Puppy Love • Seungchan/Chanmin

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Chan looks down at the slender hand that was firmly held within his own, that sweet little hand attached to his very cute "almost" boyfriend, and he squeezes slightly, causing Seungmin to look his way with a smile that melted his heart and sent sparks throughout his body.

It felt crazy knowing this thing that was happening between them was real, more real than anything Chan had ever known. Already Chan was pondering just how he should ask Seungmin out. Should he take him somewhere nice? Keep it casual? Something cute? Was it something that required this much thought?? He also couldn't help but ponder how they'd continue once they were official, would they slow down or would they continue "guns blazing" as Seungmin put it?

Chan shelves his thoughts, knowing no matter what he was ready for a relationship, more ready than he'd ever been. But right now, he was just happy being with Seungmin like this, walking hand in hand in the direction of part one of their second date.

After parking the car just a little over a block away, Chan navigated Seungmin out of the underground parking lot, down the road and then onto the bustling main street.

The main street, or Parade as local college students called it, was a strip of bars, restaurants, cafes and diners. Being only a short 10 minute walk away from the college itself, and the home of many share houses and apartments, it was a place where students came during the day to grab lunch and study, and at night, a place where students could unwind and have a drink.

Unsurprisingly to Chan, the Parade was teaming with life and he couldn't help but smile as he watched Seungmin alight with the sounds of laughter, the scents from restaurants, and the bright neon lights overhead that cast him in a wondrous glow.

As they made their way along the bustling street, Seungmin stopped every now and then to take photos with his camera. It was like he was seeing everything for the first time and wanted to capture every moment. Chan even wondered whether Seungmin might use the photos for an article for his journalism club.

Soon, a particular bar with pendant lamps out front comes into sight, but instead of going through the front Chan leads Seungmin into the alleyway that would take them past the bouncer around the back. But only a few paces forward Seungmin stops dead in his tracks, causing Chan to stumble and turn backwards to look down at the boy who was gripping uncharacteristically tight to his hand.

"Chan," Seungmin says cautiously, "-when you asked me if I wanted to come to a gig to meet your friends and then go out on our date afterwards, I thought you meant a practice or something, but did you mean your band was actually gonna play in front of people- at a bar??!"

Seungmin was currently looking wide-eyed at a poster on the wall with information about tonight's performances.

"Ahh yeah? Thats what a gig is. I would have said practice, otherwise. I also wouldn't be taking you to a bar on a Saturday evening, but rather to our practice room." Chan answers as the sounds of the Parade reduce to an ever-present thrum.

Chan watches Seungmin for a moment, the younger looked like a startled hare. But then in a blink of an eye he gazes down towards his feet, then over to Chan's feet and then up his body until he was making eye contact with a scowl.

Now Chan was the one going tense and squeezing cautiously at Seungmin's hand.

"NO WONDER YOU'RE SO DRESSED UP!" Seungmin suddenly announces. "YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID WE WERE GOING TO A BAR! I would have dressed more for the occasion, not in jeans and a sweater!"

"I mean I did say I had a gig, and I did specify that it was a night time thing," Chan says matter-of-factly. "I guess I did fail to mention it was at a bar, but I thought maybe it was kinda implied? Since it's a gig, and college gigs are usually at bars. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned to you that my band only ever performs at bars or at college events?" Chan pauses, "You even brought your fancy camera, I thought you were gonna take some cool stage photos?"

Seungmin stares down at his camera for a second. "Well yeah, but of you practising not of you actually performing! Actually, speaking of, don't bands usually do a sound check kinda thing before they go on stage? WHY ARE YOU SO CALM?"

"Oh, we've already done that earlier today before I came to pick you up"

"Before you came to pick me up??! You're telling me you just ditched your band members on your big night just to pick me up?"

"Yes? It's not like you live miles away. I also wanted to pick you up because it's our second date, and I wanted to make up for the last time. I didn't expect you to just rock up here on your own. Driving around the Parade can be an ass at night and parkings even worse if you don't know where to go. You're important to me, and my bandmates had no problem when I said I needed to step out to pick up a friend."

Chan watches as Seungmin breathes deeply, he hadn't anticipated Seungmin to respond out like this, Seungmin was always so confident in just going with the flow. Right now, he kinda seemed nervous and in shock. It also suddenly occurs to Chan that he referred to Seungmin as just a friend and within seconds he was ready to remedy that too in case Seungmin freaked out.

"We can totally tell them we're more than friends! I just didn't entirely know how to describe you. A close friend? An almost Boyfriend? My brother's ex?-"

Seungmin shakes his head. "Chan at this point you could have just said a guy I'm seeing. But I'm not really fussed about that. I guess I'm in shock because I'd prepared myself for a somewhat chill night where I got to meet your friends, watch you play and then go out afterwards-"

"And we'll still do all of that! Just for the first part you'll get to see me play, but then the second part you'll have me all to yourself. Consider this an all-access pass to my world and me?"

Seungmin's expression remains unwavering and Chan remains baffled in response. Was this an argument? Were they fighting already? What was happening?

"If you don't want to come in you don't have to, I can take you home and we can reschedule for another time. I can let the guys know to push the set for 15"

Seungmin immediately shakes his head again. "No! I wanna be with you!!" he exclaims. "Sorry I'm probably going at this all wrong. I just would have liked to um...prepare mentally too?"

"Prepare mentally?"

"Mmm" Seungmin hums, his expression tight. "I've just- I've never been to a bar like this before, let alone an actual gig, I've never even been to a concert in my whole entire life. I don't really know what I'm supposed to do, but I wanna come in. I just feel severely under prepared. It's kind of embarrassing to admit, but I've never even ordered my own drink without my parents before..."

Seungmin trails off and suddenly everything made sense to Chan. Since Seungmin was 18 he'd just kinda expected Seungmin to have been to a bar before. The moment Chan had turned 18 he'd been helping his friends sneak into bars, going out, and piling too many friends into the boot of his car as he dropped them all home, he'd just assumed Seungmin being the adventurous individual he was that he would have done the same. In reality that obviously wasn't the case. So now here he was bringing the "guy he was seeing" into a packed bar of strangers, where he was then essentially ditching him to perform, leaving him stranded and lost. Chan felt like the worst person in the world for having not realised sooner.

Chan reaches up and takes the younger face into his hands, making sure the boy was looking at him.

"Ok deep breath, firstly no ones gonna care what you're wearing, and there's no dress code, so don't feel like you should be dressed up like I am. But for the record you look cute. Secondly, most if not all of the people here will be students, some closer to your age then you might think. Thirdly if at any point you feel uncomfortable you are more than welcome to take my keys, sit in the car, go for a drive, go home, do whatever. I've thrown you into this situation so let that be your life line out, and lastly you won't entirely be alone, I told you I was introducing you to my friends, and that didn't just mean my bandmates. Will you be ok?"

Seungmin nods his head.

"Are you sure?"

Seungmin nods again, this time with a smile.

With that Chan tilts Seungmin's face upwards and presses a kiss to the boy's lips, hoping in that kiss he could convey that he was sorry but also that he would keep him safe.

Judging from the hands slowly snaking around his waist he was sure somewhere deep inside, he was forgiven.

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