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During his years in college, Jisung was often told that he needed to work on his attachment issues, although he never really thought of himself as someone who gets attached to people to unhealthy extents, his ears still got familiar with hearing that. A lot of his friends simply didn’t know enough about Minho to understand why he talks about him the way he does, that’s what he always thought.
The love he felt with just a simple look, the words that stuck with him for years, the face he would have had no problem spending consecutive days maybe weeks or even years admiring, the soft innocent touches that tingled across his skin, the warmth and comfort that filled his heart to the brim with merely a presence and the knowledge of his existence. Minho’s love had been truly the happiest experience of his life. Even if things aren’t the same anymore, the dearness remains.
Minho was often confused for a former lover when Jisung talked about him, it wasn’t really uncommon for his words to be misinterpreted nor was it surprising. He knew how he talked, he was aware of his choice of words and his tone and there was no point hiding it. He loved Minho, as a friend, a best friend, a boyfriend. He loved him in every possible way as he always felt loved by him to a level he never knew was possible.
They were still boys when they first met each other. They were nothing more than acquaintances in the first two years of highschool then junior year happened, the duo’s mutual friends seemed insistent on merging their little friend groups together. In a matter of weeks, Minho and Jisung were seeing each other everyday and gradually started knowing each other on a deeper personal level.
Jisung really wouldn’t have considered Minho as a best friend up until summer, when they actually started spending one on one time together after coincidentally being coworkers in their local cafe. They would exchange knowing glances during their shifts, gossip on their walk back home, giggle at their own inside jokes when they gathered with their other friends. Eventually, they were inseparable by the time senior year started.
The next year was followed by even more memories, the two almost lived together with how often they were having sleepovers, they were always together in school, always texting or on some call either gossiping or playing video games together, always looking for each other in bigger outings with their friends, always associated with one another. Then when prom season started, Minho dragged Jisung with him so they’d pick suits together which they ended up matching for. It wasn’t really explicitly said but Minho was very much his prom date.
One could say that things went south after graduation but that would be exaggerating, it wasn’t like they stopped being friends really, that wasn’t the case at all. They were sitting on the same bed applying for universities, crying in each other’s arms when it was official that in a matter of months they won’t be in the same country anymore, they got each other gifts to remind them of one another, exchanged endless hugs and promises that they wouldn't let distance affect their bond and they were more than willing to keep every promise really.
They stayed in contact during college, nearly daily texts and monthly video calls, for the first two years at least. They met up in breaks when Minho visited home and it was as fun as always but it still somehow wasn’t the same. As months went by it got harder and harder for Jisung to call and text, it wasn’t Minho’s fault really but he started feeling insecure about their friendship. They were running out of common interests, they were no longer involved in each other’s daily lives, they had separate lives that the other barely knew about and they were only tied together by nostalgia and their friend group’s yearly reunions. They still loved each other but as they neared graduation, they got busier and busier till their chat turned to just birthday texts and occasional talks reminiscing the past.
Despite everything, there wasn’t really a person who truly got to know Jisung without knowing who Minho was, it always got mentioned whether it be when asked about the necklace he’s always wearing or when someone’s at his house admiring the polaroids hung on his wall or when asked about why he hasn’t really dated anyone in the past couple of years.
Jisung never really considered it an option that he could be romantically attracted to men, not until sophomore year when one of his labmates asked him out. He remembers rejecting him very awkwardly but he couldn’t bring himself to call himself straight he realized he wasn’t, at that moment, he had an epiphany. It didn’t feel right to imagine anyone in a romantic context, it felt wrong with anyone that’s not Minho. It was devastating truly, he knew he was doomed when he realized he was hung up on a guy in a whole other continent, a guy he talked to once every couple of months, a guy he hasn’t seen in a year and had no idea when would be the next time he gets to see him.
As years went by, Jisung tried moving on, went on dates, slept around and got set up with multiple people. None of them worked out really, no one really hit the spot, nothing felt right. Until Minho was back in his hometown, reaching out to Jisung to meet up.
For the first time in years, it was just the two of them. It was different than anytime they met up in the past four years, they had a picnic in a park they often spent time in back in the day. Jisung was greeted with a smile as warm as ever and a hug that had him feeling all giddy all day. Minho was all sentimental, telling Jisung how much he missed him, his voice and his laugh, being more touchy than what he remembered himself used to. Minho called him his forever favorite person and Jisung could swear he felt his heart jumping and knew his blush wasn’t hidden no matter how hard he wanted it to be, Minho just giggled at his reaction and moved on.
It felt like a date, there was no way it wasn’t. There was just no way it was platonic, the way Minho fed him fruits while eyeing his lips very intently, the way he called him pretty while laying his head on his lap admiring him with eyes holding so much love even though Jisung knew this wasn’t his most flattering angle. It couldn’t have been friendly how Minho called him his love while ruffling his hair or how he kissed his cheek goodbye and whispered “cutie” when he saw the latter’s cheeks color in response. There was no way he was misreading it this time.
Minho took Jisung out multiple times after that, a similar vibe to the first time yet Jisung decided to start flirting back with him, leaning close to him at every given chance, pecking the corner of his lips when he got called cute, calling Minho all sorts of cheesy pet names just to see his crimson tinted ears and just being a menace whenever he can tell that Minho is holding back. He really couldn’t believe he was missing out on this all these years.
Nothing was made official till one day, Jisung was resting on the couch of his living room when he received a text from Minho telling to check his front door. He stood confused for a second before doing as he was told and going outside. Minho stood there, looking as gorgeous as ever, a wide smile spread on his lips then Jisung’s eyes trailed down, noticing the bouquet of cosmos flowers his lover was holding, looking surprisingly nervous.
“I know this is sudden but I just realized I should’ve done this many many years ago when I first realized how I feel” He looks away for a second, embarrassed. “I love you Jisung, I’ve loved you for ages. Will you be my boyfriend?”