Sugar

«Yeah, you show me good loving
Make it alright
Need a little sweetness in my life
Your sugar
Yes, please
Won't you come and put it down on me?»

(Sugar - Maroon 5)

“Can I hug you for a moment?”

Taehyun is used to all kinds of approach, but this one sounds new even to him.

He turns around, making sure his eyebrow is dangerously raised in a skeptical expression, and spares a glance at the man beside him.

“And this is your best pick-up line?”

The man looks confused for a moment, or maybe it's just the strobe lights of the pub. In both cases, nothing would have ever prepared Taehyun for the words he hears next.

“Actually no,” the man says, grabbing him by the shoulders and turning him around so that he can look at the entrance.“But you see that guy at the door?”

Taehyun is taken by surprise and decides not to yell at his face for touching him without consent, even if he really wants to. He spots a dark-haired man in his twenties near the door.

“The super pretty one?”

“Yeah.”

“What about him?”

“Well, long story short he's my ex,” the stranger explains, freeing Taehyun from his hold and rubbing his nape in embarrassment. “And I don't want him to see me alone on New Year's Eve, so can you pretend to be my boyfriend for a while?”

“Well now,” Taehyun is impressed. “This is the best pick-up method I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot. Ten points for the effort. I appreciate creativity, really,” he sips from his drink, smiles sarcastically and begins to walk away.

The stranger is quick at catching him again. “I'm serious,” he yells over the loud music. “Look!”

He's nodding at the door and Taehyun turns around against his will. The super pretty guy has spotted his stranger and is waving at him.

“I guess it was a happy break-up if he still smiles at you like that,” Taehyun comments, giving his attention to the unknown man again.

“I guess it was for him, since he was ing my best friend.”

Taehyun laughs and puts his glass on the bar counter behind them. “I'm Taehyun.” He doesn't offer his hand.

“Mino,” the not-so-stranger-anymore replies. He looks anxious and his eyes keep running back to the door. “So, can you play along for five minutes? I will pay your drinks for the rest of the night.”

Taehyun nods thoughtfully. “The night is long. I appreciate your bravery and your wallet,” he runs a hand through his hair and looks around. The super pretty guy is making his way through the crowd to reach them. There's not much time left.

“If you touch my you're dead meat,” he manages to warn before Mino pulls him by his side, wrapping one arm around his shoulders in a strong hold. His cologne is strong and manly, and Taehyun's head feels dizzy for a moment.

“Mino!”

The man smiles and Taehyun can tell how fake that smile is. “Jinwoo.”

Jinwoo is shorter than them, but ten times more handsome. His beauty outshines everyone else in the pub and looking at his soft smile, Taehyun doesn't need to wonder why Mino fell for him.

“Long time no see,” the newcomer says, his eyes on the taller man. Taehyun can tell he's trying hard to ignore his existence and it makes him laugh, but he has to keep a straight face.

“Yeah,” Mino tries to sound random, but he's not really good at this lying-thing, Taehyun notices. “I've been busy with exams and stuff.”

So he must be around my age, Taehyun realizes. Somehow the information makes him a bit more curious about the man.

Jinwoo's smile falters. “Yeah, speaking of which... I'm sorry about that time. I didn't know you had that big exam the next day. I shouldn't have told you about me and Seungho–”

“Do you know Taehyun?” Mino cuts him off. He smiles brightly and leans his head against Taehyun's until their temples touch.

Taehyun plays along and smiles politely. He needs to earn those drinks. “Nice to meet you.”

Jinwoo looks at a loss for words all of a sudden. “Oh...” he completely ignores Taehyun's hand and looks at Mino again. “So you're... dating?”

“Yeah,” Mino confirms, holding Taehyun even tighter by his side. Taehyun's heart flutters for a moment and he doesn't know why. Maybe it's just the man's incredibly low voice that makes his heart drop every time he says a word. “How long has it been now?” He looks at Taehyun with a cheerful smile. “Three months?”

Taehyun tries not to get blinded by that extra white set of teeth and smiles back. “Three months and half, wolfie.”

Mino looks confused, but Jinwoo speaks up first. “Wolfie?”

Taehyun shows his best sly smile and brushes his fingers across Mino's abdomen. He can feel the firmness of the man's muscles under his touch and he didn't expect that.

He his lips, “Oh, it's just a nickname I gave him because he's a beast in bed,” he laughs. “I honestly thought you knew?”

The provocation hangs in the air and Taehyun can practically see Jinwoo's face becoming purple even under the crazy lights. He's going freestyle now and judging from Mino's face, the man doesn't mind at all.

“Well... I have to go,” Jinwoo says suddenly. “I just remembered I need to meet Seunghoon not far from here,” he stares right into Mino's eyes as he says so, and Mino is brave enough to hold the stare without showing how much the words affect him. Jinwoo is not even smiling anymore, “Have a nice evening,” he then looks at Taehyun, and with a way colder tone adds, “Goodbye.”

Taehyun counts to ten as Jinwoo walks away before he starts laughing. Mino releases all the oxygen he's been holding in up until then and looks down at the man holding his belly as he cracks up.

“What a ,” is the first thing Taehyun says when he can speak again. He then looks at Mino and clears his throat. “Ah, sorry.”

Mino shakes his head. “No, it's true. He's a ,” he laughs as well, as they share a moment of comfortable glee – at least until he looks at the door again.

“Crap, he's still there,” he says as he realizes Jinwoo is staring at them with burning eyes. Mino needs to think fast and he grabs Taehyun by the elbow. “I'm sorry, please forgive me.”

“For wha–” before Taehyun can even finish the word, Mino pulls him in for a kiss.

It's really nothing more than a crash of lips, and Taehyun's first instinct is that of pulling away, but then he remembers his role and realizes he has kissed so many guys in his life than one more stranger won't really make any difference.

He cups Mino's cheeks with his hands and parts his lips slowly, as he feels Mino's body stiffening but not pulling back. Before they both know it, the fake kiss turns into a real one, tongues and wet sounds involved.

Taehyun doesn't know if he's doing it because he's slightly drunk, because he cares too much about the New Year's Eve's kiss tradition or because Mino's cologne is just that tempting. He knows, though, that he's liking both the taste and the consistency of the man's soft lips and he's enjoying the warmth of his body against his own, and it's not something that happens with everyone.

Mino wraps his arms around Taehyun's body as if he's been doing it for a lifetime, completely oblivious to the fact that Jinwoo is no longer on the door, or even inside the pub. Taehyun's mouth got his utmost attention and Mino is confused, but not displeased. He doesn't know if he's doing it because he's heartbroken or because Taehyun's laugh was just too precious to his ears, but he knows that Taehyun's lips taste like sugar and Mino really needs some sweetness in his life.

Taehyun is the first one to part when they're both out of breath, and Mino's lips feel immediately too cold. They look at each other – strangely enough, there's no embarrassment or awkwardness between them, and that's how they both know there's something special.

“You still owe me a night-worth of drinks,” Taehyun remarks without shame, smiling.

Mino his warm lips and looks at the bright eyes in front of him. He could get easily used to that kind of insolence.

“I have another idea,” he says.

Taehyun doesn't let him go on. “Does it involve going to your apartment?”

Mino holds his hands up in defeat. “In my defense, there's a lot of alcohol in my apartment.”

Taehyun is taking a liking to that extra white smile. He smiles back.

“Sounds nice enough for a New Year's Eve.”

End