"you shouldn't do that." wonwoo pointed out, resulting in mingyu looking up at him with big eyes.
they were on their way back as the clock was starting to near three am and even when they didn't want to admit to their tired eyes and constant yawns, their legs were starting to give up on them so they didn't have much choice left.
mingyu was quick to push the little package back in his pocket as he innocently lit his cigarette with the small blue flame from his lighter. "and why shouldn't i?" the taller male had already given up on hiding his bad habit in front wonwoo, who was the first one who caught him smoking.
"i told you earlier, smoking is bad for you."
but i can hardly explain that your scent is more addicting than this cigarette.. mingyu thought to himself, looking at the small distance between them which was still too big in his opinion.
"and i told you earlier that it became a habit of mine. it ain't even that bad for you if you don't smoke on a regular basis!" mingyu complained, looking next to him to meet the side of wonwoo's face who stared at his feet. a habit of him mingyu was quick to catch up on.
"so you want to tell me you don't smoke on a regular basis? how many do you even smoke a day?" wonwoo looked up at mingyu as well, seeing the taller blow out a grey haze of smoke that circulated along with the wind.
mingyu honestly had no idea. "it depends. in most cases i smoke three a day, sometimes even up until six. but i also have days where i don't even think of touching my pack of cigarettes and don't smoke at all." he declared, a bit of a shame of himself when he realized it was actually quite a big amount.
"i hate to break it to you mingyu, but that's bad. come here, no more cigarettes for you!" wonwoo made an unexpected move, reaching up and snatching the cigarette from between his fingers. but unlucky to him, mingyu had a fast reflex and stole back what wonwoo had taken from him. "min- give it back!"
wonwoo tried to reach for it again, in which mingyu reacted with holding his hand in the air. their height difference was just big enough so wonwoo wasn't able to reach it. and even when wonwoo was dead serious about this whole mingyu-smoking problem, mingyu wouldn't drop his playful behavior.
until an idea popped up in mingyu's head, something that would be enough for him to extinguish the cigarette. "on one condition!" he proposed, making wonwoo stop his protest as the boy calmly slumped away further from him.
"and that is?" wonwoo asked, suspicious as to what mingyu wanted.
"call me silly."
"i changed my mind, go ahead and ruin your lungs." wonwoo murmured, grumpily crossing his arms as he remained his eyesight straight in front of him, ignoring but mostly avoiding mingyu's piercing gaze.
"come on. you can save my lungs with just one simple word! what's wrong with calling someone silly? exactly. nothing. if you call me silly one time i'll stop being a bother and put out this cigarette." mingyu whined, nearly desperate to heard the word 'silly' roll off wonwoo's lips.
"whatever.. silly." wonwoo said out in a soft whisper, which was enough for mingyu's heart to explode.
the puppy-like guy instantly stopped in his tracks, bowing down the the ground and pushing the remaining length of the cigarette in the sand so the flame inside would die down. a promise was a promise after all. to be sure the surroundings wouldn't burn if the flame was still alive due to the oxygen around them, mingyu stepped on it as well, checking if wonwoo had seen it as well so his 'silly' wouldn't be a waste.
"you see! it wasn't that difficult, was it?"
wonwoo annoyingly clicked his tongue, muttering out a small "whatever" before silently adding "and just so you know, you aren't a bother to me."
the tiny path through the woods appeared as they got closer, making the moment where they had to separate again come near as well. "hey wonwoo," mingyu started, getting wonwoo's attention "i liked this."
and even when wonwoo hated to admit it, he enjoyed it himself as well. more than he realized. "i did too."
mingyu's presence worked somehow soothing on him. he had never warmed up to someone this easily, especially not in a surrounding area that was unfamiliar to him as well. even when they were practically still strangers in wonwoo's opinion, their strange bond already felt like so much more.
in a context that even confused wonwoo, as he had no idea which feelings exactly to feel whenever mingyu was around.
what even was that specific tingling feeling he felt in his stomach whenever he even saw the tall male? where they the nerves to pick up a conversation? or was it that same feeling jeonghan always described when he saw seungcheol..?
because to wonwoo, who didn't have any form of experience in love at all, it was one confusing mess. but a mess that felt uplifting at the same time.
"do i see you again tomorrow?" mingyu asked with a look of anticipation in his eyes, which wonwoo caught clearly under the shadows of the trees.
"perhaps." wonwoo replied, although he was certain he would return to the beach again.
they didn't even realize they were already on the point where they had to split paths and return back to their stays. "can i.." mingyu started, clearing his throat, "..maybe, get another hug?"
and this time, wonwoo didn't deny his need of physical touch like he did earlier on the beach and awkwardly opened his arms for mingyu to hug him. it was just quick and it happened way too fast, but mingyu's warm and tall body against his was enough to make a certain electrical feeling rush through his veins, warming up his insides along the way.
"goodnight wonwoo." mingyu whispered when he pulled back, and wonwoo swore, he could fall asleep to that voice and those arms only. secretly he cursed himself for thinking that way and he tried to act cool, which was nearly impossible with mingyu in front of him.
"sleep well."
wonwoo was the first to turn around like usual, returning to the main road that directed him back to his bungalow. his mind was occupied with the discovery he had made that night. mingyu smoked.
and unknowingly, the boy who was extremely insecure about himself had found out about an imperfection of the flawless mingyu.
