it's always sunny in space - chapter 2
it's always sunny in space (2/13)
apocryphalic + loveclouds
yunho/changmin
pg-13
fbi!changmin meets alien!yunho, his yoga instructor. commence bending, finding inner peace, and discovering love that's out of this world.
previous: chapter 1
---
Changmin finds himself with a part-time job as the newest pizza boy at a popular college hotspot after FBI intel, aka Yoochun and his rather blonde secretary, have decided that the alien is possibly posing as a college student.
They've apparently received anonymous tips regarding weird men being spotted around the Washing Square Park area, hooting around late at night and generally just looking suspicious.
Changmin follows up on the tips begrudgingly, complainingly incessantly to Yoochun the entire while. It's a college campus and it's a park, he reasons with the older man, of course there are going to be drunkards and definitely drug dealers. It's part of the New York learning experience and people are paying a hefty $40k per year for it.
He goes to check on the crash site a week later, surveying the pieces of the spaceship and taking detailed photos, picking them up one by one to bring back to headquarters. It's actually a rather appealing shade of yellow and despite how crappy it looks now, Changmin can imagine how sleek it would've been before the crash. He only wonders about what kind of an alien would've crashed their spaceship against the side of an old but huge steel building when there's an empty space just a foot away where the parking lot had been. And they're supposed to be the "higher beings" and "intelligent life".
His field work results in dead ends everywhere and Changmin's forced to fill cokes and sprites for college girls ready to lift their shirts up if he was so inclined to ask. He spends most of his time either drawing tiny UFOs on napkins or thinking of his yoga instructor in those tight leggings. He's sort of embarrassed to admit that he's looking forward to class and the subsequent coffee date afterwards, wanting nothing more than to get to know Yunho better. And judging from how flexible and bendy Yunho is, Changmin's willing to bet the sex is fantastic, not that he's thinking about the sex. Much.
---
Yunho's not really the happiest camper to have to go to college again, especially since he's already finished his degree back home. The certificate is nicely framed on his bedroom wall...if Jaejoong hasn't burned the place down since he's been gone, that is. To have to pretend to be a college student again just sucks.
He heaves a sigh and looks at the watch a yoga student had left for him in his locker, glad that it's almost time for yoga again. Yunho quickly runs to grab a bite of food before running to the yoga studio, changing into his spandex quickly, standing in front of the mirror to style his hair gently for when Changmin comes. Smiling happily to himself, Yunho checks his watch again, sees that he's half an hour early, and wonders if he should check back with Jaejoong soon.
Sighing again, Yunho runs back to the change room to find his small, unassuming compact mirror, opening it and presses a few buttons.
"Yah, Jung Yunho!" Jaejoong screams as soon as there's a signal, "I lost track of the spacecar on my radar! What the hell happened!? I thought you died!"
"Crashed it," Yunho whispers with a sheepish grin, looking around to make sure that no one's within earshot. "Sorry JaeJae, gonna have to get a new one. But, but!" he interrupts just as Jaejoong's about to start yelling again, "the assimilating's going well!"
Jaejoong blinks and closes his mouth, slowly smiling at Yunho. "Really? I won't lie, Yunja, I kind of expected you to do something stupid. But as long as you're assimilating the humans..."
"Yeah, it's going really, really well! I can't wait to actually assimilate with Changmin!"
"Wait, wha-" Jaejoong starts but never gets a chance to finish. Yunho snaps the compact-com closed, shoving it back into his bag, smiling kindly at the person that just walked in. Class starts soon anyway and he runs back out to line a few bottles of water along the wall, just in case any of the students forgot to bring theirs. Now all he has to do is wait.
Students start filing in one by one and Yunho's only really looking out for Changmin, smiling distractedly at all the pretty ladies who come up to him with flirtatious smiles and warm touches.
---
Fifteen minutes 'til the yoga class starts and Changmin's still at the apartment packing things up. He had gone shopping the day before at Target and picked up a brand new mat, bright orange because they had ran out of black and the brown looked too much like crap to be bought. He decided against the leggings after all, choosing a pair of shiny black track pants and a pair of sweats, probably better to soak up the perspiration Yunho's promised him he'd be sweating.
Changmin gets to class a little late, weaving through traffic as he runs out of the subway station. He pants a little, climbing up the stairs three steps at a time and winds up nearly taking Yunho out, opening the door a little too fast and knocking into the instructor. He apologizes profusely as they go down, tangled on the floor in a mess of limbs. Changmin tries to untangle himself only to wind up even more stuck.
"I'm so sorry, Yunho-sshi," he says as he whacks Yunho in the face with his yoga bag, cringing when the cheek turns red.
Yunho bites the inside of his cheek hard to keep from laughing, settling his hands on Changmin's waist to calm him down, stopping the futile struggling. "Calm down," he says soothingly, slowly turning them until Changmin's lying on his back, Yunho hovering over him with a bright smile. "And I told you before. It's just Yunho."
He grins before pushing off of Changmin slowly, extending a hand to pull Changmin up as well. Yunho gives a little push towards the change room before getting back to stretching with his class, happy that Changmin really had showed up, even happier that this means the other man's really going out for coffee with him afterward. It's when Changmin comes back though that Yunho deflates a little, disappointed that there are no leggings in sight. Just baggy sweats that do nothing to show off how slim and long the other man's legs are.
He's not really in a position to say anything though and Yunho just leads them slowly through different poses again, always the same routine with a few variations thrown in to give the body a thorough workout.
"Half moon pose," Yunho says calmly, "lift your leg slowly, slowly, hold...and breathe. Balance is key, and breathe."
He gets up and tries to make it not so obvious that he's making a beeline straight for Changmin, straightening out a few legs along the way. "Changmin," he whispers, "you don't stretch very often, do you?" Yunho chuckles and places one hand on Changmin's inner thigh, lifting the leg higher, his other hand holding Changmin's raised arm to give the other man some balance. "I'm glad you don't give up. Everything comes with time."
Changmin chokes gracefully on his own spit, making a desperate sound in the back of his throat before swallowing it down, giving Yunho an embarrassed smile. "I tried to stretch a little while I was changing but I was late enough. And to be honest, the extent of my stretching is just the basic stuff, nothing that would prepare me for this kind of a workout." He shrugs or he tries to, knee bending a little too much and body shaking as a result.
He tries to keep his eyes away from Yunho's hand on his thigh, swallowing repeatedly as he takes in deep breaths like Yunho had told the class to. "Have you been an instructor for a while?" He asks, leg wobbling dangerously in the air before Yunho grabs ahold of it. He smiles his thanks and catches the gaze of someone else staring at them. "Oh, sorry for taking up so much of your time," he says quickly to Yunho, "I think I can handle it from here. Thanks."
Changmin waits for Yunho to walk away before letting out a tiny sigh. He's so out of his element here that no matter how hard he tries to stay calm and look cool, he fails, and terribly at that. He can only wish Yunho doesn't notice, praying hard that he doesn't screw up any other moves. Of course it's only natural that as soon as he thinks that, he falls, ducking his head as he quickly gets up again, cursing every God he knows of for failing him.
Yunho blinks at the tumble Changmin had just taken and blanches a little, wondering how the other man can just bounce back up so quickly like nothing's happened. By the blush staining Changmin's cheeks though, Yunho figures he should just pretend it never happened.
The half moon pose was probably too hard for someone who's just started out and Yunho eases back into the basics, slowly taking everyone through the poses. He doesn't charge by hour, only by lesson, and it's actually quite funny to see how everyone in the class stays even though it's starting to near 10 pm.
"Dismissed, dismissed, see you all on Tuesday!" Yunho calls, clapping his hands as soon as the hour hand reaches ten. "Changmin-ah, come here for a second?"
Changmin's packing up when he hears his name being called, lifting his head up to find Yunho beckoning for him. He hadn't missed the affectionate name Yunho used and blinks a little, not used to being called anything but Changmin or Changmin-sshi since most people at work usually fear him. He nods at Yunho, quickly stuffing his mat inside the bag and walks over, cursing when the mat unravels and he nearly trips.
"I swear I'm usually not so clumsy," he says immediately, "It just happens a lot when I'm out of my element or when I'm nervous," he adds, regretting it the second it's out because it makes him sound like a teenage girl talking to her crush. "Anyway," he says awkwardly, shuffling from side to side, "Coffee right? Just let me change out of my sweats."
Yunho smiles and stands with a small sigh, following right after Changmin, eyes still admiring the long strides that Changmin's impossibly lengthy legs take. He matches the other man stride for stride and they change together in separate rows into clothes better suited for a New York night.
"You ready?" Yunho asks, adjusting the collar of his sleek, black shirt and pulls a bit on his black skinnies to make sure he looks okay. "I know I said coffee but would you be okay if we went to a lounge instead? I'm kind of hungry."
Changmin tears his eyes away from Yunho's legs and impossibly lean body before nodding, swallowing nervously as he bangs his toe against the locker. He cringes but waves Yunho off, "Oh yeah, yeah a lounge is fine," he says quickly, standing up straight.
Changmin looks down at the clothes he's got on, a simple pair of dark blue jeans and a causal t-shirt, definitely more suitable for coffee than a date at a lounge. "Uh,
I'm sort of underdressed," he says, blinking at Yunho's black shirt, "Maybe um, would you mind if we make a quick stop back at my apartment while I change? I know there's a bar lounge near my place. I live by St. Mark's, near NYU and Cooper Union? There's definitely tons of places there, college town. And I've got something you can probably nibble on at my place, it would just be a quick five minutes."
Yunho blinks and chuckles, nodding as he walks out, holding the front door open for Changmin. "For what it's worth," he adds, "I think you look fantastic." He blushes at the bold words and ducks his head a little, usually too shy to even try saying all these things on a first date. If that's what this is. A coffee date that turned into a lounge date at 10 pm is definitely a date, right?
They take Yunho's car instead of the subway to make the trip shorter and Yunho does his best to drive without getting too distracted. He parks outside the apartment building and waits, turning to look at the other man.
"So...do you want me to wait out here?"
Changmin's shrugs a little at Yunho's question, looking up at his apartment building. He normally doesn't bring dates home until at least the third or fourth date and it's barely even their first one. "I guess you can stay here if you want," he finally says, looking around the quiet street. "Or actually maybe you should just find some parking nearby. There's not too many options but don't park too far away. Cars usually get stolen the farther you are away from St. Mark's."
He waves Yunho off and runs up the stairs, too impatient to wait for the elevator. Changmin changes into a pair of skinny jeans, his favorite ones in a perfect shade of red that he happens to know he looks amazing in. If they're going to a lounge then that means it's definitely a date and he's going to dress to impress. Changmin finds a black vest to layer over a grey shirt, casual but not too casual.
He gives his hair a quick look, ruffling it just a little for a nice sexed up feel and goes back downstairs, waiting on the steps as he looks around, wondering if Yunho's gotten lost now that it's a little dark outside. He realizes belatedly that he probably should've asked for Yunho's phone number and now he's left standing and just hoping that Yunho didn't turn onto the bridge and wind up in Brooklyn somewhere.
In actuality, Yunho's driving around the block with a small pout on his face, wondering what he did wrong to make Changmin shoo him away. It is only the first date though and he just sucks it up, turning back to the front of the building and hopes Changmin's done.
His jaw almost hits the floor of the capsule car Jaejoong had stuffed in his bag as soon as he catches sight of the other man. Those red skinnies are just sin. Pure sin. And the vest hugging Changmin's thin body only frames his broad shoulders and Yunho feels a little drool coming on once his eyes land back onto Changmin's face. He ends up driving right by Changmin and has to stop and put the car into reverse, so busy with ogling that he hadn't even bothered to stop.
"Y-you look amazing," Yunho stammers, sucking in a little breath once Changmin climbs back in. "Um...where do you want to go? I'm new around here."
Changmin blushes a little at Yunho's compliment and even though it's one he's been fishing for, it makes him feel shy and definitely gives him butterflies in his stomach. "Thanks," he mumbles as he buckles himself in, "Just wanted to look as good as you do," he says, turning even redder when Yunho turns to stare at him.
"Uh, I take it you didn't find a parking spot then," Changmin says quickly, directing the man two streets over where there's a whole row of empty spots. He chuckles lightly at Yunho's sheepish look and gives Yunho a smile, "It's okay, I just moved into Manhattan recently too and it takes a while to get used to the area."
Changmin leads them back over to St. Mark's, definitely a popular and crowded area where all the college kids go for food. "Let's go somewhere not as...busy," he says, walking them another block down away from the hustle and bustle. Changmin holds the door open to a rather low-key lounge, "They serve good burgers here and the bartender is a friend," he tells Yunho, waving hi to his friend from behind the counter.
They're seated at a cozy table for two and Changmin orders himself a double patty bacon cheeseburger with a side of curly fries and a cold bottle of coke, explaining with a bashful grin that he's actually not much of a drinker. His bartender friend pops by and adds that it's because Changmin usually winds up dead drunk after two shots and Changmin excuses himself to nudge Junsu hard, possibly taking out a corner of the older man's kidney.
"This is Junsu and this is Yunho," he says after Junsu's done choking. He sends his friend away and smiles a little at Yunho, feeling just a tad awkward considering it's a first date...or is it? He blinks at Yunho and fidgets with his drink, "So, uh, did you just move to New York recently?" Changmin taps his foot nervously as he waits for an answer; he's always been taught at the agency that small talk and a connection is important in any relationship to establish trust and he is definitely interested in establishing a relationship with Yunho. A part of his brain idly wonders how it is that the other man has wormed his way into Changmin's head so quickly when Changmin usually isn't interested in anything beyond a quick fuck.
"Yeah, about two weeks ago," Yunho answers with a smile, nodding at Junsu politely when Changmin's friend comes over to serve them. It seems to be a little awkward and Yunho resists the urge to pout. "I'm really, really, really new here. Like, really new. I know nothing."
He smiles lopsided at Changmin, drenching his fries in ketchup before shoving one into his mouth, eating happily while looking at the other man.
"So Changmin, why did you decide to take yoga?"
Changmin takes a look at the way Yunho's fries are swimming, okay no, drowning, in the ketchup and tilts his head, dipping his own fry in to try it out. "Oh, uh, inner peace," he mumbles midway through a bite of his burger, "My friends thought I could use some inner peace and so they suggested yoga to me. In fact, my lessons are all paid so they're free for me in a way."
He slurps loudly on his soda and scratches his arm absentmindedly, "Except yoga's actually a lot harder than I thought it'd be. So much for inner peace when I'm struggling to just remember to breathe properly," he chuckles, "And that downward lying cat, or was it dog? Yeah, I'm not too good at yoga. How'd you get to be an instructor anyway?" Changmin reaches for another fry and drags it through Yunho's ocean of ketchup, "And where'd you move over from? I've lived in New York basically my whole life but I've only just moved into the city recently for college. Would you like me to show you around sometime?" He asks, hesitating because he's basically asking Yunho out on another date when he isn't even sure if this is a date to begin with.
Yunho nods immediately, glad that they've finally broken the tension. He picks his burger up and takes a huge bite, humming with delight, giving Changmin a thumbs up while his cheeks are bulging. Blushing, Yunho quickly drinks some soda and looks up at the other man shyly, nodding again. "I'd love it if you could show me around. I might be a bit touristy so I apologize in advance."
This means that another date is heading his way! Yunho can't wait; this assimilation business is way too much fun. No wonder Heechul-hyung and none of the Super Juniors had returned. Who would want to leave this awesome planet?
"Changmin...I take it that you're single then?" he ventures hopefully. "Um...this is a date, right?"
Changmin chokes a little on his burger, swallowing it down the wrong pipe and coughs, turning red as he nods at Yunho frantically, taking huge gulps of his soda to try and stop dying long enough to answer Yunho's questions.
"Y-Yes," he finally coughs out, "Yeah, I'm single." He blushes at the words and chuckles, ducking his head so he's not gazing right at Yunho. "I think it is pretty much a date," he says slowly, face turning redder by the second, "I mean, I'd like it if this was a date," he clarifies, looking up firmly now at Yunho. "Is that okay with you?" he asks, looking nervously at Yunho as he pokes at his half-eaten burger.
"Of course it's okay!" Yunho replies immediately, making a great flail with his arms, "it's definitely a lot more than okay! I like you, Changmin-ah." He claps a hand over his mouth the second he says it and blushes, smiling a little sheepishly. "Yeah...I would really like it if this was a date. So I'm glad that it is!"
There's going to be so much stuff to tell Jaejoong later.
They find out little things about each other as the night grows later and later, not really even noticing the way the lounge starts to empty after one in the morning. Yunho finds out that Changmin works for the government and is currently on a business trip, doing some research and collecting data. Yunho tells Changmin that he's studying abroad as well, doing lots of research and collecting data, but is still having lots of fun while he's here.
Junsu ends up having to kick them out at two and Yunho quickly pays for all the food and drinks, wanting to make the best impression he can. They walk back slowly to Changmin's apartment building and Yunho's kind of sad that the night's over.
"Oh, can I have your number?" he remembers to ask once they're standing outside the front entrance. Yunho feels like he's living a scene right out of a Hollywood teen movie. "I don't have a cellphone yet but I'll definitely call you."
Changmin laughs at Yunho and smiles widely, telling the older man his phone number. He repeats it three times and makes Yunho recite it twice, chuckling a little too fondly at his hyung, only two years older. "Do you need help getting a cellphone?" he asks, "You're not that new that you don't know where to go right?" Changmin glances at his watch and realizes it's nearing three and frowns at Yunho, "I'll walk you to the car," he says, pulling Yunho by the elbow. "I don't want you getting lost this time of the night in this neighborhood."
Changmin gets a lift back by Yunho and directs the older man how to get back to the bridge. He sits awkwardly in the car for a little while in front of his apartment building, wondering if he should kiss Yunho or not. He settles on a hug, or rather Yunho is the one who hugs him and Changmin manages a couple of pats to Yunho's back, definitely not the touchy-feely sort of person.
"I'll see you soon," he calls out, waving at Yunho with a smile. "Call me when you get that phone and we'll figure out a time and place to meet up." Changmin stands and waves until Yunho's car is too far for him to see, leaning against his front door with a stupid smile that he's only seen on TV before. Changmin's falling and he's falling fast, liking Yunho more than a little and can think of nothing but wanting to spend more time with the older man, aliens and pizza be damned.
He's still floating a little and tingly from the hug Yunho had given him when an extremely lonely thought floats into his mind.
Just how long has it been since he's gotten any, anyway?
---
Yunho whistles happily and drums his fingers on the steering wheel as he drives back to his flat, feeling giddy all over. The date had gone so much better than even he had thought it would and now he's gotten Changmin's phone number as well! He quickly turns into the parking lot of his building and parks in a corner, gets out, and presses a button under the back bumper of the car. There's a big poof and the car returns to its capsule size, so convenient for intergalactic travel, and Yunho stuffs it back in his pocket.
He skips all the way back upstairs and lets himself in, tidying the place up a little before grabbing his compact-com. Yunho flips the compact open and looks into the mirror, grinning at himself, then pushes a few buttons to tell Jaejoong.
"Assimilation's going phenomenally!" he cries the second Jaejoong's sleepy face comes on the screen, "I love it here, Jaejoong-ah! The people are wonderful!"
"...Yunja, it's like...three in the morning."
"I'm so happy!"
"Go to bed. What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I'm too happy!"
"I'm going back to bed."
Yunho doesn't even mind when the compact-com disconnects, giving his reflection a thumbs up before going to the kitchen to grab a bunch of spoons and forks. He gathers them all in a bundle and throws a battery into the pile, then gets out his exchange gun. "Cool cellphone!" Yunho demands, and fires, watching as the metal and battery morph and twist until he's got a new cellphone in his hands. He immediately flips it open and enters Changmin's number, thinking for a good five minutes about whether or not he should send a text. In the end, his eagerness wins out, and Yunho turns the phone off as soon as he sends it, too nervous that Changmin might reply, even more nervous that Changmin might not.
He climbs into bed at four in the morning and sleeps peacefully, already so in love with Earth and one of its inhabitants in particular. He can't wait for the next date.
---
Changmin-ah, I got a cellphone!
Miss you already! :)
---
Free Counters
...we're early! :'D lol well actually, we're writing this so much faster than we expected to so updates are now every 2-3 days. roflrofl idek. thanks for reading! :D
p.s. thank you, dear anon. you know who you are, even if i don't. ;) :3 ♥
apocryphalic + loveclouds
yunho/changmin
pg-13
fbi!changmin meets alien!yunho, his yoga instructor. commence bending, finding inner peace, and discovering love that's out of this world.
previous: chapter 1
---
Changmin finds himself with a part-time job as the newest pizza boy at a popular college hotspot after FBI intel, aka Yoochun and his rather blonde secretary, have decided that the alien is possibly posing as a college student.
They've apparently received anonymous tips regarding weird men being spotted around the Washing Square Park area, hooting around late at night and generally just looking suspicious.
Changmin follows up on the tips begrudgingly, complainingly incessantly to Yoochun the entire while. It's a college campus and it's a park, he reasons with the older man, of course there are going to be drunkards and definitely drug dealers. It's part of the New York learning experience and people are paying a hefty $40k per year for it.
He goes to check on the crash site a week later, surveying the pieces of the spaceship and taking detailed photos, picking them up one by one to bring back to headquarters. It's actually a rather appealing shade of yellow and despite how crappy it looks now, Changmin can imagine how sleek it would've been before the crash. He only wonders about what kind of an alien would've crashed their spaceship against the side of an old but huge steel building when there's an empty space just a foot away where the parking lot had been. And they're supposed to be the "higher beings" and "intelligent life".
His field work results in dead ends everywhere and Changmin's forced to fill cokes and sprites for college girls ready to lift their shirts up if he was so inclined to ask. He spends most of his time either drawing tiny UFOs on napkins or thinking of his yoga instructor in those tight leggings. He's sort of embarrassed to admit that he's looking forward to class and the subsequent coffee date afterwards, wanting nothing more than to get to know Yunho better. And judging from how flexible and bendy Yunho is, Changmin's willing to bet the sex is fantastic, not that he's thinking about the sex. Much.
---
Yunho's not really the happiest camper to have to go to college again, especially since he's already finished his degree back home. The certificate is nicely framed on his bedroom wall...if Jaejoong hasn't burned the place down since he's been gone, that is. To have to pretend to be a college student again just sucks.
He heaves a sigh and looks at the watch a yoga student had left for him in his locker, glad that it's almost time for yoga again. Yunho quickly runs to grab a bite of food before running to the yoga studio, changing into his spandex quickly, standing in front of the mirror to style his hair gently for when Changmin comes. Smiling happily to himself, Yunho checks his watch again, sees that he's half an hour early, and wonders if he should check back with Jaejoong soon.
Sighing again, Yunho runs back to the change room to find his small, unassuming compact mirror, opening it and presses a few buttons.
"Yah, Jung Yunho!" Jaejoong screams as soon as there's a signal, "I lost track of the spacecar on my radar! What the hell happened!? I thought you died!"
"Crashed it," Yunho whispers with a sheepish grin, looking around to make sure that no one's within earshot. "Sorry JaeJae, gonna have to get a new one. But, but!" he interrupts just as Jaejoong's about to start yelling again, "the assimilating's going well!"
Jaejoong blinks and closes his mouth, slowly smiling at Yunho. "Really? I won't lie, Yunja, I kind of expected you to do something stupid. But as long as you're assimilating the humans..."
"Yeah, it's going really, really well! I can't wait to actually assimilate with Changmin!"
"Wait, wha-" Jaejoong starts but never gets a chance to finish. Yunho snaps the compact-com closed, shoving it back into his bag, smiling kindly at the person that just walked in. Class starts soon anyway and he runs back out to line a few bottles of water along the wall, just in case any of the students forgot to bring theirs. Now all he has to do is wait.
Students start filing in one by one and Yunho's only really looking out for Changmin, smiling distractedly at all the pretty ladies who come up to him with flirtatious smiles and warm touches.
---
Fifteen minutes 'til the yoga class starts and Changmin's still at the apartment packing things up. He had gone shopping the day before at Target and picked up a brand new mat, bright orange because they had ran out of black and the brown looked too much like crap to be bought. He decided against the leggings after all, choosing a pair of shiny black track pants and a pair of sweats, probably better to soak up the perspiration Yunho's promised him he'd be sweating.
Changmin gets to class a little late, weaving through traffic as he runs out of the subway station. He pants a little, climbing up the stairs three steps at a time and winds up nearly taking Yunho out, opening the door a little too fast and knocking into the instructor. He apologizes profusely as they go down, tangled on the floor in a mess of limbs. Changmin tries to untangle himself only to wind up even more stuck.
"I'm so sorry, Yunho-sshi," he says as he whacks Yunho in the face with his yoga bag, cringing when the cheek turns red.
Yunho bites the inside of his cheek hard to keep from laughing, settling his hands on Changmin's waist to calm him down, stopping the futile struggling. "Calm down," he says soothingly, slowly turning them until Changmin's lying on his back, Yunho hovering over him with a bright smile. "And I told you before. It's just Yunho."
He grins before pushing off of Changmin slowly, extending a hand to pull Changmin up as well. Yunho gives a little push towards the change room before getting back to stretching with his class, happy that Changmin really had showed up, even happier that this means the other man's really going out for coffee with him afterward. It's when Changmin comes back though that Yunho deflates a little, disappointed that there are no leggings in sight. Just baggy sweats that do nothing to show off how slim and long the other man's legs are.
He's not really in a position to say anything though and Yunho just leads them slowly through different poses again, always the same routine with a few variations thrown in to give the body a thorough workout.
"Half moon pose," Yunho says calmly, "lift your leg slowly, slowly, hold...and breathe. Balance is key, and breathe."
He gets up and tries to make it not so obvious that he's making a beeline straight for Changmin, straightening out a few legs along the way. "Changmin," he whispers, "you don't stretch very often, do you?" Yunho chuckles and places one hand on Changmin's inner thigh, lifting the leg higher, his other hand holding Changmin's raised arm to give the other man some balance. "I'm glad you don't give up. Everything comes with time."
Changmin chokes gracefully on his own spit, making a desperate sound in the back of his throat before swallowing it down, giving Yunho an embarrassed smile. "I tried to stretch a little while I was changing but I was late enough. And to be honest, the extent of my stretching is just the basic stuff, nothing that would prepare me for this kind of a workout." He shrugs or he tries to, knee bending a little too much and body shaking as a result.
He tries to keep his eyes away from Yunho's hand on his thigh, swallowing repeatedly as he takes in deep breaths like Yunho had told the class to. "Have you been an instructor for a while?" He asks, leg wobbling dangerously in the air before Yunho grabs ahold of it. He smiles his thanks and catches the gaze of someone else staring at them. "Oh, sorry for taking up so much of your time," he says quickly to Yunho, "I think I can handle it from here. Thanks."
Changmin waits for Yunho to walk away before letting out a tiny sigh. He's so out of his element here that no matter how hard he tries to stay calm and look cool, he fails, and terribly at that. He can only wish Yunho doesn't notice, praying hard that he doesn't screw up any other moves. Of course it's only natural that as soon as he thinks that, he falls, ducking his head as he quickly gets up again, cursing every God he knows of for failing him.
Yunho blinks at the tumble Changmin had just taken and blanches a little, wondering how the other man can just bounce back up so quickly like nothing's happened. By the blush staining Changmin's cheeks though, Yunho figures he should just pretend it never happened.
The half moon pose was probably too hard for someone who's just started out and Yunho eases back into the basics, slowly taking everyone through the poses. He doesn't charge by hour, only by lesson, and it's actually quite funny to see how everyone in the class stays even though it's starting to near 10 pm.
"Dismissed, dismissed, see you all on Tuesday!" Yunho calls, clapping his hands as soon as the hour hand reaches ten. "Changmin-ah, come here for a second?"
Changmin's packing up when he hears his name being called, lifting his head up to find Yunho beckoning for him. He hadn't missed the affectionate name Yunho used and blinks a little, not used to being called anything but Changmin or Changmin-sshi since most people at work usually fear him. He nods at Yunho, quickly stuffing his mat inside the bag and walks over, cursing when the mat unravels and he nearly trips.
"I swear I'm usually not so clumsy," he says immediately, "It just happens a lot when I'm out of my element or when I'm nervous," he adds, regretting it the second it's out because it makes him sound like a teenage girl talking to her crush. "Anyway," he says awkwardly, shuffling from side to side, "Coffee right? Just let me change out of my sweats."
Yunho smiles and stands with a small sigh, following right after Changmin, eyes still admiring the long strides that Changmin's impossibly lengthy legs take. He matches the other man stride for stride and they change together in separate rows into clothes better suited for a New York night.
"You ready?" Yunho asks, adjusting the collar of his sleek, black shirt and pulls a bit on his black skinnies to make sure he looks okay. "I know I said coffee but would you be okay if we went to a lounge instead? I'm kind of hungry."
Changmin tears his eyes away from Yunho's legs and impossibly lean body before nodding, swallowing nervously as he bangs his toe against the locker. He cringes but waves Yunho off, "Oh yeah, yeah a lounge is fine," he says quickly, standing up straight.
Changmin looks down at the clothes he's got on, a simple pair of dark blue jeans and a causal t-shirt, definitely more suitable for coffee than a date at a lounge. "Uh,
I'm sort of underdressed," he says, blinking at Yunho's black shirt, "Maybe um, would you mind if we make a quick stop back at my apartment while I change? I know there's a bar lounge near my place. I live by St. Mark's, near NYU and Cooper Union? There's definitely tons of places there, college town. And I've got something you can probably nibble on at my place, it would just be a quick five minutes."
Yunho blinks and chuckles, nodding as he walks out, holding the front door open for Changmin. "For what it's worth," he adds, "I think you look fantastic." He blushes at the bold words and ducks his head a little, usually too shy to even try saying all these things on a first date. If that's what this is. A coffee date that turned into a lounge date at 10 pm is definitely a date, right?
They take Yunho's car instead of the subway to make the trip shorter and Yunho does his best to drive without getting too distracted. He parks outside the apartment building and waits, turning to look at the other man.
"So...do you want me to wait out here?"
Changmin's shrugs a little at Yunho's question, looking up at his apartment building. He normally doesn't bring dates home until at least the third or fourth date and it's barely even their first one. "I guess you can stay here if you want," he finally says, looking around the quiet street. "Or actually maybe you should just find some parking nearby. There's not too many options but don't park too far away. Cars usually get stolen the farther you are away from St. Mark's."
He waves Yunho off and runs up the stairs, too impatient to wait for the elevator. Changmin changes into a pair of skinny jeans, his favorite ones in a perfect shade of red that he happens to know he looks amazing in. If they're going to a lounge then that means it's definitely a date and he's going to dress to impress. Changmin finds a black vest to layer over a grey shirt, casual but not too casual.
He gives his hair a quick look, ruffling it just a little for a nice sexed up feel and goes back downstairs, waiting on the steps as he looks around, wondering if Yunho's gotten lost now that it's a little dark outside. He realizes belatedly that he probably should've asked for Yunho's phone number and now he's left standing and just hoping that Yunho didn't turn onto the bridge and wind up in Brooklyn somewhere.
In actuality, Yunho's driving around the block with a small pout on his face, wondering what he did wrong to make Changmin shoo him away. It is only the first date though and he just sucks it up, turning back to the front of the building and hopes Changmin's done.
His jaw almost hits the floor of the capsule car Jaejoong had stuffed in his bag as soon as he catches sight of the other man. Those red skinnies are just sin. Pure sin. And the vest hugging Changmin's thin body only frames his broad shoulders and Yunho feels a little drool coming on once his eyes land back onto Changmin's face. He ends up driving right by Changmin and has to stop and put the car into reverse, so busy with ogling that he hadn't even bothered to stop.
"Y-you look amazing," Yunho stammers, sucking in a little breath once Changmin climbs back in. "Um...where do you want to go? I'm new around here."
Changmin blushes a little at Yunho's compliment and even though it's one he's been fishing for, it makes him feel shy and definitely gives him butterflies in his stomach. "Thanks," he mumbles as he buckles himself in, "Just wanted to look as good as you do," he says, turning even redder when Yunho turns to stare at him.
"Uh, I take it you didn't find a parking spot then," Changmin says quickly, directing the man two streets over where there's a whole row of empty spots. He chuckles lightly at Yunho's sheepish look and gives Yunho a smile, "It's okay, I just moved into Manhattan recently too and it takes a while to get used to the area."
Changmin leads them back over to St. Mark's, definitely a popular and crowded area where all the college kids go for food. "Let's go somewhere not as...busy," he says, walking them another block down away from the hustle and bustle. Changmin holds the door open to a rather low-key lounge, "They serve good burgers here and the bartender is a friend," he tells Yunho, waving hi to his friend from behind the counter.
They're seated at a cozy table for two and Changmin orders himself a double patty bacon cheeseburger with a side of curly fries and a cold bottle of coke, explaining with a bashful grin that he's actually not much of a drinker. His bartender friend pops by and adds that it's because Changmin usually winds up dead drunk after two shots and Changmin excuses himself to nudge Junsu hard, possibly taking out a corner of the older man's kidney.
"This is Junsu and this is Yunho," he says after Junsu's done choking. He sends his friend away and smiles a little at Yunho, feeling just a tad awkward considering it's a first date...or is it? He blinks at Yunho and fidgets with his drink, "So, uh, did you just move to New York recently?" Changmin taps his foot nervously as he waits for an answer; he's always been taught at the agency that small talk and a connection is important in any relationship to establish trust and he is definitely interested in establishing a relationship with Yunho. A part of his brain idly wonders how it is that the other man has wormed his way into Changmin's head so quickly when Changmin usually isn't interested in anything beyond a quick fuck.
"Yeah, about two weeks ago," Yunho answers with a smile, nodding at Junsu politely when Changmin's friend comes over to serve them. It seems to be a little awkward and Yunho resists the urge to pout. "I'm really, really, really new here. Like, really new. I know nothing."
He smiles lopsided at Changmin, drenching his fries in ketchup before shoving one into his mouth, eating happily while looking at the other man.
"So Changmin, why did you decide to take yoga?"
Changmin takes a look at the way Yunho's fries are swimming, okay no, drowning, in the ketchup and tilts his head, dipping his own fry in to try it out. "Oh, uh, inner peace," he mumbles midway through a bite of his burger, "My friends thought I could use some inner peace and so they suggested yoga to me. In fact, my lessons are all paid so they're free for me in a way."
He slurps loudly on his soda and scratches his arm absentmindedly, "Except yoga's actually a lot harder than I thought it'd be. So much for inner peace when I'm struggling to just remember to breathe properly," he chuckles, "And that downward lying cat, or was it dog? Yeah, I'm not too good at yoga. How'd you get to be an instructor anyway?" Changmin reaches for another fry and drags it through Yunho's ocean of ketchup, "And where'd you move over from? I've lived in New York basically my whole life but I've only just moved into the city recently for college. Would you like me to show you around sometime?" He asks, hesitating because he's basically asking Yunho out on another date when he isn't even sure if this is a date to begin with.
Yunho nods immediately, glad that they've finally broken the tension. He picks his burger up and takes a huge bite, humming with delight, giving Changmin a thumbs up while his cheeks are bulging. Blushing, Yunho quickly drinks some soda and looks up at the other man shyly, nodding again. "I'd love it if you could show me around. I might be a bit touristy so I apologize in advance."
This means that another date is heading his way! Yunho can't wait; this assimilation business is way too much fun. No wonder Heechul-hyung and none of the Super Juniors had returned. Who would want to leave this awesome planet?
"Changmin...I take it that you're single then?" he ventures hopefully. "Um...this is a date, right?"
Changmin chokes a little on his burger, swallowing it down the wrong pipe and coughs, turning red as he nods at Yunho frantically, taking huge gulps of his soda to try and stop dying long enough to answer Yunho's questions.
"Y-Yes," he finally coughs out, "Yeah, I'm single." He blushes at the words and chuckles, ducking his head so he's not gazing right at Yunho. "I think it is pretty much a date," he says slowly, face turning redder by the second, "I mean, I'd like it if this was a date," he clarifies, looking up firmly now at Yunho. "Is that okay with you?" he asks, looking nervously at Yunho as he pokes at his half-eaten burger.
"Of course it's okay!" Yunho replies immediately, making a great flail with his arms, "it's definitely a lot more than okay! I like you, Changmin-ah." He claps a hand over his mouth the second he says it and blushes, smiling a little sheepishly. "Yeah...I would really like it if this was a date. So I'm glad that it is!"
There's going to be so much stuff to tell Jaejoong later.
They find out little things about each other as the night grows later and later, not really even noticing the way the lounge starts to empty after one in the morning. Yunho finds out that Changmin works for the government and is currently on a business trip, doing some research and collecting data. Yunho tells Changmin that he's studying abroad as well, doing lots of research and collecting data, but is still having lots of fun while he's here.
Junsu ends up having to kick them out at two and Yunho quickly pays for all the food and drinks, wanting to make the best impression he can. They walk back slowly to Changmin's apartment building and Yunho's kind of sad that the night's over.
"Oh, can I have your number?" he remembers to ask once they're standing outside the front entrance. Yunho feels like he's living a scene right out of a Hollywood teen movie. "I don't have a cellphone yet but I'll definitely call you."
Changmin laughs at Yunho and smiles widely, telling the older man his phone number. He repeats it three times and makes Yunho recite it twice, chuckling a little too fondly at his hyung, only two years older. "Do you need help getting a cellphone?" he asks, "You're not that new that you don't know where to go right?" Changmin glances at his watch and realizes it's nearing three and frowns at Yunho, "I'll walk you to the car," he says, pulling Yunho by the elbow. "I don't want you getting lost this time of the night in this neighborhood."
Changmin gets a lift back by Yunho and directs the older man how to get back to the bridge. He sits awkwardly in the car for a little while in front of his apartment building, wondering if he should kiss Yunho or not. He settles on a hug, or rather Yunho is the one who hugs him and Changmin manages a couple of pats to Yunho's back, definitely not the touchy-feely sort of person.
"I'll see you soon," he calls out, waving at Yunho with a smile. "Call me when you get that phone and we'll figure out a time and place to meet up." Changmin stands and waves until Yunho's car is too far for him to see, leaning against his front door with a stupid smile that he's only seen on TV before. Changmin's falling and he's falling fast, liking Yunho more than a little and can think of nothing but wanting to spend more time with the older man, aliens and pizza be damned.
He's still floating a little and tingly from the hug Yunho had given him when an extremely lonely thought floats into his mind.
Just how long has it been since he's gotten any, anyway?
---
Yunho whistles happily and drums his fingers on the steering wheel as he drives back to his flat, feeling giddy all over. The date had gone so much better than even he had thought it would and now he's gotten Changmin's phone number as well! He quickly turns into the parking lot of his building and parks in a corner, gets out, and presses a button under the back bumper of the car. There's a big poof and the car returns to its capsule size, so convenient for intergalactic travel, and Yunho stuffs it back in his pocket.
He skips all the way back upstairs and lets himself in, tidying the place up a little before grabbing his compact-com. Yunho flips the compact open and looks into the mirror, grinning at himself, then pushes a few buttons to tell Jaejoong.
"Assimilation's going phenomenally!" he cries the second Jaejoong's sleepy face comes on the screen, "I love it here, Jaejoong-ah! The people are wonderful!"
"...Yunja, it's like...three in the morning."
"I'm so happy!"
"Go to bed. What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I'm too happy!"
"I'm going back to bed."
Yunho doesn't even mind when the compact-com disconnects, giving his reflection a thumbs up before going to the kitchen to grab a bunch of spoons and forks. He gathers them all in a bundle and throws a battery into the pile, then gets out his exchange gun. "Cool cellphone!" Yunho demands, and fires, watching as the metal and battery morph and twist until he's got a new cellphone in his hands. He immediately flips it open and enters Changmin's number, thinking for a good five minutes about whether or not he should send a text. In the end, his eagerness wins out, and Yunho turns the phone off as soon as he sends it, too nervous that Changmin might reply, even more nervous that Changmin might not.
He climbs into bed at four in the morning and sleeps peacefully, already so in love with Earth and one of its inhabitants in particular. He can't wait for the next date.
---
Changmin-ah, I got a cellphone!
Miss you already! :)
---
Free Counters
...we're early! :'D lol well actually, we're writing this so much faster than we expected to so updates are now every 2-3 days. roflrofl idek. thanks for reading! :D
p.s. thank you, dear anon. you know who you are, even if i don't. ;) :3 ♥