달빛이 가대 춤을 추지

Wrinkling your nose, you rolled to your side, eyes peeking at the face in front of yours, a small smile tugging at your lips. “Why?” your small voice cracked as you sat up, scooting so that your back pressed against the wall, holding you in the upright position.

“You should eat something,” Junhui smiled, sitting on the corner of the bed, a hand reaching out to push stray hair from your face. “I made you some breakfast.”

Turning, he picked up a wooden tray from the bedside table, setting it carefully on your blanket-covered lap.  “It’s nothing special, just some eggs and a pancake,” he lifted his shoulders in a shrug, grabbing the utensils from the tray before picking up a slice of buttery pancake and holding it before your lips.

“Open,” he smiled, pushing the soft bread through your lips and retracting his hand.  You gazed at him with lidded eyes as you chewed, the corners of your mouth pulling upward into a smile.

“Tastes good; really good,” you complimented, opening your mouth for the next bite he’d prepared for you.  Taking the utensil from his hand, you opted to feed yourself, shoveling in bites and quickly consuming them.

“I didn’t know if you would want orange juice or milk, so I brought you both,” in each hand, Junhui held out a glass, motioning you to take whichever you felt like drinking.  Grabbing one, you quickly gulped it down, the liquid gliding smoothly down your scorching esophagus.  

“Not that I’m not glad you're here,” you spoke quietly, voice threatening to scratch if you increased your volume. “I really do appreciate this, but why are you still home?”

Junhui laughed lightheartedly, taking the wooden tray and placing it back on the table beside the bed before crawling over you, to the other side of the mattress.  “You were up all night coughing and all, so I called in.  There’s no way I’d leave you alone like this,” he exhaled, pulling the duvet up to your chin.  He drew his arm from under the blanket, draping it across your shoulders and pulling you close enough to rest comfortably against his shoulder.  “The idea of lying around and watching movies all day was also appealing, though,” he taunted, the breath accompanying his laugh brushing down your cheek.

Clasping your hands together, you let out a deep sigh and gazed at yourself in your tiny compact mirror.  Despite having double, even triple checked your appearance and rearranged loose strand of hair just as many times, nerves got the better of you and you kept making sure not a thing was out of place.

“Geez, come on Y/N…” you huff and bite down on your lower lip with a nod.  “Here goes nothing!”

You’d never once agreed to go on your friends’ blind date setups, but after days upon days of hounding you over wanting you to meet your best friend’s acquaintance, you finally agreed.  She swore he was your perfect fit, that the two of you would get along like “two peas in a pod” as she had worded it.  Of course, though, you trusted your best friend’s judgement it’s just that, well, your taste in men was quite different than hers and that was your main concern for her setups.

You pull your jacket tighter around you, slowly crossing the street with a crowd of people, assuring yourself that you still have plenty of time to run the hell away.  Not that you would do that to the guy waiting, it would weight to heavily on your heart to stand him up without reason.

Your eyes grazed the overhead signs of many shops, restaurants and thrift stores, before meeting with the bakery you would be joining your date at.  Hand on the door handle, you let out one more heavy breath before tugging your lips into a quaint, welcoming smile and walked inside.

Probably the most awkward part of any blind date is standing in the entrance like a fool, scanning for the guy who’s looking expectantly toward the door as he sits alone.  Therefore, you felt entirely out of your place, smiling like an idiot and trying to make eye contact with your potential date, when suddenly someone stands up from the table closest to you.

“Y/N?” He asks, his smile so bright and so wide that his eyes squint and the apples of his cheeks dusted a pearly pink.  When you nod your head, his smile widens (not that you thought it was even possible) and he moves to pull out the chair that was opposite his own. “You don’t mind to sit here, do you?”

“No, this is great,” you flash him your best smile and accept the seat he offered, studying him as he sits. His black hair is fluffed into tufts on either side of his middle-part, framing his cute, chubby little cheeks which bring a soft smile to your face.  You scan down his face, eyes lingering on the collar bones exposed by a loose, black button-up and you want to continue to gaze on but realize you’re being to obvious and decide to meet his eyes as he introduces himself.

“Well, Y/N I’m glad you came, I’m Soonyoung,” his smile remains, although now softer as he looks you over himself. “You,” his smile widens bashfully, his cheeks no longer light but now very fuschia in color “You’re just really beautiful.”

And now it was your own cheeks’ turn to discolor, “Ah, thanks.”

“So, I was told a lot about you, but I’d like to hear about you from yourself now.”

As the date went on, your nerves relaxed and you felt more at ease with Soonyoung than you would have first imagined.  He was quite the gentleman, listening to you explain small details about yourself and asking questions related to what you were saying before telling you something about himself as well.  So, naturally, as the date was coming to an end as the night grew longer, you felt your shoulders deflate, not wanting to leave the company of your handsome date.

“Could I walk you home?” Soonyoung offered, as the two of you exited the bakery and stood in front of the store.  

“I would really like that,” you agreed, warmth creeping up your neck as you laced your fingers in the hand he held out.

“Good, I was afraid you’d say no,” he confessed, squeezing your hand as you lead him in the direction of your apartment building.

You walked for quite a few minutes in near silence only to occasionally make comments on something you see in one of the passing store windows. “Okay, how about we play a game?”

“Mm?”

“We’ll ask each other a question, and we have to give the first answer that comes to mind.”  You nodded at the idea of his game, smiling as he issues his first question, “What’s your favorite color?”

“Purple.  What’s your favorite movie?”

“X-Men.  Which season do you like the most?”

“Winter. Oh, this is me up here,” you pointed to the building only a few feet away from the two of you.  You continued the game, however, wanting to get one more question in. “Do you like me?”

“Yes.” Unphased, Soonyoung’s lips turned to a smirk, as you stopped in front of your apartment, hands still lingering a grip on one another. “One more. Can I kiss you right now?”

“Yes.”

Huddled together on the couch, both you and Hansol refused to leave the other’s embrace, arms wrapped around torsos, legs wound together, and fingers weaved one upon the others.  Hansol’s bright laughter filled the room as he paid close attention to the movie playing on the television, your lips also tugging into a sad smile at the sound of his personal joy.  

“Are you sure you have to go?” You whispered, not bothering to halt the release of tears that were forming in your eyes. “Like, why for that long?  Can’t it be shorter?”

“[Y/N]…” Hansol’s voice cracked, having anticipated this talk all day long, yet neither of you wanted to face the reality of his depart. “I won’t be gone forever, you know I’m coming right back to you.”  He cleared his throat, and stuck his chin into the crook between your neck and shoulder, laying gentle kisses everywhere he could reach.

“I know but-”

“Eh, eh.  No buts, it won’t even feel that long.  I’ll call you everyday, twice, three times a day.  Video chats, too; and text messages.  There’s nothing to worry about.  I promise.”

Your shoulders dropped, you know it wasn’t in your place to ask him to stay, but imagining spending so long away from your boyfriend felt like a punch to the gut.  You simply nodded your head, leaning back against him once more as his hand came up to wipe the tears from your cheeks.

With a sigh, you closed your eyes and choked out an apology, “Sorry… I… I know you have to go,” your lips trembled but the tears stopped, and you squeezed Hansol’s hand with your own.

“Don’t apologize, I don’t wanna be gone for so long either.  But it’s my job, you know this.  This is our big break, babe, we’re getting more worldwide, now. And, besides, it’s just temporary.” He placed a kiss on the back of your head as you nodded.

“Temporary.”

During the night, you refused to fall asleep and instead took in all of Hansol’s features, from the curves of his ears, the length of his eyelashes, how his teeth were aligned when he gave you that all-gums grin, and the way his eyes gleamed while he took in your own features.

That’s why, when morning came, and it was time for Hansol to gather all of his luggage from the home, that your heart broke a good ten times over.  The honk of a horn and the yells of twelve other boys came too quickly, and you found yourself latched onto your boyfriend, fingers curled tightly in his shirt, face shoved into his chest.

“Hey, it’s going to go by quickly and I’ll be back in no time,” Hansol’s arms tightened around you, one hand combing through your hair to calm the breakdown that flowed from you.  “Come on, don’t cry.”  As he tried to sooth you, his own tears threatened to pool against his will.

“Hansol… Please…”  You begged, body shaking.  Once he was gone, you wouldn’t see him for months upon months, and you couldn’t begin to fathom it. “Don’t leave me.”

He sighed, speechless.  He wanted to comfort you, but he felt just as bad as you did. “I’m sorry…”

“You won’t forget about me?  You’ll call me every day?  Video chats too?  You’ll stay healthy, won’t strain yourself?”

“Promise. Do you trust me?”  To which you nodded, tears lessening their flow as you looked up at his equally as sullen expression.  “Then you already know that I’ll keep my promises.  [Y/N].  I’m so in love with you, don’t you know this?  Don’t you dare ever think I’m not going to hurry my way back here, I’ll miss you more than anything in the world…”

Letting out a shaky breath, you took a small step back, properly getting a last look at your boyfriend before he made his way out.  He flashed a toothy smile, leaning down to press a lingering kiss onto your lips. “I’ll be back soon.  Don’t worry.”

You nodded to agree, giving him one more hug. “I love you, Hansol.”

You shuffled further into your jacket as a gust of wind blew through the fourteen-degree air and, despite the chill that should overtake you, anger seemed to present a barrier to the cold.  Fingernails curled into your palms and hands shoved into your pockets, you trudged through through the night, your steps heavy and each fist that curled felt as if it were home to a ball of fire.  Each huff and heavy sigh that escaped your clenched teeth was accompanied by a cloud of fog and each time you had to re-wet your lips, the cold proving too much an obstacle for breathing through your nose.

As your eyes met with the lights of your apartment building you scowled, rolling your head from side to side as you began to dig for your keys.  The moment you stepped in, the warmth flooded your body but none of your tension retreated; if anything, it increased.  As quickly as your feet would take you (without granting you odd looks from other residents, of course) you scurried up to your apartment, throwing the door open the moment you stepped in front of it.

“What the hell, Wonwoo?!”  You had no intention of yelling when you met eyes with your boyfriend, but the moment you saw him leisurely lying on the couch, remote in one hand and phone in the other, you couldn’t help yourself.

The subject of your exclamation sat up abruptly, eyes wide as he turned toward you, “Oh shit…”

A throaty scoff left your lips as you stomped over to him, pointing one finger to the television. “This must’ve been important, yeah,” you loomed, eyes narrowed and practically set aflame.

“No, it’s not important, I just… I got…”

“You’re an asshole, you know that?” You turned your back, shedding yourself of your coat and dropping your bag onto the table.

Wonwoo stood to his feet, fingers wrapping themselves around your wrist as he made his way to you. “Look I’m sorry! Okay?”  As he spoke, he pulled you to face him, only dropping your arm when he knew you would stay.

“You’re sorry?” You rolled your eyes, finger pushing into his chest, “Do you know how cold it is?!  Do you know how far I had to walk in that cold!?  How oblivious do you have to be to forget your own girlfriend?  You were just laying here! Did you even care?”

His forehead wrinkled as his eyebrows raised, a look of shock splayed across Wonwoo’s face, “Maybe it’s a good thing I forgot about you, you’ve been a real bitch lately anyway; I was beginning to think you crawled out of Hell.  A cold walk should’ve been good for you.”

You closed your eyes, jaw tightening and lips pursing together, no way were you going to cry.  Not right now and not in front of Wonwoo, there was just no way.  “Okay.  Noted.”  You nodded your head, eyes downcast, and turned abruptly grabbing your jacket and bag once more, not bothering to put the outerwear on before throwing the door open only to slam it once you walked out.  Letting out a shaky breath, you halted and viciously rubbed the tears from your eyes.

Inside, Wonwoo’s fists clenched and met with the wooden table in front of him, a string of profanities cursing himself for blowing up.  He was the one who’d forgotten to pick you up, it’s not your fault he’s scatterbrained, and you had every right to be infuriated with him.  “Dammit!”

Without putting shoes on, he burst out of the door, his sights landing on your distant back, “[Y/N]!  Wait!”  You stopped walking as his voice reached you, sniffling and wiping your face once more before turning around as he ran up to you. He threw his arms around your torso, holding you tightly to him, “I didn’t mean that.  Please come back in…”  You sighed, it’s not like you planned anywhere you could go anyway, so you nodded and whispered your agreement.  “I’m sorry,” he breathed, taking your hand in his.  

He beckoned you back inside the apartment, arms wrapping around you once more as you entered, only this time from behind you, your back now pressed against his chest.  “When you walked out, I knew I screwed up,” Wonwoo spoke quietly, his face buried in the crook of your neck, breath ghosting over you.  “I’m really sorry and you’re right: I am an asshole.  I promise it’ll never happen again, I promise.”

Angst:

1) “ Not you again.. ”

2) “ Leave me alone. ”

3) “ I don’t love you anymore. “

4) “ I thought you loved me. ”

5) “ I don’t need you anymore. ”

6) “ I can’t believe you! ”

7) “ We can’t keep this up forever. ”

8) “ You’re a monster. ”

9) “ I hate you. ”

10) “ Don’t leave me… ”

11) “ Don’t die on me– Please. ”

12) “ I never meant to hurt you. ”

13) “ I wish i’d never met you. ”

14) “ You need to leave. ”

15) “ I wish i’d never met you. ”

16) “ There was never an us. ”

17) “ I came to say goodbye. ”

18) “ I don’t deserve to be loved. ”

19) “ Are you mad at me? ”

20) “ Stop ignoring me… ”

21) “ You’re an asshole. ”

22) “Wait. I didn’t mean that. Please, come back.”

23) “Don’t make me out to be the bad guy.”

24) “It’s okay. I’m used to it.”

25) “When it happens to you enough you just learn to pick up on it.”

 Love:

26) “ I’m so in love with you. ”

27) “ Dance with me! ”

28) “ I wish we could stay like this forever. ”

29) “ Will you marry me? ”

30) “ I need a hug. ”

31) “ Do you trust me? ”

32) “ Can I kiss you right now? ”

33) “ You’re cute when you’re angry. ”

34) “ I’ve liked you for awhile now. ”

35) “ We’d make such a cute couple. ”

36) “ Can we cuddle? ”

37) “ It’s lonely here without you. ”

38) “ I can’t stand the thought of losing you. ”

39) “ Shut up and kiss me already. ”

40) “ Are you flirting with me? ”

41) “ Is that my shirt? ”

42) “ You’re so beautiful. ”

43) “ Stop being so cute. ”

44) “ You’re teasing me again… ”

45) “ This is why I fell in love with you. ”

46) “ Oh, Are you ticklish? ”

47) “ Are you jealous? ”

48) “ Hold me and never let me go. ”

49) “ Stop hogging all the blankets! ”

50) “ Lets run away together. ”

 General:

51) “ Catch me if you can! ”

52) “ We can’t go in there… ”

53) “ Well this is just great. ”

54) “ Not sure if you could tell, but I’m not exactly a people person. ”

55) “ I didn’t do it! ”

56) “ I don’t remember that! ”

57) “ Well that’s pretty rude of you to say. ”

58) “ Get that thing away from me! ”

59) “ Do you believe in ghosts? ”

60) “ Where did all these puppies come from?”

61) “ That wasn’t funny. ”

62) “ This tastes horrible. ”

63) “ Can I borrow that book of yours?”

64) “ Take that back! ”

65) “ No way, that’s so lame. ”

66) “ What are you listening to? ”

67) “ I haven’t slept in four days… ”

68) “ Your turn to do the dishes. ”

69) “ Are you cold? ”

70) “ This place gives me the creeps. ”

71) “ I swear my house is haunted. ”

72) “ Did you hear that? ”

73) “ It’s just your imagination. ”

74) “ Stop being such a baby. ”

75) “ Go back to bed. ”

Sexual: 

76) “ Bite me. ”

77) “ Make me. ”

78) “ Stop teasing me so much… ”

79) “ Want to head back to my place and have a little fun? ”

80) “ You’re in trouble now. ”

81) “ What a pretty sight. ”

82) “ I’m waiting. ”

83) “ You’re so beautiful. ”

84) “ As you wish. ”

85) “ First one to make a noise loses.”

86) “ You have no idea what you do to me. ”

87) “ No strings attached. ”

88) “ Mine. ”

89) “ Behave. ”

Jutting out your lower lip, you swiftly dropped down onto the grass-stained blanket beside Jihoon, head taking refuge on his ever-so-welcoming shoulder while an arm draped itself around your torso simultaneously.  Fingers lacing with those of Jihoon’s other hand, eyes scanning from the easily spotted constellations like the dippers and Orion to your joined hands, you released a sigh.

“Hm?  What’s wrong?” the male to your side craned his neck forward, brow raised and tongue perched between teeth.

“Just,” your teeth grazed over your lower lip and lifting your head, you peered at your boyfriend.  “What if there are other people out there?  You think they know about us, even though we don’t about them?”

“I think that’s more up to you to consider:  to decide whether or not you believe there are or not.”

“Well, what do you think?” you searched his face for any detection of an answer, leaning closer as his lips parted from one another.

Jihoon retracted his arm from you and reached out, extending his palm and waving his limb in the air, across the width of the sky before him.  “There’s so much room out there, [Y/N], how can there not be something, right?”

His lips pursed, his gaze not retracting for a moment from the sparkling whites of the stars, “It’s… an odd concept to think about, really… You always hear people say we’re the inferior race, but I think there’s something much more advanced than us out there, somewhere.”

A smile graced your lips, Jihoon’s always logical way of thinking showing through his scientific response to your fun question.  You adored it, the way his lips scrunched into a pout as he imagined what this other species would look like, would act like.

“What are you picturing in there, Jihoon,” you cooed, tapping the tip of your finger against his temple and earning a soft, breathy chuckle.

“What do you think they’d look like?” He turned his head toward you, avoiding your question for the moment.

“Well,” you snuggled your body against his as the night winds flowed across you. “Sometimes I imagine that there’s some sort of parallel to us, ya’ know?  Maybe, far out there, there’s another pair of us; another Jihoon, another [Y/N]...”  Looking toward your boyfriend, a flush spread across your cheeks at his enthralled smile which only lit up as he noted your embarrassment.

“I’m sure that’s quite possible.”

“You think the other us could meet each other like this too?”

“I think yes,” Jihoon’s smile was soft, as was the look he gave you; soft and filled with more love than he’s ever shown anyone. “The reason, though, is because… No matter what universe, or how different they are to the us here, we were made for each other.”  You felt the stinging prick of tears in your eyes as he continued, your fingers wrapping around the hands he’d placed on both of your cheeks.  “No matter how many versions of me there are, I think the only way I could ever find happiness is if I keep finding you, in each and every parallel universe.”

Smell

Arms quickly engulfed you in a loose embrace, your nose meeting with the chest in front of you just as quickly.  With a pleased giggle, you leaned forward and rested your weight against Mingyu, breathing in deeply.  His shirt smelled of fabric softener and detergent, provoking you to rub your face against him.

“Huh, finally did your laundry, did you?” You chided, a playful smile overtaking your expression.  You wrapped an arm around his waist and gazed upward, scrunching your nose as his breath flowed across your face; you’d expected a heavier stench of beer than he’d given off, but only a light bitterness accompanied by a hint of his toothpaste’s spearmint flavor invaded your senses.

“Actually, I just borrowed this from Minghao,” he joked along with you, lips curling into another beautiful smile.  His neck craned downward as you lifted to your toes, lips skimming across yours lightly before throwing an arm around your shoulders and pulling you to his side.  “There’s a whole party out there and we’re missing out, let’s go!”

Letting out a hearty laugh, you held your arm forward and called out in agreement, your head resting against his shoulder as he led the both of you out the room.  You inhaled his cologne as you made way through people once more; Mingyu being the kind of guy who never left his room without making sure he didn’t reek of manly stench.  Yet, although you would never admit it to him (his ego would positively explode), even his natural aroma was pleasing; a unexplainable musk that gave you a filling sense of security when it were just the two of you, lying side by side in his bed.  His cologne, however, gave Mingyu a different vibe; the warmth that emits from his fragrance heats your nostrils, the blend spicy yet still sweet.  Honestly, Mingyu may as well have irresistible written across his forehead with the way just his scents alone make you feel.

As the two of you made your way into the living room, the once pleasing aroma flowing from your boyfriend was overpowered by the amount of people whose bodies produced disgustingly powerful stenches.  “I need another drink, come with me,” Mingyu whined and moved his arm to your waist, pulling you along with him to the kitchen.

Taste

You brought your own cup to your lips as Mingyu poured his, eyes shutting and lips pinching as the searing liquid slid down your throat.  Silently, you cursed Minghao, an unintentional laugh rising through you.  Of course, of all possible liquor options, he would give you the drink with a heavy bite; the flavor alone was enough to send chills down your spine, it tasted smokey and had the brash flavor of cinnamon.

Mingyu returned to your side, leaning against the counter and throwing back a big gulp of his preferred drink.  He nudged you with his shoulder to get your attention, “You’re admiring me very heavily, ya’ know?” He teased you while pulling you in front of himself and putting his drink aside. “But I guess I’ll give you a free pass to admire, I mean: I am quite the attraction.”  

You let out a scoff, along with a roll of the eyes, as you reached for each collar side of his opened flannel shirt. “And I’ll give you a free pass for that, because you really are,” you gave your boyfriend a wink before pulling him in for a kiss.  Mingyu’s lips, no matter what he’d consumed, are always just as sweet as his persona; not the multiples of unhealthy candies sweet, definitely not that.  His lips always taste of genuine sugar, the kind that you eat as a child before pouring it your cereal, expecting it to be just as nice as candy but really it’s just sweetness, there’s no flavor to the sugar, just that singular sensation. That’s what he tasted like, that and a hint of booze, of course.

Touch

Mingyu’s hands made their way to your waist, one arm quickly winding itself around you and pressing you flush against his body, the other hand came up to meet your neck, fingers brushing gently through your smooth strands of hair.  Your own pair found themselves moving from his collar to his hair and his chest, one combing through the feathery soft tufts of brown, while the other pressed flat against him, right on top of his accelerating heartbeat.

Your lips curled into a smile at the feeling of his heart rate, sliding from his own lips to his cheek, from his cheek to his jaw, and from there to his neck.  Although you knew you were flush in the middle of the kitchen and pinned together with Mingyu, his skin just felt so soft and so warm and plush under your kisses that it were impossible to tear yourself away from such an intoxicating man.

Meanwhile, Mingyu’s own fingers had began to hike up your shirt, gliding across your own smooth skin and drawing small circles upon each of your hips.  His head lolled to the side as your lips continued to the crook of his neck, teeth scraping against him, drawing small goosebumps to his skin and sending a crude chill down his spine.

You feel the vibrations of the  grunt that leaves his chest as you make your way back to his lips, hovering them with the lightest touch you could muster.  The fingers that were previously circling your skin were now pressed onto your back causing you break into a smile and skim your hands up to Mingyu’s cheeks.  Pressing them firmly, you leave a lingering peck and let your eyes graze up his face to meet the eyes that were now fiery hot, a combination between the alcohol and your incredibly intense teasing.

Sound

“HEY, could you two stop being gross right here, you’re in the way!”  A loud roar from Minghao broke the concentration you had on your boyfriend as you turned around and flipped a rude finger toward him.  With a laugh you pushed yourself away from Mingyu and grabbed onto your drink again.  “Go be nasty among the other dancing nasties, would you?3”

“He must be lone-drinking tonight, huh?” Mingyu quipped, spurting into a heart-warming laugh at his roommate’s expression.  Although he frequently laughed—not just small laughs but hearty, full laughs—the sound never failed to bring an instant smile to your face.  His laugh always sounded so pure and warm, and it alone showed Mingyu in his entirety; a warm, playful, gentle kind of guy.

“Piss off,” Minghao scowled, shooing you and your boyfriend out of the kitchen.  The closer you got to the living room the louder the blaring of music got.  Mingyu clinged to you as you continued to one of the inner corners of the room where other familiar faces of Mingyu’s friends were holed up.  The two of you joined in with most of the others at the party, bodies syncing to the beats of the song, one of which you were unfamiliar with but all the same provided you with something to move to.

Sight

As soon as the pair of you had received your drinks, the lights on the stage were suddenly cut, shadowed bodies scurrying off of the space with instruments in hand.  “Come!  They’re up next,” you barely had enough time to take a large swig of the drink before Soonyoung grabbed your arm for the second time, this time pulling you as he pushed through a wave of people who threw indifferent or grumbled expressions to the two of you.  

He halted a couple feet from the stage, lifting his chin as a drummer and bassist made way onto the stage.  “Okay, now fill me in, who’s who!?” You nudged your friend’s shoulder with your own, taking a glance at him.

“Alright,” he looks from you to the men who are setting up the stage, “The one with the drum sticks in his pocket, there, he’s Jihoon.”  You squinted your eyes at the guy crouched over on one knee; through the small amount of light provided he had dark hair, black it seemed, and his stature was on the shorter side.  “The bassist, he’s moving the amp right now, his name’s Jeonghan.”  You nodded, turning your head to the side to catch a better glimpse of this so called Jeonghan.  He was tall, his long legs adorned with tight, acid wash, ripped jeans; his torso donned an unevenly ripped-sleeve Led Zeppelin shirt, flaunting his nicely toned arms to the audience.  Scanning from bottom to top, your eyes finally reached his face of sharp, lively features, his forehead covered by an unkempt mess of blonde hair.

Your tongue darted out across your lips, concentration broken by the shove at your side, “Oh! There he is, Seungcheol.  He’s the singer and guitarist,” Soonyoung finished his introductions  by shooting you a proud smile, turning toward the stage again as the its lights flicked on one by one.

Sound

Without introductions, the singer stood at his microphone, eyes gleaming downward and scanning the sea of bodies beneath his post.  His head turned toward the side, eyes cast to his left and three small taps were heard through the quiet anticipation of happily curious drunks when, suddenly, the influx of sounds hit your ears in wave pools.  First came the introduction beat of the drums, then a hard strum of a guitar, followed by the gentle, rhythmic strums of the bass.  

You watched the bassist exclusively, following as his fingers moved down the bass’ neck, his other hand strumming fluidly.  Although the bass was the softest of tunes, it felt as though it were the loudest to you.  Seungcheol’s voice and guitar, Jihoon’s drums, the screams and shouts of strangers, all of it blurred together while you focused on the bassit.

“Aren’t they good?!” Soonyoung’s close yell broke your trance, as you smiled and nodded.

“They’re fantastic!”  You agreed, head pounding to the beat, body swaying back and forth as the sounds all tuned themselves back into your ears once again.

“Hell yeah!” a group of guys yelled next to you as the lead went into a guitar solo, ripping a hearty laugh from your throat as they drunkenly showed off their air-guitar skills.  You brought your attention back to the stage as Seungcheol’s solo was slowly accompanied by a smooth patter of drum beats and the soft backing of the bass, building into the final chorus before the song ended on strong notes, voice fading out in an echo throughout the bar.

The crowd, including yourself, burst into hefty cheers at the end of the band’s entire set, strangers grouping in cries over how good they were and hopes to get them to the bar again soon.

Touch

Soonyoung’s sweaty palm found its way to your arm once again, bringing you closer to him as the two of you made your way back through the crowd and to a table, rather than the counter.  “They should be out soon, we’ll have to wait for them,” he said, focusing on the drink on the table across from yours.

“Go! Get me one too,” you laughed, not bothering to explain yourself as he already knew he was caught red handed.  With a pat to the top of your head and a look that read ‘you’re the best’ he shot to the bar to grab the bartender’s attention. You ran your fingers through your hair, sweeping it across in one fluid moment before letting the smooth strands fly in their own directions.

As your friend returned, he did so with three additions, hearty smiles gleaming across each face, likely from a Soonyoung joke.  “Guys! This is the friend I mentioned!”  You were officially introduced to the band members as they took their seats at the circular table, Soonyoung on your right and Jeonghan your left.  Your face heated and you kept your eyes settled on the drink set in front of you, fingers wrapping around the cooled glass.

“Hey, it’s good to meet you!”  Jeonghan greeted you, shooting a hand out in your direction.  Your cheeks flushed at his handsome features as your grasped his callused, yet still smooth, hand in your own.  A smirk drew across his face as his hand held onto yours for a few seconds overdrawn.  “Did you enjoy the show?”

“What?” You flush, mind racing to the fact that you had practically eye-fucked the bass player who was now less than one foot from your side.

“The set,” he laughed, “did you like it?”

“Oh!” you bit down on your tongue, inducing a sting to prevent your thoughts from getting far too ahead of you.  “Definitely!  You guys are really damn good!”

Jeonghan chuckled a thanks and leaned back into his chair, throwing his arm around the back of yours, the soft skin of his arm brushing the ticklish back of your neck.  While the other three were preoccupied with one another, Jeonghan leaned even closer to you, his lips a mere inches from your ear as he whispered, “I know you probably don’t want me to,” Jeonghan donned a smirk, a fire in his eyes igniting as he looked over at you, “But I totally know you were eyeing me up on stage.”  

His warm breath flowed over your ear and down your neck as your mouth formed a prominent ‘o’ shape at having been caught, earning a deep laugh from the incredibly attractive man to your left. Gaining some unprovoked sense of confidence, you straightened up, leaning yourself closer to Jeonghan, fingers delicately dropping themselves onto the cotton that covers only half of his shoulder. “I was enjoying the show,” you bluff your flirty poise, insides burning from embarrassment.

“How’s about another one, then? ” He winked, the action leaving you much less than indifferent, your insides feeling as if they would combust.  Flirty fingers found their way to your arm, rubbing up and down in feather-light movements; the tips of his fingers were rough from the strings of his bass. “Let’s leave?” With his close proximity, the flipped, unbrushed strands of his hair tickled against your cheek as you nodded in complience.  Jeonghan excused the two of you from the group of friends, his hand trailing from your shoulder down to the lower of your back, as you stood, carefully pressing you forward as he led the two of you out of the bar.

Taste

As you looked around the living room of Jeonghan’s messy apartment, a hand snaked onto your back once again, a cold bottle of beer held in front of you.  “Sorry it’s pretty nasty in here,” he laughed, kicking aside an assortment of dirty clothes as he made his way to the couch.

You brought the bottle to your lips and seated yourself beside him, pulling one leg underneath yourself.   Your mouth filled with the cool liquid, gliding down your throat and igniting your tastebuds bitterly, an earthy, musky flavor roaming your tongue. Jeonghan alternated between taking small sips of his more powerful drink and puffing on the cigarette between his fingers, making small talk that drove your mind further into the gutter the longer he kept you fermenting.

“Now,” you set your bottle down on the table, turning yourself toward the man at your side and brushing your hand through your hair. “About that extra show…”

Jeonghan’s lips curled into a mischievous smirk, hand trailing up your thigh, “What, is someone getting impatient?” He teased, fingers curling into your hip as you tugged him forward, lips latching to your own.

“Very,” you mumbled, moving yourself onto Jeonghan’s lap, fingers curling into his blonde locks.  His tongue twisted and prodded at your own, the easily distinguished taste of minty menthol grazing your senses, mixing into the faint leftover flavor of your drink and the sour metallic taste of his tongue ring.  Fingers tugging on his hair, you earned a low grunt, using the opportunity to push his tongue back, teeth grazing his bottom lip before lightly licking across the skin; his lips, unlike his breath, taste of scotch, vanilla and deeply smokey.  The robust flavor matched Jeonghan’s aura, the strength of the alcohol a correspondent to the ferocity in which hands roamed your body; the rubbing, the pinching, the digging, all of it leaving you with a wanton burn erupting from your core.

Your lips moved aside, trailing down Jeonghan’s jaw to his neck, teeth biting down directly beneath his ear, tongue roaming the bruising skin.  His salty flavor built against your senses, colliding with the scent of the cologne he’d likely been wearing before sweating it off during the band’s performance.  A hand wound itself around your neck and your face was brought back to Jeonghan’s, his lips hungrily enveloping yours as he stood from the couch, hands both moving to cup your thighs.

Day 5

While I was out, you came and dispelled the area of your belongings, leaving only emptied spaces and neat, folded piles of shirts that you had convinced me were no longer of my possession.  An ounce of me hoped that through either absent-mindedness or pure pleasure that you’d have kept them, maybe worn them again to walk around your new place, to sleep in, to come back in… At this point, I think I’d take anything, really.

Some fragment of my brain imagined that when I had called after a couple of days that you would melt and we’d sew ourselves back together, I envisioned telling you I would change, that I am changing and that we could go back to our worry-free lives together.  I sincerely did not expect you to laugh that weak, languid chuckle of disappointment, to cut me off with a blatant refusal accompanied by a more-than-good excuse for such.  I hadn’t realized that “we” weren’t worry-free, that I was, and that you weren’t–because of me.

Now that I realize that every ounce of potential for an “us” is now impossible, I can’t help but feel the odd, displaced aura that this house now holds.  Despite being full of the bits of junk that I own, your own possessions made it lively, colorful, airy, even.  There’s no frilly laughter to fill the stale silence of the surroundings; no scent of flowers and coconut to mix with the coffee’s own after a fresh, early morning’s brew.  

I genuinely miss every single thing about you, right now.  I’ll keep trying though, I’m not letting you go without a fight.  I love you.  I really, really love you.

                                                      Love,                                      The insolent ass of a man:                                                     Mingyu

Day 13

I called again today.  I also failed to get you to receive the call, yet again.  However, this time I did not leave a message for you to delete and forget about.  I was too craven (dense, too; I always am) to utter any words through the phone.  

For the first time in, well, in general, I’m at a loss for words.  Or maybe there just aren’t enough of them to allow me to even begin explaining how much I need you by my side again.  It feels like there’s a lack of blood flowing through my chest, or like I can’t take in enough oxygen no matter how hard I try to inhale...

Which brings me to think about how the only other time I had felt this strained were in those moments in which you would lie beneath me, eyes locked with my own, our minds, our hearts, our souls stuck in such moments that we could only hope would never end.

Right now, I just really want to see your face.  I need to know you’re doing well, to hear the shrill of laughter bubbling from your throat and see the curve of your lips rising, the dimple on your chin creasing into your skin.  I want to see the eyes that always shone with life, those that gave me small glances of infatuation, the kinds of glances you didn’t really think I noticed.

But I did.  I may not have said anything, but I noted a lot of things about you.  How could I not, you really are something otherworldly… Anyway, next time please answer my calls.  So I can quit writing on this low-quality paper and hear you speak my name.  Love you.  A lot.

                                                    Love,                                          The rising desperate:                                                   Mingyu

Day 21

Sorry… For sending another call your way.  I’m surprised you haven’t changed your number yet, what with the influx of calls you get from me after so many days.  Of course you didn’t answer, but this time I knew what I wanted to say.  Or so I thought; I realize now that I only spouted a load of incoherent pleas and rambles over my feelings.

I meant it, though:  all of it.  I miss you like Hell, I wasn’t lying one bit about that, nor when I told you that I realized how terrible I was, how wrong I was, how much you sincerely mean to me.  It’s absolutely ridiculous that after twenty-one days on my own that I only now tell you this, I mean, there’s no way you’re not scoffing and cursing me out as you listen to my pitiful whining.  But, it really is much too lonely without you around; I’d become so accustomed to walking inside, the aroma of whatever you’d made for dinner wafting through me as I entered, seeing your bright, cheerful face, your arms snaking around my neck before I’d even entirely removed my shoe but my arms would wrap themselves around you instinctively anyway… I need that back.  When I walk inside now, I smell the odor of alcohol, see the abundance of cans lined up and stacked upon one another on the table tops; it’s quite honestly deplorable.

I’m sorry… I should probably try not to call in the future.  Maybe next time I’ll be blessed enough to receive a phone call from you, even if it’s unintentional.

                                                      Mingyu

Day 37

I finally managed to drag myself out of this dull apartment last night, or more accurately the guys managed to drape me in presentable attire, brush my hair and drag my unwilling body outside.  They took me to this old bar we used to hang out at, you know, the one with the panda mural on the bathroom wall.  Anyway, though, they told me it’d be a good time; I could let loose, have a few drinks outside the realm of cans of beer, and maybe drunkenly flirt and get lucky at some point.  

In the midst of downing my second drink, however, I spotted you from across the room.  You were with your friends, I recognized them from the double dates and many parties we’d attended.  They looked like they were doing well, I’m glad for that.  You, too, looked well.  I couldn’t prevent noticing that you’d changed your hairstyle a little, new color, shorter cut; I like it.  You looked absolutely stunning.

Nonetheless, there were also faces I failed to distinguish, supposing we’d never met formally.  But, only one pegged me of all of the unfamiliar faces; the one who leaned in so closely their nose nearly rubbed against your cheek, who wrapped their arm casually around you, who stared at you as if you were the only woman near him… That’s the only person who I genuinely wanted to know.  

Not for some stupid, unthinkable reason, really I’m not going to be that such man.  I just… I want to know if he’s a good guy, if he’s going to treat you better than I ever had, that he’ll treat you how I wish I could now…

I hope you’re happy, either way.  You looked it, and that’s all I could ask for.

                                                      Mingyu

Day 52

I decided that I no longer enjoy the presence of absolutely nothing, so I’ve been cleaning up, packing some things, throwing some out; I’m finally moving out… I found something of yours though, for some reason it’d been stuffed into the deepest recesses of my drawer.  Remember when you used to take photos of nearly every single place we went?  It’s the album that I found; I started looking through some of the pictures, reminisced a lot, spouted some laughs at the terrible photos of us on those horrid rollercoasters at the park, drowned in even more laughs at the photo snapped right as a bug flew near your nose.  But, often sadness follows the happy and a few tears spread on your pictures, and for that I apologize.

It’s stupid how much I miss you, right now.  And even though I probably shouldn’t, I’m keeping this album.  Maybe someday I’ll face reality and throw it out, but for now:  it’s mine.

                                                      Mingyu

Day 76

It’s been over two months since we’ve last spoken, life’s been pretty busy though, so I’ve been keeping my mind off of the factors my awful relationship skills.  I actually got a job offer awhile back, you may remember when we talking about it one night, it’s the one that’s out of the country, but only for half a year.  But maybe that would be a good change for me; I probably should get out a bit more, while I’m still young and definitely not lacking in good looks.  I don’t really have much to say in this, but I felt like it was a noteable to write something.  I suppose it’s because I’m too excited about this job.

I told Chan he could stay here while I’m gone, well, since he’s the only of the guys still living at home.  So, I should really hide the box I’m stuffing these papers into, though, so he doesn’t find it if he snoops around… Hm, safe idea.

                                                      Mingyu

Day 297

Wow.  Can you believe it, It’s been, what, almost ten months, now?  I only recently came back from abroad, and I was cleaning out my closet to fit loads of clothes back into the space when I dropped the container of endless pages filled with my pathetic rambling.  I wonder how you’ve been doing, I hope you haven’t been ill, that you’ve been full of life and contentment.  I need to continue unpacking, but with these few sentences I hope my well-wishes and good vibes reach you.

                                                      Mingyu

Day 407

I met up with Wonwoo today (as I do so often…) and he told me he saw you out a while ago.  Being him, of course he waltzed right up to you and spoke as if he had been in your company this last year.  (I swear, sometimes he can be as dense as me…)  He said he asked how you were doing, though (you two were always pretty close, I’m sorry I kind of ruined that…), he thought I’d like to know you’re doing well, that you’re practically radiating bliss to those around you.  

He also said you asked about me, and that he discreetly brought up that we should meet.  And I spoke honestly, telling him that I would love to but unfortunately I left an unsightly impression at the end.  Of course, he then called me stupid and dragged out the secrets of the incorrigible calls I made much, much too often.  But I was, I was very stupid; sorry for that.

He did say he told you about me though, about the job and all; he recalled a kind of shimmer in your eyes, like a tear bubbling to the surface, and that the corners of your lips tugged into the widest smile he’d viewed from you.  If that meant you were happy for me, proud of me, then I sincerely thank you; I just wish you could have gone through it with me...

But, you know how Wonwoo is, he doesn’t want to break anyone’s heart or to send a shred of sadness their way, so he hesitated to actually tell me about you for a while.  But, eventually, with enough taunting pleas, he said you’d gotten engaged.  That the man’s name is Seokmin and that he makes you the happiest you’ve been in a while.  

I’m glad for you, I am. So, congratulations.  I hope you can continue to live with this happiness, you more than deserve it.  

Maybe, at some point in our futures, we can meet again.  

Until then, however…

Wonwoo’s eyes flicked to his mobile as the screen emitted a ray of light, the familiar ringing that accompanied an incoming call invading the once calming silence.  Upon reading the caller’s name (which was followed by a simple heart emoticon) he slid the pad of his finger across the green icon, “Oh, Mingyu?” the surprise flowing from his voice rose more persuasively than he had presumed.

“Sorry but I think I’m gonna be late tonight,” the voice echoed through every facet of Wonwoo’s mind, expression contorting as his line of sight met with the lean male fleeing from the brick-walled building to the right of him.

Wonwoo’s breath hitched in his throat as he comprehended the sentence, his reply flowing with the breath that escaped his now heavily weighted lungs.  These calls were nothing out of the ordinary, though; however, Wonwoo usually understood that Mingyu’s job would require that he stay to speak to clients–even after he could declare himself finished with the day. Now, though… Now proved different.

His eyes stayed focused on the sleek-looking other as he crossed the street, pulling the door to his car open wide enough for him to swiftly slide in.  “Well, be careful coming home; it’s supposed to start raining soon…” Wonwoo pushed a sentence from his throat, unsure if the weather forcast really called for rain or not, he just needed to say something, anything.  

“I’m sorry,” the nearly monotonous apology made Wonwoo’s stomach churn and his fingers tighten around the edges of his phone.  ““I’ll see you at home, okay?  I love you,” the voice continued, the last fragment causing a falter in the older male’s heartbeat, questions (dozens of them) threatening to pour from him.

“Yeah…” Hesitant to trust the usually meaningful words, Wonwoo’s grip loosened, eyes falling as his opposite hand reached to shift his vehicle into drive. “Yeah.  Love you, too,” this, though, he knew was true.  Without allowing another word from the delusive Mingyu, he quickly jerked the phone from his ear, pressing down on the bright red button as soon as it appeared on the screen.

“God dammit,” he cursed, fingers wrapping around the steering wheel with enough pressure to cause his knuckles to lighten from his original skin tone.  As the vehicle in front of him sped off, Wonwoo hastily shifted his into drive before trailing a few meters behind, back arched away from the seat and eyes focused intently on the accelerating car.

As the light along the street flashed from its vibrant green to a sphere of red, Wonwoo’s eyes flicked to the side, his foot tapping at the break and hands guiding the steering wheel into the next lane, halting behind a large suburban, all while keeping close watch on Mingyu through the rearview window of his automobile.

The tips of his fingers tapped at his jean-covered thigh, teeth clamped down on the plump expanse of skin before them, dragging back and forth while the wait for a switch of the traffic light felt endless.  Wonwoo’s foot lifted from the break with ease as the opposing post’s light flicked from the yellow to the next hue, anticipation rising for the moment the vehicles preceding him would speed up, allowing him to once again lag behind his lover’s car.

His eyes locked on the blinker flashing repeatedly, the mass of dark blue disappearing to the left into a crowded parking lot, coming to a halt in the most secluded area the pavement provided, the streetlights inadequate enough to shine such a distance back.  Wonwoo immediately swerved through the line of traffic, sliding through the space between two trucks into the same lot, body jolting at the speed bump he’d failed to slow for.

He made a circle around the parked cars, halting his own vehicle two aisles away from his fiancé’s, avoiding any instance in which he may find himself confronted by Mingyu’s curiously bright eyes, and sly curve of his lips upon recognition.  His finger looped into the ring of his keys, yanking the metal from the ignition before scurrying out of the door with a speed he hadn’t envisioned possible, the legs that didn’t quite reach the length of Mingyu’s carrying him hastily over the concrete and into the brick-walled building.

The direct scent of strong alcohols swept through Wonwoo’s senses, heavy blinks due to dim lighting and bright flashes of stage-lights accompanying the exalted coughs at the cloud of smoke wafting over the expanse of the room at head-level.  His head whipped from right to left with each body that bumped and brushed against his own, causing his hands to automatically find their way into the mono-pocket of his sweatshirt, fingers curling into his palms at the struggle to reach the empty seat at the far corner of the entrance.

Reaching up, his hand latched onto the lump of fabric hanging behind his neck, pulling it forward to cover the top of his head and allow for a more discreet appearance, unwilling to stand out upon every fiber in his body.  The moment his scanning vision met with the familiar curl of brown hair fixated with a small amount of product, Wonwoo scowled, immediately meeting with the sight of a male around their own age, dressed casually yet making the clothes look better than they would on someone else.  Too far to recognize any features of the other’s face, he sufficed with watching the interactions from afar, body sinking into the much uncomfortable metal chair as his significant other’s arm wrapped around another’s shoulder, pulling him close enough utter unheard words.

Wonwoo’s hand flew to his face, rubbing at the skin of his forehead as Mingyu’s figure turned in his direction, he and his company parading to his area of the tavern, bodies pressed closely together–due to either the amount of others pushing against them or the sheer enjoyment that came with being close, Wonwoo really had no idea at this point.

A breath of relief floated from his throat as the pair opted to sit on the stools at the bar, facing one another as Mingyu continued to speak words that the other hadn’t

cared to listen to, his slender fingers snapping repeatedly in request for the bartend that rolled his eyes upon approaching.  The male beside his fiancé held up two fingers toward the man, attention turning back toward the taller brunette, head nodding as two glasses filled to the brim appeared in front of them.  Wonwoo’s eyes narrowed at the apparent dislike spread across Mingyu’s face as he quietly complied to a short toast before sipping at the liquid, wondering why the younger felt it necessary to drink for this other male while he never once drank for nor with his own partner.  

The brunette’s expression tightened, the hand wrapped around the full glass carefully dropping to the counter, body completely still despite the blaring, rhythmic music.  His stance straightened, the hand lying on the top of his thigh tightening as his fingers curled into his palm, eyes following the lips of the other’s spoken words.

The exchange continued until Mingyu’s body positioned itself closer to the other male’s as he abruptly stood, stool dragging against the hard tile of the floor in a loud screech. As soon as one stood, the other followed suit, adjusting the collar of his button up and pushing his hands deep into his pockets.  Wonwoo followed their motions as the shorter one shook his head and the other dropped a hand to his shoulder, willing him to nod in agreement to whatever the conversation consisted of.

In a fumble of wobbly legs and dizzy feet, the shorter of the two slyly slipped through the midst of people and through the door.  Craning his neck, the hooded male pushed his seat backward and straightened his legs before trailing far behind the pair.  His feet led him around the entirety of the parking lot to his parked vehicle, fingers weaving around the multiple of keys to unlock the door and quickly slip inside, exposing himself to the sight of his fiancé wrapped around another as he aided him into the car.

As briskly as Mingyu departed from the parking lot, Wonwoo gripped the steering wheel, willing his foot to press down against the accelerator, head leaned against the door’s window, the cool glass pricking at his temple.  

Continuing to follow after his partner proved a task within itself, with the constant accelerations and failure to abide by regulation driving rules.  The once dimly lit streets of a metro area faded directly after a swift turn, Wonwoo’s surroundings blending into a desolate shade of gray accompanied by its darker friends, the only genuine hue blooming from the taillights of the preceding vehicle.

Without signal, Mingyu’s eventually halted, the previous burst of color immediately leaving the area with the opening of his door.  Eyes followed as he stepped out, returning to his company’s side and releasing him from the enclosure of the car, an arm slipping itself around the taller, his own arm winding around the other’s waist.

Wonwoo’s brow inched upward at the notion splayed before him, cautiously removing the key from the dashboard and shoving it into the depths of his pocket as he waded between the untrimmed bushes, his car at rest behind.  Rather than watching as the brunette bustled into a wooden structure, he opted to keep view of his feet, weaving around the fallen tree branches that threatened to make his presence known to the two others.

His fingernails dipped into the chipped wood of a tinted window’s pane, subconsciously leaning onto the tops of his feet to better his sight inside of the dimly lit room.  He scanned the area, eyes lingering on the homely-colored sofa and the unconscious male placed atop it.  The short murmur of his partner’s voice resonated through the thick glass, causing Wonwoo’s jaw to clench with the sheer amount of focus placed into thoroughly listening to the beginning conversation.

The shoulders of the man inside broadened as his arm outreached toward the half-conscious male, knees bending as his face lowered and shortened the gap between the two.  Mingyu’s body jerked to the side before his hand quickly fell to his side, retreating from the now gawking other and waltzing closer to the window Wonwoo perched behind, fingers trembling against splintering wood, eyes following the nearing figure’s mouth as he spoke words mute to Wonwoo’s ears.

Quickly, he turned around, feet shuffling quickly back to his companion, short sentences spewing from each’s mouth, both faces reddening at whatever words the conversation withheld.  Arms prodded about in various directions, fingers tensed and curled into fists, jaws clenched together...until all movements slowed with a single stretch of Mingyu’s legs and the reach of his arms toward the sitting male.

Wonwoo’s brow furrowed, eye sockets widening as his took in every aspect of the performance splayed in front of him, the tensing of Mingyu’s back muscles, the short legs that kicked at the shins of the taller legs, arms sweeping toward Mingyu’s face and hands pushing at the chest in front of them.

The older man’s heart felt as if it’s fervent beating halted, breath catching in his throat as his fiancé pulled his acquaintance from the couch, body lying limply on the floor and complying to the pull of his legs across the surface.  Tongue darting to wet his lips, Wonwoo dropped his arms to his side, feet stumbling as he attempted to distance himself from the wooden structure.

His fingers fished around the pockets of his jeans, the ring of his keys looping around his index finger, eyes straining to search for the key to allow entrance into his vehicle.  Quietly, he shut the door and started the car, watching the darkened silhouettes as one made his way toward an expanse of water and the other had no choice but to follow.

-*-

Wonwoo’s feet slid across the carpeted floor, fingers white with the tightening grip on his cellphone, teeth continued to clench themselves together and his nostrils flared as the dragging of his feet turned into stomps while he ventured into the apartment’s kitchen.  He dropped his cell onto the marble counter, trailing his fingertips across the chilled expanse and using the opposite hand to open a cupboard door, swiftly yanking a glass from the shelf.

What once was a slight vibration of his fingers due to tension became a gyration–from increase in tension:  maybe; from anger:  possible, from fear:  even more possible.  Wonwoo pressed the back of the cup against the plate in the refrigerator door, filling the wobbling container with cool water before attempting to down it, only to clink the glass against his front teeth and shake the liquid onto not only his chin but down the chest of his shirt.

Deflated, he threw the contents of the glass into the sink, dropping the cup with a shattering cling against the steel.  His shoulders dropped with the release of the breath he’d held captive, feet tripping backward and hip knocking against the edge of the counter.  Wonwoo’s body tensed as a familiar tone resonated through the apartment, a picture of his fiancé flashing across the screen followed by the caller ID.  Teeth bit down on his tongue as his body repelled itself from the counter, index finger quickly swiping across the bright red icon, the picture fading to the reflective blank appearance it previously held.

Throwing a glance toward the door, Wonwoo retreated from the kitchen, toes curling into the fluff of the carpet upon dropping himself onto the stiff couch, eyes fixated on the small expanse of wall not filled with framed photos of the home’s two occupants.  

With the flood of thoughts swirling around Wonwoo’s mind, time passed by more quickly than it seemed, the jingle of keys echoing past the door, triggering the older to sit up straight and anticipate the entrance of the other.  “Wonwoo?”  Oxygen filled his lungs, “I’m back…” the oxygen refused to leave until he pulled his thumb between his lips, biting on the nail and staring straight at the television screen.

“Uh, Wonwoo?”  Mingyu turned the corner, illumination suddenly flashing, Wonwoo’s eyes narrowing at the beams, though refusing to waver from his own reflection in the darkened screen.

A breath stumbled through his nose, thumb retracting from his lips, “Mingyu, we need to talk.”  He watched the taller’s reflection as he enclosed the space between them, the couch dipping as he carefully lowered himself onto the cushions.  Mingyu leaned forward, extending an arm toward Wonwoo who retracted, moving from the middle of the seat to the far edge, distancing himself as thoroughly as possible from his partner.

“Mingyu,” the name passed through his lips as a whisper, a scowl almost immediately waning itself onto Wonwoo’s expression.  “I know,” his eyes narrowed, sight leveling on the coffee table in front of them, “that you haven’t been at work…”

The other’s head turned, back straightening as he waited for Wonwoo to continue to speak, “So, where were you?”  Wonwoo’s line of sight burned through everything splayed in front of him except for the single area he yearned to peer.

“I just… They… The guys,” Mingyu stuttered, tongue gliding over his cracking lips, “The guys wanted to get drinks...we just went to the bar, and…”

“And what?”  Wonwoo’s heart rate increased, teeth digging into the skin of his cheek to relinquish the burning sensation beginning in his eyes.

“And? Well, and I’m- I’m really sorry, Wonwoo…”

“Sorry?  You’re sorry?”  Wonwoo’s resolve blistered, his legs picking him up from his sitting position, body towering over Mingyu’s, widened eyes locked on the other’s.  “Do you know what the Hell you’re sorry for?!”

“Don’t you, maybe, think you’re, uh... blowing this out of proportion?”  Wonwoo’s brow raised at the accusation, a scoff bubbling out of his throat.

Voice stuck in his throat, Wonwoo took a step backward, fingers curling into the palms of his hands, his nails pressing crescents into the smooth skin.  Once again, he inhaled a deep breath, speaking more quietly than he had previously, “Mingyu,” he blinked slowly, eyelids hovering in place for a moment, “One more chance; I’ll give you one more chance… Tell me, truthfully, what you did tonight.”

Chin down, chest slowly rising and falling, Wonwoo kept hold of Mingyu’s eyes, watching the waiver of dishonesty brush through them before he crippled the older’s offer.  “Like I said… I went out for a drink…”

With a nod and a simple, “Okay,” Wonwoo turned away from his fiancé, feet padding against the floor as he retreated from the room, pushing past the door into the shared bedroom.  He carried himself directly to the closet, throwing the doors open and ripping the suitcase from its nestled space between a pile of unworn shoes and the yet to be thrown out boxes from the day they moved in.

“Wonwoo,” his eyes flicked to the side, briefly meeting with Mingyu’s as he stood placently against the frame of the door.  “Wonwoo, what are you doing?”

“I’m leaving,” he muttered, ripping clothes from hangers and tossing them into the opened container, followed by flying jeans and bundles of socks.

“I don’t understand…” Mingyu took a large step into the room, “Why?”

“Because, Mingyu,” Wonwoo paused, the silence filled with the zipping of the case. “You can’t just lie like this and expect me to believe it… I’m not an idiot.”  Pulling the container off of the bed, Wonwoo took smell steps toward the other, lessening the large gap between their bodies.  Unable to make eye contact with the taller male, he kept his sight on the buttons trailing down his chest, “I know, Mingyu:  everything.  I followed you tonight, I-I watched you…”

He tilted his head up, locking eyes with the other’s as his pupils dilated, lips quivering with words that failed to spill.  “I just-  I mean I was only-  I have a good reason, believe me!”  Wonwoo’s fingers twitched, grip on the suitcase handle tightening despite the unwavering want to console the now teary eyed man in front of him.

“Stop, please.  Just leave me alone...” he shook his head, swallowing the lump of saliva down his throat and pushing past the taller.  Halting mid-step, a weight against his arm tugged him backward, the fingers wrapped around his thin wrist shaking.  Closing his eyes, he waited for the blur on his eyes to retract before reopening them, pulling his arm forward and continuing to distance himself from the deflated younger.

Plus, he found himself continually getting into arguments with the others, probably because he had always had a hard time being around anyone for too long. Though he had been friends with them for as long as he could remember, and the cataclysm that had occurred only a few months ago seemed to have brought them all closer than ever, Wonwoo’s anxiety was rising and he needed a change of scenery.

“I think someone’s outside,” Soonyoung said from a different room, voice raised just loud enough for everyone else to hear.

“Good for them,” Seungkwan said, not bothering to look up from the gun he had been cleaning for the last hour. “We’re not letting them in.”

Soonyoung appeared from around the corner a few seconds later, his eyes full of empathy. “They look really rough. Maybe they need somewhere to stay.”

“Yeah,” Jisoo piped in, his caring personality causing him to instantly become defensive of the person that he had yet to even lay eyes upon. “what if it were you out there, and we refused to let you in?”

“I’d be fine on my own.” Seungkwan assured him, lips drawn in a straight line.

Soonyoung shut his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before opening them and looking at Seungkwan with a serious expression. “I’m letting him in.”

Seungkwan stood up quickly, shoving the disassembled gun into Wonwoo’s lap before following Soonyoung into the other room. Wonwoo locked eyes with Jisoo, both of them standing up simultaneously, setting down their things before crossing the room and peering around the corner.

Soonyoung was standing in the doorway, Seungkwan over his shoulder, probably studying the stranger as he conversed with Soonyoung. After a few moments of this, Soonyoung and Seungkwan finally stepped aside, allowing the stranger enough space to step into the building before quickly shutting the door behind him.

Though he couldn’t get a clear view of him, Wonwoo instantly noticed the man’s rugged, worn-down clothing, toned arms and legs, tanned yet clear complexion.

But most of all, Wonwoo noticed how the man’s eyes sparkled with such liveliness, a kind of liveliness he hadn’t seen in anybody in a long time. He found himself wondering how the man could possibly have such lively eyes, considering the conditions he must have been in prior to this.

Though Soonyoung showed signs of wanting to lead the man into the other room, Seungkwan stood promptly in front of them, arms crossed on top of his chest.

“We really shouldn’t let him in until we get permission from Seungcheol.” Seungkwan said sternly, his stance remaining.

“You expect him to just sit here until he gets back?” Soonyoung asked, eyes wide.

Seungkwan nodded, and Soonyoung’s expression fell. He slowly turned back toward the stranger, saying something in a very quiet tone, before following Seungkwan out of the room. As they walked away, the man nodded sharply, setting down the few things that he had in hand before sitting on the floor, leaning his back against a wall. Wonwoo caught himself watching the man for a few seconds too long, looking away only when he felt Jisoo’s hand on his shoulder.

“Staring is rude.” he whispered into Wonwoo’s ear, giving him a smirk before turning and following the others back into the room.

Wonwoo’s cheeks flushed for a moment, and he brought his hands up to cover them, returning to the spot he had been sitting in before. Though he had picked up where he had left off in the book he had been reading, his mind couldn’t help but wander back to the stranger in the next room.

Maybe that’s what he needed when he had wished for a change in scenery.

It was almost dark before Seungcheol and the rest got back, carrying with them supplies that they had spent the day collecting. As they stripped out of the layers of protective clothing they had worn, Seungkwan pulled Seungcheol aside and took to explaining the man in the other room.

Wonwoo helped the others in organizing and putting away the new supplies, trying to keep his mind off of the fact that he was, for some reason, nervous of Seungcheol’s reaction to the situation. What if he kicked the man back out onto the streets? What if Wonwoo didn’t even get the chance to learn his name?

After a long while of worrying, Wonwoo saw Seungkwan leading Seungcheol into the other room, the rest of the pack slowly dropping their things and following curiously. Wonwoo stayed toward the back of the group, peering tentatively over Minghao’s shoulder upon entering the room.

The man had stood up as soon as he saw Seungcheol, bowing before holding out his hand in greeting. Seungcheol shook it stiffly, nodding his head in response to the man’s bow. Closer this time than before, Wonwoo was able to hear almost everything that was being said, which quickly relieved his nerves.

“Kim Mingyu.” the man said confidently, and Wonwoo was sure his breath hitched in his throat. Seungcheol replied quickly with his own name, before wasting no time in speaking business.

“I think that the first thing to be done is a proper examination.” Seungcheol said in a professional voice, one that Wonwoo hadn’t ever heard before the incident, and had heard more than enough since then. Actually, he was sure that he hadn’t heard a tone other than that from Seungcheol in a very long time. Nowadays, he was all business.

“Examination?” Mingyu asked, eyebrows furrowing together slightly.

“Though you have told us that you are clear of disease, there is really no way to be sure. Even if you are telling the truth, there is some chance that you may have it and be oblivious to it.” Seungcheol explained promptly, hands clasped behind his back. “Of course, there is no way to officially diagnose you that we are aware of, but with a proper examination we can see if there are any physical symptoms. If there are not any, we will consider letting you join us. But if we find something…” Seungcheol’s voice trailed off, eventually just nodding his head, knowing that Mingyu knew what he meant.

Mingyu nodded back, completely understanding of Seungcheol’s precautions.

“If you wouldn’t mind, I will ask you to remain in this room until after the examination, when I have had time to discuss with the others and we have come to a decision.” Seungcheol said.

“Yes, of course.” Mingyu replied, bowing again toward Seungcheol.

Seungcheol turned and left the room, everyone else beginning to follow. Wonwoo felt himself lingering for a moment, watching again as Mingyu sat himself against the wall, before snapping out of it and quickly leaving the room.

“Would someone please volunteer to do the examination?” Seungcheol asked. He was now standing in front of the group, who sat on the floor, all eyes on him.

“Wonwoo will.” Jisoo said almost immediately, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. Seungcheol’s eyes met Wonwoo’s, eyebrows raised in surprise.

Wonwoo’s heart instantly began to raise. The thought of Mingyu completely stripped down in front of him, his only job being for his eyes to roam the entire expanse of skin, was too much for him to wrap his head around. Wonwoo looked down and played nervously with his hands, praying in his head for someone else to pipe up and volunteer before his head burst.

From the corner of his eye, Wonwoo saw a hand fly in the air, a voice escaping into the silence.

“I’ll do it.”

Wonwoo’s head snapped to the side, finding that the hand raised in the air belonged to Seokmin.

“I know a lot about the symptoms, and have seen a few cases of the kinds of rashes and blemishes that it can cause up close. I wouldn’t mind giving the examination.” Seokmin added, receiving an immediate nod from Seungcheol.

Though Wonwoo felt relieved at not having to perform the examination, part of him felt somewhat jealous of Seokmin. Jealous that he’d be alone in that room with Mingyu, jealous that he would be the only one whose eyes would roam the tanned skin of his body, jealous that Mingyu’s attention would be directed only toward him.

Wonwoo shook his head, pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind and trying to focus back on the words spewing from Seungcheol’s mouth.

“If all is well after the examination, and this man doesn’t seem to have any signs of disease, there is a good chance that he will join us here. There’s strength in numbers, and we could always use another set of hands around here. Though I encourage you all to be friendly toward him, I would advise that each and every one of you stay as far away from his as possible - that is, until after the examination. We still want to be very cautious, as we are not yet sure what his condition is.”

Wonwoo nodded in reply, along with everyone that surrounded him, and Seungcheol emitted a prompt “good” before leaving the room.

“I tried,” Jisoo said, elbowing Wonwoo in the side and shrugging his shoulders.

Wonwoo shook his head as Jisoo smirked at him. “Stay out of it, Jisoo.”

“If you say so.” he replied, grinning as he picked himself up off the ground.

By the time Wonwoo had collected himself and stood up, everyone had gone back to what they had been doing before the somewhat emergency-meeting. Figuring he’d get yelled at for being lazy if he went back to his book, Wonwoo decided to help Seungkwan with cleaning the firearms, which he was always grateful for.

Plopping down on the floor next to Seungkwan, Wonwoo motioned for him to hand over a pistol, which he obliged to.

“Say, how do you feel about this new guy?” Wonwoo asked, trying to make his voice as monotone as possible, in attempt to make it less obvious that Wonwoo simply couldn’t get the kid off his mind.

“Mingyu?” Seungkwan asked, knowing that the older’s reaction would be a nod. “He’s infected. I’m sure of it.”

“Why did you get so close to him earlier then, if you think he has it?” questioned Wonwoo, his eyes staying on the pistol in his hands rather than looking up at Seungkwan, knowing that his expression would be blank as usual.

“You know that the disease can’t be transmitted by air, right?”

Wonwoo looked up, meeting Seungkwan’s eyes. “No, I didn’t. I...I was told to take every and all precautions, so I was never quite sure.”

“You can only get it from exchanging bodily fluids. That’s why you never just go up and stab someone - that’s what these are for.” he shook the rifle in his hand. “It would be difficult to contract it just by standing next to them, but it’s possible. They could easily bleed or spit on you, if they really wanted to. You can’t trust anyone nowadays.” he shrugged, his hands moving quickly as he reassembled the rifle. “I don’t trust that kid. Something about him.”

“He seems like a nice guy. What could he have done to get on your bad side?”

“Ah, he didn’t do anything.” Seungkwan shrugged, setting the rifle down before picking up a shotgun and taking it apart as quickly as he had put the last together, making Wonwoo wonder if there existed a gun that Seungkwan didn’t know everything about. “It’s just the way that he carries himself, I think. He’s too happy, too confident. I’m almost positive he’s hiding something.”

“You think?” Wonwoo stopped for a moment, cracking his knuckles before continuing. “But we still have some optimistic people in our group, and I’m sure they have nothing to hide. Jisoo, Chan, Minghao. They are almost always happy, happier than Mingyu is.”

“They’re still so innocent, young at heart. They haven’t seen some of the things we have, the things that make you grow up quick. But that Mingyu,” Seungkwan glanced toward the doorway that led to the other room. “he’s seen things. Maybe things that even we haven’t. How can he still have such a positive outlook after what he must’ve been through? It’s not right.”

Wonwoo shrugged, finishing the pistol and beginning to put it back together, at about half the speed that Seungkwan had. “Maybe.”

“I’m almost positive.” Seungkwan said, snapping the handgun into place and setting it by the rifle. “You’ll see, when he fails that examination.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Wonwoo questioned, holding the clean pistol out to Seungkwan.

“If he’s lucky enough to slide past that, it’ll come out sooner or later. I can guarantee it.”

“Hmm.” Wonwoo hummed. Upon being handed another pistol (the only thing he really knew anything about), he began cleaning in silence, not quite understanding Seungkwan’s argument.

Mingyu seemed like the most trustworthy person Wonwoo had ever been in the presence of. Even despite his shocking good looks and sparkling eyes, Mingyu held himself in a manner that just felt right to Wonwoo. Even having never spoken a word to the kid, Wonwoo knew that if put in the situation, he would trust Mingyu with his life.

And he wasn’t even sure he would put that much trust in the others.

Once the sun had been down for a few hours, and a majority of the guys had already gone to sleep, Wonwoo decided to quit cleaning the firearms and read a few pages of his book before dozing off himself. Though, he realized after reading only a couple sentences, his mind was much too scattered to fall asleep, nevertheless try to read a book properly.

His mind wandering naturally to the thought of their new guest, Wonwoo realized that it was dark and cold, and that Mingyu didn’t have anything to keep him warm.

Picking himself up from the ground, Wonwoo tiptoed into the room that everyone had cluttered their sleeping bags and blankets, trying to search for anything that wasn’t already occupied. Coming up with only his own blanket, Wonwoo didn’t have to think very hard before making the decision of giving it to Mingyu, figuring that he could just slip his way under Jisoo’s covers and stay fairly warm.

Trying to step as quietly as possible, Wonwoo ventured through the rooms toward the one that housed Mingyu, peeking around the corner to make sure that he was awake.

Having heard Wonwoo’s quiet footsteps, Mingyu’s eyes were already looking in the direction of the doorway, catching Wonwoo’s almost instantly. Wonwoo felt his heart flutter uneasily, this being the first time that the man had ever really acknowledged his presence.

“Hey, um…” Wonwoo’s voice cracked in pitch, and he cleared his throat before attempting to speak again. “I have a blanket for you to use if you want. It gets pretty cold in here at night.”

“Oh?” Mingyu began to stand up, but Wonwoo motioned for him to sit back down, entering the room and holding the blanket out to him. “Is everyone else already asleep? It’s gotten pretty quiet in the last hour or so.”

Wonwoo nodded, his empty hands now fiddling nervously behind his back.

“Would you, uh…” Mingyu looked down at the blanket in his hands for a moment before glancing back up at Wonwoo. “Would you mind maybe staying and talking to me for a bit? It’s been a  while since I really had a decent conversation with someone and, uh...that is, y’know, if you’re not tired.”

Wonwoo shook his head immediately. “No, I’m not tired at all, actually.”

“You can, uh, sit if you’d like.” Mingyu said, motioning toward the wall.  

Wonwoo nodded, slowly taking a few steps forward and closing the distance between them. Sliding down the wall as Mingyu had, Wonwoo sat next to him, just a few inches of distance between them.

“It must be nice to have a bunch of people to rely on. You’ve always got someone to talk to, to have your back.” Mingyu said quietly, glancing down at his hands like he had before. Wonwoo noted it as a nervous habit.

“I guess.” Wonwoo replied after a moment, his eyes fixed on the wall across the room, careful not to stare at the man for too long. “They get on my nerves after a while, though.”

“Ahh.” Mingyu nodded. “At the end of the day, though, it’s a lot better than being alone.”

Wonwoo wasn’t sure how to reply, and they sat in silence for a long moment before he thought of the question he had been wondering about all day. “Why is it that you ended up alone, anyway? Did you not have anyone before this big mess?”

“Not really.” Mingyu shrugged, biting his lip as he thought of the right words to say. “I did, but I couldn’t trust them with very much. Especially with my life, which is something you really have to think about in a situation like this.”

“Mmm.” Wonwoo hummed in agreement. “How long were you alone?”

“I left my group about a month into all of this. So...two months or so.”

Wonwoo’s eyes widened, his head turning to look at Mingyu. “How did you survive that long, by yourself?”

“I’m not really sure myself, actually.” Mingyu replied, chuckling slightly. “Luck, I guess.”

Wonwoo smiled at the way Mingyu’s eyes had crinkled when he laughed, his mouth opening just slightly to let the sound escape. Realizing that he had been silent for a few seconds too long, Wonwoo nodded his head in reply. “Same for us, I think. We’re lucky that we’re all still alive, honestly.”

Mingyu nodded, though his expression showed that his mind was on something completely different from what they were currently talking about. And, after another long moment of silence, he spoke what he had been thinking, asking something that he had probably been thinking about all day.

“Do you think that I’ll pass the examination?” he asked. Wonwoo could feel Mingyu’s eyes burning into the side of his cheek, but he tried not to turn his head, knowing that they would make direct eye contact if he did.

“If you are telling the truth that you aren’t infected, then I don’t see why not.” Wonwoo replied.

“Ah, not like that. I mean…” Mingyu looked away from Wonwoo, causing him to relax now that he knew that he wasn’t under the man’s gaze. “I mean, they seemed really...harsh. Like they’ll be willing to find any reason that they shouldn’t let me in. Y’know?”

Wonwoo nodded, looking down at his hands. “I see why you’d think that, yeah. Though I don’t think they’re necessarily...out to get you, or anything.” he turned his head to look at Mingyu, whose gaze was now fixed on the wall across the room. “They are just really protective. They’ll take a lot of precautions before they let you in, is all.”

“That’s understandable.” Mingyu said, moving his eyes to meet Wonwoo’s. “They don’t want someone just walking in here and infecting them all. I get that.”

“They’ll warm up to you, though.” Wonwoo assured him, though he was finding it difficult to focus on his words when Mingyu seemed to be looking so deeply into his eyes. “I mean, if you pass the examination and everything, there wouldn’t really be a reason not to.”

Mingyu nodded, finally breaking eye contact and looking down at his hands.

They talked a while longer, Wonwoo telling Mingyu about some of the others, relaying who was the friendliest and who was more severe in attitude. Mingyu told Wonwoo of the people he had been with before he split on them, and explained some of the reasons why they couldn’t exactly be trusted. After they had run out of things to talk about, they resorted to sitting in silence for a while, becoming more and more exhausted as the moments passed.

Wonwoo was surprised at a sudden weight landing on his shoulder, glancing down to find that Mingyu had fallen asleep, his head lolling to the side and deciding to rest itself on whatever was closest. Wonwoo was stunned for a moment, not knowing exactly what he should do. Of course, there was only one thing to choose from, and that was to sit still so that Mingyu could sleep. He probably hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep in weeks, having not had shelter and all - how could Wonwoo take that away from him by waking him up?

~

3:28 am.

You had glanced at the clock a moment ago, but had to turn your head and look again, squinting your eyes in order to see the luminescent numbers through your blurry vision.

It took your brain longer than usual to recognize the numbers you had read to be quite far into the night, the sunrise surely occurring in just a couple of hours. Still, you kept your eyes open, though the lids felt unnaturally heavy and your mind was working at an extremely slow pace.

But that might have also been a side effect of the alcohol.

You looked around, blinking rapidly in attempt to see your surroundings more clearly. Empty bottles of wine laid on your dark living room carpet, joined only by two half-full glasses, sitting just in front of you. Your eyes followed in that direction, finding a pair of jean-clad legs, which with more observation you found to belong to Mingyu.

The events of the night preceding this moment came flooding into your highly intoxicated mind, and you closed your eyes as if that would help you remember more vividly. Mingyu and you had had a movie night planned at your place before he had stopped at the liquor store on the way over, resulting in your decision to just get smashed in an attempt to forget all of your problems, even for just a few hours...

It may have been a bad decision, seeing as neither of you had seen the other drunk before. But you had been close for years - what was the harm in de-stressing together with a bit of alcohol?

A hand waved in front of your face, shocking you for a moment as you were pulled out of your own thoughts. As the hand dropped, escaping from your line of sight, your eyes were met with those of your drinking companion, who was still wide awake though clearly very tipsy.

“Ya fallin’ asleep on me?” Mingyu asked, his words slurring together in a way that made him sound more drunk than he probably was. You hadn’t opened that many bottles of wine...right?

You shook your head, closing your eyes before opening them wider than before. “Hmm...nah. ‘M awake.”

“Good. ‘Cause I have some’n to tell you.” he said as he began to inch closer, the fabric of his jeans scraping softly against the carpet as he adjusted himself, sitting cross-legged just centimeters in front of you.

You tilted your head slightly, waiting for Mingyu to continue.

He was silent for a long moment, only a slight smirk spread across his face. He eventually leaned closer, his cheek touching yours as his mouth hovered just next to your ear.

“I think I’m falling in love with you.”

The words took just milliseconds for your brain to process, almost faster than if you had been completely sober. A chuckle immediately burst out of your mouth, a smile curling at the edges of your lips.

Mingyu pulled away after a moment, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What? Why’re you laughing?” he asked in a soft voice, though still slurring his words together like crazy.

“You’re so drunk,’Gyu.” you replied, another, harder laugh escaping your chest.

Mingyu shook his head, his expression not faltering in the slightest. No sparkle in his eye, no twitching of the edges of his lips, no fidgeting of his ears - all signs that he would soon crack one of his many jokes. You were completely intrigued.

“I’m not kidding.” he said in a monotonous voice, closing the space between you as he scooted his lower body closer to yours, his knees knocking against your own. “I’m falling in love with you, [y/n].”

You shook your head, a smirk still playing at the corners of your lips. “Did you drink more than I poured for you? Why’re you sayin’ crazy stuff like that?”

“I’m not jus’ sayin’ it ‘cause I’m drunk,” he mumbled softly, his intoxicated voice low and raspy even as he tried to keep a gentle tone. Lacking an immediate response from you, Mingyu’s face slowly inched closer to your own, stopping just before the tips of your noses touched.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked, his eyes looking deeply into your own, waiting anxiously for a reply.

You nodded, your nose lightly bumping into his own. He didn’t hesitate in crashing his mouth against yours, his lips soft but his kiss immediately heated.

His hands were suddenly caressing the sides of your face, holding it still as if begging you to not pull away. You wouldn’t dare, though, the feeling of his lips on your own something that you had unknowingly longed for all these years.

Your fingers found their way into his hair, tangling through the mess of strands and pulling at them gently as his kiss deepened.

Mingyu pulled away breathlessly, though never taking his face more than an inch away from your own. “You sure this is okay?” he mumbled, his mouth still so close to your own that you could feel his heavy breathing against your chin.

You pressed your lips to his in reply, sitting up and adjusting so that you could bring your upper body closer to his own. His hand dropped from your face down to your shoulder, fingertips ghosting over your exposed upper arm, leaving chills on your skin.

His tongue delicately explored the inside of your mouth, teeth occasionally grazing your lower lip as he kissed you with all of the passion that he possessed. You replied with as much as you could muster in your drunken state, apparently much more delirious than he was.

Mingyu’s hands eventually wandered to your back, his fingers spreading across the expanse and applying pressure so that you would come closer to him. You ended up on his lap, straddling his waist as your fingers continued to tousle his hair.

After a while of this, his hands found their way back to your face, gently pulling away and locking eyes with you.

“We don’t have to rush.” he whispered, pressing his forehead to your own. “We have so much time.”

“This is only the beginning.” you continued for him, closing your eyes and nodding slightly in agreement with his previous words.

“That’s right.” he pressed a quick peck to your lips, before wrapping his arms tightly around you and pulling you close to his chest. You nuzzled your face into the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent and sighing deeply in content.