Distance Between Us

3.

"Babe are you sure you want this?" Mingyu asked in the middle of their make out.

"Of course I want to Mingyu" Wonwoo leaned in for more kisses.

"This is a big step" Mingyu placed his hands on Wonwoo's waist, whilst Wonwoo kept stepping back to get to his bedroom.

"It's a big step I want to take with you" Wonwoo pulled him into the bedroom and locked the door. "I can't turn 18 and still be a virgin. I trust you"

"Okay good, I've been waiting for this moment"

_________________________________________

Mingyu entered the grocery store and went straight to the fresh produce, picking up a cabbage head and staring at it for a while, looking for imperfections. After that he looked for green onions and lettuce, gently perusing around the fruit displays. Once he found all the vegetables he needed, he headed to the spices aisle to find bay leaves and thyme. He walked whilst staring at the aisle, mumbling to himself until he was interrupted by someone knocking into him.

"I'm so sorry-" The man started but stopped when he saw who it was. "Mingyu?"

"Oh, Junhui. Sorry about that" Mingyu responded quietly.

"It's really quite alright!" Junhui flashed a smile. "And call me Jun" Junhui looked at the floor and bent down. "You dropped this". It was Mingyu's wallet, brown leather eroded over time and looking quite ugly honestly, but Wonwoo got it for him when they first started dating and how could he just get rid of it? As Junhui picked up the wallet to return it, a piece of paper slipped out, landing on the floor face up. A photo of 17 year old Wonwoo kissing Mingyu, taken by their friends on Mingyu's 17th birthday. Junhui and Mingyu both looked at the floor, staring for a while in awkward silence and for what felt like an eternity to Mingyu. "Oh... um" Junhui bent down to pick the photo up to. "Here you go".

"Thanks" Mingyu awkwardly took back his wallet and the photo. "See you around Jun"

"You too Mingyu" Junhui turned around and walked to the back wall with the milk on it, picking up a pack of banana milk, Wonwoo's favourite. Mingyu's heart ached staring at his ex boyfriends new boyfriend buying things obviously for him. Mingyu sighed, almost scolding himself for letting Junhui see that photo, eventually he rushed to the checkout and left the store.

_________________________

"Seokmin I just don't get it" Mingyu complained as he chopped the cabbage. "3 years of dating and he throws it away just because I had a fling when we were broken up"

"I understand it, he thought you moved on" Seokmin responded from the couch, watching whatever cartoon was on at the ungodly hour Mingyu called him over.

"Okay well I'd understand if he had flings too, but a whole serious relationship? Like what?" Mingyu whined.

"Bro, Wonwoo isn't like you, he only dates people he's serious about" Seokmin said, turning around to face Mingyu. "Are you gonna chuck that into the stew soon? I'm hungry"

"Yeah yeah, just what the hell. He said Jun makes him feel chased but I didn't. What does that even mean!?" Mingyu said defeatedly.

"You know the flirting doesn't stop once you enter a relationship right? You're meant to flirt with him until you're all old and wrinkly" Seokmin turned off the TV and walked to the kitchen. "Seriously Mingyu, how did you not know Wonwoo wasn't happy when you kept leaving him for Minghao all the time"

"What are you talking about?!" Mingyu questioned.

"His 18th birthday, you don't remember? Wonwoo waited all day for you to show up at the party and you never came. We were on the way to the party and Minghao called you sobbing saying he was heartbroken and we had no idea what he meant because to our knowledge he wasn't dating anyone and you demanded I drop you off at his house. Remember?" Seokmin poked his side. "The group waited with Wonwoo for as long as we could but by 12 I felt like it was time to go"

———
"Wonwoo we're so sorry but Soonyoung and I have to leave now" Seokmin told Wonwoo. Everyone else had left a couple hours earlier due to their parents imposing curfews.

"That's okay" Wonwoo smiled through his pain, but Seokmin could see the tears forming in his eyes. "Thanks for coming" he whispered. Seokmin and Soonyoung pulled him in for a long hug.

"We love you" Soonyoung held his hands. "Call us if you need it" Wonwoo gave a small smile and waved.

"Goodnight"

———

"Minghao needed me..." Mingyu whispered quietly.

"Well so did your boyfriend" Seokmin gently punched him. "If I was Wonwoo I would've felt upset too."

"Okay well that was one time" Seokmin looked at Mingyu in disbelief.

"One time? You don't remember your anniversary? I helped set it up!" Seokmin almost yelled. "Wonwoo called me asking about all your interests and I helped him set up this grand date and all you had to do was show up. All of a sudden Wonwoo gets a text from you saying you can't make it Minghao's parents are getting a divorce"

———

"He should be here any minute now!" Wonwoo excitedly said, fixing his hair.

"Oh Wonwoo he's going to love all this. Should I go now?" Seokmin asked. Wonwoo pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you so much for the help Seokmin-" Wonwoo's phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket.

Mingyu
1:32pm:Baby I'm sorry I can't make it, Minghao's going through something really hard.
Read 1:32pm

Wonwoo
1:33pm: Oh ok. Don't worry about it
Delivered 1:33pm

"Um Seokmin can you actually stay to help me pack all of this up" Wonwoo mumbled.

"Won?" Seokmin looked at him.

"He's not coming"

———

"God was I really that shitty of a boyfriend?" Mingyu exclaimed. "Well I was 17! I'm 21 now, surely he'll give me a chance"

"Mingyu I have no doubt that Wonwoo loves you, but trusts you? That's a stretch, I don't think he'll want to trust his heart in your hands again" Seokmin answered. Mingyu groaned and put his head in his hands, elbows touching the kitchen counter.

"Is there any hope left for me and my love?" Mingyu asked the stars.