Love Is A Sneaky Bitch

Chapter 3

"You can talk to me about it if you ever need to." Chan said, his voice kind and gentle. Minho nodded. "But for now we have to take care of Jisung. I'll try talking to him today and you try tonight. Let's see what we can come up with to help him." Minho nodded gratefully.

They assembled and headed to the location, Minho couldn't get in the same vehicle but when they got out, he immediately moved to Han's side. He heard fans screaming for Han and when the other man jumped, he glared at the individual who had caused it. He gently tugged Jisung's sleeve and moved the man to the other side of him. Jisung lightly pressed against his side for a moment, seeking comfort. During the interview, Minho glanced over and saw Jisung's hands shaking pretty hard. He touched his knee gently and Jisung looked up at him. Minho silently asked if he was ok with a raised eyebrow. Jisung hesitated and then nodded. Minho was unconvinced.

During the fansign, Jisung stayed shyly away from the fans. He interacted when they approached him but it was obvious he was checked out. At one point when several surrounded him to talk, Jisung started shaking and was breathing heavily. Minho raised his chin to Chan and glanced over to Jisung. Chan's eyes followed and his jaw tightened. He quietly pulled Jisung to the back of the room and spoke to him softly. When he got some answers he nodded and gestured to their manager and they had a brief whispered discussion and Jisung was quietly escorted away by their manager. All the guys noticed but tried to ignore what was happening to minimize the fans noticing. Minho was raging inside wanting to know what was happening and wanting to protect Jisung. When the fansign ended, Chan immediately steered him to the first car and got in with him.

"Is Jisungie ok?" Felix asked, climbing in with them.

"He is having some anxiety problems." Chan said. "Minho has been keeping an eye on him." He added, kindly including Minho. "He will talk to us about it in his own time, just be supportive." Felix nodded.

Minho pulled out his phone and texted Jisung.

-Hanni, i'm worried. Do you need to be alone or can I come?

He watched the message go from sent to read and then bubbles appeared letting him know Jisung was responding. It took far longer than was comfortable for the answer to come through.

-doors unlocked.

He took a deep breath of relief. When they got to the dorm, Chan called an immediate meeting with everyone but he held Minho back as the others headed for the living room. "He's waiting for me." Minho said with agitation.

"Go." Chan said and put a hand on the back of his neck. "I meant what I said. I'm here if you need to talk, Minnie."

"Thanks hyung." Minho said and went straight to Jisung's room while the others gathered to discuss what was happening. He tapped softly on Jisung's door but didn't wait for a response. He peeked inside and saw a lump on the bed, a comforter wrapped around him. He went over and slid onto the bed next to Jisung, quietly pulling the man into his arms and rubbing his back. It took a few but Jisung slowly unburritoed himself from the comforter and relaxed into Minho's embrace. Minho didn't ask any questions, he just gently rubbed Jisung's back and as the younger man let go of the comforter, his hands moved below it, moving it out of the way. Jisung moved closer and with a hesitant look, settled his face against Minho's chest. Minho didn't react other than to tighten his arms as if protecting Jisung with his body. They lay like that for awhile.

"It's getting to be too much." Jisung said softly. "Its so hard to be around big groups of people." Minho hummed a response so Jisung would know he was listening but he gave Jisung the space to talk. "What if I can't do this? What if lose control? What if I have to quit?" His voice was soft and scared. "I have worked so hard to get here but I'm losing control."

"Sungie," Minho said softly. "I know. I see how hard you are working and I see the fear when you are surrounded. I see the shaking and the jumpiness. But I also see you." Jisung looked up at him in surprise. "Sungie, you have more talent in those cheeks of yours than most people have in their entire bodies. You can make it past this. If you need help, just ask for it. We will work with you and get you whatever help you need. We will make whatever changes need to be made for your health and happiness. You are important to us, Sungie. All of us."

Jisung's fingers clenched Minho's shirt reflexively. "Am I...." he looked down at his fingers to spare himself the honesty in Minho's eyes. "Am I important to you, hyung?"

"Sungie." Minho's voice almost caressed his name and his fingers tipped up Jisung's chin. Jisung hesitated and then met his eyes. "You, gajang, are more important to me than anyone I have ever met." He whispered.

A shudder went through Jisung's body at the words and his breath crossed Minho's face in a relieved rush. "You are important to me too." Jisung whispered back and rested his head again on Minho's chest, his bravery at its limit for the moment. Minho smiled and ran his hands soothingly through Jisung's hair. They lay like that for a long time just quietly together. "Will you stay with me tonight?" Jisung asked softly.

"Any time, anywhere." Minho answered simply and Jisung nodded against him

"Thank you hyung." He moved his position slightly and tucked his face in Minho's neck. Minho's hand found its way under the edge of Jisung's t-shirt and when his hand on Sungie's bare back didn't seem to bother the younger man, he resumed gently rubbing his back without the shirt between hand and skin. He felt Jisung relax into sleep finally and sent Chan a text letting him know that he was staying and that Jisung was finally asleep. An hour later Chan quietly came in and looked at the two. He came over to Minho's side and looked down at Jisung.

"He wanted you to stay?" He whispered as softly as possible.

"Yeah." Minho said. "He is terrified. Can we get him some help?"

"I'll talk to management. In the meantime, I have Jeongin sleeping in your place for the time being. As long as he wants you here, stay with him." Chan said. He moved to the edge of the bed and gently touched Jisung's head. "We'll fix it, Minnie. Whatever it takes, whatever he needs."

"I know." Minho said with a gentle smile. "I told him that."

Chan looked like he wanted to say more but knew it wasn't the time so he nodded and patted Minho's shoulder in support and quietly left the room. He went to their manager and they started to discuss what was happening and what they could do to help Jisung.

Minho watched over Jisung all night and made sure the younger man slept hard. Though normally, he would have relished sleeping this close with Jisung, under the current circumstances he couldn't bring himself to have the slightest improper thought. In his sleep, Jisung snuggled in tighter against Minho and threw his thigh across his hyungs. "Minnie hyung." He moaned softly in his sleep and Minho struggled like hell to keep himself under control. This was the sweetest torture he had ever gone through but he wouldn't trade a second of the closeness, only the reason for it.