AAAAAND Mixtape Mayhem is now officially closed! Out with the old, and in with the new!
Our next event will be WIP Bingo! That’s right, we know you have some old unpolished gems in the drafts and we wanna see them!
How will this bingo work exactly since it’s not prompt-based?
It’s simple!
Everyone will use this bingo card! If any of the squares apply to your fic(s), mark it off. You may fill as many or few squares as you like. Anyone that gets bingo will get a shout out from our socials!
Each and every fic posted to the ao3 collection for this bingo will be retweeted/reblogged by our other socials. The bingo shoutouts will just be a little extra promo to highlight the writer’s hard work!
The timeline will last 6 months, from February 15th to August 16th. There is no posting schedule, just whenever you happen to finish.
Genre: Non Idol AU, slice of life, angst, hurt/comfort
Pairing/Characters: Keonhee & Hwanwoong
Warning: mentions of parents' neglecting, abandonment, swearing, I've proof read the text multiple times but there's still might be some errors
Note: this is a multichapter fic I decided to write for @oneusficevents I love the concept of song fics and I wanted to try by writing one. I wrote this fic while I wasn't in the best mood during the Holiday Season and I used this story as a way to overcome it. It was supposed to be an X reader story at first but, while I was writing it, something changed my mind and I decided to make Hwanwoong as the main protagonist. And as time passed while I was writing, this story turned into a sort of tribute to their friendship. I love them and their dynamic and I wanted to write something where Keonhee just takes care of his friend. Hwanwoong has always been for him so, why not change a little? Each chapter will be inspired by a song. This first one (and the fic's title) is inspired by What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas by The Emotions.
Summary: it's been three years since Hwanwoong celebrated Christmas. Since then, he spent that day in complete solitude, trying to do any distractions to not think about this day. But this year is different. An old friend came back in his life and he'll bring a new light on his life.
Hwanwoong closed the door behind him. He took his jacket off and reached the only place he wanted to stay for days if not weeks: his bedroom. He lay on the bed and made a loud yawn. Normally he would have closed his eyes and slept until dinner time or even the next day if he was too tired but today something was blocking him from doing so. Hwanwoong was blankly staring at the room’s roof, thinking about what happened while he was ending his shift at work.
He was scared at first. His boss calling him at the end of the work was always not great news. His mind was ready for the worst. But it didn’t happen. His boss was waiting for him behind the restaurant. He was cleaning his hands with his dirty apron. Three or four cigarettes were at his feet, a clear sign that he was nervous or ready to say a telling-off. Hwanwoong gulped before reaching him.
«I’m here, boss.» He said nervously. The old man turned his head at him. «Always in time, Hwanwoong.» The man took another cigarette from his pocket. It must have been his fourth or fifth one. He lit up and started smoking before talking again.
«Hwanwoong, when was the last time you took some days off?» He asked.
Hwanwoong scratched his head for some moments, trying to recover all the memories. «Uhm, I think this summer? When we closed for the season?» He answered after a while. The boss smoked the cigarette a little more. «You’re wrong, Hwanwoong. Let me correct you.» He said while taking a deep breath.
«None. You never asked for a day off, Hwanwoong, except when you called in sick, which happened rarely anyway. You’ve been with us for two years now and the only time you took a break was when we closed the restaurant for a few days.»
Hwanwoong raised a brow while hearing this. He scratched his head. “What does it mean? What’s the boss’s point?” He thought.
«Do you know what does it mean, Hwanwoong?» The man asked while smoking the cigarette a little more.
«It…Does it mean that I’m a good worker? I’m always here no matter what and I can substitute anyone in the restaurant if it’s necessary. Am I right, boss?» He said while trying to smile at him. The old man chuckled a little. «Oh Hwanwoong, it’s so clear that you still need to get used to this job.» He smoked the cigarette one last time before putting it out. Hwanwoong felt a little shiver on his spine. The boss would have scolded him or something for sure. The man stretched a little and looked at him with a serious look.
«I’m gonna be honest with you, Hwanwoong, what you did for these two years is not good for you. You can’t keep doing like this. You’ll end up in a burnt out at some point or, well, like me.» He coughed. «Maybe I gave you the impression of being just an old, grumpy cook who screams through these at his employees from time to time. And it’s true but I also have a good quality.» He pointed at his right eye. «I’m a good observer and it’s trough this eyes that I made the squad you see here at the restaurant. And you’re part of it too, even if you’re just a simple scullery boy. I’ve noticed how you’re more tired than usual and this is not good: not for you, not for the other employees, not for the restaurant or me.» Hwanwoong made a step back. He didn’t like how the boss was acting right now. The man took another deep breath.
«Since I’m sure you’ll probably refuse to take a day off, I decided to do something drast-» The man couldn’t even end his phrase when Hwanwoong grabbed his shoulders. «No, please, boss, don’t fire me!» He screamed with his teary eyes. «I need this job! I need to pay rent for my apartment, I wouldn’t even survive without it! Please, please, I need this job.» He screamed. The man looked at him with a stunned sight. «What made you think that I’m going to fire you, Hwanwoong?»
«Uh? You’re not going to fire me?» Hwanwoong said before receiving a little slap on his head. «Of course not, you silly boy! If you’d let me end what I was saying probably you wouldn’t have reacted like this!»
«I’m sorry, boss…»
The man sighed a little. «That’s not a big deal, just be a little patient next time.» He took another cigarette from his pocket and lit it up.
«So, before you were interrupting me, I was saying that you’ll be on vacation. Hwanwoong, you have the entire holiday season. You’ll come back here on the 5th of January.» He said. Hwanwoong stared at him with his eyes wide open. The boss has never been generous with giving days off, a week was the maximum he always gave.
«What?! But it’s ten days or more! Are you sure you can make it without me?!» The man smoked a little more. «We’ll figure it out. I’ve been through much more difficult times.» Hwanwoong looked at the floor for a moment. His mind went completely blank. He knew what the boss would have said immediately after. «Don’t make it tragic, Hwanwoong. I assure you you’ll be better once you come back from this vacation. Take this occasion to recharge and meet your family.»
Hwanwoong’s face got pale at hearing those last words. “Meeting your family”. Which family, since he doesn’t have one anymore? He didn’t say anything after that, he just asked for a glass of water, thanked the boss and left. He didn't think about anything except that he should have come back home and let everything out in his room.
«My family, uh?» He barely whispered while looking at the roof. He turned himself on the bed. He looked at the pillow. His mind slowly projected the boss’s old face on it. «Should have I told him about it? Should have I told him that I don’t want any vacation because I hate Christmas with my all guts?» He said while clenching his fists. He was ready to punch the pillow but he stopped for a second. «No, it’s not his fault. He doesn’t know it after all.» The face disappeared. A couple of new faces came instead: his parents. The ones who were supposed to love him and protect him every time, the people who were supposed to give him a bright future were just two adults who gave him a house and gave him the bare minimun to live. In the exact moment, he asked for some more trust in them, they threw him out.
He punched the pillow and then he gave it another punch. He kept punching the pillow more and harder, deforming it. «It’s all your fault, it’s all your fault, it’s all your fault!» His vision started to be blurry, some tears were coming from his eyes. Hwanwoong kept punching, even though his fists were getting weaker. His mind was travelling through the past three years: his first days as a homeless his search for a temporary house, his search for a job, the first time he entered that shabby apartment, the loneliness, the heartaches he experienced every time the holidays came and how he searched every distraction for not thinking about it. He stopped for a moment. His sight was completely blurred, he was out of breath. The tears were streaming down his face. He buried his face in the pillow, trying to suppress his loud sobs. «Oh my gosh, what I’m going to do now? I can’t, I just can’t…» He sobbed. He thought about Dongmyeong for a moment. "I have his number, maybe I can talk to him for a moment and he'll help me somehow. Gosh, I just need to talk with someone right now...no, I just need to do something!" He thought while trying to calm down. He got up and went to the kitchen. He drank a glass of water, trying to calm down and recollect his thoughts. He would have found a solution, he always did it.
"First thing, I must talk to Dongmyeong. Once I've talked with him I'll see what to do during this week, heck I might think about something just now." He drank another glass of water and took a deep breath. He dried his tears. But another thought came to his mind. "No, I can't call him yet. It's 8 pm, he's practicing with the band right now, he's surely busy...Well, guess I'll try to do something by myself then."
His thoughts started to organize a little. He thought about his bike. It was the most expensive thing he bought at the beginning of the last year. His way to work got easier thanks to it. “Maybe I can go on a long walk with it. I know a park in the city is just a little far away from my apartment. I might reach it with the bike and walk there or go to the library. I always wanted to go there.”
He looked out the window. The sky was cloudy, the moon wasn’t even visible. The first snow would have come soon. Hwanwoomg sighed. “Maybe it’s better just to go to the library if it will not be too cold. The park will be something for the next time.” He thought.
He looked at the apartment once again. “Maybe I should buy some decorations tomorrow. I’ll stay here most of the time regardless, so, I should pretend to celebrate Christmas at least. I wonder how much money I have spared-” He interrupted his thoughts for a moment. He shook his head. “What’s even the point? I wouldn’t receive any gifts anyway…” He shook his head again. “No, no, I shouldn’t think like this, I can go to a shop and buy whatever I want. That would be my gift! My only gift and only for me! Hwanwoong’s gift! And…” He sighed and sat on a chair, his head on his hands. «And I’m back at square one once again. What would be the point? I can make a gift for myself for my birthday anyway.» He groaned. He took the phone from his pants pocket and searched for Dongmyeong's number. "I've procrastinated enough, I should just call him and that's it. Who cares if he's practicing right now, he should help me. He promised it." He thought.
Some knocks came from the door. Hwanwoong got up and put his phone down. He reached the entrance. “Who might be? I didn’t forget anything at work. Maybe it’s just a neighbour.” He thought.
«Who’s there?» He said while waiting for an answer.
«I’m a friend.» He heard from the door. Hwanwoong raised a brow. “A friend? Who might be?” The voice he heard was muffled, as it was covered by a mask. It could have been from anyone, even a thief.
«Mmh, I don’t have any friends. Or at least they don’t live too far from where I am. Who are you?» Hwanwoong asked. Nothing came from the door in the first seconds. Whoever was behind the door was hesitating.
«I’m an old friend of yours, Hwanwoong. I did everything I could for searching you. I missed you, my friend.» The voice said. Hwanwoong slowly reached the door. He wasn’t completely sure of who was behind it but he would have opened anyway. He had his taekwondo skills ready for self-defence. He opened it. A tall boy was staring at the entrance. He was wearing a blue hoodie and greyish track pants. A beanie was covering his head and his mouth was covered by a mask. Black fingerless gloves were covering his hands. The black jacket he was wearing looked fancy to Hwanwoong. Only the boy’s big, round eyes were visible. Hwanwoong made some steps back, trying to recognize the boy from the few features he could see. But nothing was coming from his memory.
«Uhm, did we meet somewhere already?» Hwanwoong asked.
The boy’s sight got sad. «Hwanwoong, you don’t remember me?» The boy muffled through the mask. Hwanwoong squeezed his eyes. He tried to remember but nothing was coming.
«I’m sorry, I don’t remember you. Probably you mistook me for someone else, maybe with another Hwanwoong-»
The boy took off his beanie and the mask, completely revealing his face. His short, black hair had some grey strands. His right eye had a little mole immediately under his tear duct. His ears had a very recognizable shape, something resembling a little curve. His lips were bow-shaped and a little pouty. Something clicked in Hwanwoong’s mind now. He had already seen that boy somewhere in the past.
«And now? Do you remember me now, Hwanwoong?» The boy asked. Hwanwoong’s eyes got wider while hearing that voice. It was different, sure, but there was something that was clicking in his memory. That sweet tone, that lisp, that accent. Hwanwoong knew who that voice was.
«Keonhee? Is that you?» He asked. The boy just nodded. Many questions came to Hwanwoong’s mind. “I didn’t tell almost anyone that I left my parents’ house. Unless…No, Dongmyeong wouldn’t do something like that. He promised me he would have kept the secret. So how…”
Hwanwoong scratched his head for a moment and looked at Keonhee. The situation was becoming embarrassing. «Is there something wrong?» Keonhee asked. «Uh? No, nothing. I was just thinking about something. Come in. We can talk about everything you want inside.» Hwanwoong said. He let the tall boy into his apartment and helped him take off his jacket.
«So, did something happen, Keonhee?» Hwanwoong asked while closing the door. The tall boy just looked at him. His eyes were teary. «Hey, hey, are you o-» Hwanwoong couldn’t even finish his question that he ended up in Keonhee’s arms. The boy hugged him tightly and started sobbing. Hwanwoong froze. He wasn’t expecting him to act like this not even five minutes since he saw him. «I’m so happy that I’ve found you, Hwanwoong.» Keonhee sobbed.
«Uh? Really?» Hwanwoong didn’t choose the right words at that moment. He wouldn’t admit it but he wasn’t expecting it. Someone caring for him after three years of loneliness? It must have been a hallucination or something similar. He was supposed to be a reject, like his parents told so. He didn’t know what to do in that moment. Hugging him back? Telling something more? He wasn’t used to any stuff like this.
«You have no idea, Hwanwoong, you have no idea.» Keonhee sobbed. Hwanwoong didn't know what to do. He stayed still, hoping for Keonhee to calm down by himself. There was something that was clicking in him tho. It was an old, yet familiar feeling. A warm sense of comfort. Something he always received when he was a little kid and he was searching for someone to comfort him when he was sad. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting his body embrace that feeling. But it didn't last much. Keonhee separated from him immediately after and tried to dry his tears with his gloves. «Ah, I'm sorry Woong, I didn't want to ruin your shirt.» Hwanwoong's eyes got wide. "Woong". No one called him like that for years. He caressed the back of his neck for a moment and looked away from him. His face was turning red. He brushed the little spot on the shirt like it was simple dust.
«Don't worry about it, Keonhee. It's an old shirt.» He answered vaguely. «Please, take a seat. We can talk about everything with a cup of coffee. Or tea...what do you like to drink?»
«The coffee is good.» Keonhee answered by outlining a smile.
«Got you, the coffee will be then.» He went to the kitchen and started to prepare the coffee. Keonhee sat on one of the chairs and stared at him. He went silent until the short boy prepared two mugs full of warm, black coffee. It was a perfect moment for Hwanwoong. A perfect moment for reorganizing his thoughts. "Come on, Woong, be chill. He's just an old friend of yours. Take this occasion to talk with him, he can help you. Or maybe not-No, I must be positive! He searched for you, goddamnit." He thought. "Everything will be ok, I'm just overexaggerating, he's just your friend..." He took a short look towards Keonhee. He was looking around the room with a curious sight. "Why is he so interested in my apartment, it's just a little apartment in a condominium, maybe it's for the ill-famed district..." He shook his head. "I must focus on the coffee before I burn it."
He looked one last time at Keonhee. He was looking out the window. "Well, guess he got interested in my neighbour now." He focused on the coffee, trying to wiping out every other thought in his mind. Keonhee was there, he would have ask everything later.
«Here, all warm and black.» Hwanwoong said while placing the mug on the table. Keonhee smelled the scent. He closed his eyes, trying to grasp it. «It looks so good just by the scent.»
«Uh, thank you. I learnt how to do it through the Internet. Going to a bar isn't the best option for me now.»
«Yeah, I've noticed it...»
Hwanwoong sat on the chair. "So, that's why he looked around the kitchen. Probably he's pitying me right now..."
For the first time, Hwanwoong felt the heaviness of that shabby apartment. He always treated it as a shell, a simple safe roof where he could sleep warm and peacefully. But now there was a guest and the apartment's emptiness was becoming a burden. The coffee wasn't even sweet like always. Maybe it was the nervousness who made it disgusting to his plate. He drank a little and then he looked through Keonhee's eyes.
«So...Keonhee, can I ask you something?» He asked as a way to break the ice.
«Sure, go ahead.»
«I was wondering...why did you search me? What did you make to move?»
Keonhee sipped a little from his mug. «I was missing you. I had a sense of nostalgia of the old times I spent with you. We were just kids at the time, if you think about it. I tried to contact you but I discovered that you changed your phone number. I don't understand why you did it...»
Hwanwoong looked at his mug for a moment before answering. «I just wanted to start a new life after I left my parents's house and-»
«Woong, don't lie to me. I know why you left your parents' house.»
Hwanwoong looked at his friend. Keonhee's sight got serious. He started to shiver. He didn't want his secret to be revealed like that in front of him. «Woong, why did your parents trow you out? What happened?»
Hwanwoong looked around the room, trying to find a proper answer. He didn't want to confess why he left. "He would abandon me like they did with me..." He thought.
He looked away from him. «Keonhee, I don't want to talk about it now. It's a sore spot.» Keonhee's sight changed. He was worried now. «I didn't wanted to re-open a fresh wound.»
The two stayed silent for a moment. The atmosphere was getting cold again.
«There's still something that I don't understand. How did you discover that I got thrown out?» Hwanwoong asked.
«Because I called your parents. You weren't asking for my calls or messages so I called them in the hope of receiving some information from them. But when I mentioned your name, well, they acted like you never existed. I felt something was wrong with them acting like this. I started to search for you in any way I could. I contacted all the close friends we had in our clique for any clue. And I connected the dots.» He clenched his fists a little. «I confess that I thought they were right at some point, that you were dead or something. But now I-» Hwanwoong raised his hand, stopping him. He looked at him with a serious look. «Woong, what are-»
«You shouldn't have done all of this for me. You could have lived your life without searching me at all.» Keonhee looked at him with a surprised look. His eyes started to become teary.
«Why shouldn't I have? You're one of my best friends! I was missing you...» He sniffed a little and squeezed his eyes, trying to stop the tears coming. «I care about you Woong, I really do.» He softly sobbed. Hwanwoong looked away from him. If there was something that he earned during those three years was losing trust in others. He remembers Keonhee as an honest person, someone very open about his feelings. Even now he was looking sincerely at him. But was it true? Everything might have happened in three years, Keonhee should have changed too, right?
Keonhee reached one of his hands and held it. Hwanwoong looked at him. Keonhee's eyes were still a little teary. He looked at his hand. He forgot that it was that big. His hand looked like a kid's one compared. Keonhee squeezed his hand a little more. «Woong, if I had found you more early I would have helped you in any manner, even just by talking to you like this. I care about you.» He said. Hwanwoong felt something moving on him. The hand's warmth was comforting. He slowly left his hand. «Keonhee, I don't know what to say. You came here all of a sudden after three years and I'm...I don't know, it seems like one of those Christmas miracles, it's so absurd.» He said while massaging his hands. «I'm not the most important person in the world and yet you spent your energy to search me.» Keonhee showed a little smile. He reached his hand again. «It's because you're important to me.» Hwanwoong's heart started to beat faster. He just said a mumbled "thank you" before leaving his hand again and drinking a little more of coffee.
The two stayed in silence for a while, just ending up drinking their coffee. A new thought was bugging Hwanwoong's mind. "So those two decided to erase me now, great. They think that I'm dead or something. Two scums..." He thought. He looked at Keonhee again. The boy was looking at his mug. "He seems sincere like I remember but...I don't know, I don't think I can tell him what actually happened. At least he's still the caring boy I remember."
«Hwanwoong, what happened to your hair?» Keonhee asked, breaking the ice once again. Hwanwoong touched it immediately. «What?! Is something wrong with it? Do I have something in my head?»
«No, no, there's nothing wrong, it's just the haircut...»
«The haircut-oh...» Hwanwoong blushed. It's been three years since he went to a hair dresser. And since sparing money has been the priority for him, cutting them by himself was the only solution. Of course, the result wouldn't have been the best. That short, choppy haircut he saw in the mirror that morning was the result of different tries.
«Well, I can't afford a hair dresser right now. I cut them by myself.»
«It's very cute.»
Hwanwoong blushed. «Uhm, thank you. I love mullets and I tried multiple times to replicate one.»
«You know what you should do next? A wolf cut.»
«A wolf cut?! What do you want me to become? A long-haired poodle or something?» Keonhee laughed. «Hey, I'm serious! That's not something to laugh at!» Keonhee's laugh became louder. «Oh come on now, stop laughing!» Hwanwoong whined. But Keonhee kept laughing. The short boy started to chuckle. A chuckle that turned into a laugh.
«And now why are you laughing too, Woong?» Keonhee asked almost out of breath. «Because you look silly when you laugh, that's why.»
«That's not true.»
«It is!»
The two kept laughing for a while before they ended up out of breath. They looked at each other for a moment. Hwanwoong had a glimpse of the past. Keonhee was looking like the kid he met years ago, the same happy boy who always helped him when he could, the same boy who showed to him that bright, big smile he was seeing there in that moment. "He kept some of his old self." Hwanwoong thought.
The silence came again in the room. The two boys ended up drinking their coffee. The atmosphere was completely different now, they were more relaxed. Hwanwoong looked at the room nearby, an idea came to his mind.
«Keonhee, is it a problem for you if we keep talking in my bedroom?» He asked.
«The bedroom? Don't you have a living room?»
«Well, the kitchen is also the living room...»
«Oh, I didn't notice that. I thought this apartment was bigger.»
«Eh, I wished it was...» Hwanwoong said chuckling.
«Well, I guess we can go there then if it makes you more comfortable.» Keonhee got up and went to the room. Hwanwoong followed him after he placed the mugs in the sink.
Hwanwoong's bedroom has always been the best place in that apartment. It was his world, the only place where he could recreate his dreams, the life he could have had if that incident hadn't happened three years ago. It was his special place, the only place where he found comfort, whether it was through sleeping after a tiring work day or crying while burying his face in the pillow.
Keonhee sat on the bed and looked around the room. He stared at the window for a moment and then he turned to the room's wall. «Do you love La La Land?» He said while pointing at a poster on the wall. Hwanwoong looked at it. «Oh, that one. Well, it's complicated.» He said while sitting on the bed next to him. «I was just searching for a decoration for my room and I found this poster at a cheap price in a vintage store. Don't ask me why it was there. And since two people were dancing there I thought that it would fit me, so now it's there. But I didn't watch the movie.»
It was a lie. He never bought that poster. It was a birthday gift from Dongmyeong. He gave it to him the first year he came to his apartment. «Now your room will be more colourful if you think about it. And you can think about me and Dongju every time you look at it.» He said to him at the time. And it was true. La La Land was the first movie Hwanwoong saw when he spent a month at the Son twins' house while he was searching for a new home. It was the first of a long series of movies he watched with them. He doesn't remember why they chose that movie in particular, except that it was a musical and the twins love musicals. But he remembers what he felt for the entire night. He was happy for once. He felt at home.
Keonhee chuckled, interrupting his streaming of thoughts. «So you still like dancing, then?»
Hwanwoong shook his head. «Of course, I'm still liking it, you silly. It's still my biggest goal.» He answered while giving a little slap on his shoulder. Keonhee chuckled.
«Ok, ok, but now, can you explain to me why we're here?»
«Well, because this is the place where I spent the majority of time here. It's like an extension of me now. I've spent all the holidays here. Total silence, peace, just me and this room, you know?»
«Wait, so, you didn't celebrate Christmas for these three years? And what did you do?» Keonhee asked. Hwanwoong rubbed his thumb on his lips, trying to get a proper answer.
«Well, I worked. That's what I did until now. My boss gave me a vacation this year and now I have, like, ten days off, I guess so-»
«Wait, wait, wait, that's it?! You worked and that's it? You didn't go to any party or something after work?»
Hwanwoong scratched his head. «Well, my coworkers invited me to a party after ending our shifts but I always declined. I preferred sleeping after work.»
Hwanwwong looked at the room's roof and then he looked at the poster. «And well, I think my house speaks for itself.»
«I wasn't referring to the decorations. It's understandble if you don't have them around. I was referring more to the Christmas's spirit. You never felt it during these years?»
«Oh, you were talking about that...» He looked away from him.
«No, not at all. I was lonely and...lonely people don't have any idea what to do at Christmas if you know what I mean. I just watched the others doing the usual Christmas stuff while I was coming back from work. Or throught the window for what that mattered. It was enough for me.»
Hwanwoong looked at the apartment's floor. He was ashamed of what he said to Keonhee, he didn't want to see his face after that. But he was feeling relieved too. His old friend was giving him some comfort just by listening to him. He scratched his head.
«Ah, I'm sorry, I think I've just talked some no-sense for all this time to you.»
Keonhee looked at him «No, I don't think so. I just don't have the right words. I'm feeling more sorry for not reaching out to you early.»
«You shouldn't. I didn't want to be searched in the first place. I cut ties with everyone for this reason. And I think you had your own struggles. Don't take it too hard, really.»
«Are you sure? Are you sure you didn't want anyone around you when you had some downs?»
Hwanwoong kicked the air, trying to erase the nervousness. «If you'd met me one year ago or more, my answer would have been different. I've enjoyed being alone. Trying to do everything by yourself, managing your own money, living the adult life, you know. It hasn't been that bad. The worst down I had was struggling with finances. But now...» He took a breath. «I don't know; this time I feel my loneliness is becoming a burden. Maybe it's because I'm tired and my boss was right. Or maybe it's because I actually need to talk with someone. Who knows, maybe I wasn't strong like I thought-» Hwanwoong felt a couple of arms wrapping his waist. Keonhee was hugging him again. His head was over him and his legs were placed better on the bed. He wouldn't have left any time soon. Hwanwoong's face got red. «Uhm, Keonhee, what are you doing?»
«I'm just comforting you.» He mumbled.
«Well, that's good, I guess.» Keonhee caressed his shoulders. «I've found you, that's what it should matter to you now. You're not alone anymore.» He said while raising his hand to his hair and caressing it. Hwanwoong felt that warm sensation once again. But it was different this time. Keonhee wasn't crying and he wasn't feeling awkward with him. Their bond has changed so quickly in just twenty minutes. He felt his eyes closing and the tiredness coming over his body. It has been a tiring day for him. He placed his legs on the bed and his knees touched his. He never felt so close to someone in ages. He placed his head better on Keonhee's shoulder. He didn't care if it was embarrassing; that sensation was something he was craving right now.
«You're tired, Hwanwoong?» Keonhee mumbled. The boy just nodded in response. «Ok, then, I'll stay with you for a little more.»
He hugged him more, his chin placing better on Hwanwoong's head. The boy couldn't hear more than just one last phrase from Keonhee.
«Hwanwoong, I'll make sure you'll have the best Christmas you can imagine this year.»
There’s not really any reason for Keonhee to stay, though Dongju is hoping to find one. He comes up with nothing, and it seems like Keonhee can’t find one either, though he seems to want to stay as well.
Instead he asks the question Dongju has been dreading all night.
“Does it get lonely in here?”
***
aka; Dongju works graveyard at a 24-hour laundromat. Keonhee wanders in one night and changes the course of his life. nbd.
hi there! this is a bit of silly question but i just wanted to double check, for the current mixtape event, are non-romantic fics allowed? (so M&M instead of MxM)
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Feel This Ending
Author: Anonymous
Pairing: Hwanwoong/Dongju
Setting: Non-Idol AU
Genre: Angst, Break-Up
Warnings: Implied Sexual Content
Rating: M
Wordcount: 2,620
Summary:
Oh how beautiful, love’s fall from grace.
How artful to hear that voice, once like a choir of angels to Dongju’s ears, shatter and dig in like shrapnel in a poisoned wound. Like daggers, like claws sinking into his shoulders, the words bury and twist the hurt -
If Dongju is on the cusp of losing it all - he might just do everything in his powers to make sure Hwanwoong does, too.
A music-inspired collection designed to get TOMOON writing new ONEUS fic!
Mixtape Mayhem is an open event running from August 5th 2023-February 3rd 2024. This time around there is one prompt, and one prompt only: music! You can pick a song, any song, and write something inspired by it. Maybe you follow the narrative of the song (like no body, no crime), or use specific lyrics for inspo (part-time soulmate, full-time problem, anyone?), or maybe just get inspired by vibes or sound. There are no rules to how loosely or closely you must follow the song. You are also free to write multiple fics for multiple songs, or to write based on the same song as someone else.
2023 Mixtape Mayhem
As each fic is added to the collection, the song it's inspired by will be added to a youtube playlist (our virtual 'mixtape'). The playlist will be linked below for anyone interested in seeing what everyone's been working on!
All fics will be both featured in all or whichever of the following you choose: the Ao3 collection, oneusficevents.tumblr.com, and/or twitter.com/oneusficevents.
The only rules are the following:
We will not include any fics with the following content on either the blog or the collection: Rape/Noncon, Incest, Underage Smut
Every Ao3 fic MUST be properly tagged/Every post MUST contain warnings. This includes all content and trigger warnings, even if they spoil the fic. This is for the safety of everyone reading your fics.
If you are a minor, please refrain from writing explicit sexual content.
Please be kind to your fellow writers. TOMOON have very diverse backgrounds and life experiences, and we want to welcome everyone into these events.
If you can, read/kudos/comment on the other fics in the collection. Everyone works very hard on their fics, and we want to share everyone’s hard work with the whole fandom!
The timeline will last 6 months, from August 5th to February 3rd. There is no posting schedule, just whenever you happen to finish.
Posting Instructions:
On Ao3, join the collection here: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/2023MixtapeMayhem. Then you can either click “post to collection” or from the post tab you can “add to collection” by typing “2023 Mixtape Mayhem”.
On Tumblr: Make sure to write warnings above the read more and put the actual fic below it. If using a link, make sure to write warnings on the post. Use #2023MixtapeMayhem in the first five tags so we know to reblog it. You may also tag @oneusficevents in the post if you prefer.
On Twitter: For threadfics, make sure to post warnings on the first tweet of the thread and post the actual fic underneath. For links post warnings and a link to the fic. Use #2023MixtapeMayhem on the initial tweet so we know to retweet it!
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to DM us on twitter or tumblr @oneusficevents and we will be happy to help!
Summary: The man you have no business pining over makes an unexpected reappearance in your life, albeit in less-than-ideal condition.
Word Count: 4.6k
Tags: mafia au, blood/injuries (<- despite the tags the whole thing is still soft)
Author Notes: another submission for the Oneus Trope Bingo hosted by @oneusficevents ! This is for my “mafia au” square. I’ve never written anything like this before so I’m nervous to post, but I hope it’s enjoyable
Annoying, you think, that an entire beverage is going to remind you of a man you can’t have. Especially a beverage as widely versatile as tea.
Summary: Your best friend apparently thinks it’s the nineties. You call him to straighten things out.
Word Count: 1.8k
Tags: idiot besties to lovers, resolved mutual pining, implied college au, fluff, humor
Author Notes: this is my first work for the Oneus Trope Bingo hosted by @oneusficevents! I’m using it for my “mutual pining” square. A little nervous about it but it was loads of fun to write, so I hope Oneusblr can enjoy it <3
It isn’t quite acceptable barging hours when you barge into your roommate’s bedroom that morning.
“I—huh?” Your roommate mumbles, startling awake at the sound of the door.
“I need to borrow your phone,” you say, pulse racing. “Please. Since mine isn’t being fixed until this afternoon.”
Your roommate frowns, eyes still closed. “What?”
“Please. It’s important. Please. I need to make a call.”
For everyone that’s signed up since Thursday, I’ve sent out the bingo cards. If you haven’t received an email with a card this morning, then please fill out the form again.
Sorry for the delay on that. I’ve been out of town since Thursday and just got back this morning 😅
Welcome to ONEUS Fic Event's very first Trope Bingo!
The goal of this trope bingo to get some new fics into the Ao3/tumblr/twitter tags and
Welcome to ONEUS Fic Events' very first Trope Bingo!
The goal of this trope bingo to get some new fics into the Ao3/tumblr/twitter tags and get to highlight TOMOON's creativity. If you would like to join, please fill out the form below.
All fics will be both featured in all or whichever of the following you choose: the Ao3 collection, oneusficevents.tumblr.com, and/or twitter.com/oneusficevents. The bingo is just for fun, so you may do as many or few of the tiles as you wish. No pressure to complete the bingo!
This bingo will be a 4x4 square, with each tile representing a common trope in media/fanfiction. Anyone who reaches bingo will get a special mention on twitter/tumblr after the event closes, but all works will be featured on your preferred sites regardless of how many you choose to complete.
The only rules are the following:
We will not include any fics with the following content on either the blog or the collection: Rape/Noncon/Dubcon, Incest, Underage Smut
Every Ao3 fic MUST be properly tagged/Every post MUST contain warnings. This includes all content and trigger warnings, even if they spoil the fic. This is for the safety of everyone reading your fics.
If you are a minor, please refrain from writing explicit sexual content.
Please be kind to your fellow writers. TOMOON have very diverse backgrounds and life experiences, and we want to welcome everyone into these events.
If you can, read/kudos/comment on the other fics in the collection. Everyone works very hard on their fics, and we want to share everyone’s hard work with the whole fandom!
The timeline will last 6 months, from February 4th (the day cards are sent out) to August 4th. There is no posting schedule, just whenever you happen to finish. If you are joining late, please send us a message to let us know so we can send you a bingo card!
Posting Instructions:
On Ao3, join the collection here: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/2023ONEUSTropeBingo. Then you can either click "post to collection" or from the post tab you can "add to collection" by typing "2023ONEUSFicBingo".
On Tumblr: Make sure to write warnings above the read more and put the actual fic below it. If using a link, make sure to write warnings on the post. Use #2023ONEUSTropeBingo in the first five tags so we know to reblog it. You may also tag @oneusficevents in the post if you prefer.
On Twitter: For threadfics, make sure to post warnings on the first tweet of the thread and post the actual fic underneath. For links post warnings and a link to the fic. Use #2023ONEUSTropeBingo on the initial tweet so we know to retweet it!
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to DM us on twitter or tumblr @oneusficevents and we will be happy to help!
2023 Fic Bingo has begun! To sign up just fill out the form (pinned since tumblr likes to eat my posts with links).
There’s no obligation to complete bingo, it’s just for fun and to get the community writing a bit more. Cards will be sent out February 4th, but you can still sign up afterwards if you’d like!
Welcome to ONEUS Fic Event's very first Trope Bingo!
The goal of this trope bingo to get some new fics into the Ao3/tumblr/twitter tags and
Welcome to ONEUS Fic Events' very first Trope Bingo!
The goal of this trope bingo to get some new fics into the Ao3/tumblr/twitter tags and get to highlight TOMOON's creativity. If you would like to join, please fill out the form below.
All fics will be both featured in all or whichever of the following you choose: the Ao3 collection, oneusficevents.tumblr.com, and/or twitter.com/oneusficevents. The bingo is just for fun, so you may do as many or few of the tiles as you wish. No pressure to complete the bingo!
This bingo will be a 4x4 square, with each tile representing a common trope in media/fanfiction. Anyone who reaches bingo will get a special mention on twitter/tumblr after the event closes, but all works will be featured on your preferred sites regardless of how many you choose to complete.
The only rules are the following:
We will not include any fics with the following content on either the blog or the collection: Rape/Noncon/Dubcon, Incest, Underage Smut
Every Ao3 fic MUST be properly tagged/Every post MUST contain warnings. This includes all content and trigger warnings, even if they spoil the fic. This is for the safety of everyone reading your fics.
If you are a minor, please refrain from writing explicit sexual content.
Please be kind to your fellow writers. TOMOON have very diverse backgrounds and life experiences, and we want to welcome everyone into these events.
If you can, read/kudos/comment on the other fics in the collection. Everyone works very hard on their fics, and we want to share everyone’s hard work with the whole fandom!
The timeline will last 6 months, from February 4th (the day cards are sent out) to August 4th. There is no posting schedule, just whenever you happen to finish. If you are joining late, please send us a message to let us know so we can send you a bingo card!
Posting Instructions:
On Ao3, join the collection here: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/2023ONEUSTropeBingo. Then you can either click "post to collection" or from the post tab you can "add to collection" by typing "2023ONEUSFicBingo".
On Tumblr: Make sure to write warnings above the read more and put the actual fic below it. If using a link, make sure to write warnings on the post. Use #2023ONEUSTropeBingo in the first five tags so we know to reblog it. You may also tag @oneusficevents in the post if you prefer.
On Twitter: For threadfics, make sure to post warnings on the first tweet of the thread and post the actual fic underneath. For links post warnings and a link to the fic. Use #2023ONEUSTropeBingo on the initial tweet so we know to retweet it!
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to DM us on twitter or tumblr @oneusficevents and we will be happy to help!
Welcome to ONEUS Fic Event's very first Trope Bingo!
The goal of this trope bingo to get some new fics into the Ao3/tumblr/twitter tags and
Welcome to ONEUS Fic Events' very first Trope Bingo!
The goal of this trope bingo to get some new fics into the Ao3/tumblr/twitter tags and get to highlight TOMOON's creativity. If you would like to join, please fill out the form below.
All fics will be both featured in all or whichever of the following you choose: the Ao3 collection, oneusficevents.tumblr.com, and/or twitter.com/oneusficevents. The bingo is just for fun, so you may do as many or few of the tiles as you wish. No pressure to complete the bingo!
This bingo will be a 4x4 square, with each tile representing a common trope in media/fanfiction. Anyone who reaches bingo will get a special mention on twitter/tumblr after the event closes, but all works will be featured on your preferred sites regardless of how many you choose to complete.
The only rules are the following:
We will not include any fics with the following content on either the blog or the collection: Rape/Noncon/Dubcon, Incest, Underage Smut
Every Ao3 fic MUST be properly tagged/Every post MUST contain warnings. This includes all content and trigger warnings, even if they spoil the fic. This is for the safety of everyone reading your fics.
If you are a minor, please refrain from writing explicit sexual content.
Please be kind to your fellow writers. TOMOON have very diverse backgrounds and life experiences, and we want to welcome everyone into these events.
If you can, read/kudos/comment on the other fics in the collection. Everyone works very hard on their fics, and we want to share everyone’s hard work with the whole fandom!
The timeline will last 6 months, from February 4th (the day cards are sent out) to August 4th. There is no posting schedule, just whenever you happen to finish. If you are joining late, please send us a message to let us know so we can send you a bingo card!
Posting Instructions:
On Ao3, join the collection here: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/2023ONEUSTropeBingo. Then you can either click "post to collection" or from the post tab you can "add to collection" by typing "2023ONEUSFicBingo".
On Tumblr: Make sure to write warnings above the read more and put the actual fic below it. If using a link, make sure to write warnings on the post. Use #2023ONEUSTropeBingo in the first five tags so we know to reblog it. You may also tag @oneusficevents in the post if you prefer.
On Twitter: For threadfics, make sure to post warnings on the first tweet of the thread and post the actual fic underneath. For links post warnings and a link to the fic. Use #2023ONEUSTropeBingo on the initial tweet so we know to retweet it!
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to DM us on twitter or tumblr @oneusficevents and we will be happy to help!
I would like to set up a trope bingo to get some new fics into the Ao3 tags and get to highlight TOMOON's creativity. If you would be intere
2023 ONEUS Trope Bingo Interest Check
Hi! This is the very beginning of @oneusficevents! The goal of this blog is to host semi-annual events to get more fics into the Ao3 tag and to showcase the creativity in the fandom. We are starting off small with a 4x4 square Trope Bingo. There is no obligation to join if you fill out the interest check, just wanted to get a feel and see if there's enough interest to put on the event.
Any and all fics created for this bingo will be both part of the Ao3 collection and shared on this blog.
This event will be open from February to August, and you are free to post at any time during that period. You are also free to write for as many and few of the tiles as you'd like. There's no obligation to complete bingo if you don't want to/have the time to.
The goal is eventually to get to the point that we can host TOMOON collaboration events with artist/editors like Minibangs and the like. Please reblog and share this post if interested! The more interest, the more fics we can put out there!
yousharknotpass
dailybridgerton
prguitarman
gummygunk
andulkaphoto
romaincrisis
snowghoul
