Jisung pressed his lips together as he laid against the hood of his car. He cast his eyes up to the baby blue sky. He had beat Jeongin. He'd done it and now he was going to go against Seungmin. Minho had said that Seungmin was the master of safe driving. That didn't make sense to Jisung in the slightest. He supposed it would in the long run, after seeing his competitor racing. He was guessing that's what was going to happen, as Minho had said there was a surprise. Though, the brunette didn't understand why that was a reason to bring his suitcase. Perhaps they were going somewhere for the night?
A whole night. Jisung closed his eyes, thinking back to the day before when Minho had taken him to the beach. The nice breeze, the warm sand between his toes, the smile Minho showed, as well as the arms he became locked in after tripping. Jisung's eyes opened, ears beginning to burn slightly. Why was he thinking about that? He needed to focus on driving. Driving was most important right now. No matter how hard he tried to keep his mind from straying it continued back to the older driver.
Chris and Changbin didn't seem to be packing their suitcases. Did that mean it would just be Minho and Jisung? His heart began to thump against his chest, ears clogging with the sound of his pumping blood. Was he going to be staying alone with Minho somewhere far away? Had Chris given permission? No, Chris wasn't his mother. He didn't need his permission. Still, was Jisung okay with staying alone with Minho for a whole night? Just the two of them beneath the sheets of their beds, trying to sleep while an awkward silence enveloped them. Or would something else happen?
"What are you thinking about? Your ears are red."
Jisung snapped his attention to the man in front of him, who was exiting the same convertable he'd ridden in only hours ago. "Nothing. It's just hot out." Jisung lied, Minho raising a brow at the obvious lie. It wasn't hot. It was a chill early morning. The sun hadn't even risen.
"Right. Did you do everything I asked?" Minho seemed to push the topic of the others warmth aside, more concerned with the matter of a packed back. One he didn't see with the other.
"Yeah." Jisung pushed himself up from the hood of his car, picking up a grey backpack by the tire. He swung it around his arm, smiling like an idiot.
"You're taking a backpack?" Minho seemed surprised by the fact.
"Uh, you said it was a surprise destination and to pack clothes. I don't know where we're going or how long we are going to stay. I didn't want to over pack so I just shoved some outfits in it and left."
"You woke up late, didn't you?"
Jisung glanced away, hand meeting the back of his neck. Minho hit the nail on the head with that one. The younger let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah. You also said not to be late so..."
"It's fine." Minho quickly interupted the other, walking up to him and slipping his hand underneath the backpack's strip. Jisung blinked, confused when the weight lifted from his shoulder. Minho had taken the backpack, turning and walking toward his trunk, which he popped open with his keys. "Just get in the car."
Jisung didn't know wether to be happy or upset with the others actions. He obviously meant no ill intent. He was being a gentleman by taking Jisung's luggage and putting it into the trunk. The only part Jisung disliked was the sentence that came after it. Was he just worrying too much? This was normal for Minho, so why was it bugging him all of a sudden? Jisung ignored it, climbing into the passenger seat without another word.
Minho joined him in the drivers side not a minute later, starting up the car and driving off. It was silent for a good while. That is, until Jisung had enough of the deathening quiet. "Where are we going by the way?"
"I told you, it's a secret."
"You could be kidnapping me."
Minho turned toward Jisung, looking at him with his usual stoic face. "Am I not trust worthy?"
Jisung's cheeks puffed in irritation. Of course he trusted Minho. Probably more than he should for only knowing the guy for a short time. He gave a defeated hum, sinking back into his chair. That however wasn't the end of the conversation, as Minho began to chuckle and continue on with more words.
"Don't worry. Chris knows where I'm taking you and so does Changbin." Jisung glanced at his fingers which he began to fiddle with. If Chris knew and Changbin too, it obviously wasn't anything bad.
"Okay, Fine. If you won't tell me where we are going can you at least tell me how long we are going for?"
"Just a few days."
So they would be gone for multiple days? Not one, but maybe three days alone with Minho? This man was driving him crazy. Jisung snorted at the unintended reference of driving. Not only was Minho making Jisung's head and heart feel abnormal, he was also offering him lifts to practically every place he wanted to go. The beach and now even an unknown destination. Was Minho just seeking a place to travel to with Jisung?
"Stop laughing and get out of the car."
Jisung's head popped up, eyes moving around the dark area that they'd entered. He hadn't been paying attention, again, which meant he was met with yet another surprise. A garage. Jisung pushed open the passenger door, climbing out of it with a confused expression running across his face. Was this there destination? He watched Minho push a button in the car, watching as the top of the convertible unfolded from the back to the front, enclosing the open space. The older racer got out a second later, popping the trunk and pulling out Jisung's luggage, as well as his own.
While Minho did that, Jisung took a look around. It was pretty big. Of course, it needed to be, but this garage was much larger than most. Was that the difference between Korean and Japanese car parks? They couldn't be that different. Jisung couldn't help but doubt that thought. That is, until he saw a sign with the label: Airport. His eyes widened. An Airplane? Oh hell no. There was no way he was riding on a plane. He looked to Minho who was locking the doors to the car.
Should he say something? Changbin and Chris knew of his fear of heights. Why did they let this happen? He also hated crowded places such as the airport. What if he ran to a taxi? There wasn't anything important in his bag anyway. If he abandoned it there wouldn't be any issue. Besides that Minho would probably be really upset. He'd understand though, right—that Jisung was afraid?
Minho didn't know Jisung that well. Actually, neither of them knew anything about the other besides that they raced. That and Minho's mass fortune. "Jisung, let's go."
Jisung took a step forward. Why couldn't he open his mouth? No matter how much he wanted it too, it wouldn't. Instead, he followed Minho, who had Jisung's backpack slung over his shoulder and his rolling suitcase traveling by his side. There was no way he could tell Minho. He wanted to go to this surprise place with him. He'd just have to get through it. It's not like they were traveling to another country. At most the flight would be a few hours. He would be fine.
Despite those thoughts, Jisung's anxiety started to cause an irregular beat of his heart. One that was a lot like when he was in the arms of Minho, only this feeling made him feel bad. Exiting the garage, Jisung saw people rushing down halls. He froze, hands beginning to shake. He couldn't do it. Racing was different. They didn't know who he was and he could hide behind his windshield.
Racing confronted people with tires and hunks of metal. Airports needed him to speak. Jisung locked his fingers together like he had in the car, an unhealthy amount of strength holding them together. So much so his fingers began to turn white. He didn't want to do this anymore. His lips opened. "Minho." A weak mutter. The other continued to walk even though Jisung had stopped in his tracks. "Minho," he said a little louder. The other still couldn't hear him.
If he raised his voice anymore he'd pass out. His head was already starting to get light and dizzy. Jisung took a step forward only to bump into someone and be pushed to the side. He whispered an apology. The realization that he would never make it through this place without Minho dawned on him. That was a serious problem. Especially when he couldn't call his name nor his phone. Jisung didn't have Minho's number. You'd think they'd have them by now. He took a deep breath, about to turn around and move back into the garage, when suddenly someone grabbed his hand.
He tried to pull it back, spinning around rapidly to see who had laid there hands on him. He was met with brown eyes and the apologetic expression of his friend. "Sorry. Chris told me you had anxiety with crowds but It slipped my mind thinking about the lines."
Jisung let out a relieved sigh. Thank god it wasn't a stranger. "It's—" Jisung started to stutter, hand tightening around Minho's. "It's fine." The youngest pair of eyes strayed from the oldest, once again looking around the hall full of people. "Can we keep it like—" Jisung stepped closer to Minho. "like this."
Minho hummed, pulling the backpack off of his shoulder. He fixed it onto Jisung's and released his hand for a second before wrapping his arm around the racer's shoulders. "This better?" he asked.
Jisung nodded, keeping his face to the floor out of embarrassment. He was embarrassed that Minho had made such a move and that because of the action, people may stare at him. Judge him. Minho started walking not much later, Jisung letting him drag him along. It was better. At least he didn't feel like he was fighting a crowd alone anymore. Getting through security was hard though. Especially when he had to thank a bunch of strangers in his messy japanese. He was good at languages, sure, but only when he was prepared for a conversation. This whole thing was sprung onto him. He didn't know whether to be mad at Minho or himself. Jisung knew deep down he needed to get over his fears. That Minho was just trying to support him like a friend would. He wasn't exactly ready to face two at a time.
"Jisung." The male's vision was suddenly blocked by something covering his head. He felt it. A hat? He looked up at Minho who was offering a gentle smile while fixing it to look better. "Does this help any? You keep looking around at people. I thought this would stop that."
Jisung gave a nod. He was thinking of going to get one when Minho had left for the bathroom. He'd thought it would be weird to follow him like a dog into the restroom, so he stood in the place Minho had left him, pondering if he should find a gift shop. Apparently Minho had the same idea, as now there was a solid fabric sitting on his head. "Thank—" He cursed his stuttering in his head. "Thank you."
"No problem. Our flight starts boarding really soon. We should make our way to the gate." Minho stuck out his hand.
This was a new side to him. Jisung liked it. He was being affectionate; Caring. It was almost like a boyfriend. Jisung slipped his hand into Minho's. To think that the amazing driver who was so quiet and introverted was holding his hand, guiding him through his fears. That was definitely a heart racing thought. What made it worse was that it really wasn't what friends did. Maybe if Minho had been someone he grew up with, like Chris or Changbin, but not for the time that they'd known each other. It just wasn't normal. Yet Jisung liked it. He enjoyed it. It distracted him from the copious amounts of beings wandering the halls of the port.
He remembered Minho telling him his sexuality. That only made the feeling within his chest worse. He felt hot. His lungs tightened. Why was he feeling like this? He barely knew the guy. Was he touch starved? Maybe that was it. Maybe it was just the hormones acting up. Jisung knew deep down that it didn't add up. The way he felt around Minho was something he hadn't felt before. Jisung had his fair share of crushes through out Highschool. None of them came to the extent of what he was feeling now.
Perhaps it was because none of those crushes knew he liked guys. Or because they'd never actually come within two feet of each other. Whatever the reason, those feelings compared to the ones that were beginning to grow for Minho were different. Jisung got distracted easily with him. He felt safe. He liked his touch.
"Jisung." How many times would Minho have to pull Jisung out of his head? Was it a hindrance to the other? Was Jisung annoying? "It's our turn. Show them your ticket."
Jisung did as he was asked and pulled the piece of paper from his pocket, exposing the barcode to the lady who needed to scan it. After doing so, Minho said thank you for the both of them and pushed him into the boarding bridge. He'd miraculously gotten through the thousands of people. One fear somewhat conquered. The only thing left to endure was the flight.
Minho guided him to their seats. Luckily the plane was only four seats per row. Which meant he only needed to sit beside Minho. Minho who was pushing his suitcase into the area above their seats. Minho who's shirt was raising slowly to expose his abdomen. He had a six pack.
Jisung's throat bobbed. Holy shit. How did a racer have such a good body? No, Minho hadn't raced in a while. Which meant he probably worked out a lot to distract himself. That and the obsession of working on cars. Jisung quickly turned away when Minho shut the hatch. He cast his eyes to the floor out of pure panic. Minho slipped through the area between the seats in front of Jisung's legs and took the seat by the window. He closed it. Didn't people usually love the view of taking off?
"You've been on a plane before, right?" Minho questioned rhetorically. "It'll be fine. People ride airplanes everyday."
That was true. Jisung had flown all the way from South Korea to Japan. It would be fine. "How long is the flight?"
"Only an hour give or take." That wasn't that bad. A lot better than going from country to country. Jisung took a deep breath. His hand was taken into Minho's, who's arm was placed on the rest between them. He intertwined their fingers. Jisung's eyes widened in surprise. This was different. They hadn't had their fingers lock when holding hands before. It was an interesting feeling. Uncomfortable yet comfortable. Jisung lifted his head, meeting the gaze of Minho. "It'll be fine. I'm here."
Jisung bit his lip. Minho was there. God how that single sentence made such an impact on his mental state. Not only that but in his body too. He physically relaxed, giving the older a smile for the first time since the morning.
As the stewardess began to go over the instructions on what to do if the plane experienced anything startling or dangerous, Minho pushed headphones into Jisung's ears and turned up the volume of his phone. Jisung appreciated this. He had been on a flight only a few weeks ago and with his anxiety he already knew what to do if things went south. He didn't need to listen to the what ifs of a situation that rarely happened. Minho knew that as well.
Everything was going smoothly. Except that there was one thing he found weird. Minho's grip on Jisung's hand was getting tighter as the plane began to move. Jisung felt his phone ping in his pocket. He hadn't turned it on airplane mode yet. He pulled it out, clicking on the text notification from Seungmin, the only guy of Minho's group he actually had the number of.
Seungmin > Just saying this because I know Minho hasn't. His worst fear is heights. He's probably trying to act cool right about now but hes terrified.
Jisung reread the message over and over again. Minho was afraid of heights? Then why the hell was he doing this? Jisung sent a text of understanding to Seungmin before turning his phone on airplane mode. He looked at Minho. He had his head pressed against the seat with his eyes closed. He'd downloaded songs for Jisung. He'd held his hand throughout the airport. He bought him a hat. He gave him his earbuds even though he probably needed them for himself.
Jisung took out one of the earbuds and stuck it into Minho's ear gently. The racer snapped his eyes open, giving Jisung a look of confusion. Jisung only smiled,. he closed his eyes and leaned back. They'd be fine.
And they were. The take off was horrifying but after it was over with everything seemed so funny. Jisung could barely tell they were in the sky at all. He would've told Minho about it and how relieving it was but he'd passed out after the plane lifted. Not pass out in a bad manner, more so that he was exhausted and fell asleep. Jisung wasn't going to complain, as the male's head was resting on his shoulder. He let his urges take him away, threading his fingers through Minho's hair as he slept.
He'd seen a new side to Minho, one he didn't think existed. He guessed even the people that seemed perfect had many different sides to them. He was misunderstood. He knew that well thanks to Changbin. He wondered if Felix was feeling the same way he was. Confused and desperate. Maybe desperate wasn't the right word to describe the way Jisung was starting to crave Minho's touch. Felix probably didn't feel those things. He knew what he wanted. He didn't need to shy away from anything.
The flight lasted an hour and twenty three minutes. The landing was rough. Extremely rough. Jisung was scared the whole time, tightening his hold on Minho's hand. At least Minho slept through it. He could've passed out again if he'd experienced it.
"Minho," Jisung whispered, taking the earbud from his ear as well as the elders. He shook him gently, calling his name for the second time. Minho slowly opened his eyes. There gazes locked and once again Jisung felt butterflies.
"Are we there?"
Jisung nodded although he still didn't know where there was. His anxiety had drove him nuts in the airport. He hadn't thought to look at the planes destination, nor had he listened to the captain when he spoke of their landing and take off. "Yeah, are you feeling okay?"
Minho hummed as he stretched his arms above his head. "I'm fine. Let's go. We need to find our hotel."
Jisung stood up, Minho following him out of their row. They were one of the few left in the plane, which Jisung was more than grateful for. After rolling his shoulders Minho opened the area above their seats and took out their luggage. He then began to make his way through the aisle, casting a glance behind him to make sure Jisung was following. He was; like a small duckling
Once out of the bridge, Jisung took the backpack from Minho, subconsiously attaching their hands. Minho gave him a quick look of confusion before shrugging it off. He wasn't used to holding someones hand. His dad had died at an early age so he'd forgotten what a masculine touch felt like. His mom held his hands until he was ten then stopped for whatever reason. His friends didn't hold his hands either. He'd had one to do so at one point but they went there seperate ways. The older shook it off, beginning to walk in the direction of the airports exit. When they escaped the massive building Jisung finally found out where they were. The Tottori Prefecture Of Japan. Why were they in Tottori?
"Minho," Jisung called. Minho pulled out his phone after asking what Jisung needed. "Why are we in Tottori?"
"The Tottori Sand Dunes. I thought it would be good to start practicing your drifting for when you go against Felix. Seungmin is the same racer as Jeongin except a bit more experienced. You'll be able to beat him easily. Felix is a different case. We'll need to practice drifting a lot. Why not on sand?"
"But it won't actually help my car any. It will cause damage to more things than not. Plus, tires aren't animate. They can't learn."
"No, they can't. But you can. If you can learn to drive on sand with the tires you have now, your driving on concrete will be a lot smoother. You'll be confident and faster. You won't be as afraid as you were in your race with Jeongin."
So he'd noticed his relluctence during the race. Minho really was a genius. To think that he'd planned this trip so quickly. Had he spontaneously bought tickets or did he have this planned since the beginning when Jisung challenged him?
"We should take the train to our hotel. We're only staying for two days. It's short but I think it'll do enough to make a difference."
Jisung nodded, finally realizing that their hands were still attached when Minho pulled him along. He didn't make a move to fix it. He enjoyed the feeling and Minho hadn't seemed to mind too much. If asked Jisung could always blame his anxiety. Anxiety was good for something at least. He kept it that way for a good while until they entered the train. Minho was once again paying for both of their tickets. Jisung was presented with the common confusion of whether or not to be thankful or mad. Was this what it was like to have a rich boyfriend?
No. Jisung shouldn't think of it like that. Minho had no interest in him that way. His flirting was just friendly teasing from one gay to another. The time passed by quickly and before he knew it they were checking into their hotel. It was nice. Really nice. Jisung didn't think he'd ever been to a hotel as nice as the one he was standing in with Minho.
"Jisung, I got the keys, let's go."
Jisung lazily followed the other to the elevator, admiring the aesthetic of the walls and plants. It was beautiful. Even the elevator had shiny floors the color of pearls. Weird how it was next to the desert and it had a somewhat ocean theme to it. That could've easily been Jisung's weird imagination. Once inside their room, Jisung face planted onto one of the two beds. At least there was a bed for each of them. If he had to sleep on a couch it'd lower his driving ability and if Minho did he'd feel bad.
"I'm gonna take a shower."
Jisung rolled over, eyes trailing the details of the plastered ceiling. "Okay," he responded.
Silence hugged him for a few minutes before he heard the sound of the water escaping the shower head and hitting the floor. Minho was in the next room. Jisung rolled over on his side, turning on his phone and clicking the airplane mode on it. A bunch of messages began to pop up.
Chris had asked if he was alright and if things went well. He also apologized for springing him into the situation without his knowledge. Jisung didn't mind it as much as he thought he would. Usually he would cuss Chris out. At first it seemed like the world would end. He got closer to Minho though. How could he possibly be upset when he'd gained such a reward?
Changbin had said a bunch of teases, though occasionally asked if he was okay and to text him when the flight landed. Jisung let out a chuckle, doing as told and telling his hyung he was fine.
The next person to text him was Seungmin. He'd just said thank you for taking care of Minho and that he'd given Felix his number. Why did Felix want to text him?
Jisung opened the guys' text, eyes widening. The blonde had sent paragraphs. Jisung caught onto a name. Changbin. Felix was freaking out about Changbin?
??? > Jisung, I need your help. I would ask Chris but I feel like he'd mom me about all this. I want more of a brothers advice. From someone who knows Changbin, cause, you know, it's about him. Anyway. IM FREAKING OUT! HE ASKED ME ON A DATE HELP. WHAT DO I WEAR? WHAT DOES HE LIKE? WHERE DO FIRST DATES HAPPEN? I HAVENT BEEN ON A DATE IN YEARS!!!
I heard you're on a flight. Be safe. <3 Text me when you land.
JISUNG I KNOW YOU'RE ON YOUR FLIGHT BUT CHANGBIN IS HOLDING MY HAND AND IM SCREAMING INSIDE. HOW CAN SOMEONE THIS ADORABLE AND HOT BE THIS CLOSE TO ME? THE LORD HAS BLESSED ME.
Jisung, am I even good enough to be beside Changbin? I mean, he's so gorgeous and I'm just me. ㅜㅜ
So apparently Jisung was wrong. Felix wasn't so confident in himself like he'd thought he was. Jisung smiled. They could connect over that. He decided to call him while Minho showered. The line rang for a little bit before he heard an excited hello in english. He usually talked in English when it was just the two of them.
"Hey, you spammed me, are you okay now?"
The male on the other end gave a laugh. "Yeah, sorry."
"Nah, it's cool. It made me feel better."
"Oh, really? Why, were you feeling down?"
"Just some thoughts about stuff."
"Minho?"
"Oh wow, you have the ability to read minds," Jisung said sarcastically. Felix giggled to himself.
"Is he around?"
"He's taking a shower."
"Oh~"
"Stop. I'm trying to distract myself, don't make it worse."
"Alright, alright. Let's talk about my man then."
"It's so weird to hear that coming from your mouth. Especially when he's my best friend."
"So my man." Jisung sighed loudly only for Felix to ignore his distress and continue. "As you read, he held my hand. Which—" Felix paused and gave a fanboyish squeal. He was obviously in his bed rolling around. Jisung could tell by the sound of his wrinkling sheets.
"I get it, that happened today too."
"Wait what?"
"Minho held my hand?"
"Excuse me?"
"What?" Jisung began to feel nervous.
"HE HELD YOUR HAND?"
"Yeah."
"BRO!" Felix exaggerated a lot. Jisung didn't know if this was another one of those moments. "Minho doesn't TOUCH people. YET HE HELD YOUR HAND?"
Jisung's heart skipped a beat. "I mean, my anxiety was really bad at the airport so he like wrapped his arm around me and carried my stuff. Then you know, we got through security and he bought me a hat and held my hand and took me to the gate," Jisung rambled in explanation.
"This is world changing," Felix said after a moment of silence. "I can't believe Lee Minho held your hand volenteerily."
"He did it on the plane too."
"THE WHOLE TIME?"
Jisung hid his face in his hands. He couldn't help but smile. Felix was making it seem like a bigger issue than it was. He was making Jisung excited. "What about your date with Changbin? Has he said where you are going?"
"Nope. He just said he'll think of some places and surprise me."
What was with cold exteriored men and their surprises? "Well, Changbin likes dark colors. But I'd say that's mostly for himself. Wether you go for a cute style or attractive he'll be stunned either way. He's totally whipped for you. He talks about you all the time."
"Really?"
"Mhm. Yesterday morning he was walking out of the shower and he immedietly opened your snap and started smiling. It was weird to see."
"WHY DID YOU HAVE TO ADD THE SHOWER PART!"
"You did it first."
"Who are you talking too?" Jisung rolled over, eyes widening as he looked at Minho. A hiccup escaped him.
"Jisung?" Felix called. Jisung clicked the facetime button and slapped his hand over his eyes. He then turned the camera to Minho so he could see who he was talking to. He wouldn't be able to say it. Not without stuttering like a fool. "Minho, put a damn shirt on." Jisung heard Minho grunt at Felix. "Don't roll your eyes at me! No one wants to see your abs and biceps." Silence. "Okay, a lot of people want to see that, but not right now."
"Whatever."
Once Felix had said that, Minho dissapeared back into the bathroom. Jisung turned the phone back and let his hand drop from his face.
"Oh my god you look like a fricking tomato."
"Well you would be too if Changbin walked out of the bathroom shirtless with his toned muscles exposed to you, knowing you'd be spending three nights alone with him!"
"I didn't need this exposure."
"I'm hanging up now."
"Have fun~"
Jisung clicked the red button, ruffling his hair agressively. Fucking Lee Minho. He was going to die before he made it back to Tokyo. "Yah, Jisung! Let's go eat I'm starving!" Minho shouted from the bathroom. How was he supposed to survive this?