Chapter Text
When Minho first laid eyes on the short boy sitting alone in the sandpit in kindergarten, he knew they were destined to be friends. When the boy looked up at Minho with big puppy dog eyes and an innocent grin, Minho knew he was destined to love him.
It had been a long time since they had first become friends. Fifteen years to be exact. Fifteen years of shared secrets and sugary sweet smiles. Their families slowly intertwined into one another until both Minho and Changbin would tell everyone they had two mums and two dads because that’s how they truly felt. Minho’s mum wished Changbin good luck before his exams with a soft kiss on his forehead and Changbin’s mum would pick Minho up from school on the days Changbin would be at home sick and take him out for ice cream. There was only one problem.
Minho had been in love with Changbin since the day they met.
He believed it would pass, a small puppy crush on the boy with soft hair and even softer smiles. But fifteen years had passed and his heart still jumped delicately when Changbin would wrap an arm around his waist at lunch or press a kiss into his temple before they fell asleep, bodies wound around one another and slow breaths released in sync. Normally Minho wouldn’t mind this feeling, he would revel in it. The feeling of being loved, even if it was platonically, filling his veins with liquid fire and keeping him warm from the inside out. But something had changed recently. Before, Changbin would tell him everything, showing him every emotion, soul bared for Minho to read as he pleased. However for the past two weeks, Changbin had slowly pulled his defenses back up and trapped Minho out in the cold.
It started with Changbin stating that he had to stay back in the lecture room to finish an assignment rather than join Minho and their friends for lunch. Then Changbin would start missing their weekly ice cream dates for “study sessions”, only to post pictures on his instagram of his hand holding anothers, too soft and delicate to be a boy. Too soft and delicate to be Minho’s. It hurt, the reminder that Changbin would never be his. He just couldn’t understand why Changbin didn’t tell him. Weren’t they supposed to be best friends?
Minho huffed softly as he bundled the thick coat tighter around him and sped up slightly as he reached the coffee shop. He was meeting Jisung here for a catch up since the younger boy had been away for the past few months. Minho likes Jisung. The younger had been the first one Minho had gone to when he realised he was gay. He wanted to tell Changbin immediately but Changbin could never understand. Changbin was straight. The thought pressed down on his heart sharply and a hiss escaped Minho’s lips before he could stop it. Why couldn’t he have fallen for Jisung? The boy was also gay, and doted on Minho like Minho was something precious to Jisung. Maybe he was. A dull throb spread across Minho’s temples. He’d managed to think himself into a headache. Again. Sighing, he grabs the handle to the coffee shop and feels the warm wave of heat from inside wash over him.
Compass Coffee was a regular meeting spot for the group of friends. Being located in the middle of town, an equal distance from everyone’s dorms, it made sense to meet there. Minho located Jisung quickly, the soft mop of black hair just brushing across the others eyelashes as he ordered at the counter. Good, he hadn’t been waiting long. Minho brushed softly passed the others in the queue, muttering small apologies as he continued forward. He linked arms gently with the younger who startled slightly but continued ordering shortly after. One sweet americano for Jisung and one hot chocolate with whipped cream for Minho ordered, the two took their seats in a booth just across from the counter, Minho’s back to the door of the shop. Jisung huffed lightly, blowing the tresses on his forehead lightly before settling back into the chair.
“Minho hyung, how have you been my dear? I feel like we haven’t spoken properly in ages!” a pout spreading softly across Jisung’s lips.
Minho smiled brightly. The younger one was too cute sometimes.
“I’ve been good! I mean, I think I’ve been good? I don’t know, things have been a bit weird recently…”
Jisung nodded, signalling for Minho to continue.
“Me and Changbin have kinda fallen out of sync? He’s been skipping out on our regular hangouts and posting pictures with this girl. But he hasn’t told any of us about her. Not even me. It hurts, knowing he feels like he can’t speak to me about this. We’re best friends, y’know? I love him.”
Tears built at the corners of Minho’s eyes. He managed to catch them before they fell, grabbing a napkin from the table in front of him to pat his eyes dry. Jisung frowned, leaning forward to take one of Minho’s hands between both of his.
“Baby, why are you crying? Is it that bad?”
Minho sniffled lightly and huffed out a small breath.
“Honestly, it feels like he doesn’t want me around anymore. We haven’t hung out alone in weeks. Everytime I ask, he always says he has something else on. He doesn’t hug me anymore, he doesn’t even wrap an arm around my shoulders during the few times we have hung out as a group. It stings, my heart feels like it’s breaking slowly…”
Jisung rubbed his thumb across the back of Minho’s hand gently, heart constricting at the sight of the crying boy before him. The bell above the door trilled lightly, indicating someone had just entered. Jisung looked up and saw Changbin, hands interlocked with a girl he hadn’t seen before. He froze slightly, alerting Minho. The older boy looked behind him and saw the reason for Jisung’s panic. Minho watched as Changbin giggled softly at something the girl said before kissing the top of her head, something he used to do with Minho. A quiet sob left Minho’s lips and within seconds Jisung was by his side, bringing Minho’s head into his chest and he hushed the boy softly, hand stroking the back of his head.
Changbin turned around at this moment and saw the two, feeling that he had intruded on an intimate moment. Jisung chose this moment to grab both of Minho’s cheeks and press a soft kiss to the crease forming between Minho’s eyebrows, but from Changbin’s angle it looked as if he had kissed the other boy on the lips. He felt his body heat up, an emotion that felt like anger bubbling under his skin. He excused himself from his girlfriend for a second and glided over to the two other boys.
Minho had managed to control his tears and was now laughing sweetly as Jisung peppered butterfly kisses across his face to cheer him up. Someone cleared their throat behind Jisung. Moving away from Minho, Jisung revealed an angry looking Changbin stood with crossed arms in front of them.
“What are you doing?”
The question was aimed at Jisung, who could feel the heat radiating from the shorter boy's frame. Jisung scoffed lightly, what was Changbin trying to accuse him of? Before he had a chance to come up with a sarcastic reply, Minho had stood up and pulled Jisung’s arm around him, Jisung resting his fingertips on the edge of Minho’s jeans, warm skin pressed against his where Minho’s shirt had ridden up slightly. Changbin’s eyes instantly flickered down before coming back to rest on Jisung, the heat increasing in his usually calm eyes.
“I’m having a drink with my boyfriend. Is there a problem?”
Minho’s statement shocked both Changbin and Jisung. Jisung turned to Minho who looked at him with a pleading look and he melted at the boy in front of him. How could he say no to those puppy dog eyes. He holds onto Minho’s hip tighter and softly brushes his fingers across the exposed skin, reveling in the soft shiver it pulled from Minho. It was Changbin’s turn to scoff now.
“Since when were you two dating?”
Minho turned and smiled brightly at Jisung, raising a hand to press softly on his cheekbone, his thumb skimming ever so gently across the skin. Jisung had to admit, Minho was good at this. If he didn’t know any better he would think Minho was in love with him. It seems Changbin had the same thought, eyes darkening with an inky black intensity that honestly scared Jisung slightly.
“We’ve been dating for about a month now? Isn’t that right, baby? When you facetimed me drunk and told me how much you wish we were together?”
Minho’s words were too sweet, the taste of them spreading across Jisung’s tongue and leaving behind a honey-like trace. He just nodded and smiled back at Minho, leaning forward to bite the tip of his nose, eliciting a squeak from Minho.
“I mean, I didn’t expect you to know since you haven’t spoken to me in weeks. Anyway we have to leave Changbin, it was nice seeing you and your girlfriend.”
The honey-like sweetness from before was replaced with an acidic bitterness that snuck down Jisung’s throat and choked him slightly. Changbin looked shocked for a second before schooling his expression and bidding a quick goodbye before returning to his girlfriend who had been watching their exchange carefully.
Minho’s shoulders slumped as soon as Changbin turned his back. The air has never felt so stifling. Love had never felt so raw, and he had never felt so completely and irrevocably alone.