DON'T TELL // MINSUNG

4

It's a lonely night

It's too dark with my low voice

I'll make it happen among the stars over there

I'm just lonely, someone reach out for me and hold me

- Han Jisung, 외계인 (Alien)

it wasn't until

As he came back to the present moment, Jisung felt guilt claw at his chest.

Minho must've been so hurt. His best friend had yelled at him, while confusingly confessing that he liked him.

The driver glanced back at their soaked feet on the floor of the car, and the two passengers immediately began to apologize.

"It's no big deal, it's a company car anyway," he said. He glanced back in the rearview mirror at what he had thought were two friends, intrigued by their odd quietness.

It was quite a short drive to Jisung's apartment. Minho knew from his time being friends with the other that he didn't have any roommates, and could only afford the space by himself because of how small it was.

When Minho had questioned why his friend lived alone, Jisung had replied that he was most comfortable being on his own.

"You're like an alien who was disappointed by humanity," Minho had teased, and Jisung threw grass on him.

"I still like you though," Minho said after, and Jisung hadn't known how to respond.

They rushed inside Jisung's home where they were safe and dry and out of the thundering storm. They were planning to change into Jisung's clothes given that they were both thoroughly soaked from the rain. Unfortunately, all of Jisung's warm clothes were away at the laundromat.

So the shivering Jisung borrowed Minho's sweater, and Minho borrowed his underclothes. Both boys considered leaving the room while they changed, but they were afraid that it would make things even more awkward and cement how much had changed in their relationship.

So like old times, they didn't bother to leave, just turned away. They quickly got changed, drying themselves with towels that left their hair all fluffy.

Jisung pulled the well-loved sweater over his head. It fit Jisung just right, smelling like soap and cats and something uniquely Minho.

"Do - do you want to watch a movie?" Jisung didn't know how long he could look at Minho. He felt a pinch in his heart that wasn't leaving and was making him sick with nerves.

"Sure, anything you want."

They put on Howl's Moving Castle, one of Jisung's all-time favorites. One he loved so much he had the DVD version even though the medium had long become obsolete.

He loved the piano opening, longing to learn how to deftly speed through the difficult chords. He loved the escapism he found in vicariously becoming a creature of flight. He loved finding comfort in the animation style and how real and characters' growth were.

Minho and Jisung sat quietly on opposite ends of the couch, wrapped in their own blankets and eating from steaming bowls of ramen.

Just when they got to Jisung's favorite part, the part he could only bear because he knew the war would end and the characters would all be okay, the power went out.

The loss of light and the sound of rain beating down on their roof jarred them spooked them back to reality.

"I guess we could call it an early night," Minho said.

"Yeah, I'm tired from all the running around anyway."

Jisung's apartment was so small that he used what was supposed to be the only bedroom as storage space for his recording equipment. He usually slept on the couch, but of course, offered it to Minho.

He refused, and bickering ensued. Both too stubborn and kind-hearted to take the sofa, they slept on the floor.

Though it had been quite muggy and warm during the day, at night, cold air seeped in through the window,

And they had no heater to keep warm.

Jisung woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. His hands were freezing cold, and he couldn't bear to wrap them around himself.

His limbs were too heavy with sleep to bother piling on more blankets.

However, Jisung wasn't about to give in to any cliches and sleep with Minho, and tried to bear out the cold himself.

When it was chilly, he fell asleep faster, the cool temperature causing his body to be lulled to sleep.

But he was so cold that he couldn't fall asleep.

"Minho?" the blue-haired boy said softly.

The other didn't answer.

"Minho?" he tried again, and the older one stirred.

His voice was raspy with sleep. "What is it?"

"Could I - Could I sleep next to you? It's too cold."

Minho was silent for a moment. His heart still felt heavy at the ending of his and Jisung's friendship. He still loved the other boy, but that just made the situation sting more.

He lifted the blanket, and Jisung crawled in.

Jisung didn't know whether it was okay to touch the other, and laid prostrate. 

Jisung didn't know how he'd be able to fall asleep next to Minho, but the older seemed to have no problem sleepily snuggling up against the younger. Jisung hesitantly brought his arm around Minho, and the older unconsciously smiled.

They fell asleep soon enough, lulled by the rise and fall of their chests and the white noise of the rain pattering around them.

But they were of course woken when lightning cracked loudly, the thunder making a booming noise that resonated through the apartment.

Minho squeezed his eyes shut, cringing at the sudden noises. He hid his face in Jisung's chest. Jisung was surprised at the sudden close contact, feeling Minho breathing shakily into his chest. He wrapped his arms around Minho's head and held him close.

Minho let out a barely audible whimper as the thunder cracked and Jisung patted his hair, soothing him.

Minho's eyelids drooped. It was very warm and comfortable and safe here, wrapped in a blanket along with Jisung.

Jisung could feel himself growing sleepy as well, and his cheek drooped down to meet the top of Minho's head.

They fell asleep.