Strawberry Milk - The Bonus Sips

Minho.

   - Current day, 2024 -

"Can you please stop acting like this? We're supposed to be here to support Felix's band, not argue."

Hyunjin narrowed his eyes. For a second, Minho thought he was going to argue back. Instead, when he opened his mouth, he paled and said, "I'm going to throw up."

"Fucking hell," Minho muttered, waiting a moment before chasing after Hyunjin in the direction of the toilets. By the time he arrived, Hyunjin had locked himself in the closest stall and his retching was the only sound that could be heard in the room. Minho forced a smile at the two other men who were standing in the bathroom but avoided eye contact as he stepped towards Hyunjin's stall and knocked on the door. "It's Minho. Let me in."

Hyunjin continued to throw up. Minho darted his eyes around the room and swung his arms back and forth as he waited for him to open the door. He could feel the eyes of the other men on him and when he decided Hyunjin was taking too long, he took the opportunity to grab Hyunjin some water from the bar instead of waiting. When he returned with a pint cup full of water, the other men had left the bathroom. "Baby, let me in."

Hyunjin opened the door. He curled up on the floor beside the toilet, his eyes red and watery, avoiding contact with Minho's. "I drank too much," He admitted as Minho lowered himself to the floor opposite him.

"I know. Drink this," he passed the cup of water to Hyunjin who was happy to comply. He downed the cup in one and let his head hang over his legs as if he had no strength to keep his neck up anymore. "Do you feel any better?"

"After throwing up I feel a little better," Hyunjin nodded, head so floppy it almost looked like it could fall off. He whined, "I'm such an embarrassment. I don't understand why you love me. You could be with someone much better. I'm just like... a fucking loser."

"No, you're not. Don't talk about yourself like that," Minho moved closer to Hyunjin, sitting beside him so he could pull Hyunjin against his shoulder. The sentiment seemed sweet but the movement made Hyunjin start retching into the toilet again a moment later. "Sorry," Minho grimaced as he watched, patting Hyunjin's back until he felt ok to sit up again.

"But what if you loved him more than you love me."

"This again? Is that why you're drinking so much? That's just ridiculous, Hyunjin. Why on earth would you think that?"

"Because I'm stupid and unlovable and worthless."

"Geez, anyone would think you had a degradation kink the way you keep talking about yourself," Minho muttered but he placed his hand under Hyunjin's chin and tilted it up so he could meet his eyes. "You're not stupid, you're very smart. You're also kind and funny and sweet and all of these are just some of the reasons I love you so much."

"But I am stupid. I can't even get a normal job because of it. It's embarrassing." 

 "Well, I don't care that you don't have a 'normal job.' I love you and I support you no matter what. I only care that you're happy. That's all that's important to me so please stop taking so much anger out on yourself all the time. You don't deserve that."

Hyunjin whined. "Why do you love me when I'm such a mess?"

Minho wrapped his arms around Hyunjin's shoulders, careful not to move him into a position that would make him feel sick again. "Because you have loved me the past 3,000 times I've been a mess, so of course I'm going to love you in the very rare moments you're one too."

- December, 2023-

Minho thought he was going places. Being the assistant choreographer on the big dance project his company had recently taken on, it only made sense. It was two weeks from Christmas and Minho and his colleagues had wrapped up their last session teaching the professional dancers the choreography they'd been working on. It was a big deal. The dance was going to be aired on television at an award show. Minho was so proud of himself that when he was called into his manager's office, he half expected to be given a raise or a promotion. Only once he sat in the office did Minho realise he was mistaken.