It's been three days since Joonmyun had dinner with Yixing and they have barely seen each other since. Joonmyun passes Yixing in the park Friday morning on his way to work and sends him a smile and a wave, both of which are happily returned, but he doesn't have time to stop and chat. Joonmyun receives a text message later that day expressing just how upset Yixing is that he didn't come say hello. The vast variety of sad emoticons accompanying said message makes Joonmyun chuckle rather than feel remorse, though.

Saturday comes and goes uneventfully. A few texts are exchanged between them (when Yixing remembers to actually reply), but Yixing is busy at work and Joonmyun doesn't want to bother him so in the end they drop that.

And now it's Sunday and Joonmyun is staring at the phone he clutches in one hand. In his other hand he's holding a movie he's been wanting to watch for a while, but there's a very persuasive voice inside his head trying to convince him that it would be a lot more entertaining if he watched the movie with someone else rather than by himself. This 'someone else' would of course be Yixing. Hence the staring at the phone and the general hesitance. Because while Yixing had said that he would like to hang out again, Joonmyun fears that it's too soon for that. He's not very exciting company, anyway. Yixing probably has better ways to spend his Sunday night.

Joonmyun has been typing and deleting and typing and deleting the unsent message for a while now. He has made it through the 'typing' part of the cycle for the umpteenth time and the letters that glare up from him from the screen of his phone seem to be mocking him. Are you busy? It's his fifth attempt at wording a message that's not too casual, not too formal. It's simple and straight to the point. He's still not sure if it's good enough.

A glance at the clock makes Joonmyun let out a heavy sigh. It's been thirty minutes. This is ridiculous. He's a grown man, not a teenager. It should not be this hard for him to send a simple text to a friend. He takes a deep breath. Then he clicks the send button. He practically flings the phone away from himself once it's done and it bounces on the couch. Joonmyun is up and out of the room before he can second-guess himself any further.

The minutes that pass before Joonmyun receives any form of response feel like an eternity. When his phone finally rings, the mix of eagerness and anxiety that wells up in him nearly makes him stumble over his own feet as he hurries across the room to answer it. He presses the phone to his ear with shaky hands. “Hello?”

“Hey,” comes Yixing's voice from the other end. He doesn't sound bothered or bored or anything like that, he mostly just sounds like his own, calm self. Joonmyun is relieved. “What's up?”

“I, uhm...” Joonmyun picks up the DVD he abandoned on the coffee table as if Yixing can actually see him. “So... well... there's this movie I-I've been wanting to watch and I was... I was wondering if you'd like to, you know, watch it, maybe? With me?” Smooth.

“Hmm,” Yixing says pensively. “And where would we be watching this movie?”

Joonmyun channels all the casualness he possesses into his voice when he says: “My place.”

“Hmmm,” Yixing says again, dragging the sound out a little longer this time around. Joonmyun totally doesn't hold his breath. “I'm at band practice right now, though.”

“Oh.” Disappointment sets in and Joonmyun can feels his heart drop all the way down into his toes. “That's... that's okay. Maybe some other time, then.”

“Give me some time to wrap up here and then I'll be over. Do you have snacks? I'll bring snacks.”

Joonmyun's brain is struggling to catch up. “Uh, no it's fine,” he manages. “Just bring yourself.”

“I'll bring snacks,” Yixing repeats with a tone of finality. Joonmyun can't think to object in any way. He's still trying to process the fact that Yixing actually agreed to his suggestion. “Sorry, I have to go now. You can just text me your address or something, I'm sure I'll find my way. Bye.”

“Bye,” Joonmyun says a little belatedly, but by then he's only speaking to the dial tone. Yixing has already hung up. The nervousness churning in Joonmyun's gut is there for another reason than just fear of rejection now. Yixing is coming over. Yixing is going to be in Joonmyun's apartment, in his home. Yixing is going to be let into Joonmyun's personal sanctuary, the one place where he feels like he can be himself. Yixing is coming over. Oh God.

In the time that passes after the call, Joonmyun nearly calls Yixing again to cancel. Twice. He manages to talk himself out of it, but when the doorbell finally chimes, he still feels like his heart is making an attempt at escaping his chest cavity by forcing its way through his ribs with violence. He manages to put on a shaky smile to greet Yixing as he opens the door for him, though.

Joonmyun is met with the image of Yixing carrying two large paper bags in his arms. “Hi,” he says brightly. “I didn't know what kind of snacks you like so I just got a little bit of everything.” He jostles the bags and Joonmyun can tell they're filled to the point of bursting with convenience store goods. He absentmindedly wonders how Yixing even accomplished ringing the doorbell like that.

“Wow,” Joonmyun says. “Uhm, you didn't have t-...” Yixing interrupts his meek protest by blowing a raspberry, and Joonmyun's polite objections remain unspoken. He steps aside to let Yixing enter the apartment.

After kicking off his tattered sneakers in the entrance hallway, Yixing somehow locates the kitchen all by himself as if this isn't the first time visiting Joonmyun. Here he begins to unload the bags, package after package of candy and chips and chocolate and other things Joonmyun doesn't even recognize being piled onto the marble counter. Joonmyun watches the process speechlessly. He can't recall having this amount of snacks in his home ever before.

Once he's finished, Yixing takes in his work, and he gives a self-satisfied nod. Then he turns to Joonmyun. “Are you gonna give me a tour of the place or...?”

Joonmyun tears his eyes away from the small mountain that has accumulated on the counter. “Well, there isn't really all that much to see,” he says. Yixing simply shrugs, continuously smiling, so Joonmyun gives in and gestures for him to follow.

He shows him the work room where Yixing makes awed exclamations about the vast number of books on the shelves. He shows him the bathroom where Yixing stares so intently at the huge bathtub that Joonmyun has to grab him by the arm and physically drag him out of there to get him to leave. “I'm totally coming over to use that thing all the time,” Yixing vows, and Joonmyun has to try his hardest not to home in on the passing thought of Yixing taking a bath. He also has to remind himself to actually let go of Yixing again.

“My bedroom,” Joonmyun says as he opens the next door, and Yixing takes a curious look around. There really isn't much to see. There's a large bed with a nightstand on either side, a closet with mirror doors, a loveseat standing by the window in the far end of the room and a few trinkets and personal items scattered about. That's all.

“So this is where the magic happens?” Yixing remarks, at which Joonmyun lets out a dry laugh.

“Unlikely.” He says it without thinking, because he really can't remember the last time someone else was in his bedroom with him. Or in his apartment, for that matter. It doesn't take long for it to strike him what he just accidentally admitted, though, and the realization makes him flush from head to toe. Yixing is looking at him with an expression Joonmyun doesn't really know what means, all he knows is that it makes him feel like his skin's on fire. He clears his throat and averts his gaze. “Alright, l-let me show you the living room.”

To Joonmyun, this is nothing impressive, but to Yixing it seems to be. “Your TV is like the size of my entire kitchen!” he exclaims.

“It's not that big,” Joonmyun says sheepishly.

“You don't know that,” Yixing retorts. “You haven't seen my kitchen yet.”

“Yet,” Joonmyun repeats, halfway in disbelief, and Yixing smiles brightly at him. He looks like a kid in a candy store as he takes in everything; movies, music, more books, the view. Everything makes Yixing gawk, which in turn makes Joonmyun's heart clench. Yixing's reactions are endearing.

At some point Yixing's eyes land on the movie that's still placed on the coffee table. He crosses the floor and plops leisurely down on the couch, picking up the DVD to look at the cover. He seems so comfortable and at home in Joonmyun's apartment even though he has never been here before. Joonmyun thinks he could get used to Yixing being a more or less fixed element in his house. “Is this the movie you wanted to watch?” Yixing asks.

“Hm? Oh, uhm, yeah. But, uh, we can watch something else if you...” Joonmyun goes quiet as Yixing stands and walks towards him.

“You get this going,” Yixing says, handing Joonmyun the DVD. “I'll prepare the snacks.” He leaves without giving Joonmyun a chance to say anything. Joonmyun just does as he's told.

When Yixing comes back, he comes balancing bowl upon bowl upon bowl. He even has a bottle of soda sandwiched between his arm and the side of his body, and he sets everything down until it's taking up the entire coffee table and then some. Then he gets cozy on the couch again, looking expectantly at Joonmyun.

Joonmyun is more tentative as he takes the seat next to Yixing. His heart is racing. He doesn't even know why he's so nervous. This is just two friends watching a movie together. It's not like anything is going to happen between them, that would be ridiculous. They're just friends. He takes a deep breath, hoping that Yixing can't hear how shuddery it is, and presses play.

They're less than halfway through when the sleepiness hits Joonmyun. He's exhausted because he's been stressed out for hours, first about inviting Yixing over and then about wanting to make a good impression on him, and paired with all the unhealthy food now lying heavily in his stomach, it's enough to make Joonmyun really drowsy really fast.

“Sorry,” he mumbles after being overcome by another yawn.

“If you're that tired, maybe we should call it a night,” Yixing says with clear concern in his voice.

Joonmyun instantly sits up straighter. “No no, I'm fine,” he says quickly. The last thing he wants is Yixing leaving. He practically just got here.

After that, Joonmyun tries very hard to focus on the movie. He was the one who invited Yixing over, he should play the part of a good host. Good hosts definitely don't fall asleep on their guests. But no matter how diligent Joonmyun's attempts are, his eyelids only gets heavier and heavier, and they continue to droop until he can't keep them open anymore. And in the end, he succumbs to the temptation of sleep.

~*~

A/N: I have nothing to say about this because nothing happened. fortunately, the next chapter will be slightly more interesting.
I have been made aware that it is thanksgiving in americaland at the time of me posting this (if you read this story a some point in the future, this probably isn't relevant... unless you are coincidentally reading this on another thanksgiving, in which case, carry on), so to all of you kittens celebrating that: happy thanksgiving. be happy and be safe.
here is a yixing.

ps. also, a very happy birthday to park chanyeol. ♥