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Mingi waits for the last of his students to filter out of the classroom before leaning back in his chair and allowing himself to indulge in the yawn that’s been brewing in his chest for the last half an hour. Yunho normally brings him coffee in the mornings but today he’d been - well, not standing outside of Mingi’s office with an iced Americano. No texts or phone calls either, which had hurt his feelings a little but mostly just worried him. Plus he’d had no fuel to get him through an hour forty-five lecture on the Canterbury Tales, which, while interesting to him personally, had still been tough on three hours of sleep.
He runs his hands over his face, hunched over his desk. His hair is hanging over his eyes in greasy strands and his eyelids are fighting not to droop. The thought of a quick nap at his desk is becoming more enticing by the second, but he’s got to maintain some semblance of professionalism. Slapping his cheeks a little, he huffs out a sigh and starts gathering his papers, tapping them against his desk and trying to stifle another yawn.
Mingi’s always been a jumpy person, but that’s no excuse for the shriek he lets out when the door to the classroom is flung open, and a Yunho-shaped blur comes flying in.
“Oh my god I am so sorry!” Yunho yells, coming to a stop in the middle of the room and dropping his bag to the floor. Mingi’s still trying to shove his heart back down his throat. “Mingi I’m so sorry, I had the worst morning and my phone didn’t charge overnight cause the fucking cord broke, so I couldn’t even call you to tell you I’d be late, and then I realized I forgot to get our coffee and the line was so long but I really wanted you to have the coffee and then I spilled yours all over my car and it was too late to go back and get another one and when I finally got my phone charged a little bit Wooyoung called me and was having a panic attack so I had to talk him down and then I realized I was really late, but I wanted to bring you my coffee at least, even though it’s really sweet but it’s cold now, and I’m really sorry.”
There’s a lot to take in as Yunho stands there panting, holding out a to-go cup, hair sticking up all over the place, glasses falling down his nose. First and foremost, Mingi’s chest feels very warm and tight, eyes roaming over Yunho’s pink ears, and the unbelievably low neckline of the cardigan that’s also falling off his shoulders a little bit. Forcing his brain to work, dammit, Mingi clears his throat and reaches out to take the coffee; if it was ever hot there’s no indication of that now, and he feels a little bad that Yunho hadn’t drank it while it was fresh because sugary drinks make Mingi’s stomach hurt. He knows he should ask some followup questions, see if Wooyoung is doing all right now, but all he can focus on is the way Yunho’s got a thin sheen of sweat on his sternum, and he’s wearing his cardigan like it can stand alone as a shirt, which it cannot. His chest is still heaving and his collarbones are thrown into relief, and now he’s frowning a little more than before, looking very unsure of himself.
“Thanks,” Mingi manages to croak. “I - um, you know - ”
“I’m really sorry,” Yunho says again, biting his bottom lip and taking a step closer. He reaches up to try and pat his hair down, but they both know it’s a lost cause. His hair’s got a lot of damage from last year’s bleach job, and there’s no way it’ll be saved today without any product. He makes a mental note to start storing some in his office.
“Don’t be sorry. I’m sorry you had such a rough morning.” Mingi sets the coffee down and tries to stop staring at Yunho’s chest. “Can I help at all?”
“You’re not gonna drink that, are you?” Yunho asks sadly. Mingi chuckles.
“Probably not, but it was very sweet of you to offer it. Um, Yunho.”
“Yeah?” Yunho asks, pushing his glasses up his nose. Petals blossom in Mingi’s chest.
“You, um. Did you bring, um, anything else to - like, another shirt, or something?”
“No?” Yunho says, frowning. “Why?”
“It’s just - um. Your cardigan, it’s a little - it’s a little revealing. Um.”
Yunho looks down and Mingi is gripped with a warm wave of affection as he lets out a little gasp, hands coming to cover his exposed skin. Yunho’s head whips up, eyes wide with horror.
“Oh my god, I didn’t even realize - ” He lets out a little wail of despair and Mingi chuckles again.
“It’s okay, I have a couple extra shirts in my office. Why don’t we go grab you one and then I can take you for coffee before my next class?”
Yunho sniffles a little, lower lip pooched out in a pout. Mingi smiles and stoops to pick up Yunho’s bag, handing it to him before going back over to his desk and putting the rest of his things in his own bag. He glances up and sees Yunho take a small sip of his cold coffee, face falling when he swallows. Mingi clears his throat, trying to ignore the intense swoop of - something he always feels when he sees Yunho doing tiny shit like that. The urge to protect, maybe. Whatever it is, it makes him want to wrap Yunho up in a blanket and stuff him in his pocket. It’s not dissimilar to the feeling that makes him want to push Yunho up against the nearest surface and kiss him stupid.
“How’s Wooyoung?” Mingi asks as they make their way to his office. Yunho’s trying to position the strap of his bag across his chest, like that will do something to preserve his dignity.
“He’s all right. It was his first day at the new job and Dongju wasn’t home so he didn’t have anyone there to calm him down. He seemed all right when I got off the phone, and I told him I’d call him at lunch to check in. I’m sure he’ll do great.”
Mingi smiles, opening the door to his office and gesturing inside. He’s got one of the bigger offices, with a small-ish couch against the wall opposite his desk, and a mini fridge filled with bottles of water and a couple energy drinks. He sets his bag down on his desk and Yunho flops down on the couch, heaving a sigh. Mingi crouches down, rooting through the bottom drawer of his desk where he’s got a couple t-shirts stocked; one is plain black, and the other’s light blue with a picture of Spongebob on it. The Spongebob shirt would probably put a smile on Yunho’s face but he also likely wants to look at least a little professional, so - black t-shirt it is.
He tosses it over to Yunho, realizing belatedly that he’s got nowhere private to change. The nearest bathroom is a ways down the hall. Mingi pulls the blinds over his one window and turns away from the couch, trying to sound semi-normal when he says “I can turn around, if you’re okay with that. Just let me know when you’re decent.”
“Like you haven’t seen me shirtless before,” Yunho teases, but he sounds a little…something. Mingi tries to tamp down the images that go whizzing through his brain, certain it will be obvious if he starts picturing Yunho naked. And - too late. Great. He knows Yunho’s probably blushing and wonders how far down the pink goes. Dammit. “Okay, I’m decent.”
Too bad, Mingi’s pervert brain mumbles. He turns around to see Yunho buttoning the cardigan back up, this time over the black shirt. It looks really nice together, actually. His hair is a different story. “Do you want some help taming your hair?”
“I wanna be offended but yeah,” Yunho mumbles, somewhat pitifully. Mingi grins, going to the fridge and taking out a water bottle.
“Here. Sit.”
Something about the way Yunho obeys immediately sparks something primal in Mingi’s gut. He blinks with the water bottle in his hand, Yunho looking up at him with a soft, expectant smile on his face. Clearing his throat, Mingi hopes he cheeks aren’t as pink as they feel and cracks open the water bottle, carefully dripping some into his palms. “Glasses off,” He says softly, mostly just to see if Yunho will do what he says again.
“It’s hopeless,” Yunho says, sighing. He sets his glasses next to him on the couch. “I should just shave it all off.”
“Not sure you could pull off the bald look,” Mingi says, grinning. He smooths his damp hands over Yunho’s hair, then pulls his fingers through it, trying to give him a fairly decent side part. It probably won’t hold up all day but he works the frail strands of hair into a much better style than before. Yunho reaches for Mingi’s tie as he works, mindlessly rolling the edges between his fingers. Mingi swallows thickly, stepping back to admire his work.
Yunho slides his glasses back on and looks up, reminiscent of a puppy waiting to be told he’s done a good job. Without thinking, Mingi reaches out to boop him on the nose. Yunho blinks in surprise, then laughs.
“Coffee?” Mingi mumbles, rubbing his hands together to dry them off a little. Yunho nods, getting to his feet.
“Hey Mingi?” He says suddenly. He sounds soft and unsure.
“Yeah?” Mingi says, pretending to be oblivious as turns away and reaches for his bag. His fingers aren’t shaking, they’re not. Yunho doesn’t respond, and Mingi figures he’s pretended to fiddle with his bag long enough. He turns around, breath hitching when he realizes how close Yunho is suddenly standing. “Whoah. Hey.”
“Hey,” Yunho breathes. His voice sounds like candy. Mingi swallows as Yunho’s thin fingers grab ahold of his tie again. He wonders if his heartbeat is audible. “Do you maybe wanna get dinner tonight?”
“Um,” Mingi says, blinking rapidly. “Yeah, I - sure. Sure.”
“I mean, like…um. Like. Like, dinner.” Yunho’s smile is shy but coy, in a way only he could ever manage. “Like. Dinner.”
“Ohh, so you wanna go to dinner?” Mingi teases, which is so much easier than letting himself melt into whatever puddle his brain and his heart want him to. “Like, dinner?”
“Yeah,” Yunho says, grinning. “Like, dinner.”
“Dinner sounds good,” Mingi responds, sliding his tie from between Yunho’s fingers.
There’s something about the way Yunho’s smiling at him that sends an influx of static pouring into Mingi’s brain, stopping him from focusing on anything but the way Yunho’s lower lip looks sort of chapped, like he’s been biting it a lot or maybe just not drinking enough water. He’s close enough that he thinks he might be able to count Yunho’s eyelashes and is about to do so when Yunho lets out a soft little laugh and steps backwards, Mingi’s tie falling from his hands.
“Let’s go get that coffee,” Yunho says softly, and his voice sings with promise.
⭒✭⭒
After dinner they’re standing outside Mingi’s apartment, both nervously shuffling their feet. Mingi’s had his key in his hand for at least two minutes, tapping his fingertip against the metal and trying to stop biting his lip.
“Okay, I’m just gonna kiss you now,” Yunho suddenly blurts, somehow both firm and hesitant. “Cool?”
Very cool, is what Mingi tries to say, but his breath or his voice or a small amphibian is caught in his throat. Yunho grins and steps closer, grabbing Mingi’s tie for the third time today. It’s actually not that often Mingi wears ties but he thinks he might make a habit of it now, if it means Yunho using it to tug him closer and bring their lips together.
Oh, he thinks when Yunho kisses him. Oh.
It’s soft and short and Yunho’s lips taste like the glass of wine he’d had at dinner. It’s dry wine which Mingi doesn’t really care for, but on Yunho’s lips it’s fucking delectable. Yunho pulls back after a few seconds, resting his forehead against Mingi’s. He’s smiling.
“How was that?”
“Yeah,” Mingi says stupidly. “Yeah.”
Yunho laughs and his grip tightens on Mingi’s tie. He pulls it again, harder this time, and it sends a sharp thrill down Mingi’s spine. He makes a mental note to explore that later.
They kiss for a few moments, Yunho finally parting his lips to let Mingi slide his tongue between them, and he finds himself gripping Yunho’s hips as if to keep him tethered where he stands, because Mingi’s pretty sure that kissing Yunho is so wonderful he could just float away right now, drifting off like some balloon a kid accidentally let go of at a carnival. He pushes that stupid thought from his mind as Yunho lets out a soft moan, backing Mingi against the door and scraping his teeth along his bottom lip.
“Oh god,” Mingi mumbles, breaking the kiss. Yunho looks at him, clearly very amused. “We should, um. Either say good night or go inside. I don’t really wanna…cause a scene. Not that you have to come inside!” He adds hastily, as a wicked grin spreads across Yunho’s face. “You’re welcome to go home, I just - yeah.”
“I’d love to come in,” Yunho says, lifting a brow. “If that’s all right with you.”
“Very,” Mingi says, and this time he really does fumble as he tries to unlock the door. It’s a bit harder with Yunho pressed to his back, arms wrapped around his waist as he presses soft kisses to the back of Mingi’s neck.
“Hey,” Mingi says suddenly, once they’re inside and Yunho’s got him pressed against the door again. “Did - did you wear that cardigan on purpose?”
Yunho pauses with his fingers hooked in Mingi’s belt loops, eyes wide like he’s shocked Mingi would even ask. Then he laughs, throwing his head back. Mingi grins like a moron. Yunho chuckles some more, head falling forward to press against Mingi’s again.
“Oh Mingi,” He says softly. “You’re so cute.”