Happy
It (does)n’t happen - intermediate -
Minho was still sitting in the same spot, hoodie covering his body, waiting for Jinki when he stepped out of the washroom of the bathhouse, fresh and clean – tension gone after a long week. Minho had come along after being invited, and Jinki had thought for the whole experience. In the end he had refused to go anywhere he had to take his clothes off though. Minho only sat around and barely munched on food, watching all the other people gathered with their smiles and laughter, and looking slightly out of place in his long sleeves in a large, warm room.
Jinki had hoped he wouldn’t run into this, but the thought was in the back of his mind after asking Minho along in a jumbled ramble about his exhausting week. Minho could have said no. He didn’t have to do this.
Once Jinki had tried to pull Minho to the changing room and then into the washroom, Minho jerked away in a near panic he tried hard to hide from the older. Jinki went alone after that. Jinki let it go and his friend do whatever he wanted instead. It certainly was a change from the young boy who used to run around the bathhouse, soapy and without a care.
Now, Jinki sat beside Minho on the warm, wood bench, smiling brightly and glad to be out of the cold of early spring for a little while. Busy holidays were winding up now and warm weather was near. Jinki couldn’t wait.
“Can I have some?” Jinki asked as he pointed to the small plates of hot food sitting over the table.
Minho nodded, focus still seeming elsewhere. Jinki looked around himself. It was noisy in some corners, but nothing out of the usual. He vaguely wondered what Minho was seeing that he couldn’t. Jinki munched on some food, eyes following Minho’s and trying to see the same.
He couldn’t.
“Minho-yah,” Jinki reached a hand over the table to touch Minho’s. He cringed when the younger jumped the slightest bit. Still, Minho turned to Jinki with a short laugh and small smile.
“You happy, hyung?”
Jinki thought a moment, “.. Yeah. I am.” He waited to add, “Are you?”
Minho blinked, expression turning confused almost, like he didn’t expect the question to be sent back. “Yeah, this is fun.” He poked at some food with his chopsticks before taking another bite. He smiled through it at Jinki, cheek chubby with food.
Jinki grinned back. For his next bite of food he intentionally started a chopstick ‘war’ over who got what. Minho loosened up with the play, especially once Jinki threw in some silly voices to lighten the mood further.
Minho rubbed the towel still covering his head with twists on each side, fitting into the crowd in that regard. His long hair still growing back since a short cut several months ago peeked out from under it, and Jinki kind of stared a couple times. He’d seen Minho dressed like this before, but it was still hitting him differently, like many things did – unexplainable. Jinki turned away, fixing his own matching towel sitting loose and comfortable over his dry hair.
“You have another date this week?”
Minho’s question had no signs of bitterness. He smiled even, throwing Jinki off, though it shouldn’t be like that. He wasn’t doing anything bad or wrong, so his friend shouldn’t be upset, right? He nodded with a grin, “Yeah..” Jinki wanted to ask if Minho was seeing anyone right now. He highly doubted it though. Minho didn’t appear like he was carrying as heavy a weight lately.
“Don’t forget flowers~,” Minho teased through a full mouth of food.
Jinki laughed and took another bite. “Noted.” He was still on his best behavior with his new sort-of-girlfriend. He undeniably liked this one and he was trying to make this relationship different than the rest. The sudden thought of meeting her with flowers made Jinki flush inwardly like a schoolboy all over again.
“Me too, by the way.” Minho mumbled a few minutes later, confusing Jinki on what they were even talking about anymore, but Minho had that sort of smile on his mostly hidden face and Jinki suddenly knew. It said it all before Minho could fully explain himself. “I’m sorta seeing someone,” Minho continued while poking at some food and Jinki was taken aback by the fact that he was sure Minho was single lately. Maybe he was getting rusty on his reading of the younger; it’s not like the two spent as much time together as of late.
“Ah?” Jinki lowered his head, trying to get a better view of Minho’s sweet face. “You like her?”
Minho nodded, “Yeah.. I think I do.”
Jinki straightened up and munched on more food, relieved things were looking brighter lately, even if both were on separate paths these days. “The flower thing, remember it,” Jinki teased back, causing Minho to laugh behind a hand before finally eating more and looking Jinki in the eyes – or nearly so.
“I’m happy,” Jinki said, feeling the best he had in far too long.
It looked like fate was stepping in and fixing the whole confusion over himself and his friend, finally. The weight could lift from him; decision made without him. “We should double date some time.”
Minho laughed again at the suggestion. “Maybe~.”
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Don't panic, guys...
Also, only a few parts left of this part of the story. ^^;;
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