sadly, it had come time for minghao to leave. since mingyu had left, and apparently hadn't planned on comong back, jun offered minghao a ride home. 

minghao got all his stuff — his phone, his charger, and cookies from the previous night — and got into jun's very nice car. 

it was a black escalade with beige interior leather. it smelled like new car smell and the tiniest hint of lavender mixed with weed. for some reason, it made him relaxed. 

he waited about five minutes before jun walked out, and got in. he started the car and turned up the radio. not to an obnoxious volume; it was just right. 

as he started to back out, he threw his arm behind minghao's head rest and looked out the back windshield. minghao couldn't help but stare at him. for some odd reason, he found this extremely hot.

suddenly they were making eye contact.

"well hey there." jun's face was dangerously close to minghao's. 

minghao looked down at jun's lips, then at his eyes. he gulped. 

"uh- hi." minghao was a blushing mess; jun noticed.

minghao turned away, because he swore if he had to look at jun for another second he would full on make out with him.

"so, where we goin'?" jun asked, turning to exit the neighborhood. 

"just uh, take a left on wallbridge and go straight until pine. i'll show you where it is when we get near it." minghao explained, messing with the zipper of his jacket. why was he so nervous? who knows.

the two eventually got to his house. minghao had a weird feeling, but he couldn't name it. like... sadness? he didn't want to leave jun, even if it was for a short time. 

"so, um, thanks for letting me stay over. i had fun. we should, uh, hang out... sometime." minghao messily proposed. 

"do you know how cute you are when you're nervous?" jun paused, grabbing minghao's hand, "'cause i sure do." 

minghao giggled. ', i'm whipped.' he thought. 

"well, i-i uh have to go. thank you again, jun." he said, opening his car door. 

"wait, minghao," jun said, stopping him. 

"wha-" as minghao turned, jun's lips caught minghao's. minghao couldn't breathe. he felt like he was ing struck by lighting. 

after what felt like an eternity, minghao pulled away. 

"bye, baby." jun waved goodbye, and minghao shut the door, a dumb grin plastered on his face.

jun pulled away as minghao shut his front door, and minghao immediately put his head in his hands. he was completely and utterly in love with jun. .

"xu minghao! where have you been?" his father yelled. 

"i was with my friends. i'm sorry i didn't call, my phone was dead." he lied, hoping they'd take the bait. 

"okay, fine. you're not in trouble. we have news for you, though. come, sit." his mother said, pointing to the empty bar stool next to his cat, ruby.

minghao did as he was told, but he couldn't help but wonder about why they were so... okay with him being gone for almost two days. 

"as you know, your grandmother isn't... doing too well." minghao didn't like where this was going. 

"and she is all on her own. well, someone has to go back and help her in her last days, and we've decided we will be going to take care of her." his father finished. 

"oh. well, when should i start packing?" minghao asked, tapping on the counter anxiously. 

"that's the thing, hao. you can't come with us." his mother explained apologetically. 

"what? why not?"

"you have exams to study for. you know you have to be prepared. we've been over this."  

they were right. although he wanted to go be with his family, he knew it wasn't going to work out. 

"how long will you be gone?" minghao asked.

"just about one month. you don't have to stay here alone, though." minghao's mother said, "you can have a friend or two if you'd like." 

minghao was... surprised. they were going to let minghao stay by himself in the house with his friends? for a whole month? 

"thank you, thank you, thank you!" 

"we leave tomorrow, so get whoever moved in soon."