Work Text:
He was thinking of Song Mingi once again. Kind, wonderful Mingi with a wide, gummy smile and tall figure. The same Song Mingi on the dance team, the same Mingi that feeds the cat that wanders around the 3rd floor. The same Song Mingi also has no possible idea of the poor boy’s existence.
Jongho sighed quietly, staring out of the window and reflected on his surroundings as his professor’s voice faded from his ears. The boy couldn’t feel anything for the college despite its few points of positives. For Jongho, the class had passed by in a blur, paying little to no attention towards the lesson. Though, who could blame him? Jongho didn’t have the energy -he only does when it comes to working out- to pay attention that day. He would’ve continued to daydream, doodling on the corner of his notebook paper if it hadn’t been for the bell ringing obnoxiously, signalling that it was the end of class. All students, including himself, had begun to pack up, all except one.
Song Mingi sat in all his wonderful 6 feet tall glory, frowning at nothing before packing up. Jongho shoved his materials in his backpack, throwing it over his shoulder and speeding towards the door in hopes of going unnoticed by the pretty male. He slid out, walking down the hall and exhaled. Letting out a breath he hadn’t even noticed he had been holding in, he adjusted is pack’s strap and walked through the maze of hallways and out of the music department. His stomach rumbled, reminding him of the hectic morning he had, ignoring his body’s calls for something- be it water, an apple, something. 'maybe some food will do me good'. He stood in the middle of the sidewalk, of the campus, contemplating until his stomach made a noise un-shockingly familiar to that of a whale. Nodding to himself, he made a swift u-turn from the way to his dorm and instead walked to one of the university’s cafes.
Jongho simply bobbed his head along to a song he hummed internally, opening the cafe’s door. The bell jingled softly as he entered swiftly, gazing around at the lack of people within the cafe. Walking up to the cashier, the boy reached into his pocket for his phone. Turning it on, he frowned as it glitched, the phone’s screen turning black, and shutting down entirely. Nerves wracked his body as he went through his pockets, smile a tad shaky directed towards the barista who smiled back sweetly.
He sighed in relief as he felt what he needed. Pulling out a pen and a stack of post-its, Jongho wrote his order and softly placed the note within the man’s waiting hand.
“Is this all?” He asked, humming when Jongho nodded.
“That’ll be $1.49. Can I get a name for the order?” He pulled off another sticky, placing it in the man’s hand once more along with the money before shuffling towards one of the booths in the back. He plopped down, pulling out his phone once more and pouting as the screen refused to turn on. Grabbing his backpack, pulling out the phone’s charger and plugged it into the wall.
Jongho made a soft sound akin to a ‘humpf’ and pulled out his notebook, simply sketching and writing as he waited. He got so lost in his own daydreams yet again this day, letting it flow out onto his paper. He must’ve been daydreaming for too long because when he stopped daydreaming, a hand rested on his shoulder shaking him.
“Jongho-yah, they’re calling you”
Standing up quickly, he ignored the person who had shook him, walking up to the cashier to grab his drink. He mouthed a simple ‘thank you’ and walked back to his spot before freezing up.
Why was the Song Mingi sitting at his booth?
Jongho stood still in shock for no more than a few moments before walking again, taking a seat from the male silently. Thoughts ran through his head, miles and miles per hour as he stared at the man across him. Sensing the smaller’s gaze, Mingi looked up. Jongho looked away almost immediately, looking straight down at his drink as he held it in both of his hands. He sipped from the straw intensely, cheeks flushing as the other’s laugh filled his ears.
“hey,”
Jongho flicked his eyes up, eyes catching Mingi’s smile as he placed his drink down on the table and continued to look at Jongho.
“Jongho, right?”
slight nod was all he gave in response. ‘why are you sitting here? Why are you sitting with me? How do you even know my name?’
Mingi hummed, looking down at all of Jongho’s supplies on the table. The silence seemed to only bother Jongho, who squirmed around in his spot. Mingi had stopped looking at his stuff, now swiping through his phone. Jongho had had enough of the silence, grabbing his sticky notes. He reached over the table, pressing the note to the front of the male's phone, retracting his hand as the elder read the note. His eyebrows furrowed, reading the note.
"sorry," Mingi placed his phone down, staring right back into the onyx eyes initiating a staring contest.
"Post-Its? does your throat hurt?"
Jongho shook his head, eyes not backing down from Mingi's despite the blush building up once more.
"no? huh… I've never really heard you speak...oh wait shit are you deaf?"
Another shake of younger's head. He slid his stack of post-its in front of the male.
'mute.'
"... mute?"
Jongho's face grew into a faint grin, nodding.
"this could sound insensitive but…mute? as in no sound? like from a tv remote when you press the button because your mom told you to go to bed so you have to mute it and use the subtitles instead???"
Mingi waited as the other wrote silently on his post-its, lips pouting cutely as he did so. Jongho pulled one off, placing it in front of him.
"oh. well, that- that makes much more sense. can i ask more questions?"
A nod in response led them into a conversation that lasted hours. It was eventually time for the elder to leave for dance, Mingi standing up and grabbing his empty cup. Jongho looked up at him as he grinned, ruffling the younger's hair. "I'll see you around them Jongho-ah" and walked out.
-
And see him around he did. Besides class, it seemed as if the boy was always around him. Walking to class? He would be right around the corner. At the bus stop? He would be going downtown to shop. It felt as if a deity above had linked them together. The thought lit his cheeks up rapidly, Jongho shaking his head.
Along with seeing the male constantly, they had begun to grow closer. Any time they were both in the cafe, they would sit together. Or when Mingi would struggle with something from class, he would bother the younger until he agreed. Within the past months of them getting closer, not only did his bond with the elder get stronger; his crush did too.
It was just so difficult to not fall in love with Song Mingi. Jongho buried his face into his arms, down on the lunch table. He argued with himself over his "stupid" crush he called it internally, arguing with himself in his head. Jongho jumped when someone's hand came into contact with his back and his breath hitched, before he sighed in relief as Mingi looked down at him.
As if his face gave away what he wanted to ask him, Mingi spoke," I need to speak with you. You didn't do anything but- no no, I can't talk about it right now stop making that face it's making me anxious- I really have to go now but uhm, meet me at the cafe. After my practice time is over. You know when it ends, so yeah. I think that's all-yeah" The boy spoke in a rushed tone, walking backwards and disappearing as just as fast as he appeared.
Jongho didn't like his one bit.
-
His nerves were on fire. He couldn’t calm himself down despite trying to think positively. He chewed on the eraser end of his pencil, thinking. What if Mingi didn’t want to be his friend anymore? What if Mingi finally decided that there was too much effort in trying to keep up with a mute friend? Jongho really didn’t want to do this. His throat made a breathy sound as he pushed himself away from his desk and away from the homework he now couldn’t pay attention to. He grabbed his dorm card, phone, Post-its and wallet before leaving.
As he walked, he could only imagine everything he hoped for not to happen. It would be understandable for him, because no one ever reason had patience, or wanted to put up with the mute kid. His lack of friends made him lonely, so Mingi was the only person who seemed to be interested in him. He honestly would cry in front of the poor male if he ended their friendship just as fast as it began. Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he rounded the corner by the cafe. Jongho could see the boy’s vibrant red hair through the huge window that framed the front of the cafe. If his nerves felt like simple fires within in, he felt as if he were a forest fire waiting to be put out. He sucked in a deep breath, and opened the door. It seemed that Mingi was waiting for him, because before he could even open the door, the boy was already staring at him with a look he couldn’t understand.
He closed up the space from the door and Mingi, sitting down in his seat across the male, in the same booth, just like the first time. The thought almost made Jongho smile. Almost.
“I already ordered you your drink”, Mingi spoke up. Jongho nodded.
‘I’m just gonna,,,cut straight to the point, okay? what did you have to tell me?’
If Jongho felt nervous, Mingi seemed to be the embodiment of it. The poor boy’s hands were shaking and he fiddled with his fingers. For once, Mingi was the one avoiding eye contact. Jongho reached over the table, grabbing for Mingi’s hands. His head shot up and he looked at the other.
‘I can feel your nervousness hyung. You dont have to tell me right now if you would prefer’
“No no, I have to!”, Mingi said louder than expected. “...sorry about that. I just- I really want to tell you.” He looked away from the other boy but still saw him nod. Jongho watched as the redhead inhaled.
“So over the past few months, I’ve tried to get close to you and I succeeded. I know I made it pretty awkward for you the first few weeks with me being so persistent, but I had a valid reason behind it. Anyways, I'm getting off topic. Please don’t hate me Jongho-ah, But Mingi hyung happened to have gotten a crush on you. Not one of those like ‘hey you’re cute and i wanna date you for a bit and then break up with you because i realized i actually don’t like you’ kinda crushes. I’m talking about the ‘I still barely know you but I want to spend my life with you’ crushes. I really tried to stop myself because I knew you would hate me but you’re so you that I honestly couldn’t help myself. But yeah, I just- really had to let you know.”
There was a tense silence between the two, staring at each other. The longer the silence lasted the more Mingi regretted his decision. Before he could speak Jongho stood up, fake leather on the seat squeaking. He pulled the elder up by his shirt and embraced him tightly. Well, that certainly wasn’t the response Mingi had thought of. He tucked the other under his chin, wrapping his arms around him. There wasn’t a clear response to his confession but Jongho’s warm hug was better than nothing at all.
Mingi froze up as Jongho gently traced his fingers into the elder’s chest. He was stumped, confusion quickly into shock. The touch wasn’t what confused the redhead; it was what the other simply traced into his skin.
‘I really like you too hyung’