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If there’s anything Mingi loves more than dance, it’s Jeong Yunho. His best friend since 1st grade. The light of his life, if you will. Seriously, Yunho and him have been through thick and thin, from intense drama within their friend group to Mingi almost dying (Yunho’s words, he wasn’t actually on the verge of death) after a skateboard stunt, and finding out they were both into guys. They were also each other’s first kiss, though it was awkward and clumsy, teeth hitting teeth and giggles shared between them. With that said, Mingi and Yunho tell each other everything, and know virtually everything about each other.
Well, actually, Yunho doesn’t know one little thing about Mingi, and that is that Mingi has had a huge ass crush on him for a good few years. But! That’s neither here nor there, and Mingi would rather die than Yunho find that out.
So besides that, there are little to no boundaries between them because that’s just how they have always been.
Which is why Mingi is thrumming with excitement as he yanks his carry-on over his shoulder. He’s been abroad in America for almost a year, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in an American dance program where the best of the best go, funded by his college.
He was extremely hesitant to leave Yunho and their friends in Korea, because one, he had never gone anywhere by himself despite him being a firm 21 years old, and two, he was never away from Yunho. But his friends, Yunho and Seonghwa especially, urged him to go. It was a rare opportunity and he’d be an idiot to let it go to waste, so he went.
“Young man, is there any way you can grab my bag from overhead? I’m far too short,” an old woman questions, bringing Mingi out of his thoughts.
“Oh, yes, of course.” With ease, he locates the woman’s bag and drags it from the little cubby, gently placing it in her arms. “Here you go, ma’am.”
“Thank you so much,” she smiles before scurrying off with the rest of the passengers, Mingi right behind her.
When he makes it out of the walkway attached to the plane, he’s greeted by a very busy airport. He frantically eyes the large, crowded area for his tall, puppy-like best friend. It takes him a few moments, brushing past people with quick sorry’s, and almost tripping over a toddler to finally spot the big “Welcome Home, Mingki!” sign held against Yunho’s chest.
And god, did Yunho get hotter within a year. Of course, they have FaceTimed over the duration of his stay in America, but Mingi realizes that the camera of Yunho’s MacBook didn’t do him justice. He looks the same, yet more mature, more put together. His hair is now brown instead of the vivid blue it was when Mingi left and his jaw is a bit more defined.
Mingi drops his carry-on and leaves his suitcase by itself when he gets within 10 feet of Yunho, his long legs take him toward Yunho quickly and before he knows it, he’s hopping into Yunho’s arms, his legs wrapped around his waist. Yunho supports him with one arm, the other holding the sign still. Mingi tries to ignore how incredibly hot he finds it that he can hold Mingi and all of his 6’0 glory up with one arm.
“Yu!”
“Min!” Yunho laughs, spinning them around. Mingi hides his face as well as he can in Yunho’s neck. He smells of the cologne he’s been using for the past six years. He smells like home. Mingi almost melts in his arms.
“Fuck, I’ve missed you,” Mingi huffs into his neck before he pulls away to look at Yunho who’s already looking at him with that charming smile of his.
“I’ve missed you too, Min,” Yunho says. He reaches up, brushing a strand of Mingi’s messy hair out of his face.
Mingi’s bags are briefly forgotten, and so are the multitude of people bustling around them hurrying to get to their own loved ones and spend the summer with them. All that matters is Yunho and Mingi. Mingi and Yunho. How it’s always been.
Until someone clears their throat, gaining Mingi’s attention and shattering their little moment. Next to them stands a pretty boy, smaller than both him and Yunho. He’s looking at the two of them, his arms crossed and his lips pressed together. He looks miffed. Mingi has no clue who this dude is.
Mingi raises an eyebrow. “May we help you?”
“Oh… Mingi,” Yunho says in a defeated tone. Mingi looks at Yunho whose ears are red at the tips. Something’s not right here. Mingi slides out of Yunho’s arms and turns to face the other man.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Daehyun, Yunho’s boyfriend.”
Boyfriend. His best friend’s boyfriend. Yunho’s boyfriend. Mingi’s hands are suddenly clammy, his mind running rampant like from that one SpongeBob episode where the little SpongeBob’s were scrambling around SpongeBob’s head and everything was on fire. Mingi blinks.
He slowly turns to Yunho. “Boyfriend? Since when?” Yunho had never mentioned anything about a new boyfriend. They tell each other everything… or so Mingi thought.
“3 months,” Daehyun answers. Which pisses Mingi off because he asked Yunho, not the fucking elf man.
“Right.”
Mingi can feel the pressure of tears building behind his eyes so all he does is nod. He turns around to grab his abandoned bag and suitcase. Suddenly, he feels the need to get the fuck out of here.
“Congratulations!” He says, despite the lump in his throat, as he walks back up to them, the tears successfully contained, and the smallest of all smiles on his face. Daehyun graciously accepts it, a wide grin on his lips as he begins to cuddle up to Yunho who’s looking at Mingi like a deer caught in headlights. Serves him right. How can one not tell their best friend of 15 years about a new lover? Especially Yunho?
“Mingi I-“
“Can you drop me off at Wooyoung’s? The jet lag is killing me and I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
The plan for Mingi’s arrival was originally for him to spend the night at Yunho’s because the apartment that he is moving into won’t be ready for another couple of days even though all of his stuff has been shipped there. And the next day they were going to go to Seonghwa and Hongjoong’s apartment in celebration of Mingi being back, but Mingi doesn’t think he can be anywhere near Yunho right now if he’s being honest.
Mingi doesn’t wait for a response, instead, he leads the way out of the airport in silence, his heart broken into a million pieces.
——
The door to Wooyoung’s apartment swings open, a wide smile on Wooyoung’s face until he takes in the glassiness of Mingi’s eyes and the slump to his shoulders. He also notes the lack of Yunho by his side, which is also something that worries him, not even the fact that he’s here and not at Yunho’s, as planned.
“Mingki? Hey… come on in,” Wooyoung opens the door wider so that Mingi and his luggage can fit through. He takes both his bag and suitcase and sets it to the side while Mingi slips off his jacket and shoes. Wooyoung fixes him with worried eyes. “Where’s Yunho?”
Mingi takes it upon himself to crumple down onto Wooyoung’s couch, burying his face in one of the plushies that decorate the couch. Wooyoung doesn’t say anything, but he does push his way onto the couch, resting Mingi’s legs over his lap. He runs his hands up and down his calves soothingly.
The amount of attention and care that Wooyoung’s so delicately giving him has Mingi letting out a single sob against the plushie, no doubt drenching it with tears. Wooyoung stays silent the whole time, letting Mingi cry as long as he needs to, the thought of which makes Mingi cry even more because Wooyoung’s so caring and attentive and doesn’t hide things from him like Yunho.
It takes him a good few minutes for his tear ducts to finally dry out. He’s sure it’s not for long, but he’ll take what he can get, even if his heart still hurts. It’s a stupid thing. He shouldn’t be so torn up over this.
“Min, can you sit up for me? Yeah, that’s good, come on.” Mingi’s sat up, arms wrapped around a plushie. Wooyoung gets up for a quick second, shuffling off to his kitchen. He comes back seconds later with a glass of water. “Here, drink some of this.”
The rim of the cup is pressed to Mingi’s lips. He doesn’t realize how much crying took out of him, physically and mentally, until the water hits his parched throat, soothing it immediately. When half of the cup is empty, Wooyoung pulls it away from Mingi’s lips and places it on his coffee table.
“Thank you, Youngie,” he sniffs.
“Of course, Mingki. Now, what’s up? Who’s got you crying like this, do I need to fight someone?”
Mingi snorts. “I mean, no, unless you want to fight Yunho.”
Wooyoung’s eyes widen comically. Never in the years that he’s known Mingi and Yunho have they had an argument that brought Mingi to tears.
“What the hell did he do?”
Mingi gives him a quick run down, wincing each time his voice cracks.
“It’s stupid, I have no right being upset over this.”
“Mingi, you have every right to feel upset about this. He’s your best friend, he should’ve told you. The guys and I even knew about Daehoon—“
“Daehyun,” Mingi helpfully supplies.
“Dae-whoever-the-fuck. We knew about him, we even met the bastard, and you didn’t. I thought he would’ve told you already so I never brought him up. That’s so fucking wrong, even if it only has been for a few months.” Wooyoung scoffs, “Shit, I would’ve never expected Yunho to pull some shit like this.”
“I think… I think I’m also a bit sad that he’s dating someone now,” Mingi quietly admits.
Wooyoung puts an arm around Mingi, tugging him close. “He never said he was interested in anyone… we tell each other everything.”
“I get it. Not the fact that you’re upset about him dating someone, I’m not insanely in love with Sannie but,” Mingi bites at Wooyoung’s hand that’s hanging off his shoulder. Wooyoung yelps. He waves the pain off. “Anyways, if San were to hide something that big from me, his ass would be whooped two thousand miles into fucking Saturn. I wouldn’t forgive him for at least a month, and that’s all depending on what he does to gain my forgiveness.”
Mingi huffs, a sad, pathetic sound, unlike his loud boisterous giggles and laughs and Wooyoung’s heart aches for him.
“Maybe… maybe he was just nervous to tell me about him? So he waited until I got back?”
Wooyoung sighs, knocking his head into Mingi’s gently. “If that is the case, he’s a dumb ass. He should’ve told you the moment they made it official. He should’ve told you that he had his eyes on someone in general. Why the hell did he bring that bitch with him to pick you up anyway? Who the fuck does that? If he wanted someone to come with him he should’ve just asked one of us, not some random ass whore.”
Mingi lets out a puff of air. He pulls his legs up onto the couch, his feet at the edges as he curls up to make himself as small as possible. “I dunno. Fuck, now that I’m remembering that stupid encounter… he didn’t even call me princess. I think it was because Daehyun was there.”
“Oh hell fucking no,” Wooyoung seethes. “If he’s choosing that bitch over you, seriously, it’s game over for him. Jongie and I will beat the shit out of him. I’m sure Joong wouldn’t mind curb stomping—”
“We don’t need to hurt him, Youngie,” Mingi laughs. “I’m just a bit hurt. I’ll get over it, I just wasn’t expecting that on my first day back.”
“You shouldn’t have had to expect anything but Yunho, baby.” Wooyoung pats his leg and glances at the digit clock on the wall before looking back at Mingi with a warm smile. “I’m sure the jet lag doesn’t help how you’re feeling at all, you’re probably so tired. Why don’t you get changed into your pajamas and we can order food?”
Mingi ends up curled up in Wooyoung’s bed, instead of Yunho’s, as the little spoon.
——
The next day Mingi feels a bit better than he had before going to bed, and that’s all thanks to Wooyoung who pressed kisses into his hair to wake him up in the morning, made him a cute and delicious breakfast, and let him spend the day snuggled in his bed. He doesn’t bother checking his phone, too afraid of the potential that Yunho may have tried to contact him, and knowing himself, he’d probably cave in and text him back.
Unfortunately, the hours of bliss have to come to an end. Wooyoung and him are expected at Seonghwa and Hongjoong’s within the next hour, they need to leave in at least 20 minutes because they live a bit far out from Wooyoung.
Mingi has been sitting on Wooyoung’s couch miserably for the last 10 minutes. He doesn’t really feel like himself, hasn’t since last night and he doesn’t know how to fix it.
“You don’t have to talk to him,” Wooyoung said as they shrugged their coats on. “If he can’t respect that you need space I will not be afraid to fuck him up, verbally or physically.”
The drive is pleasant, Wooyoung shuffling through his playlist of girl group songs and quietly humming under his breath. Mingi, still a bit tired, has his head against the window the whole time. Just as he’s about to fall asleep the car comes to a complete stop and then there’s a hand in his hair, gently rousing him from his almost-sleep.
“We’re here Mingki. I just know everyone’s so excited to see you, so let’s go, hm?”
Mingi lets Wooyoung intertwine their hands, the warmth much welcomed. Their friend group in general is a bit touchy, save for maybe Jongho, but even he enjoyed cuddling with them once in a while. It’s a bit weird to him. He was supposed to come here with Yunho, not Wooyoung. But it’s good all the same because he loves all his friends.
Wooyoung’s the one who knocks on the door, and the moment it opens, Mingi is ripped from Wooyoung’s grasp and pulled into San’s. “Mangki! I’ve missed you so much! How’s it being back? How was your flight?”
Wooyoung nudges them further into the apartment, closing the door behind them. “San, fuck, don’t bombard him. Let him take off his coat at least.”
“Oh, right. Sorry, baby,” San sheepishly apologizes before he steps back.
Mingi shakes his head, a small smile on his lips. He’s missed his friends so much. Back in America, he shied away from anyone outside of the dance program, mostly because he wasn’t too confident with his English skills, despite being reassured by a few Americans that his English is good, so physical contact and in general, contact, wasn’t apart of his life as much.
Mingi and Wooyoung both take their shoes and coats off and it’s not long before San’s on him again. He pulls him to sit on the couch, forcefully putting him between him and Jongho who for once doesn’t cower away from being so close. He pats Mingi’s thigh in greeting. Mingi almost cringes at how dad-like it is, but that’s how Jongho’s always been, more mature, wiser than most of them.
“Hey, how was your flight?”
“Long. All I did was sleep and watch some movies I had downloaded, yet I’m still so tired.”
Jongho chuckles in that dad-ish way he’s always done it in. “That’s what jet lag does to you.”
Seonghwa exits the kitchen, his lips quirking up in a big smile. “Mingi! Welcome back! Joong and Sangie went out to get me a few things for dinner tonight, but they should be back soon. How was coming in? Yun picked you up, right?”
At the mention of Yunho, Mingi tenses. He’s sure Jongho and San feel it, but they thankfully don’t question it. Mingi makes brief eye contact with Wooyoung who had plopped onto the loveseat. “Yeah, he did. It was fine.”
“Speaking of him, where is he?” San asks. “Actually, why’d you come with Woo instead of him? I thought you were sleeping over there.”
Wooyoung swoops in like the hero he is. “There was just a change in plans is all.”
No one questions it, their plans aren’t always concrete and have room for change. Mingi figures Seonghwa knows that something’s up with the switching gaze between him and Wooyoung, but he doesn’t say anything. Again, Mingi’s grateful, because he really doesn’t want to think about Yunho until he gets here.
So, he doesn’t. He lets himself be pulled into conversation with San, Jongho, and Wooyoung, while Seonghwa returns back to the kitchen.
——
Mingi’s in mid-conversation with Jongho who’s animatedly talking about his new job down at a local gym as a personal trainer-in-training when Hongjoong and Yeosang come through the door a half hour later. Hongjoong’s bearing all of the grocery bags, while Yeosang has two boxes of soda in his arms.
“Min, you’re back!” Hongjoong exclaims as San and Jongho hurry to relieve the two of their items.
Mingi grins and allows himself to be pulled into a bear hug by the older man. Last time he saw him in person his hair was freshly dyed, split into black and white. Now, the white side’s roots are noticeably grown out, and his hair goes past his ears. “Did you grow taller? I swear you were a bit shorter than this.”
“Nah, you must’ve shrunk Joong,” Mingi teases which earns him a ruffle of the hair.
“I gotta get these groceries to Hwa, but tell me all about America later, okay? Even the things you’ve already told us, I want a recap.”
Mingi giggles before he nods and lets Hongjoong go. He turns to Yeosang who flashes him his pretty smile and waits for him with open arms.
Despite being one of the most shy out of their little friend group, Yeosang has always been open to hugs and other types of affection, even if normally, he’s not the one initiating it, because he has always been afraid that his hugs are overbearing or annoying. Yeosang’s also one of the best huggers. So Mingi takes this opportunity and pushes into the smaller man’s chest, his arms circling around the entirety of his waist as he picks him up and squeezes the living daylights out of him.
“Yeosangie~ I’ve missed you!”
Yeosang laughs, letting Mingi do whatever he wants. “I missed you too, Mingi.”
“My boyfriend’s not a dog toy, Mingki!” San squawks as he walks out of the kitchen, probably to save said boyfriend from Mingi’s oh-so-terrible wrath.
Mingi puts Yeosang back on the floor gently, sheepishly offering Yeosang an apology which is waved away. He forgot that he gained a bit more muscle over the past year.
“I haven’t seen you since Christmas, you can have as many spinning hugs as you want,” he assures. Mingi sends San a triumphant, annoying little smile before he engulfs Yeosang in yet another hug.
——
By the time Seonghwa has dinner ready with the help of Wooyoung, Yunho has yet to show up. Which, if it were any other day, Mingi wouldn’t be too worried about. But of course, this is not any other day, and Mingi’s pissed and sad and it’s all because of Yunho. So, it’s better that he doesn’t show up.
“Can someone call Yunho? I feel like he should’ve been here by now,” Hongjoong says as he sets the table for eight. A practiced motion even though Mingi’s been gone.
“Maybe something came up,” Yeosang suggests from his spot on the couch, tangled in San’s arms.
“He made sure today was free, though, because it is to celebrate Mingi being home and us being all together again,” Seonghwa says with a frown as he looks at the door, his hands on his hips. “This isn’t like him, anyways, especially when it comes to Mingi, he’s—“
A knock on the door cuts Seonghwa off.
“Well, there he is,” Wooyoung says icily, his narrowed gaze on the door. He says it with such disdain, Mingi knows that he didn’t want him here either. “An hour late.”
“Better late than never,” Jongho shrugs, getting up from the couch.
Mingi watches as Jongho heads to the door, his heart heavy and palms sweating. Of course, Yunho has every right to be here, he’s his best friend, and he was invited. Even if Mingi feels so incredibly lost and betrayed. Even if he’s dating some guy that Mingi’s never heard of in his life.
“Nice of you to join us, Yun,” Jongho pauses and clears his throat. From where he’s sitting, Mingi can’t see the other side of the doorway, which doesn’t help him in trying to figure out what has Jongho thrown for a loop. “And… Daehyun.”
Mingi’s wide eyes flick to Wooyoung whose jaw clenches. He wants to fucking cry.
“Is he in his right fucking mind? Why the fuck did he bring him?” Wooyoung hisses.
“Wooyoung, he’s his boyfriend,” Seonghwa mutters in hopes to placate the redhead. Though Seonghwa’s trying to be nice about it, Mingi sees the slight grimace on his older friend’s face as he eyes the couple.
“I don’t fucking care,” he replies, his voice venomous as he watches Yunho and Daehyun slip in and Jongho shut the door behind them. Yunho apologizes for being late, something about Daehyun’s work schedule. Jongho murmurs something back, but Mingi is too busy spiraling to hear his response. “He has no right.”
“Wooyo, it’s okay,” Mingi whispers. It should be okay, he’s a grown man, he can handle it. Right? He puts a hand on Wooyoung’s arm, grabbing his attention. Wooyoung’s eyes are sharp, but they soften once they meet Mingi’s. Mingi smiles. “I’m fine. It’s okay, let it go.”
“Oh, Daehyun, it’s nice to see you again, I didn’t know you were coming,” Seonghwa greets simply. He turns slightly to yell into the dining room. “Joong, can you add another plate to the table?”
Wooyoung nods slowly, his features relaxing. As much as he doesn’t enjoy the fact that Yunho did actually show up and bring Daehyun with him, he doesn’t want to cause a scene because he hasn’t been with his friends for a year and he wants to have a good night. His thing with Yunho can wait.
“Sorry to impose, it was a last-minute decision,” Daehyun apologizes, but something about the way he says it tells Mingi he’s not sorry at all. Mingi decides he doesn’t like him. And it’s not just because he’s the boyfriend of the guy he’s in love with.
“That’s quite alright, I just finished dinner and there’s more than enough,” he looks at the four remaining on the couch. “Babies, get up, let’s eat.”
Mingi doesn’t mean to, but he picks at his food like a troubled child, despite knowing Seonghwa’s food is top tier and never misses. He’ll definitely regret not eating much later, but Seonghwa will probably save him leftovers. Wooyoung made sure to wedge him in between himself and Hongjoong, far away from Yunho who was trying endlessly to get him to meet his eyes.
“So, Mingi, how was America? Yun told me you were there for a year for a dance program.”
Yun. An odd feeling curls up in Mingi’s gut before he looks up from his plate, meeting eyes with Daehyun who’s already looking at him like he knows something he doesn’t. Mingi swallows.
“It was great,” he says curtly. “I learned a lot there.”
He keeps it short because all he can think of while looking at Daehyun is that he’s everything that Mingi’s not. He’s small, for one, 5’7 at most. Very petite. He’s gorgeous, more on the feminine side, and there are no pimples to be seen, unlike Mingi’s collections on his cheeks. He’s quiet, a complete 180 compared to Mingi who’s often told he’s like an overgrown puppy. Thinking about the vast differences between them has Mingi’s throat closing up.
Hongjoong nudges him lightly in the side, no doubt taking in the tense bubble that Mingi has created. “Mingki, tell him about how you danced with Kai of EXO.”
So he does, his heart about to burst. God, he feels so stupid. Daehyun doesn’t even look impressed, not that his opinion really matters, but fuck is it messing with his head.
“If you’ll excuse me, I need to use the bathroom,” he says, and without a word from anyone, he pushes his chair back and gets up. Wooyoung’s worried gaze follows him, but he doesn’t look back, too focused on getting the hell out of there.
The moment he gets into the bathroom he locks the door and slides down it, pressing his face into his knees. Why is he so fucking stupid? Going and falling in love with his best friend who was bound to get a boyfriend at some point. Yunho’s always been everything someone would want in a boyfriend, sweet, loyal, funny, intelligent, handsome. The tears escape his eyes at some point, but he doesn’t bother trying to stop them.
He still has no clue what hurts most, the fact that Yunho hadn’t told him or the fact that he’s with someone now, all he knows is that his chest hurts and he doesn’t know how to fix it. He’s a coward and shouldn’t be in Seonghwa’s and Hongjoong’s bathroom hiding from his best friend and his boyfriend, he should be out there celebrating his own return. He shouldn’t ruin it for everyone.
Daehyun probably thinks he’s fucking insane for jumping on his boyfriend like that at the airport. He should probably apologize. Fuck, should he? He has every right to be clingy with his best friend. He was there first for god sake, what say does Daehyun have in that matter?
He decides that he can forgive Yunho for not telling him. That’s not the issue. The issue, however, is that Mingi’s going to stick by Yunho’s side and watch him be happy with someone else. As selfish as it sounds, he was content being in love with Yunho and never confessing, as long as he didn’t date anyone. He doesn’t know how to live by Yunho while he’s with someone, let alone someone as pretty as Daehyun. It should be easy, it really should, but Mingi really doesn’t think it will be.
Over his quiet sobs, Mingi hears the muffled raised voices of his friends. The dining room isn’t far from the bathroom, so it’s not too surprising.
“Yunho, leave him be.” Wooyoung. He sounds pissed.
“I need to talk to him,” is Yunho’s response.
Please don’t.
“You don’t get to decide that. You fucked up, you need to let him come to you if he even wants to.”
“He’s my best friend Woo.”
“Oh really? I wouldn’t have known with the way you hide things from him!”
“Wooyoung, Yunho, what’s going on?” Seonghwa questions, concern laced in his voice. No one answers him. Mingi can only imagine the state of the table.
“Woo, I know I fucked up, I want to make it right.”
Mingi tunes them out and lets his loud thoughts take over. It’s only a few moments before there’s a gentle knock on the door.
“Mingi? Princess?”
Mingi sniffles. He raises his head and clears his throat. “What do you want, Yunho?”
“I want, no, I need to talk to you. Can you please open the door?”
“I’m fine. I’ll get over it.”
“No, Mingi, you’re not and I don’t want you to just get over it. Please just open the door for me.”
When it comes to Yunho, Mingi is a weak, weak man. So, he shuffles away from the door and reaches up to unlock it, but stays on the floor. He scoots back so Yunho can open the door.
“It’s unlocked.”
The door swings open slowly and shuts quickly before Mingi’s engulfed in a warm, familiar hug. He’s torn between ripping himself away and staying in Yunho’s strong, safe arms. He decides on the latter.
“I’m so sorry, princess. I should’ve told you about Daehyun from the moment I met him.”
“Don’t call me that. I don’t think he’ll like it.”
“I don’t care, Mingi, you were my best friend before he was my boyfriend. Listen, I met Daehyun at the cafe I regularly go to, he works there and he started to continuously leave his number for me on my cups. I got curious one day and actually texted him. I truly didn’t expect anything out of it because he’s not exactly my type, but he was kind and sweet enough.”
Yunho sighs with a shake of his head. “This makes me sound like a shit person, but I didn’t think we’d last for more than a month, so I didn’t think it was worth telling you. And I was so excited for you to come back home that was all that was on my mind. I even forgot our 2nd month anniversary because I was too busy counting down the days.”
“Everyone else knew…”
Yunho sighs once more. He nuzzles his cheek into Mingi’s hair before he pulls away to look him in the eyes. “Princess… you were crying. Fuck.” Yunho brushes away any stray tears with his thumbs. Mingi hates to admit he leans into it. “I really messed up didn’t I?”
Mingi nods. Another sniffle. “I was pissed off and sad. That’s why I went to Wooyoung’s. I didn’t expect you to be there greeting me with some person I’ve never met before.”
“I know, I know. I shouldn’t have brought him, but he was so intent on meeting you, I thought it was sweet.”
“News flash, it wasn’t.”
A watery laugh escapes Yunho. His eyes are searching Mingi’s face, for what, he has no clue.
“I’m so sorry. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do enough to make it up to you.”
“You don’t have to. I forgive you.” Again. This will not be the issue in the long run. Mingi hopes and prays he can get over Yunho somehow. Something has to give.
“What? Mingi, you don’t—”
“Yunnie. It was a mistake. We all make mistakes, don’t we? At the end of the day, I’m happy that you found someone willing to put up with your 6 foot 1 self.”
Yunho looks taken aback by the sudden shift in Mingi’s words, but he’s not at all against them, playing into Mingi’s teasing. “Hey! You’re 6 foot too!”
“An inch shorter than you. It makes a difference, trust me,” Mingi replies with a small smile on his lips. Yunho smiles back, the same smile that always has Mingi’s stomach doing flips.
Silence envelops the two of them, Yunho’s hand gently stroking Mingi’s nape. Mingi melts into him.
“So, are we good now?”
“Yeah. Yeah, we’re good,” Mingi whispers. His heart still feels like it’s split in two, but he’ll figure out how to fix that on his own. For now, he and Yunho are on good terms, and that’s all that matters.
——
Two weeks go by and, unsurprisingly Mingi still feels like shit. After their little talk in the bathroom, Yunho had helped Mingi rinse his face off and given him a chaste kiss on the forehead before they left. But then Yunho returned to his seat next to Daehyun, while Mingi slipped in between Hongjoong and Wooyoung.
The air around them was tense, Seonghwa trying his best to keep up with small talk between him and Daehyun until Yunho explained to everyone that things were all good between them. Wooyoung and Hongjoong had not fully believed Yunho’s statement. So, they leaned over, caging Mingi between them, asking if he was okay.
He told them he’d be fine, that he’ll somehow get over it. And what better way to heal a broken heart than to buy a tub of bleach, 30-volume developer, and orange and yellow hair dye?
So, he shoved the tub of bleach and developer into Seonghwa’s hands, one of the only ones he’ll trust to do something so reckless and not fuck it all up and make it so Mingi ends up with no hair.
“What made you decide to do this, Mingi? I mean I’m all for change once in a while, but this is pretty random, even for you.”
“Yunho.”
“Yunho…” he says as he mixes the bleach and the developer. He turns around and looks down at Mingi who’s sitting in front of the closed toilet, dressed in a ratty old t-shirt of Seonghwa’s. “I thought you said everything was okay?”
“It is, between us. It’s me that’s the problem.”
Seonghwa looks him over, eyes calculative, until his mouth pops open in a little ‘o’ shape. Everyone knows but Yunho. Mingi is so incredibly stupid.
“That sucks, I’m sorry, Min.”
“It’s my fault.” It truly is. What idiot goes and falls for their best friend? Certainly only the idiots in movies and books, except in those, there’s normally a happy ending. Mingi’s not too sure about his own little story.
“Song Mingi.”
Mingi looks down at the obnoxiously pink fluffy rug that he’s sat upon (courtesy of one of Joong’s drunk online shopping sprees), suddenly much more interesting than Seonghwa. Seonghwa plops himself down in front of Mingi, a hand tilting his chin up to look at him.
“Don’t ever feel guilty about your feelings, no matter who they’re for. You can’t help but fall for someone, okay? Yunho’s a great guy, he’s just too dense to realize the love of his life’s right in front of him.”
Mingi scoffs. “Me? The love of his life? The most I’ll ever be is the best man at his wedding.”
Seonghwa squeezes his cheeks. Mingi whines.
“Don’t doubt it. Feelings can change.”
“I’m not even his type, Hwa.”
“You think that little thing is his type? He’s a rude bastard. I know you’ve only met him twice, but the few times he’s been around us have shown us enough about who he really is. I don’t know what Yunho’s doing with him,” Seonghwa clicks his tongue in thought. No doubt picking his words apart before saying them. “Daehyun clearly believes that he’s above everyone, it’s annoying as hell. I wanted to sock him in the face when he couldn’t be bothered to show a little interest while you were talking about America. He’s probably just jealous of you, now that I think about it.”
Mingi blinks up at Seonghwa. “What’s there to be jealous of?”
“Oh, my sweet Mingi. So much. You’re an amazing person, your heart is bigger than your body, and you’re so talented,” Seonghwa gently pats Mingi’s cheeks which have heated up from the praise and affection. “Enough about Daehyun and Yunho, though. Let’s focus on you and get your hair bleached and dyed.”
The bleach smells rancid and burns Mingi’s nostrils, but he sits still, letting Seonghwa work his magic. He almost falls asleep, his cheek pressed against Seonghwa’s thigh while waiting, but he’s jostled when the timer goes off.
Seonghwa instructs him to lean over the tub so that he can wash it out. Seonghwa’s fingers feel great against his scalp, along with the warm water. It almost feels like a massage.
Seonghwa shuts the water off once he deems Mingi’s head clear of any bleach. He squeezes some of the water out of his hair before prompting him to sit up. Seonghwa inspects his new hair.
“Wow, I didn’t expect it to take that much. Normally, when I bleached my hair in the past it turned out brassy and I had to tone the shit out of it, but yours is almost platinum,” he gently pushes Mingi to stand in front of the mirror. What Seonghwa says is true, his hair is no longer his natural dark brown, but instead a very light blonde, almost white. It looks… different, but decent. “Do you want to keep it like this?”
Mingi takes one last look in the mirror before he shakes his head. “I wanna use the dyes.”
Forty minutes later, Mingi’s hair is dyed orange and red, just how he envisioned it. After it’s blow-dried, Seonghwa stands back and admires his own work, his hands on his hips.
“Shit, maybe I should quit my job at the office and become a hairstylist.”
Mingi snorts, “I’m pretty sure your parents would kick your ass for such a drastic change.” But he does agree with Seonghwa, he did a really good job and Mingi doesn’t look like an idiot, the dyes didn’t bleed onto each other like how Seonghwa was afraid they would. “Thank you, Hwa, it looks amazing.”
Seonghwa smiles and pats his shoulder. “Let’s go show Joong.”
They find the other man lounging back on the couch watching some K-drama that he’s been obsessed with as of late. Seonghwa places Mingi right in front of him, blocking his view of the TV.
“Woah. When you said you were trying something unique, I didn’t expect this Min,” he says in awe. “I’m pretty sure on anyone else it would look goofy as fuck, but you make it work.”
Mingi snorts and falls into the couch next to Hongjoong, immediately cuddling up to the smaller man. He’s a bit touch-starved in the sense that he hasn’t had his fill of Yunho cuddles ever since he came back, the other too busy with either work or Daehyun, so he gets his cuddles where he can, his friends always willing. “I’m in my Rengoku era, I guess.”
“You’re hot as fuck,” Seonghwa says, collapsing on the other side of Mingi. “Maybe we should hit the club tonight. Show you off a little.”
“Y’know? That’s not a bad idea.” Hongjoong nudges his head into Mingi’s. “If you’re up for it, that is.”
Mingi hums, pretending to think about it. He doesn’t have a shift at the restaurant he nabbed down the street from his apartment, and despite the new hair, he’s still heartbroken, —not that he expected that to help in any way besides maybe boost his confidence. So…
“Hell fucking yeah,” Mingi grins.
——
The club they choose for tonight, Inception, is packed to the brim, yet somehow Wooyoung manages to get a table that seats all of them. To Mingi’s delight, Yunho comes alone, situating himself next to Mingi, just like old times. No new boyfriend. No secrets.
“Shit, we haven’t clubbed in for-fucking-ever,” Wooyoung says, tossing back a shot once it’s put on the table, a satisfied hiss leaving him. Mingi’s go-to drink, a strawberry daiquiri, is slid in front of him and he thanks the waiter.
“Your new hair is sexy,” Yunho whispers, his arm around Mingi’s shoulder. “Always so pretty, huh, princess?”
“Hm, yeah. Thanks, Yu,” Mingi grins, leaning into the other. He’s missed this so much, leisurely hanging out with his friends with no care at all. He especially missed having Yunho all to himself and the compliments and attention that he gets from it. What can he say? He’s a bit of an attention whore and he’s not ashamed of it.
Seonghwa and Hongjoong had already escaped from the booth, finding home on the dance floor as per usual. Hongjoong’s not a dancer, yet every time they go out he’s dragged into the crowd of the sweaty body’s by Seonghwa or Wooyoung, the lack of change within their dynamic over a year warms Mingi to his core.
San whistles lowly, his chin resting upon Yeosang’s shoulder, his cat-like eyes on the two best friends. “Damn, why don’t you guys just kiss already?”
“Screw you,” Yunho says sending San the bird before taking a sip of his own drink.
“Right, you have sweet little Daehyun to go home to, I forgot, because you didn’t bring him with you for once,” Wooyoung adds, his eyes on Yunho who puts his glass down and looks right back at Wooyoung with a raised eyebrow.
Mingi winces. Although Mingi got over the initial hiding-the-fact-that-I-have-a-boyfriend thing, Wooyoung still visibly holds a grudge, mostly because he’s the most expressive of their little bunch and he isn’t afraid to admit that he doesn’t like Daehyun. “He probably doesn’t like this type of stuff anyway. Well, good for us then.”
Mingi’s the second one to confidently show when he doesn’t like someone, but in this case, it’s Yunho, his Yunho’s, boyfriend, who seemingly makes Yunho happy. Perhaps… even happier than Mingi makes him, but that thought is exactly why Mingi’s here tonight. He’s prepared to forget for a while, especially because he’s finally in Yunho’s company.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing,” Wooyoung shrugs, diverting his attention from Yunho to another shot that he tosses back. “Nothing at all, Yu.”
“He’s just messing with you Yuyu, calm down,” Mingi murmurs into the other’s ear. While it’d be a show to watch and listen to Wooyoung basically biting Yunho’s ear, he’d rather not deal with the aftermath tonight. Yunho’s eyes don’t leave Wooyoung for a solid few seconds, but when they finally do, his gaze is on Mingi.
“Let’s just have fun, okay? I’m gonna down this daiquiri and then we’ll get onto the dance floor, just like old times.”
Yunho sighs before he nods, pulling Mingi even closer to him. Probably a little too close for someone who’s in a relationship, but Mingi doesn’t say anything about it, too invested in slurping up his daiquiri and feeding off of Yunho’s attention.
Mingi gets a little too into it and has a little too much fun, finishing one more daiquiri before switching to other fruity alcoholic drinks. Now, he’s sloppily transferring between each of his friends and dancing against them. His long limbs are currently resting on San’s shoulders— Yeosang went to the bathroom so he let him borrow him for a bit—, their hips moving in time with the beat of the song.
He lost Yunho in the crowd sometime ago, switching from him to Seonghwa, but he’s in no hurry to look for him right now, too busy having the time of his life.
“Sheesh Mingki, America really did you good, huh?” San yells over the thrum of the music. “You were great before, but damn.”
Mingi tosses his head back as a laugh escapes him. He looks back at San, his cheeks red from his alcohol intake and also the praise. “Thank you, Sannie!”
“Our baby’s letting loose, huh?” Wooyoung’s voice creeps up from behind him, and it’s not long before hands are on his bare waist thanks to the slight crop of the shirt he picked out for tonight.
Mingi hums, leaning back against Wooyoung who feels so heavenly against his back, strong and sturdy. Despite being taller than the two men he’s sandwiched between, in a way he feels small. And he fucking loves it.
“How are you feeling, baby?”
“Fuck jealousy and sadness!” Mingi slurs. He looks up at the multi-color strobe lights which meld together in one singular blob thanks to his foggy mind. He giggles.
“Fuck jealousy and sadness,” Wooyoung repeats, pressing a fleeting kiss to the nape of Mingi’s neck. A shiver jolts down his spine.
“Having fun without me, huh?” Yeosang says, slipping an arm around San’s waist, his feline eyes dancing over Mingi’s body.
San gasps scandalized. His hands disappear behind him, no doubt going to give Yeosang’s ass an appreciative squeeze. “Never, my sweet Yeosangie!”
Mingi’s too occupied making grabby hands at Yeosang to feel the sensation of his phone vibrating against his ass in his back pocket.
yuyu<3
hey min, just wanted to let you know i left, daehyun got food poisoning from something he ate with his friends and he wants me to bring him some meds
i know it was supposed to be a fun night, but i’ll make it up to you, i promise
have a great night, princess
——
Mingi may just explode out of anger, sadness, jealousy, either one or all three simultaneously. This is the third time Yunho has declined his offer to hang out whether it be just the two of them or with the group because he was doing something with Daehyun. Mingi had gotten over the fact that Yunho had left the club to tend to Daehyun and his (fake, according to Wooyoung) illness because he’s a sympathetic person.
He refused to believe that Daehyun was lying just to get Yunho’s attention.
“That’s how it’s been since they got together,” Yeosang says mournfully through his bite of ramen.
Mingi groans, covering his face with his hands and dragging them down his face. To get his mind off of the lack of Yunho’s presence— and to low-key talk shit about Daehyun, courtesy of Wooyoung of course- he invited Yeosang and Wooyoung out on a little lunch date once he finished his morning shift despite being an hour away from passing out.
“Ever since he started dating that bitch he never has time for anything besides work. Daehwan monopolizes his time, and when he does hang with us, as you have noticed, he wiggles his way in because our Yunho’s too soft and can’t say no.”
Mingi sneaks a peek over at Wooyoung who looks irritated just thinking about Daehyun. He doesn’t even bother correcting him on Daehyun’s name.
“You must really not like him. I mean, I’m not a huge fan of him either, for many reasons, but you’re on a different level. I’m also trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.”
Wooyoung huffs, shoving his face full of ramen. He swallows it all down before he answers Mingi, his eyes set on him. “He’s an asshole. He doesn’t deserve Yunho. Min, you should fucking loathe him even more so than I do.”
Mingi shrugs half-heartedly, a pout on his lips. “I’ve only met him a few times. And one of the reasons I don’t like him is because I’m a selfish bitch who wants Yunho all to himself, so, I can’t really hate him for that. He hasn’t done anything to Yunho, either, in fact, I think he’s made him a bit happier.”
Yeosang hums while Wooyoung crosses his arms, giving Mingi his famous judgmental look that’s most often aimed toward innocent people living their lives.
“You know, in technicality,” Yeosang starts, leaning forward. “You got cheated on.”
“Cheating— you two act as if it’s just me who should be upset!” Mingi whines. “He’s bailing on you guys too.”
“Yeah, but Mingki, you’re his best friend. His ride or die. His soulmate, platonically… and dare I say romantically.”
Before Mingi can defend himself, Wooyoung’s raising a hand, silencing him.
“From an outsider’s point of view, Mingi, my sweet love, the way you and Yu look at each other is far from platonic. I don’t look at Yeo or Sannie like they created Earth itself. I also haven’t kissed them—“
“Sober, you haven’t kissed us sober,” Yeosang adds as if it was extremely important to their conversation which, Mingi guesses it is because it reminds him of the weird thing the trio had going on before he left.
Wooyoung purses his lips and ignores what Yeosang said. Yeosang huffs and starts loudly slurping up his ramen, no doubt trying to annoy the shit out of Wooyoung, but Wooyoung expertly ignores him.
“Anyways. You’ve kissed Yunho inebriated and sober. I think that goes a little past ‘Ooh we’re just besties!’”
Mingi doesn’t even try to explain for the hundredth time, the sober kiss was in high school and really, at the time didn’t mean anything, even to Mingi. All Mingi wanted to do was learn how to kiss because everyone their age was way past that stage.
“But we are just besties, Wooyoung. Him getting together with Daehyun is physical proof that that’s all we are for fuck’s sake.” Mingi’s grip on his chopsticks subconsciously tightens. “I’ve told Hwa this, but Daehyun’s everything I’m not, which makes him perfect for Yunho. Yes, Yunho told me himself that he’s not exactly his type, but obviously, there’s something he likes about him because he’s sticking to his side like a fucking koala, instead of me! His best fucking friend! I don’t know what the hell I did wrong, I wasn’t here for a year, I guess that’s why, but suddenly there’s a guy more important than me in Yunho’s life and I have to deal with it.”
Mingi breathes, his chest heaving. He didn’t realize just how much his voice rose in volume until he feels the eyes of other ramen lovers on him. Wooyoung quickly smiles and apologizes in his stead, before looking at Mingi with sad eyes, matching Yeosang’s frown.
“He’s a stupid fuck.”
“Yeo!”
“No, I’m sorry. Mingi, yes, you are everything that Daehyun isn’t, but that’s what makes you so much better than that airhead. Fucking theatre major my ass, he sucks at acting, trust me. Yunho invited us to one of his plays and god, I don’t know what the fuck goes on in that head of his that made him think he had the skills. He’s also manipulative as hell from what I’ve observed, which is I think, the only reason why he seems to be making Yunho happy at all. Yunho needs to wake the fuck up and get his shit together because I truly don’t know what there is to him that Yunho’s looking at besides maybe his looks. Otherwise, he’s as dull as an overused pencil.”
Mingi sits there, shell-shocked, chopsticks dropping into his bowl and clinking against the ceramic. The outburst is something he certainly expects from Wooyoung or even Hongjoong, but Yeosang? Yeosang has always dampened his words in ways to not upset people. Always kept his negative emotions under wraps. He switches his attention to Wooyoung who’s looking at Yeosang with what seems to be heart eyes (that is another issue that needs to be exposed later), and his jaw dropped. He looks back at Yeosang.
Yeosang eyes the two of them before he shrinks back in his seat. “Was that too much?”
“No, babe, holy shit! Yeosangie!”
While Wooyoung’s malfunctioning, Mingi shakes his head. “No, Yeo. You’re right. I mean you guys have met him more times than I have, so I believe you. He does seem like an airhead and a bitch. I don’t think he really had a clue about what I was talking about at my coming back dinner.”
Yeosang grins. “Okay, cool. But, yeah, Min. I think maybe… you should talk to Yunho about it? I know it’s probably gonna be nerve-racking, explaining to him that you think his boyfriend’s a literal piece of candy, and not in a good way, but also trying to convince him that he’s a sucky person. But I think he needs to know how you feel, you are his best friend, after all. He should at least take your concern about him into consideration.”
“You know what, Yeo? You’re so fucking right. I’ve kinda just been sitting here and just watching because I love him and seeing him happy has almost been enough for me.”
Yeosang nods, a small satisfied grin on his face. “Glad I could be of assistance.”
“And Woo… does he really look at me like that?” Mingi questions quietly, his eyes searching and meeting Wooyoung’s.
Wooyoung, finally out of his little stupor, nods slowly, a warm smile on his lips. “Yeah, Min, he does. He doesn’t look at Daehoon the way he looks at you— you know the way San looks at Yeo and vice versa?” Mingi nods. “Well, it’s like that, but obviously a bit different because they’re different people.”
“You’re so perfect for each other it’s painful seeing you apart.”
“This is fucking wild. I’ve never noticed!” Mingi sighs out, a sheepish smile on his face, his heart thrumming in hope.
“Well, I mean, for as long as I’ve known you he’s looked at you like that, so I’m sure you’re just used to it. As for Yun, I have no idea. He’s loud about everything, but not his feelings. The only person he’d probably tell is either Hwa or Jong. The only good secret keepers we got.”
“Hey! I’m pretty decent at keeping my lips locked,” Yeosang says, lips in full pout.
“Oh, yeah, sorry baby,” Wooyoung grins, leaning over to squish Yeosang’s cheeks. Mingi can’t help but notice the sparkle in Wooyoung’s eyes as he looks at Yeosang. Once Mingi’s situation with Yunho is resolved, he will be investigating whatever the hell that is. “Yeo is also a good secret keeper, Minnie. Don’t forget that.”
“I won’t,” Mingi promises, even going as far as locking pinkies with Yeosang.
——
It takes Mingi a while to muster up the confidence and head to Yunho’s apartment, but he does, three days later. He would feel bad about showing up unannounced if it wasn’t what they did for years and years before Mingi left. If one of them didn’t end up being home, they’d text the other and let them know they were looking to spend time together. Or they’d just enter and wait. That rarely happened though, as they were both aware of their schedules. Now, though, Mingi isn’t quite sure what Yunho’s schedule consists of.
So, yes, he doesn’t feel bad, but he is a bit nervous, so he decides to knock despite having the key. He takes a deep breath before knocking on the wood.
It takes a few seconds for the door to unlock and open. And once it does, Mingi swears he sees red.
“Oh, Mingi. Yu’s not in right now, he’s out getting groceries for our dinner tonight.”
He seriously hates this guy.
In the doorway of Yunho’s apartment stands Daehyun in all his glory, swamped in a sweatshirt. Mingi’s fucking sweatshirt to be exact. Overtime Mingi’s collection of clothes at Yunho’s apartment collected and vice versa before Mingi went to America, but he took some of Yunho’s things with him, too attached to the articles of clothing despite them being washed enough times to rid them of Yunho’s scent. Knowing they were his was enough.
But anyway. Why the fuck is he in his sweatshirt?
“You can come in though! I’m sure he’ll be back soon.”
Mingi blinks, his hands curling into fists at his sides, he swears a few of his veins are popping out of his neck. He probably has no idea that the hoodie’s not Yunho’s, but even so, the idea that he wears Yunho’s clothing irritates him. He scrutinizes the smaller. The hoodie’s so big on him that it dips down and reveals a flash of his chest and neck, which have splotches of dark red marks.
Mingi bites his tongue. His stomach feels a little funny.
“Mingi?”
Mingi sends him a tight-lipped smile. “I’m alright. I just wanted to swing by and visit him before my shift.” He isn’t expected at the restaurant today, but Daehyun doesn’t have to know that. He backs up a bit, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“Oh, okay. Well… it was nice to see you.”
Mingi hums, nice my ass, and just as the door’s about to close—
‘That’s not Yunho’s sweatshirt, by the way. It’s mine.”
Not interested in seeing the bastard’s reaction, nor wanting to indulge in more conversation, Mingi turns around and heads down the hallway.
Mingi ignores Yunho’s texts and calls that night.
——
Mingi’s phone buzzes from where it’s situated on the bench, where he put it before he began changing out of his work clothes. He shrugs on his sweatshirt and opens up his locker, shoving his apron, name tag, and shirt into the storage space before shutting it.
When he picks up his phone and reads over the notifications, his jaw locks.
xxx-xxx-xxxx
hi, this is mingi, right?
mingi
yes, who is this?
xxx—xxx-xxxx
it’s daehyun
yunho gave me your number
in case of emergencies, isn’t he so sweet?
Mingi’s grip on his phone tightens. If he were the fucking Hulk it’d be crushed into pieces. He takes a deep breath, debating whether or not he should throw it across the room. He doesn’t.
mingi
that’s my best friend,
always so sweet.
what is it that you need, exactly?
xxx-xxx-xxxx
oh! right
i pulled all of your clothing out of yunho’s closet
and i have it all in a bag
so there’s more space for my things
and such
i was wondering if whenever you’re free, you can come grab it?
Come-a-fucking-gain? Mingi blinks. Once, twice. Reads over the text message five times. He even squints to confirm that he read it right. Emergency my ass.
who the fuck do you think you are?
who the fuck do you|
He leaves him on read.
——
Mingi’s in shambles the entire week. He ignores Yunho’s texts and calls once again, except this time for the whole 7 days— not the best way to go about things, but, well, it’s how Mingi copes. Whenever he wasn’t working, he was curled up in either Wooyoung’s bed or even San and Yeosang’s, questioning all of his life choices, and trying to figure out which god hates him and decided to make his life a living hell, why did he have to fall for his best friend.
That and, if Wooyoung and Yeosang are right and Yunho looks at him in that type of way, then why is he with Daehyun? And why is Daehyun trying to erase him from his best friend’s life?
So, yeah, Mingi’s had one hell of a week, fighting the urge to unblock Yunho, otherwise, he would’ve already been texting and calling him back. Mingi avoided his own apartment like the plague, too afraid that Yunho would show up, but today, he stupidly returned to get one of his plushies that he forgot.
It’s safe to say that he accidentally fell asleep for a good few hours and knocking on his door wakes him up from his slumber after an 8-hour shift on a Saturday. The knocking gets louder and louder the longer he takes.
“Fuck. Hold on! I’m coming!”
When he opens the door, he sees a flash of brown and has no time to close the door before it pushes by him and into his apartment. He huffs and closes the door. So much for that week-long streak.
“Hello to you too, Yun. You finally have some time for me?”
“I’m sorry. I’ve been really fucking busy at work and Daehyun… always wanted to do something with me, which was nice, but then I never had time for you guys. For you.”
Silence fills the air before Mingi’s loud claps break it.
Yunho looks at him with raised eyebrows and wide eyes. He’s so cute, he looks like a little deer. Mingi bravely fights the urge to coo and instead, rolls his eyes.
“Congratulations, my dear best friend of almost 20 years. You’ve finally realized that that bitch is taking up your time. He’s like a fucking leech, drains you of all you fucking have,” Mingi replies as he leans on his door, examining Yunho who’s sitting on his couch. “Ruining your friendships as well.”
Yunho sighs. The dark bags under his eyes tell Mingi just how tired his best friend is. He wants to wrap him up in a blanket and never let him leave.
“I heard you came by the other day. I didn’t know because you didn’t text me like normal and Daehyun didn’t tell me until today.”
“Well, yeah. I came over to tear into you about canceling on us and shit. But I didn’t text you ‘like normal’ because since I’ve come back things haven’t exactly been normal Yunho. Has your dumb puppy brain not noticed it?”
He’s probably being too harsh on Yunho, but he can’t help but unleash the anger that’s been brewing up since learning about Daehyun. It’s no doubt going to come in waves, this is definitely not the worst of it. “I get it that you’ve been busy, but seriously, what happened to bros over hoes? The best friend code?”
“Princess…”
“Don’t fucking ‘Princess’ me right now, seriously, Jeong Yunho. Ever since I got back I have barely seen you. And that was a month and a half ago. I miss my best friend. Maybe I’m being selfish but,” he sniffles. He didn’t realize his eyes had started to water. Fuck. He clears his throat and looks away from Yunho. “I always thought nothing would come between us. But because of him, you don’t show me even a fraction of the same affection anymore, and whether you realize it or not you’ve put him over me. I don’t give a shit if he’s hard to convince to let you go places by your fucking self— you’re a grown ass man, you can say no for fucks sake.”
Silence spreads between them once more. Mingi refuses to look at his best friend, too focused on trying not to cry. He takes a deep breath. He hears Yunho shuffle around on his cheap couch, no doubt itching to get up and attend to Mingi.
“What’s so special about him? What’s so fucking special about Daehyun that it makes you lose focus on who was there for you first?”
“Nothing.”
Mingi laughs. A full-hearted laugh.
“Nothing? Really? Then why?”
Mingi hears him swallow. “This is in no way shape or form an excuse, but I think… I think I was so caught up in the fact that I was actually dating someone. You know I’ve never dated anyone, so it’s a new experience for me. And Daehyun, he was so sweet to me and so into me, I just thought, ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’. Turns out, the worst that could happen is uh— turns out he’s cheating on me? So, I guess that’s over, haha.”
Mingi freezes. He slowly looks over at Yunho who’s playing with his fingers. Anger flares in Mingi for a whole other reason. Fucking Daehyun.
“That motherfucker,” he seethes. His round, sympathetic eyes bore into Yunho. Yunho would definitely coo if Mingi wasn’t so angry. “Yun… I’m so sorry.”
Yunho shakes his head. “Don’t be. It’s not your fault. And oddly? I’m not upset about it. I’m not sure why he did it, probably because we never went past kissing because I wanted to take it slow, but then one morning I woke up before him and spotted hickeys on his neck. Hickeys I’ve never given him. He probably was covering them before I woke up or before we saw each other.”
Mingi’s mind briefly brings him back to the hickeys that were visible under his large sweatshirt that Daehyun was wearing. The hickeys that Mingi thought were placed by Yunho. Mingi’s fists clench at his sides.
“God, I fucking hate him. I knew there was something off. All of us did, actually. That’s another reason why I came by the other day.” He has to remember to thank Wooyoung and Yeosang, seriously. “What a fucking slut.”
Yunho snorts. “I think he also realized I was in love with someone else, despite me giving him all of my attention and time. Which is surprising because there’s really not much going on…” he taps his head, ”up there, if I’m being honest.”
Mingi’s heart clenches. Another person? Fuck, he can never win, can he? He crosses his arms, ready for it to be one of their friends or some dude that works with him at the animal shelter. Maybe another rando from the fucking cafe. “Yeah? With who?”
Yunho locks eyes with him, a crooked smile on his lips. “The owner of the sweatshirt he was wearing the other day, the person who has a whole section in my closet. By the way, I all but yelled at him once I saw your clothes sitting in a bag. I also explicitly told him not to wear any of your clothes before that, but I guess he didn’t listen.”
The owner of the sweatshirt— “Don’t fuck with me right now,” Mingi says, his voice quivering, his heart picking up in speed, about to burst through his chest. “Seriously, Yunho, I’m not in the mood for shits and giggles.”
“I’m not fucking with you, princess. Trust me. I figured now of all times was the best to tell you because Daehyun messed with what we had, and I felt so gutted once I figured it out. And when Wooyo became your fucking guard dog,” he chuckles, as if recalling a certain memory.
“Shit, I’m glad I know there will always be someone there for you if I can’t be. He actually almost fought Daehyun.”
Hearing about Wooyoung’s fierce protection over him has him all warm and happy, however, there is something more pressing on Mingi’s mind right now.
“Yun,” Mingi whines, his heart now thumping against his ribcage. The tears he was trying to keep to himself are now gathering in his eyes, threatening to cascade over.
“Come here,” Yunho grins, arms wide and inviting. Mingi’s resolve weakens immediately. He stumbles forward, collapsing into Yunho’s arms. “We haven’t hugged like this in forever, huh?”
Mingi nods against Yunho’s neck. Yunho rubs circles into his back.
“I’m so incredibly sorry, Mingi. I should never have let Daehyun come out above you. I have no clue what I was fucking thinking. Every time I told you and the guys I couldn’t hang out, I got angrier and angrier with myself, because no one outside of our circle should come before you and the guys. Especially you. You’re my best friend and the love of my life, I don’t think I could live in a world without you. It may have seemed over the phone and text like I was doing alright, but shit, I missed you so fucking much.”
“I missed you too,” Mingi murmurs with a sniffle. “I almost went through drastic measures to get your attention.”
“How drastic are we talking?”
“Woo offered up Changbin and Yeonjun to me to try and make you jealous.”
Yunho gently tugs at Mingi’s nape, prompting him to pull his face from his neck. His grip on his nape tightens a bit, sending a shiver down Mingi’s spine. “It would’ve worked, Daehyun or no Daehyun.”
Mingi snorts, his cheeks heating up. “Seriously?”
“Deathly. When you left all I could think about was how many people in America would fall at your feet and try to woo you, who was there for you when I wasn’t. Not being by your side for once was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, especially when you were a whole continent away.”
“Trust me, Yu. There was no one in America trying to win me over. You would know from my weekly updates.”
“I know,” Yunho laughs, nosing Mingi’s temple. “Y’know, the main reason I got with Daehyun was to distract myself from the feelings I have for you. I’ve liked you since like, junior year, and I was cool with just being your friend because you’re fucking… you’re beautiful and so so kind. I was satisfied because you’ve always been so clingy and caring, especially regarding me.”
Yunho pinches the bridge of his nose. “Daehyun was a means to an end. I told you he wasn’t my type, and he really wasn’t, especially personality-wise. It took Seonghwa almost hitting me over the head with a pan a couple of days ago to finally realize what he was doing.”
Mingi laughs, and Yunho smiles. “Yep. So, he made me finally realize that when you weren’t here Daehyun never stopped me from hanging with the guys, but when I picked you up from the airport, he started making bullshit excuses to stay with him. Or he would have to join me when he knew you were going to be there.”
“What a bitch. And here I was trying to convince everyone he wasn’t that bad in the beginning.”
“I had a huge lapse of judgment,” Yunho says with a sheepish quirk of his lips and scratching his neck. “And again, I’m so fucking sorry about everything. You mean the world to me, and our friendship is so much more sacred to me than some guy I met in a cafe.”
Mingi beams, the tears finally slipping past. Yunho’s eyes widen. “Oh, princess I’m sorry—“
“No, they’re good tears, I promise,” Mingi cries. Yunho fondly swipes the tears away. “I just can’t believe you like me back. Seriously, I thought Wooyoung was fucking with me.”
“Of course I— wait, you like me too?”
“Yes, you idiot. You’ve had a spot in my heart for as long as I can remember.”
A sigh of what Mingi believes is relief escapes Yunho before his grip on Mingi tightens further if that’s even possible considering how close they already are.
“So… what now?”
Mingi sniffles before he shrugs. He looks at Yunho with hopeful eyes. “We can kiss? Or not, y’know I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, we haven’t kissed since like, sophomore year of high school and we were stupid then so I get it if—“
Mingi feels a hand on his nape before he’s tugged forward, his face is just inches away from Yunho’s, effectively cutting off Mingi’s rambling. His breath is hot against Mingi’s lips as he speaks.
“You could never make me uncomfortable, princess.”
And then Yunho’s lips are on Mingi’s. They’re more plush than Mingi remembers, and a lot more soft. Mingi gasps when he feels Yunho’s tongue against the seam of his lips, no doubt asking for entrance which Mingi is about to happily grant when Yunho pulls away. Mingi makes a noise of discontent.
“Why’d you pull away?”
“I know I said you could never make me uncomfortable but, I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable,” Yunho says, his eyes searching Mingi’s face for any discomfort. “I also don’t want you to regret it.”
Mingi’s stomach erupts with butterflies, so completely in love.
“My god, you’re an idiot, Jeong Yunho,” Mingi huffs. He presses his lips into Yunho’s once more before he can say anything else. This time, Mingi nudges Yunho and immediately gains access, licking into his mouth with fervor. He tastes like blueberries, his favorite fruit since Mingi made him try them in elementary school. The kiss is slow and sweet, exactly how Yunho does most things.
It’s also, expectedly, a lot more fluid and filled with a lot more feelings and impatience than their last one.
Yunho’s hands fall from Mingi’s torso, stopping at his waist and giving it a squeeze, relishing in just how small it is and the small whimper Mingi releases because of the touch. He’s always been the #1 Mingi waist enjoyer, and at this moment, he’s no different.
——
The first thing that happens the moment Mingi and Yunho walk into Seonghwa and Hongjoong’s apartment hand in hand is that Yunho gets smacked upside the head by a furious Wooyoung who then proceeds to bring the taller into a headlock, effectively pulling him and Mingi apart.
“You little shit! Y’know, after all the things you’ve done, I held my breath and didn’t beat the shit out of you because Mingi told me not to. You should thank him.”
“I will! I will! Shit, Woo,” Yunho laughs but doesn’t make any move to pull out of Wooyoung’s grip. Mingi snorts, shuffling toward the couch where Hongjoong is splayed. Hongjoong moves his legs to make room for Mingi who gladly takes the spot.
“Rough day, Mr.Producer?”
Hongjoong groans, running his hands down his face, telling Mingi everything he has to know. Mingi pats his leg in reassurance.
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You always do.”
“Just like you and Yunho. It seems like you have figured things out, anyways,” Seonghwa says. Mingi glances at the male who’s leaning against the back of the couch with a smile on his face. “You’ve got your ‘Yunho glow’ back.”
Mingi nods, his mind replaying the events from last night, his cheeks easily heating up. In the middle of Yunho trailing his lips down Mingi’s neck, Mingi’s phone buzzed in bursts of 5, quickly reminding him that he never told Wooyoung whether he was coming back to his place or not.
He promised to tell him all of the details later that night, and he did, over text because he didn’t think his frazzled, Yunho-obsessed mind could handle a very nosy and curious Wooyoung in person or on the phone at the time.
His eyes wander over to Yunho who’s being crowded into the kitchen by Wooyoung and now Yeosang, a deadly combo when you mess with them despite the fact that they’re both shorter than Yunho. Mingi’s heart swells, so full of love and content.
“Yeah… Yeah, we’re better than ever.”