minho hated public transport.
his anxiety was horrible, and hearing all the stories that happen in these places, freak him out more.
he stepped onto the subway, anxious eyes gazing around the whole train. he held onto the pole, breath uneven as he heard the train operator speak over the speakers.
'we will be leaving shortly, please hold on.'
the subway hummed along the tracks, its rhythmic motion lulling minho into a semi-drowsy state. he stood near the doors, his grip on the overhead rail steady as he swayed with the train's movement. lost in his own thoughts, minho's daydreaming abruptly ended as the subway came to a screeching halt.
his reflexes were quick, but not quick enough. as the unexpected halt caused minho to stumble, he found himself falling backwards, his heart racing in shock. before he could process what was happening, he landed in a rather undignified manner – right in the lap of a young guy sitting on the seat behind him.
minho's face turned a deep shade of crimson as he scrambled to regain his balance. "oh my god, i'm so sorry!"
the guy looked surprised but managed a chuckle. "no worries, happens to the best of us."
minho mumbled an apology once more and was about to awkwardly get up, but the stranger's gentle hand on his back stopped him.
"wait, it's a bit crowded. you can stay here if you want," the guy said, a warm smile on his lips.
minho's eyes widened in surprise at the offer, and he quickly weighed his options. standing amidst the jostling crowd didn't seem very appealing at the moment. he hesitated for a moment before giving a shy nod.
"um, if you're sure. thank you."
with a friendly grin, the guy extended his arms along the backrest of the seat, providing a makeshift cushion for minho. "there you go."
feeling a mix of embarrassment and gratitude, minho carefully eased back onto the stranger's lap, his heart racing with both the subway's sudden stop and the proximity to this cute guy he'd just met. the situation was bizarre, yet oddly comforting.
the guy – jisung, as he'd introduced himself – chuckled softly. "see? comfy, right?"
minho managed a sheepish smile, avoiding eye contact. "yeah, thanks. sorry again for falling on you."
"no worries, really," jisung replied, his tone easygoing. "though i must admit, i'm kind of glad you did."
minho's head shot up, his cheeks flaming anew. "you are?"
jisung's smile turned playful. "yeah, i mean, who wouldn't want a cute guy like you falling into their lap?"
minho's heart raced even faster, his shyness reaching a whole new level. he stuttered over his words, trying to respond, but his brain felt like a jumbled mess.
the subway jolted back to life, slowly pulling away from the station. jisung's laughter filled the air, and minho couldn't help but laugh along, the awkwardness of the situation fading away as he settled against jisung's warm lap.
as the subway's mechanical voice announced minho's stop, he felt a mix of relief and disappointment. his heart pounded as he gently shifted to get up from jisung's lap. "um, i think this is my stop. thank you for letting me stay here."
jisung grinned, his eyes sparkling with warmth. "no problem at all. it was nice meeting you, minho."
minho managed an awkward smile, feeling the weight of their brief but memorable encounter. "yeah, nice meeting you too, jisung."
