(for teatimetaemint) You Make My Dreams Come True
For: teatimetaemint
Title: You Make My Dreams Come True
Pairing: Jongin/Xiumin
Word Count: ~8,000 words
Rating: PG-13
Warnings:: some swearing
Summary: All Jongin wanted was to sleep. What he got was something better.
Author's Note: I'd just like to thank teatimetaemint for giving such fun prompts! I strayed quite a bit from your prompt T_T I'm sorry T_T I hope it's to your liking! Also, I'd like to thank Emmi for being so kind and for dealing with me even after I've caused so much inconvenience. I'm really honored to have been a part of this exchange!
Jongin wakes to the sound of drums.
“Fucking…” he mutters, burying his head into his pillow and cursing his roommate for making his life miserable. He rolls onto his stomach and thrashes a bit in frustration as the drumming continues. He takes a peek at his alarm clock, and sure enough it’s eight AM on a Saturday, which is far too early to be making any sort of noise. He has work in four hours. He wants to die.
“Chanyeol!” Jongin yells, tiredness bleeding into his voice. No response. Chanyeol must have his earphones in. Jongin rolls off the bed and drags his body out of his room. Walking into the shared common room, Jongin eyes Chanyeol, who’s sitting cross legged behind his janggu, eyes closed and nodding along to the beat of whatever music he’s listening to. Chanyeol’s hands tap random rhythms on the sides of the drums and Jongin’s just amazed that they haven’t been reported for sound disturbance already.
He walks over and takes Chanyeol’s earphones out. Chanyeol looks up, large eyes growing even rounder, and he says cheerily, “What’s up, Jongin?” He then grins, as if Jongin’s not looking like he’s about to break Chanyeol’s drum.
“Just… why?” Jongin asks, suddenly exhausted. He’s not awake enough for confrontation.
His frustration must show on his face because Chanyeol’s grin slips a little, and he scrambles to pause his music.
“Was I too loud?” Chanyeol asks sheepishly, his face showing remorse enough for Jongin to let it go. For now.
“Yeah,” he says flatly. Understatement of the fucking century. Jongin turns and walks back to his room, shuts the door, and falls back into bed. The problem is, now he can’t fall asleep.
It’s the third time Chanyeol’s woken him up with his early morning drum practice. Jongin can’t understand what could possibly possess Chanyeol to make so much noise in the morning. Chanyeol’s not actually a bad guy. He’s neat and showers regularly, for one. Also, he’s a great cook and an even greater musician, if the sick tracks he’s arranged for Jongin’s dance team are testament. He’s also genuinely nice, if a bit unaware of his surroundings and the people in it. Chanyeol just… doesn’t understand other people. Or boundaries.
And it’s not just the drums. It’s the noisy cooking in the early morning, the loud phone calls with his best friend Baekhyun while Jongin’s trying to study, the times he texts Jongin not to come back to their room because he’s, ahem, busy. He goes out late at night and comes back smelling weird and Jongin doesn't even want to know what he does to be honest. Chanyeol’s also too excitable and touchy and he just fixates on weird things that Jongin does like when he needs to shave or how often he showers. It’s mid semester and Jongin practically lives at the library now because coming back to the dorm almost always ends up with him wanting to leave. Jongin needs sleep. Chanyeol never sleeps. Jongin’s falling behind on his classes because he can’t sleep, and if he shows up late to work another time, he’s sure to be fired. Something needs to change.
Jongin rubs his eyes before turning over and trying to get some rest before he goes to work.
“Kyungsoo, can I stay at your place for a while?”
“Why?” Kyungsoo asks suspiciously, taking the tray out of Jongin’s hands and loading the next table’s dishes onto it.
“I can’t deal with Chanyeol anymore. The guy’s fucking nuts,” Jongin complains. “Today, he was up at 8 in the morning playing drums again. Tell me he’s not nuts.”
Kyungsoo places the tray into the sink and turns to Jongin. “I could probably let you crash on my couch, but only for like, two days max. My brother’s coming over next week, so.”
“Yes! That’s fine. I’ll be at your place tonight, yeah?” Jongin walks over to Kyungsoo, a grin on his face. The older boy has turned to the sink again, and Jongin takes the opportunity to wrap his arms around Kyungsoo’s waist and lift him, swinging him side to side. “Thank you, Kyungsooooo,” Jongin gushes, knowing it annoys the smaller boy when Jongin gets affectionate. Then Kyungsoo starts hitting his arm, which causes Jongin to let go immediately because, ow.
“It’s nothing, shithead. I’m not even gonna feed you,” Kyungsoo says with mock viciousness.
That’s okay, though. Jongin walks out of the kitchen with a smile on his face, dreaming of sweet, sweet sleep.
The two nights he spends on Kyungsoo’s lumpy couch seem like a distant memory, now that he’s back at his and Chanyeol’s dorm. He’s slumped over his desk, working on his Lit homework, trying to drown out the sounds of Chanyeol loudly beating Superstar SM in the next room. Jongin can’t even block the noise with music because he’s lost his earphones. By the time Chanyeol’s won his fourth round, Jongin’s close to slamming his head into his textbook.
Jongin has an Econ quiz the next day, and he’s barely studied a quarter into the section. He’s pretty sure he’s read the same line four times, and none of the information is getting absorbed. The nearest café’s already closed for the night, and the library is too far away for him to walk to when it’s this cold outside. He wants to text Kyungsoo, but Kyungsoo’s probably busy entertaining his brother, who’s visiting after his time in the army. After all, he already owes Kyungsoo for letting him stay over.
So Jongin reaches around his bed to find his phone. He sends a text to his cousin, Jongdae.
Hey… can I crash at your place tonight?
When Jongdae replies within five minutes with an affirmative, Jongin’s over the moon. He knew Jongdae was his favorite cousin.
Jongin packs immediately, just a few things, like underwear, a sweatshirt and a change of pants. He knows he can’t sleep on Jongdae’s couch forever, no matter what Jongdae says. The less Jongin can impose, the better, especially since Jongdae has a roommate who’s actually paying to live there. On one hand, it might be awkward, and Jongin might have to actually meet a new person. On the other hand, he gets to sleep without Chanyeol’s noise. It’ll be a relief because Jongdae, Jongin knows from years of friendship and growing up together, is blissfully quiet.
He heads out with barely a word said to Chanyeol, not that Chanyeol would notice Jongin wouldn’t be sleeping there any more. Jongin makes every effort not to be home when Chanyeol is, after all.
The short walk to Jongdae’s complex is made even shorter because Jongin is rushing to get out of the cold winter air. He practically sprints up the stairwell to Jongdae’s floor, and by the time he gets there, he’s sweaty and more than a little winded. After ringing the doorbell, he waits until there’s a scuffle from inside the door.
When the door opens, it’s not Jongdae who greets him.
Jongin does a double-take, running his eyes up and down the person in front of him. The face that greets him is one he’s seen plenty of times before, peering into the windows of the dance studio just as practice ends, curiosity and nostalgia in its eyes. It’s a face that shows up when Jongin least expects it, when he’s across the room and just barely catches it pass by, but it’s a face that’s been stuck in his mind regardless.
Jongin just stares, and feels stupid for not being able to stop staring.
The boy raises a sharp eyebrow. “I’m Minseok, Jongdae’s roommate. You must be Jongin.” He steps to the side to let Jongin in.
So Minseok is his name. Caught off-guard by the sweet sound of the boy’s voice, Jongin starts to introduce himself, but ends up choking on the breath he’s been holding. He can’t stop coughing now, fuck. He’s sure his face must be so red,
“Uh…” he hears Minseok say. “Jongdae! Your cousin is dying!” Minseok calls out behind him, and sure enough Jongdae appears from his apartment and immediately reaches out to thump Jongin’s back.
“Just come inside, what the hell,” Jongdae says, and drags the two of them into his apartment. Jongin is placed onto Jongdae’s couch and, seconds later, a glass of water is thrust into his hands. Jongin drinks it gratefully.
When he’s composed, he sets his backpack down on the ground and looks up at Minseok, who’s perched himself on a chair, watching him. He’s a lot… smaller than Jongin would’ve guessed, having only ever seen Minseok’s head. As Jongdae putters about the kitchen, Minseok begins to speak.
“Are you okay?” Minseok teases, and Jongin’s blushing again like a schoolgirl.
“Y-yeah, I’m fine, thanks,” Jongin replies. He wants to hide his face in his hands, but he doesn’t want to risk making a weirder first impression than he already is. “Sorry about… that. I’m Jongin.”
“I gathered,” Minseok replies with an adorably gummy smile. And his cheeks, god, they’re something else. Jongin almost wants to squeeze them. Instead, he laughs awkwardly, hands clutching at his knees and messing with the holes in his pants. It’s blowing Jongin’s mind right now that he’s actually seeing the boy from the dance studio up close.
Jongin nearly sighs in relief when Jongdae enters the room with a plate of snacks in his hands.
“Jongin, now that you’re breathing, make yourself at home,” Jongdae says, ever so gracious. He sets the plate down on the coffee table, leaving Jongin and Minseok to help themselves.
Jongin gets up to take off his sneakers and place them by the door, and turns around to see Minseok on the couch, legs propped up on the coffee table and watching TV.
Up close, Minseok is even more attractive than he’d seemed before. Jongin feels the age old insecurity creeping back again, something he thought he’d gotten rid of once high school ended. He’s suddenly conscious of his clothes; a simple, worn sweatshirt and old dance sweats. The rest of his clothes in his backpack are of similar style. Meanwhile, Minseok is lounging on the couch wearing a fitted sweater and jeans and looking like an idol. Jongin can’t deal.
Before going back to the couch, he detours to the kitchen, where Jongdae is pouring himself juice.
“Hyung! Why didn’t you tell me your roommate is hot?!” he whispers fiercely. He isn’t equipped to deal with situations like this.
Jongdae eyes him as he sips his drink, then promptly laughs and has to place his glass down on the counter to stop from choking. Jongin looks at him with resentment.
“You think he’s hot?” Jongdae asks, amusement shining in his eyes. “This is the best!” He throws his head back and laughs obnoxiously. “Anyway, knowing you, you’d have never come over if you thought he was hot.”
That is true. In the end, shyness usually wins, for Jongin. Speechless, he walks back to the couch and to get his backpack. There’s a mindless sitcom playing on TV and Jongin tries to ignore it and the extremely attractive boy sitting not five feet away as he sets his homework on the dining table.
He’s finally able to calm his heartbeat and drown out the sound of the female lead crying when Minseok speaks up.
“So… are you a freshman?” Minseok asks. Jongin, surprised, lifts his head from his book and answers a beat late.
“Yeah, how could you tell?”
“You have the look,” Minseok replies with a grin, eyes crinkling at the corners.
“Oh…” Jongin says dumbly.
“I’m a senior,” Minseok supplies, “I’m in architecture. How about you? What are you thinking about majoring in?”
“Dance, probably,” Jongin replies, “or literature. Or both.” His two loves. He could talk about them endlessly.
Minseok perks up, turning to look at Jongin fully. “So you’re a dancer? I danced too, back in high school. What kind?”
“Ballet, mostly. But I started learning hip-hop back in sophomore year, and I really like that too. I want to try all kinds of genres,” Jongin says, unable to keep the enthusiasm from bleeding into every word.
“I did hip-hop back then. Formed a dance team and everything,” Minseok says. “Thinking back on it, I really want to take it up again.” That explains why Minseok was always hanging around the dance studio.
“You should join the school’s dance team!” Jongin says, excited that he and Minseok have something in common. “There’s a meeting this week for interested members, since a lot of upperclassmen dropped it.” It had really been a shame, losing so much talent. Taemin will be glad to have a new recruit.
“I’ll try my best. I miss it,” Minseok says with a smile. He pulls out his phone and holds it out in Jongin’s direction. “Do you want to give me your number? So you can remind me.” He’s hardly been here thirty minutes and Jongin’s already about to get his number, good lord.
feels another blush rising in his cheeks as he walks over to take Minseok’s phone, the older boy staring warmly at him. He feels the tell tale pull of attraction rising in his stomach. That smile…
At night, Jongin lies in his makeshift bed on the couch, going over his and Minseok’s conversation. The older boy seemed so nice, and genuinely interested in what Jongin had to say. Jongin, usually on the shyer side around strangers, had been strangely open about his love for dance. He thinks back to Minseok’s eyes peering in through the windows of the dance studio, and wonders if there will be more conversations between them.
Jongdae’s actually letting Jongin stay over for as long as he wants, so Jongin’s been taking full advantage of the quiet and comfortable atmosphere to actually catch up on the homework he’s been neglecting. The couch is a far cry from his bed at home, but the undisturbed, solid six hours he gets every night is worth a little neck pain.
He’d been surprised when Minseok actually showed up to the dance team meeting after Jongin had mentioned it. Dressed in the casual, comfortable clothes, Minseok had looked so different from how he usually does. The Minseok in the sharp button downs and ties that his major calls for make Jongin want to swoon, but the Minseok in sweats and a long sleeve T-shirt allow Jongin to really appreciate just how attractive Minseok really is. Dressed up Minseok is handsome. Dressed down Minseok is cute, and hot, and familiar, and Jongin is all the more enamored.
That first meeting was more of a showcase of dances the team has already done, to give the interested attendants an idea of what to expect. Jongin had been afraid Minseok would be put off, that his skill level wasn’t up to par with what the dance team wanted. So he’s ecstatic now when he sees Minseok today, dressed in dance gear and looking a little nervous.
“Hey Jongin,” Minseok greets him. He seems a little uncomfortable, probably unused to the rowdiness of the kids on the team. Jongin wants to change that.
“Hey! I’m glad you made it!” Jongin says warmly. Minseok visibly relaxes, and Jongin guesses he was worried Jongin wouldn’t be so welcoming.
Minseok looks around at people stretching and chatting on the floor of the studio, and asks, “What are we doing now?”
Jongin grins. “We’re letting all the new members get ready to dance. We need to assess your skill level, so there’s going to be a choreography that everyone needs to learn.
Minseok and Jongin stretch together, and Jongin is amused to see how inflexible Minseok is.
“This was so much easier back in high school,” Minseok groans from the floor, looking pained. Jongin’s already done, so he reaches out to grab Minseok’s outstretched hand to help him stand up.
Taemin, the captain of the dance team, is already placing the new members in line to learn the choreography. As they approach, Minseok is put in the front because, though he’s older, he’s adorably short. Jongin is placed near the back, with the rest of the dance team. Taemin starts counting.
From this angle, Jongin can just see Minseok. Jongin has no problem following Taemin’s counts, the choreography being simpler than most he’s danced before. Minseok struggles initially, out of practice with the way his body moves. Once they add on music, though, Minseok completely changes.
While his moves were awkward and jerky when Taemin was counting, the steady, deep bass line and electronic sounds give Minseok rhythm, and soon, he gets into the flow of the dance. His moves are smooth and confident. By the third run-through of the minute long choreo, it’s clear to Jongin that Minseok is good.
Minseok is small, but he’s stocky and powerful. Jongin’s amazed at how hard Minseok hits each beat, only to follow up with smooth footwork and confident body rolls that are honestly making Jongin’s mouth a little dry. Even when he misses some steps, the recovery is subtle and almost as impressive as the actual moves themselves. Minseok could be one of the most fluid dancers Jongin’s seen in a while.
They’re given a break, and Jongin immediately flocks to Minseok’s side. The elder is sitting, sipping slowly from a water bottle, and there’s a line of sweat clinging to his jaw that Jongin wants to wipe away.
“Hyung, you didn’t tell me you were this great!” Jongin enthuses. Minseok just grins, bashful.
“It’s been a while, but I guess I still got it in me,” Minseok says, visibly pleased at this turn of events. Jongin finds it unbelievably cute.
“So will you join?” Jongin presses. “We could really use a dancer like you. You picked up the choreography almost at the same time I did.”
“You don’t have to be so nice, Jongin, but thank you. I would love to join,” Minseok says, wiping at the sweat on his forehead. Jongin hands him a towel, which Minseok takes gratefully.
“It’ll be awesome. I’m so glad!” Chill, Jongin. Don’t be a fucking flower.
“It’s great to be able to do stuff like this again. I didn’t know how much I actually missed dancing until now. It feels good,” Minseok sounds just as excited as Jongin feels, and if Jongin wasn’t sure he liked Minseok before, he’s damn positive now.
“Alright everyone, back in formation,” Taemin calls, signaling the end of their break. Jongin and Minseok grin at each other, heading towards the center of the room as the music restarts.
It’s like this for a whole five days. Jongin takes advantage of his time away from Chanyeol, going to school and work during the day, doing his homework in the afternoons, and spending his nights at the studio. Since Jongdae’s out most of the day and he owns a large and fabulously empty dining table, Jongin has taken to doing his homework there instead of at the library. This is especially nice, because whenever Minseok has any free time, he always volunteers to help Jongin out.
Minseok is smart. Jongin gathered that much from the plans and blueprints randomly scattered on surfaces throughout the apartment, along with the rest of Jongdae’s messes. Chanyeol would have a heart attack. Still, Jongin swears he’s learned more about calculus from the older boy than in his actual class. Numbers come easily to him, Minseok had explained. The certainty of math comforts him; no matter how complex a formula is or how many terms an expression has, there is always a right answer.
Minseok is also a great writer, which makes the literature enthusiast in Jongin more than a little envious.
“An essay is just like an equation. You have your intro, thesis, supporting examples, analyses, and conclusion. For every example, there’s a supporting point. Every other sentence, have a transition. It’s all cut and dry - you can be creative later.”
Jongin is guessing that Minseok kicked Freshman Composition class in the ass.
The thing about Minseok is he makes Jongin feel special. He doesn’t treat Jongin like a freshman kid, like Jongdae does sometimes. He doesn’t get frustrated when Jongin sometimes makes too much noise, whether he’s dancing in the bathroom or fiddling around in the kitchen. He indulges Jongin in discussion about their favorite novels, and Jongin’s pleased to find that Minseok’s an avid reader as well. The camaraderie they have at dance practice is nothing to be ignored, either - Minseok respects Jongin’s skill and passion and that makes them equals. Jongin appreciates that more than anything.
Minseok answers every question Jongin asks him earnestly and to his full capability, no matter how inane. Where Jongin is afraid of being a bother, especially since Minseok is close to graduating and his workload is increasing steadily, Minseok never makes him feel immature or childish. When Jongin speaks, Minseok listens. When Minseok speaks, Jongin never wants him to stop.
But after so long, Jongin’s starting to feel guilty about living off of his cousin. Although Jongdae insists he’s not a bother (in fact, Jongin knows Jongdae gets incredibly homesick and appreciates Jongin’s presence, because it reminds Jongdae of home), Jongin doesn’t want to overstay his welcome. And besides, even if he hates living with Chanyeol, Jongin can’t leave him completely alone. Who knows what Chanyeol’s been up to recently.
So after dance practice, a particularly productive one in which Jongin discovered that Minseok can, in fact, twerk, Jongin returns to his dorm, opens up the door, and is greeted immediately by the sound of Chanyeol plucking at his guitar.
He has to admit, this sound is nice. Chanyeol, for all his yelling, has a good voice, and Jongin feels sort of bad for leaving him alone for so long.
Chanyeol immediately stops playing once he sees Jongin.
“Jongin, buddy! Where’ve you been? I missed you!” Chanyeol comes over and wraps Jongin in a hug, which, though unexpected, is not exactly unpleasant. He carefully detaches himself from the taller boy’s lanky limbs and looks up at Chanyeol with, dare he say it, affection.
“Sorry Yeol. I paid my cousin a visit for a while.” He notices that his bed is made, the floor is cleared, and there are no dishes in the sink. Thinking back to Jongdae and Minseok’s clutter, he smiles. He walks over to his bed and flops down on it, sighing, reveling in the comfort of a real mattress.
“Jongin, I’m about to order food. What do you want?” Chanyeol calls from his desk, cell phone in hand.
“Chicken,” he calls, faced smushed into his pillow.
It’s not all peace and quiet, and there’s no Minseok either, but it’s good to be home.
“So let me get this straight: you’re in love with your cousin’s roommate.”
Jongin looks around, panicked, before reaching over to shush Kyungsoo. “You’re so loud, dude!” Kyungsoo, eyes wide and sarcastic, gestures around at the library-goers all hunched over their books with ear buds in their ears. “And it’s not quite to that level yet…”
Kyungsoo eyes him oddly. “Jongin, do we need to have another talk? You know that it’s perfectly fine for a guy to like a guy, I accept you for who you are, you don’t have to-“
“Yes, yes I know,” Jongin rolls his eyes, "just don’t talk so loud. Minseok hyung hangs out here all the time.”
Kyungsoo leans back, folding his arms, a contemplative look in his eyes. Despite his short stature, Kyungsoo never fails to intimidate Jongin when he wants to. “I want to meet him.”
“I don’t know…”
“Dude, I have to meet him. As your best friend, it’s like, my duty.”
Jongin cracks up at this. “Fine, fine. I’ll, I don’t know. Ask him to meet up for coffee, or something.” Kyungsoo fist pumps the air in victory.
“Don’t worry, Jongin. I won’t embarrass you,” Kyungsoo says. “Much.” The slightest inkling of dread pools in Jongin’s stomach.
Despite getting along with Minseok well during dance practices, Jongin’s shocked when Minseok replies immediately to Jongin’s invitation for coffee Sunday morning. After setting a time, Jongin lies back in his bed and contemplates his life choices.
Becoming fast friends with Minseok had been easy. Jongin can say with full honesty that he’s never met anyone as kind, modest, and generous as the older boy, and he can’t believe he went from watching Minseok through a window to hanging out with him out of his own free will. It’s almost too good to be true, and Jongin’s extremely, extremely wary of falling harder for the older boy.
The thing is, when Jongin entered university, he’d put all expectations for a relationship behind him. Juggling a job along with his classes and dance team means he hardly has time to date, and after all, how easy is it to be in a homosexual relationship when you’re South Korean?
He doesn’t even know if Minseok is gay.
Jongin smothers himself with his pillow.
Jongin arrives early to the café, a local favorite not ten minutes away from his dorm, and he’s at a loss. Should he sit? Should he wait outside? Should he order for himself and Minseok now, or would that be too presumptuous? Where the hell is Kyungsoo?
Just as Jongin decides to sit at a table by the front window, he hears Minseok call his name. He turns and quite literally loses his breath, because Minseok looks cute as hell.
The older boy is bundled up for the winter, with a scarf pulled over his mouth and a beanie covering his hair, and he’s practically drowning in the jacket he has on. Minseok walks over to Jongin’s table and flops down on a chair, immediately shedding his jacket and throwing it on the seat next to him.
Minseok, with his cheeks flushed from the cold, looks lovely.
“Morning, Jongin,” Minseok greets him cheerfully, scarf pulled down to reveal his toothy smile.
“Morning, hyung.”
“How’s your roommate? Chanyeol, was it?” Jongin had complained to Minseok about Chanyeol on the third day of crashing on Jongdae’s couch.
“Same old. He’s fine,” Jongin answers amicably, having long forgiven Chanyeol. His roommate has mellowed out a bit since Jongin’s extended stay at Jongdae’s. Maybe he’s finally becoming aware. “Kyungsoo should be coming soon.”
Then, Minseok’s face does this thing where his eyes slant down and his mouth twitches a bit, and if Jongin were braver, he’d say that Minseok looks… disappointed. But why?
“Oh, your friend right? I’m looking forward to meeting him!” Minseok says, smile placed back on his face, as if nothing happened. Jongin brushes it off as well.
They go up to order, figuring Kyungsoo can just catch up. Jongin orders his usual caramel mocha while Minseok orders a Vietnamese iced coffee. Jongin eyes Minseok warily, until Minseok catches his gaze and answers with a grin, saying, “It has four shots of espresso, it tastes good, and I need it.”
Right then, Kyungsoo arrives at the café and saves Jongin from having to struggle to find something to say. Kyungsoo walks right up to them, sticks his hand out for Minseok to shake, and introduces himself.
"I'm Kyungsoo, Jongin's friend. Jongin's told me a lot about you."
God, Jongin could kill him.
Minseok has a funny smile on his face when he turns to look at Jongin. "Only good things, I hope."
Kyungsoo grins, looking deceptively good-natured. "Oh, don't worry. I've heard very good things.
Jongin interrupts before any real damage can happen. "Hey Kyungsoo, I think it’s your turn to order," he says, gesturing to the cashier. Honestly, knowing Kyungsoo, Jongin’s beginning to think this meeting was a bad idea.
Except it turns out it isn't, because for the rest of their coffee date, Kyungsoo is on his best behavior. In fact, Kyungsoo and Minseok get along together so well that Jongin's just content to let the two converse while he sits back, sipping his drink.
"And then-- and then! You know what he said? He said, 'Kyungsoo-yah, let's stay friends,' like, are you serious? I can't believe I ever gave him the time of day." Minseok nods sympathetically, resting his cheek on a perched fist. They're talking about Zitao, Kyungsoo's ex-boyfriend, who was also apparently Minseok's roommate in his sophomore year. It's a small world.
Minseok then checks his watch, not that Jongin is staring at him, and says, "Hey Jongin, don't you guys have work?"
Shit.
"Wow, time goes by fast. Let's head out, Jongin," Kyungsoo says. Jongin nods, reluctantly getting out of his seat and slipping on his jacket. Minseok stands as well, and he shakes Kyungsoo's hand. Jongin extends his hand too, only for Minseok to pull him into a hug instead.
Minseok smells lovely, like freshly washed laundry. "Hey, I had a great time. Let's do this again," Minseok says quietly, mouth quirking up into a small, secret smile. For the first time, Jongin wants to kiss it.
"Definitely, hyung. I'll look forward to it," Jongin responds shakily.
After dragging Jongin away onto the sidewalk, Kyungsoo elbows him and raises his eyebrows suggestively. "You know, you could look less in love with him."
"Shut up," Jongin says, blushing. Kyungsoo laughs at him.
"I like him," Kyungsoo says, suddenly serious. "You like him too."
Just then, Jongin hears his name called, and Jongin turns around to see Minseok still standing at the café entrance. "I'll text you!" he calls out, which does not set off happy fireworks in Jongin's stomach, nope.
Time passes quickly like this. While Jongin had expected his and Minseok’s contact to be restricted only to dance practices, much to Jongin's pleasure, he and Minseok have been finding time to meet up almost every week, mostly on Wednesdays since that's Minseok's day off.
Minseok is just so easy to be with. The older boy is soft spoken and easy going, and although neither of them are huge talkers, their silences never feel awkward. All the attention he showers onto Jongin, all the times he and Jongdae show up to drag Jongin out of the dance studio to make sure he eats dinner, make Jongin truly appreciative of Minseok’s friendship, if anything.
For example, today they're at the library, and Minseok is proofreading Jongin's paper for a class. They're both tired and a little sweaty, Jongin having come straight from work and Minseok from his office. Jongin's forehead is sticky against the wood table, and from this angle he can see Minseok's eyes flickering open and closed, like he's struggling to stay awake. Jongin doesn't blame him.
Jongin had asked Minseok once, why Minseok still hung out with Jongin.
"Because I like hanging out with you," Minseok said, honest and straightforward. "I consider you one of my closest friends now." That was something else Jongin learned about Minseok - the elder had few friends, but from what he’s been told, they’re a great group of people. All successful and famously magnanimous, even Jongin knows some of their names: Luhan, Joonmyun, and Wu Fan, all seniors, and all on their path to great careers. If that’s the group that Minseok usually hangs out with, then Jongin feels honored.
Jongin is happy, because a friendship with Minseok was better than nothing at all. He can't really explain why Minseok means so much to him. It's just, when Jongin's dancing ballet and he's in mid jump, that pure contentment and weightlessness he feels, of feeling on top of the world, that's what he feels when he's with Minseok. And he doesn't want to let it go.
Jongin focuses back on Minseok, who’s still marking up his paper. The older boy is wearing glasses that barely rest on the bridge of his nose, but accentuate the curve of his upper eyelids. His brows are furrowed in concentration and he worries a soft-looking but chapped bottom lip with his teeth as he makes corrections. Even exhausted, he continues to be devastatingly attractive and completely oblivious to Jongin’s internal turmoil.
Jongin’s in way over his head. But he really, really likes Minseok anyway.
"Alright guys, you knew this was coming. Showcase season," Taemin accents the words with mock enthusiastic jazz hands. "We have two months to make it look like we know how to dance. I have fliers with more info, but for next practice, everyone needs to have an idea of what they want to do." Taemin flings his pile of fliers at the nearest member, a sullen looking freshman named Sehun who Jongin’s hung out with once or twice. Sehun catches most of the pile, ignoring the papers he misses, and begins passing it around.
By the time the pile comes to Jongin and Minseok, Jongin already has an idea of what dance he wants to do. He sneaks a look at Minseok, wondering if the elder would be up for a paired routine.
He isn't prepared, however, for how devastated Minseok looks.
"Hyung, what's wrong?"
Minseok groans in disappointment. "I can't do the showcase. I have a huge project and presentation that I've been working on since, like, freshman year that's due on that same day, I can't believe it."
Disappointment rolls hot over Jongin's chest, but what can he do? He reaches out to put an arm around Minseok's shoulders, to give some comfort.
"Hyung, it's alright. It’s not like this showcase is mandatory or anything. You can still come to practices. And, there will be other showcases -- heck, if you want, I'll even dance for you, like a private showcase." He doesn't know what he's suggesting exactly, but he's willing to say anything to take that look off of Minseok's face.
"I just… it just sounds nice, to be able to actually perform in front of people, to prove that you’re capable of doing something amazing. I’m so jealous of you, Jongin,” Minseok says, which throws Jongin off. Minseok, jealous of him? The confusion must show on Jongin’s face. “You’re a natural performer, Jongin. It’s amazing to watch-you expressions are so in sync with the music and the dance, it’s almost like you’re acting. You have a real gift.”
Jongin doesn’t know what to say. Flattery pulls a burning blush into his cheeks as he tries to thank Minseok, embarrassed.
“You know, I really regret quitting in high school. Maybe if I had kept with it, I would’ve turned out differently.” Minseok’s voice sounds light, but there's something off.
"Hyung, for what it's worth, I think you're an amazing dancer." Jongin means that with everything he has. "If you don't mind me asking, what made you quit?"
Minseok's mouth twists into a sardonic smile. "I wasn't the skinniest kid growing up. Dancing was really the only exercise I liked, loved, doing. It didn't help me lose weight though, and kids can be especially cruel to those who look like they don't belong." There's a distant, sad tone to Minseok's voice that Jongin wants to take away.
"Minseok, everyone on this team is here because they’re great dancers. And you know what they've said? 'Minseok's a great dancer, I wonder why he didn't join earlier!' Or 'Minseok really is a hidden jewel.' People here, your friends, have seen how you dance, have seen how good you are. So what if you quit for a while? What’s important is that you’re here now. Please be proud of your accomplishments." By now, Jongin's turned to face Minseok, and he’s gripping the elder’s shoulder to emphasize how much he means what he’s saying. Jongin's surprised at the proximity once he's aware of it, but he catches the look in Minseok's eyes and forgets everything else.
"Thanks Jongin,” Minseok says with a smile, a real one.
There's warmth in there, laced with affection and something else, something that Jongin can’t really think about right now but hopes to God it's real.
Even though Minseok can’t attend the showcase, Jongin fully intends on following through with his promise.
Jongin gets to work. He isn’t a songwriter by any means, that’s more Kyungsoo’s area, but he’d been penning down lyrics, just random lines thrown around until they create something Jongin’s satisfied with, and he’s asked Chanyeol to make a track for him.
Jongin’s been staying extra late after dance practices to work on his routine.
He waves off Minseok’s worried gaze, reassuring him that he’s resting and eating well. Jongin’s taken to doing his homework throughout the day rather than doing it all at once at night, so he can have the time to practice. Even though he’d never been one to procrastinate, Jongin’s still a little proud of his newfound work ethic.
This dance is tough. Not technique-wise, because the moves aren’t anything Jongin hasn’t done before. It’s the performance aspect of it that Jongin is really trying to perfect. There’s a certain look in his eyes that he needs, a way to hold his head at certain angles to maximize the effect. He spends hours in front of the studio mirrors, practicing the same move over and over again until it becomes second nature.
Honestly, by the time the showcase is rolling around, Jongin’s worried that this dance will be almost too creepy, but hey, Jongin doesn’t half-ass anything. Anticipation gathers in his gut after he runs through the routine without a hitch.
Jongin doesn’t know if his plan will work or not. He doesn’t even know if he’s reading the signals right. All he knows is that Minseok is worth it.
So worth it.
It’s another Wednesday, several days before the dance team showcase and Minseok’s presentation. Minseok has been busy for weeks, finishing the last of his project up at his office. From what he’s told Jongin, it’s a hybrid of traditional Korean architecture and modern architecture, a new building design created to optimize both space and solar energy. Minseok’s teamed up with a friend in the engineering department, and the two of them have been working on fitting the design with an energy efficient electronic control system. They’ve even manufactured their own walls. Though Jongin is hardly an architect, he can tell that Minseok’s building is going to be amazing.
Despite being so busy, Minseok agreed to meet Jongin at the dance studio today, which Jongin is thankful for. Jongin had been a little vague in the text he sent to Minseok. Kyungsoo had helped him empty out the room of straggling dancers, namely Sehun, who apparently only began to work on his duo stage with his friend Yixing three days ago. Kyungsoo’s even volunteered to help Jongin do his makeup, an offer which Jongin refused because honestly, he doesn’t want Kyungsoo’s fingers anywhere near his eyes.
Minseok’s due to arrive in half an hour, so Jongin really needs to get everything ready quick. After smudging on some eye makeup and messing his hair up, he scrambles into his costume, a white billowing shirt on white pants. He checks and double checks that he has his iPod plugged into the speakers, he stretches and stretches again. If there’s anything called being over-prepared, Jongin’s sure he’s it.
Jongin finally catches Minseok’s head through the window of the studio. The elder walks in through the door looking tired, but stops dead when he sees Jongin.
“Hyung! I’m glad you came!” Jongin says, trying to ignore the way Minseok is looking at him, like he’s a stranger, or perhaps an alien. Minseok’s looking at Jongin like he’s never seen Jongin before.
“Wow, Jongin, what’s this? You look great,” Minseok says.
“I said I'd dance for you, didn't I?” Jongin replies with a grin. “Consider this your private showcase.” He watches as a slow smile crosses Minseok’s face.
“You did. I’m excited,” Minseok says. “Where do you want me to be?”
“Hyung, you sit here,” Jongin moves Minseok down to the far end of the room. He goes over to the lights and fiddles around until all but the center light are off, and walks to the middle of the room. In full makeup and costume, Jongin feels a little ridiculous, but he hopes it’ll all be worth it.
Using the remote to press “play” then sliding it away, Jongin waits for the music to start.
The sound of droning bass begins, and he breathes with the music. His body moves with practiced ease, movements smooth and natural, and all he can hear is his recorded voice speaking the words he wrote.
“I am craving you…” and he’s gone. The dance is short, only about a minute and a half long, but Jongin extends every gesture, every movement, emphasizes the hard beats and lets his body hang on the soft ones. It’s a mixture of everything he’s learned; the smooth glides of ballet and the high energy of hip-hop. When he dances, he doesn’t think about anything else. It’s a story he’s telling with his body, and there’s no room for self-consciousness. His face hides nothing.
He pirouettes, then does his final spin, and fucking nails it. He falls to his knees, tilts his head back, and mimes a scream.
And it’s over.
Jongin’s still kneeling on the floor, catching his breath. He drags his body up and turns back on the lights, squinting at the sudden brightness. Then, he turns around to face Minseok.
What he sees there makes his heart skip a beat. Minseok’s lips are parted and his eyes are wide and round. When Jongin walks over, Minseok immediately lowers his eyes and shifts around, cheeks flaming red.
“Jongin, that was amazing,” Minseok says, “your expressions, God, just…” he trails off, as if not knowing how to finish the sentence.
Jongin wrings his hands, suddenly awkward now that he’s in Real Life, and there’s no music to drown out his heartbeat. “Thanks, hyung. I… that was… I really wanted you to see it. I know you’re really stressed right now because of your project. I just thought, you know, since you couldn’t come to the showcase, I could bring the showcase to you?” He gulps, nervousness sending rolls of nausea in his stomach. “The dance was for you, kinda. And it was about you, too,”
Jongin’s heart is beating wildly in his chest. If he’s reading Minseok right, if the look on Minseok’s face says what Jongin hopes to God it says, then Jongin has nothing to fear.
Minseok’s eyebrows rise in surprise. “Jongin, are you saying…”
Taking a deep breath, Jongin asks, “Hyung, I like you.”
“I like you too,” Minseok answers immediately, and Jongin almost misses it. He’s thrown off for a second because he’s still processing the fact that he actually confessed.
“I, what? You do?” dumbfounded, Jongin just stares at the older boy.
“Well, yeah,” Minseok says, rubbing the back of his neck. He looks shy, and it’s so endearing.
Jongin just laughs, giddy. Reaching over, he pulls Minseok into his arms and wraps the elder in a tight hug, even nicer than their first one and, hopefully, far from their last. Minseok is sturdy and warm in his arms, and he smells like laundry detergent and wind, and Jongin never wants to let go.
But he pulls back anyway. “I have another confession. Before we met officially, I’ve seen you, looking into the dance studio. That’s why I wanted to invite you to the team, because you seemed like you wanted to come in, but you never did,” he says. It seems like so long ago.
“Truthfully, I recognized you immediately when you came to Jongdae’s,” Minseok admits, candor in his eyes.
Jongin’s surprised. Does that mean Minseok noticed him before, too? "You did? So why didn't you..."
“We just met! I didn't want you to think I was a creep. Also, I thought you were,” Minseok bites his lip, “attractive.”
Jongin can’t breathe. Is he dreaming? “You think I’m attractive?”
Minseok just eyes him weirdly. “Do you even need to ask?”
“What about now?” Jongin asks.
“What about now what?” Minseok asks, confused. Jongin steps closer to him, until
they’re practically toe-to-toe. Minseok’s eyes are so round, and practically shining.
“What do you think about me now?”
Minseok smiles at him, that killer smile that sends Jongin’s heart pumping into overdrive and his world tumbling over.
Minseok leans over and kisses Jongin straight on the mouth. His lips are soft, so soft, and Jongin can’t help but let out a little gasp, and Minseok breaks away with a shy smile.
“Now, I think you’re wonderful.”
Jongin is sweating rivulets down his back, still coming down from the high of a great performance. He quickly runs into the dressing room and changes back into his street clothes, wipes away the makeup that’s starting to run down his face. He practically sprints backstage, nearly knocking down three stage crew members, but he catches the performance just in time.
Minseok onstage is hypnotizing. He’s in the middle of his duo routine with Luhan, who Minseok coerced into joining the dance team in their first year of grad school. Luhan’s movements, lithe and energetic, compliment Minseok’s, and the combined visual effect is stunning. To say Jongin is proud is an understatement.
After a series of fast footwork, the song ends, and Minseok and Luhan jog offstage. Jongin catches Minseok into a tight hug.
“Hyung, you were awesome!” Jongin enthuses, grinning so hard his face hurts.
Minseok, still out of breath, wipes at the sweat dripping down his face. Jongin grabs a towel that’s hanging on the rack behind him and ruffles Minseok’s hair with it.
“Thanks Jongin,” Minseok says. “I’m so glad it worked out well. You have no idea how hard Luhan procrastinates.”
Jongin laughs, thinking about the previous year’s showcase, how Sehun and Yixing had collided during their performance yet managed to improvise and turn it into an impressive couple’s dance. “I think I have an idea.”
Several members come up to Minseok to congratulate him on his first performance, and Jongin is so happy to see the pleased smile on Minseok’s face. Even more surprising, Taemin comes over to greet them.
“I’m happy to see you two together,” Taemin says enigmatically, before being swept away by his friend Kibum. Jongin and Minseok just look at each other before breaking out into laughter.
“Hyung, are you hungry? Want to go eat?” Jongin asks, not really minding what the elder chooses.
“Nah, I’m exhausted. Let’s just go home and rest,” Minseok says. “Sound good?”
Jongin reaches out and links their fingers together. He meets Minseok’s gaze with a small, happy smile.
“Sounds wonderful.”
Title: You Make My Dreams Come True
Pairing: Jongin/Xiumin
Word Count: ~8,000 words
Rating: PG-13
Warnings:: some swearing
Summary: All Jongin wanted was to sleep. What he got was something better.
Author's Note: I'd just like to thank teatimetaemint for giving such fun prompts! I strayed quite a bit from your prompt T_T I'm sorry T_T I hope it's to your liking! Also, I'd like to thank Emmi for being so kind and for dealing with me even after I've caused so much inconvenience. I'm really honored to have been a part of this exchange!
Jongin wakes to the sound of drums.
“Fucking…” he mutters, burying his head into his pillow and cursing his roommate for making his life miserable. He rolls onto his stomach and thrashes a bit in frustration as the drumming continues. He takes a peek at his alarm clock, and sure enough it’s eight AM on a Saturday, which is far too early to be making any sort of noise. He has work in four hours. He wants to die.
“Chanyeol!” Jongin yells, tiredness bleeding into his voice. No response. Chanyeol must have his earphones in. Jongin rolls off the bed and drags his body out of his room. Walking into the shared common room, Jongin eyes Chanyeol, who’s sitting cross legged behind his janggu, eyes closed and nodding along to the beat of whatever music he’s listening to. Chanyeol’s hands tap random rhythms on the sides of the drums and Jongin’s just amazed that they haven’t been reported for sound disturbance already.
He walks over and takes Chanyeol’s earphones out. Chanyeol looks up, large eyes growing even rounder, and he says cheerily, “What’s up, Jongin?” He then grins, as if Jongin’s not looking like he’s about to break Chanyeol’s drum.
“Just… why?” Jongin asks, suddenly exhausted. He’s not awake enough for confrontation.
His frustration must show on his face because Chanyeol’s grin slips a little, and he scrambles to pause his music.
“Was I too loud?” Chanyeol asks sheepishly, his face showing remorse enough for Jongin to let it go. For now.
“Yeah,” he says flatly. Understatement of the fucking century. Jongin turns and walks back to his room, shuts the door, and falls back into bed. The problem is, now he can’t fall asleep.
It’s the third time Chanyeol’s woken him up with his early morning drum practice. Jongin can’t understand what could possibly possess Chanyeol to make so much noise in the morning. Chanyeol’s not actually a bad guy. He’s neat and showers regularly, for one. Also, he’s a great cook and an even greater musician, if the sick tracks he’s arranged for Jongin’s dance team are testament. He’s also genuinely nice, if a bit unaware of his surroundings and the people in it. Chanyeol just… doesn’t understand other people. Or boundaries.
And it’s not just the drums. It’s the noisy cooking in the early morning, the loud phone calls with his best friend Baekhyun while Jongin’s trying to study, the times he texts Jongin not to come back to their room because he’s, ahem, busy. He goes out late at night and comes back smelling weird and Jongin doesn't even want to know what he does to be honest. Chanyeol’s also too excitable and touchy and he just fixates on weird things that Jongin does like when he needs to shave or how often he showers. It’s mid semester and Jongin practically lives at the library now because coming back to the dorm almost always ends up with him wanting to leave. Jongin needs sleep. Chanyeol never sleeps. Jongin’s falling behind on his classes because he can’t sleep, and if he shows up late to work another time, he’s sure to be fired. Something needs to change.
Jongin rubs his eyes before turning over and trying to get some rest before he goes to work.
“Kyungsoo, can I stay at your place for a while?”
“Why?” Kyungsoo asks suspiciously, taking the tray out of Jongin’s hands and loading the next table’s dishes onto it.
“I can’t deal with Chanyeol anymore. The guy’s fucking nuts,” Jongin complains. “Today, he was up at 8 in the morning playing drums again. Tell me he’s not nuts.”
Kyungsoo places the tray into the sink and turns to Jongin. “I could probably let you crash on my couch, but only for like, two days max. My brother’s coming over next week, so.”
“Yes! That’s fine. I’ll be at your place tonight, yeah?” Jongin walks over to Kyungsoo, a grin on his face. The older boy has turned to the sink again, and Jongin takes the opportunity to wrap his arms around Kyungsoo’s waist and lift him, swinging him side to side. “Thank you, Kyungsooooo,” Jongin gushes, knowing it annoys the smaller boy when Jongin gets affectionate. Then Kyungsoo starts hitting his arm, which causes Jongin to let go immediately because, ow.
“It’s nothing, shithead. I’m not even gonna feed you,” Kyungsoo says with mock viciousness.
That’s okay, though. Jongin walks out of the kitchen with a smile on his face, dreaming of sweet, sweet sleep.
The two nights he spends on Kyungsoo’s lumpy couch seem like a distant memory, now that he’s back at his and Chanyeol’s dorm. He’s slumped over his desk, working on his Lit homework, trying to drown out the sounds of Chanyeol loudly beating Superstar SM in the next room. Jongin can’t even block the noise with music because he’s lost his earphones. By the time Chanyeol’s won his fourth round, Jongin’s close to slamming his head into his textbook.
Jongin has an Econ quiz the next day, and he’s barely studied a quarter into the section. He’s pretty sure he’s read the same line four times, and none of the information is getting absorbed. The nearest café’s already closed for the night, and the library is too far away for him to walk to when it’s this cold outside. He wants to text Kyungsoo, but Kyungsoo’s probably busy entertaining his brother, who’s visiting after his time in the army. After all, he already owes Kyungsoo for letting him stay over.
So Jongin reaches around his bed to find his phone. He sends a text to his cousin, Jongdae.
Hey… can I crash at your place tonight?
When Jongdae replies within five minutes with an affirmative, Jongin’s over the moon. He knew Jongdae was his favorite cousin.
Jongin packs immediately, just a few things, like underwear, a sweatshirt and a change of pants. He knows he can’t sleep on Jongdae’s couch forever, no matter what Jongdae says. The less Jongin can impose, the better, especially since Jongdae has a roommate who’s actually paying to live there. On one hand, it might be awkward, and Jongin might have to actually meet a new person. On the other hand, he gets to sleep without Chanyeol’s noise. It’ll be a relief because Jongdae, Jongin knows from years of friendship and growing up together, is blissfully quiet.
He heads out with barely a word said to Chanyeol, not that Chanyeol would notice Jongin wouldn’t be sleeping there any more. Jongin makes every effort not to be home when Chanyeol is, after all.
The short walk to Jongdae’s complex is made even shorter because Jongin is rushing to get out of the cold winter air. He practically sprints up the stairwell to Jongdae’s floor, and by the time he gets there, he’s sweaty and more than a little winded. After ringing the doorbell, he waits until there’s a scuffle from inside the door.
When the door opens, it’s not Jongdae who greets him.
Jongin does a double-take, running his eyes up and down the person in front of him. The face that greets him is one he’s seen plenty of times before, peering into the windows of the dance studio just as practice ends, curiosity and nostalgia in its eyes. It’s a face that shows up when Jongin least expects it, when he’s across the room and just barely catches it pass by, but it’s a face that’s been stuck in his mind regardless.
Jongin just stares, and feels stupid for not being able to stop staring.
The boy raises a sharp eyebrow. “I’m Minseok, Jongdae’s roommate. You must be Jongin.” He steps to the side to let Jongin in.
So Minseok is his name. Caught off-guard by the sweet sound of the boy’s voice, Jongin starts to introduce himself, but ends up choking on the breath he’s been holding. He can’t stop coughing now, fuck. He’s sure his face must be so red,
“Uh…” he hears Minseok say. “Jongdae! Your cousin is dying!” Minseok calls out behind him, and sure enough Jongdae appears from his apartment and immediately reaches out to thump Jongin’s back.
“Just come inside, what the hell,” Jongdae says, and drags the two of them into his apartment. Jongin is placed onto Jongdae’s couch and, seconds later, a glass of water is thrust into his hands. Jongin drinks it gratefully.
When he’s composed, he sets his backpack down on the ground and looks up at Minseok, who’s perched himself on a chair, watching him. He’s a lot… smaller than Jongin would’ve guessed, having only ever seen Minseok’s head. As Jongdae putters about the kitchen, Minseok begins to speak.
“Are you okay?” Minseok teases, and Jongin’s blushing again like a schoolgirl.
“Y-yeah, I’m fine, thanks,” Jongin replies. He wants to hide his face in his hands, but he doesn’t want to risk making a weirder first impression than he already is. “Sorry about… that. I’m Jongin.”
“I gathered,” Minseok replies with an adorably gummy smile. And his cheeks, god, they’re something else. Jongin almost wants to squeeze them. Instead, he laughs awkwardly, hands clutching at his knees and messing with the holes in his pants. It’s blowing Jongin’s mind right now that he’s actually seeing the boy from the dance studio up close.
Jongin nearly sighs in relief when Jongdae enters the room with a plate of snacks in his hands.
“Jongin, now that you’re breathing, make yourself at home,” Jongdae says, ever so gracious. He sets the plate down on the coffee table, leaving Jongin and Minseok to help themselves.
Jongin gets up to take off his sneakers and place them by the door, and turns around to see Minseok on the couch, legs propped up on the coffee table and watching TV.
Up close, Minseok is even more attractive than he’d seemed before. Jongin feels the age old insecurity creeping back again, something he thought he’d gotten rid of once high school ended. He’s suddenly conscious of his clothes; a simple, worn sweatshirt and old dance sweats. The rest of his clothes in his backpack are of similar style. Meanwhile, Minseok is lounging on the couch wearing a fitted sweater and jeans and looking like an idol. Jongin can’t deal.
Before going back to the couch, he detours to the kitchen, where Jongdae is pouring himself juice.
“Hyung! Why didn’t you tell me your roommate is hot?!” he whispers fiercely. He isn’t equipped to deal with situations like this.
Jongdae eyes him as he sips his drink, then promptly laughs and has to place his glass down on the counter to stop from choking. Jongin looks at him with resentment.
“You think he’s hot?” Jongdae asks, amusement shining in his eyes. “This is the best!” He throws his head back and laughs obnoxiously. “Anyway, knowing you, you’d have never come over if you thought he was hot.”
That is true. In the end, shyness usually wins, for Jongin. Speechless, he walks back to the couch and to get his backpack. There’s a mindless sitcom playing on TV and Jongin tries to ignore it and the extremely attractive boy sitting not five feet away as he sets his homework on the dining table.
He’s finally able to calm his heartbeat and drown out the sound of the female lead crying when Minseok speaks up.
“So… are you a freshman?” Minseok asks. Jongin, surprised, lifts his head from his book and answers a beat late.
“Yeah, how could you tell?”
“You have the look,” Minseok replies with a grin, eyes crinkling at the corners.
“Oh…” Jongin says dumbly.
“I’m a senior,” Minseok supplies, “I’m in architecture. How about you? What are you thinking about majoring in?”
“Dance, probably,” Jongin replies, “or literature. Or both.” His two loves. He could talk about them endlessly.
Minseok perks up, turning to look at Jongin fully. “So you’re a dancer? I danced too, back in high school. What kind?”
“Ballet, mostly. But I started learning hip-hop back in sophomore year, and I really like that too. I want to try all kinds of genres,” Jongin says, unable to keep the enthusiasm from bleeding into every word.
“I did hip-hop back then. Formed a dance team and everything,” Minseok says. “Thinking back on it, I really want to take it up again.” That explains why Minseok was always hanging around the dance studio.
“You should join the school’s dance team!” Jongin says, excited that he and Minseok have something in common. “There’s a meeting this week for interested members, since a lot of upperclassmen dropped it.” It had really been a shame, losing so much talent. Taemin will be glad to have a new recruit.
“I’ll try my best. I miss it,” Minseok says with a smile. He pulls out his phone and holds it out in Jongin’s direction. “Do you want to give me your number? So you can remind me.” He’s hardly been here thirty minutes and Jongin’s already about to get his number, good lord.
feels another blush rising in his cheeks as he walks over to take Minseok’s phone, the older boy staring warmly at him. He feels the tell tale pull of attraction rising in his stomach. That smile…
At night, Jongin lies in his makeshift bed on the couch, going over his and Minseok’s conversation. The older boy seemed so nice, and genuinely interested in what Jongin had to say. Jongin, usually on the shyer side around strangers, had been strangely open about his love for dance. He thinks back to Minseok’s eyes peering in through the windows of the dance studio, and wonders if there will be more conversations between them.
Jongdae’s actually letting Jongin stay over for as long as he wants, so Jongin’s been taking full advantage of the quiet and comfortable atmosphere to actually catch up on the homework he’s been neglecting. The couch is a far cry from his bed at home, but the undisturbed, solid six hours he gets every night is worth a little neck pain.
He’d been surprised when Minseok actually showed up to the dance team meeting after Jongin had mentioned it. Dressed in the casual, comfortable clothes, Minseok had looked so different from how he usually does. The Minseok in the sharp button downs and ties that his major calls for make Jongin want to swoon, but the Minseok in sweats and a long sleeve T-shirt allow Jongin to really appreciate just how attractive Minseok really is. Dressed up Minseok is handsome. Dressed down Minseok is cute, and hot, and familiar, and Jongin is all the more enamored.
That first meeting was more of a showcase of dances the team has already done, to give the interested attendants an idea of what to expect. Jongin had been afraid Minseok would be put off, that his skill level wasn’t up to par with what the dance team wanted. So he’s ecstatic now when he sees Minseok today, dressed in dance gear and looking a little nervous.
“Hey Jongin,” Minseok greets him. He seems a little uncomfortable, probably unused to the rowdiness of the kids on the team. Jongin wants to change that.
“Hey! I’m glad you made it!” Jongin says warmly. Minseok visibly relaxes, and Jongin guesses he was worried Jongin wouldn’t be so welcoming.
Minseok looks around at people stretching and chatting on the floor of the studio, and asks, “What are we doing now?”
Jongin grins. “We’re letting all the new members get ready to dance. We need to assess your skill level, so there’s going to be a choreography that everyone needs to learn.
Minseok and Jongin stretch together, and Jongin is amused to see how inflexible Minseok is.
“This was so much easier back in high school,” Minseok groans from the floor, looking pained. Jongin’s already done, so he reaches out to grab Minseok’s outstretched hand to help him stand up.
Taemin, the captain of the dance team, is already placing the new members in line to learn the choreography. As they approach, Minseok is put in the front because, though he’s older, he’s adorably short. Jongin is placed near the back, with the rest of the dance team. Taemin starts counting.
From this angle, Jongin can just see Minseok. Jongin has no problem following Taemin’s counts, the choreography being simpler than most he’s danced before. Minseok struggles initially, out of practice with the way his body moves. Once they add on music, though, Minseok completely changes.
While his moves were awkward and jerky when Taemin was counting, the steady, deep bass line and electronic sounds give Minseok rhythm, and soon, he gets into the flow of the dance. His moves are smooth and confident. By the third run-through of the minute long choreo, it’s clear to Jongin that Minseok is good.
Minseok is small, but he’s stocky and powerful. Jongin’s amazed at how hard Minseok hits each beat, only to follow up with smooth footwork and confident body rolls that are honestly making Jongin’s mouth a little dry. Even when he misses some steps, the recovery is subtle and almost as impressive as the actual moves themselves. Minseok could be one of the most fluid dancers Jongin’s seen in a while.
They’re given a break, and Jongin immediately flocks to Minseok’s side. The elder is sitting, sipping slowly from a water bottle, and there’s a line of sweat clinging to his jaw that Jongin wants to wipe away.
“Hyung, you didn’t tell me you were this great!” Jongin enthuses. Minseok just grins, bashful.
“It’s been a while, but I guess I still got it in me,” Minseok says, visibly pleased at this turn of events. Jongin finds it unbelievably cute.
“So will you join?” Jongin presses. “We could really use a dancer like you. You picked up the choreography almost at the same time I did.”
“You don’t have to be so nice, Jongin, but thank you. I would love to join,” Minseok says, wiping at the sweat on his forehead. Jongin hands him a towel, which Minseok takes gratefully.
“It’ll be awesome. I’m so glad!” Chill, Jongin. Don’t be a fucking flower.
“It’s great to be able to do stuff like this again. I didn’t know how much I actually missed dancing until now. It feels good,” Minseok sounds just as excited as Jongin feels, and if Jongin wasn’t sure he liked Minseok before, he’s damn positive now.
“Alright everyone, back in formation,” Taemin calls, signaling the end of their break. Jongin and Minseok grin at each other, heading towards the center of the room as the music restarts.
It’s like this for a whole five days. Jongin takes advantage of his time away from Chanyeol, going to school and work during the day, doing his homework in the afternoons, and spending his nights at the studio. Since Jongdae’s out most of the day and he owns a large and fabulously empty dining table, Jongin has taken to doing his homework there instead of at the library. This is especially nice, because whenever Minseok has any free time, he always volunteers to help Jongin out.
Minseok is smart. Jongin gathered that much from the plans and blueprints randomly scattered on surfaces throughout the apartment, along with the rest of Jongdae’s messes. Chanyeol would have a heart attack. Still, Jongin swears he’s learned more about calculus from the older boy than in his actual class. Numbers come easily to him, Minseok had explained. The certainty of math comforts him; no matter how complex a formula is or how many terms an expression has, there is always a right answer.
Minseok is also a great writer, which makes the literature enthusiast in Jongin more than a little envious.
“An essay is just like an equation. You have your intro, thesis, supporting examples, analyses, and conclusion. For every example, there’s a supporting point. Every other sentence, have a transition. It’s all cut and dry - you can be creative later.”
Jongin is guessing that Minseok kicked Freshman Composition class in the ass.
The thing about Minseok is he makes Jongin feel special. He doesn’t treat Jongin like a freshman kid, like Jongdae does sometimes. He doesn’t get frustrated when Jongin sometimes makes too much noise, whether he’s dancing in the bathroom or fiddling around in the kitchen. He indulges Jongin in discussion about their favorite novels, and Jongin’s pleased to find that Minseok’s an avid reader as well. The camaraderie they have at dance practice is nothing to be ignored, either - Minseok respects Jongin’s skill and passion and that makes them equals. Jongin appreciates that more than anything.
Minseok answers every question Jongin asks him earnestly and to his full capability, no matter how inane. Where Jongin is afraid of being a bother, especially since Minseok is close to graduating and his workload is increasing steadily, Minseok never makes him feel immature or childish. When Jongin speaks, Minseok listens. When Minseok speaks, Jongin never wants him to stop.
But after so long, Jongin’s starting to feel guilty about living off of his cousin. Although Jongdae insists he’s not a bother (in fact, Jongin knows Jongdae gets incredibly homesick and appreciates Jongin’s presence, because it reminds Jongdae of home), Jongin doesn’t want to overstay his welcome. And besides, even if he hates living with Chanyeol, Jongin can’t leave him completely alone. Who knows what Chanyeol’s been up to recently.
So after dance practice, a particularly productive one in which Jongin discovered that Minseok can, in fact, twerk, Jongin returns to his dorm, opens up the door, and is greeted immediately by the sound of Chanyeol plucking at his guitar.
He has to admit, this sound is nice. Chanyeol, for all his yelling, has a good voice, and Jongin feels sort of bad for leaving him alone for so long.
Chanyeol immediately stops playing once he sees Jongin.
“Jongin, buddy! Where’ve you been? I missed you!” Chanyeol comes over and wraps Jongin in a hug, which, though unexpected, is not exactly unpleasant. He carefully detaches himself from the taller boy’s lanky limbs and looks up at Chanyeol with, dare he say it, affection.
“Sorry Yeol. I paid my cousin a visit for a while.” He notices that his bed is made, the floor is cleared, and there are no dishes in the sink. Thinking back to Jongdae and Minseok’s clutter, he smiles. He walks over to his bed and flops down on it, sighing, reveling in the comfort of a real mattress.
“Jongin, I’m about to order food. What do you want?” Chanyeol calls from his desk, cell phone in hand.
“Chicken,” he calls, faced smushed into his pillow.
It’s not all peace and quiet, and there’s no Minseok either, but it’s good to be home.
“So let me get this straight: you’re in love with your cousin’s roommate.”
Jongin looks around, panicked, before reaching over to shush Kyungsoo. “You’re so loud, dude!” Kyungsoo, eyes wide and sarcastic, gestures around at the library-goers all hunched over their books with ear buds in their ears. “And it’s not quite to that level yet…”
Kyungsoo eyes him oddly. “Jongin, do we need to have another talk? You know that it’s perfectly fine for a guy to like a guy, I accept you for who you are, you don’t have to-“
“Yes, yes I know,” Jongin rolls his eyes, "just don’t talk so loud. Minseok hyung hangs out here all the time.”
Kyungsoo leans back, folding his arms, a contemplative look in his eyes. Despite his short stature, Kyungsoo never fails to intimidate Jongin when he wants to. “I want to meet him.”
“I don’t know…”
“Dude, I have to meet him. As your best friend, it’s like, my duty.”
Jongin cracks up at this. “Fine, fine. I’ll, I don’t know. Ask him to meet up for coffee, or something.” Kyungsoo fist pumps the air in victory.
“Don’t worry, Jongin. I won’t embarrass you,” Kyungsoo says. “Much.” The slightest inkling of dread pools in Jongin’s stomach.
Despite getting along with Minseok well during dance practices, Jongin’s shocked when Minseok replies immediately to Jongin’s invitation for coffee Sunday morning. After setting a time, Jongin lies back in his bed and contemplates his life choices.
Becoming fast friends with Minseok had been easy. Jongin can say with full honesty that he’s never met anyone as kind, modest, and generous as the older boy, and he can’t believe he went from watching Minseok through a window to hanging out with him out of his own free will. It’s almost too good to be true, and Jongin’s extremely, extremely wary of falling harder for the older boy.
The thing is, when Jongin entered university, he’d put all expectations for a relationship behind him. Juggling a job along with his classes and dance team means he hardly has time to date, and after all, how easy is it to be in a homosexual relationship when you’re South Korean?
He doesn’t even know if Minseok is gay.
Jongin smothers himself with his pillow.
Jongin arrives early to the café, a local favorite not ten minutes away from his dorm, and he’s at a loss. Should he sit? Should he wait outside? Should he order for himself and Minseok now, or would that be too presumptuous? Where the hell is Kyungsoo?
Just as Jongin decides to sit at a table by the front window, he hears Minseok call his name. He turns and quite literally loses his breath, because Minseok looks cute as hell.
The older boy is bundled up for the winter, with a scarf pulled over his mouth and a beanie covering his hair, and he’s practically drowning in the jacket he has on. Minseok walks over to Jongin’s table and flops down on a chair, immediately shedding his jacket and throwing it on the seat next to him.
Minseok, with his cheeks flushed from the cold, looks lovely.
“Morning, Jongin,” Minseok greets him cheerfully, scarf pulled down to reveal his toothy smile.
“Morning, hyung.”
“How’s your roommate? Chanyeol, was it?” Jongin had complained to Minseok about Chanyeol on the third day of crashing on Jongdae’s couch.
“Same old. He’s fine,” Jongin answers amicably, having long forgiven Chanyeol. His roommate has mellowed out a bit since Jongin’s extended stay at Jongdae’s. Maybe he’s finally becoming aware. “Kyungsoo should be coming soon.”
Then, Minseok’s face does this thing where his eyes slant down and his mouth twitches a bit, and if Jongin were braver, he’d say that Minseok looks… disappointed. But why?
“Oh, your friend right? I’m looking forward to meeting him!” Minseok says, smile placed back on his face, as if nothing happened. Jongin brushes it off as well.
They go up to order, figuring Kyungsoo can just catch up. Jongin orders his usual caramel mocha while Minseok orders a Vietnamese iced coffee. Jongin eyes Minseok warily, until Minseok catches his gaze and answers with a grin, saying, “It has four shots of espresso, it tastes good, and I need it.”
Right then, Kyungsoo arrives at the café and saves Jongin from having to struggle to find something to say. Kyungsoo walks right up to them, sticks his hand out for Minseok to shake, and introduces himself.
"I'm Kyungsoo, Jongin's friend. Jongin's told me a lot about you."
God, Jongin could kill him.
Minseok has a funny smile on his face when he turns to look at Jongin. "Only good things, I hope."
Kyungsoo grins, looking deceptively good-natured. "Oh, don't worry. I've heard very good things.
Jongin interrupts before any real damage can happen. "Hey Kyungsoo, I think it’s your turn to order," he says, gesturing to the cashier. Honestly, knowing Kyungsoo, Jongin’s beginning to think this meeting was a bad idea.
Except it turns out it isn't, because for the rest of their coffee date, Kyungsoo is on his best behavior. In fact, Kyungsoo and Minseok get along together so well that Jongin's just content to let the two converse while he sits back, sipping his drink.
"And then-- and then! You know what he said? He said, 'Kyungsoo-yah, let's stay friends,' like, are you serious? I can't believe I ever gave him the time of day." Minseok nods sympathetically, resting his cheek on a perched fist. They're talking about Zitao, Kyungsoo's ex-boyfriend, who was also apparently Minseok's roommate in his sophomore year. It's a small world.
Minseok then checks his watch, not that Jongin is staring at him, and says, "Hey Jongin, don't you guys have work?"
Shit.
"Wow, time goes by fast. Let's head out, Jongin," Kyungsoo says. Jongin nods, reluctantly getting out of his seat and slipping on his jacket. Minseok stands as well, and he shakes Kyungsoo's hand. Jongin extends his hand too, only for Minseok to pull him into a hug instead.
Minseok smells lovely, like freshly washed laundry. "Hey, I had a great time. Let's do this again," Minseok says quietly, mouth quirking up into a small, secret smile. For the first time, Jongin wants to kiss it.
"Definitely, hyung. I'll look forward to it," Jongin responds shakily.
After dragging Jongin away onto the sidewalk, Kyungsoo elbows him and raises his eyebrows suggestively. "You know, you could look less in love with him."
"Shut up," Jongin says, blushing. Kyungsoo laughs at him.
"I like him," Kyungsoo says, suddenly serious. "You like him too."
Just then, Jongin hears his name called, and Jongin turns around to see Minseok still standing at the café entrance. "I'll text you!" he calls out, which does not set off happy fireworks in Jongin's stomach, nope.
Time passes quickly like this. While Jongin had expected his and Minseok’s contact to be restricted only to dance practices, much to Jongin's pleasure, he and Minseok have been finding time to meet up almost every week, mostly on Wednesdays since that's Minseok's day off.
Minseok is just so easy to be with. The older boy is soft spoken and easy going, and although neither of them are huge talkers, their silences never feel awkward. All the attention he showers onto Jongin, all the times he and Jongdae show up to drag Jongin out of the dance studio to make sure he eats dinner, make Jongin truly appreciative of Minseok’s friendship, if anything.
For example, today they're at the library, and Minseok is proofreading Jongin's paper for a class. They're both tired and a little sweaty, Jongin having come straight from work and Minseok from his office. Jongin's forehead is sticky against the wood table, and from this angle he can see Minseok's eyes flickering open and closed, like he's struggling to stay awake. Jongin doesn't blame him.
Jongin had asked Minseok once, why Minseok still hung out with Jongin.
"Because I like hanging out with you," Minseok said, honest and straightforward. "I consider you one of my closest friends now." That was something else Jongin learned about Minseok - the elder had few friends, but from what he’s been told, they’re a great group of people. All successful and famously magnanimous, even Jongin knows some of their names: Luhan, Joonmyun, and Wu Fan, all seniors, and all on their path to great careers. If that’s the group that Minseok usually hangs out with, then Jongin feels honored.
Jongin is happy, because a friendship with Minseok was better than nothing at all. He can't really explain why Minseok means so much to him. It's just, when Jongin's dancing ballet and he's in mid jump, that pure contentment and weightlessness he feels, of feeling on top of the world, that's what he feels when he's with Minseok. And he doesn't want to let it go.
Jongin focuses back on Minseok, who’s still marking up his paper. The older boy is wearing glasses that barely rest on the bridge of his nose, but accentuate the curve of his upper eyelids. His brows are furrowed in concentration and he worries a soft-looking but chapped bottom lip with his teeth as he makes corrections. Even exhausted, he continues to be devastatingly attractive and completely oblivious to Jongin’s internal turmoil.
Jongin’s in way over his head. But he really, really likes Minseok anyway.
"Alright guys, you knew this was coming. Showcase season," Taemin accents the words with mock enthusiastic jazz hands. "We have two months to make it look like we know how to dance. I have fliers with more info, but for next practice, everyone needs to have an idea of what they want to do." Taemin flings his pile of fliers at the nearest member, a sullen looking freshman named Sehun who Jongin’s hung out with once or twice. Sehun catches most of the pile, ignoring the papers he misses, and begins passing it around.
By the time the pile comes to Jongin and Minseok, Jongin already has an idea of what dance he wants to do. He sneaks a look at Minseok, wondering if the elder would be up for a paired routine.
He isn't prepared, however, for how devastated Minseok looks.
"Hyung, what's wrong?"
Minseok groans in disappointment. "I can't do the showcase. I have a huge project and presentation that I've been working on since, like, freshman year that's due on that same day, I can't believe it."
Disappointment rolls hot over Jongin's chest, but what can he do? He reaches out to put an arm around Minseok's shoulders, to give some comfort.
"Hyung, it's alright. It’s not like this showcase is mandatory or anything. You can still come to practices. And, there will be other showcases -- heck, if you want, I'll even dance for you, like a private showcase." He doesn't know what he's suggesting exactly, but he's willing to say anything to take that look off of Minseok's face.
"I just… it just sounds nice, to be able to actually perform in front of people, to prove that you’re capable of doing something amazing. I’m so jealous of you, Jongin,” Minseok says, which throws Jongin off. Minseok, jealous of him? The confusion must show on Jongin’s face. “You’re a natural performer, Jongin. It’s amazing to watch-you expressions are so in sync with the music and the dance, it’s almost like you’re acting. You have a real gift.”
Jongin doesn’t know what to say. Flattery pulls a burning blush into his cheeks as he tries to thank Minseok, embarrassed.
“You know, I really regret quitting in high school. Maybe if I had kept with it, I would’ve turned out differently.” Minseok’s voice sounds light, but there's something off.
"Hyung, for what it's worth, I think you're an amazing dancer." Jongin means that with everything he has. "If you don't mind me asking, what made you quit?"
Minseok's mouth twists into a sardonic smile. "I wasn't the skinniest kid growing up. Dancing was really the only exercise I liked, loved, doing. It didn't help me lose weight though, and kids can be especially cruel to those who look like they don't belong." There's a distant, sad tone to Minseok's voice that Jongin wants to take away.
"Minseok, everyone on this team is here because they’re great dancers. And you know what they've said? 'Minseok's a great dancer, I wonder why he didn't join earlier!' Or 'Minseok really is a hidden jewel.' People here, your friends, have seen how you dance, have seen how good you are. So what if you quit for a while? What’s important is that you’re here now. Please be proud of your accomplishments." By now, Jongin's turned to face Minseok, and he’s gripping the elder’s shoulder to emphasize how much he means what he’s saying. Jongin's surprised at the proximity once he's aware of it, but he catches the look in Minseok's eyes and forgets everything else.
"Thanks Jongin,” Minseok says with a smile, a real one.
There's warmth in there, laced with affection and something else, something that Jongin can’t really think about right now but hopes to God it's real.
Even though Minseok can’t attend the showcase, Jongin fully intends on following through with his promise.
Jongin gets to work. He isn’t a songwriter by any means, that’s more Kyungsoo’s area, but he’d been penning down lyrics, just random lines thrown around until they create something Jongin’s satisfied with, and he’s asked Chanyeol to make a track for him.
Jongin’s been staying extra late after dance practices to work on his routine.
He waves off Minseok’s worried gaze, reassuring him that he’s resting and eating well. Jongin’s taken to doing his homework throughout the day rather than doing it all at once at night, so he can have the time to practice. Even though he’d never been one to procrastinate, Jongin’s still a little proud of his newfound work ethic.
This dance is tough. Not technique-wise, because the moves aren’t anything Jongin hasn’t done before. It’s the performance aspect of it that Jongin is really trying to perfect. There’s a certain look in his eyes that he needs, a way to hold his head at certain angles to maximize the effect. He spends hours in front of the studio mirrors, practicing the same move over and over again until it becomes second nature.
Honestly, by the time the showcase is rolling around, Jongin’s worried that this dance will be almost too creepy, but hey, Jongin doesn’t half-ass anything. Anticipation gathers in his gut after he runs through the routine without a hitch.
Jongin doesn’t know if his plan will work or not. He doesn’t even know if he’s reading the signals right. All he knows is that Minseok is worth it.
So worth it.
It’s another Wednesday, several days before the dance team showcase and Minseok’s presentation. Minseok has been busy for weeks, finishing the last of his project up at his office. From what he’s told Jongin, it’s a hybrid of traditional Korean architecture and modern architecture, a new building design created to optimize both space and solar energy. Minseok’s teamed up with a friend in the engineering department, and the two of them have been working on fitting the design with an energy efficient electronic control system. They’ve even manufactured their own walls. Though Jongin is hardly an architect, he can tell that Minseok’s building is going to be amazing.
Despite being so busy, Minseok agreed to meet Jongin at the dance studio today, which Jongin is thankful for. Jongin had been a little vague in the text he sent to Minseok. Kyungsoo had helped him empty out the room of straggling dancers, namely Sehun, who apparently only began to work on his duo stage with his friend Yixing three days ago. Kyungsoo’s even volunteered to help Jongin do his makeup, an offer which Jongin refused because honestly, he doesn’t want Kyungsoo’s fingers anywhere near his eyes.
Minseok’s due to arrive in half an hour, so Jongin really needs to get everything ready quick. After smudging on some eye makeup and messing his hair up, he scrambles into his costume, a white billowing shirt on white pants. He checks and double checks that he has his iPod plugged into the speakers, he stretches and stretches again. If there’s anything called being over-prepared, Jongin’s sure he’s it.
Jongin finally catches Minseok’s head through the window of the studio. The elder walks in through the door looking tired, but stops dead when he sees Jongin.
“Hyung! I’m glad you came!” Jongin says, trying to ignore the way Minseok is looking at him, like he’s a stranger, or perhaps an alien. Minseok’s looking at Jongin like he’s never seen Jongin before.
“Wow, Jongin, what’s this? You look great,” Minseok says.
“I said I'd dance for you, didn't I?” Jongin replies with a grin. “Consider this your private showcase.” He watches as a slow smile crosses Minseok’s face.
“You did. I’m excited,” Minseok says. “Where do you want me to be?”
“Hyung, you sit here,” Jongin moves Minseok down to the far end of the room. He goes over to the lights and fiddles around until all but the center light are off, and walks to the middle of the room. In full makeup and costume, Jongin feels a little ridiculous, but he hopes it’ll all be worth it.
Using the remote to press “play” then sliding it away, Jongin waits for the music to start.
The sound of droning bass begins, and he breathes with the music. His body moves with practiced ease, movements smooth and natural, and all he can hear is his recorded voice speaking the words he wrote.
“I am craving you…” and he’s gone. The dance is short, only about a minute and a half long, but Jongin extends every gesture, every movement, emphasizes the hard beats and lets his body hang on the soft ones. It’s a mixture of everything he’s learned; the smooth glides of ballet and the high energy of hip-hop. When he dances, he doesn’t think about anything else. It’s a story he’s telling with his body, and there’s no room for self-consciousness. His face hides nothing.
He pirouettes, then does his final spin, and fucking nails it. He falls to his knees, tilts his head back, and mimes a scream.
And it’s over.
Jongin’s still kneeling on the floor, catching his breath. He drags his body up and turns back on the lights, squinting at the sudden brightness. Then, he turns around to face Minseok.
What he sees there makes his heart skip a beat. Minseok’s lips are parted and his eyes are wide and round. When Jongin walks over, Minseok immediately lowers his eyes and shifts around, cheeks flaming red.
“Jongin, that was amazing,” Minseok says, “your expressions, God, just…” he trails off, as if not knowing how to finish the sentence.
Jongin wrings his hands, suddenly awkward now that he’s in Real Life, and there’s no music to drown out his heartbeat. “Thanks, hyung. I… that was… I really wanted you to see it. I know you’re really stressed right now because of your project. I just thought, you know, since you couldn’t come to the showcase, I could bring the showcase to you?” He gulps, nervousness sending rolls of nausea in his stomach. “The dance was for you, kinda. And it was about you, too,”
Jongin’s heart is beating wildly in his chest. If he’s reading Minseok right, if the look on Minseok’s face says what Jongin hopes to God it says, then Jongin has nothing to fear.
Minseok’s eyebrows rise in surprise. “Jongin, are you saying…”
Taking a deep breath, Jongin asks, “Hyung, I like you.”
“I like you too,” Minseok answers immediately, and Jongin almost misses it. He’s thrown off for a second because he’s still processing the fact that he actually confessed.
“I, what? You do?” dumbfounded, Jongin just stares at the older boy.
“Well, yeah,” Minseok says, rubbing the back of his neck. He looks shy, and it’s so endearing.
Jongin just laughs, giddy. Reaching over, he pulls Minseok into his arms and wraps the elder in a tight hug, even nicer than their first one and, hopefully, far from their last. Minseok is sturdy and warm in his arms, and he smells like laundry detergent and wind, and Jongin never wants to let go.
But he pulls back anyway. “I have another confession. Before we met officially, I’ve seen you, looking into the dance studio. That’s why I wanted to invite you to the team, because you seemed like you wanted to come in, but you never did,” he says. It seems like so long ago.
“Truthfully, I recognized you immediately when you came to Jongdae’s,” Minseok admits, candor in his eyes.
Jongin’s surprised. Does that mean Minseok noticed him before, too? "You did? So why didn't you..."
“We just met! I didn't want you to think I was a creep. Also, I thought you were,” Minseok bites his lip, “attractive.”
Jongin can’t breathe. Is he dreaming? “You think I’m attractive?”
Minseok just eyes him weirdly. “Do you even need to ask?”
“What about now?” Jongin asks.
“What about now what?” Minseok asks, confused. Jongin steps closer to him, until
they’re practically toe-to-toe. Minseok’s eyes are so round, and practically shining.
“What do you think about me now?”
Minseok smiles at him, that killer smile that sends Jongin’s heart pumping into overdrive and his world tumbling over.
Minseok leans over and kisses Jongin straight on the mouth. His lips are soft, so soft, and Jongin can’t help but let out a little gasp, and Minseok breaks away with a shy smile.
“Now, I think you’re wonderful.”
Jongin is sweating rivulets down his back, still coming down from the high of a great performance. He quickly runs into the dressing room and changes back into his street clothes, wipes away the makeup that’s starting to run down his face. He practically sprints backstage, nearly knocking down three stage crew members, but he catches the performance just in time.
Minseok onstage is hypnotizing. He’s in the middle of his duo routine with Luhan, who Minseok coerced into joining the dance team in their first year of grad school. Luhan’s movements, lithe and energetic, compliment Minseok’s, and the combined visual effect is stunning. To say Jongin is proud is an understatement.
After a series of fast footwork, the song ends, and Minseok and Luhan jog offstage. Jongin catches Minseok into a tight hug.
“Hyung, you were awesome!” Jongin enthuses, grinning so hard his face hurts.
Minseok, still out of breath, wipes at the sweat dripping down his face. Jongin grabs a towel that’s hanging on the rack behind him and ruffles Minseok’s hair with it.
“Thanks Jongin,” Minseok says. “I’m so glad it worked out well. You have no idea how hard Luhan procrastinates.”
Jongin laughs, thinking about the previous year’s showcase, how Sehun and Yixing had collided during their performance yet managed to improvise and turn it into an impressive couple’s dance. “I think I have an idea.”
Several members come up to Minseok to congratulate him on his first performance, and Jongin is so happy to see the pleased smile on Minseok’s face. Even more surprising, Taemin comes over to greet them.
“I’m happy to see you two together,” Taemin says enigmatically, before being swept away by his friend Kibum. Jongin and Minseok just look at each other before breaking out into laughter.
“Hyung, are you hungry? Want to go eat?” Jongin asks, not really minding what the elder chooses.
“Nah, I’m exhausted. Let’s just go home and rest,” Minseok says. “Sound good?”
Jongin reaches out and links their fingers together. He meets Minseok’s gaze with a small, happy smile.
“Sounds wonderful.”