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"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I don't know. I just am,"
Jisung looks back at his best friend who's swivelling around to face the desk instead of him, even though he was definitely staring a couple of seconds ago, despite whatever Minho says. He was staring.
It makes Jisung's heart flutter.
It's a slow day and Minho decided to take upon songwriting, which is unusual as he protests that his talents lie in dancing. When they're discussing songs, Minho tells them this and Jisung can't disagree, but of course, he tacks on that his hyung can do anything if he puts his mind to it. He also ruffles the older's hair for effect. Everyone giggles at them.
So now, Minho sits in Jisung's shared room and his ears are red from being caught staring and Jisung knows well enough that he's only pretending to be scribbling lyrics down by the exaggerated movement of the pencil. In short, he knows his hyung too well.
"What's on your mind then? If you're going to deny staring at me," Jisung asks teasingly.
"I wasn't staring! Let it go will you?" The other whines but there's no bite in his tone. It's their dynamic.
"Whatever you say hyung, but really, what's on your mind if you can't write? That's what you came for," Jisung finally moves off his bed after lying on it for most of the hour they've been in the room and stands behind Minho, one hand on the desk and one hand itching to touch Minho's hair. He refrains.
Minho only sighs and makes a grunt before chucking the pencil down and looks up at Jisung, who's only smiling down at him, his face slightly swollen from the chicken they had a while ago, but Jisung thinks it only adds to his cuteness. (Especially because Minho said so.) (But don't tell him that!)
"I don't understand how you ever wrote something in 15 minutes. Things have to rhyme and make sense and everything- and it's just complicated," The older boy sighs again and Jisung empathises. Songwriting isn't that easy. Sometimes, you'll write something you think is awesome and is your best work yet (the love letters he's written). But then a day later, the thing you wrote was really a disaster and then you trash it (the letters in the bin).
But persistence is key. "Eventually, you'll write something that works. Just try different things out," Jisung pulls his a folded chair from the side of the room and sits right next to Minho. "When I write, I tend to think of a line that I really liked which is what got me writing in the first place y'know? So then I build a story around it I guess, and I try out different variations of what I feel until something feels right, you get me?"
Minho only stares at Jisung whilst he's talking.
"So if a line isn't working it's alright, just try out another way to say that message if you get what I mean?" Jisung finally locks eyes with Minho. He's met with eyes staring blankly back, mouth open. "Sorry, I must be saying of unhelpful stuff to your face right now."
Minho blinks twice and grabs onto Jisung's arm before stuttering, "I was listening, I heard you I swear, I just- I got lost,"
"In what?"
"I don't know,"
Jisung won't let it slip away this time.
"Yes you do, so tell me,"
No answer.
Jisung sighs. He clasps hands with Minho's and intertwines their fingers, it's a subconscious thing to do at this point, it comforts Minho and likewise with Jisung - so he sees no reason not to. (Apart from the way his heart races just from doing it.)
"Hyung, lately- you've been more and more distant- and I know you, you'd think you look fine to everyone else but not to me. I know you," Jisung repeats.
"I can't help but think it's to do with me," He ends.
There's silence in the room. Jisung thinks he can't pressure Minho anymore - whatever's happening he wouldn't be obliged to tell Jisung, no matter how much he cares. Surprisingly- "Can I tell you something? Chan-hyung's been telling me to do so for ages. But I'm too scared," Minho says, his voice quiet and shaky - and Jisung's heart hurts for him.
Jisung only squeezes the other's hand, an indication to go on.
Minho lets out a soft scoff and averts his eyes from Jisung, before lying his head on Jisung's shoulder. It's a change for them. Jisung is the clingier one, coming in for hugs and random moments and Minho only really hits him teasingly and Jisung only acts offended to play along. But now, Minho puts one hand around Jisung's waist, almost moving onto his lap. He wants the comfort, Jisung can tell.
"Lately, I've been feeling differently. Like, not ill or anything, I've just realised, that the way I feel about- about people- are not the same to how I felt before," Minho quietly mumbles. Jisung lets him talk, card one hand through his hair.
"I don't want to make this uncomfortable or make it into a big show- but Jisung, I've been feeling differently for a while now," He pauses.
"I've been thinking about you differently," Minho says softly. His voice shakes, but it holds sincerity.
"I've been thinking about how it would feel if I could hug you with no conviction or underlying feelings, how I could give you a kiss on the cheek when you're being absolutely adorable as you normally are and how it would feel for you to kiss me back,"
"I think you understand already Jisung, you're so clever to me,"
"I really like you."
It's the one thing Jisung had wanted to hear so so badly.
He lets out a breath he didn't even know he was holding and nudges Minho's head. "Minho-hyung, look at me, please," The older lifts his head and stares down, and Jisung feels so overwhelmed with emotion he can't decide what he wants to say. He rests one hand on the other's jaw, thumb rubbing softly over his cheek.
"I like you too you know," He begins. "I like the attentiveness you give me, I like the playfulness we have, I like how you stare at me even though you think I don't know," Jisung smiles softly, tilts the other's head up. "I like you, the same way you like me." There. He's said it, he's told Minho what his heart has been clinging onto for the last couple of weeks. "Don't be scared, we're in this together,"
He hears Minho let out a shaky breath, and his smile grows. Locking with Jisung's eyes, the younger sees a shine in them, and he looks so happy that Jisung's own mouth pulls up into a grin.
"You're killing me, you're absolutely killing me Jisung, you feel the same- Chan-hyung was right, jeez- you like me-"
"Yes, I do, you're going to start rambling if I don't stop you now," Jisung laughs, a bashful Minho was one of the few things he'd think he'd ever see, but still he was beautiful and happy, his favourite look on the boy.
Minho tilts his head to the side, his grin completely apparent and loops his arms around Jisung's neck. "How else can you stop me?"
Jisung's already leaning in, already expecting a reply like that from Minho and he chuckles, "Wondered where my flirty Minho had gone,"
"He never left, he was right here, waiting for the right time with his impeccable charm," the other responds.
"Shut up you loser," Jisung giggles.
He kisses him, soft and slow, and the other only responds eagerly. They meet in the middle, though Jisung likes to think he got there first. He can't stop smiling. He kisses Minho and pecks his lips over and over with an enthusiasm that makes the other giggle in his arms. No fireworks, nothing of that sort, just kisses in a dorm room with emotions all over the place.
˚ · · ⋆ *
˚ . ˚
· . + . .
˚ · ✦ *
˚ . · * ✫
In the end, they're lying on Jisung's bed, waiting for Chan to call them for the takeout they've ordered and Jisung's tracing mindless patterns palm, almost holding Minho's hand, but not quite.
"You never finished that song," Jisung mutters quietly.
Minho sighs. "It was about you. I tried writing about you- but it was hard- I just didn't know what to say." Minho replies weakly, honesty rolling off his tongue.
"There are too many things to write about you," He adds on, kissing the crown of Jisung's forehead.
Jisung hums in response, contented.
He thinks that the other members in their group will find out eventually, whether they tell them or not because when Chan finds them huddled in the bed together with eyes only for each other, he scoffs and tells them how everyone's been rooting for them to get together and that dinner's ready so they should get their lazy asses out. Also, I told you he'd like you dumbass! with a blushing Minho to match. He leaves the room with a smile after Minho throws a pillow.
"I think Felix will figure us out first," Jisung bets, getting up from his comfortable position.
"No, Jeongin is going to shout his innocence is ruined when I kiss you at the table," Minho replies.
"You're going to kiss me at the table?" The younger replies with surprise.
"Do you have an objection?"
"No,"
"Good," Minho says, kissing him on the cheek.
. + .
✷ * . ·
✧ ✧ .
. ˚ * ˚
. ✦ ˚ .
Later that night, Jeongin will shout to Chan they're being disgusting at the table, Hyunjin will high five Jisung and everyone will smile at them lovingly until Felix points out that Seungmin and Changbin all owe him money.
("You bet on us? Jisung asks with Minho's arms around the former's waist.
"Wouldn't be me if I didn't," Felix grins and hugs his friends.)