Mingyu lets out a quiet chuckle, his hand settling at the small of your back. “Don’t worry about it,” he reassures, his tone light. “Do you want to get another drink?”

You nod, grateful for the escape, and the two of you excuse yourselves from the conversation.

His hand stays on your back as you move through the crowd, steady and comforting in a way that makes it easier to breathe in events like these.

“You okay?” he asks softly once you’re away from prying ears, his eyes scanning your face with concern.

“Mm… just tired,” you admit with a sigh, leaning into him slightly. His thumb starts tracing slow, absent circles against your back, and you exhale a little, your shoulders dropping.

“Feels like we’ve been standing forever," you add, letting out a small huff as you shift your weight, reaching down to rub at your aching calf.

His eyes flick around the room, scanning for somewhere to sit, but it’s packed.

He doesn’t say anything, just takes your hand and starts leading you somewhere else.

You look up at him, confused. “Where are we going?”

He doesn’t answer, just walks you over to a quieter corner near a brick wall. Then, before you can even ask again, he leans back against it and slides down into a wall sit, his shoulders hitting the bricks, thighs tensing.

You blink at him. “What are you doing?”

He pats his lap, a little grin tugging at his mouth. “Come here.”

You stare at him. “Mingyu, no.”

“Why not?” he laughs, like it’s obvious.

“I’ll feel bad,” you say, glancing around, already flustered.

He scoffs lightly, shaking his head. “You think this is hard for me?” His hands find yours, giving them a gentle tug. “C’mon. I’ve got you babe."

There’s something about the way he says it, so sure, so casual, that makes it hard to argue.

You hesitate for a second longer before finally giving in, carefully lowering yourself onto his lap. His arm comes around your waist straight away, steadying you, pulling you in so you don’t have to think about balancing.

“See?” he says, a little smug, adjusting you slightly so you’re more comfortable against him. “Told you.”

You huff, cheeks warm, but you relax back into his chest anyway, letting your weight rest against him. “Show-off,” you mumble, though there’s no real bite to it.