mouth as his head jerked up. Tal-- Taekwoon was staring at him with an unreadable expression. He was looking a little better than he had in the bedroom, his eyes were still a little puffy and bloodshot but they looked clearer. His shirt was rumpled as were his trousers, probably because he’d been sleeping in them.

“Y-yes?” Where had he learned his name? Did he hear it at the cafe? Had Hongbin told him?

“Taekwoon.” Ravi cracked a smile, even though that word alone shouldn’t have meant a damn thing to him just by itself. “My name is Jung Taekwoon.” And then the man went back to eating like he hadn’t just given Ravi a wonderful present. Somehow that one act had some of the tension easing out of his body. He glanced toward Hongbin who gave him a big smile though his eyes still looked upset over something. Still, Ravi gave him the thumbs up and got back to work on his own meal.

“Taekwoon-ssi is due back at the theatre for rehearsals today,” Hongbin informed him while the man in question continued to plow his way through breakfast silently. “The manager of the theatre texted me as well. He wants me to come in and go over some of the photos I took yesterday, and I have a few more that I need to show him too.” So basically he was busy today, was what Hongbin was trying to tell him.

“Do you need an assistant?” Ravi asked, grinning still for the first time that morning. It felt good.