Work Text:
“Yah! Han Jisung!”
Minho, Chan, and Changbin were standing around outside the school gates when they heard a sudden shout of someone's name. They looked around, waiting to see who would answer before a young boy darted out of the gates and past them, running down the sidewalk as he held onto his backpack. The trio watched - jumping slightly when a few other freshmen ran by, following the boy down the road.
“I don’t have a good feeling about this - let’s follow,” Chan said. Usually, they minded their own business - well, Chan and Changbin did. However, Minho was popular and knew nearly everyone's business in the entire school, even the staff. So he was ready to follow and check out the action on what was happening.
They took their bags and began to jog to follow them, hearing the shouting until it got quiet around an emptier side street. They walked down, looking around before they heard laughter in an alley, following the sounds.
“I told you that I need your backpack, Jisung. I thought I made that clear.” A voice spoke. The older boys stood and watched, listening to what was going on. “I-It’s the only bag I have.. I can’t give it to you.” The, clearly, more minuscule of the group said, hugging his bag to his chest. “Okay, and? You think that’s going to stop me?” The biggest asked, pushing Jisung onto his back as another ripped the bag from his arms, opening it up and spilling Jisung’s things out.
Jisung laid on the ground and looked up at them, watching with teary eyes as his papers spilled onto the floor - all his poorly written rap lyrics, scribbles, and school work scattering around him. “What is this?” Another kid spoke up, kneeling to grab a paper. “You think you’re going to grow up to be a rapper? Who gave you that idea? These lyrics are shit!” The kid said to Jisung, who was gathering his stuff - but got pushed over again.
The kids were laughing until a throat was cleared behind them - the noise belonged to Chan, who was standing with his arms over his chest, Minho’s sharp eyes, and Changbin’s muscles on either side of him. “What do you think you’re doing?” Chan said, his voice deeper than usual as he looked down at them.
“W-we’re just playing. Right, Jisung?” The kids turned to look at Jisung, who was sitting with tears pooling at the corners of his eyes, looking up at the older boys. Chan chuckled and stepped forward, causing the boys to stumble back slightly. Minho and Changbin also stepped forward - and when they did, the group of boys suddenly took it as their signal to run, taking Jisung’s bag with them.
Chan and Changbin ran after them shouting on purpose to make them scared, and usually, Minho would do the same, but instead, he kneeled next to the younger boy and went to help him up off the ground, moving to help pick his things up after. When the two came back, Minho went to start taking his stuff out of his expensive bag and forced Chan to turn around so he could put his things in his bag. Then when he finished, he turned back to Jisung and started putting his things inside, helping him put on the backpack after.
“Here, you can have my bag, okay?” Minho said with a small smile, making sure everything was okay before he zipped the bag up. “And don’t say no. It’s rude to deny gifts from your hyung. Take it.” Chan and Changbin were speechless as they watched Minho - who didn’t even call himself Changbin’s hyung this quick; he was explicitly supposed to call Minho sunbaenim and still did to this day.
“Are you okay? They didn’t hurt you too bad, right?” Chan asked, stepping forward to check Jisung’s elbows and hands, seeing that they were lightly scraped and his elbow was bleeding. “A-ah.. I’m fine. It happens a lot.” Jisung said with a small smile, looking down at his elbow as his eyes teared up again. “Well, it shouldn’t- Let’s go and get you a bandage,” Minho told him, which once again surprised the other two.
They all led the younger out of the alley after making sure he had everything, and it was quiet as they walked, but then suddenly Changbin spoke up. “I heard them talking about you being a rapper.. Do you write?” He asked, and Jisung’s head perked up as he nodded. “I do! I love writing lyrics.” He said with excitement, and suddenly everyone was interested. “Oh really? Me too, and so does Chan.” Changbin said with a smile, nodding over to Chan, who was smiling as well. “Maybe we can write lyrics together someday, yeah?” Chan finished, specifically smiling at Jisung, whose smile just grew.
Minho watched, a small smile on his face as well as he looked at Jisung. This guy.. He was giving the vibes of a little brother.. And he was going to keep an eye on Jisung from now on. His short height, his glasses - he was bully bait, and he didn’t want the younger to get bullied anymore. He was in his thoughts when Chan suddenly nudged him, causing him to look over at the three of them. “What?” He said, raising an eyebrow. “Jisung asked if you rap too,” Chan said.
“Oh. No. I dance, though.” Minho said kindly. “Probably not as cool as rapping, but it’s fun.” Minho let out a small laugh, pulling his hands out of his pocket as they got to a convenience store. “Come on; I’ve got to study, so we have to go fast.” Minho hurried them in, going to buy some plasters and a snack for Jisung, paying for them quickly and then leading him outside first, helping him tend to his elbow scrapes before he gave him the snack.
“Now, go straight home, okay? We’ll see you tomorrow at school.” Minho said, ruffling the hair of the younger before he watched him runoff. Chan and Changbin came out after, their snacks and drinks in hand. “Where’d Jisung go?” Chan asked; Minho shrugged and stuck his hands in his pockets. “Home. Bring my stuff to school tomorrow, okay?” He said with a small smile, turning so he could begin walking home. “Minho- Don’t you need your books to study?” Chan called out, watching as the boy continued to walk.
Their days continued as usual, except now they had an excitable little Jisung under their wings, and things were going well. Despite their age difference, the boys got along well and often hung out together - mainly around the schoolyard or internet cafes.
Everything was fine... All was well until Chan and Changbin paid more attention to Jisung than they did Minho. Minho had always been used to being one with his friends and hadn’t expected them to take more of a liking towards the youngest of their new friend group, and it.. It made him jealous. Jealous of a freshman. But he guessed that since they all had a love for rap music, that’s why they got along so well.
A few after-school rap lyric writing lessons turned into nearly an everyday thing, and Minho wanted to be included but struggled because the way he expressed himself was through the movement of his body, not with rhyming words in a poetic way. He tried to join in a few times, but it usually just ended with him leaving on his own because he was being ignored while the others laughed together.
This jealousy got worse over time, and Minho began to distance himself from the group - eventually finding Hyunjin, who was just as interested in dance as he was. Minho went from being surrounded by rappers to dancing with Hyunjin, thinking up new choreographies and covering songs with the boy by his side.
It had continued like this until Chan was about to graduate, to where he invited Minho. But, of course, Minho still cared for Chan, so he went. He went and even celebrated Chan’s big day with him, but then.. That was it. Chan left for Australia to go to his dream school that would help his dreams in producing music and learning the ways of the industry.
When Chan left.. Changbin did too. Changbin was with Jisung every chance he got, and that left Minho with Hyunjin.. Until Minho graduated, that is, and he went to his university of choice - one in Korea. Close to home. He decided that he would leave his entire high school life behind and start anew with graduation, and he did. He went through university quickly, and eventually, Hyunjin joined him a year later - thankful that he finally had a close friend in the same major. He made a lot of friends, but he never tried to get close.
When Hyunjin and Minho were finally together, it had been a few weeks since a new semester started, and they would practice together whenever they got the chance, and today was one of those days. Just like any other day.. Or so Minho thought.
He and Hyunjin were rehearsing a cover they were doing, their bodies gracefully moving together in perfect sync, and they had just ended a routine practice when Minho noticed someone watching through the window by the door, and when their eyes met, he saw the ones in the window had gone wide. It was like time stopped as they stared at each other.
Minho stopped moving as the music continued to play and continued to keep eye contact with the person at the door, staring until Hyunjin gave him a slight push. “Hyung- what are you doing?” Minho turned to look at Hyunjin, then back at the door, seeing that the eyes were no longer there and had disappeared.
“Nothing, sorry.” Minho shook his head, “Can we take a small break?” Minho asked. Hyunjin nodded and walked away from where they were practicing to go over to have some water and pick up his phone, his smile growing almost automatically after he picked it up. Minho himself just sat on the floor in the middle of the studio and looked at himself in the mirror, tilting his head to the side as he wondered who that could have been.. He seemed so familiar. Somehow he.. Felt familiar.
Minho continued to stare at himself before he dropped his head a little, letting out a small yell that startled Hyunjin before he got up, leaving the studio and making his way straight to the bathrooms that were just a few doors down. He went to the sink when he was in there and looked at himself again, letting out a small huff before he leaned down, wetting his face with a splash of cold water. He pulled back after, grabbing some paper to dry his face as he left the bathroom, bumping into someone on the way out.
“Sorry,” Minho said, his face covered as he continued to walk down the hallways to the studio, where he was with Hyunjin again, tilting his head when he saw another person had joined them. He pushed into the room slowly, hearing Hyunjin’s little giggles as he stood with a slightly shorter boy who was well dressed. “Oh, Minho-hyung. This is Seungmin! He.. he brought us a snack.” Hyunjin said with a smile, showing Minho the containers with the fruit.
“We’re not supposed to bring food or drinks into the studio, Jin,” Minho said as he strolled over to the pair. “But.. thanks.” Hyunjin held up Minho’s favourite drink to him, which caused Minho to tilt his head to the side - how would Seungmin know?
Minho took the drink and sat down next to them as soft music played in the background, and he cracked open the can and took a long sip, sighing at the taste after he was done. “Did you tell him to get this?” Minho asked Hyunjin, who just shook his head. “Nope.” Hyunjin smiled, going to eat a piece of fruit as he looked over at Seungmin with a smile. “Really? Weird. A good-weird, don’t worry.” Minho said with a kind smile, taking another sip. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Changbin said you would.” Minho suddenly stopped his sipping and pulled it away from his mouth to look at Seungmin.
“Changbin? Seo Changbin?” He asked, raising an eyebrow as he set his drink down. Seungmin nodded, smiling. “Yes. He saw you in a picture with Hyunjin on his Instagram.” Seungmin told Minho, who was just sitting there. He was still mad at the fact that Changbin had abandoned him for Jisung, but for some reason, his heartbeat picked up at the thought of being his friend again.
“Ah.. well, tell him I said thanks,” Minho said with a smile, moving to put his drink near the edge before he got up again, beginning to stretch as he did every time before he danced. “He should be here soon. We’re going to be celebrating a friend's birthday.” Seungmin said, his smile growing, and suddenly Minho looked at Hyunjin, blinking a few times as he looked at him. “You said we’d be practicing today?” He said quietly, moving to put his hands on his hips. “I know... But it’s a surprise party, hyung.. I didn’t even know it was going to happen.” Hyunjin pouted. “I have to go shower before we go, so we have to go soon. I’m going to shower at Seungmins instead of the dorm.”
Minho just nodded, giving him a small smile. “I guess I’ll go, too. I have some things to do.” Minho said as he went over to start changing from his loose clothing into his usual acceptable attire, not caring since he was used to Hyunjin. But then he realized Seungmin was there and had his pants halfway down, suddenly standing up. “It’s okay, hyung. He’s not looking,” Hyunjin called out, causing Minho’s cheeks to warm up as he continued to change.
He finished and then stood up, looking at himself to make his hair look decent. The pair on the other side of the room were also packed up when suddenly two others came in laughing. “Ready to go?” A familiar voice said, causing Minho to turn, his eyes locking with Changbin’s, whose eyes then lit up at the sight of him. He suddenly moved towards Minho, trying to hug him, but Minho held his arms out to stop him from coming any closer - not being one for physical touch. “Gosh- I haven’t seen you for a few years, and you won’t even hug me?” Changbin said, letting Minho know how incredibly deep his voice has gotten since high school. It was so raspy, too.
Minho smiled and held out a fist towards Changbin, who brought up a hand to knock his knuckles against Minho’s. Minho turned his head slightly to look past Changbin, looking at the slightly taller boy behind him, turned away towards the mirror with his head down. “Who’s that?” Minho asked, his head tilting to the side. “Ah..” Changbin stepped back, pulling back to clasp a hand on the other's back, pulling him slightly so Minho could see his face.
“Jisung..” Minho breathed out, looking at the younger boy. Hyunjin and Seungmin looked at the two that kept firm eye contact. Minho then recognized the eyes from the window peeper from less than ten minutes ago, and his face softened without realizing. “Hi, Minho-hyung..” Jisung lifted his head, a small smile on his face - the same smile all those years ago, but.. Different. It made Minho feel different this time. “Hi..” He said very softly, staring at Jisung a little longer before Hyunjin cleared his throat.
“Um.. anyway.. I feel kind of gross, so can we go?” Hyunjin asked, tilting his head after putting his hat on. “Yeah, let’s... Hey, hyung, what are you doing later?” Changbin suddenly asked Minho, who bit the inside of his cheek as he thought. “Um.. studying,” Minho answered, shrugging his shoulders. “Just knowing you from my past - I know that isn’t going to happen.. Would you... Like to join us?” Changbin asked, to where Minho thought for a second.
He stood in front of them, his eyes still focusing on Jisung and staring as all those memories came flooding back - Jisung’s laugh, Jisung’s smile - Jisung. “Y-yeah, I’ll come.. But I have to run home.. So text me the address?” Minho said with a smile as he looked over to Hyunjin, who nodded before watching as Minho left the room.
Jisung is all grown up now, and it wouldn’t leave Minho’s mind as he left the dance studio, a palm on his chest as he felt his heartbeat through his palm but also felt it through the loud pounding in his ears - which happened to stay the entire trip home, even when he got into the shower. Once his shower was finished, he found himself putting more effort into his appearance than he usually would, and he was more excited for this than anything he ever went to.. He knew Hyunjin was going to point it out automatically.
As he looked at himself in the mirror, he wondered whether it was too much or not.. Was the leather jacket too distracting?
He let out a sigh before he just went with it - applying light makeup and cologne, making sure everything was just perfect before he sat on his dorm room bed, his hands fidgeting for the first time in a while.. Why was he fidgeting? Was he nervous? About what? So much was rushing through his head when his phone finally went off - the notification sound specifically set for Hyunjin filling the quietness of the room.
‘ Hyung, here’s the address. XXX’
Minho nodded to himself as he got up, grabbing his wallet to stick it in his pocket before he went over to the room of his dorm, making sure to look at himself again in the mirror by the door before he walked out, making his way down and out of the building to catch a bus.
It didn’t take him long to arrive at the address they gave him - it was a house. It looked like whoever lived here was pretty wealthy, primarily because of the large gate around it and the nameplate above it. “Kim..” He tilted his head to the side, looking at the keypad before he looked at his phone again, putting in the code Hyunjin gave him. He put in the code before the gate opened for him, allowing him entry into the property. “Fancy..” He whispered, stepping inside and watching it close before he walked up to the front door, giving a minor knock and then waiting.
Suddenly, Hyunjin appeared in front of him, wearing a cute baby blue colour - the ribbon in his long hair matching. “Hyung! You’re here.” He said with a smile, reaching out to grab Minho’s hand to pull him inside, leaning out the door to look before he closed the door. “I’m so excited.. Come, come see everyone.” Hyunjin said as he retook Minho’s hand, leading him into the house once his shoes were off.
“Minho-hyung!” Changbin said with a soft laugh after - Minho smiled, giving a slight wave to him.. And then a wave to everyone else that said hi and waved to him. He noticed Jisung was staring at him and turned to Hyunjin, only to see him next to Seungmin - his friend from earlier. They were.. Wearing the same shade of blue, which caused him to laugh to himself.
He looked for a spot to sit before he noticed Jisung’s eyes were still on him, so he walked over to sit next to him, turning his head as he smiled at him. “Hi, Jisung,” Minho said as his smile grew, showing off his teeth to the other. “Hi, hyung,” Jisung said, a smile finding its way to his face as he looked down, then suddenly, a voice spoke up.
“Red already?” Hyunjin called out, a smirk on his lips as he looked at the others. The attention was suddenly on them, and Jisung held up a hand, shaking it. “It’s warm in here, is it not?” He asked, letting out a small laugh when Hyunjin rolled his eyes. Minho didn’t realize that his cheeks had tinted red and that Hyunjin was talking about him, but he looked over at Jisung. “Yeah, it’s pretty warm.. Where’s the kitchen? I’d like to get some water if it’s okay.” He said with a smile, and Seungmin nodded, standing up. “Follow me~,” He said with a smile.
Minho noticed the way Hyunjin’s eyes followed Seungmin’s every movement with such a soft smile on his face, but he brushed it off - knowing Hyunjin crushed easily. He followed Seungmin out of the room and to the kitchen, watching as Seungmin got him a cup and poured some water for him from a fancy-looking pitcher. Minho drank some of the water as he looked around, his eyes focusing on Seungmin after a while. “So.. whose birthday is it?” He asked, tilting his head to the side.
“Our friend Felix. He’s great - he should be here soon. With our other friend.. Jeongin, who had the job to keep Felix busy all day.” He said with a small laugh, holding the pitcher out towards Minho, who held his cup, smiling as Seungmin poured him water - bowing slightly to say thank you. “I can’t wait to meet them both.” He said, jumping slightly when he heard Hyunjin let out an excited noise. “They’re coming! Hide!” In a whispered shout, he said so Seungmin, and Minho rushed back into the living room - Mingo getting into a hiding spot that Hyunjin ushered him towards. Seungmin sat on the couch and leaned back against it as he looked up at the TV where baseball was already playing. How did Minho not notice that it was on?
“Honey, we’re home!” A voice called out. Felix and Jeongin had come into the room, only for Felix’s shoulders to slump slightly when he saw that it was just Seungmin on the couch. “Where is everyone?” He pouted, moving to fold his arms over his chest. “Everyone was a bit busy.. So it’ll just be us. Come have a seat.” Seungmin said, patting the couch next to him. Felix blinked a few times before he nodded, moving to sit on the sofa next to Seungmin with his pout still on his face, looking up at the TV.
It was a few seconds before Seungmin cleared his throat - signaling everyone to jump out of their hiding spots, yelling ‘surprise!’ to Felix, whose pout automatically turned into a large grin, standing up himself. “I knew you guys wouldn’t forget.” He said with a laugh as everyone went over to hug him. “Happy birthday, Lix~,” Hyunjin said as he went over to him, hugging him first. “You’re getting so old.” Changbin continued, hugging him as well. Finally, they were all joined in a group hug - except Minho, who stood a few feet away with his hands folded together over his stomach and a slight smile on his face. Once the hug was done, Felix finally noticed him.
“Who’s this?” He asked, turning to step towards Minho. “I’m Lee Minho. A friend of Hyunjin’s… and Changbin, and Jisung.” He said with a nervous laugh. “Well, that makes you a friend of mine. I’m Felix.” He said as he held out a hand for Minho to shake, and he did. “Happy birthday. I’m glad I could spend today with you.. But I didn’t bring anything since it was so last minute.. So I’ll treat you to dinner sometime.” Minho said with a grin, and Felix nodded excitedly. “I’d love that.”
And with that, the group had fun the entire day. There was loud music playing while some friends sat around. A few of the others played games like dancing games on the video game system or karaoke, or they were just dancing for fun along to music that someone had eventually begun playing. Minho was a part of the group on the couches, along with Changbin, Seungmin, and Jeongin. They were quietly conversing while the other three danced to a random song they found on the game - Seungmin watching Hyunjin in awe while Minho.. He watched Jisung in the same way even though he hadn’t realized, but the others had.
Changbin noticed first, a laugh leaving his lips as he watched Minho rest his chin on his hand as he watched the younger - completely smitten with him. Then, he noticed the way Minho would smile whenever Jisung would mess up and whine or whenever he would let out a loud laugh from either a funny move or one of the other boys did or said something funny. Changbin knew Minho had always had something for Jisung - but he always thought of it as a brotherly love.. But now that they were older was it the same way? He wouldn’t dare to ask, considering they had only met again for the first time in years today.
But he knew that something was different in how Minho looked at Jisung, and even though Minho would never admit it, he could feel the way his chest burned in such a good way as he listened to Jisung’s smile or heard Jisung’s cheerful voice. He noticed how his cheeks would warm up every time Jisung looked his way and would always calm himself down by thinking of something else or having a drink, and usually, it worked.
Seungmin noticed as well and had pointed it out to Hyunjin, who then pointed it out to everyone else but secretly - he planned to get them alone together, but would it happen?
It would. Hyunjin was determined.
“It’s getting late now.. Should we all start heading home?” Hyunjin asked the group - getting different replies from ‘no!’, ‘yes please.’, to ‘never!’.. The ‘never’ response came from Felix, who disappeared off into the house, leaving the rest with soft laughter behind them. Seungmin was sitting with them all on the couch, looking around at his friends before Hyunjin nudged his arm, then he looked at Hyunjin and nodded. “Why don’t you all stay the night? I have a few guest rooms, plus my parents won’t be home for a few days.. Business and stuff.” He said with a smile, and the others agreed to stay - but then Seungmin stood up and held out an arm to gesture to the hallway.
“Choose your rooms.” And they all ran off - except Minho, who didn’t plan on staying the night, but he watched with a smile as they all ran off, hearing shouts from down the hallway. Hyunjin looked over at him. “You’re not gonna go find a place to sleep?” He asked Minho, who just shook his head. “I’m not; I only know you, Hyunjin.. Well, Jisung and Changbin, but.. I haven’t spoken to them in a while.” He said with a nervous laugh leaving his lips, his hands coming to rest together in his lap.
“It’s fine.. Seungmin is.. My boyfriend, so he hears about you a lot..” Hyunjin said with a small laugh, looking at Seungmin, who nodded. “I do, and I feel comfortable with you staying the night, so make yourself comfortable. I can let you borrow some clothes for the night as well.” Seungmin said, getting up from his seat to leave the room. Hyunjin watched as he walked away before moving to sit next to Minho, wrapping an arm around his neck loosely. “You better find a room before you’re stuck with the couch.” He teased, and he figured he should look, but then Jisung came back into the living room with his sweater half off and his hat missing.
“Everyone has the rooms.. Changbin and Felix are sharing.. And Jeongin said he would kick me off the bed if I slept with him.” He said with a pout, his hands in his pockets. “Oh. That means you and Minho are left without a place to sleep..” Hyunjin said with a pout, gasping slightly. “Or - you guys can sleep out here together. Seungmin has fancy expensive couches that are super comfortable. I can find some blankets for you.” Hyunjin said before running off, leaving the two together - in complete silence.
Jisung was standing a few feet away but eventually came to sit on the couch next to Minho, the silence still there. Minho cleared his throat before he spoke, turning to look at Jisung, who was staring at the ground in front of him. “How.. how have you been, Jisung?” He asked with a soft voice - which he barely used with anyone else. It was a while as he watched over Jisung’s face, waiting for a reply, and when he got one, he listened. “I’ve been doing good.. I’ve been producing my own music with Changbin.. And Chan, he sends over voice recordings, and we slot them together. I don’t go to university, though, and neither does Bin.. We only know Hyunjin from high school.” He chuckled, looking over at Minho finally.. Who, by the way, looked away as soon as the younger looked his way. His cheeks had gotten red when he realized he had been caught staring, but Jisung just continued to look at him - utterly clueless of the red dust upon Minho’s face.
“Oh? Did you know Hyunjin in high school? He never spoke about you guys with me.” Minho replied, his eyes now wandering around the room. “Yeah.. we wanted to know how you were doing.. But you never wanted to talk to us.” Jisung said, his shoulders slumping at the thought. “But I’m glad to have met you again. It feels different, doesn’t it?” He asked Minho with a smile, moving a little closer to him.
Minho felt his heartbeat speed up when the younger one got closer as he thought, ‘ does he feel the way I do?’ . Jisung moved to throw an arm around Minho’s shoulder, leaning against him slightly. “Cause we’re all grown up now. It’s kinda cool, isn’t it?” He asked with a grin, and Minho felt like hiding in a hole at that. “You don’t have to protect me from bullies anymore because I’m so strong,” Jisung said with a proud smile, lifting his arms to flex his muscles which caused Minho to chuckle.
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say.” He teased - the both of them suddenly looking up when they saw Hyunjin again with Seungmin by his side; some blankets in their arms and also a little wash-up kit for Minho and some clothes for the night. “Here, hyung,” Seungmin said with a grin as he gave the stuff to Minho, who got up with his cheeks still red from the interaction with Jisung, saying a small thank you before he left the room, leaving them both with Jisung.
“Minho sure is red, huh, Ji?” Hyunjin said with a smile, trying to hint to Jisung. “Yeah! I noticed that.. Do you think he’s feeling fevered? Maybe he should go home if he doesn’t feel well.” Jisung said with concern in his tone as he made the beds on the couches for them, making sure Minho had the warmer blanket and the fluffier pillow. “He seems perfectly fine to me; doesn’t it seem like it’s something else?” Hyunjin asked, giving Jisung a slight nudge with a wink. “Something else? Well.. he did have a bit to drink..” Jisung said as he sat down. “Maybe it’s catching up to him now.”
Hyunjin just looked over at Seungmin, who shrugged but was quietly laughing at how oblivious Jisung seemed to be towards Minho’s reactions when he was around or when he did.. literally anything. The pair found it cute and decided that.. maybe Jisung was just meant to realize it on his own. So they let him.
Minho came back in the pajamas that Seungmin gave him, and when he returned, Hyunjin stood up from his seat and went to stand next to Minho, resting a hand on his hip. “You look so cute in those. Doesn’t he?” Hyunjin asked, looking over at Jisung, who was just staring up at Minho with his round eyes wide. He nodded with a smile, watching as Minho’s cheeks turned red again.
Hyunjin smiled and went over to Seungmin’s side to wrap his arm around his waist. “Well, boys, we’re going to sleep. Behave yourself~” Hyunjin said as he pulled Seungmin away from the two, leaving them in the living room together; the lights slightly dimmed.
Minho went over to the spot where Jisung wasn’t sitting and sat himself down, taking off the slippers that were provided for him. “So.. are you tired?” Jisung asked as he looked over at Minho, who shook his head and leaned back against the couch. Jisung hesitated before he stood up and went to sit beside Minho, leaning back next to him. “So, what should we talk about?” He continued, turning his head to look at Minho - who felt himself get flustered because of the closeness. He hadn’t ever felt like this with someone.
“Wait, hyung, can I know about you?” Jisung continued, still staring at Minho like they weren’t mere inches away from each other. “Like what?” Minho asked, voice soft as he moved to pull his pillow to his chest. He couldn’t think of anything right off the top of his head as no one ever really asked about him. “Do you have a girlfriend?” Jisung asked.
Minho just stared ahead blankly, but then a smile crept upon his face, turning to look at Jisung with his smile big enough for the other to see clearly. “I don’t like girls,” Minho said, his smile still on his face. “Oh? Do you.. have a boyfriend, then?” The other voice was quiet and shy. “No, I don’t, actually,” Minho replied, moving to sit so he could face Jisung. “Do you, you know.. Have anyone..?”
Jisung shook his head before he looked down. “No— and it’s funny because you’d think you’d have more options liking both genders.” Minho could feel himself get excited from the younger boy's answer, so he gave his pillow a gentle squeeze. “So, you like boys?” Minho asked, hoping to God that it wasn’t too obvious why he was asking.
Wait.. why was he asking?
Jisung nodded with a small smile, his cheeks heating up. “But I like girls too.” He said with a slight shrug, his hands resting in his lap. It was quiet for a while, and they just sat in the comfort of each other; despite the silence, Minho’s cheeks were still flushed red, and he was trying so hard to calm himself down; thinking about different things, fidgeting with the pillow - but it never worked, and he felt like Jisung noticed, and he was reassured that he did when a hand was lifted to rest against his forehead. “You feel fine.. why are you so red?” He asked Minho, whose eyes just opened a little wider as he coughed a little, panicking as he moved to lie down instead, his pillow now under his head. “Uh, nothing, the alcohol is catching up. It always does this.” Minho said with a mild bout of nervous laughter leaving his lips, turning over as Jisung moved to the other couch.
“Let’s.. try to sleep, hyung.” Jisung said in a soft voice, to which Minho just hummed in response. He just waited and listened, hearing Jisung move around as they fell asleep.
The following day wasn’t exhilarating, and neither were the weeks after. Minho stayed to himself as usual, except instead of going home after practice every single day - he occasionally tagged along on Hyunjin’s plans, which meant meeting Jisung nearly every time.. And being disappointed when he didn’t show up once or twice. Hyunjin noticed, and he found it cute.. But he was also worried for Minho - who was crushing heavily on Jisung, who seemed not to see it at all.
He needed to help Jisung see, and Seungmin - who usually didn’t like to meddle in anything, agreed. So they had a plan, which consisted of getting the two alone.. Once again.
Hyunjin had invited the pair out, along with Seungmin, Changbin, and Felix. Jeongin was working at the place where they were going, so he would be there either way.. And he also made sure to get the group a nice table with a beautiful view.
That.. was a bit difficult, though, so the best Jeongin could do was get them all tables for two.. Only one of them had a nice view, and of course, that’s where Jisung and Minho would be sitting. The plan was going well from the moment the group gathered together; all of them piling into Changbin’s car - which is where the first opportunity came; Minho was pushed to sit in Jisung’s lap, which made his face unbelievably red, and even Jisung was blushing as his arms wrapped around Minho’s waist in the form of a seatbelt. The others in the vehicle were silently cheering together as they shared looks.
Once they arrived at the restaurant, everyone got out and hurried inside to meet Jeongin, who led everyone to their tables a pair at a time. He left Jisung and Minho for last and then led them a little further away from the other two pairs - giving them a seat by the window and had a beautiful view of the Han river - the table was also considered private. “Ah, if I knew we were coming on a date, I would have dressed better.” Minho commented, a little laugh leaving his lips as his ‘poor’ attempt at a joke. “I think you look great, hyung.” Jisung said with a smile on his face, obviously very proud of his compliment. “Oh, you do? Thank you, Sung.” Jisung’s head perked up slightly at the nickname, and his smile even grew.
“Also, you said this was a date?” Jisung asked, and Minho froze, thinking as he looked over. “Well, Seungmin and Hyunjin are dating.. Changbin and Felix.. Aren’t dating but seem like it, so wouldn’t that mean we’re on a date?” Minho said with a soft laugh, turning his head to look out the window. He jumped slightly when he felt a hand against his on the table, so his head turned quickly to look at Jisung, who was smiling shyly at him. “I guess we can be on a date.. A friend date.” Jisung said with a smile, giving Minho’s hand a little squeeze.
‘ How many times am I going to be friend-zoned?’ Minho asked himself, letting out a small sigh as he smiled and pulled his hands away from Jisung’s. The night went normally - the two talking about anything they had their minds on, and when they weren’t talking, they were just sitting quietly together. Once finished, Minho held his hand up when he saw Jeongin and asked for the bill, but it seemed to be paid for already, so the two got up to wait for the others outside who all met them laughing together. Minho was unamused, and Jisung looked like a nervous wreck - the others noticed this automatically. Instead of taking Changbin’s vehicle again, Seungmin, Hyunjin, Jisung, and Minho began to walk back to the dorm.
“So.. how was dinner?” Seungmin asked, breaking the silence. “Go-” “It was fine.” Minho finished, his arms folding over his chest as he walked a bit ahead of everyone. “Just fine. How was the food?” Jisung looked over at the others with a small smile and spoke up before Minho could. “It was great. Pretty fancy for a friend date.” He said with a grin, and Hyunjin’s jaw dropped slightly when he realized that’s what went wrong. He noticed a change in Minho’s body language as they continued to walk; the oldest now had his hands in his pockets, and his head ducked slightly. “Friend date? What is a friend date? Friends don’t just go on dates, Jisung.” Hyunjin said, looking right at Jisung. “Exactly, Jisung, friends don’t go on dates,” Minho said as he turned around, stopping him. “I.. they don’t?” Jisung asked with his head tilted.
“No, they don't, so.. Are you going to put two and two together, or am I going to have to confess formally? You know I don’t like doing stuff like that.” Minho said, standing right in front of Jisung, who was looking at him with a very confused expression on his face. Hyunjin and Seungmin stopped and slowly tried to pass by them, letting them figure out their problem together. “What do you mean to confess? Confess what?” Jisung asked Minho, his head bowing slightly. “Jisung- I.. I can’t.” Minho said with a huff, turning suddenly to walk away from Jisung, but the typical drama wrist grab stopped him.
“Hyung..” Jisung held onto Minho’s wrist and kept him from walking away. He looked over Minho’s face and the way the streetlights lit up his skin so beautifully with its warm, yellowish tones. It made Minho’s skin tone stand out more. “Do.. Do you mean confessing feelings?” Jisung asked, tilting his head to the side as he looked down where he was gently gripping onto the wrist of the other.
Minho was suddenly red, as he always was with Jisung around. “I.. I do, but.. I don’t know why. So.. please, don’t think I’m weird.” He said quietly, licking over his lips as he looked down to their hands. “I don’t, hyung.. It’s not weird.” Jisung reassured him as he moved his hand down to hold onto his hand gently. “I’ve never gotten a confession like this before in my life.. So I’m sorry that I don’t know what to say.” Jisung murmured, and Minho just looked up at him again.
“Do you.. Feel the same way?” Minho asked, and Jisung just stared at him. “I don’t know. I’ve never liked anyone before.. I think I do? You make me smile a lot.. And my tummy feels weird when I see you.” He said with soft laughter, not sure if this was the right thing to be saying. “And I think you look really.. Um.. pretty. Especially when the sun shines on you.” He said with a slightly stammering voice, slowly taking a step as he laced their fingers together. “I don’t know if that’s liking someone, but it feels like it.. Does that sound right, hyung?” Jisung asked in a soft voice, his head still tilted to the side.
Minho looked at Jisung, watching over his face and the way it tinted pink much like his. “I-it sounds like it,” Minho said as his head tilted down slightly, which caused Jisung’s hand to lift to gently tilt his head back so that their eyes could meet. Minho felt so embarrassed right now - he had never been on this side of the chin lift, and he didn’t know how to react.
“Can I try something, hyung?” Jisung asked as he glanced down at Minho’s lips, his eyes slowly lifting so that he could look at Minho’s eyes again. Minho nodded - as it was very clear of his intentions. Jisung hesitated much as he did on the couch at Seungmin’s, but this time, it was out of messing it up - not getting closer.
Their lips pressed together suddenly, and it felt like they were in that position for longer than they actually were. It was like one of those kisses in the movies - the type of kiss that stops time, and the only thing that matters in this world at that very moment is the person you are sharing a kiss with. That’s what both boys felt as Jisung’s hands came to cup Minho’s cheeks as he leaned into the kiss, feeling Minho melt under his hands.
Jisung was sure of how he felt now. It was his first kiss, and his friends always told him that it’s not as memorable as it seems it would be, but Minho made it special. Minho made waiting all these years for a simple kiss worth it - his lips were soft. Unbelievably soft, and now Jisung had regretted not regularly using lip balm, but he hoped to God that Lee Minho would not care as much as he did.
It had only been a second or two before Jisung pulled back to look at Minho, who was completely red - even his ears were red with embarrassment.
“I think I do.” Jisung breathed, looking right at Minho. “I know I do.” He corrected himself, moving to kiss Minho again, which threw the older boy off. He wasn’t expecting to kiss Jisung tonight, and he definitely wasn’t expecting to do it more than once. “You like me?” Minho asked as he began to lean into Jisung’s touch without realizing it, his cheeks gently squishing against his palms.
“I do.”
And with that.. Everything felt right. Minho no longer had to make his noticeable blushing hidden (even though he still did, because you know.. he is Lee Minho after all), and he no longer had to keep his feelings hidden from the one he had them for. Sure, at first, he just thought that this was just a silly little crush and it would end in no time.. but over the days, weeks - months of getting to know Jisung on an entirely new level, had brought Minho to realize that this wasn’t just a crush, and it was so much more than that. So, so much more.
And he was sure it was more than just a crush when he found himself smiling in such a loving way as he woke up to Jisung’s puffy little cheeks and half-opened eyes on a sleepy Saturday morning.