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Minho and Jisung were standing in Jisung’s tiny run-down kitchen, Minho’s cheeks cradled by Jisung’s palm.
“I’m in love with you,” Jisung states, staring deeply into Minho’s eyes.
“I know,” he deadpans. This was a fairly normal occurrence, which should be unusual given they were not dating, but now he shrugs Jisung’s hands off and turns back to the stove to continue stirring.
Jisung had the habit of telling anyone who did anything remotely convenient or helpful for him, that he was in love with them. It had originally started as a joke and continued much to the dismay of all of their friends. Although Minho had a different reason than they did. He was actually in love with Jisung.
Early into their friendship Minho had brought Jisung an Americano while he worked overnight at the studio, Jisung had jokingly said, “I’m in love with you.” Minho had laughed at this, not at all surprised as he’d heard Jisung say this to Chan when he paid for their meals or to Seungmin when he had tutored him. At this point he wasn’t in love with Jisung so it was just funny, but over time he became aware of the dull ache in his chest every time his friend said it, and he realized that the warmth he felt when Jisung laughed or smiled and the electricity he felt when their skin touched was not platonic.
Minho was very good at keeping a neutral face and steady voice, so he was able to conceal the new sharp pain he felt when he heard those words from his (just) friend and had been able to almost ignore it while he got used to his pining. Almost. He felt his cheeks heat up and his ears must be so red but he keeps his face expressionless. Jisung is giggling to his left, obviously amused, and starts to pull out a couple bowls.
“I’m in love with you.”
Jisung was standing in his apartment entryway holding Minho’s face between his hands, squishing his cheeks while Minho glared at him. He was holding their takeout rendering him unable to push Jisung away.
Everytime Jisung joked to Minho that he was in love with him, he felt warm contentment throughout his body. At first he didn’t notice it because he always felt warm and comfortable around Minho, but he liked the heat that radiated from Minho’s cheeks, matching the heat that spread from his chest, when he said it. Everytime he said it he felt giddy and giggled, both from Minho’s reaction and the feeling it gave him.
He released Minho’s cheeks to take the food from him so he could remove his shoes and coat. He walked to the living room setting it on the table in front of the sofa, and in front of Felix, invested in his game, and Seungmin, invested in Jisung. Seungmin stared at Jisung, keeping eye contact with him. A little weirded out but not necessarily surprised because Seungmin had a habit of staring, Jisung asked, “What?”
Seungmin held the eye contact with a suspicious stare and Jisung looked away, feeling unfairly accused of something he wasn’t aware of. Felix gave up on his game and ran into the kitchen, presumably to chat with Minho who was probably getting drinks for them.
“You only say it to him, you know,” Seungmin finally said.
Jisung scrunched his eyebrows and repeated himself, “What?”
“You only tell Minho you’re in love with him now,” Seungmin clarified. “You used to say it to everyone, but lately you’ve only been saying it to him.” Jisung was startled by this but now that he thought about it, it was true. For the past month or so he had only said it to Minho. And for a few months before that he definitely said it more to Minho than anyone else.
“Well he’s my only true friend,” Jisung joked with a slight laugh and started pulling out the different take out containers and setting them on the table. “When was the last time you bought me dinner?”
“When was the last time you bought me dinner?” Seungmin countered. Which was fair; Jisung hadn’t bought dinner for any of their friends except Minho recently. Minho and Felix returned carrying a cup in each hand and they settled back into the couch and onto the floor.
After Seungmin had pointed out his obvious favoritism towards Minho, Jisung was more aware of when he told him he was in love with him. Of course his other friends had done him favors, like just the other day Chan bought him coffee when he forgot his wallet, but he couldn’t jokingly tell Chan he was in love with him like he’d done in the past. It just didn’t feel right. It didn’t fill him with the same warmth and giddiness it did when he said it to Minho.
Maybe the joke was just getting old, he told himself. Maybe it wasn’t the joke that was funny, maybe it was Minho’s reactions. But it wasn’t funny, Jisung realized, it just made him happy to say it.
Minho is sitting with Changbin and Seungmin in his apartment waiting for the rest of their group to show up. Right now they’re arguing over which shoe you put on first when leaving the house. None of them really care; they just like to argue with each other. Minho’s only half paying attention, choosing to throw in random points to fuel the fire. He’s paying more attention to his phone and his cheeks heat up when he reads the new message from Jisung.
He feels a little silly feeling this way when it was only a text message and Jisung didn’t actually say the words to him. Minho becomes aware of two sets of eyes staring at him and looks up. He looks between them and raises an eyebrow. Changbin gives up first and peers at his phone then scoffs and rolls his eyes.
“He’s still doing that?” he asks. Minho just shrugs. Seungmin has not let up his stare which Minho meets again steadily.
“He only says it to you, he doesn’t say it to the rest of us anymore,” Seungmin says. Minho blinks, not really understanding what Seungmin’s trying to get at.
“Yeah, last week he didn’t say it to me even though I spent all night helping him with this new song,” Changbin pipes up with a while, half trying to complain.
Minho smirks, “Jealous?” he teases. Changbin just rolls his eyes at him and Seungmin sighs.
“You both deflect,” he scowls and Minho realizes Seungmin is being serious for some reason.
“It’s just a joke, you know that.” Minho frowns.
“Yeah but you’re actually in love with him, hyung.” This catches Minho by surprise and he blinks rapidly trying to process this. Changbin looks like he wants to smack Seungmin but holds back, knowing he’s trying to be serious.
“Yes,” Minho agrees, there’s no use denying it, “but Jisung is just joking.”
“But hyung–” Seungmin is cut off by Jisung’s loud voice calling out to Minho as he comes through the door with Hyunjin and Felix. He’s smiling big, eyes focused on Minho, who feels his own mouth starting to curl up. He stands above Minho, sitting cross-legged on the floor looking up at him.
“I’m in love with you.”
Minho hears himself giggle softly, Seungmin sigh, Changbin gag, and Hyunjin and Felix cackle.
Jisung means it when he says it.
He might have meant it before he even realized, but when he stared down at Minho giggling, sparkling eyes looking up at him, he knew it was true. Now he’s somewhat panicking, not because he’s suddenly aware of his own feelings but rather the prison he backed himself into. He groans and shoves his face into his hands. How is he supposed to tell Minho he’s actually seriously in love with him when he’s spent their whole friendship saying it as a joke? He’ll never believe him. God, his own genius humor coming back to get him, he sighs. He leans back against the couch again.
Minho had noticed his gloomy mood and was lightly petting his back in a soothing manner as he watched the movie they put on, hand falling away when Jisung readjusted. Jisung turned to face his body towards him on the couch, arm reaching behind Minho resting along the back of the couch. Minho turned his head to look at him with a slight tilt of his head.
“I’m in love with you,” Jisung says, dead serious. And as he expected, Minho doesn’t realize he’s not joking and he makes a confused face and his mouth crooks into a half smile.
“What did I do?” he asks. “We’re just watching a movie?”
“No,” Jisung says and reaches his hands up to Minho’s cheeks. They’ve been in this position a million times now, but this time Jisung’s heart is pounding and he’s sure Minho can feel the beat through his palms, maybe even hear the rate at which his heart is forcing his blood through his body. He feels the same warmth and giddiness he always feels when he tells Minho he’s in love with him but multiplied by a hundred.
“I’m in love with you,” he says again and he hopes it sounds like an undeniable fact because that’s what it is to him. His palms must be sweaty and gross on Minho’s cheeks and he’s tempted to pull them away but he wouldn’t miss the matching heat radiating off of them for the world.
Minho is more than a bit taken aback.
He felt an odd sense of shock mingled with deja vu given the familiar position but new seriousness. Minho and Jisung could read each other well, almost without any mistake, so Minho had been positive all those times Jisung said these exact words that he was joking and in no way meant them (like how he wanted) and that’s why he also knows Jisung is being completely serious and means them (like how he wanted).
He blinks rapidly at Jisung, mouth slightly open as Jisung stares back at him. He can see the nervousness behind the confidence in his eyes and can tell from the dampness on his cheeks from Jisung's palms, blood raging in his ears from their joint erratic heart beats. So for the first time, Minho says it too.
“I’m in love with you.”