a/n:
this is an extremely long chapter and a lot of different things happen. it's going to seem like a lot but i'd like you all to keep in mind that this chapter consists of the two of them getting to know each other much more. if you can't finish it all at once or just don't want to, i understand, but this chapter takes place over the course of several hours; hence why it's so long.
just got back from vacation and i'm so fucking happy just in general right now. i haven't really opened up about myself much in the past 29 chapters which is strange for me because in my other stories, i talk about my life all of the time so that's just something to share.
p:s, if you haven't heard this in a long time, i love you and i'm proud of you.
As Minho put in the code to his door, I asked him, "Hey, do you have security cameras?"
"No, why do you ask?" Minho responded to me, opening his door and allowing me to enter first.
"You probably should considering you're a billionaire," I said.
Oh, thank fucking God.
"Would you like to know why?" Minho asked me with a smirk.
"Um, sure," I shrugged.
Minho sat his things down in the entryway and I followed him through his vast home. He led me to his home-office and walked over to a bookshelf, pulling out a certain book and revealing a hidden staircase.
"I didn't know these things were real, I thought they only had them in the movies!" I exclaimed. "Did you have this added on or did the house come like this?"
"I had it added on," Minho said, guiding me down the winding stairwell by hand. "Watch your step."
"Are you leading me to my death?" I asked him wearily, holding onto his hand tightly as we walked.
"Yeah, I'm the next Ted Bundy," Minho chuckled to himself. "Kidding, kidding. I'm just showing you the answer to your question."
"That's not ominous at all.." I trailed off.
"Just trust me, okay?" Minho laughed.
"I'm honestly terrified," I admitted.
We reached the bottom of the stairs and I was stunned to find that we were walking into complete darkness, "Okay, now I'm even more scared."
"Close your eyes," Minho said to me, letting go of my hand and walking away from me into the darkness.
Blindly trusting him, I closed my eyes and put my hands over them, dreading what was to come.
"Open them," He said.
I removed my hands and opened my eyes slowly, revealing what appeared to be a shooting range.
"You've got to be kidding me right now," I said, slapping a hand to my mouth.
Minho ushered me to follow him and he led me to a large safe at the other side of the room. He motioned for me to follow him and I did so diligently, dragging my feet as I walked.
"Turn around," He said to me.
I turned around as he entered the code in and turned back around when I heard the safe open. I gasped upon the sight, "What the fuck is this?"
"Protection," Minho said to me, pulling out one of his rifles and examining it closely. "I need to clean this."
"I can't believe what I'm looking at," I said to him, my jaw on the floor.
"There's a lot of things you don't know about me, Han. This being one of them," Minho said with a smirk.
"And to think, just three hours ago you were telling me that I do know you," I chuckled to myself.
Minho put the rifle away and closed the safe, turning around and standing up against it, "You know the most important things, but not the little ones like this."
"You call this a "little one?" Really?"
"Most people in the US have guns, you know," Minho said, heading for the stairs.
"Well, I don't!" I exclaimed, following him up.
"What do you need a gun for?" Minho chuckled.
"Uh-," I thought to myself for a moment, "Yeah, I don't know. I've got nothing."
Minho laughed, "Have I ever told you how funny you are?"
"That's strangely validating coming from you," I said as we reached the top of the stairs.
Minho laughed once more as he put the book back into place and the secret door shut itself.
When we made it back out to the entryway of his home, I said to him, "Hey, do you want me to look around to see where someone could've broken in? A fresh set of eyes might help."
"That's a good idea," Minho said to me, following me around as I began to check all of his windows and doors.
"Have you come to any conclusion on where they broke in from?" I asked him. "Could it have been from your bedroom?"
"I made the mistake of leaving my bedroom window unlocked because usually, this kind of thing doesn't happen in gated communities like this," Minho explained to me.
"I would hound you for making that mistake but yeah, you're right, that kind of thing doesn't happen in neighborhoods like this," I said. "So, you've said you've had stalkers before? What was that like? I've never had one before."
With an unreadable expression Minho said to me, "I'm a bit surprised. Another thing that surprises me is that you don't have more suitors, I've always wondered about that."
"I mean, I'm confident in the way I look and all but I don't think I'm hot shit by any means," I chuckled to myself, continuing to check his windows as we made our way through his large house.
This place is like a goddamn maze.
"Oh, you most definitely are," Minho said to me. "I think I can prove it to you too."
"How's that?" I asked him skeptically, stopping what I was doing and turning around to face him.
"Come with me to the Met on Monday. I'll buy your ticket, you just have to pose on the red carpet with me," Minho said.
I choked on my own saliva, "What?"
"Do you think I'm joking?" Minho asked me, beginning to walk away from me to head up his stairs.
"Yeah, most definitely," I said, following him. "How much are the tickets, even?"
"Thirty-thousand, no biggie," Minho shrugged.
I put a hand on my chest, "I think I'm gonna faint or something."
Minho stopped walking and turned to me, "Are you okay?"
I laughed, "You're too cute, I'm just kidding. That's just more money than I'm ever going to see in one place."
Minho turned around and headed towards his room, "Do you remember that one dinner we had at my place?"
"The one where I threatened to kill you?" I laughed.
"Yeah, that one," Minho said. "I don't blame you for that, either. I was intentionally trying to piss you off."
"Why, though?" I asked him.
"I don't know? I was pissed," Minho shrugged. "I can't explain why I do the things I do, I just do them."
"That's for damn sure," I chuckled.
When we made it to his bedroom and sat down, he said to me, "My point is - that idea you said you had? I said what I did because I was jealous."
"You were jealous of me simply for an idea?" I scoffed. "You don't even know what it is."
"I don't need to know what the idea is, that's the thing. I just know that you're smarter than me and I've never met anyone smarter than me," Minho said, looking over at me. "I'd invest in the idea but not only will you probably never tell me what it is until you've already found a way to execute it but because you wouldn't let me."
"Me? Smarter than you? Bitch, please," I said, bursting into laughter. "That's funny."
"You graduated summa cum laude from arguably the best university in the world and you work twice as hard as all of my employees without being a suck-up, I don't want to hear it," Minho chuckled. "You're a getting raise for that banquet, by the way. None of my personal assistants in the past could've pulled off what you did."
"Are you fucking serious?" I asked him, my mouth agape.
As much as I hate accepting people's money, I kicked ass planning that banquet and going up a tax bracket because my boss is feeling generous is something I shouldn't be complaining about at all.
Minho closed my mouth for me with a smile, "Don't wanna catch flies, now do we?"
I playfully shoved him and he shoved me back much harder. We moved back on the bed and began to wrestle one another in a fight for dominance, nearly falling off on multiple occasions.
In time, I had him pinned against the bed and I smirked at him, "That's what you get."
Minho bit his lip, batting his eyelashes at me innocently, "Do I get anything else?"
Resisting the urge to tear off his clothes right then and there, I let go of his arms and collapsed beside him, "I think that was punishment enough."
I'm not fucking you after you just fucked someone else yesterday.
"So, are you a top?" Minho asked me, staring up at his ceiling.
I averted my gaze from him to his ceiling like he was, "Don't you think that's an inappropriate question to be asking your personal assistant?"
"We're off the clock," He said, shrugging.
"That doesn't make it any better," I laughed.
Minho turned on his side and wrapped an arm around me, "Come onnnnnn, just tell me."
"Okay, fine," I rolled my eyes, placing my arm atop his. "I'm a top, happy?"
Minho sat up, "Wait, really?"
I laughed, "What, did I give you a bottom-vibe, or something?"
Minho laid back down, "I don't know, I guess I just kind of assumed that because you're so confident in your personal life that means you'd be submissive in bed. I'm that way."
I pretended to act surprised, "You're a bottom?"
"Nobody expects it," Minho chuckled. "Anytime I have people guess, they always say top."
"Guess what I guessed," I said, then laughing at myself after, "That sounded funny, I'm sorry."
"You know that you're the cutest person I've ever seen, right?" Minho asked me, his tone flat.
"Oh, damn. It sounded like you really meant that," I said to him.
"I can promise you that I did." I grabbed one of his pillows and put it underneath my head but then he asked me, "Sorry, was that awkward? I hope it wasn't."
Minho, I never liked silence before I met you. Whenever there's quiet, I panic and I try to fill the void with anything to distract myself from the indescribable and inescapable darkness that looms inside of me. We've never talked about the fact that we do this, but at this point, I'm somewhat convinced that I can read your thoughts and that you can read mine. It's never awkward or dull, we're just comfortable. Even when we aren't on good terms, we always find excuses to be around one another with no words required.
I removed his arm from my waist and sat up against his headboard, pulling my knees to my chest. I hesitated for a moment and then I asked him, "How did you get those painkillers?"
"Oh, are you sure you didn't mean to ask me why I didn't just shoot myself in the face with something from my personal artillery?" Minho chuckled at his own joke, seemingly amused by himself. "I didn't want someone to find my mangled brains on the floor, that's fucking morbid."
My heart stopped in my chest and my stomach dropped, "That's graphic as fuck, what the hell? I don't ever want to hear you say some shit like that again."
Minho sat up in his spot, "Hey, I was just kidding-,"
"No, I'm fucking serious right now. I don't ever want to hear something like that again. Do you understand me?" I asked him, my tone monotonous.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize that would strike a nerve.."
"I get that humor is a coping mechanism for some but it is way too soon to be making a joke like that, in my opinion," I said, moving my legs down and crossing my arms.
"To answer your actual question, I bought them illegally."
"Okay, here's another question. Why do rich people get to do whatever the fuck they want and get away with it?" I asked him, now taking a bit of offense. "Let me guess, you have the entire SFPD under your belt?"
"They're not the only ones," Minho spoke. "The only thing money can't buy you is happiness and that's truly a travesty because I'd be set if that were the case."
"I'm trying my absolute hardest to not judge you right now because I know you didn't start out privileged but damn, it is difficult," I said, rubbing at my temples.
"I'd judge me too, the fuck?" Minho laughed. "I feel like you doubt how self-aware I actually am."
"Oh, so you just knew you were shitty in the past but didn't do anything to change that?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
I grimaced, "What the fuck?"
"I never said I was proud, I just said I knew," Minho shrugged. "I never had any desire to change until I met you."
"Do you know how cliché that sounds?" I scoffed.
"One-hundred percent," Minho nodded his head. "You don't have to believe me either but I'm of the belief that actions speak louder than words."
"I know how many positive strides you've made and the work you've been putting in lately, but the fact that you just sat back and didn't take any accountability does not sit right with me," I said, uncrossing my arms.
"Okay, think about it like this. Who did I have to change for? What was it in my life that I had to motivate me to become a better person?"
"I don't know."
"Exactly, you don't, so stop pretending like you know everything," Minho said to me. "I don't care how privileged this sounds but you don't know what it's like to have everything but feel like you're nothing. You're everything I wish I was. You're confident, courageous, and you care for others more than you care for yourself. You know exactly who you are and it's intimidating. You seem to be under the impression that because I hit it big young that means I'm blessed but I didn't know anything about life when I did. It wasn't just luck that got me here, either. I worked for this shit just like you did meanwhile I had no idea what the fuck I was doing. You're blessed with knowing everything about yourself before going into this business because you're never going to lose sight of who you are meanwhile I did and I had to be reminded."
"Okay."
"Okay? That's it?"
"You're right, what would you like me to say?" I asked him.
"Oh, I didn't know that's what you meant by that. I thought that was just some weird form of acknowledgement."
"Well, it was, but you also happen to be right. Sometimes we do need to be reminded."
"Okay, question, why weren't you protesting when I offered to buy you the ticket to the Met Gala? I'm not trying to imply that you're using me in case that's the first thing that came to you mind, but I am curious as to why I didn't hear any of your protestations. Knowing you, I'd usually get an earful."
"That came out of completely nowhere, but alright," I laughed to myself. "Well, for starters, I have absolutely no idea what the Met Gala is if I'm being honest. I just heard the words "red carpet" and nearly flipped my shit right then and there. I guess I didn't protest because it's not something I want to do but I know you want me to. You're weird with the whole 'proving points' thing and it was truly an unexpected offer. Does that make sense? I feel like that doesn't make any sense as I'm saying it out loud."
Minho shrugged, "Yeah, that makes sense I guess. I've been invited for the past three years and I've gone but I was pretty much zoned out the entire time. At one of them I walked out after a half hour because I was so damn bored and I had a craving for Thai food."
I laughed, "That sounds like you. I'm surprised I haven't bored you yet, especially considering how often we just sit in silence."
Minho moved on down the bed, grabbing one of my socked feet and beginning to massage it, "I enjoy our silence, I feel like we can communicate telepathically or something."
"Really? I thought I might be delusional for thinking the same exact thing!" I laughed. "I was just thinking about that earlier."
"Yeah, I know, I read your mind," Minho said, laughing along with me.
It's truly times like these where I could picture myself walking down the aisle with you.
"I might sound delusional when I say this, but I genuinely feel like we were made to meet each other. I've never felt such a strong connection with someone before," I said to him.
"It scares me a bit that I'd be willing to do anything and everything to preserve what we have."
"What we have?"
Minho cleared his throat, "Sorry, you know what I mean."
"I was having this conversation with Felix a few days ago and he told me about this hunch he had about you. He said that he thinks you're extremely strategic and have a "plan" for me, or something. What do you think he meant by this?"
"He's completely correct," Minho said, looking directly into my eyes.
I have a plan for you too, sweetheart.
"That's definitely not ominous at all.." I chuckled.
"You'll see in time, don't think about it too hard," Minho said, averting his gaze and going back to looking down at my foot.
"I can't guarantee you that I won't, but alright.."
"You say that like I'm the only one."
I knew you could read my mind.
"I don't think anyone understands us and I'm fine with that," I said, shrugging.
"I don't disagree with you on that," Minho said to me. "Chan's getting extremely suspicious and if you're right about your theory on it being him that's quote unquote stalking me, we have a lot more to worry about than just those whose perspectives are limited and don't know what it's like."
I sat forward in my spot, gazing into his eyes and grabbing ahold of both of his hands, "What matters is that we're going to get through it together. You can't get rid of me."
"I know that by now, you can't get rid of me either," Minho laughed. "You could kill someone and I'd just help you hide the body."
"You're telling me that no matter what I do, you just don't care?" I laughed.
"No, I really don't," Minho chuckled.
"I was about to correct you and then I realized that what you said is the least you could do considering how poorly you were treating me there for a while," I said. "I know you didn't mean any of it but damn, that shit hurt my feelings."
"I love you, okay?" Minho said out of absolutely nowhere. "I don't know in what way but you're most definitely my soulmate."
I got up from my seat and pulled him in for a hug, whispering into his ear, "I love you too, alright? Please don't forget that."
"I won't," He whispered back to me, hugging me tighter.
We sat like this for what felt like a good ten minutes before pulling away from one another, Minho then grabbing his phone from his pocket and turning away from me to scroll through his Anaïs timeline.
I laid my body atop his in a weird position and asked him, "Did you ever play any sports in school?"
Minho continued to scroll and asked me, "Does that not hurt your back?"
"Are you tired of me?" I asked him, whining like a child.
Minho turned off his phone and plugged it in on his nightstand, shoving me off of him and turning to face me, "You have my full attention."
"Answer the question," I said, doing my best Darth Vader impression.
"No, I am your father," Minho said, playing along with me.
"Did you just use the proper quote?" I asked him, my jaw dropped.
"It's not my fault you made the assumption that I'm not a geek," Minho chuckled.
"Oh, so you're calling me a geek? I'm offended!" I joked sarcastically.
"To answer your question, I played tennis and lacrosse," Minho said to me.
"Oh, I bet you enjoyed your time in the locker room, huh," I joked again, slapping his chest.
Minho burst into laughter, eventually having to turn onto his back to try and calm himself down, "I can't stand you."
I wrapped my arms around him and held him tightly, "You love meeee, don't lieeee."
"Blah blah blah, what did you play in high school?" Minho asked.
I let go of him and sat up, "Oooh, this is my time to shine. I was one of the shortest players on the basketball team yet somehow better than everyone else!"
Minho laughed, "Sounds like someone already peaked."
"Oh, baby, I age like fine wine. I just like to reminisce."
Minho chuckled, "Okay, I officially hate you now."
I laughed, "To get on your nerves further since you like to do it to me all of the time, I also played the violin and the viola, I was the star of not only the debate team but the speech team too, I was the captain of the academic team, I was the first male cheerleader, I did this weird thing called DECA where you basically role-play as like business execs and compete in competitions, and I was the valedictorian. You'd have to look up what DECA is, though, I can't exactly explain it. What I'm trying to say is that my college application was probably sexier than yours and you should bow down to me, basically."
Minho jumped on top of me and pretended to hit my chest, "I hate you!"
I reached up and pulled him down to cuddle me, "You love me!"
"Maybe," Minho grumbled, then sniffing my collar, "You smell good."
I pushed him off of me, "Fucking weirdo."
"You are too!" Minho exclaimed.
I leaned over and sniffed his shirt, "How's it feel, bozo?"
Minho laughed, "Okay, it's a bit weird."
"See, I told you so," I said smugly.
"Never do that again," Minho grimaced.
"Or what?"
"I'll kiss you and nobody wants that from a friend," Minho joked.
"You don't kiss your homies goodnight?" I frowned. "Some friend you are."
Minho got up and walked over to his light switch, turning it off and coming back over to the bed. He got underneath the blankets and kissed my cheek, "Goodnight, Han."
I grabbed one of his pillows and hit him in the face with it, "Next time I hit you with this, it's not just going to be a hit. I'm going to hold it there and suffocate you to death with it."
"Don't threaten me with a good time," Minho smirked at me.
"You're nasty!" I exclaimed.
"Yeah, I know," Minho shrugged with a coy smile. "I'm actually kind of tired, though. We've been talking for hours."
I thought to myself for a moment, "Now that you mention it, I'm actually a bit tired too."
"Sleep well, okay? Thank you for staying tonight, I feel a lot safer," Minho said, wrapping an arm around me and readjusting the blanket over the both of us.
"Anything for you."