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“I know it’s last minute,” Seokmin starts from where he’s standing in the doorway, his expression sheepish when Mingyu looks, “but you might wanna get outta here for the weekend.”
Mingyu just raises an eyebrow in response.
“I’m sorry the timing’s shit, but he only just got back to me. Well, he only just got back into town today too.” Seokmin rubs the back of his neck as he sort of grimaces and Mingyu can’t blame him. If Seokmin is talking about who Mingyu thinks he’s talking about, the erratic schedule makes sense. But instead of calling him out on it or anything, Mingyu instead just thinks on it.
“How bad is it gonna be?”
Seokmin winces before he manages to shrug.
“Your noise canceling headphones will probably not be enough tonight.” And though Seokmin is looking sheepish and like he wants the ground to swallow him whole, Mingyu can’t stop himself - he laughs. Seokmin joins in soon after and they both sort of end up in hysterics, taking their dear sweet time to calm down.
When he can finally hear himself think and breathe without wheezing, Mingyu manages to recall Jihoon’s schedule. He’s sure that his expression looks a little pitiful, but Seokmin doesn’t seem to react to it either way.
“Ji flies outta town tomorrow, in the afternoon I think. I can try and crash at his tonight and give you the place until then?”
Like the over enthusiastic man he is, Seokmin practically cheers, launching himself at Mingyu where the younger man lies on his bed. Mingyu finds himself tangled in a mess of limbs that is his clingy best friend, a litany of you’re the best and I love you and I owe you one swirling around his head as Seokmin dramatically (and foolishly, even if it is sweet) presses kisses to Mingyu’s cheeks and nose and forehead.
“Lemme call him,” Mingyu just grumbles, finally managing to free himself from the barnacle known as Lee Seokmin.
“Of course, I’ll leave you to it.” And with that, Seokmin actually leaves. It’s a little out of character, Mingyu has to say as he pats around his blankets, hunting for his phone. But even if it is slightly out of character, it makes sense: Seokmin feels bad enough about the whole thing that he’s not going to even try to pry or anything.
Mingyu can only hope that Jihoon can at least house him for the night.
The phone rings for long enough that Mingyu isn’t sure that he’s going to get an answer, before a clearly confused and even worried Jihoon answers.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, sorry for the cold call.”
Jihoon just hums him off, some shouting sounding from the background. “You’re fine. You know I’m at practice, so whatever it is must be important. What’s up?” Jihoon knows him so well that Mingyu feels his heart squeeze with fondness.
“Seok just got news one of his, um, friends,” he decides to go with, “can come over tonight and to spare my sweet and innocent heart, he said that I should prolly get outta here.”
Jihoon laughs at Mingyu’s silly words, and Mingyu feels his smile widen to the point that it almost hurts. His boyfriend is just too cute.
“Are you looking to come over then?”
“I know it’s last minute, but if I can?”
Jihoon huffs out an amused noise and Mingyu knows that he’s shaking his head. “I mean, Coach wants to do some extra work with special teams especially, so I dunno when I’m gonna get outta here.” Jihoon sounds disappointed that he can’t help more and Mingyu’s fondness simply grows.
“Do you have a hide-a-key?”
“Never got around to making one.”
Well shit, Mingyu thinks to himself desperately trying to get his brain to come up with a new solution, before a rather simple one occurs to him. “I can just go to Junnie’s and wait there.”
The noise of discontent that Jihoon lets out immediately tells him that that won’t work. “Jun’s outta town, remember? They’re doing reduced hours ‘cuz of it.”
“Shit,” Mingyu mumbles aloud this time, Jihoon humming in agreement. There are a few more shouts from Jihoon’s end that cues Mingyu in on the fact that their conversation’s about to be over, and he resigns himself to the sad reality that is figuring out what he can do to give Seokmin the privacy he deserves.
“Hey actually, why don’t you just swing by the rink?”
Mingyu’s thoughts grind to a halt. “What?”
“Yeah. Assuming Seok doesn’t need the car or he can give you a ride, come and swing by. I’ll give you my keys and you can hang out at mine, finish that book you left on my coffee table.” The last few words are teasing and sweet, and Mingyu once again is reminded that he wouldn’t trade this for the world.
“Will they really let me do that?”
“Yeah, of course. The other guys’ partners show up randomly sometimes to drop something off or pick something up, y’know. I dunno why you couldn’t too.”
It really does something for Mingyu to be put on the same level as the partners of Jihoon’s teammates. Objectively they haven’t been dating for all that long, but to be considered equal to these guys’ wives makes his heart surge in his chest.
“If you’re sure,” Mingyu mumbles, his embarrassment oversaturated and raw, and Jihoon is immediately humming back once more.
“Babe, I’m sure,” Jihoon says with sincerity that it has Mingyu’s cheeks burning in a moment, “but I gotta go. I won't have my phone on me so just come to the rink, I’ll give everybody a heads up.”
“Oh, okay.”
“I promise it’s fine,” Jihoon teases even as he reassures him. “I really gotta go though.”
“Thank you.”
Jihoon’s laugh is soft and sweet, even as the yelling behind him picks up.
“Of course baby.” There are whoops behind him that make Mingyu’s cheeks burn even hotter. “Bye, Gyu. I’ll see you soon.”
“See yah.” And with that, Jihoon hangs up and Mingyu is left to stew with his new found anxiety.
But hey, at least he won’t have to hear Seokmin have a wild time.
“Seok!” Mingyu yells, Seokmin immediately popping into the doorway with a hopeful expression even though Mingyu can tell that he’s waiting for the rejection.
“Yes?”
“I can go to Ji’s-”
Seokmin immediately cuts him off with a cheer and launches himself at Mingyu. Even as Seokmin keeps saying thank you over and over again, Mingyu somehow manages to get a few inches of space as he holds Seokmin back by the chest.
“My only rule is keep the sacred places sacred.”
Immediately, Seokmin is saluting him.
“Yessir.”
“And please make sure that you clean up after yourself, yeah? Nothing sticky please.”
Seokmin laughs this time, and Mingyu shakes his head. There’s a reason those rules are in place. Sacred places are sacred places, after all, and Mingyu would rather not have them desecrated, thank you very much. At least, not again.
🏒
Pulling up to the rink, Mingyu still finds himself a little unsteady. Seokmin had been great in hyping him up, even despite how his phone wouldn’t stop vibrating, but Seokmin is no longer with him.
But Jihoon said it’ll be fine. Mingyu just has to trust him on that.
Killing the engine and getting out of the car takes more out of him than he cares to admit. Walking to the door is even worse, and then crossing the threshold makes him want to scream in some odd sort of way that he doesn’t care to dissect.
Two women are in the lobby when he enters, and both of them smile at him politely even as they seemingly size him up.
“Hi, um, I’m here for Jihoon? Jihoon Lee?” The women blink once or twice as one of them squints slightly. When Mingyu finally feels like he’s going to burst from holding his breath, one of the women’s eyes widen as she begins to smile.
“Ohh,” she starts, looking back at the other woman conspicuously before she turns back to Mingyu, “you must be Mingyu!”
The other woman finally seems to be in on the joke, leaving Mingyu alone on the island of the confused. Neither of them care to explain it though, instead just smiling at him and clearly letting their guards down.
“Do you know how to get to the rink, sweetie?” The second woman asks and Mingyu only manages to shake his head. She remains smiling as she tells him which halls to go through and what doors he’s looking for, even adding a few landmarks.
“And hey,” the first woman starts as Mingyu starts to leave, ”if you get lost just tell anyone you’re Mingyu and they’ll help you.”
Mingyu feels himself burn crimson. “Thank you so much.”
They both wave him off but Mingyu can’t do the same to his embarrassment, trying but failing to get himself under control. The closer he draws towards the rink, the more nervous he becomes. Each sound of a whistle makes his heart beat in double time but he soldiers on, eventually finding and opening the door that leads him into the rink.
It’s definitely colder in here, Mingyu notices immediately, appreciating the feeling on his burning cheeks. But, what he’s even more thankful for, is that it seems like some of the guys are on a break right now, sitting on the bench and talking as they watch the plays on the ice. And on the end of the bench closest to him, to Mingyu’s sheer relief, is Jihoon. Somehow Mingyu manages to not trip on the stairs as he makes his way to the players’ bench, tapping on the glass and smiling when Jihoon turns at the noise.
“Oh shit,” Jihoon says as he jumps before he ends up laughing softly. The guy on the bench next to him notices this and starts to throw playful elbows, which Jihoon pointedly ignores. “When we’re done with this I’ll go grab ‘em, they’re in the locker room.”
“Can I just sit and wait?”
Jihoon shrugs, his head snapping back towards the ice as his benchmates start to stand. He stands too, looking back at Mingyu before he shrugs once more. “I don’t see why not.”
And then Jihoon and his benchmates are gone, and Mingyu takes the permission at face value.
If you were to ask Mingyu, he'd have to tell you that being able to watch a closed practice like this, especially during playoffs, is surreal. He manages to snap a picture or two and shoot them off to Seokmin, laughing softly to himself at his best friend’s jealous reactions. Watching practice is extremely cool though, Mingyu would admit to anyone who cared to ask. The players are a lot looser here, even if they are serious during drills, stopping and talking through so many different facets of the game that it has Mingyu feeling like he’s getting insider information.
Eventually, their coach does call an end to the drill and a water break, and Jihoon skates up to him immediately. His coach turns to look and Mingyu, not knowing what else to do, offers him a wave.
The man just laughs.
“Everybody, take five,” he starts, heads swiveling towards him immediately, “Jihoon’s gotta take care’a somethin’.” He finishes off with a wink and Mingyu can see from all the way in the stands how red Jihoon’s ears go almost instantly. The rest of the team seems interested even if they’re still a little confused, until someone points to him in the stands. Suddenly, Mingyu finds himself the center of attention for almost an entire NHL team. Somehow he finds a way to wave, at all of them, sure that his cheeks are bright red.
He and Jihoon flustered make quite the pair.
Jihoon just shakes his head before he disappears down the tunnel, leaving Mingyu more confused where he stands. Should he follow Jihoon or just wait, he’s not sure. But then the door into the stands opens behind him, and a man with a kind yet amused smile waves him up.
“Here, lemme show you where the locker rooms are.”
Now Mingyu has no idea who this man is or how he even knows that’s where Mingyu’s trying to go, but he appreciates it so much that he asks no questions. The man is kind in their small talk as they walk, leading him through the maze of halls before they finally end up in front of a locker room door.
“Thank you,” Mingyu says before the man waves him off, disappearing off into the halls before he can even get the door open.
Walking inside the locker room is a little insane. He’s seen this locker room in a few behind the scenes videos but it’s stranger in person. In a good way of course, with his favorite player’s names on display and their personal items tucked into their cubbies. Jihoon’s towards the end of a row, offering Mingyu a smile when they finally meet eyes.
“Cool, huh?” Jihoon teases, his smile knowing and cocky already.
“Insanely.”
Jihoon laughs at his one word answer, shaking his head as he digs through his duffle bag. “You’re a dork, you know that?”
Mingyu hums instead of actually answering, saddling up behind his boyfriend as best as he can. The amused glance he earns himself is worth it, especially when Jihoon tosses an elbow at him.
“You’re in your favorite team’s locker room, and yet you’re sticking to me like glue?”
“Of course!”
“Boring.” And though Jihoon is still in his helmet, Mingyu can’t help but to grin even bigger when he sees the older man’s ears burn red. The tell is far too obvious, and if you were to ask him, far too cute.
“Would you rather I fawn over your teammates then?”
Jihoon’s nose scrunches up in clear distaste and Mingyu can’t help himself - he simply has to kiss Jihoon’s cheek. He gets batted for it but he can tell how secretly pleased Jihoon is, finally unearthing his keys from his bag before he’s working on separating the tangled rings. It’s not the first time that Mingyu’s been distracted by Jihoon’s hands, thin and strong and delicate and pretty, but still he practically studies their movements. Their strength and their dexterity allow them to achieve things that Mingyu’s own longer but thicker fingers can’t, especially not when he’s trying to use them on himself. He’s lost on this train of thought when Jihoon snorts, calling his attention back to his face.
Even with the sort of silly helmet, Jihoon still manages to look sexy as hell. He has a few pieces of his sweaty bangs framing his face, curling around his cheeks in stark contrast with his slightly flushed yet forever pale skin. He’s smirking too, the devil, looking up at Mingyu from underneath his lashes.
And sure, Mingyu knows that he’s almost a foot taller than his boyfriend barefoot and skates don’t add that much height, but he can’t help but to feel that he’s incredibly small under Jihoon’s gaze.
They stay like that for a long moment, the tension growing between them like a soap bubble until it finally bursts. Jihoon shakes his head and his smirk loses his edge, his hand extended with his apartment keys resting in his palm.
“I don’t think I’ll be up for anything tonight,” Jihoon says apologetically, and Mingyu will be having none of that.
“Why do you sound guilty about it? You’re coming off of an insane practice, I wouldn’t really expect you to wanna do much more besides crash.” Mingyu slips the keys from Jihoon’s palm, dragging his fingers over the sensitive skin before he’s scooping it up, pressing a kiss to Jihoon’s knuckles. When he sees Jihoon’s soft smile, he knows he’s done his job. “Do you plan on eating here?”
“Probably. Coach will probably wanna talk strategy or somethin’,” Jihoon says with a heavy breath and Mingyu feels his heart pinch at how tired the other man seems. But Jihoon will work himself to the bone if it means that it’ll help his team’s performance, so there’s no question that he’s not going to give it all.
Mingyu just sort of wishes that during playoffs they all had a little bit more time to rest and recover.
“Call me if you’re too tired to drive home, okay? I’ll come pick you up.”
Jihoon smiles once more, soft and intimate in a way that he’s only just started to do with Mingyu, and Mingyu feels so choked up with softness that he thinks he might puke rainbows.
“Thanks.”
They look at each other for a few more moments before Jihoon sighs again, looking behind him before he turns back with another sigh.
“I should go.”
“Okay,” Mingyu agrees, but before Jihoon can move he sweeps down and presses another kiss to Jihoon’s cheek. He can’t bite back his smile as Jihoon flushes red and huffs, more embarrassed than he would be if Mingyu had kissed him forthright.
It’s so cute that Mingyu could yell.
“Enjoy the rest of your practice,” he says softly, returning Jihoon’s soft look with one of his own.
“See you soon.”
And with one last squeeze to Mingyu’s arm, Jihoon’s disappearing down the hallway and the tunnel once more. The childish ooo’s that greet him just make Mingyu laugh.
🏒
Jihoon’s apartment is a bit messy when Mingyu arrives. It’s nothing terrible, but there are things like dirty dishes on his counter and a few dirty clothes here and there and just general clutter that Mingyu knows Jihoon hates slowly creeping encroaching on his space.
And sure, he and Jihoon haven’t been dating for as long as it would usually take for Mingyu to clean someone else’s place, but hey. If anyone deserves the help right now, it’s Jihoon.
Besides, Mingyu likes cleaning.
The dishes aren’t terrible, Mingyu finds, pawing through Jihoon’s cabinets with only a hair of guilt in order to figure out where he puts his wooden spoons. He has the dishwasher unloaded without any real dramatics, and he loads it with a little more hesitation. Mingyu makes sure that he checks and double checks that things are dishwasher safe before he’s loading them in and hand washes everything that he isn’t fully sure about. Then he notices that the counters could use a good wipe and he does that, and without fully realizing it Mingyu ends up scrubbing Jihoon’s kitchen for him.
Mingyu sort of laughs when he realizes what he’s done, a little exacerbated and embarrassed by himself. But he still has gas in the tank, and he figures Jihoon would appreciate at least a little more help. Gathering Jihoon’s stray dirty clothes is easy, and while he would love to start a load of laundry for him, he feels like he’s somehow not familiar enough with Jihoon to do that.
Sure, he’s extremely familiar with all things that include Jihoon’s naked body and a bed. But he doesn’t know if the man sorts his darks and lights, so he figures just tossing them into the hamper is help enough.
The rest of the clutter is even easier to clean and Mingyu finds a bit of pride flagging in his chest when he looks to see a clean apartment. He can only just hope that Jihoon doesn’t think he overstepped a line.
And now that he’s panicking about that, Mingyu turns his attention to ordering himself food. Just in case Jihoon feels violated or anything of the likes by Mingyu cleaning his apartment, he’d rather not dig through his fridge and make it worse.
The food comes and Mingyu eats it easily, curling up on the couch with the book that Jihoon had been teasing him about and delving into it. He gets so engrossed that he almost completely misses his phone vibrating incessantly, fumbling for it once he realizes it. Jihoon’s calling him, which makes his heart drop, answering the phone on what he’s sure is the last few rings.
“You okay?” He asks immediately and Jihoon just laughs. Based on the acoustics he’s in his car, and a quick glance at the clock makes Mingyu wince at the time. Practice went late.
“Yeah, good. You just have my key fob, so I can’t really get in without you.”
Oh. Right. The tension leaks out of him like air from a punctured tire, whistling as it goes in a way that feels like it’s both too slow and too fast to make sense.
“I can meet you in the lobby. Did you eat?”
This time Jihoon hums softly, and Mingyu can tell by the change of sounds and the rustling that Jihoon started driving. “Yeah, I ate. I think you were right earlier, I think I just gotta crash once I get back.”
Mingyu hums. Sometimes, it makes him proud to know Jihoon like this, despite how their time together has been objectively rather short. “Did you already shower then?”
“Why? Are you looking to join me?” Jihoon teases and Mingyu feels himself flush immediately. But Jihoon doesn’t leave him hanging, thankfully, and Mingyu manages to breathe again. “Yeah, I already showered at the rink. I figured once I was home I would pretty much beeline to bed.”
“Yeah, you probably should.”
This time Jihoon just hums back, the steady clicking of his blinker joining the soft chorus of noise behind him. He doesn’t know why this makes him feel like he’s floating, feel like his heart could burst out into song at any moment, but Mingyu doesn’t exactly mind. Being wrapped up in soft feelings is always how he’s preferred to be.
“I’ll be there in like five,” Jihoon says, and now his voice is low, gentle. It’s a voice that belongs next to a fireplace in a snowstorm, curled together not out of necessity but out of fondness, love even, sharing stories and warm drinks over soothing and steady words.
Once more Mingyu hums, but even to his own ears the sound is sedated. It really is late. “Do you want me to stay on the line?”
And though Jihoon laughs, Mingyu can tell that he’s grossly fond even despite his embarrassment of being found out. “Do you mind?”
“How could I?” The words are out of his mouth before he can think about them, but now that they’re gone he wouldn’t take them back. Would he have preferred he hadn’t shown his cards so transparently and had kept it a little less honest and bare? Yes. But Mingyu also knows that there’s no way that Jihoon doesn’t know how deep Mingyu is in all of this.
Though he half expected Jihoon to laugh it off fondly or take the cockier side of things and tease Mingyu within an inch of his life, the older man surprises Mingyu by just humming softly. Mingyu wishes he could see Jihoon's face to try and understand just what the sound means, but instead he’s forced to take a guess if he really wants to know.
“Thanks,” Jihoon eventually mumbles, and Mingyu figures that’s answer enough.
“Do you wanna talk about anything or do you just want company?”
“Tell me about Seokmin and his friend?” Jihoon asks softly and Mingyu has no choice but to comply.
“They’ve been like, an on again off again bootycall since we were in college. They both dated other people too, but when they were both single at once they’d meet up.”
Jihoon makes a soft noise that almost gets lost in the sound of a horn blaring a little far off. “So they’ve been at this for a while then.”
“Yeah,” Mingyu easily agrees, matching his voice with Jihoon’s so that he’s speaking just as softly. “When we were in an apartment in college, he’d text us with just this guy’s name and we’d all vacate for the night.”
Jihoon laughs, the sound muted but no less happy, and Mingyu finds it easy to smile. “So they’ve always been a bit much?”
Mingyu hums easily in response. They both fall quiet then, the sounds of Jihoon’s drive the only thing that Mingyu can easily hear through the line. Though when Mingyu hears Jihoon yawn, he figures that he should keep talking even if it only slightly helps keep Jihoon alert.
“I just sorta hate their whole thing,” he almost whispers into the line, Jihoon immediately making a curious sound. His blinker is back on but he sounds stopped. Mingyu can only wonder where he is.
“What’s so bad about it?”
“The after. The after is always the worst.” He’s sure that Jihoon picks up the sadness in his voice, his tone gentle as he responds.
“Does it affect Seokmin a lot?”
“Yeah. Seok will be in a sunshiny mood for a few days after,” he starts, picking at the lint on his shirt for something to do, “but once that fades he ends up in such a hole that it hurts.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Mingyu breathes, debating how much further he wants to take the conversation. But then again he can’t really talk to Seokmin about this, so it’s worth it to be able to talk about it with his boyfriend. He shuffles a bit on the couch, making himself more comfortable.
“Is the guy an asshole or something? Or is Seokmin in love with him?”
“Neither really,” Mingyu sighs. His heart hurts at the thought of his best friend hurting, which makes him grow more quiet with his sadness. The little noise that Jihoon makes means he catches on to it, but Mingyu decides to just carry on. “Seokie is one of those people who like, loves being in love. Loves being cared for, too. And when this guy comes around, he gets a taste of it, y’know. They’re so familiar with each other that it’s easy for him to feel like that, and then he basically gets ghosted after. It’s clockwork.”
Jihoon’s humming again, this time it sounds more contemplative than not. “Would he wanna be with someone then?”
“I mean, probably yeah.”
The sounds of the city dampen around Jihoon’s car, cuing Mingyu in on the fact that he’s most likely pulled into the garage. “And he’s into guys?”
“Mostly. A girl here and there, but yeah, guys. Why? Do you know someone?”
Jihoon laughs over the sound of his car beeping, clearly backing into a spot. “I just might. But I’m in the garage-”
“I’m on my way,” Mingyu says and he means it, already stuffing his shoes onto his feet and snagging Jihoon’s keys off of their hook. Jihoon just laughs at him softly and Mingyu feels his heart lift even despite their previous conversation. “Should I meet you in the garage?”
“The garage lobby is good.”
Mingyu smiles to himself, excited to be able to see his boyfriend, to be able to cuddle him close.
“See you soon, Mingoo.”
Mingyu feels his cheeks flush as his heart surges. “Okay, Jihoonie.”
Jihoon just laughs at him again. “I’m hanging up now.” And before he can even think of a response, his phone beeps at him and signals that the line is dead. Leave it to Jihoon to be blunt, Mingyu thinks fondly as he shakes his head. He feels like his inside are a mess of melted honey even as he walks through the building until he’s in the garage lobby door. Spotting Jihoon makes him actually giddy, and though he’s a bit exasperated by his own delight, he still half trots to the lobby. Jihoon looks up when he hears the door open and he offers Mingyu a subdued smile that has him ready to yell.
Instead he just wraps Jihoon up in a hug, ignoring the older man’s huffing as he just curls closer.
“Dork,” Jihoon says, but the word gets lost in the fabric of Mingyu’s shirt and the muscles of his chest as Jihoon presses himself closer.
Admittedly Mingyu doesn’t know how long they stand there like that, basking in each other’s hold. Jihoon must still be exhausted from practice though, and when he yawns heavily Mingyu figures it’s bedtime. They separate with only a faint bit of hesitation before Mingyu steals Jihoon’s bag from his shoulder, slinging it onto his own and holding out a hand. Jihoon huffs and rolls his eyes, theatrical yet fond, and Mingyu could cheer when Jihoon links their hands and tangles their fingers.
Together they make their way to Jihoon’s apartment, quiet together but still grateful for the company. Jihoon looks soft and sedated, his eyes droopy and blinks long and slow. Thankfully he remains awake enough not to stumble on their way, even if his steps are slow.
“C’mon,” Mingyu starts, unlocking Jihoon’s apartment door, “let's get you to bed.”
Jihoon follows him inside without protest, locking the door and kicking off his shoes before he freezes. Suddenly Mingyu is forced to remember that he cleaned Jihoon’s entire apartment.
Right. This then.
“Did you clean my apartment?” Jihoon asks, his voice still clearly exhausted even if he’s genuinely confused.
Mingyu feels his cheeks heat as he rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah?”
“Why?”
Mingyu cringes at the question, but then Jihoon is rubbing his knuckles and he feels like he can breathe again. Jihoon still seems simply curious. Curiosity he can handle.
“You’ve been so busy and I know when things get messy they bug you,” he starts despite how small he feels. “So I figured I’d help you out. You let me come by so last minute anyways.”
“Gyu,” Jihoon says, soft and sure. When he squeezes Mingyu’s hand, the rest of the anxiety that had been looming inside of him dissipates, clouds chased away by the burning sun. “I let you come by because I wanted to, not because of some like transactional thing or whatever.” His brows pinch as if his lack of eloquence is an actual thorn in his side, the annoyed huff that leaves him next confirming that thought even further. “What I mean is you didn’t have to.”
“But I wanted to.”
Jihoon just blinks at him. “Really?”
“Of course. Seok says I have homemaker syndrome,” he continues when Jihoon doesn’t seem to believe him, making him burst out with laughter.
“So you do this often?”
Mingyu shrugs, sure that the blush burning his skin is lobster shell red. “Not usually this early.”
And Jihoon, for all that it’s worth, seems taken aback by those words. But not in a terrible way, no, but like he’s mystified. His expression is soft and gentle and so very awed that Mingyu feels his heart dance in double time. Jihoon doesn’t respond verbally, but when Mingyu finds himself wrapped up in a hug, he doesn’t really mind. But Mingyu remembers how tired Jihoon seems and he curls around him a little more, resting his head on Jihoon’s and stirring up his still damp hair with his breaths.
“Should we get you to bed?”
Jihoon doesn’t respond at first, just holding onto Mingyu a little tighter.
“Can we hang out?” Jihoon asks and his voice is tiny as if he’s not only embarrassed by the question, but he’s also feeling terribly shy. It only endears him to Mingyu more.
“‘Course. Wanna watch something dumb?”
“Anything in particular?”
Mingyu tries to shrug even as he continues to hold Jihoon. “Food Network?”
“Bet.”
Eventually they break apart, Mingyu gently pushing Jihoon toward the couch before he opens the duffle and empties it, running the sweaty clothes to the hamper. When he comes back into the living room, he snorts at what he sees. Jihoon has put on Food Network already, and he’s sitting on the chaise end of his couch with his knees tucked to his chest and mindlessly scrolling on his phone as he waits. It’s so beyond cute that Mingyu doesn’t know what to do with himself, so he simply walks up behind his boyfriend and drapes his arms around him, pressing a kiss into the crown of his head. And though Mingyu expects Jihoon to throw him off, all Jihoon does is just hum.
“Are you planning on watching from back there?” Jihoon eventually teases after they’ve been watching long enough for two commercial breaks to have passed and for Mingyu’s back to have start hurting.
“Would you prefer I come sit with you?”
“I know you would.” And there’s the cocky edge that Jihoon loves to pull out whenever he can. It’s gotten softer though, the way that Jihoon himself has become softer with him. His confidence has never dissipated, how could it, but it’s as if as Jihoon settles into the relationship, into Mingyu, he settles into himself too. He still has claws, sure, he just seems to keep them sheathed around Mingyu now.
Mingyu circles the couch and flops down next to Jihoon, falling on the couch hard enough to make Jihoon bounce. It earns him some unimpressed side-eye, but it’s not very difficult for Mingyu to see the fondness lurking right beneath the surface. Besides, the hectic movement made Jihoon just slide closer to where Mingyu settled on the couch. Jihoon rolls his eyes as he stretches a leg out on the chaise, his other tucked underneath him, moving so that he can rest more of his weight against Mingyu’s side. Mingyu tosses his own feet onto the chaise and sinks into the cushions behind him, his shifting making Jihoon lean even further into his chest.
The chefs on TV are chirping each other, and Mingyu can’t help but to jostle Jihoon. When Jihoon raises an eyebrow in response, Mingyu knows that his grin is shit eating. “Does this remind you of anyone?”
Jihoon blinks at him for a few moments before he seemingly puts it together, smacking Mingyu in the chest as he huffs. But, much to Mingyu’s delight, he doesn’t move to look back at his phone. Instead he drops the device onto his chest and wiggles until he’s at least half on top of Mingyu, not stopping until he can rest his head against Mingyu’s neck and jaw. Mingyu just moves the arm he had around Jihoon’s shoulders to his waist, splaying his hand out on Jihoon’s stomach and rubbing circles there.
When Jihoon sighs happily, Mingyu feels as if he could soar.
They stay wrapped in with each other as the show slowly draws to a conclusion, Jihoon half asleep against Mingyu’s side. Mingyu takes the opportunity to run his fingers through Jihoon’s hair, erupting with a warm and sticky fondness when Jihoon makes a soft and happy noise. He has no choice but to act upon his sappy ass feelings and instantly he has his lips pressed firmly into Jihoon’s temple, happy to remain there until his dying day. But Jihoon grows tired of the hold as the next episode starts, and with slow and sleepy motions he taps at Mingyu’s chest.
“We should go to bed,” he half mumbles, and Mingyu simply hums against his head but doesn’t bother to move. “C’mon Gyu.”
“Do we really have to move?”
Jihoon snorts softly as he shakes his head, slowly and surely peeling himself off of Mingyu and freeing himself from the younger man’s hold. Once he’s free Jihoon ends up yawning, stretching enough for a few joints to pop. When Mingyu yawns immediately after, he figures that Jihoon is right: it really is time for bed.
Sleepy Jihoon is cute, with his slow blinks and heavy eyes and a slump in his shoulders that rarely appears. It’s honestly dangerous because Mingyu finds it so hard to look away that he ends up tripping on his feet and almost face planting into the coffee table.
Jihoon, the bastard, laughs.
But he also tangles his fingers with Mingyu’s own and leads him to the bathroom with a gentleness that admittedly Mingyu hadn’t expected. It takes a lot of energy for people to be able to be so soft sometimes, soft and vulnerable, and Jihoon looks about ready to collapse.
Mingyu’s heart is singing; he wonders how well Jihoon’s can hear it.
Together they brush their teeth in the bathroom, the domesticity of it making Mingyu further lose his mind. It’s a little much, even for him, how much that he already feels for Jihoon. Okay, it’s more than just a little much, but Mingyu can’t think of it beyond that scope unless he wants to be telling Jihoon that he loves him after maybe a month.
But then Jihoon smiles at him, toothpaste foam staining the corners of his mouth, and Mingyu feels like his stabilizers have suddenly kicked back in. He no longer feels unsteady and lost in the sea of his emotions, instead like he’s been anchored securely with the few elbows Jihoon playfully tosses his way.
They spit and finish up one after another, and without a word they encroach on each other’s personal space as they make their way to Jihoon’s bedroom. Jihoon pauses in the doorway again, looking over the lack of clothes on his floor most likely, before he’s turning to Mingyu with a soft smile, surprise glinting in the back of his eyes.
“Here too?”
Mingyu feels his cheeks heat as he nods, but he doesn’t have too much time to feel embarrassed before Jihoon’s pulling him into a kiss. The shock fades almost instantly and Mingyu melts into the feeling, settling his hands on Jihoon’s waist and rubbing his thumbs over the jut of his ribs. Despite the length of their kiss it remains rather chaste, Jihoon moving slowly but thoroughly as if he were trying to ease Mingyu apart as opposed to shattering him.
When they inevitably separate, Mingyu knows that he’s wearing a dopey smile even as he breathes heavily. “Hi.”
Jihoon snorts. “Dork.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
And though Jihoon shakes his head, the fond smile that he wears is as clear as day.
“Get ready for bed,” Jihoon grumbles, smacking at Mingyu’s arm as he pads over to his dresser in the corner. Mingyu takes a detour to the walk-in closet, sifting through the clothes he has tucked on the top shelf. (They’re mostly just pants. Usually Mingyu wouldn’t have a stash at someone’s place so early on, but he seems to be doing a lot of things early with Jihoon. And, well, there’s no real easy way for them to share pants. Having a few extra pairs stashed away is for the better.) Jihoon can’t really reach the shelf all that easily, leaving it mostly bare out of convenience, so Mingyu claimed it without much of a fuss. However when Jihoon realized that Mingyu had made himself a little space, he jumped Mingyu’s bones almost immediately. It was a sweet sentiment, even despite how much Jihoon teased him that night. It was definitely worth it though.
Mingyu tosses his shirt into a hamper and trades his sweatpants for a classic pair of blue plaid pajama pants, folding his sweats up and placing them onto the shelf with the rest of his things. He has half the mind to take his shirt out of Jihoon’s hamper and give it the same treatment, before he remembers the one simply fact: Jihoon fucking loves to steal his shirts. Mingyu figures he should let him have this one without a fuss.
When he walks back into the bedroom Jihoon’s already changed, the hem of his boxers peeking out from under his massive t-shirt. He looks up when Mingyu comes in and offers him a smile that has Mingyu’s heart fluttering. It seems like it’ll never regain its prior normal heartbeat at this rate, but Mingyu can’t say that he minds.
“Should I get the lights?” Mingyu asks softly, offering Jihoon a simple smile when the other man nods. As Mingyu goes and does that, Jihoon leaves his phone plugged in and on his bedside table before he curls up under the covers. It’s another sight that Mingyu can only describe as overwhelmingly cute, but he doesn’t voice it. He’d rather keep his balls attached, thank you very much.
The room is swathed in darkness, some of the light of the city seeping through the curtains and allowing Mingyu to see well enough that he doesn’t eat shit as he makes his way to the bed. His own phone is plugged in after a few tries and misses and he sets it on the bedside table next to Jihoon’s, pulling back the covers and smiling at the sleepy expression he can just barely see on Jihoon’s face. Mingyu barely has the chance to lay down before Jihoon is on him, worming his way close and wriggling until he ends up in a position that he happily settles into.
Jihoon has his head curled in the crook of Mingyu’s shoulder, his hair spreading so much that it tickles Mingyu’s neck every time Jihoon moves; and with his head being primarily resting against Mingyu’s chest, it moves with every breath Mingyu takes. There’s an arm pressing against Mingyu’s ribs, one that Jihoon is seemingly curling around, while the other is gently draped over Mingyu’s stomach. Jihoon’s fingers tap out a soft beat onto Mingyu’s sternum, and they press in a little harder when Mingyu wraps his arm around Jihoon’s shoulders. But Mingyu needs to run his hands through Jihoon’s hair out of some sort of adoring desperation, and once he’s squeezed Jihoon’s shoulder his hand is moving, his fingers slowly and steadily moving through Jihoon’s hair. The happy hum that he receives in response to his movements has Mingyu feeling like he could fly.
Mingyu is half asleep, happily rubbing circles into any part of Jihoon that he can reach, when Jihoon’s soft yet guilty voice yanks him back into the present.
“Sorry we’re not doing anything tonight.”
And though he has an inkling as to what Jihoon’s referring too, Mingyu figures it’s best not to assume. He keeps his voice gentle though, hoping that he can keep Jihoon from spiraling any further. “What do you mean?”
Jihoon sighs, his breath dancing across Mingyu’s chest and leaving goosebumps in its wake. Reverent fingers trace the area, and Mingyu is fully convinced he knows what’s wrong. “Just like, you know…” Jihoon trails off, staying quiet for long enough that Mingyu has half the mind to think he’s asleep. “Your best friend is off getting railed-”
“Railing,” Mingyu interrupts before he can stop himself, sure that his cheeks are fire truck red as he internally cringes.
“What?”
In for a penny, Mingyu thinks. “He’s off railing, not getting railed-”
Jihoon lifts his hand up, and somehow despite how Mingyu knows he can’t see him, he manages to cover Mingyu's mouth perfectly.
“Please tell me nothing more.”
“Sorry,” Mingyu says cheekily into Jihoon’s palm, pressing a wet kiss there before Jihoon can pull it back. He doesn’t need to see Jihoon’s face to know he’s cringing, wiping Mingyu’s spit onto his own chest immediately. Mingyu just laughs softly, pressing a kiss into the crown of Jihoon’s head.
“I just,” Jihoon sighs again and Mingyu pulls him a little closer, “I’m sorry that I’m too tired to do anything.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Mingyu responds easily, running his fingers through Jihoon’s hair again. “I’m just happy to be here with you, babe.”
“Really?” Jihoon sounds so unsure that Mingyu can only wonder what he’s been through to leave such a mark like that. But he figures it’s worth it to leave it be, and instead he pulls Jihoon against him even tighter.
“I promise.”
Jihoon presses a kiss to Mingyu’s chest before he settles back down, and together, wrapped up in each other, they fall asleep.
🏒
Like a fool, Mingyu forgot he was in contacts last night. Meaning Morning Mingyu is suffering. His eyes are dry and they hurt and they feel crusty as sin.
But morning Mingyu woke up to Jihoon still curled up next to him. He’ll take a little pain if it means that.
Jihoon is a slow waker. Mingyu watches with a smile on his face even despite how uncomfortable his eyes are as Jihoon’s brows knit and his nose scrunches before his features smooth once more. Gently Mingyu runs his hands through Jihoon’s hair again, watching with a smile as Jihoon presses even closer to him.
“Babe,” Mingyu whispers, pressing a kiss to Jihoon’s forehead when all he gets is a sleepy noise in response. “You gotta get up if you wanna eat before you gotta go.” This time Jihoon’s whole face scrunches before it smooths again, a long and heavy breath escaping him and making Mingyu laugh.
Even despite Mingyu’s constant bugging, Jihoon doesn’t end up much more awake than he was when Mingyu started trying to wake him up. But Mingyu’s eyes are really burning now, and he can practically feel the shriveled edges of his contacts scratching the whites of his eyes. Even despite the fact that Mingyu has missed Jihoon a little desperately and the way that they’re wrapped around each other is helping to ease that sting, he absolutely has to take his contacts out.
Mingyu presses one last kiss to the crown of Jihoon’s head before he’s finally moving to stand. Jihoon grumbles loudly as Mingyu frees himself from his hold, and Mingyu laughs immediately at the sound. Mingyu blames it on the sound of his laughter and the fact that Jihoon has been left alone in bed, but Jihoon does manage to blink his hazy eyes open. Jihoon’s brows pinch as he blinks at him, looking back at the empty bed before he looks at Mingyu once more.
“W’re you goin’?” Jihoon mumbles and Mingyu feels his smile widen.
“Gotta get my contacts out.”
Jihoon blinks slowly, even as his eyes widen a touch. “You slept in ‘em?”
“Unfortunately.”
Jihoon waves him away with that and Mingyu complies, not even bothering to stay and tease for the sake of his poor sad eyes. Taking his contacts out makes his eyes hurt even worse, a terrible sign really, and Mingyu tosses the lenses in the trash before he realizes his mistake: he doesn’t have his glasses on him.
Blindly Mingyu is forced to try and search for his bag with his glasses case, squinting and stumbling around Jihoon’s apartment with very little luck. It’s probably five minutes of searching before he finally gives up, sighing heavily as he walks back into the bedroom. He thinks he sees Jihoon roll over and look at him, but he can’t really tell.
He really just wishes he could see Jihoon’s expression but, well, he’s currently stuck in the land of the visually impaired.
“Hey, can you help me find my bag?”
Jihoon makes a soft noise, and Mingyu sort of watches as he sits up. “I’m guessing your glasses are in them?”
“Is it that obvious?”
Jihoon snorts, moving his hands to seemingly rub at his face before they fall into his lap again. “I mean, you’re squinting at me and not checking me out.” Mingyu feels his face heat. “And I figured you wouldn’t put another pair of contacts in when your eyes are really bothering you,” Jihoon finishes as he finally stands, stumbling slightly as he walks towards Mingyu. He presses a kiss into Mingyu’s cheek and pats his bare chest as he passes him, wandering out into the living area to join the hunt for Mingyu’s glasses.
After Jihoon’s successfully found them and put them on Mingyu’s face, Mingyu kisses the other man within an inch of his life. And if his glasses poke at them a little, neither of them care. Not about that or even their morning breath, far too wrapped up in each other to worry about such trivial things.
It’s exactly how Mingyu wants to be.
🏒
“Y’know,” Jihoon starts when he’s in between bites of pancake, Mingyu glancing at him for a moment before his focus is back on the omlet in his pan, “some of the guys wanna change the WAG acronym.”
Mingyu feels his brows furrow on their own accord. “Hmm?”
“Do you know what a WAG is?”
“Wives and girlfriends?” Mingyu asks, glancing at Jihoon from over his glasses. It’s a habit that he’s picked up from Lord only knows where because he can’t even really see the person he’s talking to when he does it. He thinks he sees Jihoon nod as he continues eating.
“Yeah, exactly.”
They’re both quiet for a little bit as Mingyu finishes up the omlet in his pan, and once it’s on a plate he slides it in front of Jihoon. Before he can take his hand back Jihoon grabs it and gives it a squeeze, chewing a few more times before he smiles at Mingyu softly. “Thanks.”
Mingyu shrugs, squeezing Jihoon’s hand back. “Of course.”
“So,” Jihoon says after he frees Mingyu’s hand and starts to go to town on his omelet, Mingyu already working on making another for himself.
“So?”
“About WAGs,” Jihoon starts again, taking another bite and chewing before he continues, “well, you’re sorta a WAG. You’re at least in the same category, for sure.”
Mingyu feels his cheeks heat even as he manages a smirk. To be put into the same category as those guys’ wives or their longtime girlfriends, well. It’s a bit overwhelming, if he’s honest, but in the best way. It’s almost surreal to be considered someone so important to Jihoon so soon. Reassuring too.
“Sure, I’ll take that.”
Jihoon blushes and Mingyu has to physically bite back his tongue to stop himself from calling the other man cute.
“What do they wanna change it to?”
Though Jihoon keeps a straight face, Mingyu can see the mirth dancing behind his eyes. “WAP.”
“You’re kidding.”
As he shakes his head, Jihoon breaks out into a smile. “Deadass. Wives and partners. WAPs.”
They both burst out laughing, Mingyu ending up wheezing as he presses a hand against his chest. “Ohmygod, I’m a fuckin’ WAP,” Mingyu chokes through a laugh, and they both lose it fully once more. It takes until Mingyu smells his second omelet beginning to burn for him to pull himself together, rescuing his eggs before he’s turning off the burner and moving to sit next to Jihoon. Once he’s settled next to him and Jihoon’s laced their hands together, having opposite dominant hands is truly a blessing, Jihoon continues with their conversation.
“They were saying that it’s not just ‘cuz of you.” Jihoon’s voice is calm and soothing, as if he’s expecting Mingyu to panic on him. When Mingyu only blinks at him curiously, some of the tension drains from his shoulders. “Some of the guys are engaged, and others have been together for long enough that they call their partners, well, partners.”
Suddenly, Mingyu understands what Jihoon’s getting at. “I’m not worried about being the only boyfriend if you’re not worried about having the only boyfriend.”
Jihoon’s relief is clear in his hopeful smile. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. Besides,” Mingyu starts, his tone turning into a teasing one asa he squeezes Jihoon’s hand, “I know you’d beat up anybody who’d ever try to give us shit about it.”
When Jihoon bursts out laughing once again, Mingyu swears that the kitchen feels bathed in a glowing golden light. He’s not sure he’s ever been anywhere so soft and sure and comforting, and to be able to be there with Jihoon is a dream he didn’t even know he had come true.
🏒
“Do you want help picking out a suit?” Mingyu asks from where he’s losing on Jihoon’s bed, sure that he’s watching Jihoon with what Seokmin loves to call his devastating top of the line puppy dog eyes. When Jihoon looks at him, he just shakes his head fondly.
“If you really want to.”
Mingyu feels himself grin even wider as Jihoon snorts.
“I mean, I was planning on bringing a more boring one since I need like, four of them.” Jihoon rolls his eyes when he sees Mingyu pouting. “What is it?”
Mingyu reaches out, somehow managing to catch Jihoon’s hips with his fingers and tug him closer. Jihoon, of course, comes willingly.
“You have so many fun suits,” Mingyu says with a pout, ignoring how his lisp is slightly more pronounced, “but you don’t tend to wear them.”
Jihoon snorts again, stepping closer and running his fingers through Mingyu’s hair and smiling fondly when Mingyu presses into the touch. “I pull them out at fancy occasions.”
“It’s the playoffs!” Mingyu whines, Jihoon laughing immediately. “What’s more fancy than that?”
“You’re cute when you whine.”
Mingyu feels himself flush instantly. “Not an answer, asshole.”
Jihoon just shrugs, squeezing the back of Mingyu’s neck before he’s padding into his closet. There’s some rustling there as Mingyu decides to flop on his back and fully flatten himself on the bed, digging out his phone from wherever it was hiding and opening up his texts with Seokmin.
The Loml
Hey, Jihoon leaves soon
When is it safe for me to come back?
To your room? In like an hour or two with headphones
The living room? Probably after i deep clean it lol
… Are the sacred areas still sacred
We did not have sex i’m the kitchen i ✨promise✨
Fine
Will you make sure my headphones are charged?
Yeah, I’ll go and plug em in now
You’re not busy?
Between rounds ;)
And that is enough of that, thank you, Mingyu thinks as he groans and tosses his phone away from him. Jihoon makes a curious sound from the closet, eventually peeking his head out to look at Mingyu.
“You okay?”
“Yeah,” he placates easily, tossing his arm over his eyes. “Seok is just a menace.” There’s a hand in Mingyu’s hair again, gentle as nails scratch at his scalp.
“I’m sorry I’m leaving.” Jihoon sounds genuinely sad and upset and Mingyu instantly uncovers his eyes, looking up at Jihoon and cringing to see his expression taking on a guilty edge.
“Hey, babe, don’t be. You’ve done more than enough for me this weekend. I promise,” he tacks on when Jihoon just doesn’t seem to believe him.
“I just wish I could do more, y’know?”
Mingyu shakes his head. “Sure, I get it, but trust me when I say I really enjoyed last night and this morning. I don’t care that we didn’t have sex and I don’t mind that you have to leave. I mean, I’d love it if we could spend more time together, but we got together during the worst time of the year for you. I’m well aware that there are other things at work here besides just us.”
Jihoon’s expression does something funny, changing expressions and emotions so much that Mingyu feels like he’s watching a flip book on a study of feelings. It’s clear that Mingyu’s have done more than intended, but eventually Jihoon seemingly gets a hold of himself, reaching down to cup Mingyu’s cheeks before he’s Spider-Man kissing him.
And Mingyu? He could melt.
When Jihoon inevitably pulls back, he’s wearing a rueful smile. He keeps his face above Mingyu’s even as he moves his hands, squeezing Mingyu’s ribs and drumming his fingers against Mingyu’s heating skin. “I really wish I had time to get you off.”
Mingyu chokes, and Jihoon, the asshole, laughs at him.
“You don’t?”
Jihoon shakes his head, squeezing Mingyu’s pecks and laughing once more when he jumps. “No, I don’t think so. I gotta pack and get to the airport in like an hour.”
“And you’d wanna fuck me after.” Mingyu watches as Jihoon just blinks at him. “That’s why you don’t have time, right? ‘Cuz after you finish you’d wanna fuck me.”
After one more blink, Jihoon bursts out into laughter again. He shakes his head and his hair scatters in a way that has Mingyu itching with the need to write sonnets for this man, to profess his love and attraction in the sappiest and loudest way possible.
He ignores the itch the same way that he ignores that he mentally used the L word without a second thought; not easily, but enough to get the job done.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Jihoon says softly before he’s Spider-Man kissing Mingyu again, smiling into the kiss when Mingyu begins to writhe from Jihoon’s wandering hands. Eventually Mingyu manages to get a hand against Jihoon’s chest and push him away, leveling his best stink eye at the man above him.
“Stop trying to work me up if you’re not gonna finish the job,” he half whines, and though Jihoon puffs out a humored breath of air, he does move his hands back to Mingyu’s face. Jihoon rubs his thumbs over Mingyu’s cheeks and offers him a soft smile, leaning back in to kiss Mingyu a few more times, but far more chaste than before.
“Sorry, baby,” Jihoon whispers into his lips, leaving one last kiss there before he’s patting Mingyu’s flank and pulling away completely. “I really do need to pack though.” The regret is clear in his voice, as is the fondness that he somehow can’t even pretend to hide in Mingyu’s presence. Mingyu preens at that thought, rolling onto his stomach and propping himself up by the elbows so that he can look at Jihoon better.
“Then go pack, silly.” And after one last kiss, Jihoon does just that.
🏒
Jihoon in a suit is something that has Mingyu’s mouth watering more than he’d care to admit. But he doesn’t have too long to enjoy it before he’s gathering his own things, meeting Jihoon at the door.
“Lemme help with your bags,” Mingyu insists before he’s grabbing a suitcase, shooting Jihoon a smile when the older man huffs in exasperation.
“I won’t stop you,” Jihoon teases back, holding his door open for Mingyu to leave his apartment. He follows closely behind and locks the door, stuffing his keys into his pocket and allowing Mingyu to thread their fingers together.
Once more, Mingyu’s heart feels as if it’s about to burst.
Together they make their way to the garage, quiet and a little sad that their bubble is about to burst. At least Mingyu is, but the way that Jihoon is rubbing a thumb over his knuckles speaks volumes - you just have to be able to understand them.
“Lemme drive you to your car,” Jihoon says without a debate, settling his bags into his car before he moves to start it. Mingyu gets in wordlessly, offering Jihoon a quiet thanks as he does. The radio plays a soft backing as Jihoon drives, pulling in next to Mingyu’s car with an ease that makes Mingyu feel steady once again. Sure, Jihoon knows which car is his, but it feels like a lot more than just that.
“You’ll let me know when you land?” Mingyu asks softly over the center console, feeling his lips tick up when he sees Jihoon’s soft and intimate smile reflected back at him.
“Always do.”
Mingyu reaches over and squeezes the back of Jihoon’s neck, tugging him close enough so that he can press a kiss into the crown of his head.
“I’ll call you tonight, too.”
“Yeah?” Mingyu whispers into Jihoon’s hair, a little choked up at the thought of Jihoon missing him so soon.
“You can update me on whatever happens with Seok.”
This time Mingyu hums, squeezing the back of Jihoon’s neck once more as a hand curls around his bicep. “Or I can talk to you after the game tomorrow so that way you’re not preoccupied or anything.”
“Yeah?” It’s Jihoon’s turn to sound small, and Mingyu hums in response. He finally pulls away, offering Jihoon a smile as he tucks a piece of hair behind Jihoon’s ear.
“I mean, I always watch your games so-”
Mingyu doesn’t have the chance to finish his thought before Jihoon is kissing him within an inch of his life. And as all goodbyes go, Mingyu has to say that this is one of the best he’s ever had.
