Chapter Text
Was common knowledge at the university that Jongho couldn't stand Mingi. That idiot had a palpable air of superiority, What irritated Jongho the most was that damn smile on his face when he talked to him, invading his personal space, speaking almost in his ear and he could swear he was faking that deep voice!
It got on his nerves every time they were in the same place, because they always had to contradict each other, and that would be easily avoidable if it weren't for their mutual friend, Wooyoung, who gathered his entire social circle for every outing or free period. Don't get me wrong, he loves his friend, but he didn't understand how he got along with Mingi. Who's he kidding? Wooyoung could get along with an amoeba if he wanted to.
That particular day, Wooyoung had messaged the group chat asking to meet at the flowerbeds in the art department, he wasn't too bothered by the thought of having to walk halfway across the school to get there, since he was picking up Yeosang from his printmaking class to go to lunch.
Once they met, he walked with Yeosang toward the flowerbeds, they were lost in their own world, talking about what they'd like to eat before going home, when he heard Mingi's annoying voice.
"Hey!! The lovebirds are here!"
He didn't change his expression. Mingi had been teasing him lately about him and Yeosang being a couple, so his best weapon was keeping his poker face, ready to make some creative comment hoping to annoy him.
"Sorry, if you want me to pick you up from your last class too, just let me know. I'd be happy to stand you up." He gave him a fake smile and took a seat next to Yunho, who burst out laughing, mocking Mingi.
Yunho is Mingi's best friend, but to his surprise, he's the complete opposite of him. He has a lighthearted sense of humor and a puppy-like personality that makes him adorable.
"Well, since we're all here, I wanted to ask you all to come with me to San's graduation party!"
A chorus of "naaah" was present; San was by far the best suitor his friend had had in years, and although he was a well-liked guy in his social circle, it never hurt to tease Wooyoung.
"You damn ungrateful bastards! My Sanie told me you're invited to the after-party. His group rented a nice, spacious house to hold it, so your stupid asses are coming with me."
A graduation party; it didn't sound bad, although he preferred parties with fewer people. It would be nice to enjoy some time outside his comfort zone. Maybe he'd go for a couple of hours to congratulate San, have a few drinks, and then return to his room shared with Woo.
☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･☆ﾟ.*
The graduation party was about to happen, and having his roommate talk about all the possible outfits he could wear that day and what flowers he should bring San was driving him crazy.
He finally had a free hour at the university, so he headed to the cafeteria, ordered a sandwich, and sat at one of the tables in the back.
His hour was passing quietly, flipping through the pages of a book without interest, just counting on having all the signatures he needed for the evaluation, when the sound of a bag falling next to him startled him.
"What are you going to wear to the party?"
He could never have foreseen this. Mingi and he were never in the same place together without their friends around, and the few times they were unlucky, they found themselves having awkward conversations punctuated by long silences.
"Why do you want to know? Do you want us to wear matching clothes?" He closed his book as he inspected the older man.
He had sat down right across from him, eating a hot dog and playing with his drink straw, looking uncomfortable—he'd even venture to say more than uncomfortable, he looked nervous. But how could he not? It wasn't as if having a conversation between the two of them was an everyday occurrence.
Jongho wasn't an idiot; he was a young, healthy gay man. He knew how to recognize when someone was attractive, and for that very reason, he detested Mingi. No matter what he wore, he'd look good, always with his emo or rock look, full of accessories that conveyed confidence. But there were times when he didn't look like that, times when, surprisingly, he seemed softer, younger, and less conceited. Those rare times seemed to be today, and on occasions like this, he liked not to think too much about how seeing him like this made him feel.
Sitting there, wearing a sweatshirt three sizes too big that hung off his shoulders, his frizzy, bleached hair, which had started to grow, partially covering his eyes, he wasn't wearing makeup but did have black glasses without lenses. His two moles were more visible, and his lips seemed more swollen than usual.
"Are you going to ignore me?" The question snapped him out of his trance. He'd left Mingi talking to himself, and he didn't seem happy about it. "Great, I'm trying to have a conversation with you without insulting each other, but I see it's not going anywhere. Whatever, screw you."
He watched him gather his things and tidy up his trash while still frowning. For a moment, he thought he saw tears in his eyes, but he only managed to react once the bag next to him was roughly lifted.
Mingi was leaving the cafe.
☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･☆ﾟ.*
"Do I look okay like this? Do you think the flowers are a bit much, or maybe I should..."
"For the thousandth time, Woo, you look amazing, and San will love the flowers. I'm sure he'll post a hundred stories showing you both off." Jongho kept a smile on his face as he spoke. His hyung looked incredibly handsome. He smoothed his hair again and led him to the door. "Now, go to that ceremony. Make your man happy."
"Damn, thanks. I love you. I'll see you at the party, right?" Jongho didn't answer. He hadn't even had time to buy clothes to wear that day. "Jjong... I'll see you at the party... right?"
Ugh, he couldn't say no when his friend looked so dejected. This must be an amazing day for him. He wasn't going to ruin it.
"Sure Woo, I'm just kidding, but if I'm late, you know who to blame," he added playfully as he pushed his hyung out.
He saw Wooyoung off with a laugh, looked at the wall clock, and sighed. He had at least three hours to find something to wear in his closet.
☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･☆ﾟ.*
He had finally decided what to wear. Although his style leaned towards something more comfortable and "old man," as Yunho used to call it, he had opted for something more eye-catching.
He put on black jeans with a ripped knee, a short-sleeved shirt of the same color, and the last garment, which completed the outfit, was lying on his bed.
He had bought it a year ago, and when he finally wore it to university, he was greatly surprised when, upon meeting up with his friends, he saw Mingi wearing the same leather jacket, the same damn model. That day, comments were made trying to annoy each other, and several of his friends commented that they were wearing matching outfits. So, the second time he wore it, he decided to add a clay bear pin that Yeosang had personalized for each of his friends in his pottery class. Although he added it so that the jacket would look different from Mingi's, his satisfaction didn't last long, because that same day Mingi had the same idea and added his chicken pin to his jacket.
Since their conversation in the cafeteria, he hadn't had any interaction with Mingi. Maybe this time he had really angered him. Maybe wearing the jacket was a declaration of war, maybe...
A knock on his door distracted him, then he heard Yeosang's voice calling him, so he hurriedly grabbed his jacket and cell phone and went out to meet him to go to the party.
They had arrived at least an hour and a half late, all because Yeosang stopped to buy fried chicken since, according to him, he 'refuses to drink alcohol on an empty stomach,' and to make matters worse, the traffic was unavoidable.
"I texted Yunho, he says he's in the living room, he'll come out to greet us in a moment."
He simply nodded at Yeosang's comment; he felt particularly strange that night, and hoped a few drinks would take the feeling away.
Yunho greeted them, giving him a look that was both amused and curious as he scanned him. Had he chosen the wrong outfit? He decided to raise an eyebrow questioningly, but received nothing more than a mocking smile. He decided to ignore it, and they entered the house together. It was very nice and spacious, but full of people in varying states of intoxication.
"Where are Woo and San?" he shouted as he approached his friend
"Uh, playing spin the bottle in the yard."
Jongho nodded and started to head there, until a hand on his shoulder stopped him.
"Jjong... if you see Minki, try not to argue with him... he's not in a good mood and..." He paused when the younger boy tried to interrupt, but the look Yunho gave him silenced him. This wasn't a request, it was an order. "Please, just don't fight today."
He decided to nod. When Yunho let go of his shoulder, he went to get some drinks. At least he could try to get drunk while he wasted time avoiding running into Mingi. Yunho's comment had made him even more nervous. Was Mingi really angry with him?
Their fights usually didn't last more than a few minutes because they weren't serious at all; they just wanted to annoy each other. So, what made Mingi angry?
After his fourth glass, he decided to go out and greet Wooyoung. He dodged people as he headed to the patio, trying not to spill his drink. When he finally got out, he spotted a group sitting in a circle near the pool. The sound of Wooyoung's laughter confirmed his location, so he calmly approached.
He lightly tapped his friend on the head and chuckled when he saw his angry face.
"You finally made it!" His eyes lit up. He stood up and hugged Jongho. "Come sit down. They're about to play something else, but I'm not interested if Sanie isn't here." He didn't even have time to refuse before Wooyoung had already sat him down with the others.
His gaze shifted ahead. There, sitting with him, was Mingi, a bottle of alcohol in his hand, wearing the damn jacket he *shared* with Jongho. As soon as they made eye contact, Mingi looked away; he was visibly drunk.
"Alright, the next game is 7 Minutes in Heaven!!! If you don't like your partner, you'll have to drink two bottles in one go, nonstop!"
The girl's announcement made him look away from Mingi. What were they going to play? He quickly turned to look for his friend, but that damn psychopath had already abandoned him there. He broke out in a cold sweat. He wasn't going to get himself into a corner with a girl in the middle of a party.
The first round began and he was safe, so in the next two he was grateful that the bottle decided to ignore him. He looked for Mingi; like him, he hadn't won any round, but he kept avoiding his gaze. The shouts of the crowd made him realize that the next round had been played, and to his horror, the damn bottle was pointing at him.
Oh no
Then he realized, the worst thing about being chosen in that game wasn't having an awkward moment with a stranger; the worst thing was THAT HIS PARTNER WAS MINGI. He was so worried about going unnoticed that he hadn't realized that sitting right in front of him would end up like this.
He looked in his direction again, waiting for Mingi to decide to chug those bottles, giving him the chance to humiliate him by saying "drink" instead of accepting the challenge, but all he got was a furious glare and Mingi getting up to head to the closet.
He gasped, put his drink down, and decided to follow Mingi. His mind was racing. When he stood in front of the closet, he hesitated to go in, but damn it, Mingi was already inside.
He wasn't going to give him any more reasons to hate him.
The doors closed behind him, and the girl's shrill voice indicating that his time was up faded into the background.
There, both of them locked inside, he paused to observe the other's reactions, hunched over, his gaze fixed on his bottle, which he kept taking small, less deliberate, playful sips of his drink. Then he noticed the jacket; Mingi had modified it, adding drawings, brushstrokes, and lettering, but the chicken pin remained untouched, in the same place as the first time, in the same place where Jongho wore his.
"SIX MINUTES"
The announcement made them both shudder.
"Why are you upset?" he blurted out.
Mingi didn't answer. Instead, he decided to take the sunglasses off his head and put them on, then took a sip of his drink.
Seriously? You're going to wear your sunglasses in here? Inside? Do you really not want to see me that badly?" I'm so sorry, Yunho, I couldn't avoid the argument.
"You know what, yeah, screw it, yeah, you want to know why I'm so upset, idiot?" With each word, Mingi moved closer to Jongho, closing the already small distance between them. "Because every time I try to talk to you peacefully, you ruin it!!, every time I share something with you? You ruin it!! Every time I try not to end our conversations in an argument, you go and say something stupid!! Every time I'm trying to get to know you better, to interact more...you ruin it..." His voice began to crack.
"I'm not saying I'm not part of the problem, but is it so hard for you to try and get along with me? Do you know how many times I've seen you get along with other people and wondered why you couldn't be the same with me? From the first moment you saw me, you acted like an idiot, and yet I still tried to get along with you out of everyone's sight... you... you fucking selfish imbecile... the only fucking day I try to invite you to a party with me, you decide to ignore me, so yeah, Jongho, I don't want to see your stupid face." If life knew anything, it was that Mingi couldn't argue without crying, and this time would be no exception.
Reality had hit Jongho like a bucket of cold water; he expected any reaction but this.
Mingi was right. All those times when the older man had struck up conversations with him came flooding back, but they were awkward because he wasn't used to them, the times when he asked questions that seemed silly but hoped would start something, The times Mingi would arrive with snacks for everyone and bring his favorite snack, and he, being the idiot he is, would make a stupid comment to annoy him.
Having Mingi in front of him, like this, looking so sad, so angry, and so vulnerable, made him angry, angry at himself. He was an imbecile, one who didn't know how to act like
an adult, one who refused to believe he felt something for Mingi and decided to draw a line.
"FIVE MINUTES!!!"
"I'm so sorry, Hyung, I'm an imbecile and I... I..." Screw it, he was going to regret this later, but he couldn't express himself with words. God help him if he was misreading the atmosphere and misinterpreting Mingi's declaration, but damn it, he was going to go for that kiss.
He grabbed Mingi by the collar of his jacket, forcing him to his level, and pressed his lips to his in a desperate kiss. Mingi managed to hit his chest a few times in astonishment, but in a matter of seconds, they were both
struggling to control the kiss. The moment tasted of alcohol and glory. He never imagined he'd be kissing his enemy, and now, still without breaking the kiss, he found himself running his hands over the other's body, touching and squeezing everything within reach.
They separated for lack of air, feeling the tension between them. They stared at each other, waiting for the other to take the initiative to start again.
This time it was Mingi who initiated it, but he moved closer abruptly, and Jongho's knees buckled, causing them both to fall in the confined space of the closet.
Mingi wasn't deterred by the younger man's groan of pain. Instead, he took advantage of the position and climbed onto the other's hips, placing his hands on Jongho's chest.
He initiated a third kiss, a slower one but full of desire. The only sound they heard was the sound of their lips colliding, accompanied by the soft moans they both released. At one point, Jongho kept his hands on Mingi's buttocks and began to knead them while moving his hips, seeking friction.
A sharp thrust caused Mingi to groan loudly and collapse completely onto Jongho's chest. It was hot, everything around him was spinning, and he could only focus on how their erections were rubbing uncomfortably together through their clothes. He tried to focus his gaze and concentrated on that mole right on Jongho's neck. He had always wanted to kiss it and discover the other's reaction, so he moved closer and began to lick the younger man's neck, leaving short kisses and occasionally biting, getting more and more aroused as he listened to his partner's gasps. He hoped to leave a mark there; his clouded mind longed to see Jongho's neck covered in marks the next day. His erection was starting to hurt; the younger man's thrusts were no longer enough, nor were his caresses. He needed more.
He moved away again, leaning back and placing one hand on the wall. With the other, he lifted his shirt, exposing his abdomen. He began to move his hips in a more desperate sway, and Jongho's name escaped his lips. His vision was blurred, and he only reacted when he felt a pair of hands stop him firmly by the hip.
He groaned angrily, and that's when a girl's voice made itself known.
"FIVE!"
The game was going to end.
"FOUR!"
He was still on top of Jongho.
"THREE!"
He was still on top of Jongho!!!
They both separated and took their distance, each in a corner of the closet, trying to make their erections go unnoticed and feeling stupid because their distance was no more than a damn meter of separation.
The light outside hit them suddenly along with the announcement that their time was up. Right there, their friends were gathered waiting for them with visibly worried faces that turned to curious and confused ones once they saw them both come out with flushed faces and avoiding eye contact.
Nobody spoke or asked what had happened. It was obvious that neither of them would say anything, at least not that night.
Because Jongho had decided to return to his apartment rather than end the night with his friends staring in astonishment at his neck.
And Mingi had disappeared into the crowd, followed by Yunho shouting his name, trying to catch up