[FIC SCRAP #7 | ONHO | PG-13]

"I Love You"
childhood—high school au, romance, fluff » 918 words

a/n: the plot of this fic changed drastically so this portion was scrapped.
it can be read as a cute drabble though! ^u^

When Minho was still just a little boy his parents divorced, and as his mother’s preschool teacher salary could only pay so much, the two of them moved into a poorer part of town, where crime rates were high and expenses were low.

Honestly, if you asked Minho, he would tell you that nothing much happened there. It contrasted the news stations on the radio and TV, ones that warned about the mafia and how things were getting out of control. Other than the occasional gunshots in the middle of the night, a scream, maybe two, the young boy thought nothing of the sounds, saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Minho grew up playing outside with the other kids in the neighborhood, kicking a soccer ball towards each other on the street until one of those shady cars with darkly tinted windows honked at them, making them all scramble hurriedly onto the sidewalk in fear of their lives, lest the cars decided to run them over.

It was when someone moved into the apartment next to his that everything changed.

A young couple, owners of the new meat shop that opened a few streets down, came to introduce themselves, and—“Oh yeah, we almost forgot!”—their son, who was hiding behind his father’s legs—“He’s so very shy.”

From his place next to his mother, Minho stared curiously at the head of dark, messy hair that stuck out from behind the human shield. Finally, two brown eyes peered out from behind his father, locking with Minho’s. The other boy was much smaller, tinier despite their two-year , but Minho had always been a little too lanky and slim from the get go, so it was not surprising.

“I-I’m Jinki,” stuttered the older boy, and he flashed Minho a smile that was missing more than a few teeth, but still it was beautiful and perfect and it stole the taller boy’s heart the second he saw it.

He decided that, from that moment on, he and Jinki were best friends.

~~

Minho grew up protecting Jinki from potential bullies throughout elementary and middle school, and even on to high school. The two of them existed in their own little world, population Minho and Jinki, practically glued to each other’s sides in and out of school. Jinki was studious and brilliant―second in school, brilliant―and Minho was insanely athletic, completive streak and long limbs earning him more than a few medals for his efforts. Both received recognition for the things they were good at, most of all for their unusual friendship.

Despite the shoddy neighborhood they lived in, the school library stayed well stocked—although no one really used it, no one except Jinki and maybe few other kids who actually cared about learning. The two best friends would usually hide out in the library during lunch and before or after school, with Jinki studying while Minho fell asleep on his shoulder or lap, simply appreciating the other’s presence.

When Jinki was seventeen and Minho fifteen, the two had been joking around quietly in the library, hidden behind large shelves. Jinki’s hair had grown long, dark bangs falling into his eyes as his shoulders shook with laughter, glittering brown eyes crinkling as tears pricked their corners, and plump lips stretched into a wide smile. He was shining as he always did, but for some reason it felt a little different that day, felt more special than usual.

Even now Minho had not a clue where the unexpected urge he never even thought of before came from, but he had one thing on his mind and one thing only―all of a sudden, he leaned forward and pressed their lips together, soft and sweet. It was an innocent, simple touch that made his heart race ten times faster and his breath catch in his throat.

The astonishment on Jinki’s face pulled Minho back to reality, and his stomach dropped, alarm spiking inside his chest when he realized what he had just done, what he had potentially ruined.

However, Jinki said nothing, shock slowly melting into a soft smile, round cheeks tinged pink as his eyes lowered in embarrassment. Minho watched the older man’s eyelashes flutter, admiring Jinki’s effortless beauty, and realized it was now or never, so he confessed in a voice as soft as it could go:

I love you.

Jinki looked up, pleasant astonishment shining in his eyes. He flushed a darker shade of red but there was no mistaking the giant smile blooming on Jinki’s face. For that reason, Minho moved in for another kiss, this time with intent. He pressed harder this time, enough to make Jinki breathless as Minho wrapped his arms around the smaller man’s body. They molded together, fitting perfectly like puzzle pieces, and Minho just kissed him deeper and deeper, with every pent up feeling he had experienced since the moment he realized that he loved Jinki, loved him as more than just a friend, more than just a brother.

The best part was Jinki kissing back, just as hard, oh so wonderfully soft moans tasting saccharine on the taller man’s tongue. Minho swallowed every sound that Jinki made, capturing it in his mouth, in his mind, in his heart, in his soul, never wanting to forget them. They went home, lips swollen red, hearts racing, smiles bright and happy albeit a little shy, their fingers laced together, tight and unyielding as Jinki finally got a chance to whisper back:

I love you, too.

a/n: actually, they also have later but i got embarrassed by the low-quality so i chose not to include it OTL