Right before they reached the store it started raining heavily so they half-ran the last few steps. Once they were inside they looked at each other and chuckled awkwardly. Jinki was very cute when he was shy. The chubby cheeks were just too much.

Looking around, Minho noticed that there were only two other customers in the store, a middle-aged heteroual couple that seemed to be paying up, so it was probably best to wait until they were done.

Minho pointed Jinki to the back corner where there was a display of ties for them to look at. It turned out that Jinki had quite a unique taste in patterns. He was clearly not the type to follow the latest trends. But somehow Minho thought that it made him even cuter, standing there in his completely oversized hoodie and way too big jeans looking at weird ties.

As soon as the couple left, Minho told Jinki to wait. He wanted to first talk to the store clerk alone.

“Hey Minho-sshi.” He said with a smile. “What can I do for you today?”

“Hi Kibum.” They knew each other quite well since Minho was a regular (probably one of his biggest customer) and because they had some friends in common.

“I'm trying to help my...” Minho wasn't sure how to explain the situation. “...my friend buy a suit. He's not... that secure about himself right now, so can you please be nice to him.”

“I'm always nice.” The store clerk answered with a cheeky smirk.

“Really?” Minho sent him a very skeptical look.

“Of course I am.” When Minho huffed he added: “Your ego is way too big, somebody has to knock you down a peg. But to normal people I am very nice.”

Minho sighed again, but Kibum was already on his way to Jinki so he followed him quickly.

“How may I help you?”

Jinki looked at him awkwardly, so Minho butted in. “This is my friend Kibum, he's going to help us. He's very good at this.” Then he added more sternly: “And he's going to be very nice.”

Ignoring him completely, Kibum only looked at Jinki. “Minho tells me you are in need of a suit. What is the occasion?”

“I... uh...” He looked a bit uncomfortable. “A wedding.”

“Are you getting married?” Narrowing his eyes, Kibum looked between the two of them, almost like he was suspecting them to be marrying each other. The idea was absurd, but Minho couldn't help thinking about how Jinki would look on his wedding day. Elegant black suits - or maybe white, hair made up properly, and that bright smile of his just went with everything.

“No!” Jinki answered in panic, quickly shaking his hand in objection. “It's a friend... I'm a guest.”

“Well that should be easy then, what do you like?”

“Uh... I don't know.”

“Maybe something classic, not too flashy?” Minho suggested.

“Yes!”

“Something that doesn't go out of style too fast, and can be used for different occasions?” That seemed sensible.

“Yes. Exactly.” Jinki looked at Minho very gratefully for helping him frame his thoughts.

“Excellent!”

Kibum took over and walked them through the store, asking what Jinki liked, finding the appropriate colors and price range. Minho tried to stay out of it as much as possible, except when he felt that Kibum was being too aggressive.

They found a few different suits, and brought him to the changing booth.

Kibum and Minho were chatting about some mutual friends when Jinki muttered awkwardly from the changing booth:

“Uh... I think I maybe need a... bigger size.”

“For the jacket or for the pants?”

“The pants.”

“Can you button?”

“Yes.”

“Is it uncomfortable?”

“It's a bit...”

“Just come out and show us.”

“Uh... Eh...”

“It's just us here.”

Slowly, the burgundy velvet curtains were opened and Jinki stood there awkwardly and Minho was not prepared. Jinki was now wearing a very nice white shirt and black pinstripe pants that fit perfectly, making him look very handsome.

From the extremely oversized hoodie (and the very round cheeks), Minho had assumed that he was much more chubby than he actually was. Jinki was actually decently fit, but with a softness to him, the kind that would make it feel really good to hug him.

When Kibum pulled him in front of the fullsize mirror, Minho got a second shock because his tushy was just so full and round and squeezable. For a moment he wished that Kibum wasn't here so he could lightly pat his behind, just to know what it felt like to have his hand there. But then he remembered that they were complete strangers, and that would be highly inappropriate.

“The pants seem to fit quite well, the waist is the perfect size.” Kibum grabbed the waistband at the hip to show that he could easily fit two fingers between the pants and him.

“But it feels a bit... tight. Like if I move or bend over. Also around the thighs.”

He lifted up knee, and he was right, the pants really hugged his thighs that were thick, and delicious.

“OK, I don't think it's a matter of the size, but the cut, maybe you would prefer a wider one?”

“Yes.” He breathed out relieved.

But Minho was not relieved, he really liked these ones, but it wasn't up to him.

After a few tries they seemed to find the correct pants, and Minho had to admit that they were nice too. Not as tight as the other ones, but his still looked super cute, and the nice thickness of the thighs was still very obvious. Maybe this was actually better because then other men wouldn't be ogling him in a creepy and ual way. As much as Minho tried to pretend that his main concern was that creepy guys would make Jinki uncomfortable, the truth was that he also didn't like the thought of other men looking at him like that.

They were trying to find a tie, when Kibum suddenly said: “How about a bowtie.”

“Yes. Let's try.” As soon as Minho heard the suggestion, he knew that was it. Normally he didn't even like bowties, but he just knew that Jinki would look so cute in it and he was right. Jinki ended up selecting a very funny pattern, blue and gray, but even that looked cute on him.

Everything was ready and Jinki went back to change into his normal clothes while Kibum and Minho took the clothes to the register.

“How long have the two of you been dating?” Kibum asked casually while packing everything up.

“Dating? We're not dating. We're just... friends.”

“Oh please.” Kibum rolled his eyes. “I see the way you look at him.” Then he added snarkily: “I honestly thought you were incapable of looking at anyone but yourself in that way.”

“What way?” This was annoying, but Minho still found himself blushing, which was really not like him. “We're not dating... and to tell the truth we don't even really know each other. I just met him today for the first time. Like, only a couple of hours ago.”

“Really?” Kibum's eyes turned big and he seemed completely stunned.

“Yes.”

Completely out of the blue, Kibum started laughing. “Choi Minho, Choi Minho...”

“What?”

“Why do you have to always be so extreme in everything you do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Falling in love with a guy in one hour. Why can't you just take things slow like a normal person?”

“I'm not in lo...”

Right then Jinki came out from the changing booth, and Minho quickly cleared his throat, hoping that he hadn't heard Kibum's crazy talk.

The soft smile Jinki sent him made it clear that he hadn't and Minho smiled back feeling his chest getting warmer.

Jinki paid for his new clothes while thanking Kibum profusely for the help, and a moment later they were back out on the street. Luckily it had stopped raining, for a moment at least, it was getting darker, but the street light poles still hadn't .

“So...” Jinki held onto his bag with both hands, cutely swaying it a bit. “...thanks so much for helping me, I don't even know what to say.”

“Sure.” Minho didn't really like that he was being thanked, because that meant that he was preparing to leave. “The wedding is on Saturday?”

“Mmh.”

Minho wanted to suggest changing contact info, so that he could ask how it went, but somehow that didn't feel enough. “And your ex will be there?”

“Mmh. But it's OK. I will try to not let it bother me.” He answered unconvincingly, his gaze dropping down to the ground.

“Do you have a plus one?”

“Yes, but I don't really have anyone...”

“I could come.” Minho blurted out stupidly, and immediately cursed himself for not being smoother about this. What was with him today?

“What?” Jinki looked up at him surprised.

“I mean... if you want. To make your ex jealous?” He suggested, hoping that he would take the bait.

“I... I don't think he would be jealous because of me.”

“He totally was today, and he totally would be again if you brought someone. Since he already thinks I'm your boyfriend, it makes sense. At least then he wouldn't bother you during the wedding?”

Nibbling on his lower lip, it was obvious that Jinki was picturing it, so Minho tried to be patient.

Then Jinki let out a breath and shook his head. “I can't ask you to do that, you've already done too much for me.”

“Will there be dancing at the wedding?”

“I think so.”

“And good food?”

“Probably.”

“So I would be eating good food and having fun, that sounds kind of great actually.” Minho smiled and hoped that Jinki could be convinced. Because he wanted to go. He wasn't even completely sure why, but he needed to go. He was already so invested in this wedding, and he wanted to see how happy and handsome Jinki would look in his new suits. Minho also wanted to protect him from his jerk of an ex, who would undoubtedly hit on him again when he saw how good Jinki looked and Minho hated that with every fiber of his being.

“I... I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable.”

“Why would I be uncomfortable?”

“It's... Hwasa is marrying another woman.”

“Yes?”

“So it's a gay wedding.”

“Yes?”

“And there is going to be a lot of... gay people, gay... stuff. So I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable.”

“Why would I be...” Suddenly Minho realized what the issue was. “Jinki-sshi do you think I'm straight?”

“Yes?”

“Well, I'm not.” Laughing a bit at the absurdity of this, he added: “I'm really not.”

“You're not?” Jinki looked at him stunned.

Minho shook his head, not really understanding how he could have thought that he was, when he had been flirting with him all day. But admittedly his game was completely off today, and he hadn't been his usual self.

“You really are not straight?” He tilted his head like he truly didn't believe him, like the thought hadn't even crossed his mind.

“No. So... anything gay that might happen at the wedding, or... during that night won't bother me at all.” He lightly his lip, trying to turn his charm back on (usually it worked so well, except for now, when he really needed it).

Jinki's eyes dilated slightly, like he finally was thinking about the two of them together. Their eyes met, and for a moment the world stopped spinning.

After a while, Jinki cleared his throat, and looked away. “If you really want to come...”

“Yes.”

“Okay.” Jinki smiled at him, fully, looking absolutely beautiful. His smile softened and he added: “And don't worry. Even though you're gay I won't have any expectations... I know it's not like that, so don't worry.”

Minho seriously wanted to scream at him to have expectations, and that it was like that. But Jinki had agreed to let him come, so he didn't want to put that in jeopardy by being a complete nutbag, so he bit his tongue and didn't say anything.

Very awkwardly, they changed contact information.

“Well, I'm going this way.” Minho said afterwards.

Unfortunately Jinki pointed in exactly the opposite direction, so Minho couldn't suggest walking with him without looking like a creep.

“Oh, then... see you Saturday.” After a moment's hesitation, he added: “I'm looking forward to it.”

The biggest smile appeared on Jinki's face and at exactly that moment, the light poles were , lighting him up like an angel.

Making a fist, Minho prevented himself from pinching those adorably chubby cheeks.

Waving cutely, Jinki turned around and started walking. Few steps later he looked back again and blushed when he noticed Minho still looking at him, so cute that it made Minho softly groan.

When he was out of sight, he groaned louder and muttered to himself: “How are you so cute?”

Sighing, he started thinking about the upcoming wedding with the stupidest grin on his face. Starting to picture Jinki in his new suits with his cute bowtie, Minho thought about what he should wear. Something nice, but not too flashy, he didn't want Jinki to feel like he was trying to steal his thunder. It would be best if they would subtly match, not too much, but enough to make them really look like boyfriends. He wasn't sure if he had anything like that in his wardrope.

Looking at his watch, most of the regular stores were about to close, but the mall would still be open. Feeling very excited, his stomach filled with butterflies and he quickly caught the first taxi that he saw.