The Sunchaser - Chapter Eight 

By Eiryia

He got a lot on his plate with school and work already, but made sure to spend the next day with Seunghoon before he left for their hometown. He was his usual cheerful self, but he noticed that Seunghoon didn’t bring up the subject of his apartment or his thesis again while they spent their day together. 

On Mino he made several comments however, mostly kind ones, other more neutral observations, but Seunghoon didn’t know him like he did and so he didn’t blame him for his less kind comments. Mino’s past was his own and he didn’t see why Seunghoon needed to know about these things and so he would just have to make up his opinion of what Mino had chosen to share of himself which wasn’t all that much. 

    "I want to be in a relationship too" Seunghoon had complained over lunch while tearing his toast into pieces. 

    "It shouldn’t be too hard to do something about that?" he replied casually which spurred Seunghoon into talking about his previous relationship and how it had gone terribly wrong because she turned out to be someone who lied just for the thrill of it. 

    "Maybe dating guys is better" Seunghoon mused looking up at him over his iced americano. 

    "Well, you know where I stand" he replied with a smile and a shrug. 

    "I’d ask you to hook me up with someone if I actually planned on staying in this town" Seunghoon said more seriously than he’d anticipated. The thought of Jinwoo came to mind right away although he had a feeling that might annoy Mino more than a little bit. 

    "What’s with that face?" Seunghoon asked knowing him too well. 

    "Nothing" he replied, but Seunghoon wouldn’t stop nagging. In the end he had explained that he knew about a guy so pretty even straight guys would probably fall for him.    

    "And I’m not even straight" Seunghoon said with a grin. 

    "Did you ever date a guy before though?" he asked finally getting the answer to something he’d been itching to find out about since forever. 

    "Nope" Seunghoon said with a laugh "But I’ve seen several over the years I would have liked to date" he added peering at him over his coffee with a funny look in his eyes. 

    "Like who?" he asked curiously wondering what kind of guy that would be. 

    "You come to mind" Seunghoon said cheekily, pointing directly at him. 

They’d both laughed it off and he promised that if Seunghoon ever moved to town he’d introduce him to mister pretty, but a tiny piece of him was feeling his past self becoming utterly heartbroken. He didn’t know for sure if he could take Seunghoon seriously on the matter, but it wasn’t exactly something you mess with people about. 

He got Mino and that was plenty enough for now and for the future and with that conclusion he pushed the thought of Seunghoon and any potential relationship in the past to the back of his mind.

When he saw Seunghoon back to the hotel that afternoon had Seunghoon told him how he planned on moving back to the country by the end of the year and that they might see each other again before the year had come to pass. 

Seunghoon also made him promise not to do something stupid because to quote Seunghoon: "Mino would come kill me" which he wouldn’t, but he certainly would blame Seunghoon for making what he thought were stupid suggestions. 

    "Send me a picture of my future husband when you meet him" he had said jokingly while he walked away waving and he made a mental note to do just that.

When he got back to the shop was there a small crowd of older women gathered by the counter. Unsure why that was he made his way up to them hoping they weren’t there to complain. 

Mino was just making his way out from the backroom carrying a couple of really big orchids. 

    "Good, you are here, please help me carry out the rest" he said making his way back to the counter. 

He had to make three more rounds to get them all and each and one of them were sold off to the enthusiastic old ladies. 

Watching the last one of them go he turned to Mino for an explanation. Who after taking a few long sips of his water bottle explained that they had requested for him to try and find this particular orchid for them for quite a while. 

    "They got a botanical club going and it’s the flower in their logo and so all of them wanted one" he added with a sigh. 

He hung out in the shop for a while to help out before he headed up into the apartment to start on his article for the local news paper. The deadline was only a couple of days away now and he hated having things lined up in short succession for him to have to deal with at rapid speed. 

Wanting to make up for the slightly odd mood between him and Mino after Seunghoon’s visit he decided to try to cook them dinner that night. He could finish his article in the evening anyway and a break would only help him regain his focus. At least that was what he told himself.

On his way out had he told Mino about his plan to cook for them and how he was now off to pick up groceries and asked if he needed anything. He told him no, but that he was starving and looking forward to his meal.

Hurrying down the street he found it to be surprisingly chilly compared to earlier in the day. If it kept up being this cold it might snow instead of rain come evening. 

When he returned with the shopping had Mino been helping one of the regulars pick out a gift for someone out of the spring flowers and so he had only greeted them quickly before going up into the flat. He got about an hour until closing time to cook something edible and he was determined to do his best. 

Full focus on the meal and his phone with the recipe he failed to notice Mino sneaking up on him. It was only when a strong arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him around he noticed that Mino had joined him and it had startled him so badly he’d almost dropped his phone into the sauce he’d been praying wouldn’t separate in the pot before him.

    "Smells good" Mino said pulling him in even closer for a kiss by the tight grip he now got on his waist. 

    "Just returning the favor" he replied, smiling into Mino’s lips.

    "You really should wear the apron though" Mino said letting him go only slightly to inspect the many pots and pans around the tiny kitchen. 

    "Why?" he asked, saving his sauce last minute from burning. 

    "Just to make the moment complete" Mino said smiling a slightly crooked smile before throwing the apron over his neck and tying it tightly for him in the back. He then placed a couple of slow kisses up his neck before stepping away to take in the scene playing out before him one more time. He even put his fingers up in a square mimicking the action of taking a picture before actually taking out his phone to take a picture.

    "Perfect" he said sounding very pleased with himself before leaving the kitchen for the bathroom. Although he felt a hint of embarrassment regarding all the fuss, was he really happy too. Mino was happy because of something he was doing, or maybe just for who he was in general and that made him really happy.

Finishing the meal he plated everything up carefully while Mino was in the shower and set it all up on the small kitchen table. He then found Mino’s lighter in the hall and lit a couple of candles around the kitchen and then a few in the rest of the apartment. 

    "How romantic" Mino said from behind him as he lit the last candle. 

    "You think?" he replied, turning to face him.

Mino was standing there bare chested again with only a towel around his waist. He urged Mino to get dressed fast or the food would get cold, but he only replied asking him cheekily to give him a few seconds. 

Expecting Mino to walk away to get fresh clothes he put away the lighter and was about to untie the apron when he felt the hot breath of Mino on the back of his neck. 

    "I said hurry" he just managed to say before Mino turned him around to kiss him. 

This kiss felt different from their previous kisses, hungrier, more aggressive with hands roaming on bare skin and soon also up the back of his shirt. Suddenly had all thoughts of their meal together evaporated from his mind which was now completely overtaken by the presence of Mino and Mino alone. 

He had longed for this feeling, this overwhelming need to be closer, to want more although he already got everything. He knew he was probably the one who had put up a wall between them back when he had admitted to be scared of being in a relationship, but he felt that they were tearing that wall down now, at least a little bit. Kiss by kiss, touch by touch.

They kept stepping backwards until they tumbled down onto the leather couch he’d already become so fond of. Mino’s towel had come undone in the fall and he let his hands roam freely up and down his back while warm kisses were being traced down his neck and onto his collar bone while a rather sneaky hand of Mino’s was ing his shirt button by button.   

    "Are you okay with this?" Mino asked almost without pulling his lips away from his. 

    "Of course I am, our food is getting cold though" he regretted mentioning the last part as soon as he had said it because Mino was already pulling away mumbling several apologies. 

    "You put so much effort into that meal" he began sitting up on top of him, completely looking over his shoulder into the kitchen. 

    "It’s fine, we can microwave it" he replied taking in the view that was a fully Mino above him. The way his skin seemed to gl