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Jisung is halfway home from the store, backpack slung over one shoulder, and one freshly purchased booster pack already torn open in his hands. His attention is completely absorbed in the cards in his hands as he walks. Common, common, another common.
“Okay… okay… decent,” he mumbles to himself.
Uncommon. Another uncommon. His pace slows as he reaches the final card. The foil flints faintly in the afternoon light.
“Come on,” he whispers, “be something good.” He flips the last card over, and for a full five seconds, his brain refuses to process what he’s seeing. “Mythic,” Jisung breathes, “no way.”
He stops walking completely, staring down at the card like it might evaporate if he blinks. He checks the name again. Checks the abilities, checks the mana cost. He turns the card sideways to admire the art and starts walking without looking where he’s going.
The next thing he knows, Jisung is walking directly into another human being. A very solid human being. The impact bounces him backwards like he’s just collided with a brick wall. His cards go everywhere.
Jisung drops to his knees immediately, panic igniting in his chest as he tries to gather them back up. “Sorry! I’m so sorry, I wasn’t looking—”
The other person crouches down too. “It’s okay, my fault too.”
Jisung is too busy trying to stack his cards to look up yet. His heart is still racing. What if one gets bent? What if one gets stepped on? What if—
The stranger suddenly pauses. “Wait.”
The stranger is holding one of his cards. Not just any card, the mythic. He’s staring at it like he’s just uncovered a treasure.
“No way,” he says quietly.
Jisung finally looks up, and immediately glitches. The person kneeling across from him looks like he walked straight out of a fitness magazine. Broad shoulders, thick arms stretching the sleeves of his black t-shirt. Gym bag slung across his back. His forearms are ridiculously intimidating, what the hell? This is not the type of person Jisung expects to be engaging him about a Magic card.
The guy looks up from the card slowly, eyes shining. “Dude. Dude.”
Jisung blinks. “Yeah?”
“This is the mythic from this set.”
“…yeah.”
“The pull rate on this thing is insane.” The guy flips the card around to read the other side. “People have opened whole boxes without getting this one.”
Jisung stares at him. “You know what that is?”
The guy blinks right back at him, and then laughs. “Of course I know what it is.” He holds up the card again, grinning like a kid on Christmas. “This thing would go crazy in the right deck. You got insanely lucky with this pull, man.”
Jisung accepts the card when it gets handed back to him. “Thanks.”
They finish gathering the rest of the cards together, and once everything is stacked and safe again, the stranger gestures to a nearby bench. “Want to sit and sort them?”
Jisung nods immediately, and they move over to the bench and sit down, spreading the cards between them. The stranger starts flipping through them, examining each one with interest.
“Solid commons,” he says approvingly, “this one’s actually pretty underrated.”
Jisung watches him in fascination. “You really play Magic?”
The guy glances up. “Yeah?”
“I just…” Jisung gestures vaguely at his arms as if that’s explanation enough.
The guy bursts out laughing, and extends a hand. “Seo Changbin.”
Jisung shakes it. “Han Jisung.”
Changbin taps the mythic card lightly. “So, Han Jisung, what deck are you planning for this?”
Jisung scratches the back of his neck. “I actually have a few decks, so I don’t know.”
Changbin brightens. “Oh yeah? What commanders?”
“Oh, um… Ur-Dragon. Urza, Lord High Artificer. Um… Yuriko, too.” Jisung lists slowly, trying to think with a very distracting man in front of him.
Changbin looks genuinely interested. “Who do you usually play with?”
Jisung looks down at his hands. “Uh… no one.”
Changbin tilts his head. “What do you mean?”
“I mean I’ve never actually played against another person before,” Jisung says quietly.
Changbin stares. “You’ve built multiple decks, and you’ve never played them?”
“…yeah.”
Changbin studies him for a moment, and then grins. “Well, that’s an easy fix.” He pulls out his phone. “Want to play sometime?”
“You mean… like… against you?”
“Yeah.”
Jisung stares at him. This incredibly buff gym guy who’s getting excited over his cards. What universe is he in right now?
“I’d like that,” Jisung answers.
Changbin hands him the phone. “Put your number in.” Jisung types it in carefully, and Changbin grins when he hands it back. “Cool.”
Jisung gathers up the rest of his cards, and they head in opposite directions down the sidewalk. Jisung barely makes it ten steps before his phone buzzes.
Changbin:
Don’t ghost me, Han Jisung.
Jisung laughs, the sound bubbling out of him unexpectedly.
*
Changbin texts him Thursday afternoon.
Changbin:
Still good for tonight?
Jisung:
Yeah!
Immediately afterward, Jisung looks around his apartment and realizes two things. One, Changbin is coming over in three hours. Two, his apartment is a hot mess. He cleans at lightning speed, trying to make everything look nice and organized. He even changes his outfit once he’s done, attempting to look nicer. What is he doing?
A knock on the door a few hours later makes him jump. He scrambles to open it, and Changbin stands on the other side holding a small plastic bag and wearing a hoodie. He looks comfy.
“Hey,” Changbin greets cheerfully.
“Hi.”
Changbin lifts the bag. “I brought snacks.”
“Awesome.”
Changbin walks inside, and immediately gravitates toward the table where Jisung has card decks lined up. “You’ve got an entire arsenal.”
“I… might have gone overboard.”
Changbin drops into a chair and starts inspecting them with interest. “No such thing.”
Jisung picks up one of the deck boxes. “I’m using this one.”
Changbin grabs another. “I’ll try this one.”
Eventually, they draw their starting hands, and Changbin lets Jisung go first. He places his first land, and Changbin nods in approval. Jisung plays a creature and ends his turn.
A few turns pass with Jisung hesitating before every move, double-checking the wording on cards even though he already knows what they do. But Changbin never rushes him. Instead, he stays interested and entertained.
Changbin squints at the board. “Hold on. If you play that and then trigger that ability…”
Jisung nods slowly. “…it doubles.”
Changbin sits back, impressed. “Nasty. You’re evil.”
Jisung laughs, and the nervous tension slowly melts away. Turns keep passing, and cards stack. At one point Changbin slaps the table lightly.
“Wait. You can do that? That’s so mean, what the hell?”
Jisung smiles shyly. “You said you liked chaotic plays.”
Changbin points at him dramatically. “I regret sharing that with you.”
The game continues, and soon the board is complicated enough that they both have to pause to think through interactions.
“Okay, so if this resolves,” Jisung says carefully, “then this triggers, and then—”
Changbin’s eyes widen. “Oh no.”
Jisung places the final card. “And then I attack.”
Changbin stares at the board, and then groans loudly and drops his head onto the table. “No. I’ve been outplayed. You win.”
Jisung covers his face with his hands, laughing. “This was my first real game.”
Changbin straightens up dramatically. “Which makes this even more humiliating.” He starts scooping up his cards again. “Rematch?”
Jisung grins. “Absolutely.”
*
By the third week, it becomes routine. Changbin knocks on his door every Thursday, and always brings snacks. Sometimes it’s chips, sometimes it’s cookies. Once it’s a bag of dumplings that Jisung later learns Changbin’s friend made. At first it’s just playing, but slowly it becomes other things. One night Changbin pulls a binder out of his bag.
“Trade binder,” he says casually.
Jisung’s eyes widen. “You brought trades?” Changbin opens it, and Jisung is immediately gasping at a card. “You have this one?”
Changbin grins. “You want it?”
“What do you want for it?”
Changbin studies Jisung’s cards thoughtfully, pointing. “This one.”
Jisung clutches the card protectively. “No way.”
Changbin laughs. “Worth a shot.”
Another week, Changbin helps him upgrade his decks. Cards are spread across the floor around the coffee table, and Jisung sits cross-legged, surrounded by piles. Changbin leans over his shoulder to examine one.
“Okay,” he says thoughtfully, “if you add this one, things will go way faster.”
Jisung studies it. “That’s genius.”
Changbin beams. “I know.”
Jisung tosses a pillow at him.
Text messages start appearing between game nights. At first it’s about scheduling, then it’s about cards, and then it becomes… everything.
Changbin:
Saw this card and thought of you
Jisung:
this is the most evil card I've ever seen
Changbin:
Exactly
Jisung:
okay explain something
Changbin:
Uh-oh
Jisung:
why does this mechanic exist
Changbin:
Because it’s fun
Jisung:
it’s stupid
Changbin:
You’re stupid
Jisung:
rude
Something warm starts to settle in Jisung’s chest. Because a few weeks ago, he was playing imaginary games alone in his apartment. But now there are two playmats on his table. Two decks shuffled, and two voices arguing about mechanics and eating snacks.
And when the game ends, Changbin gathers his cards and says the same thing he always says. “Same time next week?”
Jisung never has to think about the answer.
*
Thursday arrives with rain. Jisung is halfway through reorganizing a binder when his phone buzzes.
Changbin:
Do we actually want to play tonight or do you want to build the mythic deck?
Jisung:
deck building
Changbin:
Excellent
When Changbin arrives, he’s carrying snacks like always. Tonight it’s a paper bag that smells like pastries. Five minutes later, the coffee table has been pushed aside and the living room floor looks like an explosion of cards. Binders are open, deck boxes are scattered, and stacks of cards form messy little islands around them.
Changbin leans forward, elbows on his knees. “Okay, let’s see the star of the show again.” Jisung hands him the card, and Changbin studies it thoughtfully. “Still ridiculous.”
Jisung grins. “I know.”
Cards begin sliding across the floor as they start assembling ideas. Some get placed in a neat pile, others get tossed aside. Jisung shifts to grab something from a binder, and his knee bumps Changbin’s. He immediately pulls back, but Changbin doesn’t seem to notice. It keeps happening, though, and eventually Jisung stops caring. There’s just not enough room between the card piles.
Changbin suddenly leans forward to read a card in Jisung’s hand. “Wait, let me see that.”
Jisung freezes. Changbin leans over slightly, one arm braced on the floor beside him. Jisung can feel the warmth of him. Changbin is very close. Close enough that Jisung can count his eyelashes. Close enough that if Jisung turned his head a little—
He looks down at the card very quickly. “Good, right?”
Changbin nods. “Yeah, that’s a good one.”
He leans back again, and Jisung can finally breathe a little better. Eventually, the pile seems pretty solid, and Jisung starts sleeving them carefully. When he’s done, he holds the finished deck in both hands.
Changbin gestures toward it proudly. “Behold.”
Jisung laughs. “Behold.”
Changbin stretches his arms above his head. “So. We test it next week?”
Jisung smiles. “Next week.”
*
Changbin:
Approaching with snacks
Jisung:
yay
A knock arrives a few minutes later, and Changbin is holding a plastic container when Jisung opens the door.
“Homemade cookies,” he announces.
Jisung gasps. “You made cookies?”
“Hell no,” Changbin snorts, “my friend made them. I can’t work an oven for shit.”
They move to the table like always, and they start their turns. A few turns pass, and the board looks harmless enough. Jisung plays small set up pieces, and Changbin studies everything carefully.
“Okay,” he says thoughtfully, “this seems manageable.”
Jisung nods. “Totally manageable.”
“Okay,” Changbin says a few turns later, pointing at the battlefield. “I don’t like that.”
Jisung tries not to laugh. “It’s just one card.”
“It’s evil.”
Jisung plays another.
Changbin groans immediately. “No.”
Jisung looks up innocently. “What?”
Changbin points at the board accusingly. “That combo is illegal.”
“Is not.”
“It should be.”
Jisung laughs, and plays another piece.
Changbin stares. “You’re being evil.”
“You helped me build this deck.” Jisung reminds him.
“That was before I understood the consequences.”
Jisung leans back in his chair. “Sounds like a you problem.”
Changbin stares at him incredulously. “Did you just trash talk me?”
Jisung blinks. “Um. Maybe.”
Changbin leans forward, resting his chin on his hand. “Go on.”
“What?”
“Keep going.”
Jisung squints at him. “Uh. Um. You’re… you’re losing.”
Changbin snorts. “Nevermind, you’re bad at being mean.”
The game keeps rolling, and soon the board is completely ridiculous. Jisung places a card carefully onto the table. Changbin reads it, and then groans so loud it echoes around the apartment.
“No! That’s so unfair!”
Jisung taps his creatures. “Attack.”
Changbin sighs dramatically and leans back in his chair. “I’m dead. You’ve beaten me two weeks in a row.”
Jisung smirks. “Maybe you’re just bad at the game.”
Changbin pouts. “That’s slander.” He starts gathering the cards up, shaking his head. “That deck is evil.”
Jisung gently stacks his own deck. “It’s perfect.”
Changbin points at it one last time. “I regret helping you build that.”
Jisung grins. “No you don’t.”
*
The next time Changbin comes over, Jisung has the TV on. A tournament stream glows across the screen, two players sitting across from each other under bright lights and commentators talking excitedly.
Changbin drops his bag by the couch. “Watching the pros?”
Jisung shrugs. “Big tournament this weekend.”
Changbin squints at the screen. “Oh, I know that dude. That deck list is wild.”
Instead of the table, they end up sitting on the couch. The coffee table is covered with cards again, but tonight it’s binders and loose stacks instead of decks ready for battle. Sorting night.
They fall into a quiet rhythm. Cards slide across the table, sleeves rustling softly, and every few minutes one of them makes a comment about the stream. At some point, Jisung leans sideways to grab a stack of cards from the far edge of the table. When he settles back again, he doesn’t really think about where he lands. His shoulder bumps Changbin’s. Normally he’d move, but this time he just stays. Changbin is warm, and the couch is small. It makes sense.
The tournament commentators raise their voices as something dramatic happens in the game, and Changbin leans forward slightly. Jisung adjusts his own position, and without thinking, lets his head tilt until he’s laying against Changbin’s shoulder. Changbin goes very still.
Jisung, completely unaware, keeps watching the game. “That was such a bad attack.”
Changbin doesn’t answer.
Eventually Jisung shifts again and it clicks in his brain. Oh. Oh no. His head is on Changbin’s shoulder.
He immediately sits upright like he’s been electrocuted. “Sorry!”
Changbin blinks at him. “What?”
“I didn’t mean to—” He gestures helplessly between them. “I just, I wasn’t thinking—”
Changbin stares at him for a moment. “I don’t mind.”
Jisung stops mid-panic. “What?”
Changbin shrugs. “It’s fine.”
There’s a small pause, before Jisung slowly leans back in, carefully this time. He’s extremely aware of it now. Changbin’s arm is… very solid. And very warm. Jisung tries very hard to act normal. Totally not noticing that Changbin’s arm is a very comfortable pillow. Or how safe it feels. Or how huge Changbin is. Totally not.
*
By the time next Thursday comes around, sitting close has become the new normal. Neither of them has commented on it since the night of the tournament stream, but when Changbin arrives and they settle in at the table, their chairs somehow end up closer together than they used to be. Jisung tells himself it’s because the playmats take up a lot of space on the table. No other reason.
Changbin sets a bag of snacks on the table. “Pretzels.”
Jisung nods approvingly. “Nice.”
They fall into their normal rhythm, decks coming out and game starting.
“Oh no,” Changbin mutters around turn four.
Jisung glances up. “What?”
“Your board is becoming my nightmare.”
Jisung laughs. “You helped me build this deck.”
Changbin sighs. “I have got to stop doing that.” The board grows more ridiculous with each turn, and Changbin studies the battlefield helplessly. “There’s got to be a way out of this.”
Jisung leans back in his chair, smiling. “You could give up.”
Changbin pouts. “Rude. No.”
Jisung shrugs. “Just saying.”
Changbin looks at him for a moment instead of the board, and smiles softly. “You know… you’re really cute when you’re winning.”
Jisung freezes, and the thought that comes out of his mouth doesn’t go through any filter. “I think you’re cute too.”
Changbin blinks fast a few times. “Really?”
Jisung’s face is on fire. “I mean—I didn’t—I mean I did mean it but I—”
Changbin laughs softly, and then tilts his head, questioning. “Can I test something?”
Jisung’s brain is still lagging. “…okay.”
Changbin leans forward across the table, and Jisung barely has time to react before Changbin’s hand is bracing against the playmat and he’s pressing a quick, gentle kiss to Jisung’s lips. His lips are soft and warm. It’s over as soon as it begins, Changbin pulling back and settling back into his own chair. Jisung’s brain has left the building.
Changbin watches him carefully. “Okay?”
Jisung nods like a bobble head. “Okay.”
Changbin grins, and then gestures toward the boards. “Your turn.”
Jisung stares at him. “Huh?”
“The game.”
“You want me to…”
“Uh, yeah. You’re winning or whatever.”
Jisung looks down at his cards, and then back up at Changbin. “You just kissed me. And you want me to continue my turn.”
“Mhm.”
Jisung’s brain is still completely scrambled. “I literally cannot think right now.”
Changbin laughs at him. “Take your time.”
Jisung stares at his cards again. They might as well be written in latin. He taps one land slowly, and then another. Changbin watches with an amused smile.
Jisung places another card down. “I’m blaming you if I misplay.”
Changbin rests his chin in his hand. “Worth it.”
Jisung finishes his turn, and when it gets to Changbin, he seems to know exactly what he wants to do and executes it swiftly. He gestures lightly to Jisung’s board again. “Your turn.”
“Okay,” Jisung says, rubbing his face with both hands. “Okay, wait.”
“Han Jisung looks like he’s struggling.” Changbin says in his best announcer voice.
Jisung snorts. “Stop. You literally just kissed me.”
Changbin shrugs. “That’s not against the rules.”
Jisung laughs again, shaking his head. “Okay. Okay. Focus.”
Jisung squints at one of his cards and puts it down slowly.
Changbin nods seriously. “Wow. Incredible.”
Jisung grabs a pretzel from the snack bowl and throws it at him.
Changbin catches it. “Unsportsmanlike conduct!”
Jisung finally draws a card, but forgets what he’s doing because Changbin is still smiling at him like an idiot. “You’re making this impossible. Shut your face up or something.”
The game crawls forward slowly, neither of them able to focus for more than thirty seconds at a time.
At one point Jisung forgets whether he played a card or not. “Did I play a land?”
Changbin looks at the board. “…I don’t know. Worst game of Magic ever.”
“Best game,” Jisung corrects.
Eventually, the chaos on the boards begin to resolve, and they’re able to at least pay better attention to what they’re doing. Enough so Jisung can finally win the game he’s been winning this whole time.
Changbin sighs dramatically. “I’m dead again. You’ve beaten me three weeks in a row.”
“Maybe you should get better.”
Changbin laughs. “You’re unbearable.”
Jisung grins. “Thank you.”
Changbin gathers his cards up into a messy stack, glancing up at Jisung occasionally as he does so. Jisung is still smiling, bright and proud as he collects his own cards. Changbin abruptly stands up from his chair to tower over Jisung.
Jisung blinks up at him. “Uh?”
Changbin places one hand on the back of Jisung’s chair and leans down, not giving him a chance to react before their lips meet again. This kiss isn’t as quick as the first one. It’s slower, and more certain. When Jisung instinctively leans into it, Changbin smiles against his mouth.
*
Two weeks after they started kissing, Jisung is in the middle of getting a deck out when Changbin casually says, “I told my friends about you.”
Jisung immediately stops what he’s doing. “You what.”
Changbin leans back in his chair, chewing a pepero. “My Magic group.”
Jisung looks baffled. “You have a Magic group?”
“They’re just friends I play with sometimes.”
Jisung slowly sets his stack down. “And you told them about me?”
Changbin nods. “Obviously.”
Jisung’s stomach is doing flips. “What did you say?”
“That you’re evil.”
Jisung squints at him. “And?”
“I might have mentioned you’re cute.”
Jisung groans and covers his face. “Oh my god.”
Changbin gently nudges his knee under the table. “They want to meet you.”
Jisung peeks through his fingers. “Why?”
“Because I keep complaining about losing to you.”
Jisung sighs. “When?”
Changbin checks his phone. “I’m pretty sure we’re all free Saturday.”
*
Saturday comes far too fast. Changbin opens the door before Jisung can even knock, and greets him with a quick kiss. Jisung still hasn’t gotten used to that.
Changbin grabs his wrist gently. “Come on.”
Three people are at the dining room table when Changbin drags him in.
Changbin claps to get their attention. “Everyone, this is Jisung.”
One of them stands up immediately with a warm smile. He has a dimple. “Hi, I’m Chan. It’s nice to meet you.”
Jisung shakes his hand. “Yeah, nice to meet you.”
A guy with long hair squints at him. “So you’re the menace?”
Jisung stares awkwardly. “Huh?”
“That’s Hyunjin,” Changbin introduces.
“Changbin complains about losing to you constantly,” Hyunjin explains, “therefore I’ve been referring to you as menace in my head.”
The third guy waves enthusiastically with a bright smile. He has pretty freckles. “I’m Felix.”
Jisung waves back politely. All of Changbin’s friends are… unfairly attractive. What kind of friend group is this, models and gym bros?
Changbin gestures toward the empty chair beside him. “Sit.”
Jisung does, and sets his deck on the table. Changbin immediately groans.
“No, it’s the evil one.”
Felix gasps, “I want to see it!”
Jisung laughs nervously. “You’re all going to hate me.”
When they begin the game, Jisung plays politely at first, shy of the new people. But as Changbin’s friends start getting more chaotic on their own, he finds himself making stronger moves. Eventually they’re all squinting at his board suspiciously.
Changbin slaps the table. “See?!”
“You weren’t exaggerating,” Hyunjin says, awed.
Chan nods thoughtfully. “He’s good.”
Jisung’s cheeks turn pink, while Changbin just looks smug. Even more so when Jisung wins the game.
Chan smiles at him as they’re cleaning up. “We’re inviting you again.”
Jisung looks stunned. “Really?”
Changbin bumps his shoulder. “Obviously.”
It’s ridiculous how quickly this has happened. A few months ago he didn’t have anyone to play with at all, and now he’s here, in a noisy dining room with a whole friend group and Changbin warm at his side. It’s like finally having something you didn’t even realize you were missing.
Chan stands first, reaching for the empty snack bowls. “You guys want tea or anything?”
Felix perks up. “Yeah.”
Hyunjin shrugs. “I’ll help.”
“I can help too,” Jisung says automatically, half-rising out of his chair.
Changbin’s hand lands lightly on his wrist before he can get far. “Nuh-uh, you’re a guest.”
Jisung glances down at the hand, then up at him. “I can still help.”
Changbin shakes his head stubbornly. “Nope. Sit.”
The other three are already heading into the kitchen, leaving the table quiet. Well, not completely. He can still hear the cabinet doors opening and closing and Felix laughing at something Chan says. But the table is left peaceful.
Jisung starts stacking his cards back together. “Your friends are nice.”
Changbin is staring at him. “They like you.”
“Oh, Jisung says intelligently, closing the deck box and setting it down. “You’re saying it like it’s obvious.”
“It is obvious.”
“Uh, no it’s not?”
Changbin laughs at him. “Baby. Chan has already invited you back.”
Jisung picks at his nails. “I was nervous.”
Changbin scoots a little closer, making sure their knees are pressed together. “Why?”
The answer should be simple. Because they’re Changbin’s friends, because Jisung wants them to like him, because he doesn’t want to be someone Changbin regrets introducing. “I’m not really used to this. All of it.”
Changbin is quiet for a beat, and then his hand slides over the table, palm up, waiting. It’s such a small thing, but it makes something warm rise in Jisung. He puts his hand in Changbin’s. Their fingers close together. “You know,” Changbin starts, voice low like it’s only for him. “The first time I ran into you, I thought you were gonna cry over that booster pack. And you kept looking at me like I was the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen.”
Jisung glances at him. “Because you were.”
Changbin tilts his head. “You know what I thought?”
Jisung narrows his eyes. “That I was pathetic?”
“No.” Changbin squeezes his hand. “I thought you were cute, and funny. And then the first time we hung out you beat me with a deck you’d never played against a real person before, which was ridiculous. But somewhere in there, I started looking forward to Thursday more than I should’ve. So, when I tell you my friends like you, I’m not lying. I know my friends. I like having you here, and they like having you here too. None of that was fake or polite or me dragging you into something you didn’t belong in. You belong, Jisung.”
The warmth in Jisung climbs higher, pressing behind his eyes. He looks down quickly, laughing a little, otherwise he may cry in front of this buff man who keeps ruining his life. “Okay. Cool.”
Changbin’s voice goes fond immediately. “Are you gonna cry?”
Jisung huffs. “Leave me alone.”
A few minutes later, tea finally happens, and then another brief round of card browsing, the others curious about his deck. But eventually it gets late enough that Jisung has to leave. His social battery can only take so much.
Changbin is already reaching for his hoodie. “I’ll walk you out.”
The apartment door clicks shut behind them, and they fall into step as they walk to the elevator. Once they get in, Jisung watches the floor numbers go down one by one. “You really talked about me to them a lot?”
Changbin snorts. “Way too much.”
“What did you tell them?”
Changbin leans back against the wall. “That you’re funny. That you act all shy and then say the meanest things once you’re comfortable, but you’re bad at insults so it’s just cute. And… that I like you.”
The elevator reaches the lobby, and the door opens. They step out into the empty lobby, but make no move after that, just standing there. Beyond the front doors, rain has started, soft against the glass.
Jisung turns toward him fully. “You make everything feel very easy. I keep expecting to do something wrong.”
“You haven’t.”
“I know, but…” He shrugs. “Sometimes it still feels like I will.”
Changbin studies him, then reaches up and smooths Jisung’s hair down, fingers warm against his temple. “Well, get used to this instead.” And then he kisses him. Slow and sure, one hand still resting at the side of Jisung’s head like he plans to keep him exactly where he is.
Jisung kisses him back immediately. There’s still a tiny, startled thrill in it every time. That this is real, that Changbin is real. And he’s kissing him in his apartment lobby after an evening with friends who want to see him again next week. He still can’t believe this is his life now.
When they part, Changbin is smiling that soft, pleased smile that Jisung is quickly learning will be the end of him.
“Okay?” He asks.
Jisung laughs. “Yeah. Okay. So… next Saturday?”
“Obviously.”
Jisung tries to bite back a grin and fails. “And Thursday?”
“Always.”
Jisung walks out into the rainy night smiling so hard his face hurts. By the time he gets home, the way he looks at his apartment feels different. It’s still small, still full of binders and deck boxes and ordinary clutter. But now his life holds more expectation. Thursday and Saturday. Messages waiting to happen. Someone knocking on the door with a grin and snacks and the assumption that of course he’ll be let in.