Hearing a knock at the door, Mingi paused his Netflix show and glanced up towards the hallway. The knocking repeated, and he realised San must have forgotten his keys.
Getting out of bed and making his way to the door, as he undid the locks, he readied himself for the cold to come inside. 'San-ah, I thought you would be getting home far late-'
The door swung open to reveal Yunho, dressed only in a black cotton shirt and pyjama pants, looking exceptionally upset...
'-er... Yun-ah... Are you okay?' He reached out and took a hold of his arm, gently pulling him inside. Feeling how cold his skin was, he felt awful for not having moved faster to answer the door.
'... Mhm... I'm alright...'
'Could have fooled me... Yun-ah... What happened?'
He watched as those dark eyes glanced down almost shamefully. '... I snapped at my parents...'
The pain in his words was incredible, and Mingi suddenly felt awful for him. 'Do you want to come in?' he asked softly.
And as Yunho glanced up at him with that pleading look in his eyes, he melted. 'Come on~' he whispered.
Taking his wrist in his, he led him down the hall into his tiny room and crawled back into his bed, pulling Yunho in after him. He reached over his laptop to pluck a hoodie from the end of his bed and returned, giving it to the cold boy.
'Oh... It's okay-'
'Yunho, put it on. We don't have heating, and it's cold.'
Nibbling on his lip, Yunho did as told, pulling it over his head and feeding his arms through the sleeves. He lingered a little as he did so, and Mingi wondered whether he could smell his scent embedded in the fabric...
Sitting quietly, he didn't know what to say. As much as he himself had faught with his own father over the years since his mother had passed away, he was very aware that Yunho's family dynamic was very different, and it made it hard for him to know what was right and wrong to say...
'Min-ah... I was offered a job at the embryology clinic...'
His eyes widened. Quickly turning to stare at him, his lips pulled into an uncontrollable smile. 'Yun, that's amazing! Oh my gosh I'm so happy for you!' he gasped, putting his hands on his arm and squeezing.
Yunho's lips pulled into a small, but powerful smile, and his eyes sparkled. 'Thank you...' he whispered, glancing down at his hands touching his arm.
'What's the position for?'
He blinked slowly, nibbling on his lip... 'It's only a lab assistant... Nothing special...'
'Are you kidding me? Yunho it's not only a lab assistant position. Yun, that's massive. You must have left a really big impression on a lot of people~.'
The emotional boy looked up at him with an intense hope in his eyes, before he glanced down again, seeming incredibly sad all of a sudden.
And Mingi instantly felt guilty. 'I- I'm sorry... Is that... not... good...?'
Clearing his throat a little, Yunho shook his head. 'No, it is... I just... I just wish my parents would be as happy for me, as you are...'
Mingi's heart ached. Slipping his hands down his forearm, he took his hands tenderly in his own and squeezed them comfortingly.
And it seemed to melt through Yunho's last defences, leaving him sad and raw, yet happy, beside him.
He had seen him distressed a few times, but this somehow seemed different. It was almost as though twenty-one years of being ignored and held at an arm's length by his family had left him with a pain he didn't know how to deal with...
'Min-ah... I don't want to go home...'
Mingi crumbled. 'Aww, Yun-ah,' he cooed, squeezing his hands. 'You can stay here as long as you like, okay? You don't have to go home~.'
Yunho nodded ever so slightly, before glancing down at their hands entangled together.
Squeezing them tighter, Mingi sat closer, resting their shoulders together in an attempt to comfort him. 'Would you like a kiss?'
Yunho's eyes gently flicked up and his lips parted in surprise. But as he nodded slightly, Mingi had never seen anything as beautiful as the way his face looked in the dark of his room, filled with emotion gazing only at him...
Giving Yunho a small smile, he leant forward, pressing his lips into his cheek tenderly. He let them meld against his skin and warm him, and through it, Mingi wondered how he hadn't realised the full extent of how soft his skin felt...
But as he began to lean back, Yunho slipped one hand from his and reached up gently, touching his fingertips to his cheek and steadying his face...
And smoothly, he leant forward, pressing their lips together. Sweet and soft and tender and blissful... Their foreheads rested together as their lips gently melded together in a way that had Mingi's stomach filling to overflow with butterflies.
Those lips were so incredibly soft, and his fingertips were so gentle on his cheek, and this kiss was not like their others at all... The others had been of the moment, driven by a craving they both did and did not understand...
But this one was not. It was a kiss, for the comfort of the kiss... It was relaxed and gentle and calm in a way that time had no bearing upon. It could have been a second, or an hour. It didn't matter. In the time their lips were together and their noses tenderly resting against one another, there was nothing else.
Nothing, but the serenity of being together.
Very gently, their lips separated, leaving just their breath between them.
And for the first time, Mingi didn't hear the nervous shaken breath from Yunho.
Instead, it was calm and slow... Relieved...
'What were you doing before I came?' Yunho asked softly between them.
He nibbled on his lip a little, feeling butterflies flutter within him as Yunho brushed his cheek and squeezed his hand...
'I was watching the documentary for class...'
Yunho continued squeezing his hand before he switched to brushing his thumb over his skin. 'You should keep watching,' he breathed, and the way his voice was deeper when it was hushed... Deeper, yet somehow, more gentle...
'B-but... Have you seen it?'
Very gently, Yunho shook his head, letting their hair create white noise between them. 'No, but I can now. I don't want to interrupt you.'
'But... you're upset...'
Leaning back, Yunho tenderly reached down and pulled the blankets over Mingi's legs, spending time tucking him in and making him comfortable. He reached down the bed and brought his laptop back to him, and the gentle treatment had his heart in his throat.
'Are you sure?' he whispered.
He nodded, smiling softly through the dark at him. 'Just being with you makes me feel better~. I didn't mean to, but I guess that's why I ended up here to begin with...'
Mingi freaking ascended. Leaning over, he pressed a tender, long peck on his cheek, letting his puckered lips linger...
And as he settled down beside him, feeling Yunho entwine their hands and lace their fingers together, he felt his chest warm.
Yunho pressed play.
~~~