Chapter Text
Minho could see the dust clouds before he saw the car. He calmed the sneer on his lips as his parents ushered him onto the porch of their farm house. The music was the second thing he noticed, loud and bass heavy. He might have actually enjoyed it, if he wasn’t so fucking pissed about this whole situation.
“Wipe that look off your face.” His mother chided softly as a sleek car pulled up to the front of the house. Minho schooled his expression for all of about ten seconds - until the driver’s door opened and the one person Minho dreaded meeting against stepped out.
“Auntie! Uncle!” Han Jisung grinned brightly as he waved. Jisung’s parents and Minho’s parents were extremely close. The only reason Jisung and Minho were not was because after one disastrous summer before either of them were in high school, they did everything in their power to avoid one another. Jisung would make excuses about staying in the city for a summer program for one thing or another, and Minho would purposely go to summer camp the same weeks that the Hans were going to be visiting.
Because of this, Jisung and Minho hadn’t actually been in the same room for nearly ten years. Now, Minho was twenty five and Jisung twenty four. They were adults, and yet seeing the younger man’s heart-shaped grin made Minho’s blood boil.
“Oh Sungie!” Minho’s mother squealed, holding her arms open for a hug. “Look at you! You’ve gotten so big!”
“Auntie, I stopped growing forever ago,” Jisung whined, but by how red his ears were, he was thrilled by the attention. “But you look as amazing as ever.”
“You charmer.” She laughed and stepped back from the hug.
“Hey there champ,” Minho’s father clapped him on the shoulder. Minho felt a spike of rage flare through his body. When was the last time his father used that tone with him? With his own son? “Why don’t we get your things into the guest room and park that nice car of yours outta the sun.”
“Thanks, Uncle,” Jisung grinned as the man ruffled his hair. “I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks!”
“It’s been ages since you’ve stayed for a whole summer,” Mom sighed. “You boys have grown up too fast...”
“Mom...” Minho huffed, his ears warming.
“Minho.” Jisung said, nodding faintly in his direction. He wouldn’t even look the older boy in the eye. Minho wanted to sneer at how dismissive Jisung was being.
“Mm,” Minho just hummed, crossing his arms. He looked out at the front yard and saw some of the animals grazing around. While they had several animals on the farm, there were six in particular that never seemed to stay where they were supposed to. A goose, a rooster, a rabbit, a hog, a barn cat and a horse made up the rogue gang of creatures, and Minho loved them dearly. They always knew how to cheer him up, as if they understood more than the average animal. “Hey!”
He rubbed the back of his head, where his dad just smacked. His dad just grunted and gestured with his head to where his mom was helping Jisung pile bags and suitcases on the packed dirt driveway that led directly up to the house. Minho grumbled and plopped down the steps, grabbing for one of the larger suitcases.
“Ah, careful that one’s heavy-” Jisung’s warning fell on deaf ears as Minho easily lifted it, the size being the reason he struggled with carrying it back up the stairs rather than the weight of it. Minho wasn’t the tallest, but he was far stronger than he looked.
Jisung started to say something else, but Minho was already making his way up the inside stairs. The spare room was directly next to Minho’s, which normally wasn’t an issue seeing how it was a storage room more often than not.
Now, he would have to spend the entire summer with Han Fucking Jisung just one, thin wall away... This was going to be torturous.
“So what kinda shit do you have to do?” Jisung asked as he trailed behind Minho towards the chicken coop. Minho rolled his eyes as he adjusted the basket in his arms.
“Oh, you know,” He said, tone flat. He kept his eyes forward, the chickens started squawking as soon as they saw him approaching. “This and that.”
“You know, your parents aren’t going to let us avoid each other all summer.”
“We can still try,” Minho slipped into the coop’s yard, turning to warn Jisung to close the gate quickly only to find the younger boy already had. “I’m just trying to get through the day.”
“Isn’t it boring? Waking up, doing chores and going back to sleep? When do you have fun? I’m already losing my fucking mind here... I’d off myself if I had to do shit like this every single day.”
“I have lots of fun,” Minho felt his temper spike. “I go dancing with my friends all the time.”
“You dance?” Jisung sounded genuinely interested. Minho wished he had just kept his mouth shut.
“Sometimes.”
Jisung seemed to take the hint as Minho changed the feed in the feeder. The meal in the basket left a puff of dust in the air as he fought off the hens with his foot. He dumped the leftover meal from the last batch in the corner for the hens to pick at if they felt inclined to do so. He knew he would have to change the water soon, but a quick glance told him it wasn’t too bad yet. He had collected the eggs that morning, but he did a quick check just in case.
“Oh! An egg!” Jisung sounded amazed as he picked up a small white circle.
“That’s a fake,” Minho didn’t even have to look up. “We put fakes in so the hens that don’t lay anymore don’t get depressed or try to take other eggs.”
“Chickens can get depressed?” Jisung dropped the fake egg back into place.
“Apparently,” Minho shrugged. “My grandma always did it so we just kept the tradition.”
“Farms are weird,” Jisung held the gate open for Minho, who grit his teeth as he latched it firmly behind him. Jisung tailed him as they headed towards the barn. “Oh shit! One got out!”
“He does whatever he wants to do,” Minho smiled for the first time since Jisung got there as he watched his favorite rooster trot up to him. The rooster made that rumbling sound as his tail feathers bounced behind him. “Hey there, baby.”
Minho knelt and put his arms out. The rooster hopped up and rested his neck over Minho’s shoulder, pecking gently at the boy’s throat. Jisung watched with a half-smile on his lips as Minho’s face lit up.
“He seems cuddly.” Jisung crouched next to them and put his hand out.
“He’s the sweetest-”
Minho was cut off by the rooster pecking Jisung’s hand harshly. Jisung fell back and held his hand against his chest in shock. Minho put the rooster down, who chirped and trotted away as if he hadn’t done anything wrong.
“Are you okay?” Minho asked, reaching out and taking Jisung’s hand without thinking.
“Um, yeah, I think so.” He sounded more shocked than anything. The skin was red, but the rooster hadn’t drawn blood.
“You don’t have to keep following me around,” Minho stood, leaving Jisung on the ground as he brushed his pants off. “It’ll be faster for me to just do it alone.”
“But your parents-”
“Fine,” Minho snapped, his sympathy evaporating. “Just don’t get in my way.”
Jisung huffed but followed behind Minho as he went to the barn. He was only halfway through his daily chore list, and it was already taking way longer than usual. He couldn’t help but think about what Jisung had said, about waking up just to work and go back to sleep again. It never bothered him before - he actually liked the work. It was rewarding in the end, and it kept his mind clear when he started to overthink. Jisung just didn’t understand how to enjoy the simple things in life. Living in the city, he was probably so used to being overwhelmed at all times, the calm of the farm must be torture for him.
“Hold this.” Minho practically shoved a bucket into Jisung’s hands.
“What’s this for?” Jisung asked, taking the bucket.
“What do you think it’s for?” Minho didn’t look at the younger boy as he pulled a stool up to the farm’s singular dairy cow. He reached out and took the bucket back and quickly milked the sow, knowing how antsy she got if he took too long to fill the bucket.
“Does... does it hurt him?” Jisung asked hesitantly. Minho glanced at him from the corner of his eye, raising a single brow at the younger boy.
“Milk from a boy cow would taste pretty fucked up.” He didn’t answer the rest of the question, but smirked at the way Jisung’s face seemed to twist at the correction. The barn was filled with the sound of milk streams hitting the sides of the bucket and various animal sounds and a distinct lack of conversation between the boys.
Minho eventually lost himself in the motions, zoning out from the monotony of the milking. He completely forgot he wasn’t alone until he felt something smack the back of his head a little roughly. He whipped around, preparing to scold Jisung, only to come face to face with a long nose and dark eyes.
“Oh!” Minho’s anger faded. He stood and picked up the bucket, slapping the sow’s flank to shoo her off before turning his attention to the large stallion that had so politely asked for the boy’s attention. “There you are. I’ve been wondering where you wandered off to.”
“Doesn’t he stay in the stables?” Jisung watched Minho pet the horse’s nose with a gentle, fond smile. Minho pressed a soft kiss to the horse’ nose before turning back to the other human, his smile dropping.
“Nah, he also does whatever he wants,” He said, his voice going a little flat. He picked up the bucket of milk before patting the horse lovingly. “I’ll come brush you soon, okay? Stay out of trouble for me.”
“Is it safe for him to just wander around?” Jisung asked, looking at the horse.
“Every time we try to put him up in the stables he manages to escape somehow,” He answered. “No matter what we used to lock the door shut, we always found him out in the fields, his stall still latched shut. Same with our hog... now that I mention him, I haven’t seen him around today at all...”
“Like magic.” Jisung hummed. He reached out to pat the animal on the nose, as Minho had, only to rip his hand back just in time to avoid being nipped at.
“Hey, what’s with the attitude?” Minho scolded gently, bopping the horse lightly. The horse shook his head indignantly and bumped Minho’s elbow before huffing and trotting away from them.
Minho walked back to the house, the bucket of milk in hand. Only one out of three buckets actually made it into the house, while the others were turned into cheese and butter in the other barn. Jisung followed a few steps behind, but he seemed to have learned his lesson and didn’t talk.
His mother thanked them as she took the milk, and Minho resisted the urge to scoff - as if Jisung had done anything.
“Why don’t you boys take a break?” She suggested. “You can go swimming in the lake before dinner!”
“He can if he wants,” Minho said instantly. “I still have stuff to finish.”
“Take a break, baby,” His mom pouted a little. “You always work so hard.”
“I’ll be done soon.” He quickly left, expecting Jisung to stay in the kitchen. It was clear he liked hanging out with Minho’s mom more than with Minho himself, and his mom never hid how much she adored Jisung. He didn’t expect to hear a second set of footprints follow him down the back steps.
He just needed to do a few more things and then-
“Oh my god!” Jisung shouted, dashing ahead of Minho towards something in the grass.
“What are you-” Minho saw Jisung reaching for something and couldn’t help but snort when he realized what had gotten the city boy’s panties in a twist. “Leave them alone,” He called out, making Jisung freeze. “They’re just playing.”
“Playing?” Jisung screeched, scared eyes glued to where a large cat was carrying a small bunny by the scruff of the neck.
“Come here, little one,” Minho hummed, crouching and putting a hand out. The cat didn’t hesitate to go over, purring loudly and letting Minho pet him for a moment before plopping the rabbit down at the boy’s feet. Jisung watched, shocked that the rabbit didn’t instantly dart away now that he was free of the cat’s teeth. “There... my good boy...”
The cat purred louder as he flopped over on his side, curling on the ground and getting grass in his fur. The bunny thumped it’s leg a few times until Minho decided to pay attention to it as well. Minho picked the rabbit up and cuddled it to his chest, whispering softly against its thick brown fur.
“Are they friendly?” Jisung asked, despite watching how cuddly they were with Minho.
“Mm, my babies...” The older boy cooed, not taking his eyes off the animals.
“Can I...?” Jisung reached out to pet the cat only to yelp. This time, the cat’s claws finally drew blood. Jisung held his hand protectively, his brows furrowing in pain as the cat hissed angrily, his fur standing on end as he skidded away from the human.
“Holy shit!” Minho scooped the cat up in one arm, juggling the rabbit in the other. The second he was being held, the cat calmed down and instantly began nuzzling his nose against Minho’s cheek. “I’ve literally never seen him hiss before.”
“What the fuck?” Jisung grumbled, looking torn between being angry and crying.
“Maybe they can smell the city on you,” Minho couldn’t help but grin a little cruelly, which didn’t go unnoticed. “Animals are known to be able to sense weakness.”
Minho stood, carrying the rabbit and cat away from Jisung, who was still sitting on the ground, holding his hand. He didn’t care to notice the hurt expression on Jisung’s face as he left. He wasn’t going to spend the entire summer playing nanny to a boy who made it clear that he absolutely despised everything Minho stood for.
Minho thought maybe he had been too harsh, but when he went to turn back, he felt the cat digging his claws into his shoulder. He yelped a little, his attention now completely on the feline. Jisung watched Minho struggle with the cat from a short distance away, angry tears burning in his eyes.
“Asshole...” Jisung muttered, wiping the blood on his jeans. He was grateful that they were black, as was much of his wardrobe - unlike Minho, who wore surprisingly bright colors to do his chores. “Piece of shit animals and piece of shit Minho-”
He stopped as a large, pure white goose plodded up to him. He froze, having gotten the message that the animals on this farm were not pleased with him. Maybe they really could smell the city on him? The smoke and the smog and the nightlife that clung to his skin like perfume?
It was why his parents shipped him off to this godforsaken farm in the first place - too many nights out partying with his friends and not enough focusing on college, or his family, or his own health. Part of him wanted to be resentful, but after the last ER trip, even Jisung knew he needed a break.
He stared the goose down for a moment, trying to slowly stand without inciting the creature’s vengeance. Unfortunately, he must have moved a little too fast and he suddenly found himself with a faceful of feathers.
“FUCK- SHIT! SHIT- FUCK!” He screamed, swatting wildly in an attempt to save his face. Minho whipped around to see what was causing such a disturbance. He found himself frowning - he had been teasing when he said the animals could smell the city on Jisung, but he genuinely had never seen them act this way before. It was frankly a little concerning.
He whistled long and loud. The goose abruptly dropped to the ground, preening its feathers calmly before waddling away, leaving Jisung panting and completely disheveled - his hair was a disaster and his face was scratched up.
Even Minho couldn’t leave someone looking so... pitiful. He gently placed the animals in his arms on the ground and went over to Jisung. The cat picked the rabbit back up again and scurried away as he reached down and offered the other boy a hand.
“Whaddya want?” Jisung sniffled sadly, smacking the offered hand away.
“Get the fuck up,” Minho huffed, rolling his eyes. “Your face is all scratched to hell.”
“Damn... you really know how to flatter someone.” Jisung stood, completely ignoring the offered hand and standing on his own. He spat out a small, white feather onto the dirt before going to the house alone.
Minho watched him walk away with a scowl. This summer was going to be fucking excruciating, wasn’t it? Jisung had no idea what it took to run a farm and he clearly didn’t care to really learn. He was just pestering Minho with questions for the sake of pestering.
“Huh?” Minho felt something tug on his jeans. Looking down, he saw the goose looking up at him. The goose’s head tilted to the side, as if asking Minho if he was alright. Even though a part of him was still concerned for Jisung, another part was a little proud of the goose. It must have noticed how frustrated Jisung made him and tried to protect him.
“Good boy, taking such good care of me.”
The goose honked loudly before fluffing his feathers and waddling off towards where the horse was grazing peacefully. Minho watched the cat hop up onto the horse's back as the rooster flew to sit next to the cat. Something small rustled in the grass by the horse’s feet, the rabbit hopping forward as if to greet the goose.
A loud chuffing sound warned Minho just in time for the hog to gallop over to the others, instantly laying down in the grass for the rabbit to struggle up onto his back. Minho watched the animals settle in, as if they were hanging out. As if they were friends.
Not for the first time, Minho found himself vaguely jealous of the animals. They seemed so close... It made him wish he had friends too. He may have lied a little to Jisung about going dancing with friends. Occasionally he'd go into the city alone to visit clubs, and even less frequently he’d go back with some pretty boy from the bar, but those connections never lasted past the morning.
But it was fine. Minho was content with his life. He didn’t need friends, and he didn’t need some stupid fucking pretty city boy to ruin his summer.
He straightened his shoulders and made the trek back towards the silo. He needed to refill some of the feed bags for the upcoming week.