8.

It’s Krystal’s birthday and all she wants is for Yixing to go downtown with her and to dance like they did last time. Sehun frowns at this, because they’re sort of dating now and wants to be the one to hold her close, but she says that they go out together all the time and she misses spending quality time with her oppa. Sehun purses his lips together as the company arrives downtown for the night and enters one of the more prominent clubs, the smell of alcohol hits him hard and he needs a drinking buddy. The first person he grabs is, of course, Jongin.

“Look at her,” Sehun mutters as he takes his first shot of the night and makes a weird face after it, because the alcohol was a bit too strong, “Dancing with him.”

Jongin slowly looks up from his shotglass, still full, and watches how Krystal drops her hips low before grinding them back on Yixing. Yixing only smirks and rolls his hips forward, hands on Krystal’s waist as he sways to the beat. They already looks like they’re glistening in sweat and they’ve only just arrived. They’re too close for Jongin’s comfort again and, in his sober state, he recognizes the bubbling inside of him from the last time he’d seen Yixing with Krystal this way. The sudden realization makes him down his shot, because, yeah, he’s just figured out that he’s jealous.

Sehun huffs and takes a second shot, then a third, “I should be dancing with her.”

“Watch it,” Jongin says sliding Sehun’s fourth, or maybe fifth or it could be the sixth (he's lost count of his best friend's alcohol intake already), shot away from him, “You can barely hold yourself up on those noodly limbs, let alone hold your alcohol.”

Sehun glowers at Jongin before he notices the way Krystal's eyes are on him, a seductive look on her face as she pulls Yixing closer by her grip on his shirt. She sends Sehun a wink before looking away and Sehun decides he's had quite enough of them together.

“I'm going in,” he declares, stealing his shot back from Jongin's clutches and then disappearing into the crowd so that he's the one with his arms around Krystal's waist.

Artificial smoke fills the air with the start of a new song and Yixing finds himself growing tired of dancing alone. His eyes wander for a partner when he spots Jongin sitting by the bar, eyes dark and stuck on him. Flashbacks to the last time he had been downtown with Jongin hit him hard and he looks anywhere else when he finally lands eyes on a cute boy looking at him shyly as he dances amongst a group of friends. Yixing bites his lip as he does a once over on him and he's seriously attractive. The boy blushes red and one of his friends gently nudges him in the direction of Yixing with a quick muttering in his ear, something that Yixing catches as a 'You don't know what you like until you try it!' He figures that this boy has never danced with another boy before.

“My name is Kyungsoo,” he yells over the loud music and Yixing smiles at him, hands easily finding the boy’s waist.

“Pretty name for a pretty boy,” Yixing grins, if he weren’t so drunk he’d have cringed at his own words, but it only seems to spark the boy into dancing some more - Yixing likes it.

Kyungsoo blushes blood red as their hips meet and their crotches grind together. There’s something absolutely adorable about the way Kyungsoo responds by nuzzling his face into Yixing’s neck up on his tiptoes.

“I’ve never done this before,” Kyungsoo whispers in Yixing’s ear sending a shiver down his spine.

“What? Never danced?” Yixing teases, although he knows exactly what this kid is saying, and rolls his hips again.

Kyungsoo moans softly into Yixing’s ear and they both freeze for a brief second, “Sorry,” the boy gasps, “I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s okay,” Yixing grins and presses a quick kiss on Kyungsoo’s plump lips, “It’s okay.” he reconfirms.

“I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo sighs again when Yixing’s hands have travelled up the boy’s arms and now rest on his shoulders. Yixing laughs, “It’s alright,” he shakes his head, “There’s a first time for everything.”

Kyungsoo blushes when one of his friends calls out to him and he turns to wave at them, a soft, “I’ll be there in a moment, Taozi!” coming from his lips before he looks back up at Yixing with a shy smile, “I have to go…”

Yixing giggles and kisses Kyungsoo again, just for good measure, before ruffling his hair, “Thanks for the dance, sweetie.”

Kyungsoo has enough courage in him to at least lean up and kiss Yixing on the cheek, a soft 'thank you' passing between his lips as he does so, before disappearing into the night with his friend, the one named Taozi. He’s a taller boy with a lean form, bleach blonde hair and piercing eyes. And when he drapes an arm over Kyungsoo and looks over his shoulder at Yixing with a weird look on his face, Yixing finally understands. And - oh - when Taozi turns Kyungsoo around so he can kiss him hard, Yixing definitely gets it now. He wonders for how long that boy watched Kyungsoo dancing with him without making a move.

A new song starts when Yixing realizes he’s standing almost in the middle of the dancefloor absolutely still. He sighs to himself before making his way to the bar, a little too tired to keep on his feet anymore and in need of a drink. He passes Krystal and Sehun on the way and they’re kissing more than they’re dancing. He laughs to himself before reaching the bar finally and ordering himself a drink.

“Damn,” a husky voice comes from Yixing’s side and he nearly jumps out of his skin, “Beautiful, aren’t you?” the voice asks, closer to his ear now so that Yixing can smell the alcohol on his breath and feel the moist heat of his words on his neck.

Yixing cringes on impulse and turns to look at the man standing next to him - he’s big and broad and physically attractive, Yixing admits that much. However, he doesn’t say a word, just sidesteps away just a little and hopes that maybe the guy can take a hint. He can’t. Instead, he’s draping his arm over Yixing’s shoulders and pulling him closer.

“Where ya goin’ beautiful?” the man slurs and Yixing wants to throw up, because even though this guy might be good looking, he’s really not interested right now, because this guy clearly has other motives.

“Please,” Yixing starts, “Let go-”

The man scoffs, “Too good for me are you? At least let me buy you a drink first, get to know me a bit, babe.” he grins as his hand plays with the hem of Yixing’s shirt and Yixing is too busy wondering when this guy got so close to him to be able to come up with an answer.

“Can’t you see he’s not interested?” a familiar voice rings in Yixing’s ears and Yixing has never been so relieved to feel Jongin’s hands on his hips.

“Who are you supposed to be? His boyfriend?” The guy asks and snickers when Yixing’s cheeks flush bright red.

“I am his boyfriend,” Jongin growls lowly and it makes Yixing’s eyes widen in shock, “What are you going to do about it?”

The man instantly retracts his limbs and puts his hands up in defense, “Sorry, man, chill.” but the words mean nothing to Jongin as he continues to glare daggers at this man.

“Jongin,” Yixing whispers tugging on the younger’s sleeve trying to get his attention, but it’s not working.

"Don’t you ever touch him again.” Jongin threatens and his voice is dark and intimidating, seething on every word and dripping with menace.

The man, hands still up to guard himself, backs away slowly, leaving his drink at the bar and disappears into the crowds. Jongin only sighs and relaxes when he for sure cannot see that man anymore and looks down at Yixing with concern all over his face. Yixing is busy staring at Jongin with a strange curiosity.

“Hyung, hyung are you okay?” Jongin asks a little frantically, because he’s so worried.

“What was that all about?” Yixing asks finally, Jongin’s words sinking in, “Boyfriend?” he stresses the word as if he can’t believe that Jongin of all people would say something like that.

Jongin shifts uncomfortably, face flushing red when he looks at Yixing, “I was just trying to protect you…”

Yixing blinks for a few seconds before he starts laughing, “Right. Of course. Thank you, Jongin,” he smiles and reaches to ruffle Jongin’s perfectly styled hair, “You’re a good kid. Anyone would be lucky to date you.” he blurts before he can stop himself, but right now he's too drunk to care.

“Anyone, hyung?” Jongin asks taking a step closer, “Even you?”

“Quit teasing,” Yixing huffs and pushes Jongin’s chest lightly, “I think I’m turning in for the night.” he says with a light laugh and Jongin frowns.

“Hyung,” he whines, “I’m not teasing.” he pouts and Yixing smiles in amusement.

“What’s wrong Jonginnie?” Yixing asks cutely and the new nickname is too sweet for even Jongin’s standards, but maybe that’s because he’s drunk.

“You kissed some guy.” he flails, “Some random guy!”

“Oh,” Yixing coughs as if somehow this will cover up his embarrassment, “You saw that?”

“I want to be kissed too.” Jongin whines again and Yixing decides Jongin is too drunk to even know what he’s saying, but that doesn’t stop the blood from rushing to his face and turning his pale skin bright red so that it’s noticeable even in the dim lighting.

“You’re drunk.” Yixing deadpans.

“No,” Jongin pouts and Yixing thinks that his lips look really kissable right now, but that could be the alcohol buzzing in his brain, “Just tipsy.”

Yixing has the audacity to roll his eyes, “Good night, Jongin.” he hums before he’s turning around and leaving the club, but there’s a small tug on his wrist. When he turns around and sees Jongin looking at him as if he were a lost child, his heart flutters in his chest and if he didn’t want to kiss Jongin before, then he definitely does now. Again, Yixing shakes the thoughts from his head, because he knows that they’re a product of the alcohol coursing through his veins.

“Let me walk you, hyung.” Jongin whispers so that Yixing has to strain his ears to hear him, “Let me take you home.”

“Fine,” Yixing says - he’s too tired to argue with a drunk Jongin and definitely too sleepy to make it home on his own.

Drunk Yixing logic says that two drunk people staggering home is probably better than one. Drunk Yixing logic proves to be rather sound on this occasion, because there are several times on his way that he falls asleep and Jongin waits with him on a curb or in an alleyway to wake up so they can continue their walk in the chilly air of the night. The neon lights of bars fade to black as they walk closer and closer to the more residential areas of town and upon Yixing’s apartment complex.

“I’m fine from here on,” Yixing insists, now much more steady after drinking a full bottle of water by Jongin’s pestering persistence.

“Okay, hyung,” he hiccups on the last syllable and it suddenly dawns on Yixing that Jongin is just as drunk as he is, if not more.

“Do you need a place to crash? You could sleep in my bed, I’ll take the couch or something-”

“I’m fine,” Jongin smiles and if Yixing weren’t half asleep and half drunk still, he’d have thought that Jongin looked rather… sober.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive, Yixing.” Jongin chuckles behind his hand and then turns Yixing around by his shoulders and gently nudges him towards the door of the complex, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Yixing nods sleepily and waves half-heartedly with a low mumbling of "tomorrow," that Jongin barely catches as he watches the elder disappear into the building.

Jongin lets out a long breath and looks down at his phone, his eyes are not hazed and his mind is nowhere near clouded. If Yixing hadn’t been so drunk, he’d have realized that his suspicions were correct and that Jongin was, indeed, sober. Forced hiccups and fake staggering along with Yixing into the streets was all so that he could cover his desires to kiss Yixing. He figures he can at least use drunkeness as an excuse as to why he acted the way he did. He's mostly proud of himself though, as he waits for his taxi, because he kept himself from forcing kisses onto Yixing. Of course, he's jealous of that kid who got to kiss him, but he's waiting... And he'll keep waiting until Yixing allows him to kiss and to touch, because if there's anything he desires more, it's Yixing's trust.

Jongin sighs, “Oh, hyung,” he laugs to himself, “What would you have done if I were drunk too?” he wonders aloud as his eyes watch the stars overhead.

❦❦❦

They haven't talked about it - the desire to kiss. Jongin figures it's only been a day, but he's surprised that Yixing hasn't brought it up yet. Yixing, on the contrary, hasn't brought it up, because he honestly doesn't remember much and he's pretty sure he dreamt that Jongin walked him home. This is partially due to the fact that Yixing had dreamt more than just being walked home, including some pushing up against walls, heated kisses and whimpers coming from plump lips - all of it belonging to Jongin. That's enough to keep him distracted from ever asking, because he doesn't want to admit to dreaming of Jongin to himself, let alone to Jongin. It's been putting Yixing off guard all day long and he's worried about making it out of this day alive, because there's something about Jongin that looks exceptionally hot today.

It’s late into the night and Jongin is breathing heavily, too heavily, as he’s pressed against the floor and trying to catch his breath. His chest is heaving and he feels sticky with his own sweat matting his hair to his forehead and making it stick off in different directions. The back of his hand is over his forehead and the other clutches at his shirt as he stares up at the ceiling until a shadowy figure takes over his view of the white lights blaring down at him.

“Are you okay?” Yixing’s voice is sweet to his ears and he can’t help but smile in return.

“Fantastic,” he laughs albeit a bit breathless, “I’m fantastic.”

“Should we call it a night?” Yixing asks as he sits down next to Jongin’s body sprawled out on the floor and lays a bottle of water near him.

Jongin sits up and smiles shyly before taking the water bottle and chugging almost half of it. Yixing can’t stop himself from watching, but he wants to tear his eyes away, because something about Jongin like this is stirring a heat within him. Jongin’s eyes close softly as he brings the lip of the bottle to his mouth and parts his lips just slightly for the water to flow in. Yixing gulps and blushes at the way Jongin’s chest is still heaving, slower now, as his adam’s apple bobs with every swallow of the water. And he’s dripping in sweat, Yixing notes, as he watches the way the perspiration rolls down his neck in little rivulets and covers his body in this beautiful glow. Yixing wants to touch him so bad, wants to feel those tense muscles underneath him. He coughs then, because these thoughts are starting to consume him and so he looks away with a raging blush on his face and a pounding in his heart that puts him on edge.

“Are you okay?” Jongin asks after wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, “Hyung?”

“Fine,” Yixing squeaks, “So, are we done for the night?”

Jongin smiles, “I think so, but, hyung, I was wondering… Are you maybe hungry?”

Yixing opens his mouth to answer, but, as if on cue, his stomach growls and his eyes widen in embarrassment, “I-”

The giggle that passes through Jongin’s lips so airy and sweet, Yixing is put into a daze by it, “I have something for you, hold on a second, okay?”

“Okay.” Yixing responds, voice distant as he watches Jongin scramble off the floor, his tank top is covered in sweat and he looks so good.

When Jongin returns, he has a small white box in his hands and Yixing can’t help but think that the logo stickered on top of it looks familiar to him. That’s probably because it is, he realizes, as the cursive letters come into view and it reads the name of Minseok’s cafe on top in it’s fancy scrawl. He looks up at Jongin curiously only to find that he’s beaming down at Yixing before taking a seat across from him with legs crossed. Yixing sits up straight as the words Minseok had spoken to him the night before ring through his ears and his mouth starts watering at the thought of soft marble cake.

“To be honest, hyung, I went to Minseok’s cafe the other night…” Jongin says as he places the white box in between them on the floor, gently picking off the lid, “And I heard that you like marble cake…”

“Jongin,” Yixing smiles as the cake comes into view, “You didn’t have to do something like this-”

“I wanted to,” Jongin cuts him off, “I wanted to see you smile… And say thank you.” he’s blushing bright red now, he’s sure of it, when Yixing looks at him, with those deep eyes of his, through his bangs stuck to his forehead, “For everything.” he adds as an after thought.

Yixing’s smile fades slowly as Jongin looks at him whose lips are parted and he wets them timidly with his tongue, “Jongin.” he says, but he’s not sure what he wants to say now that he’s addressed him and has his attention (though it seems he’s always had his attention).

“Yes, hyung?” Jongin prompts, anxious to hear what Yixing has to say, because if there’s anything he can tell by the way that Yixing is watching him, it’s that he likes him at least a tiny bit.

“Thank you,” Yixing finally says after coughing to clear the awkward silence that he’s accidentally created, “Marble cake is my favourite.”

“I know, hyung,” Jongin pulls out two small, plastic forks so that they can indulge in the fluffy cake, “Enjoy!”

Yixing laughs then, because Jongin is so sweet and he’s genuinely happy to be in the other’s presence. Jongin blushes immediately since he thinks he’s being laughed at until he realizes that Yixing is just smiling at him, eyes sparkling as he plucks a fork from his fingers and takes the first bite of cake. The smile slowly returns to Jongin’s lips as he picks up the other fork and fights with Yixing playfully for the next bite.

“This really is my favourite,” Yixing mumbles between bites and Jongin giggles, because his hyung is such a messy eater.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” jokingly chastises, “You’re making a mess, hyung, oh-” Jongin’s smile only widens when he sees that Yixing has crumbs of cake on the corner of his lips, “Hyung,” he laughs and gestures to the corner of his own mouth to show Yixing that he has something on his face.

“What?” Yixing flounders clumsily, “What is it?” he asks as he desperately wipes at the corner of his lip, but it’s the wrong side.

Jongin laughs again, louder, “No, hyung, here let me-” he stops mid-sentence as he leans over, with his hand outstretched, letting his thumb brush over the corner of Yixing’s lip to wipe the crumbs. But his movements still when Yixing takes in a sharp inhale of breath.

They both fall absolutely silent, frozen in their position. Jongin’s hand cups Yixing’s face gently as his thumb rests motionless against plush lips. Yixing lets his lips slowly part, like he’s going to say something or maybe yell at Jongin, but nothing comes out much to his surprise and Jongin’s too. Something comes over Jongin then, he’s not sure what it is exactly, but he thinks maybe it’s the way that Yixing’s eyes have widened cutely or the delicate features of his pretty face that makes him lean closer until they’re just a breath away from lips meeting.

Yixing swallows whatever thickness is in his throat before he closes his eyes, taking in the shakiest breath as Jongin’s thumb slides over his bottom lip in teasing. His fingers are itching to curl into Jongin’s hair and pull him closer so that their lips meet, but he’s losing himself to apprehensive thoughts and he seems to have waited too long to make a move. He knows that Jongin won’t touch him any more unless he wants it, that seems to be how things have changed between them. But, yixing falters on what he wants most and feels fingers slipping away from his skin and the warm puffs of breath against his lips is replaced by the coolness of the studio.

Jongin clears his throat and Yixing finally opens his eyes, “Should we shower now, hyung?”

Yixing tries to swallow again, but his mouth is dry, “Yeah.” he manages to croak out when he sees how quickly Jongin has turned away from him.

Collecting himself off the floor seems to be easier said than done as he struggles onto wobbly legs after Jongin into the shower room. He finds that he can’t help replaying the scene over and over again in his mind, even with Jongin still in the room. He was so close… So, so close to kissing him. He feels like his heart might jeté out of his chest any second as he showers in the stall furthest from Jongin’s. Butterflies are fluttering in his stomach and he’s half tempted to just grab Jongin and kiss him before they part ways for the evening as they say their awkward goodbyes, but he falls short when he reaches out with a trembling hand towards Jongin’s back.

Yixing lies in bed awake, tracing fingers over his lips, wondering what it would have felt like.

❦❦❦

The coffee shop is closed for the night and Minseok is sitting in one of the big, comfy chairs with his legs crossed and his hands neatly folded over his lap. He’s watching his best friend pace back and forth in front of the fireplace with hands behind his back, mulling over his thoughts. He had said it was an emergency when he called, but he is still yet to tell Minseok exactly what that emergency is. Minseok is willing to wait all night long for his friend to collect his thoughts, but Luhan is a little less patient.

Dramatic sighs keep passing between Luhan’s lips from his spot on the couch and every time he does, Minseok shoots him a glare to shut him up. Luhan just shifts under the gaze, he can’t seem to sit still in his impatience. Finally, in annoyance, he slumps against the armrest and fits his cheek into his palm in boredom before reached out with his foot gently to nudge Yixing as he brushes past. The action nearly startles Yixing out of his wits and he groans when he realizes it’s just Luhan being annoying again. He can’t seem to figure out why they’re friends, but he knows it has something to do with being the older brother he never had. Luhan fits the role almost too perfectly.

“What is it, Yixing? You’ve been pacing for hours!” Luhan throws his arms up in exaggerated emphasis and Minseok takes up one of the cushions nearest him to throw it at his head. He doesn’t miss and receives a muffled ‘oof’ for his perfect aim.

“It’s been less than ten minutes,” Minseok chastises Luhan before smiling at Yixing, “Take your time,” he coos sweetly - Minseok is like the other older brother Yixing never had, a motherly contrast to his stubborn Luhan-ge.

Yixing blinks at them both before sighing and whispering a stifled, “Jongin and I almost kissed” under his breath.

“What was that?” Luhan asks squinting, as if that helps him listen better, “I didn’t quite catch it.”

“Jongin and I almost kissed!” Yixing exclaims and he falls back into the comfy chair across from Minseok, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, because thinking about the way Jongin touched him still puts him on edge.

Luhan falls silent and it’s weird, because that really is an unusual occurrence between the three of them. Minseok, however, smiles wide and it’s all tooth and gums - he can’t help himself, because his Yixing is growing up so fast and he’s so cute.

“Really?” Minseok giggles, “You and Jongin almost kissed? How did that happen?” his voice sounds dreamy as he leans forward, resting elbows on his knees and his face in his palms, “Tell us.”

“Yeah,” Luhan huffs after his silence, “Tell us.” he sounds less than enthusiastic about it, but Yixing just thinks he might be jealous, because Luhan-ge has yet to try and kiss Minseok-ge.

Yixing’s face is flushed at the memory, he can feel the tingly warmth in his cheeks, and the hairs on his body are suddenly standing on end as he shivers. He can barely find the words to tell, but after a second or two of chewing on his lip, he smiles, “He brought me the cake.”

“The marble cake?” Minseok asks, his smile somehow growing wider even as he plunges his top set of teeth into his bottom lip to try and stop himself from looking like a goof. It doesn't work.

“We shared it after practice,” Yixing squirms in his chair, because he’s really starting to get giddy now, “And he leaned over to brush crumbs off of my lips and I- He-” he blushes even more, “I thought he was going to kiss me, but I think he was waiting for me to kiss him first.”

“Ah,” Minseok hums in understanding, “But you didn’t move, did you, Yixing?”

“I doubted myself,” Yixing pouts, “I wish I’d kissed him.”

Luhan sighs in exaggeration for the nth time tonight, “Yixing, just do it. Stop thinking about it and just kiss him.”

“Oh yeah?” Yixing folds his arms across his chest and huffs, “I’d like to see you do it, ge.”

Luhan’s eyes widen just a little bit and he side-eyes Minseok who is staring at him with a knowing smile, “M-Maybe I will,” he stutters on his words and his face flushes as Minseok leans across his armrest and inches closer to the one that Luhan is resting on top of.

“You will?” He asks with a giggle and that’s enough for Luhan tonight.

“It’s-” Luhan coughs, “It’s getting late.”

Minseok leans back in his chair trying to suppress his laughs with a fake pout, “Oh, but Hannie, don’t you want to kiss me?”

This is more than Luhan bargained for so he jumps from his chair in urgency to get the heck out of there, “I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” he nearly yells as he dashes to the door, acting as if he never heard a word that Minseok just said.

After Luhan leaves in a flustered mess, Yixing starts to laugh, “He’s so transparent."

“So are you,” Minseok snickers before becoming serious - Yixing is used to this sort of transition from the elder by now - while he leans over to pat Yixing’s leg, “Do yourself a favour and put your fears aside. Jongin likes you, Yixing, I saw him when he was here. I saw the way he looks at you. He really, really likes you. Don’t be afraid to open up your heart. You’ll find that you will be much happier when you do.”

Yixing gets this feeling that Minseok might just be right.

Another unedited update from your sleepy author ^^; Hopefully I'll get the chance to edit this later, but I have a lot of work coming up (ie: 5 papers to write, a midterm and 4 exams) so it might be a while before you see another update from me ;;; I'm sorry guys! I hope that you're enjoying it so far anyway ~ xoxo