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"Junhui-ge?"
The voice came through Junhui's dorm door, sounding hesitant and loud for this late hour. Junhui blinked up from his laptop, halfway through a disastrously annotated essay draft, and frowned at the clock. It was indeed past midnight.
Junhui swung the door open only to find Minghao standing there, arms crossed tight over his chest, shifting his weight like he was debating whether to bolt. Minghao's hair was slightly damp, probably from the rain that had started an hour ago, and his sleeves were rolled up haphazardly, like he had dressed in a hurry.
"You okay?" Junhui asked, leaning against the doorframe, worry laced in his voice.
Minghao's gaze darted everywhere except Junhui's face. "Uh. Yeah." Minghao still refused to meet Junhui's worried gaze. Before Junhui could ask any more questions, Minghao spoke up. "Have you kissed anyone?"
Junhui choked on air, and his laugh came out strangled, half wheeze and half disbelief, as he dragged a hand through his own messy hair. Minghao's face twisted into something defensive immediately, as if he had expected the exact mockery from Junhui, but the latter just waved him inside before he could backtrack.
"Come in. If you stand outside any longer, the cold air will barge inside," Junhui said, softer than he meant to. Minghao shuffled past him, shoulders hunched, probably due to the reaction and embarrassment from the silly question he had asked the ever-teasing guy.
The dorm room was exactly as Minghao remembered. Junhui's side shelf was cluttered with half-folded laundry and snack wrappers neatly collected inside the basket; the other bed was conspicuously empty since his roommate dropped out last month. The desk lamp cast warm yellow light over Junhui's half-finished essay, blinking at Minghao's soul; the glow of the same caught the curve of Junhui's grin as he shut the door.
"So," Junhui said, leaning back against it, arms crossed. "this is the midnight emergency you wanted the answer for?"
Minghao swallowed, fingers twisting in the hem of his shirt. "I didn't—um, I mean, it's not—" Minghao exhaled sharply, then blurted, "There is someone I like. And I don't want them to know I've never..." Minghao's voice trailed off, but the flush creeping up his neck said the rest.
Suddenly, Junhui's stomach dropped like he had missed a step on the stairs, falling down into the void. Junhui's mind was a mess in mere seconds.
Who is it? Who do you like? Is it me? Why isn't it me?
Instead, Junhui forced out a chuckle as he pushed off the door and ruffled Minghao's already messy hair. "And you came to me? Bold decision, I would give you that."
Junhui hoped it sounded teasing instead of a mixture of painfully fond and jealous. Minghao swatted his hand away but didn't step back, biting his lip like he always did before exams, like he always did when he was feeling uncertain but determined.
Junhui tried not to think about how Minghao smelled faintly of rain and lemon soap that he had purchased last week during their combined grocery run or how his fingers twitched, as if he were physically restraining himself from fidgeting. Instead, Junhui gestured toward his bed, the only remotely clear surface in the room, and tried to sound casual.
"Sit, unless you want to stand there looking like you're about to ask me for a kidney."
Minghao sat. Minghao was perched on the very edge of the mattress, as if it might bite him, with his knees pressed together. Junhui swallowed around the lump in his throat and leaned against his desk instead of joining him, sitting too close, too dangerous for slipping his fastened heartbeat.
"So," Junhui said, aiming for lightness, aiming to ease his pain. "who's the lucky person?"
Minghao's fingers dug into the comforter. "Does it matter?"
"Guess not." Junhui exhaled through his nose.
Junhui wanted to say, 'Of course it matters.' Junhui wanted to know who had the privilege of making Minghao's stupidly pure heart trip over itself at midnight; Junhui wanted to know who made his Minghao desperate enough to show up half-drowned in the rain with that ridiculous pout.
"You don't even want to tell me?" Junhui asked once again, hoping to get the answer, just to hurt himself with the answer and maybe try to realize Minghao doesn't reciprocate his feelings.
But Minghao's jaw was set tight, shoulders tense like he would bolt if pressed, so Junhui just rolled his eyes and nudged Minghao's knee with his own. "Fine, keep your secrets. You want me to teach you how to kiss or something?"
Minghao's shoulders slumped in relief, and Junhui calmed himself that it was just an illusion.
But Junhui's mind loved to feed him delusions, and his heart always ate them up, only to suffer at the end.
So, Junhui tried not to feel smug about the way Minghao's face lit up, as if Junhui had handed him the answer sheet to a test he had been cramming for, as if Minghao were genuinely excited to talk about it with Junhui.
"You—you would do that?" Minghao asked, his voice pitching up in that way it did when he was nervous, and Junhui wanted to bite his own fist.
Holy shit, what? Why is Minghao so cute for asking to teach him how to kiss?
"Yeah, yeah," Junhui muttered, rubbing the back of his neck where warmth prickled under his skin. "But don't make it weird."
Junhui's mind was already making this weird, but Minghao doesn't need to know that.
Junhui pushed off the desk and dropped onto the bed beside Minghao, sitting close but not too close, leaving just enough space between them that Minghao wouldn't feel crowded. Or at least, that was the plan. Minghao shifted almost imperceptibly towards him anyway, knees bumping together, and oh boy, Junhui's pulse stuttered like a faulty engine.
Junhui caught the shine in Minghao's wide eyes, dark in the lamplight, and Junhui's stupid heart made Junhui's even more stupid eyes drunk the way Minghao was dragging his pink tongue out, licking his lips as if the younger were getting ready to do something monumental.
"So," Minghao started, pausing a bit, making his fingers curl into the comforter. "Where do we—um, how do we do it?" Minghao huffed, likely frustrated with himself, while Junhui bit his lip to keep from cooing at how utterly cute and adorable Minghao looked.
Junhui tilted his head, pretending to consider the question like it wasn't actively unraveling him.
"We should start slow, I guess," Junhui said, aiming for casual and desperately landing somewhere between strained and breathless. "Yeah, like, we should start with basics." Junhui held his hand out. "Have you ever held someone's hand before?"
Minghao blinked, his cheeks dusting a faint hue of red. "What does that have to do with—"
"More than you would think, Xiaohao," Junhui interrupted, grinning despite the dull ache in his ribs. "Trust me, Xiaoba," Junhui's warm hands held his hands even closer to Minghao's, palm facing up with his fingers splayed, and tried not to think about how stupidly intimate the moment was—how Minghao hesitated before slotting his cold fingers against Junhui's.
"See? Isn't it easy?" Junhui squeezed Minghao's hand lightly, thumb brushing over his knuckles, and watched the way Minghao's breath hitched in tiny gasps. Junhui's pulse thudded in his throat. "Now you try."
Minghao frowned, but his grip tightened, fingers sliding between Junhui's like he was testing the fit. Junhui's mind was eating up this moment, as if it were making fun of how fast Junhui's heart was beating. Junhui was battling his own emotions when Minghao spoke.
"This feels...weird," Minghao admitted, keeping his hands intertwined and not letting it go. Junhui laughed shakily and pretended it wasn't because Minghao's thumb was tracing absent circles over his wrist.
"Good weird or bad weird?" Junhui asked, his voice lower than he meant it to be.
"Good weird," Minghao murmured after the pause, his fingers interlaced with Junhui's, squeezing them slightly. The lamplight caught the curve of Minghao's lower lip where he had bitten it raw, and Junhui had to mentally stop himself from leaning in right when a mini-Junhui started screaming at him inside his head.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Minghao is not here for you, Minghao is here to practice for someone else!
Junhui cleared his throat, shifting close enough to angle his body toward Minghao without crowding him. It's not that Minghao seemed to notice, already leaning in with the kind of earnest focus he usually reserved for perfecting the dance routines they do. Minghao's fingers were still tangled with Junhui's, warm now where they had been cold from the rain, and Junhui tried his best not to hyperventilate.
'This is fine,' Junhui told himself, even as his pulse hammered against his ribs like it wanted out.
You're just helping your Minghao. This is normal.
Junhui's pulse was loud in his own ears, a frantic drumbeat against his ribs as he tightened his grip on Minghao's fingers just slightly enough to feel the ridges of his knuckles press back. And all of a sudden, the dorm room felt smaller; the lamplight glowed too warmly, and the space between their bodies filled with something Junhui couldn't name without his throat closing up.
"Alright," Junhui smiled, seemingly completely calm and collected when he was having a head full of circus. "So, do you want to... try it now?" Junhui gestured vaguely between them with their still-linked hands, his thumb brushing Minghao's wrist in a way that felt more intimate than it had any right to.
Minghao's breath hitched, his cheeks flushing a shade of pink that made Junhui's stomach swoop dangerously.
"I—yes?" Minghao's voice cracked on the last syllable, and he cleared his throat, shoulders hunching like he could disappear into his own collar. "I mean, if—if you're okay with—"
Junhui couldn't help but to let out the laughter that bubbled inside him, the one that is followed by teasing, even as his own nerves buzzed under his skin.
"Xiaoming, you are the one who showed up at my door at midnight asking for kissing lessons." Junhui nudged Minghao's knee with his own, grinning when Minghao's blush deepened. "I'm not the one who needs convincing here."
Minghao scowled, but it lacked any real heat; his fingers were still tangled with Junhui's, and his grip was tightening like he was afraid Junhui might pull away.
"Shut up," Minghao muttered, with his cheeks flushed red, which made Junhui want to bite him so bad. Seeing Minghao with flustered irritation (that always made Junhui want to ruffle his hair) was adorable.
Junhui leaned in, close enough to watch Minghao's pupils dilate, close enough to feel the warmth of his breath ghost over his own lips. "You sure you're ready, Xiaobao?" Junhui murmured, and oh lord, the way Minghao's throat bobbed when he swallowed—Junhui wanted to bite it. "Because you look like you're about to pass out."
"I'm fine," Minghao snapped, but his voice was too high, his fingers trembling where they gripped Junhui's. "Just—just do it already, ge."
Junhui smirked, tilting his head. "Do what already, baobei? You should be specific."
Junhui was pushing it; he knew he was teasing Minghao when he was already wound so tight. But the way Minghao's nostrils flared and the way his lips parted in protest were too good to resist.
"You're the worst," Minghao hissed, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he leaned in, his free hand fisting in Junhui's shirt like an anchor. "Just—just teach me how to kiss, fengzi!"
Junhui's stomach bubbled with a warm feeling, not expecting Minghao to bluntly tell him to kiss him and calling him such a sweet endearment solely reserved for him.
Oh, of course Junhui's gaze did not miss how Minghao's eyes had flickered to Junhui's lips that screamed 'I'm so desperate' (One of the mini-Junhuis in his head shut his delusion self that the later part was just Junhui's delusion) that made Junhui to swallow hard, feeling his confidence he had mustered up wavering for a second.
"Oh? So bossy, aren't you, baobei?" Junhui muttered, shifting closer until their knees pressed together. "What if I don't want to?"
Minghao's breath hitched, making his face cloud with confusion, and he pouted his lips—those adorable, stupidly plump, soft-looking, kissable lips that Junhui had spent too many times daydreaming about.
"Gege!" Minghao whined out, tightening his grip on Junhui's shirt like he might strangle him with it. "You can't just—you asked if I wanted to try, and now you're—" Minghao's voice pitched higher, those soft lips pursed in a way that made Junhui want to bite them. "You're teasing me!"
Junhui grinned, leaning an inch closer to catch Minghao's breath stutter. "Me? Teasing you?" Junhui flicked Minghao's forehead softly. "Never."
Minghao scowled, but his lips—oh god, Minghao's lips—parted slightly, pink and soft and kissable, and Junhui's throat went dry. Junhui had always imagined this scenario too many times—how Minghao's lips would feel under his own and how Minghao would gasp when Junhui nipped at his lower lip just right. And now, with Minghao staring at him like that, Junhui's pulse roared in his ears.
"Okay, okay," Junhui conceded, shifting closer until their noses almost brushed. "Lesson one: don't pout like that unless you really want someone to kiss you."
Minghao's eyes widened. "I—I wasn't pouting—"
"You were," Junhui sing-songed, grinning when Minghao's grip on his shirt tightened. "So worked up over a little teasing, huh?" Junhui pressed his nose against Minghao's jawline to catch the faint scent of Minghao's lemon soap and pecked him softly. "What happens when I actually kiss you, Xiaobao?"
Minghao let out a tiny, flustered noise, the kind that Minghao usually makes right before he shoves Junhui away. But this time, Minghao stayed still. Junhui could feel Minghao's breath hitching, warm against Junhui's ears, and fuck, Junhui was truly losing it.
"Relax, Xiaohao," Junhui murmured, thumb tracing circles on Minghao's wrist. "It's just me."
Minghao exhaled sharply, his lips parting slightly, and Junhui's gaze zeroed in on the soft, red, plum lips—the same lips he had spent too many times imagining what they would feel like pressed against his own.
"Lesson two," Junhui said as his voice dropped into something huskier than he intended, "close your eyes."
Minghao hesitated, his lashes fluttering—oh lord, why was that so fucking pretty—before he finally obeyed. Junhui swallowed hard, his pulse hammering loud enough that Minghao could probably hear it, along with his own heartbeat.
Then, slowly, too slowly, agonizingly slowly, Junhui closed the last breath of space between them, pressing his lips against Minghao's lips in a chaste, closed-mouth kiss. It was barely anything, just a brush of warmth, but Minghao gasped like Junhui had set him on fire. Minghao's fingers spasmed in Junhui's grip, and Junhui felt the shudder that ran through him.
Junhui pulled back just enough to murmur against Minghao's lips, "Lesson three: don't forget to breathe."
Minghao's eyes flew open as he scowled at him. "I was breathing!"
Junhui grinned, thumb tracing Minghao's jaw just to feel him shiver again. "Liar. You were holding your breath like I was going to bite you." Junhui pressed a soft kiss on Minghao's mole above his lips and ghosted his lips over Minghao's just to hear him gasp again. "Or, do you want me to bite you, Xiaohao?"
Minghao whined right when Junhui pulled back again, his fingers tightening around Junhui's wrist like he was afraid Junhui might vanish.
"Gege, stop messing around," Minghao huffed, his cheeks flushed deep pink under the lamplight. Junhui couldn't help but grin, thumb tracing the rapid pulse point under Minghao's skin just to feel it skip faster.
"What, you think kissing is supposed to be easy?" Junhui teased, leaning in until their noses brushed. "You wanted lessons, didn't you? This is how you learn. By practice."
Minghao's lips parted like he was about to ask something, but Junhui didn't give him the chance. Junhui kissed him again, firmer this time, tilting his head to slot their mouths together properly. Minghao froze for half a second, then melted into it with a tiny, muffled noise that went straight to Junhui's gut.
Minghao's hands fluttered uncertainly before settling on Junhui's shoulders, fingers digging in like he didn't know whether to push or pull. Junhui smirked against his mouth and nipped lightly at his lower lip, just to feel Minghao jerk against him.
"Lesson four," Junhui murmured when they broke apart, breathless and grinning. "You should move, Xiaoming. You can't just sit there like a statue." Minghao's scowl was adorable, all scrunched brows and puffed-up cheeks, his grip on Junhui's shoulders didn't loosen.
"I was moving," Minghao muttered defensively, and Junhui couldn't resist laughing at how cute Minghao was. "Oh yeah? That little twitch of your pinky counts as moving?"
Minghao groaned and shoved at him halfheartedly, as if he didn't actually want Junhui to go anywhere; but Junhui caught his wrists, pressing a kiss to the inside of one just to watch Minghao's blush harder.
"Relax," Junhui murmured, his lips brushing Minghao's knuckles. "You're thinking too much, Minghao."
Minghao's pulse jumped under his tongue. "How am I supposed to not think when you're—"
Junhui kissed him again, swallowing the rest of the complaint, and this time Minghao did move clumsily, his fingers curling into Junhui's hair like he had been waiting for permission.
Junhui's hands slid down to grip Minghao's waist, pulling him closer until their chests pressed together, their knees knocking awkwardly against each other in the tight space of the bed. Minghao gasped into his mouth, surprised, as Junhui swallowed the sound greedily, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. Junhui could feel Minghao's fingers trembling where they tangled in his hair, tentative and uncertain, like he wasn't sure whether to push or pull.
"Loosen up," Junhui murmured against his lips, nipping gently at Minghao's lower lip just to hear him whimper. "You're not fighting me, Xiaobao, you're kissing me." Junhui slid a hand up Minghao's spine, pressing their bodies flush together, and Minghao shuddered against him, his breath hitching in tiny, broken gasps.
"Lesson five," Junhui murmured, lips brushing Minghao's as he nudged him backward against the pillows. "Kissing isn't just about the mouth." Junhui pressed a trail of featherlight kisses down Minghao's jawline, relishing the way Minghao's breath hitched when Junhui lingered over his pulse point. "You have to pay attention to the rest of them too."
Minghao whimpered when Junhui nipped lightly at the sensitive skin beneath his ear, his hands fisting in Junhui's shirt. "Gege—"
"Shh," Junhui soothed, tilting Minghao's chin up with his thumb to reclaim his lips, swallowing the rest of his protest. Junhui kissed him slower this time, deeper, coaxing Minghao's mouth open with gentle insistence. Minghao stiffened for a heartbeat before melting into it with a muffled noise that sent heat curling low in Junhui's stomach.
Junhui shifted his position, rolling onto his side and pulling Minghao halfway on top of him so that their legs became tangled together. The new angle made Minghao gasp against his mouth, making Junhui take advantage of it by slipping his tongue past Minghao's parted lips in one smooth motion. Minghao froze for half a second before tentatively meeting the movement, clumsily and eagerly, as his fingers tightened in Junhui's hair, as if he were afraid of doing it wrong.
The taste of Minghao mint toothpaste and something inherently Minghao nearly unraveled Junhui completely. Junhui forced himself to slow down, to guide rather than devour Minghao, even as his pulse hammered against his ribs. Minghao shuddered when Junhui traced the roof of his mouth with deliberate patience, his hips jerking forward instinctively against Junhui's thigh.
A sharp pang of jealousy lanced through Junhui at the reaction.
Who is the person that Minghao likes?
Who are they doing all this for?
Who is the one that gets to make Minghao feel like this later, breathless and pliant under their hands?
The thought made Junhui bite down just a fraction too hard on Minghao's lower lip, earning a startled whimper that Junhui immediately soothed with a gentler suck.
Junhui forced himself to pull back just enough to see Minghao's face—lips swollen, eyes half-lidded, cheeks flushed a deep pink that made his moles stand out like constellations. Minghao's chest rose and fell rapidly, his fingers still tangled in Junhui's shirt like he had forgotten how to let go. The sight sent a sharp thrill through Junhui's veins, equal parts pride and longing.
"Breathe, baobei," Junhui murmured, his thumb brushing the corner of Minghao's mouth where his lips glistened slightly. Minghao's breath hitched, his lashes fluttering as he blinked up at Junhui with a dazed expression that made Junhui's stomach twist.
"I—" Minghao started, then swallowed hard, his grip tightening momentarily before he seemed to remember himself and loosen his fingers. "I didn't know it would feel like that."
Like what?
Like Junhui was the only thing anchoring him to the bed?
Like he had forgotten how to form sentences?
Like he wanted—
Junhui swallowed hard, his pulse roaring in his ears as his thoughts clouded on and on as he watched Minghao blink up at him with those dark, hazy eyes; the same eyes that had always unraveled him without even trying. Minghao's plump lips were redder now, slightly parted as he caught his breath, and Junhui had to physically stop himself from diving back in, kissing it silly and bitting it hard.
"Like what?" Junhui asked, his voice lower than he intended to let out, his thumb still tracing the curve of Minghao's jaw. Junhui was dying to know the answer; his eyes followed its glaze to the way Minghao's fingers twitched against his shirt and the way his knees pressed tighter against Junhui's thigh, as if he were afraid to move.
But Junhui needed to hear it. Junhui needed to carve the words into his ribs so he could remember them later, when Minghao was kissing someone else.
Minghao hesitated, his brows furrowing slightly as if he were searching for the right words. "Like… like my stomach is full of fireflies," Minghao murmured finally, his voice so quiet Junhui had to lean in closer to catch it. "And my hands don't know where to go."
Junhui's breath hitched.
Stupid. So stupid.
Minghao had always been like this—blunt and earnest in a way that left Junhui defenseless. Junhui couldn't help the way his fingers tightened around Minghao's waist, pulling him closer until their chests brushed.
"That's normal, Xiaoba," Junhui said, his voice rough. "First time's always like that."
Minghao blinked up at him slowly, his eyes shined in a hazy manner, and his plump lips parted slightly as he caught his breath. Minghao's lashes fluttered once and twice before he frowned faintly as if he were trying to process the words that Junhui uttered.
Cute. So fucking cute. I want to kiss him silly until he can't remember his own name.
Junhui is really doomed now. Still, Junhui forced himself to pull back before he ends up forgetting his moral principle, especially now that he had gotten a taste of how alluring his beloved Minghao is.
The second Junhui moved away from the heat, Minghao made the tiniest unhappy noise, whining out.
Junhui's brain glitched for a moment, and his brain exploded afterwards. Minghao seemed to realize he had made the sound too loud because his eyes widened slightly before he turned his face away, visibly embarrassed.
Junhui tried to keep the smile off his face before he moved back to sit and relax. "So," Junhui said, trying to sound normal while his heartbeat was busy performing acrobatics. "That's basically how you kiss someone."
Minghao whipped his head fast enough and stared at Junhui with a complicated expression that the latter couldn't recognize. Junhui waited to listen to whatever thought Minghao seemed to form; instead, all he got was a slow blink from Minghao. And almost ten seconds later, Minghao opened his mouth.
"…That's it?" Minghao's voice had a high element of being offended by whatever Junhui said.
Junhui choked on his own breath. "What do you mean, that's it?" Junhui laughed incredulously. "What were you expecting? Fireworks? A soundtrack? Or something else?"
Minghao scowled instantly. "You pulled away too fast."
Junhui's entire soul left his body, how those words spilled from Minghao's mouth.
"Oh my god," Junhui wheezed, covering his mouth with his free hand. "You're complaining already?"
"I'm not complaining!" Minghao shot back immediately, sitting up, cheeks bright red. "I'm just saying you stopped in the middle!"
"In the middle? Xiaobao, that was your first kiss, not a final exam."
Minghao huffed out, crossing his arms tightly over his chest, glaring with the full force of someone deeply wronged.
"You said practice makes it perfect."
"I meant about the dance practice."
"I don't care, practice really does make it perfect, irrespective of the activity."
Junhui stared at Minghao, then at Minghao's red, plump, swollen lips, and then at the way Minghao's self was half sprawled against him despite all the cute sulking.
Rest in peace, Junhui's heart.
"…You're unbelievable," Junhui muttered weakly.
Minghao huffed dramatically and tried to sit up properly, and Junhui unconsciously slipped one hand around his waist, making the movement restricted.
"Forget it," Minghao grumbled, the redness returning to his face, refusing to look at him now. "Maybe you're just bad at teaching."
Junhui gasped theatrically, "Excuse me?"
Minghao shrugged one shoulder stubbornly, though his ears were now strawberry red. "How am I supposed to learn properly from just one tiny kiss?"
Junhui is going to die. Junhui is going to actually die right here. Junhui is actually going to die in his tiny dorm from Minghao's terrible attitude and pretty swollen, red lips.
"Xiaoming, you really do sound suspiciously invested in this." Junhui narrowed his eyes.
"Well, yeah! What if I end up embarrassing myself later?"
Later?
Oh. Right. With his crush.
Junhui's face fell at the reminder. This reminder poked his chest hard enough to feel the burn, and not to mention, the whole scenario felt like adding salt into his wound. Junhui forced a teasing grin back onto his face anyway and flicked Minghao lightly between the brows.
"Trust me," Junhui said. "Your crush is going to be obsessed with kissing your lips."
Minghao stared at Junhui. Junhui sensed the exact moment something weird crossed his face, and Minghao frowned.
"…You are really stupid, ge."
Junhui blinked. "Okay, rude?"
"No, like, ge, you are really, really stupid."
Junhui stared at him in confusion while Minghao looked increasingly annoyed, then Minghao gestured vaguely at himself with both hands.
"I came here! At midnight!" Minghao hissed. "In the rain!"
"…Yes?"
"And I asked you to kiss me."
"Well, technically you asked me to teach you how to—"
"That's not the point!"
"Yes, it is—"
"Either way, we kissed!"
"Yeah, we kissed because you wanted to kiss your crush?" Junhui was genuinely losing his mind.
Minghao's jaw dropped, and he stared at Junhui as if he were hardcore on judging Junhui's intelligence level. Then Minghao groaned loudly and dropped his face onto Junhui's shoulder.
"Fengzi," Minghao helplessly muttered against Junhui's shirt. "How can you be this hopeless?"
Junhui looked down, Minghao's fluffy and soft hair was resting softly against Junhui's jaws. Junhui began to review how they ended up in this situation.
Minghao came to him at midnight, asking whether he had ever kissed and saying it was because Minghao liked someone and asking if he would give some pointers on how to kiss—Oh.
Oh.
Oh!!!
Slowly, Junhui looked down at the sulking boy currently hiding his face against Junhui's neck.
"...I'm the crush?" Junhui asked weakly.
Minghao lifted his head just enough to glare at him with maximum irritation.
"No, Junhui-ge, I regularly ask people I'm not interested in to make out with me after midnight for educational purposes."
Junhui burst out laughing so hard he nearly fell backward off the bed. Minghao immediately got grumpier.
"Stop laughing!"
Junhui's laughter subsided into breathless chuckles as Minghao glared up at him, the blush prominent on his face. Junhui wiped at his eyes, grinning so wide his cheeks hurt.
"So let me get this straight," Junhui wheezed, nudging Minghao's knee with his own. "You staged this whole midnight crisis just to get me to kiss you?"
Minghao's scowl deepened, but his fingers were still twisted in Junhui's shirt like he had no intention of letting go. "It wasn't staged," Minghao muttered defensively. "I just… panicked."
"You—" Junhui pressed his forehead against Minghao's shoulder to stifle another laugh. "You cute little baby! You could have just said you like me."
"And risk you laughing at me?" Minghao's voice pitched higher, indignant. "Like you are doing right now?"
Junhui grinned against his collarbone, inhaling the lingering scent of rain and lemon soap. "Oh, baobei, I would have laughed at how cute you are!" Junhui kissed Minghao's nose. "But I would have kissed you sooner, without any hesitation."
Minghao huffed before biting Junhui's cheeks, which only made Junhui giggle. "It wasn't a bad plan, though."
Junhui arched a brow. "You showed up at my door past midnight looking like a drowned kitten and asked me to teach you how to kiss—that too, for someone else—and you think that wasn't a bad plan, hm, baobei?"
Minghao's ears couldn't have burned redder anymore. "It worked, didn't it?" His voice dropped to a mutter. "Now I know how you kiss."
Junhui couldn't stop grinning so hard that his cheeks started hurting for it as Minghao squirmed under his teasing, actively avoiding holding eye contact.
Minghao perfectly nested in his arms, making Junhui feel warmth in his chest, feeling too giddy bubbling up.
"All this time," Junhui murmured, tilting his head to nudge Minghao's temple with his nose, "my dear Xiaobao was scheming, huh?" Junhui pressed a kiss to Minghao's heated cheek just to feel him shiver. "How devious, baobao!"
Minghao whined and finally lifted his head, his brows knitted together in that adorable, irritated pout Junhui loved so much as Minghao protested weakly. "I wasn't scheming!"
Junhui couldn't resist the cuteness anymore, as he caught Minghao's chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting his face up to meet his gaze properly.
"Admit it, baobei-er," Junhui murmured, grinning when Minghao's lashes fluttered. "You plotted this whole thing because you knew I would melt the second you called me gege, right?"
Junhui punctuated the sentence by brushing his lips against Minghao's lips, delighting in the way Minghao's breath hitched. "Am I wrong, baobei?"
Minghao squirmed, his flush deepening as he muttered something unintelligible into Junhui's lips. Minghao whimpered and licked Junhui's lips like a cute kitten desperately licking milk, only to get pulled away, making him let out a whiny noise.
Junhui pinched Minghao's swollen lips between his fingertips, delighting in how they looked even redder when compressed, like overripe fruit begging to be bitten.
"Say it properly, baobao," Junhui murmured against the mole by Minghao's mouth, kissing it just to feel the way Minghao's breath stuttered. "Or do I have to kiss it out of you?"
Minghao whined, his fingers scrabbling at Junhui's shoulders. "Yes, yes, you are right! Now kiss me, gege!" The words tumbled out in one desperate rush, and Junhui's stomach swooped at the raw need in Minghao's voice, as if Minghao had been holding the plea behind his teeth for years.
Junhui exhaled sharply, his thumb brushing Minghao’s lower lip where it was caught between his fingers. "Good boy," Junhui murmured, which made Minghao’s breath hitch audibly. Junhui pressed a soft kiss to the corner of Minghao's mouth, then another to the mole beneath his eye, feeling the way Minghao's fingers dug into his shoulders like he was afraid Junhui might dissolve if he didn't hold him tight.
"I like you so much, Minghao," Junhui mumbled against his cheekbone, the words spilling out like they had been waiting behind his ribs for years.
Even before Minghao could utter another sound, Junhui kissed him hungrily, swallowing Minghao's surprised gasp as Junhui tilted his head to slot their mouths together properly. Minghao melted into it with a muffled noise that went straight to Junhui's gut, his fingers tangling in Junhui's hair like he was trying to pull him closer even when there was no space left between them.
Junhui licked into Minghao's mouth hungrily, savoring the way Minghao shuddered against him, his hips jerking forward instinctively as if he couldn't help it.
Junhui pulled back just enough to catch his breath, his forehead resting against Minghao's as he watched the way Minghao's lashes fluttered, his lips parted and glistening.
"You—" Minghao started, then swallowed hard, his grip tightening on Junhui's shirt. "You like me?"
Junhui laughed breathlessly, pressing another kiss to the corner of Minghao's mouth just to feel him shiver.
"Obviously, my dear baobei." Junhui nipped lightly at Minghao’s lower lip, grinning when Minghao whimpered. "Why do you think I agreed to teach you? I’ve been wanting to kiss you like this for ages."
Minghao's eyes narrowed, but the effect was those words reflected in the way his cheeks flushed pink.
"You better not," Minghao muttered, finally releasing Junhui's shirt only to poke him sharply in the chest. "Now you're mine. You are my boyfriend now. Okay, ge?"
Minghao said it like a decree, chin tilted up in that haughty way that Junhui pretty much adored with his soul, but Minghao's voice wobbled just enough to betray his nerves, feeling anxious about what Junhui's reaction would be.
Junhui's breath caught. Junhui was dumbfounded.
Boyfriend.
Minghao's boyfriend.
Oh, how many days and nights had he yearned to be Minghao's boyfriend.
The word curled warm and syrupy in Junhui's ribs, and he couldn't help the way his hands tightened around Minghao's waist, pulling him closer until their foreheads bumped.
"Yours," Junhui agreed, pressing a kiss to the tip of Minghao's nose just to hear him squeak. "But only if you promise to stop scheming like a little villain, hm? Next time just tell me you want to kiss me."
Minghao groaned, burying his face in Junhui's neck. "Shut up!"
"My sweetest baby," Junhui pressed a kiss on top of Minghao's head, laughing when Minghao pinched his side in retaliation.
"My sweet, ridiculous Xiaobao." Junhui tipped Minghao's chin up with his thumb, unable to resist kissing the pout off his lips. Minghao melted into it instantly, his sigh warm against Junhui's mouth.
When they finally pulled apart, Minghao's eyelids were heavy, his breaths slow and even against Junhui's collarbone. Junhui carded a hand through his hair, smiling when Minghao nuzzled closer with a sleepy hum.
"Tired?" Junhui murmured, his face having a sweet smile.
Minghao nodded, his words slurring slightly. "Mm, can I sleep here?"
As if Junhui could ever let his boyfriend leave!
Junhui tightened his arms around Minghao's waist, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Always, Xiaohao."
Minghao's lips curled into a smug little smile even as his eyes drifted shut. "Good," he reached out to press a kiss on Junhui's lips. "Now you're finally mine." Another kiss on Junhui's mole. "My boyfriend."
Those words settled over Junhui like sunlight—warm and inevitable.
Junhui huffed a laugh, rubbing circles into Minghao's back. "Yeah, yeah. Only yours, Minghao." Junhui kissed the crown of Minghao's head, lingering in the scent of rain and mint. "Now, go to sleep, baobei."
Minghao's fingers tangled lazily in Junhui's shirt, his breathing slowing. Outside, the rain tapped softly against the window, a quiet lullaby for two hearts finally in sync.
｡𖦹°‧ ♡⸝⸝