Minseok is Xiumin from exo. Not Minho's older brother.... just fyi :D

 

 

Minho really didn’t know what to make out of the assisted living complex when Jinki pulled into the parking lot. At first he thought that they were taking a short cut to where ever the boy was driving him, but then he parked in a spot and turned the key. Without the steady rhythm of the motor and the air conditioner the car was rather silent. Way too silent if you asked Minho.

 

“Hyung.”

 

Jinki jerked at the soft said word as if it had been yelled straight into his ear. His eyes were huge, but the look in them were deflated. Beaten down, as if he had put up a fight to stay together and had just given up the battle. “I have to warn you that this probably isn’t want you expected… Just… Please stay calm and don’t overreact. You’ll scare him.”

 

“Scare who?” But Jinki was already stepping out of the car and slamming the door shut. Minho rushed out of his own and followed the boy to the trunk. “Hyung who?”

 

Jinki hoisted a light orange bag over his shoulder and looked up at him. “My little brother.”

 

Not another word was said as Jinki slammed the trunk close and walked toward the front door. Minho decided that it was best not to ask anything else, or say a single thing. Not yet anyway. The man at the door smiled as if he’s seen Jinki plenty of times before. The lady at the desk didn’t even ask him to sign in, as if he had been here so many times that he didn’t have to. She seemed rather surprised to see him though. Maybe Jinki didn’t bring many people with him. Minho didn’t have to sign in either. He wondered why that was.

 

Jinki lead him down the hall to the right. After taking 2 lefts and another right he finally stopped at the second to last door. He took a deep breath and glanced over, “He’s not used to new people… so just wait here for a moment okay?”

 

Minho nodded quickly and Jinki gave a small appreciative smile. He then disappeared behind the door. Minho heard a very happy shriek of a young child, or at least he thought it was. He faintly heard Jinki’s voice, muttering and soft whispers. A couple minutes later the door opened to reveal the boy. He seemed a little better, but there were new lines of stress evident in his eyes. “Come on. Quietly though.”

 

When he walked in he expected to see a small child. Not a teenage boy. He expected to see maybe a 5 year old. Not a boy that looked about his age. Jinki stepped toward the teenager across the room, who was cowering behind a teddy bear. “Jinnie who’s he?”

 

That wasn’t the voice of a teenage boy. Jinki took a couple more steps toward him. “He’s Minho. The one I told you about remember?”

 

The bear lowered slightly. “The noodle man in the pictures?”

 

Jinki smiled fondly. “Yes little bun.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Jinki took the bag that had been on the floor and moved it to the table directly in front of the other teen. “Minseok I brought some cards like you asked me to.”

 

Minho watched as the boy rushed toward Jinki on the floor. He crossed his legs and bounced in his spot. “Can we play go fish? Can we? Can we Can we?”

 

Jinki laughed, and it was so warm. It was so different than any laugh Minho had ever heard from him, but it made his heart ache. Jinki looked up at him for a moment and with his eyes motioned for him to move closer. “Do you mind if Minho joins us?”

 

Minseok seemed hesitant, “Sure…. Since Jinnie trusts him.”

 

Jinki held out his hand and Minho slowly accepted it. After he sat down his hand was released, but not after a soft squeeze was given to the older boy. Jinki seemed to appreciate it.

 

“How many cards do we get again?” Jinki asked, asked big and bright as he stared at the deck of cards in his hand.

 

Minseok playfully slapped his brother’s arm, “7 silly!”

 

With a laugh Jinki replied, “Oh yeah. That’s right.”

 

Minseok beamed. “What would Jinnie do without me?”

 

Jinki leaned over and kissed his brother’s temple. “I’d be completely lost.”

 

 

 

 

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Later that night Minseok asked Minho to help him put a puzzle together, and he happily agreed. Jinki seemed tired, and he’d rather have the older boy just relaxing as he watched that playing along.

 

They stayed there for a couple hours before Jinki finally said it was time to go. Minseok whined loudly because he just made a new friend and he wanted them to stay, but Jinki knew it was his bedtime. “Jinne will be back soon okay?”

 

Minseok looked up from his mounds of blankets and plushie. His eyes drifted from Jinki to Minho, “Noodle too?”

 

Then Jinki’s eyes were also on him. “It’s all up to Noodle.”

 

“I’d gladly come back. We have that horse puzzle to finish remember?”

 

“Yay! Horsie!” Jinki kissed his brother’s forehead and said goodnight before leading Minho out the door quietly.

 

After the door was shut Jinki seemed to deflate once again. He glanced up at Minho for a moment before his gaze fell again. “Would you like something to eat? The cafeteria here isn’t that bad.” Before he could respond Jinki added, “ I’ll answer all your questions too.”

 

“Okay.”

 

 

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“What’s.. I mean how… I..” Minho wanted to smack himself for his lack of ability to ask a question.

 

Jinki smiled almost sadly. “What’s wrong with him?” Minho nodded in embarrassment. “It’s a long story.”

 

“You don’t have to tell me.”

 

Jinki shook his head. “After all that you deserve to know.” After a soft smile he continued. “When I was in the 8^th grade I went to this soccer camp in Busan. For 2 weeks, it was just soccer. They had professional players there, I got one on one help on what I was doing wrong. I saved up for months just to get the half of the pay so I could go. My parents brought Minseok up to see me about half way through. He was in 6^th grade and he missed me…. On the way back they got into a car accident. All of them survived thank god but my little brother wasn’t the same when he woke up.”

 

Jinki’s voice was getting weaker, the strength behind it slowly draining away as he tried his hardest to stop the tears forming on his eyelashes from falling. Minho swallowed thickly and asked, “What was wrong?”

 

Jinki took a shuddering breath, “In the crash he experienced severe brain trauma. It’s a miracle he knows what he does.” A couple tears fell and the boy quickly wiped them away. “He has the mind of maybe a 6 year old. He’s learning, but….”

 

“But?”

 

“He’s a lot better than he was 3 years ago. 3 years ago he barely could make the connection between my face and name. I had hope that he’d be able to go back to the little brother I knew. But..”

 

Finally Minho understood the tears earlier that morning. The phone call he accidently snooped on. He reached over and wrapped his hands around Jinki’s that were clasped on the table. The boy looked up in alarm, but his eyes were red. His cheeks were wet from tears and his bottom lip was pulled through his teeth. “They told you that there was little hope he’d be that boy again.”

 Jinki opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Just a broken sob he finally cracked. Minho didn’t know if he really wanted it, but he rushed out of his seat and wrapped his arms around him. Surprisingly Jinki returned the embrace. His head found the nook between Minho’s neck and shoulder, his fingers grasped the back of his shirt and pulled him in closer.

 

Jinki was always his captain. He was always the boy who knew what he was doing and was great and helping others who didn’t. Jinki was always warm smiles and a shoulder if you needed to lean on someone. He was an ear if you needed someone to listen to, and a great giver of advice. He was there for anyone when they cracked, but did he have someone to be there when he did?

 

Minho nuzzled his nose into Jinki’s neck and held on tight. He made soft shhing noises. He knew he shouldn’t say everything would be okay, because it wouldn’t and that’s not what Jinki needed. Not to him at least. To Minho Jinki needed someone to just be there. To share the burden so he didn’t have to go through it all alone, and Minho would be that someone. So he held on tighter and didn’t even think to complain about how wet his shirt was getting.

 

 

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When Jinki finally gathered himself together enough to drive him home he walked Minho up to his door. He smiled as he handed over the boy’s bag, and it wasn’t broken. There was the Jinki he knew behind it. “Thanks. For everything.”

 

Minho shrugged and scratched his neck as he tried not to look at the boy, “I mean I’m here for you.”

 

Jinki’s fingers wrapped around his arm to bring his attention back to him. When did he get so close? “I mean it Minho. I haven’t shown or told anyone about Minseok. You’re the first.”

 

“It.. it’s nothing really.”

 

Jinki smiled bigger this time, and man he was close. His fingers were rather warm on his arm though. “I’m glad I met you.” Jinki’s eyes looked from his eyes to his lips and then back up to his eyes. He chewed on his lip for a moment before moving closer. “Tell me to stop if you don’t want his.”

 

Minho was about to ask what he would want to stop, but then Jinki’s eyes were closed and his plush lips were soft against his own. A moment later his own eyes fluttered shut. Jinki took it as okay and pushed against him a little harder, moving his hand up to his cheek. His fingers were rather warm. Just like his lips.

 

The kiss was over as quick as it came. Minho opened his eyes to see Jinki smiling softly at him. “I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

 

“Ye-yeah.”

 

Jinki kissed his cheek and whispered one more thank you before walking back to his car.

 

Minho was about 89 percent sure he stood there and stared at those tail lights until they disappeared; his lips still tingling slightly.