Don't run away from me

ch. 20

//joshua;

After Seokmin left, Joshua returns to his bedroom, throwing himself on the bed and burying his face in the pillow, letting out a muffled scream. The tension between him and Seokmin is driving him crazy, and he still can't believe what he did in the kitchen earlier. He's definitely in need of a visit to a psychologist because he's never acted so foolishly when he likes someone. He opens his phone and starts looking for outfit inspiration for the evening, knowing that it will take him the most time. Hours pass by for Joshua without him noticing too much, and he only has an hour left to finish getting ready. Fresh out of the shower, Joshua looks at the three outfits arranged on the edge of the bed, unsure of which one to choose. In the end, he opts for something more attractive. After finishing putting on his accessories, Joshua decides to apply a little makeup to bring out the most refined features of his face. As he finishes, he quickly does his hair, realizing that the minutes were passing by faster and faster, anxious that Seokmin could arrive at any moment. He sprays a floral and vanilla-scented perfume on the base of his neck and wrists, rushing out and putting on his coat as he goes down the stairs. He sees Seokmin before he even exits the building, leaning against one of the streetlight poles. Under the pale light of the lamppost, Seokmin looks so good and attractive, and Joshua can't take his eyes off him.

"Did you wait long?" Joshua approaches, feeling shy under the intimidating energy emanating from Seokmin's look.

'No problem. I just arrived too.' Seokmin smiles and opens his arms to greet Joshua with a hug when they get closer to each other. Joshua responds to the gesture, hugging him sideways for a few moments. The masculine scent of Seokmin's cologne fills Joshua's nostrils, leaving a lasting impression in his mind.

'I called an Uber, it should be here soon. Are you cold?' Seokmin gently pulls back, putting his hands in his pockets and tucking his chin behind his jacket. Without getting a chance to respond, Joshua feels Seokmin's hand slip into the pocket where he had his right hand, intertwining their fingers with a hot pack in between. He looks up at Seokmin, who smiles widely and innocently. His earlobes and nose turned red, indicating that he had been waiting for Joshua in the cold for a while. Shortly after, their ride arrives and the two of them get in together, sitting in the backseat. Joshua continues to hold his hand, causing both of them to feel embarrassed, so they look out the window in opposite directions. At one point, Joshua feels Seokmin's body lean against his, and he hears whispers by his ear.

"You look amazing tonight."

Joshua swallows nervously, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks and a shiver run down his spine. He turns his gaze towards Seokmin, who smiles at him, and Joshua is convinced that one day that smile will give him a heart attack. Fortunately for him, the car stops, indicating that they have arrived at their destination. Seokmin pays for the ride, and the two of them get out of the car. On the path to the front door, Joshua feels Seokmin's arm wrap around his waist and pull him closer, their bodies now pressed against each other. Joshua hides his chin behind the collar of his coat, feeling his heart almost explode. He presses the doorbell, and when Seungcheol appears at the door, Seokmin withdraws his hand, allowing Joshua to already miss his touch. Even though it was for a short period of time, Joshua wished to feel Seokmin's touch more and in more areas, he longed for it, but he was aware that he couldn't. Yet.

After a short hug with Seungcheol, the two of them enter the house where the music is blasting from the speakers, and the only source of light is lasers and colorful lights that rapidly change shape and direction. There were already quite a few people there, and Joshua realizes once again that his two friends are very well-known outside of college. He sees some familiar faces, including some of Seokmin's friends. The vibe of the house is completely different from when he visited Jeonghan; it feels more like a club.

"Do you want to come with me to greet the guys?" Seokmin approaches from behind, his hands on the boy's waist, guiding him through the crowd, and then points to the couch where Soonyoung, Minghao, Chan, and Jun are sitting.

Joshua nods approvingly but then feels his arm being pulled from the side. It was Jeonghan, holding two shots in his hand. He already seemed tipsy, but that didn't stop him from being the life of the party.

"Sorry, Seokmin, but I'm stealing your boyfriend for a bit!" Jeonghan shouts, making sure Seokmin hears him, and Seokmin laughs and raises his hands in the air, signaling that he's stepping back.

Seokmin continues on his way to the couch, leaving behind a Joshua blushing like a crab. When he makes sure he's out of earshot, Joshua turns around and playfully punches Jeonghan on the shoulder, causing him to laugh even louder.

"Don't say things like that, or I swear I'll kill you." Joshua downs both shots, leaving his friend shocked.

Given the crowd of people and the fact that his best friend was the host, Joshua is being pulled around by Jeonghan to introduce him to his friends, taking shots with most of them, getting caught up in various discussions, and quickly making friends. For a moment, he forgets that he came with Seokmin as his partner, being too absorbed in alcohol and fun. The DJ, a friend of Seungcheol, arrives around midnight, and the atmosphere heats up as his remixes start blasting from the speakers. Joshua finds himself in the middle of the crowd, gathered in the center of the house on an improvised dance floor, and decides to let his body move to the rhythm of the music. He starts dancing with Jeonghan, facing each other, hands on their hips, and both of them arching their bodies to match the movements of the other. They both laugh and have a great time, visibly under the influence of alcohol, and anyone observing them from the outside might get the wrong impression about their relationship.

The music changes its rhythm, the two of them separating to change their dance style, now with a slower, more sensual rhythm. Joshua closes his eyes for a few moments, completely absorbed by the way his body moves before his mind conceives it. He feels a presence behind him getting closer and closer until they are pressed against each other.

"I found you." Joshua instantly recognizes Seokmin's voice and scent, a grin appearing on his lips.

He presses his entire body against Seokmin's, not stopping dancing, resting his head on the boy's shoulder, and trailing a hand down his neck. He lowers his head to the level of Seokmin's ear, whispering in his ear.

"You missed me, Seokminie?" Joshua feels the boy's jaw clench and his hands tighten around his waist.

Joshua smiles, running his fingers through Seokmin's hair, feeling his lips press against the base of his neck. He feels a thousand shivers spread throughout his body from that area, as if he had just been electrocuted. He presses his backside against Seokmin's lap, putting more pressure into each dance move.

"I did. Very much." Seokmin's voice is heard again in Joshua's ear, his hands starting to move up his abdomen. The adrenaline and alcohol in Joshua's blood begin to pulse chaotically throughout his entire body.

The bodies of the two continue to move in sync to the music, as if forming their own bubble that neither of them would ever want to burst. That is until the slow and sensual rhythm is replaced with a strong and bouncy one, snapping them both out of their trance. Joshua turns to face Seokmin for the first time, both of them looking at each other and breathing a bit heavier. Joshua bites his cheek on the inside as his gaze takes in every detail of Seokmin's face. He looks incredibly handsome, and in that moment, Joshua would give anything to kiss him.

"Do you want something to drink?" Seokmin speaks first, causing Joshua to slightly startle as he's brought back down to earth.

Embarrassed, he takes a step back, signaling that he didn't want anything to drink.

"I'll go outside for a bit to recover, I feel a bit dizzy."

Joshua makes his way to the backyard where there is a large courtyard with a pool, some of the guests already taking a swim in it. He sits on a more secluded lounge chair, only then realizing how fast his heart is beating. All those moments on the dance floor start replaying in his mind, and Joshua swears to himself that he won't drink again if that's how he's going to react under the influence of alcohol.