There is hinted themes of a toxic ex/stalking behavior with mentions of threats and unwanted touching. Please avoid reading further if these topics are sensitive to you.

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The week passes in a hue of reds and blissful pinks. Minho and Han walk together to class everyday and eat lunch at the same table, eyes hardly able to stop glancing at one another as they pass through the halls. They stay late at the studio nearly every day, buying snacks from the convenience store around the corner and telling stories of their past, connecting even deeper than they were before.

Han sleeps in Minho's bed every night, a habit that slowly burns with engraved routines etched into their souls. Minho always insisted on holding Han, face buried in the back of his neck with gentle kisses placed on his shoulders. Han always wanted to hold Minho's hand, tracing soft shapes and lines over his knuckles and skin, protectively intertwining their fingers to hold Minho closer to him, afraid of the thought of him leaving again.

It was engraved within him now, the thought of Minho telling him to leave suddenly and breaking his heart in half. But Minho does everything he can every single day to assure Han that he will never leave, pressing long kisses to Han's neck and jaw, only to steal his breath from his lungs when he kisses him senseless.

Han wants to make him breakfast nearly every morning, specifically waking earlier than Minho's parents to have something ready for him by the time he decides to roll out of bed. Thankfully Minho's parents were hardly around, going to weekend conferences and being stuck in the office any other day they're not on a business trip. Minho barely seemed to care about his parent's schedules, given that he could basically live with Han and stay as late as he wanted at the studio (not that his parents cared in the first place).

Friday comes around easily, and Minho finds himself in the usual center of the studio, surrounded by mirrors he hardly stared into anymore. It was almost six, three hours after classes had finally ended. Han offered to grab them something to eat and had left ten minutes ago, but not before stealing a longing kiss from Minho.

The music rings out overhead, the song finally ending as Minho slides into the last move, hand gliding upwards, pointed towards the ceiling. The door clicks shut behind him, his eyes barely flicking over in the mirror to spot a familiar face by the door.

"Jisungie," Minho turns around, a smile on his lips with sweat beading down his face. But Han's face told a different story, one that made his eyes leak with tears and his hands tremble with a grocery bag hanging loosely from his fingers. "Hannie?"

Minho's heart falls to the floor as he quickly walks over to him, eyes struck with worry and confusion. The bag slips from Han's fingers as it lands on the floor, his arms reaching out for his partner as his face melts into Minho's shoulder. He's enveloped in a warm hug, one that is long and quiet; all Minho can do is calmingly whisper it's okay over and over until Han's tears subtly stop.

They stand there for no longer than five minutes, leaning into one another with Han's hand clutching the back of Minho's shirt.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Minho asks quietly, and Han shakes his head.

"We don't have to talk about it now. Let's sit down and eat for now, okay?" Minho presses a kiss into Han's hair, feeling him start to pull away with red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Minho wishes his heart wouldn't break when he sees Han upset, but it hurts worse every time it happens.

"What'd you get us?" Minho reaches down to grab the bag, eyes opening in surprise as his favorite snacks settle in the plastic bag. "Jagi!"

"I didn't know what you wanted exactly," Han wipes the tears from his cheeks with the sleeve of his black hoodie. "So I got you a bit of everything."

"You didn't have to." Minho smiles at him, eyes trailing across Han's saddened expression as his free hand finds Han's chin. Their eyes meet, and for a second, Minho swears he can see the world gazing back at him in Han's brown eyes. He wants to say it. But he bites his tongue, pressing his lips on Han's, wanting nothing more than to steal the sadness plaguing his partner.

"I wanted to," Han breathes, lips freshly parted and hovering in front of Minho's.

"Quit distracting me, Ji." Minho smiles, lips hesitating to pull away. "As much as I'd like to kiss you right now, I'm actually kind of hungry."

Han finally smiles just barely, hands rising to Minho's face as he cups his jawline gently, moving his lips to press a quick kiss on his cheek. "Fine."

Minho bites his tongue, smiling like an idiot as he strolls over to a familiar stretch of the wall, one where they sat just a week before in this same studio.

"What dance did you learn today?" Han questions as he watches Minho sort through the bag.

"Growl by EXO," Minho hands over the bag after searching through the goodies, holding three different baggies in his lap. "I have the majority of it down, but I'm trying to perfect the chorus."

"Mhm," Han grabs a bag for himself, looking at the reflection of both of them sitting so closely in the mirror. Minho's one leg with his previously injured ankle was jutted outwards while his other leg was bent at the knee, resting on Han's left knee delicately. He watches Minho through the mirror eat like a rabid dog, almost as if he hadn't had a meal in a week. He was polite about it enough, but something inside of him must've been ravenous.

"Did you wanna see?" Minho asks after a minute of scarfing down his snack. Han looks at him, a genuine smile perking onto his lips.

"Of course."

"Okay. Let me show you." Minho sets down his other snacks, wiping off his sweat pants as he walks to the computer, pressing play and rushing to the center of the room.

The song's beat booms through the speakers at a volume most would cringe lightly at, but Han was used to Minho blasting whatever song he was practicing to.

Forward movements with hip-hop styled footwork accompany locking hands to flow with the song's background track. Han can see from the mirror that Minho was incredibly focused, but a smile lingered on the edge of his lips. Maybe the smile was from confidence, or knowing that the one person he cherished most was just a couple of feet behind him, watching his every move.

A dark shadow has woken up inside of me (ha)

Sparks fly in my eyes as I look at you (na-na-na-na)

Because I'm going to get fierce from now on

I'm growling, growling, growling

Minho's hands wave at his shoulders, hips snapping as he bends down, then juts upwards again, fingers waving towards him in the mirror. His elbows move to swing to the side, snapping in place to the beat as they push back towards his center, swinging back up as his arms make a circular motion around him with his legs kicking outwards.

Han was impressed. The dance was a bit complex for his knowledge, but from what he could tell, Minho had memorized most of this dance in a day. Han's eyes drift from the mirror to Minho's back, then to his flexed arms and trail downwards towards his ass. He wasn't exactly sure why his eyes landed there, but by the time he realized it, the music had stopped and Minho was in a final pose, breathing heavily.

"You are really talented, Minho." Han nearly forced out, pulling his eyes away and towards the mirror, where he can see Minho smirk lightly.

"Thank you, Ji." Minho takes in a long breath, turning around to sit next to Han, head leaning back against the wall when his legs meet the cold floor. Minho's hand crawls onto Han's thigh, a new form of touch they hadn't explored yet. Minho's hand is flooded with warmth, thumb subtly moving back and forth on Han's thigh without a thought. Han was losing his shit at the contact, mind melting at how intimate it felt in a public space. Someone could walk in and Han doubts Minho would remove his hand, which made it incredibly hard to ignore.

"I wanna tell you about earlier," Han says softly, trying to distract himself from the thought of Minho's hand drifting further.

"I'm listening." Minho tilts his head to the right, looking at Han with a sincere, but tired gaze.

"When I was at the store, I had just put everything on the counter and was about to pay when I heard a familiar voice. It was my ex, the one I told you about?"

"That douche?"

"Yeah. I tried to hurry and leave before he saw me but he ended up recognizing me, even with dyed hair."

"Did he say anything to you?"

"Not much, but he-" Han's voice fades suddenly, thinking back to the events of the store. "He put his hand on my shoulder. But, it wasn't a friendly gesture like Channie would do, it was heavier and almost like he was gripping it?"

"What's his name, Han?" Minho's tone was suddenly firm and deeper, but Han shakes his head.

"I don't want you to go beat his ass, Minho. I want you in one piece. Besides, he goes to a different school now, so it was probably just a coincidence."

"I don't like seeing you upset like that, Hannie." Minho's gaze softens. "Did he do something else to you?"

"The words he said to me just frightened me. I say this as if he was my stalker or something, but maybe I'm overreacting."

"It's not wrong to feel uncomfortable in the presence of someone who used you the way he did."

"Right." Han assures himself with the comfort of Minho's words, but the touch and vocal tone of the male at the store brings a familiar weight to his chest that he suddenly forgot about.

"He told me that he's single now, which was the same lie he told me before we got together in the first place."

Minho's teeth find the inside of his cheek, biting down to swallow the anger boiling at the edge of his tongue.

"It wasn't like he hurt me or touched me inappropriately, but I felt so. . . scared."

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there, Ji." Minho's hand leaves Han's thigh, reaching for his empty hand and entangling it in his own, hoping to be a wordless gesture of comfort.

"You couldn't have known he was going to be there, neither of us did. I thought that douche left town."

"Well, now it just gives me an excuse to go everywhere with you."

Han scoffs at him. "As if you needed an excuse."

"But still, I'm just gonna come with you from now on. But if you ever needed space, just tell me. I don't want to be too overbearing or over protective, but-"

Han kisses the words from Minho's mouth, trapping him in a moment of silence pressed between shared lips.

"You're so cute when you're protective." Han smiles at him, kissing him again with his hand on the back of Minho's neck.

Minho smiles into the kiss, teeth finding Han's lip gently as he nips at them, feeling the younger's breath hitch in surprise. Two could play at that game.

Han feels heat crawling in his stomach as his hand trails upwards into Minho's hair, gently pulling tufts of his hair as he kisses into him, feeling Minho return the favor of his hands gripping onto Han's thighs.

It was so sudden, an unanticipated wave of lust that burns brightly in their hearts which only fuels the fire growing between them. Kisses become harder, no longer soft and loving as they push into each other, tongues slipping past parted lips as they taste familiar territory.

Minho adjusts his legs slightly, hands shifting to Han's waist as he pulls him towards him. Han obeys, settling onto Minho's lap without warning, a breathy groan muffled against Minho's lips.

"Jisungie," Minho breathes, hands gripping Han's waist tighter than normal.

Han's lips stick to Minho's jawline, trailing towards his ear as he bites down softly, feeling Minho's hands grip into his hip bones tighter. "Hannie-"

"Mhm?" Han's lips catch his skin again, pressing loving, warm pecks to his neck as he trails down further, hands drifting down to Minho's back.

"We're at school." Minho smiles as he feels Han's lips kiss his collar bone. "We shouldn't do this here."

"You're right," Han sighs, leaning back with a soft flush of red to his cheeks. "I hate when you're right."

"You can have me whenever you want, Jagi. Just not at school." Minho laughs, watching Han smile at his response.

"Okay, I get it. We wouldn't want your keys getting revoked." Han's lips pursed slightly, and Minho nodded at him, not quite thinking about that part, but he did agree that that would be bad.

"Chan's party should be starting soon," Han mentions lightly, reaching for his phone in his hoodie pocket. "What time did you wanna go?"

"Well considering I'm sweaty and probably covered in hickeys from you," Minho pauses for dramatic affect, watching Han's eyes narrow slightly. "We should head back now so I have time to shower."

"After all these snacks I bought for you?" Han says jokingly, watching as Minho leans closer, lips an inch away, a smirk pulled on the edges.

"I'd rather taste you anyways."

It's nearly half past eight before Han and Minho show up to Chan's house hand-in-hand. Minho had taken what felt like the longest shower of Han's life, only as an act of revenge for trapping him in bed with lustful kisses and waist-placed hands.

"Are you sure about this?" Minho asks quietly, steps leading the pair towards Chan's front door.

"Yeah," Han breathes. "I have you now."

Minho squeezes his hand firmly, hand on the handle of the front door as he swings it open, listening to the loud music overtake his unfamiliar anxiety.

His eyes scan the filled house as he spots people on the staircase, people moving through the halls with solo cups and others pressed to walls with another set of lips attached to theirs. Minho leads Han inside slowly, scanning the crowd's faces in search of their friends. Han's hand grips onto Minho's tighter, anxiety spilling over his comfort threshold as they sift through a mob of unfamiliar people.

"Lee Minho!" A familiar Australian accent calls from the living room, dragging their eyes towards the source of their friend. Minho's eyes wash in relief as he pulls Han from the horde of people, getting him away from his stressor as they find their group of friends huddled on the couch.

"Chan," Minho smiles, watching Chan pat the seat next to him. Minho glances at Han, who seemingly disassociated the last thirty seconds when he got overstimulated by the noise. Minho's free hand gently taps Han on his chest, watching his eyes blink to life as he welcomes the calmer environment of familiar faces.

"You okay?" Minho asks softly and Han smiles at him with a subtle nod. Han lets go of his hand as they shuffle to the couch, Minho sitting down next to Chan while Han settles comfortably next to Minho.

"Where's Felix?" Minho asks Chan, watching his only hyung laugh gently.

"He's off making out with Hyunjin somewhere. I also don't know where Binnie went, either." Chan suddenly looks around, unable to spot their friend that always ends up going missing.

"He's with a chick again," Seungmin chimes in from the spot next to Chan.

"Figures." Minho scoffs, looking to his left to see Jeongin scooting closer to Minho, trying to listen in on the conversation.

"So, you guys came in together?" Chan points out carefully, looking at Minho, then at Han, who seemed like he was more interested in watching the crowds of people make drunken fools of themselves.

"He's kinda my boyfriend now." Minho watches Chan's face light up with excitement. Jeongin also reaches over and smacks Minho on the wrist, a tinge of jealousy glimmering in his eyes.

"You guys are cute," Jeongin says softly, finally catching Han's attention away and bringing it back to his friends.

"Thank you, Innie." Han smiles at his younger friend who smiles right back.

"You guys made it!" Hyunjin exclaims happily with an arm around Felix's shoulders (as usual).

"We did." Han sheepishly exclaims back, watching Felix laugh at the both of them.

"Does anyone want drinks?" Chan looks around to his friends and no one interjects, until Seungmin downs the remainder of his drink, setting his empty bottle down on the table in front of them.

"Let's play spin the bottle!" Seungmin eyes Minho and Han with an evil grin, but Chan smacks Seungmin's hand and waved him off.

"Yeah, no." Chan grabs the bottle and stands from the couch, looking around his house for a second as he sighs. "I'm gonna make my rounds and maybe get a drink. But stay here if you want, I'll be back soon."

Chan gives everyone a quick smile before squeezing past Seungmin's outspread legs and disappearing into the crowd. Minho watches him leave, gaze turning towards Han as he listens to him crack a random joke at Jeongin who laughs quietly.

Felix makes his way over to the empty spot, asking Seungmin to move over politely as he settles down next to Minho with Hyunjin settling to his right.

"How are you guys doing?" Felix asks Minho quietly, drawing Minho's gaze away from his partner.

"We're good." Minho smiles, raising his left arm thoughtlessly to rest on Han's shoulders. "Are you guys doing okay?"

"Yeah," Felix hums, Minho watching as Hyunjin's hand reaches over to grab onto Felix's left thigh, almost protectively. "Is Han still staying with you?"

Minho sighs, tilting his head towards Felix subtly. "He refuses to go home."

"I can imagine why." Felix answers softly.

"His dad apparently is moving out soon, but he's not taking a chance of crossing paths."

"Are your parents okay with him staying there?"

"They aren't home enough to care. Being an only child has its perks."

"You still take care of your cats alone and stuff?"

"Oh yeah," Minho smiles at the thought of his furry friends. "I'm basically their only caregiver now. My mom's never home to feed them or anything."

"But you love it, don't you?"

"Yeah, I love being able to take care of the cats-" Felix laughs at him.

"No, silly. You like being able to be alone with Ji, don't you?"

Minho's ears turn red. "Obviously?"

"I'm happy he's finally happy." Felix tilts his head slightly to look at Han, watching him laugh about something with Jeongin. "I'm happy you're happy too. You deserve this relationship just as much as he does, you know."

"I spent a long time thinking I didn't." Minho frowns slightly, teeth grabbing the inside of his lip.

"Hyung, you know you do, don't you?"

"Now I do, but it's only because of Ji that I do. He kept trying to reach me regardless of how deep my walls were buried."

"I'm glad that you see that. What she did to you back then, from what you've told me, isn't okay. It's about time you find someone good for you."

Minho's eyes are filled with adoration towards his friend, heart about to burst from the compliment. Regardless of how shitty he treated Felix because of his phobias, Felix never shied away and remained so carefree and judgeless. "You deserve that too, Felix."

In the wake of their bonding moment, Seungmin rises from the couch, looking at Jeongin and pointing at him. "I wanna dance, come with me!"

Jeongin shrugs his shoulders, leaving the couch as he walks with his friend into the crowd, laughing at how sluggish and drunk he looked dancing in the middle of the tipsy horde. Felix and Hyunjin laugh too, but Minho's gaze turns towards Han, who was looking right back at him.

God. Minho bites his bottom lip preventatively, eyes flicking from the ones looking right back at him and the familiar lips of the ones he loved to taste.

Minho doesn't notice that Felix and Hyunjin leave the couch too, leaving them completely and utterly alone. Music booms in the background, people dancing and drinking themselves to oblivion while Minho sits there, feeling intoxicated just looking into Han's eyes. Han tilts his head slightly, teeth catching the edge of his bottom lip, smiling at Minho with a warm gaze.

Minho was so in love with him. It was too soon to admit it, but jesus christ, everything Han did made Minho incredibly warm. He loved the sound of his voice and his laughter, completely smitten by his fluffy curled locks and doe-eyes. He just wants him to himself all the time.

Han's lips part for a second as he begins to say something, but Minho cuts him off by rushing to his lips, connecting himself to Han intensely. Han barely attempts to push him away, hands on Minho's chest preventatively for a second, but they slowly begin to drop to Minho's lap.

Han's lips move languidly, a smile curled on the edges as he presses into Minho, feeling little resistance when he gently nips Minho's bottom lip.

"Revenge." Han mutters under his breath and Minho smiles deviously at him. They kiss again, sitting alone on the couch with little interruption as they taste one another and inhale shared breaths, hands touching waists and noses pressing against one another.

"I hate to break away from you," Han mutters softly, giving Minho one last kiss. "But I have to pee."

"Bummer," Minho smiles, kissing his cheek and helping him rise from the couch. "Do you remember where the bathroom is?"

"Yeah, I do. Hasn't been that long since I've visited Chan."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Minho asks worriedly, but Han smiles at him and shakes his head.

"I'm just going to the bathroom. It's on the other side of the kitchen, I'll be okay. Just wait here."

"Hurry back," Minho comments, biting back the urge to smack Han on the ass. "Bring drinks with you, please!"

"Yeah, yeah." Han nervously enters the crowd, moving past dancing bodies and stumbling drunks, smelling the stench of spilled vodka roaming through the moving figures. Han enters into the threshold of the kitchen, hands caught in his pockets as he weaves around people drinking and eating cold pizza on the countertops. Out of the corner of Han's eye, he catches the glimpse of someone familiar. So he turns, eyes widening at the shock associated with the eyes that looked directly back at him.

"Jisung," Han's heart drops into his stomach. "Fancy seeing you here. You know Chan?"

"Y-yeah." It was him. Han swallows, taking a timid step backwards. "He's in my friend group."

"I know him from gym class." The male leans his hand against the nearby countertop, the other hand occupied with a red solo cup. "You and I should go talk somewhere. We have some unresolved business."

Han hates him. He hates the look in his eyes and this feeling in his chest. Why the fuck did his ex-boyfriend know Chan well enough to end up at the same party the same day he sees him at the convenience store?

"I don't really want to talk to you, Jae." Han can feel his shoulders tensing, heart racing through his sternum as he tries to make his way towards the bathroom, but an arm cuts him off and keeps him from moving further.

"Aw, still upset about our little escapade?" Jae hums, smiling with a smirk that the devil surely crafted. "Let me make it up to you. You know you miss how I made you feel."

Jae leans closer, hands ready to touch Han at any given moment, but Han panics. He finds a random solo cup on the counter filled with random liquor and throws it in the face of his stalker, watching the liquid spill over his tortuous features and malicious smirk.

"You mother fucker!" Jae half-yells, wiping the vodka from his face before even daring to open his eyes. Han shoves his arm out of the way, quickly walking past and back into the hall, circling around to find the bathroom door. His eyes search for the doorway as he listens to Jae yell obscenities in the kitchen behind him, but as he suddenly finds the door, his hands find the silver knob, pushing it open and slamming the white-oak door shut.

He wastes little time in locking the door, backing up to the wall behind him and letting his anxiety overwhelm him. His chest heaves in ups and downs, biting down on his bottom lip to avoid the tears from falling, but with shaky hands and a crashing mental state; all he can do is let the tears slip past. His back slides down the wall until his bottom hits the floor, hands trembling as he reaches for his eyes. His cries are pitifully silent, muffled in the fabric of his hoodie as he listens to the party rage on behind the closed door.

He couldn't be here anymore. Jae was here and was now aware that he was here. The only thought that presents itself in his anxious mind is to find Minho and leave as quickly as possible.

A few long, calming breaths weave through his lungs as he settles himself down enough to enter back into the party. He stands on his feet, straightening out his hoodie and wiping the tear stains from his cheeks. But just as he's about to open the bathroom door, a voice rumbles through from the otherside.

"I know you're in there, Jisung. You're either going to come out and talk to me, or I'm forcing you to come out and talk to me."