The weather is nice.

          In the end, they decided to meet at 6:30, leaving little room for daylight, but enough time for Seungcheol to give up on Minghao’s car and drive him to the park instead. Mingyu’s waiting at the fountain, a good five-minute walk from the parking lot where Minghao is dropped off. Cacahuate’s collar is his giveaway, the tags jingling brightly as he walks patiently next to his owner who is even slower than usual because he’s carrying two takeout bags.

          “Need help?” Mingyu swings himself off the fountain’s edge, coming to stand straight. He’ll be honest, he’s more excited to see the dog than he is to see Minghao. Who wouldn’t be. That dog is the most Instagram-worthy dog he’s ever seen.

          Minghao hands over one of the two bags and readjusts his backpack as it had slipped off his shoulder. It’s a good thing that Cacahuate doesn’t pull and the leash has been slack up until the time he meets Mingyu. Minghao backs up quickly after handing over what Mingyu guesses is dinner, “Sorry, he’s usually not so jumpy with people.”

          Mingyu will take it as a compliment.

          He takes a knee to run his hands through Cacahuate’s fur and squish his doggy cheeks into his doggy face, “That’s okay. Dogs are great.” Cacahuate seems to take a quick liking to Mingyu who may or may not have bought some jerky treats while he was out grocery shopping. He knows Minghao feeds him the dog-equivalent of paleo-gluten-free-sustainable-green-organic, so he doesn’t know if said owner would be okay with him doling out heaps of treats to spoil such a good boy even though his delicacies are probably the dog equivalent of The Good Kush.

          “I hope you’re okay with roti and Panang curry.” Mingyu is more than okay with that. It sounds delicious especially since it’s quite chilly out with a breeze blowing in and swaying the trees. He may or may not sneak Cacahuate a bite under the table if only he wasn’t so hungry.

          As the sun starts setting, they find their way over to the picnic area, opting for a table close to the grass so that Cacahuate can sit comfortably and have his own dinner. Mingyu learns that Minghao’s entire backpack is likely filled with dog stuff; water, collapsible bowls, a serving of food, treats, toys, and poopy bags. It’s a little charming. Minghao is officially a puppy parent (‘doggy daddy’ but Mingyu won’t admit to those words going through his brain).

          “I’ve been wondering,” Mingyu hums something like a ‘yeah’ before Minghao continues, “why didn’t you ever leave town?”

          “Well,” he sets down his spoon, “I did leave for a while. I left for college and I left to do my master’s degree, but I came back for work. So, I ended up living down south for about seven years. I guess it’s a small world. What about you? Seems like our town’s charm couldn’t keep you away for long.”

          “I left.” Minghao spends more time making sure that Cacahuate is eating than he is shoveling food into his own mouth, “I skipped town right after we graduated high school. Studied at a community college for a bit before transferring to finish out my undergrad. Then it was straight to work in and out of the city. I travelled around a lot.”

          “When did you get back into town anyway?” Mingyu may or may not have eaten his food a little too eagerly. He’s already done. The spice from the curry is warming his cheeks and chest, the two jackets he wore to combat the cold weather are starting to feel a little silly now.

          Minghao offers the rest of his meal, which is humbly accepted because Mingyu can’t say no especially if the food has nowhere else to go aside from the trash, “After I did pretty well and sent some money home, the folks got sick, so I came back about a year ago to take care of them.” He sniffs. Mingyu is amazed that they haven’t bumped into each other in the grocery store or in any of the old shops they used to frequent. Then again, the town has changed quite a bit- grown quite a bit since they were kids. They have a Super Walmart now and their local Target also sports a produce section, so their town has surely blossomed a little in the last decade, but still, not running into Minghao until last month is statistically flawed, “I met up again with Soonyoung and he got me a job at Performance Studio.” He scratches at the back of his neck, “Despite fighting with him all the time, I think I owe him a lot.”

          Mingyu wants to tell Minghao that he doesn’t owe anyone anything despite not knowing the whole story himself. He’s a hard worker. He carved his own path, lit his own lights; Mingyu knows that much. Minghao built his own dreams and he didn’t owe anyone for that. “Do you like it?”

          “Huh?” Minghao looks over from his dog, “Like it? Like dance? Yeah. Of course I do.” He chuckles, Mingyu follows suit. Isn’t it obvious that Minghao likes dance, “I mean, I get to dance full time as a career and that’s pretty cool. What about you?”

          “I can’t complain.” Mingyu says the words without thinking too much. They were true to his feelings. He can’t complain. The job pays well, it’s steady, it’s stable. It’ll put food on the table in the future and he has a retirement plan, job insurance, and a healthcare package. He’s set. Sure, it’s not something he’s super passionate about or something he’s completely invested in, but it pays for all the little things that make him happy and that’s okay. He can’t complain.

          “As I recall—and forgive me if I’m wrong, this was a long time ago—weren’t you, like, the only jock that ever wrote poetry?” Did Minghao just bring up high school? “You had people falling for you left and right.”

          Mingyu laughs into his cup of curry; embarrassed.

          Slam poetry was as close as he could get to rap without his parents freaking out about their prejudices. It was fun and it let Mingyu say some things he’d otherwise be too self-conscious to share with any of his peers. He could always say that he was being dramatic ‘for effect’ and play down the truth in his stress-filled words, but he never really had to. The small group of slam poetry kids would always nod, snap, and compliment him on his words. He was never close to them; it was a real touch-and-go experience. He came to the club to unload his pressures and he would leave for soccer practice right after and never look back.

          “Yeah.” He recovers from his laughter. A smile plays on Minghao’s lips, a little confused as to why Mingyu is laughing like a fool, “How did you remember that?”

          It’s Minghao’s turn to look away, back to Cachuate who has his attention pointed at some teens kicking around a soccer ball across the field, “Uh, well, after that last PT session at the clinic- for some reason I was just really hankering for some nostalgia, so I pulled out our senior yearbook and flipped through it. I was just skimming through the club sections because I wanted to see what the dance team’s photo was, but I saw your face in the group for poetry club.”

          So, he has been thinking about high school.

          Minghao waits for Mingyu to wipe his mouth before gathering all the garbage and tossing it into their respective bins. Minghao recycles; that’s nice. Cacahuate trots a foot to his side, excited for the post-dinner walk even though it’s getting a little dark now, “We can take the lit trail.” Mingyu walks them over to a map of the park and outlines the path with his finger. Waterfront Park wasn’t here when they were in high school. It’s a lot newer and—dare he say—fancy. It was on the upper-class end of town, a moderate walk or short drive from Riverside High. It surrounded a small lake that served as a water reservoir for the occasional fires that would pop up in their county, but because it was rarely used a lot of families set their boats out on the bank opposite to the park, “It’ll end over by Johnson’s Field near the other parking lot.”

          “Sounds good to me.” Minghao starts walking, Mingyu in tow and Cacahuate between them.

          Okay, so Minghao definitely doesn’t need Mingyu to walk with him at the park. He could have come by himself or with a different friend, but it’s nice that he at least humors Mingyu’s request. It’s not like they’re going to be doing any complicated movements or stretches today; it’s just a day to walk a bit. Minghao doesn’t limp or favor his right leg over the left. Mingyu’s just vigilant since everything is a little damp from the rainfall they had overnight. It just makes everything a little slippery and unsafe for someone who’s trying to recover, but he needn’t worry. On the one occasion that the dog’s father does slip, his lightning-fast reflexes catch him without so much as faltering his pace.

          Mingyu doesn’t even get the chance to raise his hands for a catch.

          Minghao wears his backpack on his front, making easy access of the pockets to tuck all of Cacahuate’s belongings away and slip a few treats out to feed him as they walk. He watches as Minghao pulls the leash’s grip up his wrist so he can briefly free up his hands to zip up his black, gridded jacket. Maybe it’s just Mingyu’s natural habit or it’s a residual manner from how he was brought up to be a good gentleman, but without thinking, he strips off his outer coat and places it over Minghao’s shoulders. It’s probably a size or two too big and a knee-length, maroon peacoat isn’t really Minghao’s style, but when the shorter man turns to look up at him with a questionable glance, Mingyu already knows it’s too late to take it back, “I’m a little sweaty from the curry. So, hold on to it for me.”

          There are probably more elegant ways to hand over a coat than saying ‘I’m sweaty’, but Minghao just smiles and nods as they continue walking in step. He doesn’t try to put on the coat, not putting his arms into the sleeves or anything, but instead tugs the lapels closer around him, blocking out the chilled breeze. The coat is already toasty from Mingyu wearing it for an hour and it’s honestly appreciated since Minghao’s only wearing a t-shirt under his jacket.

          The paved trail is short and easy on them since it is without steep incline or decline. A certain awkwardness fills the air and Mingyu busies himself with picking the lint on the inside of his pants’ pockets. They’re silent for more than half the trail, the only noise being Cacahuate’s breath and collar.

          “How’s the leg doing?” Mingyu breaks the silence.

          Minghao looks up at him, “Doin’ good.” Despite the coat not matching with his outfit, Mingyu thinks that the sight of Minghao in oversized clothes is something he could get used to. He hopes he’s not blushing.

          “That’s good.” All Mingyu can hear is the scuff of the pavement under their shoes and the crunch of the sporadic Fall leaf since the trees that line the path are rather young.

          “Do you want to hold his leash?”

          “Ohmygod, yes.” Minghao happily holds out Cacahuate’s black leash for Mingyu to take and Mingyu eagerly accepts. Perhaps a little too eagerly, because his energy and excitement transfers into the pooch and he gets giddy and starts tugging. Because Cacahuate is so fluffy, his fur masks a deceptively thin neck and his studded collar could easily slip off if Mingyu didn’t give into him. He’s pretty sure losing Minghao’s dog on their first not-date would not be the best way to continue their not-friendship.

          So, Mingyu gets his jog in after all.

          He’s not completely out of breath by the time he laps Minghao again, just sort of out of breath. It’s okay, though, because they’re reaching Johnson’s Field at the same time and Mingyu just plops himself down into the grass, wrestling Cacahuate to the ground with him. The dog shoves his nose into Mingyu’s -cheek, prowling for the treats he has stashed there and eventually digs one out.

          “Ah, so that’s why he likes you so much.” Minghao comes over to them, locking his phone after texting his roommate that they’re done at the park and about which parking lot to pick him up from. He clicks his tongue to call Cacahuate’s attention back to him when he sees that he’s giving Mingyu a hard time. The dog’s ears perk up as he gets off of Mingyu and happily rolls over for a belly rub. Dogs are great. Dogs are the best.

          “So well behaved. Such a good boy.” Mingyu ruffles all of Cacahuate just as Minghao gingerly takes a seat in the grass next to them, more careful to not sit on Mingyu’s coat than he is worried about his knee. Mingyu’s not even slightly embarrassed about the baby voice he’s using with him, but makes sure to clear his throat before speaking again, “You did a really good job training him.”

          Minghao nods a couple times, smiling either at his dog or at the compliment, “Yeah? I don’t really know what I’m doing half the time, but Seungcheol’s had a couple dogs so he’s been helping me train Cacahuate.” He reaches over to fix Cacahuate’s collar, but it suddenly lights up a vibrant green. Mingyu might not know much about dogs, but he’s pretty sure that LED collars are expensive, “Let’s put Cheol’s Christmas present to good use.” The dog pants happily and flaps his tail a few times, “We don’t get to use it much since we usually walk while the sun’s out.” Minghao goes back to sitting with his hands keeping Mingyu’s coat tight around his shoulders. His eyes are rested on his dog, blissed out on attention from the physical therapist.

          “Ah, let’s get out of the grass before our clothes stain.” Mingyu doesn’t want to talk about Seungcheol, the hot roommate. So, he gets up to a knee and untangles himself from the black leash, still holding it in his right hand. However, he doesn’t calculate for a butterfly to dip by them in the dim light of the early evening and for Cacahuate to go bat crazy over it. He suddenly pulls Mingyu forward and sets him off balance, pulling him forward and, regrettably, into Minghao. Because he can guess that another extra hard tug could make him punch Minghao in the face or that he might accidentally hit Minghao’s knee, he lets go of the leash when Cacahuate lunges again. The good news is that he saves his dignity ever so slightly by catching his weight with his hands on either side of Minghao’s waist. The bad news is that the fluffy dog is now bolting through the field chasing a butterfly.

          They share a look; locking eyes for just one moment with bated breath held. Minghao feels so small under him, expression open and a little confused. Again, this is just a second passing in the scope of time; thoughts can’t really be formulated with delicacy. 

          Mingyu wants to say it feels awkward or that it feels wrong, maybe that he’s uncomfortable or that it makes him anxious, but above all, it doesn’t feel like any of those things. What’s scary is that this feels right and that’s not okay. When did this sort of thing ever come close to feeling right? He doesn’t want to think about it; so, he scrambles back to his feet and makes haste to chase after Minghao’s dog in the dark.

          Screaming “CACAHUATE!” in the dark seems like a good distraction to the other things screaming in his own mind. Hopefully, yelling until he’s short of breath will clear his head.

          He makes a round of the field, but Cacahuate is impossibly fast; he just looks like a little green dot speeding in the dark. Somewhere behind him, he hears a sharp whistle ring in the air in a short pattern. Cacahuate halts and his attention turns to the parking lot where the hot roommate is standing with his car door open. It seems like the dog recognizes Seungcheol from a distance and sprints over to him, curling between his legs and greeting him with his tail swinging with fervor before jumping into the back seat.

          The next thing Mingyu hears is laughter, “Well, at least you tried.” Minghao pats him on the shoulder. Mingyu turns his head to look at him, but not too suddenly and not too obviously. Something has changed; in general or to him personally, “Thanks for the coat.” He swings it off and folds it over his arm to hand back to Mingyu. There’s something sad about seeing him without it, “Will you be okay walking back to your car alone? Where did you park? We can give you a ride.”

          “Nah, it’s fine.” Mingyu breathes. Sighing before taking a step back and turning to face him, Minghao’s hand slips off his shoulder and back to his side casually, “I didn’t park too far off. And does Cacahuate just run up to anyone that whistles like that? He’s going to get dog-napped for sure.”

          Minghao smiles, “Nope, just Seungcheol, but I probably should worry about him stealing Cacahuate. He already favors Cheol over me.”

          “We’re lucky that he pulled up when he did.” For some reason, Mingyu’s trying to come to terms with something and he’s not sure what, “I’m sorry I let go.”

          “That’s okay. I don’t usually walk him without his leash, but he hasn’t run off or anything. He’s usually not this excited.” It’s quiet between them, just quiet. There’s only about a foot and a half of space between their bodies as Mingyu had moved a bit to block the wind. Minghao having to look up slightly to meet eyes with him makes his head do things, “He must like you a lot.” Something warm fills Mingyu’s entire chest. Minghao turns his attention to Seungcheol who flicks his high-beams on a couple times, signaling that he’s getting a little impatient, “I guess that’s my cue to go.” He starts trotting over to the parking lot.

          “You’re coming over tomorrow, right?” Minghao looks back at him.

          “Yeah, thanks.” Responding like that sounds stiff and weird, as if there’s something eating at Minghao’s mind as well, “What do you want to eat?”

          “Surprise me.”

          Minghao starts walking backwards to Seungcheol’s car, making sure Mingyu can see him roll his eyes. Part of Mingyu feels bad. He knows that if he had to bring food for someone and they just kept telling him to surprise them, that he’d be exhausted trying to find new foods that they’d like. But Mingyu has yet to dislike anything that Minghao brings; he has good taste.

          “One of these days, I’m just going to drop a dead fish in front of you and you’re going to have to eat it.” His voice shrinks as he gets further away. Mingyu’s not even sure if he’s supposed to hear the taunt.

          “Gladly!” Mingyu shouts after him before turning to leave himself.

          The park was as beautiful at night as it was during the day. He’ll have to make note to tell Wonwoo to come here with Soonyoung so they can lay out under the stars. He knows that the couple would appreciate some quality time outside as most of their days were spent cooped up indoors. Soonyoung loves stars. The air is crisp and fresh during this time of year and it’d be nice to go before it starts raining and before it gets too cold. The night sky is crystal clear, filled with little diamonds that twinkle brightly and if he wasn’t so preoccupied thinking about Minghao’s wide-eyed, lost stare, then he might have paid them some notice.

          His hands are balled up in his coat.

          He has yet to put it back on.