"How could you do this to me?!" Wooyoung brought his hands to his chest and shook his head back and forth, sending his black hair whipping against his cheeks and neck.

"Wooyoung pl-"

"No! NO!" He didn't want to believe it. His heart was breaking piece by piece. Everything was crashing down on top of him and there was no end it sight...

Not even an hour ago he had been fired for something that wasn't even his fault. He thought he had been doing the right thing by taking the blame for the new girl. She was so sweet and so innocent... or so he thought.

But she had failed to lock up her section of the small jewelry store they had been working in, leaving everything inside vulnerable to theft.

When they had come to work, their manager had been furious at the slip up, yelling at both of them at the top of his lungs about how oblivious and reckless they had been.

Wooyoung was the first to speak up, trying to defend the new girl, but his manager wouldn't listen.

It was just the beginning of what ended up being a very, very bad day...

He had tried to stay positive about the turn of event, thinking that now he could use this as an opportunity to go back to school, or pursue a different kind of career, or maybe even just stay home for a bit and enjoy a mini vacation.

It was something he was fully expecting to talk about his his loving boyfriend when he got home. They had always been good about communicating with each other, working through any problems together as a team.

Changbin was the love of his life. Wooyoung knew he'd be lost without him, especially after his Binnie had helped him through the death of his parents.

He had been by Wooyoung's side through the entire thing, the preparations, the funeral, the aftermath of learning that his parents had left him with nothing but debt... Changbin was his constant support.

Wooyoung had no one else... His parents had moved to the States at a young age to pursue 'The American Dream', leaving behind their parents and other relatives. By some miracle they had found a house for sale in a neighborhood that also had a few other Asian families living there, so they had been able to form a small community.

Which included Changbin's family.

As everyone watched the two boys grow up, it was clear that they would become a couple. Wooyoung brought a side of Changbin out that no one else could. The boys fit together like two pieces of a puzzle.

And Wooyoung loved him more than anything else in the world.

Changbin took Wooyoung in once his parents died. He had a good job in a record company and had no problem helping Wooyoung financially. At the time, he reassured Wooyoung over and over and over again that he wanted to help. He didn't feel like he had to, he wanted to.

It was like Wooyoung was living in a fairytale. He lived in a condo that he loved, he had a job that he loved, and he had the perfect man.

Or so he thought...

Up until five minutes ago he believed Changbin would bring him into a big hug and tell him that everything would be ok, that he would find another job, that they would get through this.

But everything came crashing down when he walked in on Changbin sitting on the couch with another man straddling him... and their tongues twisting together in a passionate kiss.

Wooyoung had immediately let out a strangled cry and dropped his keys, alerting the couple before him to his presence.

"Oh fuck." That was the first thing Changbin thought to say as he pushed the other boy off his lap.

"'Oh fuck' is right! What- I-" Wooyoung sputtered. He was at a complete loss for words. It felt like the floor was shaking beneath him, or maybe it was just his knees... he couldn't really tell.

"Youngie, I can explain." Changbin started walking over to him with his arms reaching for forward. "I-"

Wooyoung couldn't focus. His vision started to swim with a million tiny, annoying, black dots. Although the second he focused on the stranger in the room everything became perfectly clear. And his heart shattered.

Whoever it was... he was gorgeous... Much prettier than himself, with silky blonde hair, plump lips, and the cutest freckles littering his cheeks and nose.

"How could you do this to me?!" Wooyoung brought his hands to his chest and shook his head back and forth, sending his black hair whipping against his cheeks and neck.

"Wooyoung pl-"

"No! NO!"

Changbin looked like he was in physical pain. He even had tears coming to his eyes and his hands were shaking. "Please, just listen to me." He said, reaching for Wooyoung.

"Listen to what?" Wooyoung pressed himself against the front door, wishing he could get further away from the boy he had given everything to. "How you made a mistake? Or how this means nothing? Or are you going to use the fucking bullshit line of 'it's not you, it's me'?"

"No, I-"

Wooyoung couldn't take it. Seeing the pain and regret in Changbin's eyes made everything so much worse.

He felt like he was going to be sick... His stomach churned every which way and he could taste the bile rising to the back of his throat.

When Changbin tried to touch him again, Wooyoung cried out in pain and shoved him against the wall before storming past him to their bedroom, which thankfully had a lock.

He could hear his boyfriend calling after him, even sprinting to catch up, but Wooyoung was quick to lock the door and run into his closet.

Tears cascaded down Wooyoung's cheeks, even when now sound came from him. It hurt to much to cry, but his body still needed to go through the motions.

Right now he was just focused on stuffing whatever bags he had available full with his clothes.

He knew... He just knew that he couldn't stay here. There was no forgiving Changbin for this, no second chances, no giving in. He couldn't.

If he hesitated for even a minute, he was sure Changbin would talk him out of leaving or into believing that there was nothing going on with that other boy.

And it could be true. He could have had a lapse of judgement. This other boy could have thrown himself at Changbin and forced everything.

But then two words rang in Wooyoung's mind that ruined any chance for those thoughts.

'Oh fuck'.

Changbin hadn't been expecting Wooyoung to be home early. He had probably timed everything so that his mystery guest would be gone long before Wooyoung was supposed to come back... Which lead to another question that made Wooyoung stop in his tracks.

How long had this been going on?

A sob tore from Wooyoung, clawing at his throat and squeezing his chest. His hand flew to his mouth. He fell into the wall hard enough that pain also shot through his shoulder.

Why did his Binnie do this to him? What did he do wrong?

"Youngie, please, open the door." Changbin's muffled voice came from the bedroom door. "Please, just let me explain."

A high-pitched hiccup broke through Wooyoung's sobs. That's when he realized he was starting to hyperventilate.

He needed to get out of there...

Running was the cowards way out, but Wooyoung didn't know what else to do. He had no one... No where to go...

So he set his mind on just getting to his car.

After taking a deep breath, he continued to stuff all his clothes into two duffel bags, not caring about folding or organizing. He tried to keep his mind from thinking about the other things scattered throughout the house that he might want.

Pictures... trinkets... blankets... All of them held so many precious memories.

It killed him, but the only thing he truly wanted to grab was a picture of him with his parents. Which was on the mantle in the living room... but getting it would mean facing Changbin, who was now pounding on the door.

Wooyoung made a quick dash into their en suite bathroom to grab his belongings, then ran to the bedroom window.

"Woo, open the door! You can't stay in there forever!" Changbin was pounding on the door now, getting harder and harder with each passing minute.

With one last pause to grab his spare car key out of the nightstand on his side of the bed, and a longing look around the room where he and Changbin had spent so many amazing nights together... Wooyoung slide the window open, kicked out the screen, threw his bags out, and slipped outside.

The hot air blasted him, reminding him that it was the middle of summer. It had been an unusually hot one in California too, so sweat immediately joined the tears staining his face.

He grabbed his bags, then ran to his SUV as fast as he could. Once they were thrown in the back, he slid into the driver's seat, plugged in his phone, and whipped out of his parking spot.

All he wanted to do was drive. It was something that had always cleared his head in the past.

His phone started vibrating on the stand he had bought for it. Over and over again, it was either a text from Changbin or a call.

Wooyoung waited until he found a gas station to pull over and get situated. He topped off his tank, bought a large bottle of water and several snacks, then made sure to block Changbin's number.

No distractions.

That's what he kept telling himself.

No distractions.

There was nothing holding him here now.

Despite the agonizing pain in his heart, there was also a lightweight cloak enveloping him at the idea of just going until he was done.

Just before leaving, he pulled up his music, turned up the volume, and slipped on his sunglasses.

The open road called to him, opening its doors to him, welcoming him to a new life.

With a powerful rev of his engine, Wooyoung pointed his car in the direction of the highway and drove.

For hours, he stayed on the highway heading east.

At one time, he had saved up to buy better speakers for his car, giving him a subwoofer and a better sound system all together. Because of this, when he cranked up the music like he did now, the base vibrated his chest in a way that he loved.

He didn't care if he was disturbing other drivers on the highway, he didn't care if this could damage his hearing in the future, he didn't care about anything.

Each boom of the base added another brick to the wall he was building up in his mind to protect him from all the pain he was leaving behind.

A few of the harder songs were very therapeutic for him too, especially when he slapped his hand against the steering wheel, singing or yelling at the top of his lungs, and letting himself go completely.

Anyone who got a good look at him probably thought he was crazy. To some extent, he felt like he was.

He only stopped to get food and gas. At one station he was able to purchase a small cooler and some ice, which allowed him to stock up on energy drinks.

If there was one thing he knew right now, it was that he had no intention of sleeping. He didn't need to let his mind slip into the defenseless world of dreams...

With a small sigh, Wooyoung checked his phone for the first time all day. He had been driving for almost eight hours now and according to his gps he was somewhere in Arizona north of Phoenix.

It was still incredibly hot for how late it was, the sun was almost fully set and the stars were just starting to wink into existence in the night sky.

He scrunched his nose in displeasure. Now was the time for him to make a decision. He didn't have a passport, so he couldn't go south to Mexico, so could either keep going east into New Mexico or go north up into Utah.

If anything, he liked the idea of getting something a little cooler, so he decided on north.

Just as he was about to start driving again, his phone vibrated, letting him know he had a notification.

That's when he decided to see what had been happening over the course of the day. There were the typical notifications from a few of the nonsense games he liked to play letting him know that something had recharged, and there were several email notifications.

But all of his social media had blown up with notifications.

He hadn't even thought about blocking Changbin on those...

Some of their mutual friends had even messaged or called him to ask what was going on. They seemed concerned, but Wooyoung couldn't bring himself to respond to any of them.

Not yet at least...

Maybe once he got settled he would fill some of them in on what happened. But for now he didn't need them giving any information to Changbin.

Just thinking about his name brought tears to Wooyoung's eyes...

He didn't, no, he couldn't do this now.

With a shake of his head, he turned up his music once more and kept driving.

He drove, even when he could feel his body begging him to stop.

He drove, even when he was in the middle of nowhere with no idea where he was.

He drove until the sun started to rise in the east.

At his next stop, Wooyoung found his eyes drifting to the mountains. They were magnificent. He'd never seen anything like them.

So why not now?

With a new destination in sight, Wooyoung continued east.

He had a hard time staying focused the further into the mountains he drove. All he wanted to do was stop and take in everything.

They were so big.

Beautiful formations of brown and grey rocks just jutted up from nowhere. All of it was covered by vibrant shades of green foliage. In some areas there were spots filled with wildflowers that danced in the soft, summer breeze.

The highway he was on traveled through a canyon, following the bends of a river that weaved and carved its way through the stunning creations nature had made.

It was breathtaking.

When he felt like he couldn't stay awake any longer, Wooyoung pulled into a small camping ground to close his eyes for a little bit. He really didn't want to. The thought of sleep was still scary to him... but he also knew that if he kept going much longer he would cause an accident.

He found a shaded area to park in, away from the road and other campers, then rolled the windows down.

The first thing he heard was birds. So many different kinds of birds. Their chirps and songs were like a symphony of sounds, all brand new to his ears. Insects joined it too, along with the gentle babbling of a brook that must feed into the river the main road followed.

And the air... it was the cleanest Wooyoung had ever inhaled.

He felt like the fog of his mind could clear out here if he spent enough time. Maybe he'd even let himself get lost. Then he would never have to worry about seeing certain faces again.

Before he knew it, utter exhaustion took over and he passed out in the front seat of his car.

Wooyoung ended up sleeping through the night and into the next morning, when he startled awake when he didn't fully comprehend where he was.

It took him a couple of minutes to remember the events of the past two days, which he quickly threw behind his wall he had been so careful about building. Once he calmed himself down again, he checked the surrounding area for anyone who might be walking by before he changed into a new set of clothes that didn't smell like junk food and hit the road again.

He thought he would be tired of driving, but the ever changing mountain scenery kept things interesting.

The only problem was the lack of gas stations.

When his gas tank dropped below a quarter of a tank, Wooyoung started to feel nervous. He hadn't seen any signs for a town or even some kind of a rest stop for some time now.

There weren't a lot of people on the road he was on either...

Had he taken a wrong turn when he left the camp site?

Although, could he really consider anything a wrong turn when he didn't have a destination in mind?

Wooyoung gave a nervous laugh at his thought process to try and keep his rising anxiety under control.

At one point he tried to check his location on his phone, only to realize he still didn't have service. He was grateful to have his music downloaded, but what was he going to do if he ran out of gas...? Start walking?

He dreaded the idea but at this point there wasn't much else he could do.

Another thirty minutes passed and his tank was nearly empty when he finally saw a sign pointing to a small down about fifteen miles away.

He just barely made it, and it was the smallest little town he had ever seen.

The gas station only had four pumps on it, and when he glanced around while waiting for his tank to fill, he could only see a handful of buildings. All of them had what looked to be maybe a family name or something as a title, so if he had to guess, Wooyoung thought this was probably the main part of whatever town he was in.

It looked like the road continued around one of the mountains, so maybe there were some more shops or buildings up that way.

Wooyoung couldn't get over how quiet things were. He could hear birds all around him, but other than that, there were no car horns, no bustling city sounds, nothing.

He loved it.

So he decided to move his car to the street and walk around. From what he could see, there was a grocery store, a clothing store, a pub, a hardware store, and what looked to be some kind of pet store.

The pub seemed like the most logical place to start, plus he could get something that wasn't fast food or snacks.

It was very charming inside. Deer antlers were used in a lot of the decorations, including the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. There were also a lot of horseshoes, wooden sculptures, and other forest themed decorations.

Booths and tables filled part of the building while a long bar ran across the left wall. That's where he went. He chose a seat closer to the door and sat right as a door leading to what he guessed was the kitchen opened.

A tall man with lighter brown hair walked out and paused as soon as he spotted Wooyoung. "Oh! Hello! We don't see many new faces around these parts, how can I help you?"

Wooyoung couldn't help but pause as he took in the man before him. The first through he had was how damn attractive the guy was. The second was that he was shocked to see that he looked Korean. "H-Hi." He bit his lip and blinked. "Um, I'll have a water and a menu, please?"

"Sure thing." He stepped in the back for only a few seconds before returning with a pitcher of ice water and a clean glass. Then he pulled a menu out from under the table. "So what brings you to our small, lonely town?"

"Nothing really. I needed gas, but then I decided to get something to eat too."

"Where are you headed?"

Wooyoung bit his lip and made a point to stare at the menu. He didn't mind how friendly the guy was, per say... but he wasn't sure he wanted to answer a million questions right now. "I'm not sure."

The man paused and tilted his head out of curiosity. "Well, you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like. My name is Mingi."

"Wooyoung." He held out a hand in greeting and they shook. It was hard for him to keep a blush from his cheeks when Mingi smiled so wide his eyes creased in cute upside down crescents.

"Well just about everything here is good. We bring in everything locally, especially the meat. We've got a great chef in the back that makes everything from scratch too." Mingi puffed out his chest a little as he spoke. "And I'm a pretty darn good mixologist if I do say so myself."

"Is that so?" Wooyoung asked, trying to be friendly. He wasn't sure if Mingi felt the connection too, but Wooyoung already felt at ease around him even though he really wasn't in the best mental state right now.

Mingi must not have been expecting that answer because his cheeks instantly turned pink and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, um, or so everyone p-passing by has said. I'll, uh, I'll make you a drink if you'd like?"

For a moment, Wooyoung almost declined. But something in his heart told him it would be ok to stay here, even if it was just for tonight. "Sure, I'd really like that. And I'll get one of the venison burgers please, with bacon."

"You got it!" Mingi bounced in place for a split second before hurrying to the back. When he returned, he started pulling out a few different bottles of alcohol and began mixing up a drink. "So, if you don't mind me asking, where are you from?"

"California. My parents are from South Korea, though."

"Hey! Mine too!"

Wooyoung giggled and leaned against the bar, propping his head up in one of his hands. "I was wondering if they might be! It's nice to see a 'familiar' face."

"You're telling me." A deep, rolling chuckle came from the bartender before he started shaking up Wooyoung's drink. "I've lived in these mountains my entire life, but it's not often I come across someone with the same heritage as me. My parents were pretty proud too, so they thought me Korean along side English and made sure we kept up on all the Korean Dramas. I think they missed home, so they ended up moving back there a few years ago. I couldn't bring myself to go with them, though."

"How come?"

"This is my home. And I absolutely love it here. Winters are a real pain in the ass, but I can't picture myself anywhere else."

Wooyoung hummed and looked down. For a long time, he felt the same way. He never imagined leaving California, always hoping that he and Changbin would own a home one day maybe adopt a kid or two and have a perfect little family.

His heart clenched as that dream started to melt away. Now that he wasn't driving, his mind started to bring up everything he had been running from...

He sniffed and shook his head, trying to throw them behind the walls he had been working on. This wasn't the time to show weakness.

"Hey... Are you ok?" Mingi asked gently.

With a sarcastic, huffing laugh, Wooyoung flashed a crooked smile. "Yeah."

It didn't look like Mingi believed him, but thankfully he didn't press the matter. "Here, try this. You strike me as someone who likes just a little sweetness, but not too much."

Wooyoung's eyebrows rose a little when a beautifully vibrant pink drink was set in front of him with sugar around the rim. He took a sip and was immediately blasted with almost strawberry lemonade flavor, but he could definitely taste the alcohol, but it wasn't overpowering.

"Wow." He said with the hint of a satisfied sigh. "This is really good!"

"Thanks." Mingi beamed, then started to wipe down the bar. "I have a lot of down time so I like to experiment."

"So you're not very busy here then?"

"Nah." He shrugged. "This place is really tucked away. We may see a few people like you come through every day or so when they need gas, but it's not a constant flow nail dinner time usually, but that's all the locals who don't feel like cooking for the night."

It took a moment for Wooyoung to even try and imagine what Mingi was talking about. His mind just couldn't seem to wrap around it.

Yet... it seemed perfect.

With everything that had happened, he liked the idea of staying in a place that wasn't bustling with swarms of people who only cared about their own lives.

"Hey Trevor!" Mingi called out when the door opened. He gave Wooyoung a quick wink before walking over to the table the newcomer had decided to sit at.

Just from overhearing, it sounded like Trevor was getting ready to go hunting and promised to bring Mingi some deer jerky if he managed to get anything.

Eventually, Wooyoung got his food and enjoyed sitting back to watch the interactions between anyone who came in. They all seemed to know each other in one way or another. It was like the entire town was one big family, which was really heartwarming to see.

Some of them even nodded in Wooyoung's direction when they noticed him watching, which would bring forth a slight blush and a nod back.

And Mingi was there for it all. His loud, boisterous laugh filled the bar several times. Everyone seemed to love him. And his drinks.

Come dinner time, the pub had close to fifty people in it. One other server came in to help, but otherwise it was just Mingi.

"Can I get you anything else?" Mingi asked as the night started to wrap up. "People don't usually stay here all day, I'm not used to it." He gave a kind chuckle.

"Sorry if I've been a bother." Wooyoung swiveled in his chair. He honestly hadn't meant to, but the time had slipped away from him. Plus the food Mingi kept bringing him didn't help. Nor the drinks.

"Now when did I say you've bothered me?" When Wooyoung didn't say anything, he smirked. "Exactly. Actually, I quite enjoyed the company. Despite knowing everyone, it was nice to have someone to come back to and talk with."

Wooyoung was genuinely touched. They had never talked anything prolific, just idle chitchat, but knowing that it meant something to Mingi... It meant a lot to him too.

"So where's the closest hotel or inn?" Wooyoung asked after a couple minutes.

Mingi's lips curled up in an amused smile that told Wooyoung he was trying not to laugh. "You're cute." He shook his head and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. "There's a sweet woman, named Virginia, who runs a little bed and breakfast." He started to draw a crude map as he spoke. "Just follow the main road around the mountain, and she lives just after the next lump of buildings you'll get to. Tell her I sent you."

"Thank you, I appreciate it."

"No problem. Just come see me again before you leave." Mingi handed over the paper, his fingers lingering over Wooyoung's a few seconds longer than what could be considered normal, before walking back to the kitchen.

Wooyoung felt the touch long after the taller vanished. It was... strange. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not.

But regardless of the uneasy churning of his stomach, he followed Mingi's map and managed to find Virginia's home easily.

She was a very kind woman in her fifties who welcomed him in with open arms. It was easy to see that she was curious as to why he was here with his two bags and minimal answers as to his background, but she didn't turn him away and got him set up in a nice room.

One day turned into two, two turned into four, and before he knew it, Wooyoung had been staying there for three months. He absolutely loved the small town and it brought him the peace of mind he so desperately longed for.

He ended up getting a job about twenty minutes away at another small town that was geared toward tourists in one of the jewelry stores. The man who owned it had been impressed with Wooyoung's history and knowledge and was happy to take him on.

It wasn't the most glorious job, and most of the people who came in were just browsing while visiting the town, but Wooyoung liked it.

And he would see Mingi a few times a week. His dinners were split between eating with Virginia and eating at the pub since he didn't have a home of his own. Virginia always told him he was more than welcome to cook his own food for dinner, but he had grown fond of the woman and loved spending time with her.

Same with Mingi.

He could tell that a soft spot was starting to blossom in his heart for the charismatic bartender. Whenever he had a rough day, the first thing he always wanted to do was go by the pub because Mingi could take his mind off everything, even for just a few short hours.

The locals had learned who he was now too. It felt so nice to be welcomed by name by everyone he walked past on the streets.

Frederick, a grandfather who worked in the grocery store, would always ask Wooyoung how sales were at his job and share pictures of his own grandkids, glowing at how proud he was of them.

Grace, a younger woman who took care of all the planters and flowers in the area, sought Wooyoung out all the time to teach him more about the area. He really appreciated it, but he had a feeling she had a bit of a crush on him, so he did his best not to give her any mixed signals.

Paula, Samuel, Gustav, Amelia, Chris, Elvira, Stephanie... everyone was so friendly and really made Wooyoung feel at home.

Which was especially needed when winter started to get closer.

He and Virginia made several trips to the grocery store to pick up orders they had made so they could stock up. She had a couple of freezers she used to freeze meat and bread, and a large pantry that she kept all of her nonperishables in.

If he was being honest, Wooyoung was definitely nervous about what was to come. The way everyone spoke about winters here, they were in for several days of not being able to leave their houses. He had never experienced anything like that before.

"Do things really get that bad?" Wooyoung asked Mingi one night as the taller was closing down the pub.

"Oh yeah, we're talking several feet of snow. Last winter I couldn't get out of my house for almost three weeks." Mingi's eyebrows rose as he shook his head. "It was crazy. Thankfully we work hard every year to update and protect everything so I think only one or two homes lost power. And we have a way to signal each other if we need help. Virginia should have a could of flare guns stashed by the doors and then firecrackers you can light to make some noise. We all know to look to the sky if we hear those."

Wooyoung swallowed the lump in his throat and started to spin his glass in slow circles.

"You'll be fine." Mingi came over and leaned on the counter, getting a little closer than was probably considered normal. "Just call me if you need some help. I have one of the biggest trucks in town, so I help with a lot of the snow removal."

For a moment, Wooyoung felt his train of thought screech to a stop as he looked into Mingi's beautiful brown eyes. They were full of so much life and passion.

The smallest of smiles tugged at Mingi's lips. He leaned closer for a split second before standing up straight again, and Wooyoung felt himself sitting back on the stool, as if he had leaned forward too...

"Keep an eye on the weather app, too. That should help keep you updated. Your boss will send you home if a storm gets too close."

"Thanks, Min. I appreciate it." Wooyoung bit his lip and looked down, missing the slight blush that dusted the bartender's cheeks.

Tracking the storms was easier said than done. Wooyoung couldn't afford the best phone plan, so he always needed to be connected to Wi-Fi in order use his phone. Service in general was decent for calls and text, but anything more than that was dreadful.

That was probably the one thing he missed about being in the city. But at the same time, it was really refreshing to not have to worry about keeping up on who did what, or the latest trends on Twitter, or... or endless calls and texts from people he didn't want to hear from anymore.

Before Wooyoung had cancelled his old phone plan and traded in his phone, he took a look through a small window in the wall between him and his old life.

That had been a mistake...

At first it was going through all the desperate voicemails from Changbin, some of them it was obvious to hear he had been drunk as he begged Wooyoung to come back. Others he had been crying. Listening to them shredded Wooyoung's poor heart even more than it already had been.

Then it was voicemails and texts from their mutual friends, begging for him to let even one of them know that he was alive. They all feared he had done something awful to himself because he had just up and disappeared without a single word to any of them.

Wooyoung didn't respond. Not once. He couldn't bring himself to do it. This was his fresh start, and Changbin was his past.

But his damn curiosity got the best of him one day...

There were reports of a storm rolling in, so Wooyoung's boss had asked him to come into work just long enough to help him secure all the merchandise and board up the windows. During a short break, Wooyoung noticed a notification for someone he should follow on Instagram. Why he kept the app, he'll never know, but he instantly regretted it when he pulled it up.

After waiting almost three minutes for it to load, Wooyoung felt all the color drain from his face the second he saw the profile picture. His world began to spin violently.

It was Changbin and the boy he had cheated on Wooyoung with. Kissing. At Changbin and Wooyoung's spot.

Wooyoung felt like he was going to be sick.

He leaned against one of the counters and clutched at his shirt over his heart, which hurt so damn much all he wanted to do was claw it out.

"Son?" His boss came over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you ok?"

Wooyoung was quick to shake his head and attempted to force himself to smile. "Y-Yeah."

"Well you should go. The storm just hooked left and is heading straight for us faster than predicted. Thank you for helping me and let me know when you get home safe."

The fact that his heart started to pound with adrenaline honestly shocked him because he felt like he didn't have one anymore after seeing that. He was quick to run out the front door, unable to stop his racing mind as he ran to his car.

It was already snowing, and the wind was blowing so hard it looked like it was snowing sideways. And the streets were already starting to get covered.

The few remaining people were all getting in their cars as well. Wooyoung had to wait for one car to pass by before he could pull out.

He instantly slid to the side when he tried to press on his breaks...

There was no way he was going to make it home before the storm really picked up, but he was determined to try.

His windshield wipers flew back and forth, keeping the glass and cleared as possible. It allowed him to see just enough to stay focused on the car in front of him. As long as he could follow that person, he felt like he would be ok.

Until they pulled into their own driveway just outside of the town he worked in.

Wooyoung was the only car on the road now. He regretted not staying and hunkering down there, but at the same time, he had nothing there. No clothes, no food, nothing.

But even with the fear of the storm, that damn picture was seared into his eyes. It took every ounce of his strength and willpower to focus on driving, even with that picture flashing before his eyes.

It got so bad that Wooyoung could feel himself starting to hyperventilate... He tried, he really tried to take deep breaths and stay calm, but the wind was getting stronger.

His car was being blown back and forth, pummeled by each strong gust. The snow hitting his car turned into a deafening white noise that didn't help things. If his mind was clearer, Wooyoung might have thought to turn on the radio, but he was too far gone...

Suddenly the strongest gust of wind yet sent the back of his car sliding to the left. Wooyoung cried out and yanked on his steering wheel out of sheer terror, trying to right himself, but he also slammed on the brake pedal, locking everything up and sending his car spinning out of control.

He screamed. He couldn't help it. He screamed, then cried out even louder when he slid into a ditch and his passenger side crashed into a tree, bending his car around it from how fast it had been going.

Wooyoung was jolted into his door so hard he thought he heard something crack, but he couldn't tell if it was him or just more sound coming from the car.

One thing he did notice, however, was that the glass had cracked on the passenger side door, and one piece had fallen out...

And ugly sob tore from his throat as his panic grew even more.

At first, he couldn't get himself to calm down enough to think properly. All his instincts told him that he was going to die here. This was it. Staying in this town had been his death sentence.

Maybe this was what he deserved...

Wooyoung locked up. His mind spiraled at the thought. He didn't deserve to live, is that what this was?

He had a happy life.

Then his parents died.

He had a happy life again with the perfect boyfriend.

Then he was cheated on.

He started to find happiness in this new town.

Now he was going to die in the middle of a snowstorm.

Hot streams of tears rolled down his cheeks. His chest hurt so much that Wooyoung could hardly make a sound as he cried. So he leaned forward to rest his head against his steering wheel and just cried... eyes scrunched shut, mouth curled open in a silent wail...

A loud, violent, continuous vibration made Wooyoung jump in his seat. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and whined when he saw Mingi's name.

With shaking fingers he pressed the accept button and brought the phone to his ears. "M-M-M-Min?"

"Jesus, Woo, where are you??" The bartender sounded just as scared as Wooyoung felt.

"C-C-Crashed." Wooyoung managed to get out. He knew he had to sound awful, especially because he just couldn't stop crying.

"Hang on. I'm coming." The jingle of keys alerted Wooyoung to Mingi's movement. "Can you tell me where you are?"

"N-N-"

"Have you hit Main Street?"

"N-No."

"Ok, you're close to me then. I'm coming. Stay on the line with me, ok?" His truck engine roared to life. "Are you hurt?"

All Wooyoung could do was make a sound. He didn't know if he was hurt, not with the adrenaline still pumping through his veins.

"Is your car still giving you heat?"

"Y-Y-"

"Youngie I need you to breath. And grab your blanket from the backseat."

Oh.

Wooyoung had forgotten Virginia had given him a few blankets and an emergency kit for the car.

He twisted in his seat and grabbed to. One he carefully threaded the corner through his broken window to try and plug the hole, while the other he wrapped around himself.

It didn't slip his notice how sore his left arm was...

"Did you get it?" Mingi's deep voice washed over him, anchoring him to the reality of his situation.

"Yes."

"Good. I think I see your taillights. Press your breaks for me, Baby."

Wooyoung's mind jolted for just a moment and he blinked a couple of times. It was like all thought stopped for him and he couldn't even be sure that he had really heard what Mingi said.

"Wooyoung? I need you to stay with me. Press you breaks."

His foot acted without any further prodding. He stepped on the pedal repeatedly, hoping Mingi really was close by and would notice it.

"I see you! I'm coming, hang on."

Wooyoung started to look out his window and over his shoulder. Sure enough, Mingi's large red truck pulled up next to him and the taller slid down the hill before running up to his car. He immediately yanked open the door and pulled Wooyoung into his arms.

"I've got you. Come on." Mingi grunted.

The world fell away as Wooyoung let himself be cradled against the bartenders chest. It was a nice feeling that he felt like he shouldn't be enjoying, but he couldn't help resting his head against Mingi's shoulder and curling into himself.

He couldn't have sworn he felt Mingi's grip tighten around him, too, but he couldn't be sure.

Mingi was very careful walking back up the hill, taking it as slow as he dared to make sure they got back to his truck safely.

When they were both inside, another strong gust of wind shook the entire vehicle.

"I'm not driving you all the way to the inn." Mingi hissed while turning his truck around to start driving. "Not right now."

"But-"

"It's too dangerous. The storm wasn't supposed to get this bad." Mingi locked his jaw and kept his eyes focused on the road.

He hadn't been lying early when he said that his house was close to where Wooyoung had crashed. After a few short minutes he turned off the road and onto a small drive that had been cut through the trees, which ended up providing a little protection from the wind.

The road itself was incredibly rough. Wooyoung bounced in his seat the entire time, and at one point Mingi even ended up placing a hand on his thigh to help keep him settled.

His house appeared seemingly out of nowhere. From what Wooyoung could see, it was a simple stone building that was only one floor but looked to be a fairly decent size.

Mingi pulled his truck into the garage that had been built on the side and was quick to close the door before helping Wooyoung down. "Easy, come on, let's get you inside."

He led Wooyoung into the living room and forced him to sit on the couch. It was very open, with high ceilings and a large fireplace that already had a fire crackling a warm welcome. A few decorations decorated the walls, including what looked to be family portraits, hand carved figures, and paintings of landscapes.

"Here." Mingi said gently while holding out a cup. "It's just some hot chocolate for now. I can make some coffee later if you'd like."

"This is fine." Wooyoung said, his voice still thick from crying mere moments ago. "Thank you."

"Are you ok?" Mingi crouched in front of him and placed a hand on his knee.

Wooyoung didn't know how to answer that question. He could feel the weight of Mingi's noticeable large hand on his leg almost as much as he could still feel the ever growing hole in his chest threatening to swallow him whole.

Mingi pressed his lips together until they formed a thin line, then exhaled softly through his nose. "I'm going to go call Virginia and let her know that you are alright."

As soon as he started to stand, Wooyoung's hand shot out to grab ahold of Mingi's. He didn't want to be left alone. Not right now...

It was easy to see that Mingi was confused by the way that he stayed in a half crouching position. His eyes never left Wooyoung as he waited for some kind of an answer.

"I-" Wooyoung started, but the words instantly caught in his throat. He didn't even know how to start... The one thing he had avoided doing since coming here was revealing anything too intimate about his past. And it wasn't because people didn't ask. Mingi had tried to get it out of him a couple of times, but Wooyoung had refused to take down that wall.

With a small sigh, Mingi started to move again, sparking Wooyoung to tighten his grip on the large hand. But Mingi didn't move away. Instead he sat down on the corner seat and pulled Wooyoung into his side.

The motion was so simple, yet so comforting. It instantly broke open the doors and Wooyoung began to cry all over again.

He tried so hard to control the sobbing, but there was no stopping the tears from rolling down his cheeks and soaking into Mingi's shirt.

"Hey, hey, you're ok." Mingi whispered, engulfing Wooyoung with his arms and his deep voice. "I've got you."

For some reason that Wooyoung couldn't comprehend, those words made him cry even harder.

This entire time... All the driving, settling in with Virginia, working, seeing Mingi... He had never truly found a way to cope with the pain. He had only pushed it aside.

Now the floodgates had opened and he found himself clinging to Mingi, desperate for some kind of comfort.

It took almost an hour for Wooyoung to calm down enough to be able to speak. While he did, he never lifted his head from Mingi's shoulder. It was easier to let the words out if he didn't have to actually look at the older. But Mingi's arms... they held his crumbling body together and gave him he support he needed.

He told Mingi everything. How he had grown up, how he had met Changbin, how they had started dating. He probably spent too long going over how happy he had thought they were, but now that the floodgates had been opened there was no stopping the flow of words.

And Mingi never showed any signs of wanting him to stop. He sat there and listened to all of it while gently running his nimble fingers up and down Wooyoung's arms and back.

He listened as Wooyoung got into the details of being fired from his job, and what he saw when he got home that day, and how all he wanted to do was get away, and how the only answer he could find was driving with no destination in mind.

He still didn't say anything as Wooyoung went on about how much he loved the mountains and the little job and the pub and Virginia's home, or how he was happy to be building a life for himself again.

But he did pull Wooyoung into a tighter hug the second he brought up seeing the friend recommendation and that Changbin had very obviously moved on. And then he made a low growling sound when Wooyoung mentioned that the photo had been in his and Changbin's spot.

"I'm so sorry, Woo." He whispered into the top of the younger's hair when Wooyoung had finished speaking. "No wonder you were so upset on the phone. I thought you were just scared. I'm so sorry."

Wooyoung sniffed and started to chew on his lower lip. He wasn't sure how he wanted to respond to that, but he did know that being here in Mingi's arms was the nicest thing he had felt in a long time.

Neither of them moved for several minutes, at least not until Wooyoung's phone started to vibrate.

He sniffed a couple of times and pulled it out of his pocket, answering it quickly when he saw that it was Virginia. "Virginia, h-"

"Are you ok? Where are you? I've been worried sick! The storm is so much worse that they said it would be, those fucking unreliable pieces of no good shit-"

Wooyoung couldn't help but chuckle at her very out of character outburst. The sweet woman only ever swore when she was upset about something, and when she started it took several minutes to get her to stop. "Virginia I'm fine."

"Where are you?"

"I, uh, I crashed near Mingi's house. He came and got me, so I'm with him."

"I knew you shouldn't have gone to work today! How could that son of a bitch ask you to come from so far away for something he could have done on his own? You're not his god damn slave, you have your own fucking life to live an-"

"Virginia!" Wooyoung raised his voice but had to cover his mouth to stifle his laughter a little. "I wanted to go help him. Please calm down."

He could hear her grumbling under her breath some more, but then she did take a deep breath. "Are you ok, Honey?"

"Yes. I'm safe at Mingi's."

"Well, I'm afraid you're going to have to stay there. I'll set some of your things aside and some extra food so that once the storm stops maybe we can get some of it to you. Alexi and Richard are the only ones who like to get out and take in the damage so they will usually go around on snow shoes to check on everyone."

"Will you be ok?" Wooyoung's chest tightened when he thought about her being by herself through all this.

She gave a kind chuckle and cooed. "Of course I will be. It's gonna take a lot more to bury this stubborn ol' bitch. You just make sure Mingi treats you right." Wooyoung blushed and had to turn his head away from the bartender. "If you ask me, I think he has a soft spot for you. Maybe this will be the better arrangement for you in the long run."

"What?! No!" Wooyoung groaned and prayed Mingi didn't hear that.

"Just kidding. I'll talk to you soon, Honey." Virginia ended with more teasing laughter before hanging up the phone.

Wooyoung worked to keep his expression under control before he turned back to see Mingi picking at his jeans. "Did you... hear?"

Mingi's adam apple bobbed as he swallowed. "Not if you didn't want me too."

The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds, although to Wooyoung it felt like an eternity.

Then Mingi cleared his throat and stood up. "I'll get you a change of clothes. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. What's mine is yours."

From that moment on, the two of them fell into an almost comfortable routine. They would chat whenever felt the need to fill the silence. Sometimes Mingi would turn on his stereo and they would share their favorite music or they would sift through his collection of movies.

Neither one spoke of what Virginia had said in the passing days, although it did always float around in the back of Wooyoung's mind.

When Mingi wasn't paying attention, Wooyoung found himself watching his every move. It was like his eyes were drawn to the smooth yet sometimes lumbering movements Mingi would make while even just walking around his own house.

The way he talked could be hypnotic, his deep voice weaving a powerful spell that would sometimes be the key to if Wooyoung could fall asleep at night or not.

They had probably fallen asleep on the couch together more times than either of them would likely admit.

By the beginning of the third week after the storm, there was still no sign of them being able to get out. A few of the townsfolk had called Mingi to let him know that they were working on trying to plow the roads, but the snow was a lot heavier than anticipated and Mingi's house was one of the harder ones to get to.

He would always chuckle and let them know not to stress. Alexi brought him and Wooyoung supplies, so they were could to continue to ride it out.

"I had no idea winter could be like this." Wooyoung hummed while accepting a cup of coffee.

"And what did you think it would be like?" Mingi leaned back against the kitchen counter. He bent one leg to prop up and arched his back in a way that made him look so damn good.

Wooyoung's mouth opened a little and his mind went blank at the sight. "I- Um..." He shook his head and stared into his coffee cup. "I don't know. Magical?" He gave a nervous laugh and shuffled in place. "You know... like the movies?"

When Mingi didn't say anything right away, Wooyoung peeked at him from under his eyelashes.

The softest smile had crept onto Mingi's face. It tugged at his perfect lips at made him look... stunning.

"It can be sometimes." Mingi said gently. "When the flakes are big and fluffy and the float gracefully to the ground and coat everything in that perfect layer of white."

That was exactly what Wooyoung had in his mind. It was something he had been wanting to experience for so long. Especially on Christmas. The idea of a white Christmas, as cliché as it was, was something he had dreamed of.

"So, how... how are you doing?" Mingi asked after a few minutes of silence. The hesitancy in his voice told Wooyoung he was asking about the story from the other day.

If he was being honest, Wooyoung hadn't really thought about it since he had opened up to Mingi. Maybe it was because talking about it had finally lifted the weight off his shoulders, or maybe... maybe it was just Mingi.

With a smile, Wooyoung looked up at the taller and said, "I'm fine."

"Good," Mingi nodded and looked at his feet, "Good. I'm glad to hear that. I, uh, I'm gonna go get my things together so I can help clear the town when we can get out of here."

Wooyoung's forehead creased as he watched Mingi hurry into his garage.

What just happened?

It was like the mood had instantly shifted. Did he say something wrong?

He replayed the last few minutes over and over in his head, trying to figure out why Mingi had rushed off.

Then he thought about what Virginia had told him the other day and felt himself start to blush.

Could it be that Mingi was hoping for more? Or maybe even just trying to figure out what he wanted? Or was Wooyoung just reading too much into this?

He started to run his tongue over his teeth as his thoughts started to run away with him.

What did he want?

His heart started to pound at the implication.

Was he really ready to pursue another possible relationship?

Wooyoung shook his head and blinked several times.

Did he really just think that? He had to be crazy. Him and Mingi??

He spent all day mulling it over as best he could. As complicated as things had been for him with Changbin, there was one thing that was clear in his mind.

He liked spending time with Mingi.

Even though they were trapped here, he had enjoyed every moment of it. Mingi had this way about him that made Wooyoung feel safe.

It was some that he had always felt, now that he thought about it, ever since the first day he walked into the bar.

And that was the exact reason that had Wooyoung walking to the other side of the house late that night after they had gone their separate ways.

Dinner had been mostly silent. Not fully uncomfortable, but noticeably different.

Wooyoung paused for only a second outside Mingi's door before lifting a hand to knock. But the door was already open a crack.

Curiosity got the better of him and Wooyoung leaned over to peek inside.

Mingi was already in bed with his back to the door. There was just enough light coming from the hallway to show that he wasn't wearing a shirt.

Wooyoung's heart started to beat a little faster. If he was thinking logically at the moment he would have turned around and left Mingi alone.

Yet it seemed that logic had left him long ago, for he pushed open the door and tiptoed into the room. He walked around to the other side of the bed and peered over to see if he had been noticed.

Mingi's eyes were closed. His bare chest moved softly with each breath he took. He looked peaceful as he slept, and Wooyoung almost felt guilty for what happened next.

Almost.

The second he started to slip underneath the covers, Mingi let out a little groan and blinked a few times as he stirred from his slumber. "Mm- Ynnngie?" He murmured. "Sss everything ok?"

"Why did you ask me how I was doing earlier? The real reason?" Wooyoung whispered back.

It took a moment for Mingi to process what he said. "I- What do you mean?" He sounded a little flustered, which was the only answer Wooyoung needed.

The younger bent forward, causing Mingi to roll onto his back in a halfhearted attempt to move away, until he was on his hands and knees, hovering over Mingi's body. He sucked his lower lip into his mouth, took a deep breath, then dipped his head down to hesitantly press his lips to Mingi's.

He kept it short, wanting to test the waters, which meant he didn't miss the sharp intake of breath Mingi took through his nose.

There was a mixture of shock and terror on his face when Wooyoung pulled away. It made his heart sink and he instantly regretted the kiss. "I- I'm sorry. I- I- That was so s-stupid." He started to slip off the bed, but a hand on his arm stopped him.

Mingi's grip was harder than it needed to be. It was clear that he didn't want Wooyoung going anywhere while he sat up and blinked a few more times. "It wasn't stupid." He said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I just... Are you sure you want this? After..." Mingi's grip tightened slightly, making Wooyoung flinch a little. "After what he did to you?"

Wooyoung wasn't sure if he should feel hurt or touched by what Mingi had to say.

"I..." Mingi sighed and let his hand drift down so that he could lace his fingers with Wooyoung's. It made goosebumps appear on both the younger's arms and he fought to suppress a shiver. "I don't want to push you into something you aren't ready for. I know it's all still fresh."

Now Wooyoung knew he had made the right choice. His heart was pounding in his chest, his ears, even in his fingertips. The shyest of smiles tugged at his lips and he scooted forward so he could sit right next to Mingi. "I'm sure. I don't know what will come of it, but I know that I'm happy here with you."

Mingi lifted his other hand to gently caress Wooyoung's cheek. "All I've wanted to do," he spoke gently, almost like he was trying to sing a lullaby, "ever since you sat down at the bar... I've just felt this need to protect you. I could see it in your eyes that something had hurt you."

Faster than he could think, Wooyoung leaned forward for another kiss. Hearing Mingi say that sparked something within him that confirmed he was making the right decision.

And this time Mingi didn't hesitate to kiss back.

Their lips met in a tender but passionate kiss that seemed to speak a million words with each movement. Everything that had gone unsaid between them, especially for Mingi, was now out in the open.

Wooyoung could feel the bartender's feelings crash into him like a tidal wave in the way Mingi's fingers wove into his black hair, in the way he continued to lean forward to slowly force Wooyoung back, in the way his other hand moved from Wooyoung's to run down the length of his back and settle on his hip.

All of it was deliciously overwhelming. It made Wooyoung shiver, especially when Mingi's teeth gently scrapped against his lower lip before tugging on it slightly. "I don't want to go to fast." He whispered against Wooyoung's lips. "But damn, kissing you is better than I imagined."

"You..." Wooyoung didn't know if he should laugh for run away, "You've imagined this?"

Mingi's eyes glowed a little as they flicked back and forth between Wooyoung's. "Many times." He leaned forward to press their foreheads together. "This isn't exactly how I wanted to make my feelings for you known. I was hoping to be a proper gentleman and take you out on a date first."

That was the sweetest thing Wooyoung had heard in a long time. It confirmed tenfold that he was making the right decision right now. "I would love that."

A soft sigh of relief came from Mingi. Then he guided Wooyoung so they could lay down while facing each other. "Stay tonight?"

Wooyoung just nodded before moving closer to rub his nose against Mingi's bare chest, only to be enveloped by his long, muscular arms.

It had to be one of the best feelings ever.

The next few days passed by with soft touches, gentle kisses, and lots and lots of cuddling on the couch or in bed.

Mingi was true to his word. He stopped things from getting too far every time things grew a little more heated between them.

Once they were finally able to leave his house, much of their time was spent shoveling snow or trying to help the residents who were still trapped. It was tiring work which left them both exhausted at the end of the day, so thankfully Wooyoung didn't get much of a chance to think about how pent up he was starting to feel.

Victoria was thrilled to see him again and spent several minutes every day making sure he was warm enough and that he was safe and sound.

But once the town was able to start functioning again, a new ache crept into Wooyoung's heart.

He missed Mingi.

They had spent so much time together during and after the storm, now there was a Mingi shaped emptiness in his life that was dying to be filled.

So much so that he spent every second he could spare at the bar or at Mingi's house.

Even though they didn't really do anything together besides watch movies or play games or chat at the bar, it was all perfect to Wooyoung.

He was really hoping Mingi would ask him to move in, as strange as that was in this stage of their... well Wooyoung wasn't really sure what their label was, but all he knew was that he wanted to be with Mingi as much as he could.

Apparently Mingi had a plan though.

One Friday night he showed up at Victoria's door wearing a nice pair of jeans and a button down, navy, silk shirt underneath his puffy winter coat. In his hand was a single red rose.

He took Wooyoung to a nice steakhouse over an hour away, insisting that it would be worth it and that it would be more special if they went somewhere they couldn't go often.

He was right.

The lighting was dim and romantic, the food spectacular, and the entire time Wooyoung couldn't stop thinking about how good Mingi looked.

When the evening was coming to a close, Mingi paid the bill and took Wooyoung's hand to lead him out of the restaurant. "What would you like to do now?" His deep voice washed of Wooyoung and sent a chill down his spine.

"Take me home?" Wooyoung stopped and turned to face him. "Take me home, Min."

Suddenly Mingi's arms were around his waist and he was being lifted off the ground. Wooyoung placed his arms on the taller's shoulders to tease his hair while their eyes met. "If I do that, you're never leaving again."

Wooyoung's lips twisted in a playful smile. "Good."

That one word ignited the flame that would drive the rest of their evening.

Mingi was quick to slam their lips together. One arm tightened around Wooyoung's waist while the other one traveled up to splay across his upper spine and shoulders.

The kiss was passion and need, fire and ice, hunger and desire.

It drew Wooyoung in and stole all his breath away.

If there was one thing he knew at this exact moment, it was that he couldn't remember ever having a kiss like this before.

And oh, how he wanted more.

The cold night forced them to break apart, but it stood no chance at putting out their need.

They ran as fast and safely as they could to Mingi's truck, then he turned it on and started to pull out of the parking lot.

"Damn." He growled.

Wooyoung couldn't help but giggle, for he knew that they were thinking the same thing.

They still had over an hour before they would get home.

Not even ten minutes into the drive, Wooyoung placed a hand on his arm and said, "Pull over."

Mingi didn't even try to argue. He waited until they were literally in the middle of no where to pull into a section that had either been cleared away or had been sheltered enough by the trees that there wasn't a lot of snow.

He left the engine running so they still had some heat coming in, but he made sure to switch the lights off before they both moved into the back seat.

Wooyoung threw his leg over so he could straddle Mingi, then pressed his body as close to Mingi's as he could.

They were a flurry of hands and lips, only breaking apart long enough to pull off their shirts.

The second Mingi's long, slender fingers started to tweak his nipples, Wooyoung's head fell back and he let out a little whimper.

"You like that?" Mingi extended his neck to start sucking on one spot on Wooyoung's neck.

All the younger could do was whimper again. Somehow Mingi had managed to find his sweet spot on his first try. He dug his nails into Mingi's shoulders and he started to grind their hips together.

"Fuck, Baby." Mingi's hands fell to Wooyoung's waist to start guiding his movements. They rocked together in sync, panting heavily between kisses.

The truck windows were already fogged over with how hard they were breathing.

When Mingi dared to dip his fingers down the back of Wooyoung's pants, the younger sucked in a breath and arched his back.

This is what he had been longing for. He wanted to feel it all. Every single bit. He wanted to be filled.

"Min... Please." Wooyoung dipped his head to the side and he sucked on Mingi's ear. It earned him a delicious groan and he couldn't help but smile.

"I don't have anything..."

"Don't care." Wooyoung started to nibble his way down the older's neck while sneaking his hands down to start unbuttoning Mingi's pants. "Need you. Feel like I've always needed you."

Mingi paused at those words and pulled his head back to meet Wooyoung's eyes. One hand came back up to gently cup his chin and Wooyoung could have sworn he saw tears swimming in Mingi's eyes. "Is... Is that really how you feel?"

"Yes." Wooyoung answered without hesitation. "I..." he couldn't believe he was about to say this, but he knew the words were true. "I think I'm falling in love with you."

All movement stopped while the words hung heavy in the air.

At first Wooyoung was worried he had said too much. This was the point where Mingi was supposed to respond, right?

The hand on Wooyoung's chin moved to the side to cup his face. It was so tender, so gentle, so... so loving.

"Woo." Mingi's voice was deep and husky when he finally spoke. "I don't think, I know. I love you."

Fireworks.

There was no other way to describe what happened the next time their lips met.

They twisted around so that Wooyoung was laying down as best he could. Their lips never parted as their tongues twisted together and their hands fumbled to pull their pants off.

Although Wooyoung did pause when he felt Mingi's hard length press against his leg. His eyes flew open and he reached down to take it in his hands. "Oh fuck."

A deep chuckle came from the older. "Oh yes. Are you sure you're ready for that?" Mingi pushed Wooyoung's hand out of the way before wrapping his hand around both their hard, leaking cocks and giving them a few strokes.

Wooyoung let out a long whine and arched his back. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.

Mingi was huge.

With a little bit of a struggle, Mingi moved back so he could lift the younger's hips off the seat to drag his tongue over Wooyoung's entrance.

Each pass, each dip, and each time his tongue even dipped inside, brought Wooyoung deeper and deeper into a world of pleasure.

And it was only heightened when Mingi's fingers were added. They reached so deep.

Mingi made quick work of working Wooyoung open, using either their precum as makeshift lube or even his own spit.

The first time he did that, Wooyoung mewled at how filthy it was. He loved every second of it.

But the best part was when Mingi finally entered him for the first time.

The stretch, the fullness, it was all so perfect. Especially with the angle they were at with him slightly bent in half and Mingi pushing down into him.

As their desperation grew, their lips found whatever piece of skin on the other that they could reach.

If the fogged up window didn't give away what was happening inside, then the fact that the truck was rocking almost violently back and forth would make it obvious.

And Wooyoung couldn't hold back either.

His moans and cries grew louder and louder with each thrust. Especially when Mingi found his prostate. "There!" He all but screamed. "Fuck!"

"My pleasure." Mingi smirked before snapping his hips even harder. "God you feel so good. So perfect for me, Woo."

Tears rolled down Wooyoung's cheeks and he pulled Mingi in for another kiss.

He felt so complete now. He never wanted this to end.

But the next time Mingi's long shaft dragged over his sweet spot, Wooyoung saw stars. He painted his stomach and chest with cum.

"M-M-Min-" He started to whimper with over sensitivity.

"I know, Baby. I-" Mingi dropped his head onto Wooyoung's shoulder and snapped his hips two more times before he reached his peak as well.

When the two of them finally caught their breath, they turned to lay side by side on the sweat covered seat, clinging to the other as if they would never let go.

Which is what Wooyoung wanted.

He wanted to be with Mingi like this every day.

The drive home was utter agony. All Wooyoung wanted to do was move over to sit in Mingi's lap, but he had to settle for lacing their fingers together on his lap.

They were on each other again as soon as Mingi locked the front door.

And all day the next day.

After their third round of the day, Wooyoung smiled to himself while watching Mingi sleep with one arm draped across his chest and one behind his head.

He was stunning. Wooyoung found himself wondering how he was so lucky to find someone like Mingi. In a way, he was happy that Changbin had broken his heart, because the perfect guy had been waiting to put it back together and make it even stronger.

Last night he had said he thought he was falling in love with Mingi, but now he knew he was deep and passionately in love with the man laying in front of him.

Mingi was his. Thinking that filled him with so much pride. Mingi was his. And out of everyone else Mingi had met in his life, it was like he has been waiting for Wooyoung to walk through the door.

They completed each other.

"Thank you, Mingi." Wooyoung whispered before placing a soft kiss to the older's lips. He nestled into Mingi's side to settle in feeling so elated with the changes coming to his life.

And now Wooyoung had a new path in front of him. A new adventure.

A new home.