The air crackled with a tension that had nothing to do with the biting wind. Seo-Jun's thoughts, a whirlwind of alcohol-induced haze, screamed, "It is definitely the alcohol, I shouldn't have drunk that much. My head is snipping." Meanwhile, Minho's mind was a battlefield of confusion and denial. "Why is he kissing me?! Does he want something from me, and does he think this is the way to get it?! I must not let this distract me from my plan! I must not let him get under my skin! Ignore his stupid handsome face... and well-fit body… and his soft hair..." His hand, seemingly of its own accord, found its way to the back of Seo-Jun's head, while still both of them were pulled into the moment from the desirable kiss. "His breathing is so warm... Fuck! Am I going crazy?!"
As Minho's initial shock gave way to a hesitant curiosity, the kiss deepened. "But... this is the first time he is kissing me... I can't deny it feels kinda nice..." he admitted to himself, a blush creeping up his neck. Seo-Jun, sensing the shift in intensity, pulled back, a smirk playing on his lips. "Easy there. You like it, didn't you?"
Minho stammered, his face a riot of crimson. "I... I... Why did you do that?!" Seo-Jun leaned closer, the teasing glint in his eyes promising more than words could convey. "What, you didn't like it?" Minho flinched, the blush refusing to subside. "No! It's not like that! I-I am just wondering why you did it... you have never kissed me before..." Seo-Jun, with a final, lingering smirk, released him, taking a step back. "Let's say I am open for new things." Turning towards the exit, he added, "Oh, and don't get too attached to Sam. We are not sure how long you will be staying with us."
Then the atmosphere in the tent seemed to shrink, the air thick with a tension that crackled like an impending storm. Seo-Jun's smirk, moments ago a playful curve on his lips, dissolved into a mask of something akin to warning, his eyes locking onto Minho with an intensity that stole the air from his lungs. The blush that still stained Minho's cheeks seemed to amplify the sudden gravity of the situation, a stark contrast to the playful banter that had preceded it. "Stay away from him." Seo-Jun's voice, a low growl that resonated in the confined space, was a command, a warning laced with an emotion Minho couldn't quite decipher. Then, as quickly as it had begun, the moment was over. Seo-Jun turned and vanished, leaving Minho stunned in the sudden silence, the echoes of the words reverberating in his mind.
"What the heck just happened?" The question swirled in his thoughts, a desperate attempt to make sense of the abrupt shift, the unspoken implications of the kiss, and the possessive undertones of Seo-Jun's warning. He ran a hand over his hair, a small, unconscious gesture of self-soothing, and began the walk back to the team's tent, each step a reluctant path back to reality. Inside, the familiar sight of the team offered no comfort, only the unsettling awareness of his own flushed cheeks and the lingering taste of the kiss. Sam's knowing smirk and words, "You had a fun experience with Seo back there. Is that why you are blushing so hard?" was a fresh wave of embarrassment, and Minho's denial was a weak shield against the truth. "No! It's just hot in here!" he blurted, the flimsy excuse failing to mask the turmoil within, the heat a convenient scapegoat for the fire that now raged within him.
Sam's final, knowing smirk was a silent acknowledgment of the unspoken, a confirmation of the situation. The world narrowed as Minho's gaze snagged on Seo-Jun, a sudden, accidental collision of eyes. The air between them seemed to thicken, a silent conversation passing in the space of a heartbeat. Seo-Jun's expression was a stark contrast to the lively chatter around them, a mask of cold detachment, a warning etched in the feathers of his face. The unspoken message hung heavy in the air, a consequence of Minho's animated conversation with Sam. Turning back to Sam, the words tumbled out, a reluctant confession, "Seo-Jun forbade me to talk with you." Sam's eyebrow arched, a silent question, "What? Why?" Minho's reply was a mixture of annoyance and bewilderment, "Well, he said I am getting too attached to you or some bullshit like that."
A smirk played on Sam's lips as he leaned back, the words dripping with a knowing understanding, "Ohh, I get it. He is jealous." The word hung in the air, a weight Minho hadn't anticipated. "Jealous?! Him? No, he is definitely not jealous. He just doesn't want me to talk with you." Sam's nod was slow, deliberate, a quiet confirmation, "That seems like jealousy to me."
The thought, a seed planted in fertile ground, began to take root in Minho's mind. "Him to be jealous?! Not even in another universe." The words echoed in his thoughts, a desperate denial. "He is not that kinda guy to get jealous of me talking with his friend. He is not my boyfriend or anything! Why should he be jealous?" The question remained unanswered, a knot of confusion tightening in his chest. As he sat lost in his thoughts, his phone buzzed, a jarring sound that ripped him from his internal debate. The message, a stark command, cut through the noise of the tent, "Get ready, we are leaving. I want to do it tonight." The sender, Seo-Jun. Minho's gaze darted towards Seo-Jun, a blush creeping up his neck, a silent acknowledgment of the message's meaning. But Seo-Jun, engrossed in conversation with a teammate, remained oblivious, his attention elsewhere, leaving Minho suspended in a moment of charged confusion and frustration.
The wind whipped around Minho, carrying with it the scent of impending doom. "Tonight?! But Lily is still there! No, I won't play along this time." The words, a silent rebellion, echoed in his mind, a stark contrast to the obedient soldier he was expected to be. He watched as the team dispersed, their faces unreadable, leaving him alone with Seo-Jun, the architect of their clandestine missions. The silence between them was a suffocating blanket as they walked towards the car, each step a heavy beat against the backdrop of the night.
Finally, just as they reached the car, Minho's voice, laced with a mixture of irritation and defiance, broke the silence. "Sir... is it okay if we don't do it tonight? Your sister is still in the house. I don't want her to see us or hear us doing it."
Seo-Jun's smirk was a slow burn, a predator savouring the moment before the kill. He raised an eyebrow, the gesture a silent challenge. "I am in a mood. Besides, she is already sound asleep, and you are good at holding your moans." Minho's blush was immediate, a betrayal of his carefully constructed facade. "That's... that's not the point here!"
Seo-Jun rolled his eyes, the gesture a dismissive wave of his hand as he opened the car door. "And who said we will do it in my house?" he said, the smirk now fully in place, a promise of something unknown, something dangerous. He slid into the car, leaving Minho standing there, the wind suddenly feeling colder. "What?" Minho thought, the single word hanging in the air, a question mark against the vast, indifferent sky.