Work Text:
12:58 AM
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A pebble struck the window
Jisung’s head shot up in excitement. He rushed to the window, tugging it open to see the source of the sound. Eyes bright with anticipation, Jisung poked his head out, and-
plonk
Another pebble struck him square in the forehead
“Minho you jerk!” he whisper-yelled to the boy standing on the street below his window.
Minho was already bending down to pick up another pebble, but he stopped to look up and flash his dazzling grin at Jisung. Jisung held a straight face for as long as he could, but it only took a few seconds before he cracked and smiled widely back at the boy below.
Another pebble flew by his head, skittering across his bedroom floor.
“Cut it out!” he called down playfully as he pulled himself out onto the roof outside his window. Minho pouted for a moment before dropping the next pebble he had prepared to throw.
“Where do you want to go tonight?” Minho asked.
Jisung frowned as he considered. It felt like there wasn’t a place in the whole town that Minho hadn’t taken him. On the very first night of summer, Minho had pulled up to Jisung’s house in his dad’s beat-up minivan with two milkshakes and a bag of chips and took Jisung stargazing at the edge of town.
Since then, their 1AM adventures had become Jisung’s favorite part of the day. Together, Jisung and Minho had gone everywhere. Sometimes they would get burgers from the only restaurant open that late, sometimes they would sneak through the hole in the fence to get into the school football field and run barefoot from end to end, sometimes they would jump into the lake and shiver all the way back home, and Jisung never wanted it to stop. Sneaking out the window to go with Minho made Jisung felt invincible, like his youth would never end.
But of course, his youth was ending. Tomorrow morning would be the beginning of his final year in high school. Tonight was the last chance to have an adventure.
“Can we just stay here tonight?” Jisung asked. “I don’t really feel like going out.”
If Minho was surprised, he hid it well. “Sure!” He turned around to grab his backpack and lock his car. “Should I come up to you or are you coming down?”
Jisung lay flat on his stomach and reached out his hand. “Come on up,” he invited.
Minho took his hand, planting one foot on the wall before hoisting himself onto the roof next to Jisung. They lay down side by side, the stars greeting them from behind a thin layer of clouds. The night air was cold but the rooftop was still hot to the touch from the beating summer sun. The two boys hadn’t let go of each others’ hands yet.
Silence hung between them for a few moments until Jisung decided to speak.
“I don’t want to be an adult.” he declared. It wasn’t quite what he wanted to say, but he didn’t correct himself.
Minho propped himself up on one arm, looking down at Jisung in curiosity. “Why not? You always talk about wanting to get out there on your own.”
“I don’t know.” Jisung looked up at Minho. “I don’t really want to talk about it right now.”
“Okay.” Minho untangled his hand from Jisung's to pull a pack of gummy bears from his backpack. He tore the bag open and offered one to Jisung.
For a few long minutes they sat next to each other, saying nothing, watching the sky, staving off sleepiness with gummy bears. Suddenly, Minho stood up and kicked his shoes off.
“Dance with me.” Minho offered his hand to Jisung.
Jisung let out a laugh and took his hand. “Dance? To what music?”
Instead of answering, Minho pulled him up and began humming a song Jisung didn’t recognize. The older boy led Jisung across the roof, taking graceful, rhythmic steps and pausing every so often to twirl Jisung around or show off a dramatic leap or twist. Jisung followed, careful to keep his feet from thumping on the roof too hard. They danced and danced as the sky began to become brighter and brighter, the blue heralding the morning sun’s imminent arrival. Minho drew Jisung closer as his gummy bear-fueled burst of energy began to run out.
There they stood, holding each other close under the early morning sky as Minho continued to hum softly.
“This is why I don’t want to be an adult,” Jisung murmured into Minho’s shoulder. “All of this. I’m terrified of going off to college and then out into adulthood because I’ll lose everything I love about life. It feels like I have to choose between what I want to achieve and what I want to love. I don’t want to lose these adventures, or this excitement, or all my friends.” Or you. Jisung didn’t say that last part out loud.
“You know I’ll follow you wherever you want to go, right?” The older boy said as he pulled back slightly to look Jisung in the eyes. “You’re my top priority. You don’t have to lose me when you grow up.”
Jisung’s heart bloomed, warmth filling his chest.
“I really mean it,” Minho continued. “I would drive you across the whole world in that old minivan for the rest of our lives if it meant we could keep having these adventures. I don’t want to lose you.”
Jisung’s throat felt dry. He tried to muster the words to tell Minho just how much he’d love to spend the rest of his life having adventures with him, and how much joy was filling him, but nothing came out. When he finally managed to choke out a strangled “Thank you,” it wasn’t at all what he wanted to say, but Minho understood it anyway.