aphrodite : hyunho ✓

chapter 3

Famous morning after

White, just white. Minho turned around and pushed his head into the closest thing he could find. Warmth greeted him and in seconds, images of the previous night popped into his head. With a small smile, he put his arm around the source of warmth -Hyunjin- next to him.

"Morning." Hyunjin's voice was low, raspy, and a warm shiver ran down Minho's spine. He just grumbled and pursed his lips, placing a small kiss on the other's skin.

"Just a little longer..." He murmured to himself. It was too early or too late; his sense of time was lost. Hyunjin ran a hand through his hair, making his smile grow even bigger, but he kept his eyes tightly shut.

"Won't you open your eyes sugar?" Hyunjin said and you could almost hear the grin. Minho shook his head and grumbled again.

A few minutes passed, during which Minho snuggled against the blond's side, breathing him in and enjoying the way his scalp was massaged and the other's voice hummed a song he didn't know. Their blanket rustled softly when they moved and a breeze blew from somewhere.

Finally, Minho blinked his eyes open and grinned even wider as he looked up at Hyunjin. Who stopped his movements and just stared at him for a while. Minho tilted his head. Then the soft smile came back on the other's face and he stroked his cheek with the back of his hand.

"Minho you are the most handsome human I have ever seen." Minho just shook his head, not even answering. His head fell back on his bare chest and he began to draw little hearts on his skin. Hyunjin looked outside.

"It's warmer again today." The brown-haired man followed his gaze. Looking out the window, he could see across wide fields, some seeded, some blooming in a sea of purple, and some just green. The sun was standing overhead, shining in all its glory and not letting the few clouds in the sky interrupt it.

His gaze slid past the window front. Only now did he realize that he was lying in a white canopy bed, everything that protected his body from the cold also still completely white. He gave up asking about it and allowed Hyunjin to pull him closer. The two familiar arms held him so tightly that Minho looked up to confirm his thoughts. Hyunjin had a sort of blank look, a small smile indeed, but... it seemed like he was thinking about the Man in his arms. "I can't..." he muttered under his breath, blinking several times.

Afterward he returned the gaze from the brown-haired man, who once again didn't understand a word. "Shall we make you something to eat?" Minho nodded. Something was wrong... A minimal feeling spread in his stomach. It forced itself into his conscience but Minho tried -like last night- to ignore it.

The dancer let Hyunjin lay him down on his side; and watched him straighten up and stretch his arms towards the sky. Hyunjin's outline was flattered by the sun, his skin seemed to shine faintly under the light. How can a person look so good when he wakes up? If Minho only knew...

The man in front of him stood up and strolled nonchalantly over to a white wall unit. Completely naked. Minho's face flushed red and he shook his head with a little laugh. The other's back was indeed muscular. Minho couldn't help but stare at his whole body, memorizing the details in his head, who knows when or if he would see him like this again.

The thought of it brought the weird feeling back. But the brown-haired man shook himself and fell back into the feather pillow. He stared at the ceiling. A loud sigh escaped him and he rubbed his tired face.

The mattress moved and Minho took his hands away from his face again. "Do you want to get up?" The blond held his hand out to him.

"Do I have a choice?" Minho laughed softly and was made to sit by Hyunjin. "I have clothes for you, are they okay?" He stood back up and lifted two hangers. On one a large brown sweater and on the other a pair of white pants and normal underwear. Minho nodded enthusiastically and then was placed on the edge of the bed. And so Hyunjin helped the smaller one to get dressed and fixed his hair a little.

Meanwhile, Minho watched him blink and breathe; realizing how much he enjoyed having someone take care of him. The last time he could remember anything like this was when he was 5 years old and living with his parents. He smiled. It was nice to not always be the person who has to be selfless for everyone else like he usually was for his friends and hook-ups. No, here he could let himself go, finally rest. With Hyunjin. Whose hands had gently wrapped around his face and stroked his cheeks with his thumbs.

"Hi..." Minho murmured as he lost himself in the other's brown eyes. "Hi..." Came it back from Hyunjin. He kissed Minho tenderly. His lips were soft on his dry ones. Minho reached for the bedsheets. Hyunjin seemed to be so fervently attached to his lips with words unspoken -a final apology or a thank you, that it catapulted Minho out of this world.

When the blond pulled back, he just smiled, "Let's make dinner."

—

A record played John Coltrane's record "A love Supreme" and Minho sat on the white marble countertop watching the fried eggs cooking. Hyunjin twisted a coffee grinder and sang along softly.

Finished with that, he danced around the kitchen, placing the ground coffee powder in front of Minho, hot water, and a pot.

" Hyunjin..." the latter said, briefly turning the eggs in the pan. "You have such a big house...but you still make your own filter coffee?"

The one addressed nodded. "Tastes better."

Minho hummed and peered out the kitchen window. Between the curtains, they had a perfect view of the garden. The picture could have appeared like this in a 1900s housewives magazine. The garden was perfect, well kept and everything seemed to be blossoming. Minho was convinced that even a banana tree could grow there, even if they lived in the middle of Korea.

"Can you give me a hand?" Hyunjin asked the other. But he continued to stare out and daydream. Hyunjin laughed softly and stepped between his legs that were dangling from the counter.

"Sugar?" Minho jumped. "Yeah?"

"Can you tie up my hair, my hands are dirty." Minho nodded and pulled the hair tie from the wrist in front of him. "All of it?"

"As you wish."

Minho indicated for the blond to turn around and carefully tied his bangs and a few annoying strands into a small pigtail. "Does it hurt ?" Hyunjin turned and shook his head.

"Thank you," he said, once the hairband was secure.

Minho just kissed his cheek and stared at him for a while afterward. "I like it when you wear your hair like that." He adjusted the collar from his loose button-down and briefly stroked the white fabric. His hands remained on his shoulders. It was new to be on eye level with Hyunjin and he giggled when Hyunjin looked at him so meaningfully again.

Suddenly, the blond pulled him closer and hugged him; showering his face and neck with kisses. "Eyyy." Minho giggled louder, trying to free himself from his grip.

"You stay right here Sugar," Hyunjin hummed, holding him tighter and pressing his chest against Minho's. " Alright..." Minho couldn't help himself and pressed his lips against the other's forehead. The two looked at each other as if time stood still. Grinning so hard that their cheeks hurt, they hummed the lyrics to the jazz in the background.

Oh and Minho's heart grew, filled and swelled with warmth. So incredibly warm and calm - he knew - he had never felt before. And of course, he never wanted to miss it again.

The next second, a phone rang from somewhere. Hyunjin flinched and ran to the switchboard phone. But when he turned to Minho, the cord in one hand, there was no spark of excitement or joy. His eyebrows drawn together and chewing on his lower lip, he looked in Minho's direction, his gaze blank.

"Do I have to ... why?" It remained silent for a while. "Okay." Then he slammed the phone down on its fork. "Shit..."

Minho watched him pacing up and down the room, ripping the hairband out of his hair and cursing. Then Hyunjin faltered and looked at Minho. "I have to go somewhere...and you have to go with me."

And again, Minho was more than perplexed. "Have to?"

"I have no choice..." Sadness resonated in Hyunjin's voice as he helped Minho get off the countertop. "They should be here soon." And again they made eye contact. Anger, sadness, and incomprehension met pure confusion. "I'm sorry Minho..."