i wouldn't mind: he is we

Seungmin giggles when he walks out of the music building with Changbin wrapped around him like a koala, the black shopping bag threaded through his fingers. They garner strange looks from other university students as they walk pass to which Seungmin rolls his eyes at. He had stopped caring what other people thought a few years ago when Jisung wouldn't let go of his waist while he was kissing Chan.

He finds the situation amusing enough since Changbin is a couple of inches shorter than he is and yet, somehow the elder has his face nuzzled in Seungmin's neck.

Another giggle passes through Seungmin's lips as Changbin presses a soft kiss against his flesh which earns another few stares. The quiet laughs should have Seungmin's cheeks a little red but the loud screech of Seungmin's name followed by a loud "SHUT UP ZHONG CHENLE. THAT WAS MY EAR" has Seungmin's face apple red.

"Seungmin hyung!" Chenle shouts. "Why are you so cute with your boyfriend? I don't understand. Park Jisung, why don't you coddle me like that!?"

Seungmin feels Changbin mumble something on his back as he smiles to Chenle and continues to walk towards the Dance building.

It's always surprising for Seungmin when he sees Hyunjin's building. Instead of the monotonous grey brick, the performing arts building is partly made of glass panels in which people can look inside of the different classrooms to see the dancers and some of the musical performers. It's never shocking when someone just stops and stares in the middle of the walk away because Seungmin does the same. In fact, Seungmin does it then.

His gaze runs over the building windows, looking for a familiar mop of chestnut hair but find nothing. It's something he knows but can't help but to look for.

Changbin pushes him forward, mumbling something to his back. Seungmin smiles.

"I can't understand you hyung," he says and feels Changbin lean away.

"Jinnie's not here, Minnie. Keep walking."

Seungmin takes his eyes off the windows and continues to waddle on.

Going into the building gets smiles and silly faces from different students instead of the funny looks and glares they had gotten when they penguin walked out of the music building. A part of him is happy the dancers are more welcoming of two men shuffling out the door and wonders if there will ever be a time when the music students stopped caring about what they see in others.

Unlike when he was looking for Changbin, Seungmin knows where Hyunjin is going to be. They make their way up three flights of stairs in which somewhere along the way, Changbin decided maybe hugging Seungmin from behind wasn’t a good thing if they couldn't walk properly. Changbin groans loudly when he detaches himself from Seungmin's back causing the said owner of the back to chuckle. He ends Changbin's frustrated noises when he grabs his hand and intertwines their fingers. Changbin turns bright pink.

When they reach the fifth floor, the hallway is dark, hiding various pictures of the many different idols who have made their way to this hall. For that reason, only the top dancers are allowed on the fifth floor, companies worried that their idol's practicing habits would come to light. Hyunjin had been awarded the privilege to dance with some of the top dancers a couple semesters ago, but that would mean, he would hide in studio 57.

Studio 57's lights are the only thing shining in the dark hallway, loud bass makes its way to Seungmin's feet. The door is wide enough to where the lovers can hear Ozuna singing in Spanish. They both have listened to the song enough which has both of them humming along to the song.

Hyunjin stands in the middle of the room as if he's catching his breath. His hands are on his lips, and through the mirror, Seungmin can see his eyes are closed. Five seconds pass (Seungmin is counting) before Hyunjin's eyes snap open, and he's moving the song. He slides across the floor before spinning around.

It's brief, but both Seungmin and Changbin see a flash of pain in Hyunjin's eyes when he's done turning. It's enough for Seungmin to snatch the black bag from Changbin's hand and walk inside the room while Changbin goes to turn off the music.

Hyunjin yelps when Seungmin touches his shoulder, whirling around quickly, another flash of pain flying across his features. His eyes are wide before his legs feel like jelly and he falls. But Seungmin is ready for the fall, reaching out and grabbing Hyunjin's arm to try and steady him. Hyunjin falls anyways just as the music cuts out.

"Jinnie?" Seungmin says patting his lover's face a couple of times. He sits next to the fallen dancer, putting the elder's head against his chest, where he can feel the other breathing sluggishly.

Changbin runs across the studio. "Hyunjin?"

"I'm okay," Hyunjin says failing to push himself off Seungmin's chest. "Promise."

"This doesn't seem to okay," Seungmin says, gently running his fingers through sweat-soaked hair. "You know if you injure yourself, you can't dance for even longer."

"I know."

Seungmin clicks his tongue and reaches into the black bag, bringing out an instant ice pack.

When he was buying things, he kept telling himself he wasn't going to need the ice pack because Hyunjin would be smart enough not to dance while injured. He said to himself that each time he passed by it. Finally, he left the store and went out only to turn himself around and buy the pack.

He places the pack against Hyunjin’s ankle, taking in the sharp sound of pain from the other. He glances worriedly at the dark eyes watching him.

“How long have you been practicing without stopping?” Changbin asks sinking to the ground. His arms are crossed over his chest like he’s mad, but they know he’s just as worried as Seungmin is.

“I don’t know,” Hyunjin answers honestly, finally relaxing and leaning into Seungmin's chest. “The last time I checked it was a quarter to one.”

Seungmin grimaces as he continues to hold onto the pack. “That’s almost six hours Jinnie.”

“I know, but it’s not perfect,” he says. “It needs to be perfect.”

The look in Hyunjin’s eyes is one Seungmin hates to see in anyone. It’s the look of being lost and continually trying to prove themselves. While he’s very much aware of what Hyunjin thinks of his teachers, he wonders if his teachers know how much extra practice the other puts in. He wonders if the teachers know how much Hyunjin wants their praises and how much he wants to share his passion with everyone else. But most of all, he wonders if the teachers have tried to stop him from going too hard. In most cases, he would think so, but this is the idol hall, where the best of the best come to practice.

“Oh, Jinnie,” Seungmin says quietly, shaking away the sadness clawing at his heart. “I’m sure it’ll come out just like you it after you rest.”

Hyunjin shakes his head and sighs. “I can’t rest.”

“Jin, you have to,” Changbin pleads uncurling his arms from his chest. “You have to let your body rest so that you can continue on.”

Again, Hyunjin shakes his head as he reaches for the ice pack against his leg. For a couple of moments, Seungmin stares at his slightly older lover, wondering if he was going to be fighting him to get the ice pack off. In what looks like a weak attempt to do just that, Hyunjin’s hand falls against Seungmin’s almost like the touch was enough to let his body relax once more. Changbin looks at Seungmin who nods. Then he takes Hyunjin into his arms much like he had Seungmin not a few minutes ago, pressing a soft kiss against his head.

The tallest of the three let out a quiet noise of discomfort at the position they're in. They shift until Hyunjin's back is against Changbin's chest with his feet in front of him where Seungmin can press the ice pack to his swollen ankle.

"Do you want to tell us how you're ankle became twice it's size?" Changbin asks and Hyunjin grimaces.

"Landed wrong," he slurs with his eyes closed.

Seungmin sighs at the answer, happy with his mind that he right about needing the pack but sad at the fact he actually had to use it. His body turns ridged at the thought of him not buying the ice pack. It would mean Hyunjin would still be in a lot of pain, but it would also mean Seungmin would have been a lousy boyfriend when he didn't listen to his instincts. It would mean Hyunjin would leave because he wasn't considerate to his boyfriend when he should have been. It would mean-

No.

Seungmin squeezes his eyes shut and counts to five. He needs to focus.

“See,” Seungmin says opening his eyes. “You need to rest. Your body is telling you this.”

Hyunjin doesn’t say anything when he opens his eyes. Instead, he stares at Seungmin with a soft smile on his face. Seungmin can’t help but smile back as he sees the tiny mole under Hyunjin’s right eye hide under the small crease of skin.

For a moment, he sees himself tangled in Hyunjin and Felix’s arms, the three of them counting all the beauty marks against each other's skin. He remembers that day when Hyunjin made it his personal mission to count Felix’s freckles and kiss the small Australian many times. He reminds himself of the soft puffs of laughter against his skin each time Felix smiled, but he really remembers staring at Hyunjin’s lone mole, loving the way it completed Hyunjin.

It’s Hyunjin’s soft laugh mixed with Changbin’s loud one that brings Seungmin back to the present where his hand is still holding the cooling ice pack against Hyunjin’s ankle. He smiles at the others before dropping the bag. He leans over Hyunjin's legs, the voices stopping, and presses a soft kiss against Hyunjin’s lips. Changbin hums above them, but he pays no mind and focuses on pushing wishes into the soft pillows against his own.

He presses the wishes of rest and relaxation, the same as the wishes he pushed into Changbin’s head. He follows with the hopes of no significant injuries knowing that Hyunjin would continuously blame himself if they happened. His next wish against Hyunjin’s lips is for the older will do well in his future evaluation and that he passes it with flying colors.

His final wish is that Hyunjin knows Seungmin wouldn’t mind waiting for the older in the courtyard when they’re supposed to be eating. That he wouldn’t mind staying late if it meant that Hyunjin would come home and rest. That he wouldn’t mind holding ice packs to tired limbs while Hyunjin rants about how much he hates his teachers from time to time. But most of all, he wishes that Hyunjin would know how much he wouldn’t mind doing just to see him smile.

He wouldn’t mind it at all.

Seungmin pulls away with a bright smile on his lips and a soft one on Hyunjin’s. The elder’s eyes are still closed which tells Seungmin that he’s about to fall asleep where he sits.

He looks to Changbin who smiles and nods while Seungmin goes back into his bag, taking the final thing out, a Hershey's bar. Opening the packaging, he breaks a piece off, shoving it into Hyunjin’s mouth, laughing at the way he nearly swallows it and opens his mouth for more.

Hyunjin nearly finishes the chocolate when he opens his eyes and smiles tiredly at Seungmin. There’s a sigh on lips when he pulls himself away from Changbin’s chest. “Let’s go home?” he asks, and Seungmin cannot agree more.

“Hyung will cuddle you, after you shower, Jinnie,” Changbin says pulling Hyunjin up. “Seungmin promised me cuddles, but he’s a man on a mission it seems, so we’ll have to wait for Seungmin to finish before we can cuddle him.”

Hyunjin whines at that which becomes louder when he puts weight on his injured ankle. “But Seungmin cuddles.”

“When I’m done, Jinnie. I promise," Seungmin laughs.

Hyunjin pouts, pushing his lower lip out more which makes Changbin groan and press his lips against Hyunjin’s pouting ones.

“When he’s done, Jinnie,” he says.

“Fine,” Hyunjin pouts again which makes Changbin press another kiss to his lips.

“Let’s go home.”

Hyunjin smiles. “Home.”