Work Text:
I.
It was a few days after that disastrous event when Mingyu decided to come back to their shared apartment. He doesn’t know what to expect when he gets there, but his heart sinks all the same when he opens the door to find their place in the exact sorry state they left it in – torn magazines scattered everywhere, chairs toppled over, a broken vase lying haphazardly on the floor. Mingyu laughs bitterly; the vase was a gift from their friends when they first got their apartment. He had laughed at it then as well, though he remembers it to be a happy one.
He gets that crushing feeling again when he enters their bedroom. It doesn’t look as terrible as their living room does but it hurts more to look at it, maybe because this was the more intimate part of them. Mingyu remembers nights of kisses and heated bodies, holding each other ‘til the sun has risen up; he remembers secrets told and promises whispered, when both of them fully believed they’ll stay the same way even after years. Now, all that remains is a cold and empty bed.
He hears the front door click open on his way out of the room, and he doesn’t want to admit it, but his heart jumps in anticipation.
(Okay, so maybe he was expecting something – a little bit – that Wonwoo would be there, mess and all, to welcome him home.)
II.
He doesn’t understand why Mingyu does it, but it seems like his boyfriend made it a point to bring him home flowers every week. “So that every week you’ll realize how romantic I am and you could fall in love with me all over again.” Wonwoo laughed at him then. They’d been together long enough for Mingyu to cease his shameless flirting.
This night was different though, because his boyfriend comes home late, a bouquet of baby’s breath in hand, and he couldn’t help but run into Mingyu’s arms and smother him in kisses. Mingyu looks confused but doesn’t complain, welcomes Wonwoo’s kisses with the same enthusiasm. At that moment, Wonwoo thinks that, for once, Mingyu was right; he had fallen in love with him all over again.
(Wonwoo remembers back when he was still young, his mom remarried and he had been the ring bearer for it. What was strange that day was that amidst all the hopeful ladies wanting to catch his mom’s bouquet, he was the one who caught it – accidentally, of course. Everyone just laughed at the absurdity of it all, patting Wonwoo’s head, and cooing about how he’d have to wait at least 20 more years. Wonwoo didn’t understand what it meant that time, but ever since then his favorite had been baby’s breath – the same type of flower that made up his mom’s wedding bouquet.)
III.
Wonwoo wakes up to white ceiling and sunlight streaming through the window. The first thing he thinks of is Mingyu, and he’s already up from the bed, running towards the kitchen.
Sure enough, Mingyu is standing there, wearing the pink, laced apron he bought for him – it was supposed to be a joke but Mingyu treasured it all the same. Wonwoo walks up to him quietly, slowly, and wraps his arms around him. Mingyu instinctively reaches up to cover Wonwoo’s hands.
“I didn’t see you come home last night.”
“You were already asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you up.”
“You should’ve.” Wonwoo knows his boyfriend had told him a million times not to wait up for him anymore, because Wonwoo is also tired from work and Mingyu wanted him to get some rest – it won’t do him any good staying up ‘til the early morning for someone who’ll collapse on the bed (or the sofa, whichever his body takes him first) right away – but he had told Mingyu as well that he doesn’t mind, really. It sounds cheesy but he wanted Mingyu’s face to be the last he’s seen before sleeping.
(Mingyu doesn’t say it, but sometimes he purposely goes home late to see Wonwoo waiting up for him.)
IV.
The both of them are fond of music. Wonwoo, in particular, even took rapping as a hobby – nothing too big, just underground stuff (and by that, he meant the basement of his parent’s house). Mingyu also remembers Wonwoo mentioning a talent show he participated in back in middle school, which Wonwoo refers to as “the biggest mistake of his life.” Mingyu thought it was too good to pass out, that was why, a few nights later, they found themselves on a karaoke date.
It took a few beers and a little cajoling before Wonwoo was screaming That XX into the microphone. When Rainism went on, with Mingyu calling out Palryong Middle School’s Jeon Wonwoo, he couldn’t help but burst out laughing as Wonwoo almost immediately broke into dance; as they said, ‘treasure every moment you have with your loved one,’ so Mingyu made sure the moment was recorded. He doesn’t know when the song changed – he was probably too engrossed in the video he took of Wonwoo – but as soon as his boyfriend started seriously singing, Mingyu fell in awe.
It wasn’t like Wonwoo had the most beautiful voice out there, but Mingyu still loves hearing him sing. His voice is as deep as usual, but there’s a softness that seems so uncharacteristic of him. Since then, Mingyu would jump at every chance he could get to hear Wonwoo sing again (shower singing included).
(Wonwoo shied away from singing when his voice dropped – he thought he sounded horrible – but his boyfriend’s endless compliments about it made him feel slightly better of himself.)
V.
Mingyu drives him to work, and he thinks it’s to earn points – which Mingyu did – but he appreciates it anyway. It wasn’t until Wonwoo found out from Seungcheol that Mingyu works in the opposite direction from him, which meant he had to drive an hour back to their meetup point and another hour for him to arrive to his office; Wonwoo thinks Mingyu is a hair’s breadth away from being a martyr.
He asked Mingyu to stop then because he didn’t want to hassle him anymore but Mingyu adamantly said no and continued showing up to his house to pick him up. Wonwoo hates Mingyu’s stubbornness, but when the younger said “it’s the only time I get to see you” with such a dejected look, Wonwoo couldn’t help his heart soften up.
(He is honestly thankful for Mingyu’s stubbornness. If it wasn’t for that, Wonwoo wonders if he would have opened up as much as he did.)
VI.
Reading isn’t a thing Mingyu is even remotely fond of. Wonwoo tries to get him into the hobby but he wouldn’t budge. He doesn’t mind though that piles upon piles of books are around their apartment – some are tattered around the edges, the others untouched – he just simply liked how Wonwoo looked while reading them. It was one of the rare times when Wonwoo actually cracks an emotion, and Mingyu loves a lot of things about Wonwoo but his smile and laugh is by far his favorite.
He may also be to blame for the stack because the moment he realized his boyfriend’s adoration for it, it became the gift he gave for every occasion possible.
(Except for their 3rd anniversary, where Mingyu had another gift prepared. It wasn’t anything fancy, just a simple gold band which Mingyu had agonized over the past few months. He was praying to the gods for Wonwoo to say yes.)
VII.
If someone asked who the clingiest person is, the answer would most definitely be Kim Mingyu. For Wonwoo, it’s endearing at least, irritating at most. Sure he can tolerate Mingyu being touchy on any other occasion, but in the midst of public attention, absolutely not. “Intimacy is best left in private” he always said; he didn’t realize he’d take that back one day.
They were in the same park where they first met – well, technically, it was “bumped into”, since Wonwoo more or less crashed his bike into Mingyu. The night air was nice, especially after being cooped up in either their apartment or the office for the past few days. When Wonwoo looks to Mingyu to give his thanks, he notices how fidgety the other boy was, and without any warning at all, said boy bends down on one knee to ask for his hand. All Wonwoo remembers was his mind going blank, a quiet ‘yes’, and him burying his face in the crook of Mingyu’s neck.
(Mingyu had his arms wrapped around Wonwoo, and he could feel kisses on his neck. It didn’t matter that people were looking, he wanted to cherish this moment with the man he’ll spend the rest of his life with.)
VIII.
They don’t know when it started, but suddenly, the arguments have occurred more often. Screaming at each other became a habit and sometimes they don’t even know what they’re fighting over in the first place.
In some way, it wasn’t as unexpected as Mingyu is known to have a short temper and a tendency to keep arguing his point even when he himself knows that he’s wrong. Wonwoo, on the other hand, stays true to his quiet nature, which infuriates Mingyu because they’d be arguing about something and Wonwoo would suddenly shut off and stalk out of the room without another word.
They never manage to solve their fights, sleep it off ‘til the next morning, and hope that everything settles when they wake up. It had worked before, but they should’ve known that wouldn’t last for long.
It kept building up – the anger, the tension – until it became suffocating and too much to handle. Then, during one of their fights, Mingyu blurts out in anger ‘maybe we should just end this,’ and Wonwoo visibly steeled.
“If that’s what you want.” He heads to their room, hurriedly gathers his things, and storms out the door.
That was the last time Mingyu saw Wonwoo.
(They’d both been miserable after that, but pride is a hard thing to swallow.)
+++
The door opens to Seokmin poking his head in, and Mingyu lets out a breath; he’d been so nervous thinking it was another person.
“What brings you here?”
“Wonwoo asked me to collect his things. It seems there were still some left behind.”
It was that again, the heavy weight on Mingyu’s chest. He wanted to ask Seokmin about him. How is he? Is he eating well? Does he run late to work? Does he miss me? Mingyu knows he can’t say any of that; he doesn’t have the right to.
Seokmin, never one for gloominess, speaks up, “if I’d known you’d be here, I would have forced Wonwoo’s ass to come.” It comforted him a little – he’s thankful Seokmin was built for laughter. He nods his head and lets his friend continue. “Look, I know it’s not my place to say, but I do think your breakup is a bit ridiculous.”
Mingyu knows. They’ve said hurtful, regretful words – words they don’t even mean – and he wants to take them all back. “Do you know where he is?” Seokmin smiles at him gently, says he’s at my place and go get him out of there please with a small laugh and an encouraging pat to Mingyu’s shoulder. Mingyu gives his thanks and, not without telling the other boy to lock up after himself, heads out to where Wonwoo is.
I’ll get him back.
Even if Wonwoo might already hate him and ask him to leave harshly; even if Wonwoo says he doesn’t want to see his face anymore. Mingyu won’t go back without telling him how much of an ass he was and how miserable he’s been since he left.
I’m sorry.
I miss you.
I love you.
He’ll be sure to tell him.