— — —

After a long year of a foreign city, Jisung finally had the time to return to his home county. It took some doing since his corporate profession took a toll on his free time, but finally, he found an opportunity to take some time out during the summer in order to travel back home for a well-deserved family visit. The bustling streets and life he held in Gwangju could never fill the heavy hole in his chest like Incheon could; the people make the place, after all, those people being his family and closest friends.

The close friends he grew to miss in his time away being a bubbly blond boy and his equally as excitable, brightly grinning accomplice, both sat in the latters red, vintage Mustang parked just outside Jisung's family home. Seeing them pull up outside the window made him feel like a kid again, remembering how he'd race down the path to meet them to commence often with a game of football across the street. Hindsight would say that some of the trio's antics were unarguably stupid, many resulting in injuries, but nothing can compare to a memory tied to a scar you obtained at eight years old with your pals.

The memories of their shared adolescents influenced Jisung's hyperactive run to the back of the car, throwing himself into the back seat of the convertible instead of opening the door. After coming into contact with the pristine, off-white leather seat, the boy shot himself upright, beaming smile on his face as he met eyes with the owner of the car.

"Hyunjin, dude, you got the leather redone? Last time I saw this I'm pretty sure there was a hole right there." Jisung prodded a finger into a spotless point on the seat, settling himself back as the mentioned pulled away.

Hyunjin nodded, glancing at the other through the rear view mirror for a moment before replying, "Yeah, that shit cost a small fortune to be redone, but I couldn't stand being reminded of Felix's dumbass." The comment earned him a slap from the passenger seat, the blond haired boy looking mockingly offended.

"Hey! My duct tape skills weren't good enough for you?" He joked, turning to look at Jisung in the back seat, seeming way too proud of himself. "I did a great job."

Hyunjin didn't allow for any time to interject, shooting the blond down instantly. "Felix, my seats are white! You used leopard print duct tape! I didn't even know they made that!" He tried to seem annoyed but couldn't help the laugh that followed.

It would seem by their bickering that nothing had ever been different, like Jisung had never left, and that was the best part about them. He could have been away for years longer but they'd just pick up right where they'd left off, a snarky comedic jest to kick it all off in seconds. After their joking simmered, they caught up with life stories over the past twelve months, mostly Jisung complaining about his.

Their afternoon together was filled with laughter and jokes, all over a meal at a local diner they'd come to love. It wasn't high on the quality scale but it was a part of the reminiscing, so that was excused. Once they'd finished up, the trio hopped right back in the car for Hyunjin to take them to a mystery location as far as Jisung knew, the sun setting overhead but it made no odds at all.

"So uh, where are we headed?" Jisung questioned the pair in the front seats, silently hoping for the mystery location to not be outdoors since there was a chill in the air. It may have been the fact that they were driving around with the top down, but summer got a whole lot cooler when the sun dipped behind the mountains. Just a T-shirt and jeans would get him by for now, at least he hoped so since he left without a jacket.

"You remember that guy Matthew from Uni? Changbin and Chan were pretty tight with him?" Felix pitched, not really answering the question but no doubt getting to it. Jisung nodded along, vaguely remembering the mentioned males face from a few years back. "Well, he's kinda minted now, those two got invited to some big house party and were told to bring some friends so... You down?" Felix wiggled his brow, a tack tick of his to indicate the fun he reckons it would be.

Jisung let the thought simmer for a moment, ultimately deciding it wouldn't hurt. There would obviously be a little drinking involved which wouldn't be too much of an issue since he was planning on staying at Felix's anyway, not wanting to wake his family by stumbling in a little over tipsy at 4am. He agreed, also somewhat interested in seeing who else would be there for him to catch up with.

— — —

They weren't wrong, this guy was clearly incredibly well off. The house was something to marvel at; huge shining chandeliers, curved plasma screen hanging on the wall, countertops of polished marble, everything looked as if it were worth more than the boys themselves. It would be a flawless beauty if it weren't for the drunk and rowdy people cramming every last corner of the main room, dancing the night away to the hammering bass drilling from the speakers.

Jisung huddled behind his friends, waiting as they scanned the room supposedly looking for someone. He was tempted to join the teaming dancefloor like he would in any other situation, though decided against it since he was here to spend time with the pair who were still looking around.

"There!" Felix yelled, a little over excited as he pointed through the crowd at a small group by the staircase. The blond grabbed both Hyunjin and a slightly confused Jisung, the boy not making out any faces across the scarcely lit room. The three made their way through the crowd, making sure not to lose one another as they weaved through numerous people to finally arrive at the group.

Upon arriving, Jisung finally recognised two of the faces; one being another of their friends, Chan, while the other was vaguely recognisable as the house owner. The taller, Matthew, noticed as they approached, raising the beer bottle in his hand as something akin to a wave. His action alerted both Chan and the girl between the two to their presence, her unfamiliar face sporting a smile while Chan's lit up like Christmas lights.

"Holy— Jisung! I didn't know you were in town again!" Chan completely blanked both Hyunjin and Felix, gunning straight for the mentioned and pulling him into a hug. Jisung welcomed his old friend's hug of course, leaving him to make awkward eye contact with the two Chan had been conversing with. The man seemed pretty relaxed, while his female friend appeared to be examining Jisungs face, brow the smallest bit furrowed. Chan released the younger, turning back to gesture at the other two for introductions, "I'm sure you remember Matthew, and this is Jiwoo. Guys, you know Jisung?"

Matthew nodded along as Chan spoke, a friendly grin offered to the younger. Though it took her a second or two, Jiwoo exchanged her contemplating expression with one of realisation after Chan spoke the boy's name. She snapped her fingers as she came to a conclusion, pointing a finger in the direction of Jisung while he stared right past her. "That's why I know you! You were with one of my friends for a while weren't you?" She turned her attention to Matthew, as if trying to key his memory also, "You know, that guy with the—"

Their conversation had long left Jisungs ears, his attention being ripped away upon noticing yet another familiar face among the crowds. This one however, this one wasn't nearly as easily forgotten. The sharp features yet underlying gentle nature had been all too reluctant to flee Jisungs mind. If Jiwoo hadn't mentioned what she had, Jisung would have pieced a puzzle together anyway.

It had been over a year since he'd seen the face of his ex-boyfriend, but today seemed to be filled with plenty of unexpected reunions.

"Ah, what was his name?—" Matthew questioned as Jisungs ear picked back up on their conversation, "Mi... Min—"

"Minho." Jisung breathed out with an absent-minded response, distracted by an odd feeling clouding his chest. Luckily for him, no one picked up on his change in demeanour, nor where his eyes refused to leave. He leaned into Hyunjin's side, a slight shake to his voice, "I'm gonna go grab a drink."

"Oh, uh, get me a—" The taller wanted to request, however, Jisung had disappeared before he could even try.

Luckily for the suddenly nervous boy, the mock bar set up in the house's kitchen was in the opposite direction of the male he hoped wouldn't notice him. He pulled up a stool at the little bar area, a bottle of beer ready for the taking. Of course, he took it, popping the cap off with ease and chugging a good quarter of the bottle in an instant. It was far from a secluded area, many people huddling the table filled with booze and a whole lot more scattered around dancing, drinking or both.

It was typical Jisung luck. Bumping into an ex would always be an awkward or dreaded moment to anyone. No matter what terms you departed on, good or bad, there would normally be an underlying tension upon a reunion. Thankfully there was no confrontation at this moment of time, the boy not knowing if he'd actually be ready for that.

It'd taken the year of him being away to cope with their split, he didn't need reminding of it again. Their separating terms were by no means bad or down to the fault of one another, but due to purely diverted futures and poor timing of things. What with Jisung getting himself a profession in Gwangju, as opposed to the others career choice more locally, it just didn't come to be. Circumstances such as these were arguably worse for the younger in the long run, not being able to stop himself from thinking about what could have been. It was rough, no doubt about that. It still was.

Before he could indulge any further into beer or thought, Jisung felt a light weight on his shoulder, said pressure turning him in his rotating bar stool. He glanced to his shoulder, noticing a dainty hand, equipped with talon-like red nails that dug into his shirt. Following the arm to the persons face, the brunette was taken aback to see an unknown woman, another beside him leant against the bar. She held a gaze as her hand trailed down his arm, giving the friend a look that seemed to transfer more information that a six-page essay.

"Well hey there, what's a guy like you doing sitting all alone?" She spoke low, sultry voice rolling off her tongue. Blonde hair flipped over her shoulder as she exposed her neck and collarbone with a quirk of a lip. Judging by her act, you'd guess her goal was seduction; lashes batting while her fingertips drew figure eights over his forearm. Jisung however, saw straight through the pairs game, spinning himself back to the bar.

"Just grabbing a drink." He stated matter of factly, though his tone wavered slightly when he noticed the second female reach away from his drink. He didn't think at all about the drink he'd left behind his turned back while speaking to the blonde, practically begging to be tampered with. The male noticed a little more bubble to his bottle than was present before, noting at the sight to definitely not drink anymore unless he wanted to be drugged.

"Oh really? Why don't you tip this thing back and come dance with us?" She borderline whispered in his ear, circling the neck of the bottle with her slim fingers and placing it back into Jisung's grip. He almost let a laugh slip at her attempt to cover up the fact that he'd pretty much caught her red-handed in roofie-ing his booze, her fingers continuing to run over the rim of the bottle's neck.

Feeling a tug at the back of his shirt, Jisung tried to brush their incessant touches and pushy demeanours off all while trying to keep his discomfort to a minimum on the exterior. Same as any other scheme, they prey on weakness, hold your nerve and you'd come out better than not.

"I'm uh, okay here thanks." He insisted, though not as confident as he would have liked.

"Aw come on... Don't be shy." Jisung felt the blonde hovering around his left side, waiting for him to crack like a vulture would a dying animal. Her friend was equally as crowding as she mirrored the actions to his right while trying her best to come off as seductive as possible.

Though it was subtle, the male still noticed the eye roll the blonde girl tried to hide. He knew their patience was wearing thin so also saw her more forceful approach coming as a result. "Yeah, come have a little fun." She slipped her hand into his, tugging it for him to get out of his barstool.

"No that's okay, really I—" He tried to resist but to not much avail. Jisung was tugged to his feet by the blond, her friend following way too close behind. They may have failed in getting the male to down his spiked beverage, but they must have had a back-up plan considering they were so adamant.

Jisung had almost given up on any hope on not getting dragged into their little scheme. There were too many people to be able to make a clean escape and he certainly wasn't one to be making a scene of sorts. With that said, he felt it was important to keep a positive outlook; after all, he avoided the drugs which meant there was a higher chance of keeping all his organs to himself. However, interrupting his "optimistic" train of thought, a voice projected their way from the crowd to their left.

"There you are! Excuse me, ladies.." It called towards them, their voice vaguely familiar over the music that was increasing in volume as they progressed to the dancefloor. Jisung turned his head to look with a slight desperation to be rescued from his current situation, except, he didn't know if rescue would end up being the word. The brunette expected to see Felix, Hyunjin maybe, Chan for heaven's sakes; anyone but the raven-haired male that met his gaze.

"What are—Hi, um— where—" Sentences that could convey anything at all were void at the sight of Minho parting the crowds to reach his side. The presence of the male was suffocating yet liberating in one, either feeling unwanted by the confused male who continued to struggle in freeing himself. The vice grip holding his hand was beginning to make him feel strangely sick, a wave of relief hitting hard at its final release.

Minho wasted no time in stopping the woman in her tracks, the surprise it gave her at being blocked of her path causing her hold on Jisung to loosen just enough for him to slip his hand free. Jisung still hadn't quite come to terms with the situation itself, still in the process of deciding whether or not he should let the older defuse his debacle or take his chance to run for it.

Either fortunately or unfortunately, once his hand had been freed from the boney fingers that once caged it, it was quickly enclosed again by a larger, more comforting one. Still struggling to comprehend the happenings within the last fifteen seconds, Jisung lifted his eyes to brush over the profile view of the raven-haired male who held a half smug, half threat-filled expression as he gave the invasive pair a once over.

"We're going over here." He stated, clearly not taking any arguments as he glared at the females once more before dragging Jisung into the crowds.

"O-okay." The younger barely had a chance to respond, not knowing if he wanted to escape this grip quite as much as he first thought.

While the pair weaved through clusters of people all dancing with little to no rhythm to whatever club song was playing, cups and glasses of alcohol sloshing away in amongst the enjoyment. Jisung however, he'd lost his drink to an ill-intentioned woman and her unidentified drugs. The effect, if he were to have drunk it, would surely be a strong feeling, though could debatably be rivalled by the feeling his increasing heart rate was pumping out.

The reason for the rise in tempo was no doubt due to seeing the face of the ex-boyfriend he'd struggled to move past, not to mention being dragged by the mentioned through people who were blissfully unaware of his turmoil. Once that fact sunk in, the thought process lead him to become ten times more aware of the fact that his hand was in Minho's. The worst part to his mind was that he didn't want to fight it at all; the familiarity and warmth were soothing in comparison to the cold and unwelcoming hand of the blonde woman he was once in the hands of.

By the time Jisung returned to the room rather than his own mind, Minho had dragged him as far away from the bar as possible, which also meant pretty damn far from where his friends had been. He wondered for a fleeting second if he should return to the group, but something told him that wouldn't be necessary just yet.

"God, people these days. You didn't drink that drink did you?" Minho spun to face the shorter male, hands still locked together. Jisung shook his head no, heartbeat fluttering at the olders reaction of relief, clamping a hand to his chest as if once panicked by the idea.

"T-Thanks for the escape," Jisung spoke, just louder than his average voice to be heard over the music, though shouting was unnecessary due to the forced close proximity. It was likely at this point that Minho had become aware of how nervous the younger male was, finally releasing his hand once he realised that it probably wasn't going to help the inevitably awkward atmosphere.

"No worries, I could see the discomfort from a mile away." He stated, attempting to sound as nonchalant as possible so to release the tension that would no doubt appear. Jisung took the smallest step closer, being bumped by drunken people and wanting to escape it. At the action, a gentle palm reached to cup his elbow, pulling him in ever so slightly to be straight in front of the other rather than half facing him.

"Yeah... That was... something else." Jisung finished his response with little focus on his words, most of his attention falling on the male before him.

Now that the chaos of happenings had come to a halt, he could finally sit back and take in just who was in front of him. The male wore a black pullover in combination with faded grey jeans and shoes Jisung could have sworn he'd seen on him before. It was odd how the smallest of details brought back once forgotten memories, the pattern in the fabric might as well have the moment stitched into it. Minho stared back at him with unknown thoughts behind his eyes, though Jisung was suspicious of it being similar to his own.

The silent moment was becoming a little too silent considering the sheer volume of the room, though Minho brought it back with a question. "So how come you're here?"

"I'm the plus-one of a plus-one," Jisung responded, the speed of his response a reflection of his eagerness to pick up a conversation again rather than getting too caught up thinking. Minho rose a brow to his answer, the younger knowing that was something he often did to prompt a continuation. "Felix thought it would be a bit of fun." He finished, the older nodding and mouthing a small 'ah' of understanding.

"So where is he? Haven't seen that gang in a hot minute." Minho asked, a brief laugh accompanying as he thought about how, before today, Jisung had probably seen them more recently than he had. His question caused Jisung's expression to fall just a little out of guilt, throwing a brief glance over his shoulder.

"I have no idea, I kinda ditched them." The younger gave a sheepish grin, considering returning to his friends to hang out as he'd been there for in the first place. Only fifteen minutes earlier, he'd walked through the door with them ready and waiting to spend some quality drinking time together. Yet, the idea of returning just yet didn't seem to cross his mind as important, the only thing of importance at that very moment being the one he tried so hard to forget.

"Doesn't seem like you..." The older said more to himself, knowing all too well how much Jisung's friends meant to him. He studied the shorter's face for a moment, coming to an unresolved subconscious conclusion that wasn't all that important anyway, yet bothered him a little to realise. Maybe that fact was why he never made time to visit the excitable pair of old acquaintances, because there was always some underlying jealousy of their importance.

Before it could get much further, Minho was jolted forwards by a harsh shove to his back. Fortunately, he managed to catch himself before toppling too far and landing on the smaller male in front of him. The action irked him of course, though it may have been a good thing considering it snapped him out of his accidental staring. Once steadied and subtly checking if Jisung was okay, he spun on his heels to face whoever the culprit was. "Um, excuse you—"

While Minho was distracted, it allowed Jisung to come to a conclusion of his own; that weirdly long stare didn't feel weird at all. It could have been down to the fact he was in a daze of his own. It could also have been the comment before. Either way, the attention from the older male caused a fluttering feeling to develop from his insides, one way too close to the way he felt one year ago. What made it better was that clearly, even if the older had moved on, he still remembers a thing or two about Jisung.

What's more, Jisung still remembered more than enough for him to recognise Minho's reaction to a moment ago as perfectly normal. Minho had always been one to stand up for himself, or Jisung, whether the situation was really that dire or not. He didn't take any shit, yet didn't deal it either. Perfect balance, which Jisung had always both admired and adored, though it did mean he had his fair share of stopping the other from taking too drastic actions. So at the display of the trait in a combination of his already flitting butterflies and sense of nostalgia, Jisung couldn't hold back the smile tugging his lips.

Once Minho turned back from his little spat, hair the slightest bit tousled with strands falling in his eyes. Ignoring the flaw to his style, the older gently cupped Jisungs elbow again, pulling him with him closer to the edge of the room. Presumably to escape too much of a crowd, Minho's actions brought them a metre or so from the wall while flipping their positions for Jisung to have a wide view of the rest of the lavish house, Minho's back to it all. At their halt, the pair stood a mere half foot apart, though unnecessary now that they had a little more breathing room.

He had no idea what drove him to do so, maybe the familiarity bringing out old reflexes, Jisung reached a hand up to brush the delicate fallen locks of hair back to their place with a single finger. His palm hovered over the older's cheek for the split second they met eyes, freezing up in the realisation of his actions. The embarrassment caused him to recoil his arm, it falling back to his side as a light blush dusted his face. Not knowing why any of this came over him was hardly a scapegoat, though resisting was a different story.

It was as if the older could read him like a book, though this book was padlocked and tried desperately to stay that way, yet the older held a master key. Minho could tell the younger was beating around the bush to avoid what they were both thinking about. He never failed to get to the point. "It's been a minute, huh." He said with a faint smile, one you could have missed if you weren't paying attention to detail, but of course, the younger was. The older was obviously referring to their previous status, knowing for a fact Jisung was avoiding addressing it.

"Yeah, kinda weird to be back. Lot of, uh... memories.." Jisung continued his avoidance game, twisting the conversation to hopefully somewhere else. However, it was without much hope.

"Of?" Minho prompted, the eyebrow quirk making a second appearance in knowing Jisung knew exactly what it meant.

"Friends, family, dumb shit we did in University," The younger listed anything and everything he could that he'd thought about in his return, even debating throwing in the fact that he found his childhood hamsters cage purely for the sake of filling space in the list. It pained him to say it but the older was clearly not going to let up. Jisung lifted his head, though his eyes refused to meet the other's as he spoke, "Us."

The nervousness and hesitancy in the youngers voice managed to put a dent in Minho's confidence. A sudden worry washed through him that forced a question out of his mouth. "But... Good ones, right?"

"Oh no—" Jisung let out almost within the same second. The moment he spoke the words he regretted them, realising just how it came across to the older since the disheart was plastered across his features. Jisung panicked as he fought the urge to cup the male's kicked-puppy-resembling face and stumble over correcting himself, opting to briefly explain with a concise summary of his thoughts. "Not 'oh no' you, 'oh no' him."

Jisung jabbed a finger in the direction of the dance floor, causing Minho to redirect his attention to behind him. The "him" Jisung had averted their attention to was Felix himself, quite obviously on tiptoes to look over the crowd. His head turned in every direction, scanning everyone like a Meerkat on the lookout. He was presumably looking for a face in particular which the pair would have guessed was Jisung.

The youngers reaction to the male gave Minho a furrowed brow, "I thought you came here with Felix?" He queried, confused as to why the other would have the reaction he did. Jisung, to the older's surprise, huddled in front of him, out of the view of his friend.

"I did! I'm just not ready to—" Jisung began to respond, realising that his subconscious was about to finish that in a way he didn't want to admit to himself. He quickly came up with an excuse to feed a confused yet patient Minho. "For his questions, yeah."

Before any more questions could be rattled off, or he could be spotted by his blond friend, Jisung sharply pulled the raven-haired male to one side and behind a mix of people.

"What are we—" Minho tried to ask as he was being tugged around.

"Avoiding my friends." The younger interrupted, not really wanting to get any further into it than that. Minho didn't bother to try for any more because, in all honesty, he was perfectly fine with it.

Jisung noticed his nosey blond friend weaving his way between people, getting an awful lot closer. He didn't want him to ruin their reunion. Not now. His hand took a fistful of Minho's pullover, leading him in the opposite direction, much like the older had done earlier to save him from his issue. They ended up on the opposite side of the room in the midst of the dance floor, Jisung turning back to face Minho, fist still clutching his top. In his flurried state, the younger spun back around, unexpected by Minho which resulted in a small bump into one another.

"Oh, sorry, you good?" Minho asked, feeling how the others head collided with his shoulder. It gave him the smallest of dull aches, but he wasn't bothered about himself at the moment. Even though he'd heard him loud and clear, Jisung failed to respond, a surprised expression on his face as he released his grip. Minho was once again puzzled by his lack of response. "What's wrong?"

Jisung shook his head. The shorter took a moment to smooth out the wrinkles he made in the chest of Minho's top, running his palm over the creased patch all while feeling his firm build. He realised that once again he failed to answer the question, though not stopping his smoothing. "Nothing, just... You've uh, been building up?"

He couldn't ignore the blatant grin Minho possessed at his comment, gathering the other was referring to his physique. Jisung made this fact even more blatant than the olders grin, running a hand across his chest to squeeze his bicep. Of course, Minho flexed but pretended not to.

"Yeah, had to do something with my time." He responded nonchalantly though his insides were squirming. Jisung seemed to be in some sort of trance, his admiration wasn't overly surprising since Minho had quite obviously been working out. He'd always been broader than the younger, but never nearly as chiselled as he'd become. Since they were clearly in the realm of compliments being not super awkward anymore, Minho decided to state one of his own that he'd noticed at their first encounter.

"The shirt looks great on you." He spoke a little softer than before, his words pausing the youngers actions as he examined the fabric his own body sported. It wasn't anything exciting, a simple t-shirt with a small patterned pocket to one side of his chest. It hung loosely over his body for the only reason that he wasn't one hundred percent confident it belonged to him in the first place. That thought being the only thing to spring to mind, he used it to forward the conversation.

"Honestly I don't think it's mine, found it in my old drawer at Mum's house but—" He paused, hearing it out loud made it a little more blatant to the issue. He tugged at the hem of the shirt out of sheer nervous habit. If the shirt didn't belong to him, it certainly wasn't his mothers, or his brothers since the boy was smaller than himself. In hindsight, mentioning that may not have been the best idea.

"Thought it looked familiar..." Minho smiled, oddly satisfied with his correct conclusion. It had once belonged to himself. The younger seemed a little embarrassed about this fact, remembering how he couldn't bring himself to throw out the olders items on their split. He simply left them behind, hoping to leave the feelings with the fabric.

That plan, clearly not a great one, had ultimately backfired. The shirt held memories of the older, and now that he wore it with that in mind, he realised that none of the feelings attached had truly dissipated, only disguised themselves under the cover of distractions. At that point in time, there were no longer any of his usual distractions; work, hobbies, friends, none present at all. Only the raven-haired male stood before him, same old devilish smile hooking his attention.

In amongst all the haywire of a booming house party with drunken and rowdy young adults just barely making their way, time seemed to hit reverse at the youngers will. Suddenly, everything felt like it did just over a year ago. An easy, heart-eyed atmosphere that lifted all pressures from any surrounding issues. Jisung had forgotten how at ease the raven-haired male made everything; like a summer zephyr rustling delicate leaves on its travels.

It might have been his imagination, but he could have sworn the older took a small step closer, or maybe he was that close to begin with. Whether he'd been in such a short distance for long or not, Jisung decided to use the proximity to his advantage. The low light of the house's interior made the raven-haired male look all the more attractive in those moments of exchanged looks, dragging his eyes over every last refined feature of Minho's face. Jisung refused to leave a single part unnoticed, each and every one as inviting as the other.

Interruption came in the form of a gentle and hesitant palm coming to rest on the youngers hip, it providing a light pressure yet heavy enough to coax him forward. With the further enclosing of proximity, came the mere inches between the tips of their noses and the sudden notability of their height difference. Though it was only an inch or so, it felt like so much more to Jisung, making it all the more easy to get lost in the presence of the male who made him feel so incredibly small, yet like the most important person in the room.

Jisung's mind was running wild. So many scenarios of how this evening would go had passed by at the door, more once seeing some old friends, branching to a vastly different set when bumping into Minho. He'd like to say none of which ended quite like this, though it had been a possibility to fly by which he'd brushed off at its absurdity. With these passing thoughts returning, Jisung suddenly recalled the friends he was meant to be spending time with, one of which had come looking for him moments ago.

In an instant, Jisung broke his gaze from the male in front of him, darting it over the others shoulder to scope out the sea of people. He noticed what he thought was his group, slightly above the crowd due to their position on the stairs, though rather than returning as his mind said would be the logical idea, he followed his gut.

In the time it took for the poor, dazed Minho to grasp anything to proceed, Jisung took action all while hoping (though he felt the smallest pang of guilt about it) the taller of his pair of party-going pals wouldn't notice him in the males clearly surveying stance.

The younger spun his head, gripping Minho's arm in the process just to make sure he didn't let go just yet. In his observations, he noticed a doorway not too far behind them, leading into what looked like a more quiet, secluded lounge. It wasn't exactly cut off from the world; the doorway being more of an open archway and what appeared to be floor to ceiling windows overlooking god-knows-what part of the property. Jisung quite frankly didn't care. The only thing he cared about was that there was no one there as that's where the party wasn't.

In one fell swoop, Jisung slipped his hands down the olders arms, gripping both wrists as he took quick paces backwards to the area he'd eyed up, Minho following along with no resistance. The evening had so far felt like a cat and mouse chase, the two just barely slotting their moments between running away from just about everyone. Minho gathered that was what they were doing once again, watching as the younger peered around the wall he'd flushed his back to, checking for any followers.

Once he was sure the coast was clear, he turned himself back to Minho, a peculiar contentedness falling over him at the feeling of the same hand returned to his hip. Jisung instinctually placed his own to rest a forearm over the olders shoulder, becoming all too comfortable with the familiarity of the setting.

"I feel like teenagers again, avoiding our parents..." Minho spoke through a small grin, amused by the likeness of the situations. It brought a similar smile to Jisung's face, glad he wasn't going to be questioned on his spur of the moment action. Along with that teenage hide-and-seek aspect of their evening, Jisung felt that adolescent giddiness that couldn't be controlled bubble up within.

"I wish we were." Jisung returned, letting his heart speak before his mind could stop it. He hadn't done that in a while, choosing to stick with reasoning over what he longed for. It's the only way he could keep himself in Gwangju rather than returning the moment he got there.

Though they'd been apart all those months, Jisung could still read the older's expression as if he'd written his thoughts out on a notepad. Minho's eyes studied his own, looking for something. They searched the depths of his very being for something akin to confirmation of what the raven-haired had read of the younger. Jisung himself knew Minho could see straight through him, knew he couldn't hide what he was itching for. In a fleeting thought, he wondered if he should bother trying, seeing the same display of longing etched to the older as well.

Jisung found his affirmation, having to resist a grin at the feeling of Minho's right hand raising to cup his jawline, left still firmly on his waist. It could have gone unnoticed but with every sense on overdrive, the gentle stroke of the thumb to the fabric over his hip sent a wave of contentment throughout the younger. He realised through these intimate actions that his suspicions towards the olders want was a mirror image of his own.

Deep brown eyes flitted their attention from Jisung's own to his marginally parted lips, feeling the olders breath fan them as there was a subtle decrease in distance. Minho stopped himself from closing the gap completely, wanting to gain some sort of verbal confirmation yet not knowing what to say. The pad of his thumb stroked a soft arc across Jisung's cheek. The action caused the second pulse of jitters through the younger, prompting him to push his cheek towards the touch, feeling like a cat yearning for attention.

Jisung's thoughts faltered for a moment, mind shutting off for a brief second to allow his body to take over just for a moment or two; though a second of courage was all it took. He refused to let the hesitance linger any further and did what the older was still wavering to do. Lacing his fingers together behind the older's head, he squeezed his forearms just a little closer together to close that final inch to connect their lips.

Jisung didn't want to look further than it being the nostalgia talking, but right now all he wanted was that familiar taste back on his tongue. A taste he didn't realise he'd longed for for so long. Usually, his self-control was of a high degree, though that quickly changed the second he realised he wanted to drop that wall again. While he told his logical mind that this moment was only a tribute to their history, deep down he knew better than to believe that.

The initial action of connecting their lips had come as a shock to the pair (though both were equally anticipating it), but everything after was nothing short of natural. As they moved in sync with gentle yet increasingly sure movements, Minho gripped the other just a little closer with the palm that had managed to find its way under his old shirt. It's as if the moment had rekindled that old instinct of holding onto and protecting what was his.

The moment their mouths met was as if they'd never separated to begin with. Jisung melted instantly into the touch to his bare hip along with the faint taste of honey he'd never quite managed to forget dancing through his senses. It all came flooding back as smoothly as their fluidly moulding lips took to one another after too long. He tugged a little too eagerly at the older to get even closer, if that were even possible, not overly conscious of his needy action until he felt a faint smirk against his lips.

Before they could take it too far, Minho pulled back just enough to disconnect, loving the way the younger couldn't bring his eyes to open. The palm rested on his cheek dropped to be in parallel with the other, firmly settled on Jisung's hip. Feeling the action, Jisung took a few tries to flutter his eyes open but eventually succeeded in defying the stomach butterflies that weighed his eyelids shut. All he was met with was the breathtaking view of the other, giving him that look that made him feel like the only boy in the world. He missed it, without a doubt. He couldn't help himself but to brush that strand of hair from covering Minho's complexion but although it covered only the smallest of sections of the older's face, it obscured too much of his viewing pleasure.

Seeing Jisung's adoring smile after completing his gentle gesture made Minho all the more content. He found himself leaning in again without really knowing why. He stole a brief, open-mouthed kiss with no objection from the other, if anything the younger objected to it's short-lived nature. The tips of their noses rested together as hot breath fanned each other's faces, broken for a second by Jisung stealing the kiss back again. As much as he'd love to go backwards and forwards all evening, exchanging kisses with shaking exhales, but Minho couldn't stop the words escaping his reddened lips.

"I've missed you." The raven-haired male murmured quietly, a nervous glint to his eye as they made contact with the younger's. It was all that was running through his mind, how his heart had ached for just a sliver of what they used to have. Now, after hurting, healing, hurting some more, he knew that the feelings were only bandaged and that bandage had been unravelled.

"You... You did?" Jisung blinked rapidly; disbelief. He never imagined the older would have thought about him this whole time, though a stupid epiphany to have now of all times. Jisung simply presumed the other would have moved on, easily found another what with his stunning attributes. But apparently, he was wrong.

"I know I didn't always try my best but," He paused, thinking of a way to phrase his thoughts accurately. "Didn't realise good ones exist 'til I lost one." The older continued, tracing circles on the skin of Jisung's hip. He knew it felt familiar. The sense of relaxation and assurance that washed through him caused the memory to return of that often used tack tick to reassure one another. He didn't know why he'd need reassuring however, Minho's statement seeming rather contrary to Jisung's own memory.

"I can, and will, debate that." He stated. Jisung knew for a fact that their previous relationship had no turbulence at all. Of course, they had spats like every couple should, but nothing to insinuate that either party were underachieving in the effort department. As for the second part, a crimson ran to his cheeks. The idea of Jisung being the best the older had experienced gave him a new strand of confidence. Although he told himself that nothing this evening would or should have any meaning, it was a little too late for that.

Feeling warm breath brush his cheeks as the older stole yet another brief kiss, Jisung knew he couldn't hold out much longer. His knees were growing weak at the tingling touch gently massaging his back and the lingering stare tracing his features. While for the most part, he used to love the way Minho would almost engulf him and his smaller frame with his broad stance, Jisung would always have to get the upper hand before he was too far gone. It was an awkward task considering he was shorter (and just smaller in general), but back when he'd caught onto the raven-haired boy's physique filling out, he devised a plan that seemed to get him the upper hand he needed.

The wide seated office chair with secure armrests situated behind the other made it all too convenient. Jisung noticed the piece of furniture over Minho's shoulder, prompting a mischievous smile to appear to which the older quirked a brow at. His fingers unlaced from behind the older, forearms sliding down from their place on Minho's shoulders for his palms to come to rest on his toned chest.

It started with the delicate push of a finger, gaining Minho's attention. Jisung further increased the pressure with a follow through with the rest of his hand, slowly but surely forcing the older backwards. The newfound spring of confidence gave a knowing glint to his eye, enjoying his small burst of control. Minho took a few steps back in all, finally bumping the edge of the chair with his lower thigh and falling back into it with his hands only just leaving Jisung's hips. The force of his collapse into the chair caused it to roll back just a little, leaving the younger out of reach.

Jisung's gaze never left the other, specifically eyeing the lips he so desperately wanted to capture again. Now that the younger had him where he wanted him, he could allow himself to follow through without the feeling of buckling at the knees. Minho sat, anticipation showing though the grin on his face as he knew what was coming.

Eagerness got the better of him as the boy practically jumped at the other, sending the wheeled office chair gliding across the room. As he'd planned, Jisung positioned himself to straddle the older's lap which was common practice when they used to partake in things such as this. While his preferred position was always under the older, he could also feel Minho's subtle dominance even when he was the one underneath. Jisung felt like the stronger force upon reconnecting their lips, though knew immediately that he'd submit whatever the case.

One palm came to rest on the nape of Minho's neck, while the other planted on his shoulder once again. He curled locks of raven hair around his finger while pulling the older closer, tilting his head to allow better access. Minho had so far accepted every action with open arms and had immediately gripped the boy's waist once he'd planted himself on his lap.

They rekindled the fluidity of their actions, though both a little more rough, eager, excited. Time for breath was barely made as the pair kept their rhythm. Minho had resisted going too far all this time just in case the younger had found him too forceful, but the fact that he was now pinned to a chair seemed to change the game for both sides. He swiped Jisung's bottom lip with his tongue, as if permission to deepen their moment further. The younger accepted with no hesitation, parting his lips just a little more to permit the older to do so.

It was like a reflex to Jisung, to allow the raven-haired male below him to reclaim his dominant spot. He realised then that all those attempts at gaining the upper hand, only to submit again was the idea all along. After all, the smug yet content smirk he felt against his lips was incredibly attractive and a huge turn-on.

In the midst of their expression of lust, Jisung came to understand just how little he'd moved on. In fact, he hadn't at all. In that very moment, it felt as though the year spent apart, the heartache, the supposed end to their relationship; all a blurry bad dream. The lips crashing with his own, the soft touches, caring gazes, all jogged his memory to their days where all was easy. It also lead Jisung to question whether what the older had assured him with was true, because if so, the younger could see this divulging to something more akin to their previous years.

Before getting too lost within their moment once again, Minho was slightly disheartened by the sudden pull away by the younger. Though his upset didn't last long since Jisung didn't go too far, eyes trained to the other's and left hand coming to cup his cheek. Jisung rested their foreheads together for a moment or two, regaining his breathing pattern to normal and failing to calm his frantic heartbeat. Minho dropped his gaze for a moment, watching himself sneak a hand up the front of Jisung's shirt again. Although there was no protest to this, Jisung used the hand on his cheek to lift the older's eyes back to his own and let their foreheads meet again.

"Did you really miss me?" Jisung asked, not too sure of what he wanted as a response. If the answer were to be a yes, it meant that they were on a level playing field since both would have struggled with moving on. It also could leave him feeling more empty than to begin with, seeing a sliver of a chance left for them. However, if the answer was no, it would no doubt hurt more than before. Knowing that the older was fine without him while he ached would be something more painful than the initial split. Even though he was told this earlier, he held doubt quite obviously.

"I do, too much. I miss everything." Minho caught the youngers attention with his deliberate emphasis on the present. He smiled softly while drawing small shapes on his skin. "This," He teased a quick kiss, keeping Jisung in a state of minor surprise. "All the little things," Minho's smile began to brighten as he remembered all the small things that mattered the most. "Your stupid stuffed toys," he giggled, Jisung beginning to smile at thinking of the older's old protests about them always being everywhere and taking up too much space. "Saturday morning cartoons," another staple piece of their days together, every weekend being kicked off with an episode or two of 'Garfield' or 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'. "Those ridiculous slippers," Jisung still had those slippers; fluffy bunnies with floppy ears. "Just you."

Jisung couldn't deny the blush on his cheeks, grinning from ear to ear at how he remembered so many details. Minho took his chance to place another soft kiss to the other's lips while he tugged at his belt loop to pull him closer.

They barely broke apart as Jisung spoke, a murmur into the other's mouth. "I adore you."

They continued the third extended kiss they'd had that evening, this even more passionate than the last. Jisung committed completely, allowing Minho to explore his mouth with constant circular movement. It only excited Jisung more as he let slip a contented hum, debatably a moan as he felt nothing but the other. Minho clearly heard this, furthering his actions as he felt himself slide down the chair just a bit.

Jisung perched over the older, unstable but he didn't care. The issue was quickly fixed by Minho's right hand falling from his back to grip at the boy's thigh, both holding him as close as physically possible and allowing him to feel Jisung up a little. The younger didn't protest at all, too enveloped in passion to acknowledge the danger of the action. It took full effect in combination with the tingling massaging action to the younger's side, this time however, he would fully admitting that what let slip was in fact a moan.

They struggled to control themselves as they became immersed with one another's presence. Headache inducing music and drink blazed on outside but that was the last thing Jisung thought about in his state of sheer bliss. He felt himself squeeze his knees into either side of the raven-haired male he straddled in an attempt to feel every last part of him. In return, he received Minho's left hand find its way to his lower back, dancing dangerously close to the waistband of his jeans. He knew the older wouldn't pull anything that far, not right now, so he allowed fingertips to trace tingling lines across his skin as he drew some of his own up Minho's neck.

He simply didn't want their moment to end, revelling in the foreign yet homely feeling of the older pressed against him while they forgot about the rest of the world. However, the immersion could only go as far as those last few moments which the younger wished he could have cherished a little longer.

"Jisung, are you in— Woah! Okay—" An inquisitive turned shocked voice called from behind Jisung, scaring him out of his wits. The boy's eyes shot wide as he broke from the older who was just as startled, whipping his head in the direction of the door to see the face of their intruder. Jisung's jaw went slack at the sight; of course, it was Felix, a surprised yet knowing look on his face as he stood in the doorway.

"Felix! What are— we were—" Jisung couldn't find the words, still in the midst of processing everything after they'd entered themselves. He was too frozen in his state to move an inch, though the chair did it for them, spinning slightly from the momentum of his turn to place the pair side on to the blond.

"It's chill dude, Hyunjin was right, huh." Felix brushed it off, mumbling the last part under his breath. He rubbed the back of his neck, being a reflex of the awkward atmosphere, as he lifted the other to wave slightly with a strangely amused smile. "Hey, Minho."

"Hi..." Minho responded, taking that now was probably a good time to remove his hand from the other's waistband. The hidden hand on his thigh however stayed firmly in place, squeezing just a little to hopefully snap Jisung out of his shocked state. It worked, though gave a reaction Minho wasn't overjoyed with. Jisung let his hands fall from their position on his shoulder and neck, slipping down his chest.

Felix realised quickly that Jisung wasn't in much of a state to respond, while Minho wasn't exactly the person he came looking for. The blond simply continued as naturally as he could.

"Anyway, Hyunjin and I are leaving in five so if you want to come with, meet us at the car." Felix jabbed his thumb over his shoulder, flicking his gaze to one side. Jisung glanced out the door also, now realising that the mentioned was looming not too far behind Felix, smirking widely at the younger.

The blond looked back to the pair again, both still slumped in the chair as they had been. Flicking his finger between them both, Felix quirked a brow with a smile that sat suspiciously with Jisung. "Though if you wanna stay I can one hundred percent understand."

With that, he left the scene, leaving murmurs of his and Hyunjin's giggles behind. Jisung watched them go, still stuck in his head about what Hyunjin could have been right about and how. Either way, when he finally turned back to Minho, the older looked up at him hesitantly, as if he were expecting some sort of reaction.

Jisung didn't have much of a reaction to offer, only tinted cheeks and a slightly formed frown. The older expected for him to be snapped out of his simply nostalgic infatuation, however, he was gifted a gentle hand stroke over his chest, followed by another peck. Jisung kissed the older quickly, a brief yet soft, parting contact placed before he slid backwards from the chair, standing himself up.

"I should really go..." Jisung spoke softly, a slight rasp to his tone. He grabbed the olders hands before they fell, pulling him to his feet. They stood mere inches apart for a final time, Jisung gripping the other's fingers tightly laced with his own to treasure that last touch. He spoke barely above a whisper, "Sorry."

"No, I get it." Minho ran his thumb over the youngers knuckles to convey his understanding. "Go hang with your friends."

He was a little sad to see the younger go after they'd rekindled whatever the hell they were, though Minho would never let Jisung know that of course. It came as no surprise to him that Jisung would want to spend time with his friends, after all, he did come with them. What did come as surprising however, was the hand releasing his and the fingers that raised to pinch his chin down just a bit.

"One more." Jisung murmured, closing the distance. He couldn't help himself, the raven-haired male was stood right there and that may well be the last chance he got. It was rushed, chaste, a little too desperate than he had intended but it served its purpose. Jisung wanted to cling to the moment like it was his source of life, though it seemed as though the older already was what with the hand cupping his side.

Jisung had to force himself to let go, taking a step back towards the doorway as a push for him to take his leave. Though the second Minho opened his mouth to speak, Jisung found himself captivated by the sound.

"Can we catch up another time?" The raven-haired male asked, left marooned in the middle of the room. He sounded hopeful, something Jisung could easily fulfil with his own wishes.

"I'd like that." He really did, there was no doubt about that. In just the short amount of time the pair had spent together that evening, they could both feel that want to rekindle their past, even if it would have been short-lived. It was a common conception for many cases that you never truly appreciate what you have or hold dear until you lose it. While that was true, Jisung found there to be a third basis for the idea; you don't realise what you have until you lose it, but when it returns, you love it twice as much.

"Could we pick up where we left off?" Minho broke his thoughts with another offhanded question. It was rather ambiguous, though Jisung was pretty sure he'd be on the same page.

"Like, today? Or like, vintage us?" Jisung wanted to clarify, curious to see if the older would go as far as to try for their old status. He was all for taking it slow, but he knew that would most likely not be the case since they ended without a real 'end'. They may have cut their relationship off verbally, but feelings wise it was clear that they'd never quite cut that red string.

"Both." Minho held a smile, wanting to take a step to hold the younger again but knowing if he did, they'd never leave. Happy with the answer he'd received, Jisung took his last remaining steps for the door, stopping before he turned out of sight to flash a content smile of his own.

"I think I'd like that too." He bounced on the balls of his feet just a little before his exit, providing the older with a last feeling of adoration before the boy vanished back into the noise of crowds and music.

Jisung slowly integrated back with the crowds, headed for the door to meet back with his friends. He felt like a bit of a crappy friend considering he ditched them, but then again, they didn't appear all that bothered upon finding him. They probably had a blast on the dance floor, jamming away to heavy bass you could feel vibrate through your chest. However, Jisung was pretty sure his heart was much louder within him than the hammering music. What with the events of however long it had been (no surprise he'd lost track of time), the pounding at his rib cage was most definitely the loudest to him.

He made it towards the exit of the house, just seeing over huddles of people his two friends disappear out the front door. Jisung let his feet carry him to the exit, mind rampant with thoughts of the raven-haired male he'd left behind. He didn't want to leave the other, yet somehow he was okay with it. He knew for a fact that his phone still held his number, having to stop himself ringing it from now and again when he stumbled upon something or another that would trigger a feeling. Now, however, he had a reason to call.

— 10,159 —

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Also if you feel like it, check out "Around" as well!