I can't live without you.. || Chanmin

Unspoken words

The soft morning light filtered through the blinds of Bang Chan's room, casting pale golden stripes across the floor. He blinked awake, the remnants of sleep still tugging at him, but there was an unusual peace in the air, a calmness that lingered from last night's conversation with Seungmin.

He sat up slowly, stretching, muscles still a bit sore from the endless hours spent at the studio. His phone buzzed softly on the nightstand—nothing urgent, just a couple of notifications from the members and a text from Seungmin.

Morning, hyung. I'm grabbing coffee downstairs. Want anything?

Bang Chan smiled at the screen, feeling a warmth spread through his chest. Seungmin's little gestures—like the late-night coffee runs and knowing exactly when he needed a break—never failed to remind him how close they had grown over the years. It was something simple, but it had come to mean a lot more than just coffee.

He texted back, keeping it light. Just the usual. See you in a bit.

After getting dressed, he stepped out of his room, greeted by the quiet hum of the dorm. Most of the members were still asleep, the silence broken only by the occasional soft snores coming from Felix's room. The early morning had a different energy—calmer, quieter, like the world was still on pause, waiting for the day to properly begin.

Bang Chan made his way down to the café Seungmin had mentioned, pulling his hoodie tighter around him to block out the cool morning air. He spotted Seungmin right away, sitting at one of the small tables by the window, two cups of coffee in front of him. His eyes were trained on the street outside, his profile softened by the golden light spilling in through the glass.

Bang Chan paused for a moment, watching him. There was something about Seungmin in moments like these—quiet and contemplative—that always drew Bang Chan in. He had this way of existing that was steady, a calm in the chaos that Chan had always found grounding.

As he approached, Seungmin looked up, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Morning, hyung."

"Morning," Bang Chan replied, sliding into the chair across from him. He took a sip of the coffee Seungmin had set in front of him, sighing as the warmth spread through him. "You always know exactly what I need."

Seungmin's eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief. "Of course. I'm practically a mind reader at this point."

Bang Chan laughed softly, though he didn't entirely disagree. Seungmin *did* seem to know him better than most, often anticipating what he needed before he even realized it himself. It was one of the things that had deepened their bond over the years—an unspoken understanding that went beyond words.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching the city slowly come to life around them. People hurried past the café, umbrellas still in hand from the lingering drizzle, the world waking up just a bit slower after the storm.

Bang Chan leaned back in his chair, glancing at Seungmin. "You know, I never did thank you properly for last night. That track... it wouldn't have come together without your input."

Seungmin waved a hand dismissively, but there was a faint blush creeping up his neck. "You don't have to thank me for that. I just did what I always do—give my two cents."

"Still," Bang Chan persisted, his gaze softening. "It means a lot. I don't think I could do this without you, Seungmin."

There was a flicker of something in Seungmin's eyes—something that Bang Chan couldn't quite place. It was subtle, but the way Seungmin's gaze lingered on him felt different, heavier somehow. His usual playful demeanor shifted, replaced by a quiet intensity that hung in the air between them.

"I mean it," Bang Chan continued, his voice lower now. "You always know how to help me, even when I don't ask for it. And I don't think I tell you enough how much I appreciate that."

Seungmin's gaze dropped to his coffee, and for a moment, Bang Chan thought he might have said too much. But then Seungmin looked back up, his voice soft, almost hesitant. "It's not hard to know what you need, hyung. I've always... paid attention."

Bang Chan's breath caught in his chest at the way Seungmin said it. There was an edge to his words, something unspoken that hovered in the space between them, waiting to be acknowledged. His mind raced as he tried to make sense of it, but the truth was, he had felt it too—the closeness, the subtle shift in their dynamic over the past few months.

There had always been something between them, but recently, it had grown into something more, something neither of them had voiced aloud.

The café seemed to shrink around them, the sounds of the outside world fading into the background. All that mattered in that moment was Seungmin, sitting across from him, eyes filled with something Bang Chan couldn't deny anymore.

"Seungmin..." Bang Chan started, his voice softer than before. He wasn't sure how to say what he was feeling, but he knew he had to try.

Seungmin's eyes met his, and for the first time, there was no teasing, no playful remark to deflect the tension. Instead, there was only honesty—raw and unfiltered.

"I know," Seungmin said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I've felt it too."

The confession hung in the air between them, a shared understanding that had been building for longer than either of them had realized. There was no need for elaborate words or explanations. They had always understood each other, even in silence.

Bang Chan's heart pounded in his chest as he reached across the table, his hand brushing Seungmin's in a gesture that felt both terrifying and natural. Seungmin's fingers curled around his, warm and steady, grounding him in a way that made the world feel right, even in its uncertainty.

They sat like that for a moment, their hands intertwined, the unspoken connection between them now out in the open. It was subtle, barely noticeable to anyone who might be watching, but to them, it was everything.

Bang Chan's thumb brushed softly against Seungmin's knuckles, his voice soft when he spoke again. "I don't know what this means yet, but... I'm glad we're here."

Seungmin's smile was small but real, his eyes filled with the same warmth that had always drawn Bang Chan in. "Me too."

The moment lingered, the weight of the past few months lifting as they shared this quiet understanding. It wasn't rushed, and it wasn't about figuring everything out right away. They had time—time to let this feeling grow, to explore what it meant for them.

For now, though, they sat together in the soft morning light, fingers still intertwined, content in the knowledge that whatever this was, it was real.

And that was enough.