Untitled

[passionpeachy]

just redrawing selfies atp

[bearbitesbar]

crazy rich asians- statistics professor of a small, run down community College Gihun is invited as the plus one, to his boyfriend's brother's wedding.

They have been together for almost four years, known each other for longer- and Hwang In-ho is still nervous about introducing Gihun to his family. not because he's a man but because he knows his family and knows they won't like Gihun. they wont like that hes poor and likes cheap food and has no table manners, no proper etiquette training to speak of. they would hate that he's an single immigrant's only child, that he has no father in the picture, that he was already married once, and divorced, that they met when gihun got pickpocketed gambling at a horse track. They would pick apart his smile, his charm, his loving heart, his kindness and charity. they would balk at his selflessness, his generosity, his love for life and all things living. How he would stop to pet stray cats and gave his change to charity or beggars on the street- despite being on the brink of being one himself. How he offered food and drinks, even if it was from his own plate. How he had so little, and was still so willing to share, because he didn't want anyone to go without. They would hate him He hated the thought. It burned him, tearing through his mind as Jun-ho finally broke the news he was getting married and he wanted to see In-ho as his best man. In-ho has never been more proud, happy and terrified at the same time. Being the best man wasn't something he really ever thought about. When his cousin Young-Il got married In-ho had quickly suggested Jun-ho be the Best Man, having been present for most of their relationship, while In-ho went to America to study abroad. He was glad he did, the Marriage between Noo-Sil and Young-Il had gone stale- snide remarks and forced smiles the few times he met them recently. It seemed they were staying together for show but rumor was they slept in different bedrooms. But Jun-ho. He couldn't deny Jun-ho. His brother, his baby brother who he gave his kidney too, who he helped raise, who told him with a shy smile the day his relationship got serious. Who giggled with glee and kicked his feet the day they said yes. Jun-ho had told him to bring a date. In-ho turned to face Gihun in the low light of their bedroom. His face was calm, relaxed and peaceful. his hair was getting longer- soft black wisps curling at the ends over his soft cheeks and slightly parted lips. They slept together more often than not; Gihun had his own apartment closer to his college and Mother's house but he stayed with In-ho on the weekends, often having dinner before a movie on Fridays, before running errands and spending time together the rest of the time. In-ho would drive Gihun whenever he needed without question or hesitation; taking him from his work to his mother, to the store to the pharmacy and back. He enjoyed being there for gihun to rely on, he loved when gihun turned to him for help, despite how little it happened. Gihun was interdependent, selfless, soft, loving, caring, kind and sweet. All the things In-ho was not. All the things his family saw as weakness. His grandfather, Oh Il-nam, would hate Gihun. His mother Mal-soon, might not even acknowledge his existence. But Jun-ho would, and Jun-ho wants him there. Even More than he wants their parents.

[bearbitesbar]

ch2

In-ho didn't want to force his brother to choose, no matter how easy it would make his life.

Gihun took a breath next to him, his face scrunching before his arm raised in a stretch. In-ho watched with adoring attention, watching his face shift, his hair fall to side as he sighed out and looked up at In-ho with sleepy recognition and a tired smile, "Mornin' Jagi."

"Good morning, love, Sleep well?"

"mhmm" Gihun stretched out again, throwing his arm around In-ho when he was done, settling into his arms with a contented hum. "I had a weird dream, I was playing Mahjongg in a white building."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, it was like a hospital or a community center, there were ladies everywhere and I think my Mama was there? But I couldn't see her? I wasn't scared though. I was more… Determined?"

"That's odd. What happened?" In-ho set his cheek on Gihun's head, running his fingers down Gihun's arm soothingly as he listened.

"I don't remember. There was a… big presence in front of me, but I couldn't see it? I just remembered feeling. Not angry, but sort of angry? Determined is probably the best word, like I knew I could win? I knew whatever happened I was going to win Mahjongg. I don't think I played it in the dream, just sitting there waiting to play it. It was odd."

"That sounds odd. Are you okay?"

Gihun moved to look at him, arhoughtful look on his face "I'm fine now, It was an odd feeling to wake up to but," Gihun glanced away, quickly, shyly, "It makes me really happy that I woke up to you staring at me," In-ho laughed, "You like when I stare at you! That proves it, now I get to all the time!"

"You do stare at me all the time!" Gihun protested with a disbelieving chuckle and a playful push to the chest.

"You're nice to look at," In-ho replied easily, smiling as Gihun rolled his eyes and leaned in for a kiss.

It was short and sweet, though In-ho definitely tried to deepen it, pulling Gihun closer with a smile as the older man whined against his lips. "Hold on, bathroom,"

Reluctantly, and after another kiss, In-ho let his boyfriend go relieve himself, pushing himself up to a sitting position and pulling his phone from the charger.

Notifications, texts from Jun-ho, His mother, work, and a few old colleague's emails immediately started popping in one after the other as he turned off the Do Not Disturb. He groaned and closed his eyes before he could let himself turn it back on. Saturdays were his sanctuary; the only time he got Gihun entirely to himself without interruption, but since he was asked to be there for Jun-ho he was roped into the Wedding planning- which meant he was back in the public face of his family. Hundreds of businesses, family, family friends, and business associates and acquaintances wanted his time and money, and now his phone number was in the most accessible place on earth- in his Mother's possession.

He should have enjoyed his peace with Gihun more, but he was foolish.

The man himself came back in, scratching a hand through his black locks and his eyes nearly closed with sleep. He climbed back into bed and curled himself over In-ho's chest, not caring about the buzzing and beeping phone in his hand.

In-ho didn't think it was possible to love him more. He kissed the top of Gihun's head, wrapping his arms around the man and let his phone finish erupting.

" 'nything interesting?" Gihun slurred over his shoulder, drooping and limp as they had no plans until far later in the day. He could sleep again, and Gihun would let him,

without the world of business, family plans and the vultures of the celebrity world he came from to bother him.

Here, In-ho could just be In-ho; the caring rock for his amazing boyfriend. he loved being there for Gihun, he loved that Gihun didn't need him to be. Gihun had his friends, his family, his college and community. He had long walks as the dog walker for his apartment, he fed stray cats and volunteered at the animal shelter because he loved animals. He brought his mother medicine and walked with his friends to rehab and held a crying girls hand at a funeral of someone he barely knew. Gihun was the sun and In-ho was happy, proud, blessed, to be a satellite in his presence. He was proud to be let into Gihun's atmosphere and let the world melt away to just them, just Gihun being alive and In-ho basking in his spirit, his presence, letting their breaths sync and tossing his phone to the side, still buzzing with email notifications and plans from a group chat he's leaving the second the wedding is over.

"Just you, love" In-ho said honestly, kissing the top of his head.

"pfft" Gihun snorted a laugh, "oh yeah? what'd I do?" as smile was on his face but his eyes remained closed.

In-ho just chuckled lightly. "Any plans today?" He asked, knowing the answer. "Hmmm not really, why?"

"Good, I have some shopping to do, then I want to take you to dinner."

It was lunchtime.

They sat together at a bar sharing an overpriced cake and the cheap champagne Gihun claims he preferred over any of In-ho's wine lists when he got the question. His phone buzzed as he tried to ease the idea of meeting his family into Gihun's mind, breaking all presence of wanting to take this slow.

-'Mother: Are you Bringing Someone to the Wedding?'

His heart dropped and he placed his phone face down, whipping around to look at his surroundings, when he saw him; Song Gwang-Su, a Salesman for his Father's company, leaving the bar with a sleek black phone in his hand. As if he could feel the glare In-ho gave him he turned and gave a satisfied smile and winked before the door shut and he disappeared into the abyss that was the streets of New York.

"In-ho? What's wrong?" Gihun asked, peice of cake halfway to his mouth.

In-ho sighed, forcing out a stream of air in a long controlled manor as he thought of his options.

Knowing the type of 'professionals' his father employed, he was sure there was already photographic proof of him and Gihun, and there was likely an army amassing for his head. His mother was sure to find out implicitly by her gaggle of his aunts or simply lifting her finger and doing the research herself.

Or, she could give him the choice to surrender, which the text obviously was. No matter what he did, he didn't have long to choose and if he didn't, the choice would be made for him.

Still, Gihun chewed his cake and swallowed, waiting patiently for In-ho to speak. He was too kind, it would be so much easier if Gihun tried to pry, tried to get his walls down- but he was too nice, too loving. He wouldn't survive being torn apart and examined by his mother. But as he watched Gihun tilt his head, patient as a saint, his eyes curious but his mouth not pushing,

In-ho knew suddenly if His Mother tried to make Gihun into anything, into something he wasn't, if she didn't accept him as he was and didn't care for Gihun as he did…He would leave them. He would give up his fortune, His place in his Grandfather's will, his future, his neices and nephews, his cousins, his brother even- if it meant he got to stay with Gihun. Unchanged, unbothered, loving, sweet hearted Gihun. He would choose Gihun again and again, and he would make it clear to his Mother, he would make sure they don't hurt him, they don't try to change him into their ideal husband for the family's image.

"You know my brother Jun-ho?"

"You gave him a kidney and he became a cop in Korea, right? He's younger?"

In-ho nodded, "He's also getting married soon. A month."

"Oh Congratulations!" Gihun's smile could blind him with how bright he was, before confusion flashed across his face "Wait, the phone, is something wrong?"

In-ho clicked his tounge, grabbing his phone and unlocking the screen, more messages popping up from the group chat, but none from his Mother's phone number.

"No- It's just. I was thinking… And you can say no, but… Would you like to go with me? As my date? It would be in Singapore."

"Oh my- Of course! Why wouldn't I want to go with you, In-ho thats amazing! When is it?"

"A month from now, on the twenty third."

"I'm excited for him!" Gihun smiled but he looked at In-ho with an odd expression "Why wouldn't I want to come?"

In-ho floundered for a second, his breath catching before he huffed out an awkward laugh and cleared his throat.

"I… My family is… They're very." He struggled for the word. Traditional? Calculated? Elitist? "Intense." He settled on. "Like how you were when we met?" Gihun asked with a cheeky grin, stabbing himself another fork full of cake.

"I wa-!… Yes," In-ho relented, annoyance melting at Gihun's giggles. "Worse, maybe, if you can imagine." he sighed.

Gihun finished swallowing his cake before pushing the last two bites on the plate to In-ho, leaving the fork close to his left side, despite being further away from him. Always so considerate, and he barely noticed, smiling and pulling back to answer his own phone. "Worse how?" Gihun asked, pulling the calendar uo on his screen. In-ho took another breath and held it. How to describe his Mother. His Grandfather. He let the breath out slowly once again and grabbed the fork, slowly eating a piece and buying himself time to answer.

"My Mother is." In-ho's mouth opened and shut as he tried thinking of a way to not scare Gihun, but conveyed the weight of her world. "She's very particular. She expects things to be a certain way and will do what she can to change what she doesn't like."

"Sounds like a lot of Moms," Gihun laughed as he rested his head on his hand. "How is that worse?"

"She's… okay, she's a good mom, and I do love her, but she's very. She doesn't care if I marry a man or a woman, but she does care about… Dumb things. like. stupid things." In-ho couldn't bring himself to bring the words out.

It was dumb, silly, that his mother cared so much about class when In-ho couldn't care less if Gihun was rich or poor, but he couldn't say it. Saying it would make it real somehow- knowing that someone so close to In-ho had such terrible thoughts of people in poverty, that he came from the same cloth and that, perhaps, if circumstances were different for him, he would hold the same beliefs.

Perhaps he did in some way, secret to himself, and he was scared of the words somehow making Gihun 'find out' he held those beliefs, and Gihun would become disgusted with him. He would never hate anyone based on their circumstance, but what if that belief was somehow wrong and only speaking it out loud would make Gihun realize he was a terrible person?

"Like, 'I hate you because you like cats'- stupid or 'weird- about-immigrants-going-to-America' stupid? Because one is weird and the other is racist." Gihun replied after he realized In-ho had trailed off.

He was so understanding, it killed In-ho to basically hand him to the wolves. "Sort of the second one? They, uh… Don't agree with leaving the SEA Area. Among other, strange, traditional beliefs." He glanced around, the sleek white walls, mirrored edges, the black marble and bright lights of the U.S, of Gihun's world. Nothing like the ornate gold and jade of the palace his Mother and Grandfather called home. "They don't care for the 'Western World' and they have very… Narrow veiws of how a person should live." He turned back to Gihun, still afraid to make Gihun nervous, but needing him to want to come. He didn't think he could go back alone.

He knew he didn't want to.

"They… My Mother is a very intense, very strict, and demanding woman. She grew up in a very unkind world and she's hardened because of it. I love her, I do, and she loves me, but I… I need you to know she's a lot. And you don't need to come with me, but I would love if you did, and would prefer it, but I need you to understand, she may not be… The easiest to get along with." The words fell out of him, pleading Gihun to understand that saying he didn't want to come was the only way to save himself. But In-ho wasn't going to make him stay, nor make the choice for him. He needed Gihun to be ready, to understand.

But Gihun just smiled, his bright, understanding, smile. "If she's anything like you, I'm sure I'll be fine. You like me now, right?" There was a soft, almost unsure chuckle at the end of his sentence and In-ho couldn't help himself- leaning in and capturing Gihun in a chaste kiss, gently cradling his jaw like he was glass.

"Of course I like you," He replied, letting himself believe Gihun, "If anything I'm sure she'll be too busy milking Jun-ho's wedding to show you how strict she can be,"

Gihun laughed, "She can't be that bad! She's your mother!" Gihun gave his arm a playful swat before nodding to the cake, "Now finish up, someone promised we get to go gift shopping."

"Speaking of," In-ho started, pulling the cake closer to him, "What do you think we should get them for a wedding gift?" In-ho picked up his phone, replying to the weighted question with a simple answer;

'-Yes.'

----

[bearbitesbar]

crazy rich asians- statistics professor of a small, run down community College Gihun is invited as the plus one, to his boyfriend's brother's wedding.

They have been together for almost four years, known each other for longer- and Hwang In-ho is still nervous about introducing Gihun to his family. not because he's a man but because he knows his family and knows they won't like Gihun. they wont like that hes poor and likes cheap food and has no table manners, no proper etiquette training to speak of. they would hate that he's an single immigrant's only child, that he has no father in the picture, that he was already married once, and divorced, that they met when gihun got pickpocketed gambling at a horse track. They would pick apart his smile, his charm, his loving heart, his kindness and charity. they would balk at his selflessness, his generosity, his love for life and all things living. How he would stop to pet stray cats and gave his change to charity or beggars on the street- despite being on the brink of being one himself. How he offered food and drinks, even if it was from his own plate. How he had so little, and was still so willing to share, because he didn't want anyone to go without. They would hate him He hated the thought. It burned him, tearing through his mind as Jun-ho finally broke the news he was getting married and he wanted to see In-ho as his best man. In-ho has never been more proud, happy and terrified at the same time. Being the best man wasn't something he really ever thought about. When his cousin Young-Il got married In-ho had quickly suggested Jun-ho be the Best Man, having been present for most of their relationship, while In-ho went to America to study abroad. He was glad he did, the Marriage between Noo-Sil and Young-Il had gone stale- snide remarks and forced smiles the few times he met them recently. It seemed they were staying together for show but rumor was they slept in different bedrooms. But Jun-ho. He couldn't deny Jun-ho. His brother, his baby brother who he gave his kidney too, who he helped raise, who told him with a shy smile the day his relationship got serious. Who giggled with glee and kicked his feet the day they said yes. Jun-ho had told him to bring a date. In-ho turned to face Gihun in the low light of their bedroom. His face was calm, relaxed and peaceful. his hair was getting longer- soft black wisps curling at the ends over his soft cheeks and slightly parted lips. They slept together more often than not; Gihun had his own apartment closer to his college and Mother's house but he stayed with In-ho on the weekends, often having dinner before a movie on Fridays, before running errands and spending time together the rest of the time. In-ho would drive Gihun whenever he needed without question or hesitation; taking him from his work to his mother, to the store to the pharmacy and back. He enjoyed being there for gihun to rely on, he loved when gihun turned to him for help, despite how little it happened. Gihun was interdependent, selfless, soft, loving, caring, kind and sweet. All the things In-ho was not. All the things his family saw as weakness. His grandfather, Oh Il-nam, would hate Gihun. His mother Mal-soon, might not even acknowledge his existence. But Jun-ho would, and Jun-ho wants him there. Even More than he wants their parents.