Important Thing When You're Away

Joshua is walking through the corridor of the apartment he's been living in with his boyfriend, Mingyu. He doesn't really feel like it, remembering that Mingyu isn't there welcoming him home.

Yeah, it's been four days since Mingyu has been gone to Japan for a big international meeting which his company invited by. There are still three days before he can meet his boyfriend again. Joshua sighs and scans his card to get in. The apartment is eeriely empty and Joshua breathes in deeply to find some comfort in the smell of home.

“Hmm...let's see what we've got for dinner,” he tends to talk to himself a lot when he's alone. Before taking out the ingredients needed to make into a kimchi fried rice, Joshua tries to cheer himself by turning on the radio in the living room. Soon the space is filled by the slow jazzy songs that he always listens to since teenage, reminding him the moment he met Mingyu for the first time. The clumsy Mingyu, his hoobae.

The kimchi and spam fried rice is deliciously made and Joshua directly digs in. He feels rather hungry because he ate little during lunch. Only a sandwich. Not really tasty either. He plays with his phone and suddenly the phone rings. His face brightens reading the name.

“Hello, Gyu...”

“Hello, Shua hyung...” he really sounds tired. Joshua really really wants to hug his man.

“Gyu, have you had your dinner?”

“Yeah...well, I miss your cooking,” Joshua can tell Mingyu is sulking right now.

“Aww, baby. I miss you too. Very much. But please don't forget to eat okay. I don't want you to get sick when I'm not beside you,” Joshua tries to calm his boyfriend. He musters up the remaining of his bubbly side when in fact he's rather sad too.

“How's work? Everything okay there?” Joshua asks.

“Yeah, finally tomorrow will be the last day then we got free time in Saturday then I will be home by Sunday. You will pick me up right?”

“Of course I will,” Joshua then sets his phone on speaker so he can wash the dishes while talking to Mingyu.

“What are you doing right now, Shua hyung?”

“Just ate a kimchi fried rice and now doing the dishes.”

“Aaargh I miss your kimchi fried rice,” Mingyu whined and Joshua being the older one just chuckled and making a kiss noise.

“Calm down, Gyu. I will cook a lot for you once you are home. Anyway, I haven't wash up. Are you already at the hotel, babe?”

“Yeah, we just arrived and maybe I will too. You will call me again after wash up, kay? I will tell you when I'm done. Maybe get some dinner with Jeonghan hyung.”

“Good. Please don't forget the vitamins too. I will check up on you again,” reminds Joshua.

“Okay, mother. Hahahha...” Mingyu said obediently. Joshua laughs and he can feel the butterfly on the stomach flying around listening to his laugh. He really miss Mingyu so much.

“Right, I'm gonna hang up okay. I love you.”

“Love you more.” Before the line goes out Mingyu makes kiss noises that sounds like he smooches his phone right away. Joshua smiles brightly after that and hangs up. He can't wait for Mingyu to go home. ***

Joshua prepares himself before go to bed. He wears Mingyu's shirt. Again. Well, actually since the first night Mingyu went to Japan. He spritzes some of Mingyu's parfume on the shirt and on the body pillow he got last year. First time he bought this, he literally doesn't know it will really help him during this time. He giggles at himself.

He sets the body pillow beside him and make himself comfortable on the bed. It's already 10 pm, Mingyu must be done and ready for bed too. He makes a call and he really doesn't need to wait because Mingyu picks up the phone immediately.

“Baby...” his voices is breathy and unconsciously Joshua take a sharp breath to calm himself. He feels like Mingyu is behind him and his breath tickles his nape. Oh what an imagination.

“Mingyu, you okay?”

“Yeah...just feel really tired...and I miss you very much.”

“You know what, I've been sleeping with my body pillow sprayed with your perfume. It makes me sleep peacefully as if you're by my side,” told Joshua.

“Really?”

“Yeah...well, this is our first time away from each other. I know I will need time to get used to it,” Joshua mumbles softly enough to be heard by his boyfriend there.

“Yeah, I know. And maybe you don't know but I've been done the same. Well, we don't have any body pillow here so I took your....,” Mingyu laughs before he finishes his sentences. Joshua feels his face heaten up. He doesn't want to think the worst to be happened.

“My what?”

“Your...you know that little blanket you've been using since little. I sprayed some before put it in the clipped bag. Now it's getting faded anyway. Fortunately Jeonghan hyung didn't think I'm weird and just shruged it off.”

“You are not weird, baby,” Joshua's hand moves forward out of habit to brushing off Mingyu's bang. He retract his hand after he's aware that he only feels the air and hugs the pillow tightly to soothe his heart.

“Mingyuuuuu...”

“Yeah, Shua baby,” Mingyu answers with the pet name he occasionally uses in the times they have their pillow talk. Joshua smiles and makes a kiss noise.

“I love you. Please dream of me tonight,” Joshua said softly.

“Love you more.”

“Love you to the moon and back.”

“Love you so much.”

“Love you forever.”

“Yah! You know I've been single for 3 years already, Gyu! Please don't make it worse!” Jeonghan's loud voice heard through the phone and Joshua giggles.

“Let's sleep, babe. I don't want to worsen Jeonghan hyung's single life and being threaten by him tomorrow,” asks Mingyu.

“Okay, Gyu...,” Joshua kisses the phone and hangs up. He grins a broad smile as he gets an idea. A brilliant idea. He makes the decision quite hastily, tho. But he is sure he won't regret it. Maybe....tomorrow is a good time to take a short leave to Japan. A little surprise won't hurts.