Archive of Our Own ^beta

02:39 You

lol I'm at the police station

02:39 jakey

WTF BRO

02:39 jakey

WE LOST SIGHT OF YOU FOR TWO MINUTES

02:40 jakey

Where exactly are you? We're coming right now

02:42 You

everything’s fnie

02:42 You

fine

02:42 You

there's a really attractive cop here

02:43 You

and he's totlly into me

02:43 jakey

Oh god help

Sunghoon giggles into his phone screen. Jake is so funny when he gets worked up, but everything really is okay. Yes, he's a little (or maybe more than a little) drunk, yes, he got arrested on the street for petty mischief (he just wanted to write something pretty on that beautiful statue and might have shouted a bit too loudly when they wouldn't let him), and now he's sitting in a jail cell at the police station — but it's not like it's anything serious. If he thinks about it, they’ve treated him well, and especially that young officer who looked like he’d just stepped out of the academy. He was unusually gentle with Sunghoon. Sunghoon understands — he is kind of hard to resist, after all. If only the guy would pay him just a little more attention.

But that can be arranged.

Sunghoon sets his phone aside, ignoring the constant buzz of incoming messages and calls, and walks straight up to the bars. The station is empty — so much so that from his angle, he can barely see the desk where that guy is sitting. So he grips the bars and does what he does best — he yells.

“Hey, officer! Officer! Offiiicer!”

A tired face appears almost instantly before him. Up close, the boy looks even cuter — curly strands of black hair fall over his forehead, his beautifully shaped lips are tightly pressed together in annoyance, and for a moment, Sunghoon openly stares.

“What?” the officer asks. “And I’m not even an officer yet. I’m a trainee.”

“I see, I see,” Sunghoon snorts and lets his eyes wander downward — to the name tag pinned to the guy’s chest. His vision focuses reluctantly, but he manages to make out the letters and reads them aloud. “So, uh… Officer Nishimura. Nishimura-san?”

The aforementioned Nishimura lifts his eyebrows curiously.

“Did you need something?”

“Oh right! Don’t I get one phone call? Can I make a call?”

Nishimura glances longingly behind Sunghoon’s back, toward the phone he left lying there, but Sunghoon doesn’t catch the hint. Instead, the officer pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs.

“And you've already used that right. And called — let me remind you — to an ice cream delivery.”

“I wanted to treat you!” Sunghoon protests.

“A romantic dinner at the station isn’t exactly my thing,” a faint smile tugs at the corner of Nishimura’s lips, and Sunghoon’s heart nearly stops.

“What if we do it outside?”

“You should probably call your friends to come pick you up, alright? Or better yet… maybe your parents?”

Sunghoon grimaces.

“I don’t need friends. They abandoned me. And my parents will just laugh at me.”

Nishimura shakes his head.

“Then go to sleep. We’ll figure out what to do with you in the morning.”

02:59 You

hes totally intoo me

03:00 jakey

WHERE DID YOU GO

03:00 jakey

Jay will twist your head off if you don’t tell us where you are!

03:00 jakey

He says they could even charge you with harassment, you idiot

03:01 You

no harrsemen at al

03:01 You

he knda implied he woudn't mind a romntic dinne

03:02 You

he cant resist me

03:02 jakey

This is exactly why I hate it when you're drunk

And honestly, that’s kind of offensive, because Sunghoon isn’t drunk . Not that much! Heeseung just gave him some incredible green cocktail, and he liked it so much he had a couple more — but he feels great. It's ridiculous to blame him for anything. Jake just doesn’t get it, none of them do — and they’re all unbearably boring anyway.

So he doesn’t need them.

“Officer!” he yells at the top of his lungs when staring at his phone gets boring again. “Nishimura-saaan!”

“What now?” Nishimura appears by the bars much faster than last time, and now he even looks amused.

“I’m bored,” Sunghoon whines. “Talk to me.”

“You were staring at the wall for half an hour not long ago and didn’t seem bored at all.”

“Really?” He frowns but can’t remember exactly when that was, nor does he notice that the officer — who still isn’t technically an officer — is slipping into casual speech. “Whatever. That was past me. Present me is dying of boredom. Maybe I’ll start singing.”

“Oh, please don’t,” Nishimura cuts in quickly, and if Sunghoon were soberer, he might wonder whether he’d already been shouting songs all the way to the station. “Alright. Fine. How about we talk a bit? Like… tell me something about yourself. How old are you?”

Fine, that’s an easy question. Easier than asking what he was doing on the street this late, which seemed pretty obvious anyway.

“23,” he answers almost instantly, without hesitation. Nishimura frowns, and when Sunghoon nods again, he scrunches his nose — this time clearly trying not to laugh. It’s adorable. The whole guy is adorable, and Sunghoon is afraid to look away because his head is such a fog right now — if he gets distracted, he might lose himself completely, forget everything.

“Dude,” Nishimura mutters. “You should carry ID when you decide to go wandering around this late.”

That confuses Sunghoon.

“Why?”

“Because you’re such a cutie that our chief thought you were underage.”

Sunghoon frowns — it makes no sense at all. He’s a grown man, graduated from university not too long ago, perfectly allowed to have a drink or two with friends late at night. He absentmindedly presses his palms against his cheeks — maybe he did gain a little weight?

Nishimura chuckles beside him, and Sunghoon actually manages to feel slightly offended.

“How old are you , then?” he challenges, forgetting entirely his respectful “officer” address. It doesn’t seem to bother the other one at all.

“Twenty,” Nishimura smiles. “I told you — I’m a trainee.”

It takes Sunghoon a few more seconds to figure out whether that’s older or younger than himself — his brain feels like jelly right now.

“Oh. So I’m older. Shouldn’t you be treating me with at least a little more respect?”

“Hyung?” His smile turns mockingly wide, but Sunghoon barely notices. He nods thoughtfully — sounds fair enough, and after all this time, they’ve practically become friends. Nishimura snorts, softer than before.

“Well, since you're older, you can call me Riki. That’s my name. And try to get some sleep.”

He walks away again, leaving Sunghoon alone once more. Riki. He likes how that sounds.

03:34 You

he calld me cutie

03:34 jakey

What

03:34 jakey

Are you seriously flirting with a cop...?

03:35 You

im not cutie!

03:35 jakey

Oh no, how dare he

03:35 jakey

Now is your silly drunk heart broken?

03:35 jakey

Can we finally come get you?

03:35 jakey

Please, Sunghoon

03:38 You

but he is a cutie

03:38 You

his name is Riki

03:39 jakey

You've gotta be kidding me

Sunghoon tries, really — he does. But sleep just won’t come. He knows himself well enough to understand that’s just how he is: when he’s drunk, he doesn’t feel sleepy at all. It's like his body shuts off for twenty or thirty minutes, and then suddenly he catches himself staring at the wall again, his phone buzzing angrily beside him, and he's unbearably — unbearably bored. What do people even do when they end up at a police station? Sunghoon has no idea; this is his first time.

But he did get lucky — a cute officer just happens to be nearby.

So he gets up and follows his favorite route straight to the bars.

“Officer Riki!” he calls out, but no one answers this time. Sunghoon clears his throat and tries again. “Riki!”

Instead of Riki, a completely different man appears in front of him — Sunghoon remembers him, it was this man who locked him inside. Let’s just say he isn’t thrilled to see him.

“He stepped out,” the man grumbles. Somewhere, a door slams, and he turns slightly sideways — toward where Sunghoon can't see. “Hey, Riki, why is this detainee calling you by your first name?”
Sunghoon frowns — he doesn’t like that this guy uses Riki’s name either. Truthfully, he just doesn’t like that the guy showed up at all.

“He’s harmless,” Riki finally appears by the bars with a reassuring smile, though he isn’t looking at Sunghoon, which makes Sunghoon angry and helpless all at once. “It’s fine, boss, I’ve got it.”

The “boss” shoots Sunghoon a disapproving glance before finally walking away, patting Riki on the shoulder. Sunghoon turns away and sulks back to the bench.

“Hey!” Riki asks. “You called me?”

“No,” he mutters bitterly and stops responding altogether.

04:23 You

i have competition

04:25 jakey

Sunghoon, it's almost fucking morning, I don’t understand what you're saying

04:25 You

there's another one here

04:25 You

i saw how he looked at him

04:26 jakey

Wow, drama at the station — it would be super interesting if I weren’t dying to go to sleep

04:26 jakey

Heeseung says we should just leave you there until morning, but I feel kinda bad

04:26 jakey

Although wait a second

04:27 jakey

Maybe I can help you

04:27 jakey

Distract that other guy of yours

04:27 jakey

I’ll do it for you

04:27 jakey

Just give me the damn address

04:28 You

not like i neded help or anyhting

04:28 You

but youre suh a good freind

When Jake arrives, Sunghoon hears it in the sudden liveliness that spreads through the station. A minute later, he can clearly make out Jake’s voice and another one responding — belonging to that older officer who had been hanging around earlier. Sunghoon leans through the bars, hoping someone will hear him.

— Riki! — he whispers. — Hey, Riki!

Riki peeks over.

— Why are you whispering?

— I don’t want them to hear us. My friend came on purpose — to distract your boss.

— Distract?

Sunghoon nods confidently.

— So he won’t try flirting with you anymore.

Riki snorts and covers his mouth with his hand. His body shakes slightly, and Sunghoon blinks in confusion — was he crying ? Maybe instead of Jake, what was needed here was a sexual harassment complaint?

— Hyung… — Riki begins in the same hushed tone, but when he looks up, there's only a glint of desperate amusement in his eyes. — He’s fifty-two, has two kids and three grandkids. Definitely not my type. I assume not your friend’s either, but I won’t judge.

— Seriously? — Sunghoon frowns, puzzled at where he went wrong, and Riki laughs again into his fist. He doesn’t get a chance to think further.

— Sunghoon! — Jake appears by his cell unexpectedly, and Sunghoon gives him an annoyed look — wasn’t he supposed to be busy distracting the big boss while he talked to Riki? Catching his expression, Jake rolls his eyes.

— Oh my God, I really should’ve just left you here.

He turns to Riki, and something about the way he looks at him bothers Sunghoon. But Jake isn’t looking at him anymore — he’s smiling now, offering Riki — his Riki — a private word. A minute later, they both disappear into the area where Sunghoon can no longer see them. And this — this is betrayal. From the person closest to him.

Sunghoon returns to his phone and fires off several angry messages because Jake is a thief and a little brat. That cop was into him — and Sunghoon hadn't planned on sharing.

By the time his phone starts warning him of low battery, the door to his cell finally opens. Standing in the doorway is only Riki — no sign of Jake. Serves him right; let him never come back, traitor.

— Hey, — Riki calls. — Your friend filled out all the paperwork and paid your bail, so you can go home now.

Sunghoon shakes his head and crosses his arms over his chest.

— Don’t wanna.

Riki snorts again, and Sunghoon almost doesn’t fall for it — after all, he’s still mad at both of them.

— Alright, — Riki smiles and steps into the cell himself, lowering his voice to a whisper. — But just between us, I’m ending my shift in an hour and heading home. And I’d feel better knowing you’re also going back and getting some rest.

He’s talking to Sunghoon like he’s a child — and much to his own disgust, it works. Sunghoon relaxes, sulking only half-heartedly — like he even had a choice. As if reading his thoughts, Riki continues:

— Wouldn’t it be better if we meet again after both of us have slept a bit?

It’s hard to argue with that, and Sunghoon nods. Only now, after nearly the entire night, does he truly start feeling tired. When he stands up, Riki barely touches his elbow to steady him, and even when Jake scoops him up without effort, Sunghoon is too drained to stay angry.

— See you later, — Riki whispers as a farewell, and Sunghoon dramatically scrunches his nose but signs the necessary papers and allows himself to be led away.

Already in the car, when Jake leans back with relief on the back seat and the steady motion almost rocks them both to sleep, Sunghoon suddenly jolts upright, struck by a sudden thought.

— Wait! I don’t have his phone number!

Jake groans like a martyr.

— Bro…

But just as quickly as the thought flared, it fades. And Sunghoon, thoroughly exhausted, finally falls asleep.

When he finally wakes up and feels sober enough, all Sunghoon wants is to die of embarrassment. His memory of the previous night is hazy — which, in a way, is a blessing — but all he needs to do is open his chat with Jake for the urge to burn alive to consume his entire being.

He will never drink with Heeseung again.

Without even trying to feel sorry for him (and okay, Sunghoon totally deserved it), Jake messages him the moment he spots him online.

13:47 jakey

Good morning, love hero

13:47 jakey

How are you feeling?

13:48 You

Like I acted like an idiot the whole night

13:48 You

Please tell me it was all a dream

13:49 jakey

Lol, bro, no way

13:49 jakey

I bailed you out, dragged you home, tucked you into bed, left water and pills on the nightstand — my mercy is over

13:49 jakey

Everything else? I’ll be reminding you of it for the rest of your life :)

13:49 You

Hurts but deserved

Sunghoon really is incredibly grateful to Jake, and besides — he owes him. Which means he won’t be snapping back at his jabs anytime soon. Not for a while, at least. 

He swallows the pill and falls back onto the bed, pressing his palms against his eyes as if that could erase the memories entirely. It does the opposite: Riki’s face appears behind his eyelids, that smirk playing on his lips, and Sunghoon wants to drown himself in the glass of water beside him, because now it’s painfully obvious how utterly ridiculous he’d been. Flirting with an officer on duty, someone younger than him, who was clearly just humoring him — and Sunghoon mistook that for actual interest.

What a humiliation!

The only comfort is this: Sunghoon will never see him again.

"So, are you gonna contact your cop again?" Jake asks the moment they meet for lunch the next day. Sunghoon chokes on his coffee while Jake looks unreasonably smug.

"First of all," Sunghoon clears his throat, "he's not my cop. And no, I've embarrassed myself enough in front of him to keep doing this. Second, how exactly do you imagine that? That I'll just walk into the station and say, 'Hi, I need your trainee's phone number?'"

"Oh yeah, so you have thought about how to get in touch with him!"

Sunghoon flushes bright red.

"Just to apologize! But in the end, it would be way too awkward to look him in the eye after everything, so I decided not to."

"Hm, seemed like he wouldn’t mind continuing the conversation," Jake drops a bomb with the innocent expression of a lamb. "When we were talking about how to convince you to go home, he said you were funny and he'd like to see what you're like in your sober life."

"Funny," Sunghoon groans, covering his face with his hands. "Jake, this is a disaster."

"Could also turn into the start of some romantic comedy," Jake laughs, and Sunghoon really wants to punch him — but he still owes him too much.

Sunghoon decides right then and there that this is where his romantic comedy should end: and so, he truly does nothing. But three days later, barely stepping out of his apartment, he freezes in stunned disbelief at the sight of a familiar figure leaning against a motorcycle.

"Oh God," he mumbles in horror, realizing there's absolutely no way to walk past unnoticed.

Riki isn't in uniform, but Sunghoon recognizes him instantly — and unfortunately, even sober, Nishimura Riki is just as handsome as ever. And when he turns his head and smiles at him, Sunghoon loses any last chance of escape. Fine. Then he’ll have to…

"What are you doing here?" he asks instead of greeting, walking closer. Riki’s smile fades slightly, but not completely.

"Didn’t I say we should talk when we’re both in better shape?"

"And I agreed?"

"Yeah."

Sunghoon inwardly groans — shame mixes with embarrassment inside him. He feels his cheeks burning.

"I was drunk."

"That’s why I’m offering again."

Riki remains unfazed, his voice carrying no trace of mockery — at least none that Sunghoon can detect. It’s hard for him to wrap his head around the idea that Riki might actually just… just what? Want to ask him out?

Oh God.

The smartest move would be to apologize, as he’d originally intended, and back out as quickly as possible. Otherwise, that shameful night will never be forgotten. But Sunghoon looks at him — and hesitates for some reason.

"How did you find me?"

"Mmm," Riki glances away, slightly embarrassed. "I used my position."

Something about that unexpectedly amuses Sunghoon. He snorts.

"And won’t you get in trouble, officer?"

"Technically, I'm still not an officer."

"So that means you can do whatever you want?"

"It means I’ll get in way more trouble if anyone finds out," Riki says simply, with a smile — and Sunghoon laughs, because it's just so ridiculous.

Almost as ridiculous as flirting with a cop — or a trainee — in a police station.

Looks like they're a perfect match.

"And what's the plan to keep you from getting caught?"

"Can I bribe you with ice cream?"

Sunghoon snorts, a smile tugging at his lips anyway. What the hell. He can endure Jake’s teasing for a little longer — maybe forever — but in the end, he won’t forgive himself if he doesn’t even try.

14:39 You

I'm at the police station again

14:39 jakey

Bro…

14:40 jakey

It's only been two weeks

14:40 jakey

WHAT THE HELL

14:41 You

Just dropping off coffee for my boyfriend

14:42 jakey

MY GOD

14:43 jakey

AND I’M HEARING ABOUT THIS ONLY NOW

14:43 jakey

I’m retiring as your best friend

14:43 You

;)