Work Text:
Mingi is on a mission.
It all started with an unassuming comment one of his friends, Hotaek, made while they were gaming on a Sunday night. Mingi was on a winning streak that day, having even defeated Jeong Yunho, his roommate and best friend for life.
So, he was quite distracted when Hotaek made a well-meant, but nonetheless quite hurtful comment about Mingi’s past relationship (with an abusive ex, but that’s something Hotaek didn’t know, because Mingi never opened up about it) and about Mingi "having absolutely no game, dude."
As soon as those words registered, Mingi was hellbent on yapping away, sensing Yunho's protective stance that would ultimately lead to an argument between the two parties and Mingi wasn't keen on having to be the peacemaker in case things escalated. Therefore he did his best to diffuse the weird mood by making some unfunny jokes and swiftly changing topics until no thought was lost on that careless remark. Still, he could make out Yunho's disapproval by the way he was less involved in the conversation and didn't laugh at the jokes that were made by their team.
The instance was quickly forgotten until one night while laying down Mingi's thoughts circled back to that evening in a state of extreme overthinking. Was he really unable to find a boyfriend? If so, what was the problem? Did his ex leave such a big mark on Mingi that wouldn’t fade away? Or was it his personality, perhaps his looks? Maybe it was his lifestyle or the fact that Mingi was quite literally broke and survived on ramen packs unless Yunho decided to bless them by cooking occasionally.
No matter what the hindrance might be, Mingi was determined to change his relationship status to 'taken' by any means. Whatever had to be done would be done. He was even willing to do a whole survey on that matter while eliminating every factor that hindered his mission.
And that's how he ends up here, in a coffee shop near the university with a slice of strawberry cake and hot cocoa while his date enjoys a cheesecake and decaf coffee.
Kim Hongjoong is an interesting person in Mingi's opinion. A top student in the music department, who produces songs for small companies and writes lyrics for his own tracks that he publishes on SoundCloud. He is every bit of an overworked, suffering producer who dangerously teeters on the verge of workaholism. With his messy, blue dyed hair and sharp features he looks quite adorable, but that's a thought Mingi keeps to himself. He doubts the fierce rapper would appreciate such an adjective in combination with his image.
"Hongjoong-ssi, I have an important question for you," Mingi says, maintaining eye contact to catch the exact reaction to his question, but Hongjoong doesn't shy away from it which earns him bonus points in Mingi's mental book of positive attributes a good boyfriend should have. "I know this might sound weird, but in a hypothetical situation in which I turn into a worm, would you still be able to love me and provide for me?"
Hongjoong seems dumbfounded by the question and is looking at Mingi as if he is trying to make sure he heard it right. Mingi remains absolutely serious as he awaits the answer.
It's silent for a while as Hongjoong scrambles to formulate an appropriate response and finally he gives in with a "I don't know to be honest, but I don't think it's important since you will never turn into a worm?"
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a very disappointing turn of events. Because Mingi has asked Yunho the same thing last night and his best friend's response has been far more emphatic and lovely. Yunho told him he would love him in every shape and under any imaginable circumstances.
So, safe to say he was expecting something else from Hongjoong's response, but Mingi decides to give him another chance to redeem himself.
"Uh, okay. What about gaming? Do you like playing games?" He asks with a sweet smile.
He prays they share at least one hobby they can bond over. It would be such a nice connection.
Hongjoong scratches his nape. His eyes are everywhere but on Mingi, scanning their surroundings as if the answer lies somewhere in the air.
"I, uhm, I used to play some mobile games when I was younger. But not anymore?" At Mingi's crestfallen expression he quickly adds: "Not that I am unwilling to do it! I would love to start gaming again if it's with you. Maybe you can teach me?"
Mingi nods enthusiastically, already making schedules for their gaming sessions. He could ask Yunho to help him out and make some recommendations for newbie gamers, which -
"Yes! I would love that. My best friend, Yunho, is very good at gaming and we could add you to our group chat! How do you feel about that?" But before Hongjoong can even answer to that Mingi starts rambling about some incidents they had while gaming and about all the inside jokes he and Yunho share or about how it was originally Yunho who was into gaming, but managed to convince Mingi to take a chance at it and nowadays he can't imagine living his life without Yunho's and his almost daily gaming sessions.
He is so deep into it, he doesn't notice Hongjoong's darkening face or the fact that he has been yapping about Yunho for countless minutes and is confused as Hongjoong suddenly stands up with a pained smile and shuffles on his legs awkwardly.
"What's wrong?" He asks.
"You know," Mingi's thoughts instantly wander to Yunho again. It's a running joke in his friend group that they always look at Yunho as soon as those words are said. Clueless, Hongjoong continues: "I had a great time with you. Truly, Mingi-yah. But I don't think we are a good match."
Mingi feels devastated. His glorious plans. The house near the beach, cozy evenings and the idea of adopting a puppy. All of it wasted.
"What do you mean? I thought we got along pretty well."
Hongjoong smiles gently. "We do. But I don't think I'm the one you are searching for."
And listen, Mingi would love to get angry to mask his hurt. It would be a lot easier than having to handle a rejection with grace. But Mingi has morals, very strong ones, and Hongjoong is so careful about letting him down softly that Mingi can't rationalize getting upset with him.
"I understand." Mingi hesitates, "not really, but I am trying to."
His ex-possible-husband winces and Mingi hates the people pleasing tendencies that lead him into reducing himself and his hurt to make others comfortable. For once, he decides to push them to the back of his head and bravely asks: "Before you go, could you tell me what it is that you didn't like about me? Was I too much? Too loud or too slow with eating?"
Those are all valid points his ex-boyfriend has thrown into his face. It took ages for Yunho to convince him that no one of that is true, but old insecurities die hard.
Hongjoong shakes his head, his face horrified. "God, no Mingi. It's none of that. Please believe me when I say this."
It does soothe the irrational fear a bit, but not enough to make his worries disappear. He will have to find Yunho after this and let him treat his mental wounds in a way only he manages.
"Okay, thank you for telling me." Mingi bows slowly, catching Hongjoong's gentle smile.
"I'm sorry I can't tell you the exact reason. I don't believe it's my place to do so, but I hope you figure it out soon. Until then, how about we become friends? I would love to hang out with you again in a different setting."
And Mingi can live with that. Having one more friend never hurts.
-
Three weeks pass as Mingi tries to mentally prepare himself to go on another date and make himself vulnerable again.
His next date's name is Kang Yeosang. A fine arts student who is the same age as Mingi and very much into gaming to Mingi's delight. They meet in discord for the very first time, which by pure luck happens to be the day Yunho betrays Mingi's moral loyalty and goes out with other friends of his.
He is not a possessive best friend. He is well aware that he is the most important person in Yunho's life and that his best bud would ditch any plans if Mingi as much as muttered a serious disagreement. But since he is a good companion, Mingi keeps it to himself and decides to pout about it in the absence of his platonic soulmate.
Yeosang finds it funny, laughing about his misery in his face.
"Mingi," Yeosang says with a breathless chuckle, "are you sure this date is a good idea?"
"What do you mean? Is it because we are meeting online?" Mingi had offered to go out to a restaurant nearby. It was his and Yunho's favorite spot. The tteokbokki there was just heavenly. But Yeosang had denied, assuring him that face-timing during the game would be no problem at all.
Now as he looks down to the little pixelated square that doesn't do Yeosang's visuals any justice, he kind of regrets not having insisted on that idea. Maybe they could have broken the first date etiquette of not kissing and Mingi would have gotten a taste of those soft lips.
"No, no. That's not the issue. It's just-", Yeosang stops in the middle and seems to be having a hard time formulating his statement, so Mingi waits patiently for him to finish. Finally, Yeosang continues: "I don't want to be the one saying this, but Mingi, are you really that oblivious?"
Mingi has no idea what he means by that. His thoughts are scattered all over the place, mentally he is stuck somewhere between the scenario of kissing Yeosang and making Yunho massage him as a way of making up for his disloyalty. "You have to be more specific than that. What am I missing?"
Yeosang chuckles and it strikes Mingi that his deeper voice resembles Yunho's a lot when his best friend jokingly calls him a princess. It's a thought he stores for later, right now he has to make this date work and swoon Yeosang into falling deeply in love with him to the point of him wanting to carry Mingi in bridal-style. That's something Yunho does all the time and Mingi won't accept a boyfriend who offers less than that.
"Well, not to overstep but are you aware that you talk about him a lot?"
"Who is him?" Mingi has a quick rundown on every person he mentioned in the two hours they have been gaming, but he can't figure out who Yeosang means.
"It's Yu-"
"Mingi?"
Yunho chooses the worst possible timing to disturb their conversation, but all unpleasant thoughts disappear when Mingi sees the takeout bags clutched in his hands. He hadn't noticed how he has been starving, but of course Yunho being the best friend in the whole universe got the telepathy and knew exactly what Mingi needed.
"Yuyu! You are my savior, man. I was dying of hunger." Mingi rolls the pink gaming chair back and quickly crosses the distance to take the food from Yunho and sets the desk for them to eat together. But not before he plants a small kiss on Yunho's cheek as a thank you.
In the midst of unpacking their food he remembers leaving Yeosang on call and rushes back horrified, only to find the call has been disconnected. He quickly opens their chat to apologize and sees the row of middle fingers his potential boyfriend has sent him.
@mangprincess
YEOSANGIE
BABY
come here pls
our kids miss you...
I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly
pls forgive your loving husband >~<
I'll make it up to you I promise
next date will be my treat
@kangthesang
It's okay, Mingi
I'm not mad
Listen, don't take this too personally, but there won't be another date
I think we are better off as friends
Don't you think so too?
@mangprincess
oh, okay
sure
thanks for letting me know, I guess
-
Two failed attempts at finding a boyfriend later and Mingi finds himself in the gym pushing his body to its limits. The past days have been hell. The rejection from Yeosang combined with a packed week of useless presentations and hellish workload have taken a toll on him, so much that even Yunho couldn't manage to lift his mood and has been throwing him concerned looks.
Mingi is trying his best to return to his cheerful self, but it's not easy with doubts eating away at his mind. He knows that Hotaek never meant to hurt Mingi with his words and that they were said as a joke, yet Mingi can't get over them and make them hurt less.
Maybe he isn't boyfriend material and should give up on the mission all together. Getting old on his own doesn't even sound that bad. At least he will have Yunho on his side. Romantic partner or not, he knows that Yunho would never leave him alone. They even have sealed that with a pinky-promise as kids.
Ever since their first meeting they have been inseparable, always attached at the hip. Mingi couldn't imagine his life without Yunho in it and went as far as switching schools to be closer to his best friend. The one who would make the long way to his school, only so that Mingi wouldn't be lonely during his lunch time. All his other friends used to complain about his slow eating tendencies and leave him alone when their patience ran out. Never Yunho. Yunho, unlike others, never rushed him, never made him feel like he was the odd one for eating so slowly.
Yunho was composed of endless praise and patience, overflowing with love because his heart was a bowl you had to water with devotion and you would get limitless love. The more you gave, the more you would get in return.
It presented in the way Yunho would treat Mingi, how he spent his hard earned money to take Mingi to expensive restaurants and showed him the world beyond the screams and arguments that awaited at Mingi's home.
He is so deep in thoughts he doesn't notice the person next to him and jumps when a hand lands on his shoulder. The airpods get quickly yanked from his ears and he is surprised to find the school's athlete, Choi Jongho, in front of him.
"Hey," Jongho smiles sheepishly, "I'm sorry for scaring you. I tried to get your attention, but you didn't react so I had to use other strategies."
When Mingi doesn't react, he quickly adds: "I'm truly sorry. I shouldn't have touched you without your consent, forgive my dumbness." But Mingi interrupts him with a head shake, assuring that everything's fine.
"Don't worry, I don't mind. What is it that you wanted?"
They quickly get wrapped up in the discussion of diverse training techniques, Jongho explaining to him how he has been doing the exercise wrong, risking potential injuries. He then proceeds to demonstrate the correct execution of said exercise and Mingi watches with rapt attention, secretly feasting on Jongho's muscular build, especially those thick thighs that keep luring Mingi's eyes to them.
He is a young, healthy man with reasonable sexual drive and Jongho looks like every man's and woman's wet dream. So sue him for properly appreciating modern art.
Maybe he could test his chances with Jongho. As far as he knows the athlete is single and into men, so Mingi turns up the charm to a maximum and hopes Jongho reacts to his excellent flirting skills.
It starts with overdone praise at every exercise the younger one does and slowly proceeds to reduced distance and a hand grasping huge biceps as Jongho lifts weights worth of Mingi's own.
He ignores the confused stare the athlete gives him and prays there is no leftover food between his teeth from a messy eating session as he flashes a wide smile in Jongho’s direction. "I didn't know you were this strong, Jongho. Maybe we should train together in the future and you could show me how to build muscles properly. I have been struggling with that for a while now."
It all ends all too soon though as Mingi spots Yeosang marching into their direction and Jongho is suddenly completely absorbed in him, running after Yeosang like a lovesick fool and forgetting about Mingi.
Misery three, Mingi zero. And relationship status: still single.
-
Mingi's next and fourth date is somewhat unusual.
After making a Venn Diagram and interpreting the data he has collected from his dates so far he starts questioning his approach. Maybe he was searching for the wrong people. Perhaps monogamy wasn't the right thing for him.
His next target therefore becomes a couple he knows pretty intimately, Jung Wooyoung and Choi San. They are his closest friends and certified freaks, who have traumatized him on more than one occasion.
Next time they invite him over for their monthly movie marathon, Mingi makes himself pretty. Applies some makeup, puts on his jewelry and chooses the sluttiest outfit he owns to present his body in the best light. It consists of a satin button up and jeans that highlight the curve of his ass (well, at least according to Yunho) and after a long time of failed dating attempts, Mingi finally feels confident in his own skin again.
The evening starts pretty chill as they prepare snacks and decide on the movie. The peace doesn't last for long though as Mingi decides to present his genius idea to his friends after the first film ends.
The bowl of popcorn falls from Wooyoung's lap as he suddenly shoots upwards and stares at Mingi trying to decipher whether or not he heard him wrong. San is a bit more calm about it and looks at Mingi with a concerned frown.
"You want to date us to see if polygamy is something you want for yourself?" San asks carefully, holding back Wooyoung who tries to interrupt him.
Mingi nods. "Yeah. I mean, it sounds logical, right? All these attempts and I still haven't found a boyfriend. So, maybe I need to broaden my horizon and try it with two partners."
"That's not how it works," Wooyoung scoffs, "and besides: are you not already in a relationship?"
Mingi shows him the middle finger. Wooyoung always had this weird tendency to tease Mingi by saying that Yunho is his boyfriend, even after they got closer and both Mingi and Yunho have stated that it's not like that numerous times.
"Yunho is my platonic soulmate and best friend for life. He doesn't count."
Wooyoung looks at him as if he has grown two heads and shakes his head in disbelief. "Still as dumb as ever."
"You are dumber." Mingi counters.
"You are the dumbest." To add cherry on top Wooyoung shows him a combo of two middle fingers and a tongue.
San watches it all with indifference, already used to their antics. "You are both so childish." That earns him a slap from his boyfriend and a kick from Mingi.
"On a serious note, Mangi," Wooyoung starts and Mingi already prepares himself for the rejection he smells miles away but still decides to ignore until it blows up in his face. "I don't think this is a good idea. For starters, no matter how much we joke about it we are both not open to anyone else joining our relationship. We love you, truly, but that’s a bit too much. I'm sorry we can't help you."
Mingi decides to go easy on him and mask his own disappointment by choosing a humourfull approach: “At least give me a kiss.”
“No.”
“Pretty please?”
Wooyoung shoves his face away. “No, go ask your boyfriend.”
And Mingi decides he needs new friends, because his old ones suck and refuse to support his delusions. A whole world of available friendship-candidates and still, he can only count on Yunho to match his freak.
-
His last chance is a blind date, as the youth likes to call it nowadays. Mingi bullies Lee Minho, his senior and unofficial brother-in-law, to set him up with one of his classmates. It's not a hard feat. A little bit of manipulation and threats to tell Kim Seungmin, Mingi's brother from another mother and Minho's love of life, about all the pining that happened behind Yunho's and Mingi's closed doors before the two finally grew a pair and started dating after Minho confessed and Mingi suddenly has secured a date with Park Seonghwa.
A gorgeous, model-like fashion student, who loves dressing up for classes and is a well-known mini celebrity around the campus. Mingi is shitting himself as he prepares for a romantic evening. This is a bag he can't fumble and Mingi will do his best to charm Seonghwa into falling in love with him. No matter what it takes. Mingi is ready to pay whatever price, be it his dignity or image.
Seonghwa is punctual, of course he is, and the sight of him takes Mingi's breath away. He might actually be one of the prettiest people he has seen in his life. Only second to Yunho, because no one outshines his best friend according to Mingi. He is willing to admit a slight bias, though.
"Hi, darling. I hope you didn't have to wait for too long." Like everything else about him, Seonghwa's voice is velvety and smooth, accompanied by a dazzling smile and Mingi fears he won't survive this date. He is down bad already and they haven't even started with the date.
"No worries, I arrived only a few minutes ago." It's a lie. Mingi had been too nervous and Minho, having fulfilled his duty of helping Mingi dress up to match the fashion icon Park Seonghwa himself, had kicked him out after Mingi proceeded to treat Minho's living room like a treadmill.
They move along and try different street foods and snacks (Mingi pays with money Yunho gave him, bless his heart) and chat as they walk along the Han river. It's a romantic scenario and Mingi feels a sense of satisfaction each time he catches Seonghwa smiling to himself.
After some time, they sit down on a bench, Seonghwa seated in front of him with a view to the food stands while Mingi gets to enjoy the sight of the calm water.
The dim lights from street lamps paint Seonghwa in beautiful shades and Mingi feels his heartbeat rise. His hand naturally wanders in the middle of the desk, hoping the other will understand the hint. Seonghwa gives him a shy smile, encouraging him in his behavior, but before anything can happen Mingi watches as surprise paints Seonghwa’s face.
He keeps looking at something behind Mingi’s back and the latter dreads that he already knows what has his date so surprised.
Damn it.
“Uhm, Mingi?”
Mingi decides to play dumb and asks: “Yeah, hyung?”
Seonghwa points a finger at something, “Is that Jeong Yunho?”
And in Mingi’s humble, honest opinion: he deserves an Oscar or two for the performance he puts on. Seemingly surprised he turns around, eyes scanning their surroundings until they land on the tall figure of his best friend, who's trying to be inconspicuous.
A difficult task with that height and those visuals, but Mingi appreciates Yunho’s efforts.
“Oh? What a surprise. That’s really him.” Feigning nonchalance he turns back to Seonghwa only to find the other mustering him with a dumbfounded expression and lifted eyebrow.
“Isn’t that your best friend?”
“Yes. You know him, hyung?”
“I do. We have dancing classes together.” Seonghwa mutters, still torn about something. “But what is he doing here?”
Mingi shrugs. “Maybe he decided to try out the food too. What a coincidence!”
“Coincidence?”
Okay. If Mingi wants to save this date he will have to act quickly and convince the student in front of him that this is truly an accident and nowhere planned. He can't have his date know that Mingi forced Yunho to attend for moral support and keep an eye on them.
But Seonghwa turns out to be a tough nut to crack. “You know, before I agreed to this date I had a talk with a few people about you. They all said the same thing and at first, I didn’t believe them,” Seonghwa crosses his arms, continuing in a calm tone: “But now that I have experienced it myself I can see their point.”
Mingi has no idea where this is leading. “What do you mean by that?”
“You-” He starts, but stops. Mulls over his words and how to get his point across. “Do you really don’t know or are you acting oblivious on purpose?”
Mingi tries his hardest to not let those words affect him. What is it with everyone throwing those words at him and acting so damn mysterious? “I truly don’t know what you are implying.”
“Is he here because you asked him to?”
That Mingi can answer, so he nods truthfully.
“And what’s the deal with you two?”
Another simple question. “We are best friends. And roommates.”
“Nothing else?”
Mingi’s stomach drops. “No. Just that.”
“Do you wish to be more than that?” Seonghwa continues with more pressure.
“I don’t know why you are asking me those questions.” Mingi deflects. It does not matter. He is on a date with Seonghwa and has stated his interest in the fashion student in various ways. So why would Seonghwa care about the nature of Yunho’s and his relationship and whether it’s platonic or not?
Seonghwa sighs. “I- thank you for this beautiful evening. I had lots of fun.” He stands up with a careful smile. “But I believe you have to be honest with yourself and talk to Yunho about your feelings. I’m pretty sure they are reciprocated.”
With that he leaves and Mingi is utterly confused.
What the hell?
-
Mingi isn’t moping. He really isn’t.
It’s just that he needs some time to collect himself and build up self confidence after five failed dating attempts in the last few weeks. Therefore he misses a few classes, stays in the bed longer and refuses to go out until it’s absolutely necessary.
After another day of bedrotting and watching dramas, he hears the door open and close, indicating that Yunho just came home and will be able to distract Mingi from his miserable thoughts.
“Yuyu?” He screams.
There is a thud, a sting of low toned curse words and then the door to his room is opened by a slightly flushed Yunho. “Hi, princess. I’m home.”
Mingi wastes no time and runs to hug him. It’s a well oiled routine so Yunho knows to catch him before he falls (although Mingi is almost as tall as him and heavier due to muscles, but Yunho never had a problem with carrying him anywhere.) “I missed you. You were gone for too long.”
Yunho chuckles. “I’m sorry, my princess. I had to work on an assignment that was due tonight.”
“Did you finish it?”
“Yes, don’t worry about it. Have you eaten yet?” Mingi shakes his head. “Alright, I will cook for us.”
Reluctant to standing on his own feet, Mingi tightens his hands around Yunho’s shoulders. “Carry me.”
And Yunho does. Not a single complaint falls from his lips. He carefully seats him down on the counter before washing his hands and starting with the cooking process. It’s a peaceful sight, watching him do his magic. One that Mingi gets to enjoy on rare occasions, but treasures deeply.
Yunho folds up his sleeves, revealing toned arms and veins that run all the way to his brachium. They had once joked they should sell Yunho’s hand pics if money ever got tight, but Mingi knows he would never allow that. Best friend’s privileges. The view of those beautiful hands belongs to him only.
“Are you feeling better?” Yunho asks softly as he washes the vegetables. Mingi nods. He really does, partly thanks to Yunho himself. “That’s good, love. I hate to see you down.”
“Thank you for caring.”
“Always.”
Unable to handle the heavy mood, Mingi changes the topic and yaps about the gaming YouTube videos he watched. Yunho hums and cooks contendly, letting Mingi talk away to his heart's desire.
“And it’s good that I am single, you know? What if my boyfriend decided to ditch me to play with his friends? That would be an absolute betrayal of my moral loyalty!” Mingi is talking so fast he is barely breathing in between each sentence and Yunho watches him fondly as he stirs the sauce. “I am a generous person. I have lots of love to give, but that’s an absolute no-go.”
“You are right, “ Yunho fuels his delusions, “you would be such a kind boyfriend. They don’t know what they are missing out on.”
“Exactly! Anyone would be lucky to have me.” Mingi exclaims.
“Absolutely. How can they not see your boyfriend potential?”
“That’s what I’m trying to find out, but so far I haven’t gotten a satisfying answer.” There is a pout on Mingi’s lips.
“What responses have you gotten so far?” Yunho asks curiously. They haven’t really spoken about Mingi’s dates. His best friend was aware of them happening and even came as moral support for the last one, but they haven’t touched that topic in depth. Each time Mingi tried to talk about it Yunho would find an excuse to leave or change the topic, acting weirdly. But Mingi never questioned it.
“I- uhm I don’t know how to interpret it but almost all of them say I’m oblivious to something?”
“In what context?” Now Yunho is mustering him with an intense stare, one that Mingi rarely sees on his best friend.
He hesitates. “It’s gonna sound weird.”
Yunho isn’t deterred. “Bring it on.”
So Mingi spills: “For some reason, they are all convinced we are dating.”
“You and me?”
“Yes, us. But no one of them is willing to tell me why they believe that. It’s not like we give them any reasons to.”
Now Yunho tilts his head, carefully choosing his words. “You think so?” And that makes Mingi hesitate. There is no behavior they display that could be interpreted as anything else than platonic. Right?
“Uhm, yeah?”
“You sound unsure.”
“Because you are acting weird right now.”
Yunho scoffs. “Am I? But that’s how I always act with you.” He turns off the heat and places the wooden spoon next to it. Then he is suddenly sandwiched between Mingi’s thighs, setting his arms on the counter behind the latter.
The distance between them is almost non-existent and even if they are two friends who don’t shy away from physical touch and use it as love language, for the first time in the many years Mingi has known Yunho he feels like his presence is too much.
“What are you doing?” It’s a whisper, Mingi unable to raise the volume of his voice. It feels wrong, like one word uttered too loudly will make everything collapse.
“Nothing. Just platonically seeking my best friend’s proximity.” Yunho’s voice is that deep tone he uses when he calls Mingi a princess and goosebumps erupt all over Mingi’s body. What the hell is happening?
“Okay, but-” He is interrupted as Yunho places his hands on his waist and drags him to the edge of the counter, reducing the non-existent distance even more. He gulps. “Yunho?”
Yunho leans down, putting them on eye level. “Yes, princess?”
And Mingi could continue with the act. He could live on like he never asked himself how it would feel like to kiss his best friend, to have Yunho and let himself be devoted to the person that makes him the happiest.
There have been many instances where they have teetered on the edge of platonic and more, but they never dared to cross it. Mingi was too scared of the risks, preferring to remain as they are. But the ‘What ifs’ never left his mind.
And again, he is caught up in the ‘What if?”. What if he just leaned in and kissed him? It wouldn’t be hard. They are so close their breaths mingle. It would only take minimal effort to close the gap.
His breath shutters on an exhale, nerves wired with nervous energy and anticipation. Lifetimes is what it took him to get to this point and he will be damned if he makes one wrong move and causes Yunho to retreat.
So, he gathers all the courage he can muster up with a rapidly failing brain and non-existent logic and mutters a breathless ”Kiss me.”
Panic fills his whole body, doubts that he misread this all along, but then he is rewarded for his bravery, because finally Yunho lets go of his self control and connects their lips in a gentle peck.
Mingi freezes.
Years of wondering. Of testing invisible borders. Of shallowing fear and doubt and pushing Yunho. Anything to get a reaction. Something that would suggest Mingi’s feelings are reciprocated. A small sign was all he needed.
And now this.
Yunho is kissing him like he too, has been waiting forever for this moment. A breath escapes Mingi when their lips meet again and again in a set of small pecks, before Yunho tilts his head for better access and deepens the kiss. The hands on his waist wander up his sides, mapping out a path to his shoulders and neck before they grip hard and settle on his throat. Mingi’s own hands get tangled in Yunho’s hair, softly tugging at the silky strands.
It’s heavenly. Too much and too little at the same time. But most importantly: everything Mingi has ever wanted.
He fears his neurotic system has placeboed an insatiable hunger that can only be filled by Yunho. Mingi is so overrun by desire his entire body trembles with it. It presents in shallow breaths, shaky hands and lips that try to memorize the shape and taste of Yunho’s until he can recognize them with touch alone. In darkness, in agony, in happiness.
And Mingi prays Yunho will encounter him in love.
They kiss for a long time, dinner long forgotten. Lips swollen and sensitive from endless pecks. Bodies warm, souls intertwined.
Mingi believes he has found his destination, the journey of failed dating attempts leading him to the one he has always desired.
For him it was Yunho all along.