Hero/Heroine
(Inspired by Boys Like Girls)

"I told you we are fated. You were at four-o-six right? That's my birthday," Mingyu tells him as if it is a world fact, like those word problems in math books where the givens are in the problem itself. One only needs to delve. But at the end, everything is still a problem. And Jeonghan, has been the pessimist. 

Ding.

Ding. Ding.

Ding. Ding. Ding. 

A wave of memories come to him in a swift but clear motion.

'Of course.'

'Of course. Of course!'

Everything is like a hit and he has been the target, that the vivid recollection sweeps but surprisingly, he is not in the least surprised. 

'Oh this one you miss. You took him to the same elevator you take almost every time, didnt you? DIDNT YOU JEONGHAN?'

As if Mingyu reads the flow of his mind, he asks, "You knew right?". 

"I - coughs - I dont," Jeonghan inwardly curses, "I dont know what you're saying." He steps out of his territory finally.

"Yeah? I was connecting the dots. I do not know where to find you Yoon Jeonghan. But you had the information. I was, you know, struggling," Mingyu wears that wistful smile. Now Jeonghan wishes he used his brain to its ultimate potential. 

Jeonghan stops halfway. "Struggling?"

"So why did you not find me?"

'Was his room this far?'

He sees this boyish mischief in Mingyu's eyes and the same smile he had that night. Did he just feel regret that he considered the thought?

'Stop remembering.' 

"Ah this kind of questions again," he dismisses him as he resumes walking.

"You needed to see me. Why did you not find me?" 

Jeonghan reaches his door. 

"Ya. I did not say that. Werent you the one struggling? Why do i need to 'see' or 'find' you?"

'Now the key and you can think of everything that has happen.'

"Well you said you were writing. So ah, character reference?" 

Jeonghan remembers his bag - is not with him. 

'Curse it.' 

His head dips a little low banging softly on his hardwood door and slowly looks to the side in time to catch Mingyu's cu- damn adorable wink.

".." He hangs to his knob desperately. 

---

Mingyu is damn sure he is holding Chan's hand. To his horror, in his grasp was a teddy bear. When and where did he lose him? He promised the kid he would show him around but the rain fell heavier than expected. The least he could do is to console the child and bring him somewhere else.

"What was he wearing sir?" The ocean park staff asks. He would roam around after he informs them. 

"A white sailor uniform. Blue collar. Black shorts. Black backpack. Black shoes," he blurts before all the details escape him. 

"Where do you think you lost the child?" the staff inquires more. 

"I honestly dont know," Mingyu once again scans the crowd. 

"Last question sir, if you were him, what place would you be most interested?" 

"This is my number. Please inform me. I think i know where to look," the tall guy sprints.

---

"Oh I know! I have Minghao's number. We can borrow your room key," Mingyu runs back to his room looking immensely forlorn at dejected Jeonghan. Frowns should not be on that kind of face. 

So when he finds his phone at the top of his TV, the world takes a three-sixty turn. 

If he phones his bestfriend now, the long-haired guy will have his key and he has not even asked for his number yet. If he does not call Minghao, he will get the chance to be with Jeonghan longer, longer to exchange digits.

'Ugh. What should I do?' Mingyu scratches his nape. 

"Ah Kim Mingyu?" He finds Jeonghan peering from the door. His hair falls to the side of his face. 

When Mingyu found Jeonghan, his hair was hidden in a knapsack. When he arrived last night, it was in full glory. When he puked, he held it for him. And when he laid him on his bed, he did not tell him he stayed until his breathing evened, until he stops tossing, until he stops constantly removing those strands of hair sticking to him, until he let his other hand go. 

Mingyu wont tell him - wont tell him how his hand fits the spaces between his fingers, wont tell him how the light from the lampshade glows the side of his face, wont tell him how everything about Jeonghan warms his whole being effortlessly.

"Hmm?" 

"Please dont call Minghao. Or Jun," 

'Oh. Were you seriously thinking of holding Jeonghan against his own accord?'

"I keep losing my key causing so much hassles and you know  Minghao,"

Mingyu sees Jeonghan's fond smile for his friend. If he adores that spawn of the darkness, he should be wary about the long-haired guy too.

Yet he has taken the fall more.

"Okay. I ah could go with you to where this Soonyoung is," Mingyu looks at his phone as he puts it back at the top of his tv along with the promise of behaving himself. He is not some hormone-raging teen anymore. 

"Just lend me money for the taxi. For some stranger, this is quite the abuse," 

"Only if you call me by my name," 

"Haha. Yeah, Mingyu," 

The man who's called 'Mingyu' could hear his name ringing through his whole being as if he never heard his own name before.

---

"I found the kid at the octopi area. Please help me find his parent," Jeonghan carries a sleeping Chan to the information desk. 

The little guy had an instax camera with him. Both of them spent all the instax film until Chan maxed out all his energy. Jeonghan is as tired but being with him was a change of pace, the rest he may have not wanted but his mind needed.

"Somebody is really looking for him since - the staff looks at her record book - two, running three hours now. I will phone him. Please take the seat over there," 

"Thank you,"

"He's cute like his father. I think he'll age fine," the staff comments dreamily. 

"He can also be irresponsible if he lost his own child," Jeonghan humors the staff who turns a mild red from an onset confusion to anger. 

"He was remorseful Sir. He has been running over the area and texted me like three times a minute - she shoves the phone in his line of sight - I cant believe he has not found you," the staff reasons. 

"I'm sorry. No need to be angry Ma'am. Im kinda salty. It took me time for this kid to stop crying," Jeonghan chastises himself for this attitude. He is glad she smiles again. "I'll be over there."

"Where's Cha- hey little man- Boss?" 

---

"-Boss?"

What the. Jeonghan sighs inside. He did say he will talk to Mingyu. But really? 

"You're being noisy," Jeonghan shuffles from the kid's weight.

"Give him. He's heavier now," Mingyu reaches for Chan but the child squirms and wont let go. "Channie, you're troubl--"

"Mingyu it's okay. Just talk to the staff," Jeonghan readjusts Chan's position who keeps snuggling near his neck. 

"O-okay boss,"

"Jeonghan. Outside our work, you call me that,"

"Okay Jeo-Jeong...han," the owner of the name finds a beet red Mingyu, which makes him flush too. Ahrgh. "Talk to the staff."

"Right," 

'Aint that blush cute?'

Jeonghan sits fronting the staff desk. If he could be more honest with himself, Mingyu is drop dead attractive. An executive out from romance novelas or a dashing debonaire from action stories or a vagabond in suspense-thrillers. Perfect in and for any type of character. 

The company party was not the first time he saw him. It was in a writers' summit. Truthfully, it surprised him a little to know he was working for the publishing he acquired. Mingyu proves to be too appealing for his own good. Enough for him to leave something in Jeonghan's thoughts, in Jeonghan's works.

Mingyu's style of writing is not extraordinary. He even had ridiculous plots. But it was just too real and too fancy at the same time that his works bore him but he cannot let go. 

'Especially now.'

"Bo- Jeong-han..." He has mixed emotions for the man looking at him as if what he is seeing is breakable or boiling he can't touch. But his eyes say otherwise. "We should go home."

Mingyu's eyes burns.

"Let's talk before that." 

---

Soonyoung hears his chimes ring. He would announce that his place is still closed when he sees Jeonghan. His impeccable Jeonghan now a little worn out of the perfect title. He is still dazzling as ever but his shine went a little low. No one can ever be the same again. Even Jeonghan. 

"Hi! Was thinking if you found my bag," Jeonghan strides to the counter and seats where Soonyoung is near.

"Hahaha. The drink got you. Im so proud," Soonyoung's eyes are all gone from his pride. 

"A killer," Jeonghan rest his head on his folded arms.

The chimes go off once more and this time Soonyoung knows no one in the right mind to blow his wits early. "Sorry, we'll open later."

"I -

"Mingyuuuuu - somehow Soonyoung knows he heard that tone before, a very long time before - dyou think the advil you gave me expired?" 

"What? No," the tall guy walks to them and has his hand at Jeonghan's back. Something Soonyoung knows Jeonghan has not allowed for the longest time. 

"I'm Kwon Soonyoung. I own the place," he raises a thumbs up at him.

"Kim Mingyu -

"The hero," Jeonghan whispered audibly. Soonyoung looks at him then to Mingyu. 

The sun finally shows up. Soonyoung's heart swells. Finally. Finally. Finally. 

"So hero Kim Mingyu, take this drink and this unlimited pass for showing up. Finally," Jeonghan shoots him a look. "On the house."

Mingyu is confused but still takes the glass. The liquid he is holding sizzles which makes him worry. But Soonyoung beams encouragingly. He drinks it one go. 

"A man. A man. Carbonated water, dont worry," 

"Let's go home Gyu," Jeonghan takes his bag and glares at Soonyoung. 

"Bring Jeonghan here more. He makes us worry when all he does is cooping inside his apartment. Irresponsible adult," Soonyoung sticks his tongue at their direction.

"Sure. It was nice meeting you," Mingyu waves as Jeonghan pulls him out. 

Soonyoung takes his phone out and captures the scene. 

TheGreatHoshi: *sends pic
TheGreatHoshi: Summer's here :)
MinghaoNunchaku: Thanks to dumb Mr Wen

TheGreatHoshi changes WorldsHandsomeJun to MrWenSr

MrWenSr: YA!!
SeokminDokyeomDK: who is with Jeonghan?
1004Jeonghan: (sighs)

---

Mingyu has an unerasable smile that he does not want to show to the person he is with. But he cant keep it in. His insides are squealing so hard - it makes him shiver from time to time. 

"Ugh," Jeonghan grunts swiping through his phone. 

Mingyu takes his sweet time walking behind the apple of his eye. For starters, he is wearing his clothes. He makes a mental note of not washing that. He calls him 'Gyu'. He swallows a threathening grin. 

"I will buy myself a coffee and be home after. You can go ahead," 

"What happen to the 'let's' part?"

"Huh?"

"'Let's' would mean together you know. I with you. You with me," 

"Being smooth again huh?" 

"Well technically," he shrugs.

"I know okay. I'm the writer here. You're the, what do you do?"

---

[A/N] Jeonghan got a new haircut. It's shorter. hahaha.