Work Text:
5 reasons why jeong yunho most definitely absolutely hated song mingi
reason #1: he was too loud
mingi was one to always make his presence known. whether it be in the hallways, or at parties, mingi quite literally stood out. he was already among the taller people in his grade which he obviously couldn't control, but god was he loud.
"yunho-yah!" the boy would yell for him after his fourth period class so they could walk to PE together. he could always feel his cheeks heat up as he jogged to meet mingi by the stairs so he wouldn't yell again. it was even worse because they were the two tallest people in their class, and yunho was shy enough.
and it was just yunho's luck that he just so happened to be in the same friend group as the boy. san, his childhood best friend, played on their school's varsity soccer team, and all but two people in their friend group were also on the team. mingi played goalie, his long limbs giving him an advantage that not many players had. when he wasn't playing, he was the loudest person on the bench, cheering and waving his arms like a crazy man. unlike yunho, who clapped politely whenever their team scored.
mingi really tested his limits some days, and though he'd gotten used to the younger's adorable habit of waiting for him after class, albeit a bit embarrassing, sometimes he wished the boy wouldn't draw so much attention to them. not that he was embarrassed of being seen with him, but rather he didn't want people to get the wrong idea, as sometimes mingi could be a bit too open, and yunho didn't want anyone to think they were together, because they weren't. and he preferred it that way.
reason #2: he was a party animal
mingi had experienced an awkward growth spurt that hit him like a truck throughout high school, but had grown into his ears during their senior year of high school and started getting more attention from girls and boys alike.
yunho was already aware the younger boy swung both ways, and he was sure just about everyone else knew as well. he was very flirty with just about everyone he came across, and the fact that he could be found at whatever party was happening on a friday night just made it that much more convenient for him.
because they were in the same circle, yunho was aware mingi wasn't a big fan of hookups, but he still loved messing around with people, and didn't mind making out with others from time to time.
yunho attended most of the parties mingi attended for the sole reason that people had started expecting him to. mingi was well known, a social butterfly loved by everyone, whereas yunho was Not. he preferred to keep to himself more often than not, quite comfortable with his tight knit friend group. however, the deal was sealed when they were nicknamed the "twin towers" by their friend hongjoong (the other non soccer player in the friend group, who claimed he was 'too gay' for sports).
"objectively, you guys are going to be the hottest people at any party. use that to your advantage," hongjoong coached them. the group had gathered at seonghwa's apartment to pregame and delegate a driver before heading to the party. jongho had agreed to meet them there, as he'd stopped by his girlfriend's house before heading over. wooyoung and yeosang giggled watching yunho's face redden and mingi nod with confidence at hongjoong's comment.
"wait what about me?" seonghwa pouted. hongjoong sated him with a kiss on the cheek.
"i meant the best looking single people baby," hongjoong smiled. seonghwa grinned and yunho rolled his eyes at the sight. he swore if they could, hongjoong and seonghwa would wear matching tracksuits that spelled out "WE'RE DATING" across the butt.
that evening, the seven of them arrived at a house not too far from seonghwa's, immediately welcomed by the smell of sweat and alcohol. yunho hated the smell of alcohol, and the taste too. he always had a drink or two though, as he could hold his drinks quite well and didn't want to be completely sober to experience whatever social interactions occurred during the night.
"alright, we'll meet back here in two hours. text us when you find jongho," hongjoong said before dragging seonghwa straight to the dance floor. wooyoung and yeosang had gone off to find jongho right away, dragging san with them. which left yunho with mingi once again.
yunho was aware mingi's first stop would be the drink station, so he allowed himself to simply be dragged past the dance floor and to the kitchen, where an arrangement of bottles and cans stood atop the counter.
he poured himself a drink, grabbing a second cup and shoving it in yunho's hand before filling it halfway. yunho had no idea what it was, but drank it anyways.
mingi knew him well. it was sweet, possibly mango flavored. he decided he liked it.
he was still pretty sober when mingi decided to refill his own cup.
"do you want more?" mingi shouted over the loud music. yunho shook his head no. the drink had been just enough to make his cheeks red, and leave a slight burn in his throat. he could feel the bass of the music in his chest, the dance floor practically calling him.
yunho was a dancer. in all the time the rest of his friends spent at soccer practice, he spent at the dance studio. mingi and wooyoung were also dancers, and although soccer now took up most of their time, a couple times a month they'd come together and work on a new choreography.
a favorite of yunho's was a combo he and mingi had done to a song called one time coming. because they were so similar in height, they balanced eachother out very well, and it was a hip hop combo, a style both of them specialized in.
as yunho watched mingi down his third drink of the night, he listened as the song that was currently playing ended and he heard the beginning notes of a song he recognized.
"no way," he smiled, glancing at mingi to see if he recognized it.
"is this what i think it is?" mingi grinned widely, locking eyes with yunho. in a silent agreement, both of them made their way to the dance floor. it was their song.
immediately they fell into place, forgetting about everyone else there. yunho hummed to himself as he performed the moves, maneuvering with mingi to nail each formation. before he'd realized it, they'd drawn in a crowd. the music was starting to build up, and it was mingi's favorite part coming up. yunho stood in front of him, mouthing the words to the song, then crouching to let mingi jump in front of him, sidestepping in time with the bass.
everyone went crazy.
yunho was so focused on the crowd he'd only just noticed mingi backing up into him ever so slightly, swaying his hips. he leaned to the side ever so slightly, going opposite mingi to make eye contact with him. he was met with a look he'd never seen before. mingi's pupils were blown, his hair falling messily into his face, despite the fact that he'd styled it back before they'd arrived.
the younger looked like he was about to say something, but yunho broke eye contact with him when he noticed a head of fiery red hair out of the corner of his eyes.
"see, what'd i tell you guys!" hongjoong grinned, clapping for them. seonghwa wasn't far behind his boyfriend, looking a bit out of it. he was a sleepy drunk, which made for some pretty interesting stories.
"i'll uh, i'll be back. yunho, could you show me to the bathroom?" mingi asked, seemingly ignoring hongjoong's comment.
"sure," yunho shrugged, following mingi past the kitchen and through a hallway.
he felt as if mingi had wanted to say something before hongjoong interrupted their moment, but wasn't sure how to ask.
"you uh, you danced really well mingi. i know we haven't done that combo in a while but you absolutely killed it," yunho grinned. a compliment couldn't hurt. mingi chuckled as they continued through the hallway.
"you weren't too bad yourself stranger. you from around here?" mingi asks, raising an eyebrow.
yunho laughs, gently punching mingi in the arm.
"i'm serious yunho, that was fucking amazing. and you...
you're kinda hot when we dance together."
mingi admits, looking yunho dead in the eyes. yunho can feel his neck heating up, his cheeks probably as red as a fire truck by now. he was glad the lighting wasn't amazing, because he was sure mingi would be laughing at him by now.
"th-thank you. you t- you too," yunho stutters.
he wasn't lying either. the younger had shown up to seonghwa's in a mesh black shirt and ripped blue jeans, tucked into his favorite pair of doc martens. he'd even gone out of the way to do his own makeup that night, and god was yunho speechless when he first saw him. he'd gone all out, opting for a smokey eye and glittery lip gloss. yunho would've been lying if he said he hadn't stared at his lips for a bit longer than socially acceptable. he was lucky the younger hadn't caught him staring, just meeting his eyes briefly and giving him a smile before he continued talking with hongjoong.
mingi half grins, leaning against the wall, bathroom forgotten. yunho realizes they're probably on the other side of the living room, as he can feel the music through the walls, but it's just quite enough over here that they can talk at a normal level.
"you know that thing hongjoong says? about us being the best looking here?" mingi asks, meeting yunho's eyes. his voice has lowered, and yunho can't read him very well, but he notices mingi's eyes are slightly hooded.
yunho simply nods, allowing mingi to continue.
"you ever wonder why, if what he says is true, we don't get asked out very often?" the younger continues, raising an eyebrow in question. yunho thinks it's more of a challenge.
he shrugs.
"i suppose i've never really thought about it," yunho admits.
mingi pushes himself off the wall, and finds himself only inches away from yunho. only now does yunho realize how narrow the hallway really is.
"it's because they think we're dating." mingi presses his lips together in a tight line. he then leans in ever so slightly, his lips inches away from yunho's ear.
"just... something to think about," mingi whispers.
the older swears he feels the feather light touch of lips on his neck before mingi pulls away.
yunho's not sure he can go to another party ever again.
reason #3: he doesn't mind his own damn business
yunho is hesitant to admit he's become a lot closer to mingi over the past few months. with the soccer season having ended, and the rest of the group occupied with their significant others (and whatever wooyoung yeosang and san had going on), they've pretty much been left to their own devices.
he will admit that he enjoys the extra time in the studio with mingi, fine tuning their craft. he savors every minute he spends on his footwork or fine tuning his isolation, sweat dripping down his face as he keeps in time with the music. he belongs on the dance floor.
while he could say the same about mingi, the boy's presence had begun to annoy him. he had become a bit too confident around yunho, apparently enjoying just how easy it was to make the older boy blush.
it all started after the party. the next time they'd met up at the studio, yunho had found a new song to start some choreography for, and while mingi had a lot to contribute as they decided on the moves for each part of the song, he'd gotten awfully handsy.
"yeah so if you're gonna do the turn here maybe stand facing this way instead," mingi would suggest, tapping yunho's hips to indicate which way he should turn. normally, he'd demonstrate the move himself rather than directing yunho.
even when they weren't dancing, mingi had become a lot more interested in what yunho had going on. as he sat in the cafeteria by the studio, eating his ramen, he felt a slight breath on his shoulder and nearly spilled his food when mingi spoke.
"whatcha watching?" the younger asked, nodding at yunho's phone.
"where did you come from, jesus christ!" yunho cried, taking a deep breath.
"my mom. what are you watching?" mingi repeated, seating himself next to yunho.
he'd been watching a recording of one time coming, the very first time they'd made it through the combo cleanly.
"uhh, nothing." yunho said, sliding his phone into his pocket.
mingi scoffs.
"whatever you say," mingi says, giving a smug smile.
yunho doesn't like the fact that mingi is suddenly interested in everything he's doing. he liked it better when he was mingi's silent sidekick. it allowed him to remain quiet most of the time, as he wasn't exactly the point of interest due to his distaste for social interaction, but was good looking enough to accompany mingi places and be acknowledged.
on the occasions when they aren't in the studio, yunho expected mingi to leave him alone. but nope, the younger sought him out more often to hangout one on one. they never really did much, opting for getting takeout or watching a movie at mingi's, but it became a frequent thing of theirs.
on one visit, yunho had been carrying the empty takeout containers to the kitchen when he misstepped and landed badly on his ankle.
"shit!"
yunho wasn't sure what he'd done, but it hurt like hell. he was only sure it wasn't broken because he was able to move his toes, but other than that, he suspected he'd be immobile for a couple weeks.
as soon as he slipped, he heard footsteps rushing to the kitchen, mingi by his side in an instant.
"oh god, baby what happened?" mingi asked, his voice gentle. if yunho hadn't been in so much pain he was sure he would've exploded at the pet name.
"twisted it i think," yunho says through gritted teeth. mingi presses his hand to yunho's forehead, checking for a fever.
"are you stupid?" yunho asks, looking up at mingi. now the roles are reversed as he watches mingi's face turn a violent red as his hand falls from yunho's forehead.
"i tripped, i didn't catch a cold you idiot. just... help me up please," yunho grimaces.
"right, right," mingi agrees, taking yunho's arm and placing it over his shoulder.
mingi helps the older boy over to the couch, where he helps him prop up his ankle, offering to get yunho some ice.
"i'm sorry i spilled the leftovers," yunho apologized as mingi placed an ice pack on his ankle.
mingi shrugs, waving him off.
"it's fine, they would've just sat in my fridge anyways."
yunho raises an eyebrow as he watches mingi continue to adjust a towel wrapped ice pack around his ankle, sliding it around to fit on the pillow.
"you know i could do that myself right?"
mingi chucked.
"who would've known the jeong yunho could put an ice pack on his foot. i know, i just wanna help you."
yunho watches mingi tuck the towel under his ankle before nodding in satisfaction. he notices the younger's eyebrows are furrowed as he bites his lips in concentration. it makes him smile.
mingi looks up to meet his eyes and his expression softens in seeing yunho's small smile. yunho decides then is a good time to look everywhere but at mingi. he'd never noticed how intricate the designs on the carpet were!
"yunho?" mingi asks, waving his hand in front of yunho's face. yunho shook his head. he'd zoned out.
"huh? sorry, what did you say?"
"i was asking if you'd maybe like to sleepover," mingi said, sitting down on the couch across from him.
"uhhh-" yunho scratched his neck. stay the night at mingi's?
"you could sleep out here if you want, i can get blankets and stuff. i just figure it'd be easier than trying to navigate your apartment on your own for the time being. i can even drive you to the doctors tomorrow if you'd like?"
the younger boy had a gentle look in his eyes, his eyebrows raised in question. there was no way yunho could say no.
"alright, that sounds cool," he agreed, nodding.
"hell yeah! slumber party at my place," mingi singsonged, breaking into a grin.
yunho couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head at mingi’s antics. despite his dislike for such frequent interaction with anyone really, he had to admit that deep down, he wasn't exactly hating all the time they were spending together.
a few hours later, yunho was just about done binging harry potter movies and decided to go to bed. mingi had already brought out a pillow and blanket for him, and he silently let the younger know he was ready to turn in for the night by situating the pillow under his head, throwing the blanket over himself.
"i'm gonna turn in for the night," yunho yawned, reaching towards the coffee table to check his phone. it was 3:16 am. definitely time to get some shut eye.
"okay! we can finish the movies tomorrow i guess," mingi suggests, turning off the tv and getting up to head to his room.
what yunho does not expect is for the boy to return with an armful of blankets and pillows. he tosses them all on the floor next to the couch, grabbing pillows from the other couches and spreading them out on the carpet.
"umm, what are you doing?" yunho furrows his eyebrows in confusion.
"you didn't think i'd let you sleep out here by yourself did you?" mingi feigned a pout, humming to himself as he neatly placed the blanket atop the pile of pillows he'd created.
and he slept on the living room floor that night. in his own house.
that was the evening yunho decided song mingi was a weirdo. because who the hell did that for a friend?
reason #4: he was too clingy
the next morning, mingi had followed through with his promise and taken yunho to see the doctor. sure enough, he has sprained his ankle and would need crutches for the following weeks.
in hearing the diagnosis, mingi immediately offered to be yunho's personal chauffeur, and though yunho tried to decline, he knew there was no saying no to mingi.
so here he was, a kid on crutches, being chased around by a 6'1 college kid who quite literally acted like a puppy. what a sight.
while yunho had late passes to every class due to his injury, mingi could be found 5 minutes late to every class, explaining every time that he was helping a friend on crutches. only one professor deemed his excuse worth enough to still give him attendance points. he was perfectly fine sacrificing two points a class to make sure yunho didn't have to drag around his textbooks every period.
after classes, he would of course find yunho once again and tag along to wherever their next destination was.
yunho hated it.
some afternoons they'd spend at yunho's, not doing anything in particular. on those days, yunho would prop his foot up on the coffee table, a pack of ice resting on it. and right next to him sat mingi, as always. he just couldn't seem to get rid of the boy.
well, maybe yunho lied. the younger wasn't exactly next to him, but rather lying across his lap, head comfortably resting on his thighs as they both watched tv.
yunho wasn't exactly the most comfortable with skinship, but mingi had definitely been testing his limits recently, often finding the boy's arm around his shoulder, or a hand on his knee. and while if it had been anyone else he would have blown a fuse on him, it wasn't anyone else. it just so happened to be song mingi, a person who didn't take no for an answer.
yunho knew it was worthless fighting him on it, so he let the younger indulge himself as much as he wanted. and to his surprise, the more mingi did it, the less yunho hated it.
he'd even begun to reciprocate it. something he'd never seen himself doing in a million years in all honesty, but here he was.
he could see a hint of appreciation in mingi's eyes when he offered the boy a hug after he confessed he'd had a bad day. though he felt awkward doing it at first, he found mingi fit quite nicely in his arms, and the younger was the perfect height to rest his head on yunho's shoulders.
but there were some days where it could be too much for yunho. on one afternoon, yunho had just finished his last class of the day. mingi had practically memorized his schedule, showing up just in time to catch yunho standing outside the classroom, his backpack shouldered as he maneuvered himself around the crowd, which wasn't too hard as most people gave him room since he was on crutches.
"how was class?" mingi asks him almost immediately. the younger was standing right in front of yunho, blocking his path.
"can you move?" yunho asked, clearly annoyed.
"oh, sorry," the younger sidesteps to allow yunho to begin walking forward.
"so i was thinking," mingi continued, unfazed by yunho's attitude. he'd grabbed yunho's textbooks from underneath his arm, as he walked alongside the older.
"wooyoung told me about this really cool restaurant downtown where you get to paint while you eat, and it's-"
"can i get a fucking break song?" yunho snapped. he'd had enough of the younger boy being at his side every waking moment (and sometimes while he slept). he wanted mingi out of his sight.
mingi's expression goes from confused to hurt in a matter of seconds.
"w-what do you mean?"
"you've been following me around for weeks, staying at my house, which, by the way i never said i wanted you there, you've been driving me everywhere and carrying all my shit, at what point do i get to be independent again?"
yunho could feel his heart beating faster. he hadn't been this worked up in a while, and it felt good to release some of the tension he'd been holding on to. the consequences of his actions would be dealt with at a later time. all he wanted right now was song mingi gone.
"what the hell are you talking about?" mingi's eyes are narrowing, and his eyebrows furrow.
"you don't. leave me. the fuck. alone. that's what i'm talking about." yunho spat.
he could see mingi's ears turn red as he processed what yunho said.
"you fucking think i'm doing all this shit to entertain myself?" mingi retorts, shaking his head in disbelief.
"and to think i thought you enjoyed my company," the younger chuckled bitterly.
"i wish i'd known you were a fucking asshole, would've saved me all this trouble. you can have your shit, and figure it out yourself, jeong," mingi spat back, tossing yunho's books to the floor. and without another word he turned on his heels and marched back down the hallway the way he'd come.
a classmate of his had picked up his books during the commotion, handing them to yunho with a sheepish look on her face. yunho thanked her and took his books, making his way towards the exits until he realized... he didn't know where he was going.
mingi had been his ride home.
...
yunho enjoyed the following weeks alone, returning to his usual hermit life.
aside from hating parties, he really did have an excuse not to go for the time being, and when friends messaged him about who was hosting what that saturday, he readily declined, opting
for a night in instead.
he couldn't have been happier with his space all back to himself. sure mingi had been helpful especially since he had an injury, but he'd find ways around it. yeah, maybe it was a pain in the ass when he was forced to order takeout every evening because he couldn't stand long enough to cook for himself. and yeah maybe it was a pain in the ass when he slipped on the way to his bedroom and had no one to hover over him, asking if he was okay or if he needed help. and yeah maybe it was a pain in the ass not having anyone to talk to for the time being, but this was how he'd wanted it. peace and quiet.
one evening, yunho had been preparing for bed, searching for his pajamas in his closet when he touched an unfamiliar fabric. frowning, he pulled out the garment and sighed when he realized what he'd pulled out. it was mingi's jacket.
there was one evening they'd gone to a party and the younger had spilled a drink on his favorite purple jacket, and yunho had offered to wash it for him. he'd forgotten to return it because mingi had been staying with him anyways, and he figured the boy would just take it when he left.
oh well. he'd give it to the younger at some point.
he opts for an evening of netflix, scrolling through his recently watched shows until he comes across one he has yet to finish.
he isn't particularly interested in the show, but rather on distracting himself. as the show runs he scrolls mindlessly through his phone, checking his social media feeds multiple times. at some point during his scrolling he looks up to the screen to get a vague idea of the plot of the show before glancing back down at his phone and realizing who was on his screen.
user song_mg on instagram was at the top of his feed. the younger had posted a picture of himself undoubtedly at a party, the neon lights in the background and beer bottle in his hand making that obvious.
yunho wanted so badly to keep scrolling, but he couldn't help but oogle at the picture. mingi had grown his hair out, and it now sat in a wavy wolfcut, framing his face. he wore a simple white t-shirt with a short sleeved black button down in the picture, a silver chain around his neck. the hand he held the beer with sported an expensive looking silver watch, and he wore torn black jeans, with tan chelsea boots to complete the look. and my god did he pull it off.
all yunho could think about was threading his fingers through mingi's hair, feeling how soft it must be, pulling him in and-
and what?
he shook his head, shutting off his phone. he'd wanted mingi gone, and here he was. alone, just like he wanted. so what was that pain in the pit of his stomach, a tugging that felt like it would burst any minute?
focusing solely on his show, he sighs as his eyes begin to glaze over, the character dialogue a bit too long for him to focus.
he's jolted awake by the sound of his phone ringing. he reaches for it with his eyes closed, rubbing his eyes before he reads the name on the caller id.
mingi 🎵
yunho unconsciously clenched his jaw when he read the name. he immediately silenced the call, chucking his phone across the room and into his beanbag chair. now was not the time.
he was sure he heard his phone ring a second time as he drifted off to sleep. he'd deal with it tomorrow. if at all.
2 missed calls and 3 new messages
mingi: are you home? i need my jacket back
mingi: i figure it'll be less awkward if ur not home so just lmk when i can come grab it
mingi: actually i'll just swing by tmr if that's okay. i still have the spare key so just lmk when ur not home and i'll be in and out. i'll leave the key too
...
yunho wakes to the sound of knocking on his front door.
sitting up, his eyes half open, he reaches for his phone to check the time. only he realizes it's still sitting across the room, exactly where he'd thrown it last night. he gave a heavy sigh before pulling himself out of bed, making his way to his beanbag chair to retrieve his phone.
he quickly glances at the clock, and is about to unlock his phone before the sound of knocking happens once again, startling him.
"coming, i'm coming," he yells, his voice raspy from having just woken up. he shuffles slowly to the door in his pajamas, a band t-shirt he'd thrifted, and a pair of flannel pants that were a bit too short.
his door didn't have a peep hole, so he opened it ever so slightly, peeking out the crack with just one eye.
he's very tempted to slam the door shut once he sees who it is.
"uh... hi."
song mingi is standing in front of his door, dressed impeccably and showing up without warning. who the hell wore leather jackets at 10am?
"what do you want?" yunho squints at him, clearly annoyed.
"you didn't read your messages did you?" mingi frowns, pushing his hair back. it falls perfectly back into place, framing his face in gentle waves.
yunho bites his lip. he most definitely did not read his messages.
"uh, one second," yunho says, pulling his phone out of his pocket, unlocking it, and sure enough there were three new messages awaiting him, sent by mingi yesterday evening.
yunho steps aside, opening the door wide enough to let mingi in. the younger is visibly annoyed, but doesn't say anything.
"so, the jacket? can i have it please?" mingi asked, the irritation in his voice clear. yunho notices the younger picking at his nails, something he does when he's nervous. he doesn't comment on it.
"oh right, sorry," yunho apologized.
"wait here."
he heads to his room to grab the jacket, sliding it carefully off the hanger before returning to the living room to give it to mingi.
he quickly hands it to the younger, unsure of what to say. unsure if there's anything to be said.
mingi takes the jacket from him, thanking him before turning to exit yunho's apartment. something doesn't feel right.
"wait, mingi," yunho stops the younger, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder. it startles mingi and he turns around to face yunho.
"do you- are you uh, busy right now? would you like to stay for some coffee maybe?"
if yunho could sink through all 15 floors of his building he would. what was he thinking?
the younger's expression softens slightly at the suggestion.
"coffee doesn't sound bad," he agrees.
yunho does his best to hide his shock. he knows he does a terrible job. he hadn't ever expect mingi to accept the offer. what the hell was he doing?
"cool, um, you can go ahead and make yourself comfortable, i actually haven't eaten yet so..." yunho trails off, unsure of what to say next.
as yunho beats himself up internally for being so awkward, mingi slides his jacket over the couch and slides onto a barstool in front of the kitchen island.
yunho busies himself with making the coffee, shuffling around the kitchen grabbing cups and turning on the keurig.
"how's your foot feeling?" mingi asks, slightly occupied with his phone.
"it's better mostly. a bit weak since i haven't used it much."
mingi nods, clearly wanting to say something but instead he looks down to scroll through his phone. he's not really looking at anything, yunho can tell.
yunho commends himself for not stuttering through his sentence. he hates the fact that mingi is so comfortable, and not at all fazed by this situation, which yunho put himself in and was now facing the consequences of.
in the weeks they were apart, mingi seems to have grown... older. he carried himself better, seemed more confident and put together. yunho didn't like that. that used to be him.
did he not like this new mingi because he'd stolen his own swagger? or did he dislike him because he found it incredibly hot?
god what was he thinking.
"cream and sugar okay?"
yunho asks, pretending he doesn't hear his own voice waiver.
"of course," mingi nods. on the mornings they'd shared together, things would get painfully domestic to the point where yunho had memorized exactly how mingi liked his coffee.
three creams and five sugars with a dash of oat milk and a shot of espresso.
"you remembered..." mingi mumbled, placing his phone down in shock. oops. apparently yunho had mumbled the ingredients outloud.
"uh... yeah, and what about it?"
he winces after hearing himself. apparently his only option is to sound like he's about to cry or he's about to beat someone up.
he sees mingi roll his eyes at the response out of the corner of this eyes.
sighing, he places the mug in front of the younger boy. he places his own mug across the table and sits down, taking a few sips before taking a deep breath.
"look mingi," yunho begins.
the younger winces in hearing yunho say his name.
"i... i'm sorry. i don't mean to come off this way, i thought maybe talking over coffee would help settle whatever's going on, and that i'd maybe have a chance to talk to you again... and apologize."
yunho looks at the younger briefly, and he raises an eyebrow in curiosity.
"i know i was kind of an asshole that day at school and i swear pushing you away was the last thing i wanted to do. i just... don't know how to fucking process things and deal with myself like an adult and it's just... i just... god how do i fucking say this..." yunho groans, hiding his face in his hands.
"what, do you have a crush on me or something?" mingi scoffs, putting his phone away and taking another sip of his coffee.
"yeah," yunho mumbles, refusing to look up at him.
mingi nearly chokes on his coffee, coughing before he's able to swallow. yunho can only hand him a napkin and try not to whither away from embarrassment. he’d known for a while now, and yet he still did his best to lock his feelings in the furthest part of his brain. but he’d failed to throw away the key, and inevitably, they all came flooding back to him, and this time he was unable to ignore them any longer.
there's a moment of silence before mingi speaks.
"you're a fucking idiot and an asshole sometimes you know that yunho?" he scoffs. the older winces, but feels he deserves it.
"god you suck. you suck!" he chuckles, shaking his head to himself.
"what a time for a confession too. well if you absolutely must know, i feel the same about you jeong yunho."
yunho can feel his face turning red. this is what he was afraid of. best case scenario would have had mingi out the door after rejecting him only minutes prior. this he was not prepared for.
"w-wha," is all yunho can sputter before mingi slides out of his seat, making his way over to the younger.
he can feel mingi's presence behind him, and is still too embarrassed to turn around.
"you should've told me sooner yunho, i could've been dating you all this time and yet you decided to be an emotionally constipated asshole," mingi shakes his head.
how was he being so casual about the whole thing?
"anyways, maybe we'll figure this out another time. i have places to be, but i can come back this evening and we can talk this out. sound okay?" mingi asks. yunho still doesn't turn around, his face still beet red.
"uh yeah that's fine," he mumbles, taking another sip of his coffee. or he tries to anyway, as he realizes his glass is empty.
" god you’re adorable. i’ll see you later then darling," mingi smiles, pressing a kiss to yunho's neck. he's sure mingi does this time.
two weeks later
yunho yawns, stretching a bit before turning over in bed. the sun had just begun to rise, and was peaking ever so slightly through the window, giving the room a faint golden glow.
when he opened his eyes slightly, he was met with a pair of gentle brown eyes looking right back at him.
yunho smiles and closes his eyes, tucking his head into mingi's chest. the younger wrapped his hand tighter around the older, pressing a kiss to the crown of his head.
"morning baby," mingi greets yunho, his voice raspy but gentle. yunho only smiles bigger, wrapping an arm around mingi and pulling him impossibly closer.
"'morning love," yunho responds quietly, inhaling mingi's scent. he smells slightly of mint, and the citrus shampoo they shared. he basks in the warmth from the sunlight spilling through the window, feeling his heart jump at the feeling of mingi’s lips placing a gentle kiss atop his head.
“you’re so beautiful,” mingi whispers, his fingers rubbing soothing circles into yunho’s side. the older blushes, and mingi gives a chuckle, his hand finding its way to yunho’s chin. he raises his head so the older will make eye contact with him, and yunho let’s mingi’s hand guide him, meeting his eyes. he finds it so easy to get lost in them, and in that moment yunho could feel a semblance of something much stronger than just attraction. despite having just gotten together, he seems to know exactly what to say to get yunho worked up, and the older hates the power mingi has over him but he's so helpless when he sees that look of his.
there’s something about the way mingi’s eyelashes flutter, something about the bow of his plush lips, something about the way he looked at yunho that made his neck heat up each time he looked at the younger. there was no other pair of eyes who looked at him as if he’d hung each and every star in the sky. he knows there’s something to be said, so many words left unsaid between the two of them, and yet yunho perfectly understood each and every one. it’s then that he feels a rush of confidence, and surges forward to meet mingi’s lips with his. the younger melts into him almost immediately, pliant at his touch. he doesn’t rush anything, morning breath be damned, but rather kisses the younger slowly, passionately, pouring all the words he had yet to say into the kiss. it was a confession of sorts, and he could only hope the younger would understand.
when he pulls away, he wishes he could capture the image before him forever. a golden glow painted mingi’s tanned skin, his lips red and swollen from the kiss. he was panting slightly, but was smiling nonetheless, making yunho’s stomach twist in the most wonderful way. he could get used to this view.
and it’s in that moment that yunho thinks maybe he doesn’t exactly hate song mingi.
reason #5: maybe yunho didn't hate song mingi
it takes time to learn, but there's a chance yunho quite possibly doesn't hate song mingi. in fact, he thinks the word he's looking for may not be hate, and that he was mistaken to think that was ever true. but it seems to him that there might be even the slightest chance, if only minuscule, of the semblance of something like love.