Mattress shopping turned out to be the most boring thing on the face of the Earth. Thomas had drug the pair into what had to be every furniture store in a hundred mile radius, claiming they needed to evaluate all their options despite the fact that every bed they'd considered looked nearly identical to the last fifty two they'd seen if you asked Minho.
"Thomas, please, it's late. I'm begging you. Just. Choose. Something." The teen tried for the thousandth time in the last hour as his friend rolled experimentally atop yet another mattress before shaking his head and declaring it a no-go. "I'm exhausted. You're exhausted. If we don't get home soon, I swear I'm just gonna go to sleep on one of these." The tired boy groaned, gesturing around himself at the plethora of options Thomas had already ruled out. Too soft. Not soft enough. Too firm. Not firm enough. I don't like springs. Memory foam feels weird... The list went on and on.
"But, Min!" The younger boy protested stubbornly, propping himself up on his elbows and pouting like a child whose parents had told him it was time to leave the zoo. "I'm not even that tired!" He tried but the lie was lost on the Korean who knew the boy well enough to pick up on the little known hints that betrayed his companion's true energy level. The way they boy blinked a little more often than usual and subtly leaned against him when they walked from shop to nearby shop was proof enough for him.
"C'mon." Minho finally caved with a huff, gripping the smaller boy by the wrist and hauling him up off the most recently declared unworthy mattress before leading him out of the store. "We're at least getting coffee before we continue this ride through hell."
"I think we're pretty close to The Glade. We could probably walk there." Thomas agreed reluctantly, looking a little miffed to have his hunt for the perfect bed interrupted but letting himself be led away nevertheless. The Glade was a tiny Starbucks rip off that the boys had been going to since it had opened because it was run by Frypan, a buddy of theirs, and Alby, Newt's long time boyfriend, worked there. The dark-skinned boy was always pretty easy to worm a discount out of if they name-dropped the blond - He was also far too easy to mess with, so the shop was always their go to.
The walk was, as Thomas predicted, short and the stone walls of the coffee shop were soon in sight, the soft glow of its dim interior lights pouring out of the windows and into the dark street, beckoning the pair foth to bask in their warm rays. Minho reached the door first, tugging open the large, glass barrier and slipping inside before quickly pulling it shut behind himself before Thomas could enter, unable to stifle a bark of a laugh as the kid walked straight into the unexpectedly closed door.
"Not you two." A familiar voice pleaded, drawing Minho's attention away from Thomas, who's stream of curses were muffled by the thick glass as he continued to hold the door shut against the kid's fruitless tuggs.
"You know you love us, Alby!" Minho declared, flashing the boy a winning smile and finally releasing his grip on the door to allow his grumbling friend entrance, ignoring the elbow dug angrily into his side as Thomas finally came to stand beside him.
"Minho!" Thomas gasped, forgetting his momentary irritation and smacking his hand against his mouth in faux horror, finding playing with the unfortunate cashier to be a much more worthwhile endeavor than fighting his friend. "Don't let Newt hear you say that!" Thomas cooed in a teasing voice, snickering victoriously as Alby flushed and spluttered out a few unintelligible sounds.
"If you two promise to leave immediately after finishing your damn drinks, I'll take three bucks off your order." Alby bargained desperately as they pair made their way to the counter, each wearing a victoriously smug smirk as they nodded their agreement to the deal.
"I gotta piss, just get me something as dark as my soul." Thomas quipped, turning to Minho as he spoke before scurrying away to the bathroom on the far side of the cafe, pausing right before he pushed open the door with a blue stick man on it to wink suggestively at the already miserable Alby. "I promise I won't tell Newt if you guys follow!" He grinned as the dark-skinned male flipped him off, merley wiggling his eyebrows in invitation and blowing the two boys still standing at the counter a kiss before finally retreating to the bathroom.
"I'll take five off if you make it to-go." Alby moaned returning his attention to Minho who merely smirked even wider, letting all who doubted the pair's cunning know that had been Thomas's plan all along.
"Sounds fair!" Minho replied cheerily, sarcasm dripping from his lips. "Gimme the Keeper's special. Thomas will take a white chocolate mocha." He listed off, sobering up some as he pulled out his wallet and slapped the bargained amount down on the counter.
"I thought he wanted something as 'dark as his soul?" Alby questioned distractedly as he pushed off the counter and began moving around the out-front kitchen, going over practiced procedures with routine perfection.
"Have you ever met Thomas?" Minho scoffed lightly and Alby merley gazed thoughtfully at the white liquid he'd been steadily pouring into a cup he'd scribbled the word "Asshat" onto before nodding in understanding. "Besides, Thomas hates-"
"Bitter things. I know, Minho." Alby huffed, popping the lid on the finished drink before scrawling the title "Dickface" onto a similar cup. "You've told me. 17 different times, in fact."
"Told you what 17 different times?" This question came from Thomas, who had resurfaced and now swooped in to grab his finished coffee off the counter, humming contentedly at the feeling of the warm cup in his hands. "That mattresses are hell to find?"
"Mattresses aren't hell to find. You're just a picky little brat." Minho sighed, leaning nonchalantly against the counter as he spoke.
"I think Gally is selling his old one." Alby suggested as he put the finishing touches on Minho's drink but Thomas shook his head adamantly.
"I'm not sleeping on anything Gally even touched." The teen asserted, sticking out his tongue and shuddering at the thought. "I could get aids!"
"See, this is what I'm talking about, picky bratt." Minho groaned in defeat. "And that's not even how you contract aids, Tommy - You'd have to let Gally buttfuck you for that." He continued, causing Thomas to literally gag, and he snickered as honey eyes widen in pure horror, relishing the small revenge for letting the boy drag him all over town.
"Jesus Christ, I hate you guys." Alby moaned, seemingly wracking his brain for any other option, wanting nothing more than to get these two idiots out of his hair. "I think Teresa mentioned having a friend who actually owns a small furniture shop. Maybe she'll give your broke asses a discount."
"Aw, you're the best Alby-boo." Minho cooed as the boy scribbled down the details of the shop and shoved the scrap of paper into his hands. Thomas was too busy swallowing half of his coffee in one long gulp to take any notice of the new development, eyes glazing over blissfully as the liquid met his lips.
"Oh my god, Min. I love you." The runner purred, proving any misconceptions Alby had about the boy's drink selection wrong. "No homo." He added quickly before immersing himself in the beverage once more, causing the cashier to roll his eyes in pure disbelief.
"You all don't still actually say that, do you? What are you, middle schoolers?" Alby scoffed before falling into a fit of laughter, ignoring the confused looks the other two boys were giving him.
"You're just upset because you and Newt didn't, and now look at you!" Thomas protested but for once his teasing didn't affect the boy, who held his stomach as he wheezed.
"You know sodomy is technically still illegal in 12 states?" Minho tried but Alby waved him off as he fought to regain his breath and the kid had no choice but to turn on a heel and retreat from the coffee shop, a disgruntled Thomas at his heels.
The two were over the experience by the time they'd made it to the place Alby had recommended, sleepiness overruling embarrassment and desperation coming to settle over the pair. It was nearly midnight and they were running on two hours of sleep and barely enough caffeine to keep them walking by the time they reached the address scribbled out on the small notepad. Hope lit in Minho's heart that perhaps the ordeal was finally drawing to a close as he parked his car but it was snuffed out as quickly as it had come when his eyes fell on the building they'd driven all this way to find. The small, brick structure sat empty in the street, not a single light prevailed from inside the many glass windows lining its front and no movement could be seen as the pair approached it, hoping against hope they'd see something different if they got up close.
"Are you sure you don't see anyone in there?" Thomas asked, desperation creeping into his voice as he moved to press his face against the glass and peering frantically inside. Minho merley groaned in response, running his hands through his hair in exasperation as he blinked weakly at the motionless interior of the furniture shop.
"I hate you sometimes, Thomas. Really, I do." The Korean boy huffed out, reaching to grab the back of the kid's shirt and pull him off the window, ready to drag them back home and accept the fact that he'd be spending the night on the floorboards.
"Tom?" Someone suddenly called out as Minho pried his friend away from the glass causing them both to freeze as they turned toward the sound, a frown inexplicably playing on the boy's lips. Someone was coming from around back of the closed shop and walking towards them, their features concealed in the shadows of the alleyway, and it wasn't until the person reached the main street and the fluorescent radiance of a street light fell on them that Minho recognized the girl Teresa had brought to the housewarming party. For some reason, the use of the nickname made his blood boil and a quiet voice in the back of his head whispered to him that someone who had been absent from the boy's life for so long shouldn't approach him with such familiarity.
"Thomas." The brunette corrected, sending a wave of relief over Minho, which he chose to ignore completely as they both turned to stare questioningly at the newcomer.
"What are you doing here?" Minho asked, the words coming out a little sharper than he intended them to as he quickly released Thomas's shirt, which he hadn't realized he'd kept hold of until he saw the girl's eyes flick to where his hand still gripped the fabric.
"This is my store." The chick... Brenda? Yeah, Brenda deadpanned, crossing her arms as she eyed the pair. "The better question is, what are you doing here?"
"We need to buy a mattress or our asses are stuck sleeping on the floor tonight." Thomas explained hastily and Brenda laughed lightly, softening slightly and waving them over to where she stood by the front door.
"I just closed up but since we're friends, I guess I can cut you a sale real quick." The girl mused, pulling a ring of keys from her belt and opening the large glass doors that stood between them and the holy grail of mattress paradise inside. Minho fought back the rising urge to scream that they were not, in fact, friends and drag Thomas someplace, anyplace, else but they were out of options, he knew that. So even when Brenda added, "Can't let a cute thing like you get cold and lonely on the floor," he begrudgingly bit his tongue and followed her inside, repeating that he had no reason to be angry like a mantra in his head and stubbornly ignoring the inexplicable feeling of rage pooling in his stomach.
Thomas didn't reply and after a moment of awkward silence Brenda began a spiel about the different aspects to consider when choosing a mattress, none of which Minho could bring himself to care about as he made sure to stay firmly between his friend and the irritating girl. They passed boxsprings, and memory foam, and everything under the sun, neither boy really saying anything until Brenda finally asked the fateful question.
"So, what's you guy's budget?" The girl inquired, a salesman like professionalism to her demeanor as Minho handed her a slip of paper he'd worked the math out on earlier and she finally let her smile falter. "Damn, you guys really are broke." She practically giggled, earning a groan of acknowledgement from Thomas and a "you-hadn't-noticed?" scoff from Minho. "Well, I've got a twin innerspring hybrid that might not be too unbearable and should come under that price range." She finally admitted, leading them over to a small section of twin sized beds and gesturing to one of the many options that still looked no different than any of the others to Minho.
"Sounds perfect." Thomas replied instantly, taking Minho back as he, for once, did not roll about on the mattress to test it for quality. The dark haired boy produced the pair's pooled funds for the purchase and tried not to look too relieved as he finally handed the money over to Brenda and could be done with this shit. The three of them then each lifted a side of the bed and began shuffling awkwardly out of the store with it, Thomas and Minho on each of the ends and Brenda supporting the middle, pausing every few moments to catch their breath until they finally managed to haul it to Minho's car. Fighting it into the small hatchback was a completely different matter, but after what felt like hours of grunting, and shoving, and Thomas practically leaping on the trunk, they managed the task.
"Hey, did you know Gally's throwing a party this weekend?" Brenda abruptly announced after a few moments of the trio laying against Minho's vehicle, panting in unbroken silence for what felt like an eternity.
"Yeah, I think I heard Teresa mention it once." Thomas replied carefully, a note of obvious questioning to his voice.
"Well, you guys should totally come! I heard he hired a DJ and everything! It's gonna be lit!" Brenda propted, grinning as she looked from one boy to the other, each of whom were too busy looking questioningly at the other to notice. "Free booze." She finally huffed out, rolling her eyes as the pair shrugged simultaneously at the offer.
"What time?" Minho finally questioned, for he and Thomas were both dumb college kids who could never turn down a free drink, especially when money was so tight.
"Tomorrow, 8:00!" Brenda whooped excitedly before springing off the car and sauntering down the street, leaving Minho to wonder where the hell she got so much energy at 3 in the morning and how he could get his hands on whatever magic drug the girl had.
By the time they had gotten into their own car and were finally on the way home Minho had managed to convince himself that his earlier anger was probably just do to him simply being a good friend. Being protective of one's best friend was simply to be expected. It was just his job as Thomas's number one bro to make sure he didn't get screwed over and Brenda... Brenda... Well, he just didn't like her, okay? He was Thomas's friend, it was his duty to just know these type of things.
"I don't like her." Thomas mumbled almost too softly for Minho to hear, his voice so quiet and uncertain he almost didn't catch the words as the long awaited sight of their apartment met his eyes. Minho looked over at him questiongly as he finally parked the car but Thomas wasn't looking at him, his eyes stubbornly fixed on the dashboard as his friend tried to get him to meet his gaze. The boy gave the impression he didn't know why he said the words any more than why Minho knew he was relieved to hear them, running hands together thoughtfully and biting his lip as honey eyes filled with confusion.
"Help me get this mattress out of the car, shank." Left Minho's mouth instead of anything related to the conversation like he'd intended to say; but Thomas seemed relieved to be free of the spotlight, immediately shaking his head as if to clear the confusing thoughts and springing into action as if nothing had ever happened. With some work, they managed to free the fluffy bed from the confines of Minho's hatchback and each got their hands under a side as they began making their way into the apartment.
"Shuck. It looked a lot lighter in the store." Thomas gasped, sounding like he very well might collapse from pure exhaustion at any given moment as they pushed the thing up the stairs.
"If I die..." Minho panted out, squaring his shoulders as he heaved the thing onto its side to get it through the front door. "Remember that I love you." Then he quickly added, "No homo."
"No homo." Thomas agreed breathlessly as they finally got the mattress inside and things got a little easier, both of them taking a side once more as they drug the weighty item to the bedroom. Finally, after fighting to get the bed through one more doorway, it lay in its final resting place at the far end of the cramped little room the two had dedicated to sleep. The pair exchanged one exhausted but victorious look before barely having time to scramble out of their day clothes and collapse onto their prize, the heavy haze of sleep that had been threatening to overtake them for hours bearing down upon them like a ravenous beast.
"No homo." One of them whispered sleepily into the darkness, though neither were quite sure which one had said it.
"No homo." Came the equally exhausted reply and it was the last thing either of them heard before unconsciousness overwhelmed them and they fell claim to exhaustion's poisonous claws.