If Jinki could get the words to come out of his mouth he would have asked the man long ago, but no matter how many times he thought it over the question died in his throat. Minho meant the world to him and there was no doubt in his mind that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. He knew that; he knew that he wanted to wake up to be the younger man wrapped up around him, and going to bed every night next to him. He knew, because every night he fell asleep thinking of the younger man and always woke up to thoughts about him first.

   They spent most of their time together, from cuddling on the couch to one of them going to the other’s place with breakfast. There were times where the younger man’s back would be killing him to the point that he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep even with the pain medication he was prescribed and Jinki came over late at night to massage it for him and Minho wouldn’t allow him to leave.

    They had been together for some time, so it wasn’t that the amount of time was rather short to be asking something as big as moving in together. He was just afraid; afraid of the possibility that Minho would say no to him, and afraid of looking like a fool for even asking such a thing. Maybe the younger man hadn’t even thought about living together, and if he had maybe he didn’t want to. Jinki wanted to ask, but only at the right time, and every time it was the right time to ask he ended up asking if the man wanted more popcorn or juice from the kitchen. Which he would go get and lay in his sheer foolish embarrassment for a moment before returning.

   So when Minho was at work one afternoon Jinki asked his best friend out for lunch. Jonghyun was happy to come, because he knew for a fact that the older man would pay for everything, and who doesn’t like a free meal?

   “So you’re telling me that you are being a wuss and you want my advice on how to ask my best friend to move in with you?”

   “Yes. That about sums it up.”  

    “Into your apartment?”

    Jinki just looked at him, his tapping fingers pausing in their motions against the cool wood of the table. “Uh, Yea. ”

     The younger man hummed before leaning down and shoving a couple bites of food into his mouth. Jinki sighed and continued to stare at him as he picked his water up and took a sip. After a moment Jonghyun looked back up and began to talk, crumbs of his food falling off his lips. “Minho’s fairly simple. Just ask him when you are on the couch or something?”

      “Because I haven’t thought of that?”

      “Then why did you ask me to lunch?”

      “I thought you’d actually know what to do!” Jinki snapped at him. “All you’re doing is mooching off me and saying things I’ve already thought of!”

      Jonghyun frowned as softly placed his fork on down on the edge of his plate. “Jinki are you really that nervous?”

      “Yes!” He exclaimed, before his expression fell as did his head as he pressed it into his hands. The man sighed before mumbling, “What if he says no?” The other man laughed then, and Jinki snapped his head up with a hurt expression on his face. “Why are you laughing?”

      “Because,” Jonghyun took a deep breath and seemed like he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from laughing still, but he managed to formulate a decent explanation. “If you honestly think that that man would ever, ever, say no to you then you really are an idiot.”

      Jinki pouted then, “He could.”

      Jonghyun bit his bottom lip to stop himself for laughing as he shook his head. “You have that poor man wrapped around your stubby little finger.”

      “They aren’t stubby!” Jinki whined for a moment before becoming quiet. After a couple minutes of pushing his food around his plate he looked up, “You really think he can’t say no?”

      Jonghyun smiled, “Yea. He’d never say no to his Jinki.” The older man blushed and tried to hide his face, and he was thankful when he couldn’t hear the other man laughing at him. He looked up when he felt a warm hand gently squeeze his hand. “He always talks about you.”

“Really?”

“Yea. He never shuts up to be honest with you. My Jinki this, a perfect Jinki that. Sigh.” The older man blushed, but Jonghyun just continued. “I remember this one time I was running his bath for him while he looked over my proposal, and he got upset when there weren’t any candles lit for him. You do that for him don’t you?”

Jinki scratched the back of his neck as he gave a small smile. “Yea. Apple Cinnamon mostly, or vanilla if he’s stressed out.”

“And then he has to listen to classical music before bed.”

“Really?”

“Yea. He told me that it made him feel like he was at your place and that he slept better when he did so.”

Jinki smiled at the thought. Minho really was too much sometimes, but he loved him nonetheless. Maybe it was just as simple as asking the man to move in with him. Maybe a fancy dinner before asking the man the question wasn’t needed.

“Thanks for today.” Jinki said with a smile.

“Sure thing.” Jonghyun replied, but his words weren’t heard as Jinki placed the money on the table and was rushing out the door. The younger man just shook his head with a chuckle before picking up his fork and began to eat again. He was mid bite when he looked over at Jinki’s good that he hadn’t finished and reached over with a huge smile as he mused, “Yes… totally need to do this again.” After taking a bite of the food he groaned, “Mmm so good.”

                                                                        xoxox

 Minho wasn’t expecting to see the older man to be on the other side of his classroom door when he opened it. Jinki had come to visit his classroom many times before, so often that the kids and the lady at the front desk loved him to pieces.

Jinki flashed a bright smile at him as he raised the lemonade pitcher in his hands slightly, “Thought you all would be parched.” He looked around the doorframe at the 15 pairs of eyes that were looking in his direction. “You don’t think Mr. Choi would mind do you little ones?”

They all either shook their heads or yelled for Jinnie. Jinki just smiled, kissed his boyfriend on his cheek softly and walked past him toward the desk. Minho blushed and quickly tried to gather himself as he pushed his palm on his wheels. When the kids moved to rush toward the big desk Jinki shook his head. A little girl pouted and asked softly, “But isn’t that for us Jinnie?” 

“It is.” Jinki said with a nod, before glancing back at Minho and adding, “But it’s up to your teacher if you get some, and when if you can.” 

All eyes were on him as he said, “Go back to your seats and finish your worksheet. Jinnie will be around to pour you a cup okay?”

All the second grader’s heads nodded as those who were standing rushed back to their seats, and those already sitting hurried to do their math problems. Jinki smiled at him for a moment before getting the paper cups from the cabinet that he had brought on one of his earlier visits, and walked around to place a cup on each desk. Then one by one he slowly poured his lemonade into the paper cup, making sure there were napkins under each before returning to his boyfriend that had been watching him the entire time. He then poured the man a glass and handed it to him, but Minho just placed it on the table in front of him.

Jinki frowned for a moment, because he really brought it for him, but then Minho was pushing a little out from his desk and pulling him into his lap. The older man quickly glanced around the room, to make sure that none of his boyfriend’s students were looking at him, and when they weren’t he looked back at Minho and slapped his shoulder softly.

“You shouldn’t do that you know.” He muttered quietly.

“What?” Minho mocked innocence as he smiled up at him. “There wasn’t another seat.”

“Mhmm.” Jinki rolled his eyes.

“So what do I owe this visit Hun?”

“Can’t I just bring you lemonade? Besides you get off in about 5 minutes.”

“Jinki.”

The older man sighed before softly saying, “I came to ask you a question, or well take you home and see if you wanted to stay.”

“You came to ask if I wanted to stay over at your house for a while? I do that most nights anyway.”

Jinki just shook his head. “No, I mean-“ but the shrill ring of the school bell interrupted him. He rushed off his lap and stood up, saying goodbye to the kids as they packed up and left. Minho was staring at him as the last kid left and the older man had returned from closing the door. Jinki gave a small smile as he tugged at his sleeve.

“You were saying.”

“I mean stay… you know for the rest of your life,” Jinki looked down at the floor and rubbed the back of his neck, before glancing up and adding, “with me I mean.”

“Huh? You aren’t making much sense.”

“I’m asking you to move in with me Minho.”

“Like… in with you?” Minho asked slowly, “Like sleep with you every night and wake up beside you? Call my home yours too?”

Jinki nervously laughed as he pushed his dark hair off his forehead. “Yea. Home would be with me, and you’d come into my apartment and make it yours… ours.” There was a pause, a little too long one before Jinki was shaking his head, “Look forget it. It’s prob-“

“Yes.”

Jinki blinked and stared at the man dumbly. “Wait what?”

“I said yes.” Minho swallowed slowly; his adams apple bobbing slightly. “To moving in with you. I’d love to.”

“Really?”

Minho cracked a smile. “Of course. Why would I say no to you?” Jinki shrugged; his shoulders raising and falling slowly as the younger man wiggled his finger. The older man walked toward him as if pulled by a string, and before he knew it he was straddling the man with Minho’s hands on his cheeks. “Does this mean I should start packing?”

Jinki chuckled and wrapped his arms around the man’s neck and pressed their foreheads together. “It means you’re mine Minho.”

But he had always been Jinki’s, and he tried to put that into the kiss that followed as he pulled the man closer. He just couldn’t stop smiling as they continued to kiss, or even after they finally parted and made their way over to the man’s- wait their- apartment.

As Jinki dozed off in front of him as they watched a movie he smiled and kissed the back of his neck.

Yea.

He could get used to this.