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There are people who are willing to do their military service. But none as compliant and craving for it as his Jinwoo. And Minho is not happy about it (he is not because he won't see him for a long while, and he will be far away from home, from his love, from his kisses; he is going to starve to death while waiting for him) but mostly because he has been assigned to Jiyong's division, and, therefore, for a few months, both of them will be living under the same roof, living the fanboy dream. And Jinwoo can't stop talking about it, thinking about it, longing to be next to his idol, leaving Minho behind with nothing to hold on but a picture and a goodbye.

He is losing his sanity (not that he has much, to begin with) but seeing his hyung all gone crazy over the thought of living with Jiyong is killing him. Is killing his patience and brings remorse from that time he thought of beating the dragon.

He isn’t preoccupied or worried; he has won Jinwoo’s love two years ago and, lately, he has grown his confidence (his songs are all charting well, he is famous and admired just as much as GDragon was before enlisting, so if he needs to confront him or challenge him in order to get Jinwoo back, he is positive about winning - after all, he is a winner). But he is annoyed; Jinwoo is all over the place, smiling softly while staring at Jiyong’s pictures he has saved on his phone, with  irritating dreamy eyes and he is not by his side anymore (and they still have nine months to endure, Jinwoo craving for Jiyong and Minho suffering his hyung obsession).

He thought he was over Jinwoo’s special demeanour when it’s about his favourite person in the world (and this position should be Minho’s but he is not that possessive anymore, thank God), but he squeaks in joy, jumping like a tiny, cutie bunny, smashing his body like a punching bag whenever Jiyong’s name is mentioned or even hinted; Minho can’t relate; he doesn’t behave like this talking about his idols (maybe because as swaggy as he is, he is his own idol, the person he wants to follow). And if he has framed the picture of him with Twice it’s only because Jinwoo is on there, too, looking all adorable (not because he knows all the dances to their songs or jams whenever they appear on music shows).

When Jinwoo got the draft to enlist, he wrote his answers honestly. When the officers sent the reply: that he was admitted and will be recruited by the end of the year. He was happy to comply with his duty, to honour his country as a soldier. What he wasn’t expecting was to be listed under Jiyong’s same unit (and for Minho and the others to not be enrolling with him, thanks to the old man’s lack of management). Of course, he was sad (for ten seconds, before being hit by the realization that he would be sharing this time with his all-life hero). And, like this, Minho’s nightmare began, with the promise of not ending until Jinwoo returns.

What Minho needs is to release some of the tension. So he is going partying with his Pyo buddy. Drinking hard to forget, even if for a moment, Jiyong’s existence that is tormenting him again.  

Jihoon, though, doesn’t like clubbing. Jiho, the next on his pals’ list, tells him that he is too busy now, handling "King of the Zungle" Entertainment. Seungyoon is also reclosed on his studio, working on Winner’s come back and Seunghoon, he doesn’t want to party with him because he will annoy him and harry him with his problems (he will nag at him for worrying too much and too early about Jinwoo’s enlistment, not knowing how anguish he is deep inside thinking about losing the love of his life once more). So he ends drinking home alone, forgetting stupid diets, composure and manners. Tonight he is going to swallow all of Jinwoo’s liquor bottles in order to forget, to sleep tight without adding nightmares to the nightmare that is his current life.

He is on his third soju bottle and the room spins, his mind is emptied and his eyes have lost all focus, his legs are spread on the couch as if dead and his head hits the pillow, sinking into it ungainly. Half sleepy, half mumbling incoherences is how Jinwoo finds him. Minho tries to stand, to run to him and embrace him in a tight, sweet hug, but falls on his feet, clumsy and unbalanced, stumbling with all the alcohol swinging on his system.

“Hyung, don’t go,” he exclaims, rather pathetically, his eyes bright with pleading though Jinwoo is just holding his hand, guiding him to his room gently. So as to stop his hyung from leaving (despite that he is not going anywhere), Minho clings to him, legs entangled around Jinwoo’s hip and he is lucky that Jinwoo is quick and strong or else he would be on the floor again, bruises blooming on his knees. Jinwoo allows him to hang on him like a klutzy koala, hands lose against his neck, lips that are peppering the air with kisses meant to him and, with every step Jinwoo takes, Minho falls a bit more down Jinwoo’s legs.

“I can’t carry you like this if you don’t cooperate,” Jinwoo complains, pushing him to the ground. Minho pouts, raising his hands to be scooped up again (he misses Jinwoo’s warmness).

“Hyung, lift me! Lift me, lift me, lift me up!” he croons, out of beat and tune, but Jinwoo giggles softly at him and Minho feels blessed, looking straight at this angel that has come to rescue him.

Jinwoo is always soft for Minho and his silliness; he loves him so much, he is willing to do anything to make him happy, to make him smile. He has noticed that, lately, he has been distracted, neglecting him, too caught up with all the enrollment stuff (he has been so happy that he forgot that, once, Minho tried to fight for him against Jiyong and that, acting as hyped as he is, he is only troubling Minho’s heart). It is only a draft, anyway, there is nothing wrote on stone but he was so delighted with the mere idea that he went way beyond Minho’s patience and now Minho is all intoxicated and it’s all his fault.  

“I will, just stay still and stop rolling, please,” he says, his fingers caressing the surface of his crumpled shirt, stained with drops of soju and spittle. Jinwoo bents over and grips him tightly, a hand on his and the other around his back, pushing him up until he is lifted and carried smoothly to his bed.

“Hyung, don’t ever leave me,” Minho mopes, pouting cutely. Jinwoo lies next to him and cuddles Minho on his chest, kissing gently his forehead. “Don’t replace me, please. I won’t be able to survive without you”, he rambles, stuttering, long vowels and slurred words that speak of what Minho fears the most.

“Of course not, silly,” he replies, picking his nose with his lips, leaving a soft smooch that makes Minho simper, but he sulks again once Jinwoo removes his mouth from his skin.

“You are leaving me!” he exclaims, holding on him so tight that Jinwoo fears his blood will collapse but says nothing because reassuring Minho is his priority. He pampers him with more kisses, peppering his hair and his cheeks and the space between his eyes and Minho is happy again, giggling like a baby.

“I’m staying, can’t you see?” he says as tenderly as possible. Minho looks at him with a worried expression and tumbles on top of him, withholding him against the mattress.

“Now you are not going anywhere,” he smirks, proudly, staring at Jinwoo who is rolling his eyes under him.

“Is it because of the enlistment that you are acting this way?” he wonders and, by how Minho reacts to his words, he is sure he has hit the target. “It’s just for a while, I’ll be back soon. Besides, I have still nine months to go, nine months more to stay with you,” he tries to calm him, to comfort him. “And you can come and visit. I’ll be waiting for it every week,” he promises, but it doesn’t reach Minho’s ears; he doesn’t trust nor believe his hyung (not when said hyung will be using all his free time to be near Jiyong).

“You are going to be with Jiyong,” it’s what Minho replies, totally hurt. His eyes are threatening with pouring rain and Jinwoo raises his hands to wipe the tears but it’s too late, they are falling free on top of his face (feeling them wetting his skin itches as if embers). Jinwoo smiles at him fondly.

“Are you jealous again?” he doesn’t want to sound teasing but he can’t help but tease his foolish boyfriend, who shakes his head, lying blatantly. “We talked about it before. Between Jiyong hyung and I, there is nothing but admiration. I love you, though sometimes I wonder why,” he adds, “and it’s not even sure I’ll be at Jiyong’s unit, it was just a possibility,” a possibility that drags Minho’s sanity because, anyway, he is going to lose his hyung (by Jiyong, by forgetting him with all the days apart, by meeting someone else that is better; whatever the income will be, Minho is the only one at the end of the cliff).

Minho wants a promise and Jinwoo obligates to vow to him to always love him, to never let him go and when he stamps his fingerprint in red ink on the paper, Minho’s anxiety mitigates.

“Are you - sure that you have no feelings for Jiyong?” he slurs, crawling to the bed again. Jinwoo, sitting there already, makes room for him, holding him still, his head on his shoulder, the taste of his lips a mile away.

“Yes, dumb, for some reason all my feelings belong to you,” he says. “Do you want me to get rid of all the Jiyong stuff that I have? I will if it makes you stop doubting,” he says, a bit pissed out. Minho can be too much to handle sometimes, like when he is drunk and demanding or when he is drunk and sad, or drunk, weird and . Jinwoo has grown up accustomed to his demeanours but it has been a long while since last time he dealt with it.

The last two brain cells working on his mind collide, making synapsis; he can’t ask him to do that, it’s mean and contemptible and Jinwoo doesn’t deserve any of this (but he wants to rip every Jiyong’s posters, wreck his face with pen, maybe burning him to purify Jinwoo’s spirit that has been cursed with Jiyong’s black magic).

“Maybe we should throw them to a bonfire,” he suggests, “so you’ll be free. You are clearly not my beloved hyung. My hyung would never ignore me,” he continues, convinced.

“I’m not avoiding you… I’m sorry I was too engaged with the idea of doing the military with him. I’m sorry I hurt you. But I never stopped caring about you or loving you or being interested in you, Minho”.

“It’s ok, I understand. I would be the same if I could live with Twice’s members,” he says. Jinwoo laughs, sweetly, and Minho is under his spell again. “Sleep with me, hyung.”

Jinwoo lays Minho first and then curls around his chest. He covers them with soft blankets and lets Minho’s little snores to lull him.

A week after it, Jinwoo receives another letter from the army.

In the end, he doesn’t need to serve, yet. He can enlist later, with all of Winner’s members. And so Minho doesn’t need to be jealous anymore (and if Jinwoo crushes the paper on his own, cursing his bad luck, it’s something that nobody needs to know).