After the meal, they decided not to explore the area until tomorrow and to make the pool unsafe today instead.

The water was pleasantly warm and fortunately only so deep that you could stand in it. Because, as Chan had to realize to his horror, Minho couldn't swim.

"If we weren't just here till Tuesday evening, and the pool wasn't a little too small for it, I'd say I'll teach you here. But so," Chan shook his head and pulled Minho, who was sitting on a pool animal behind him.

The other three could swim well, but did everything not to leave Minho out and to make sure that he did not feel excluded.

Jisung, however, had trouble turning his eyes away from Minho. And not because the elder looked absolutely stunning - which he did - but because of the gunshot wound in his shoulder.

They had both been so close to losing each other. The almost completely healed wound in his shoulder made this all too clear.

Slowly Jisung waded through the water towards Minho and pulled him wordlessly into his arm.

The last two weeks had been so crowded with appointments and therefore relatively exhausting, which had put the experience somewhat in the background.

"I love you! So much!" he murmured quietly and had trouble holding back his tears.

Carefully he stroked his finger over the wound in Minho's shoulder. The wound had healed well. But yet it would always remember how close they had been to losing each other.

"I love you too, baby!"

Minho gently lifted Jisung's chin so that he could no longer look at the gunshot wound and kissed him. Passionate and demanding, his lips lay on Jisung's.

Jisung pulled him closer. As if he wanted to make sure that Minho was with him. As if he wanted to hold him forever and never let him go again.

What Minho shamelessly exploited and pushed Jisung against the wall of the pool.

Jisung groaned and took the opportunity to push his pelvis against Minho's.

"God take a room!" Chan shouted laughing from the other side of the pool.

"Do you want to go to our room?" Minho asked and his voice sounded rough.

The fact that it has been a long time for Chan had only been half the truth. For Minho, it had been quite a while since he had had sex with Jisung. Which he would never blame him for. But having him wet and only dressed in swimming trunks, moaning in front of him was damn arousing.

But Jisung looked at him uncertainly and didn't really know what to say. On the one hand, he wanted Minho so much and was just as aroused. On the other hand, he was terribly scared.

Minho suppressed a sigh and gently kissed Jisung.

"It's okay if you're not ready yet baby!" he said. And although he meant exactly that and he wasn't angry at Jisung at all, he had to pull himself together really hard so as not to moan frustrated.

He caught Chan's look from the other end of the pool, who smiled at him with understanding and a little pity.

Changbin, who had of course also noticed the abrupt change of mood, came to them and pulled Jisung playfully with him, while Chan joined Minho.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Chan asked and raised our eyebrows.

"You know exactly...," Minho murmured. "I just don't know what to do. I understand that he is afraid. I am too. To do something wrong. But if we don't try it, nothing will change..."

"I would offer myself to help you out, but that wouldn't really solve your problems..."

Minho had to laugh against his will.

"Well, maybe not the problems, but with that arousal," Minho said with a grin.

"Well then come on, let's go," said Chan and pulled Minho to him.

Minho saw the twinkle in Chan's eyes and knew exactly that the older one was not serious about the offer. Nevertheless, he let Chan drag him with him laughing.

"Hey, where do you want to go?" Changbin shouted, which led to all four chasing through the pool laughing. And Changbin threw himself on Minho to prevent him from reaching the ladder. With which he pushed Minho under water.

Minho reappeared spluttering, while Changbin looked at him worried and grabbed his arm to hold him. Jisung and Chan tried to rush to them through the water as quickly as they could.

"I'm so sorry Min, is everything okay?" Changbin asked worriedly.

Before Chan and Jisung reached them, Minho leaned on Changbin and in turn pressed him under water with a diabolical grin on his lips.

Only briefly obviously, because he didn't want to cause any serious damage to Changbin, but only to return the favor a little.

Which ended in a water fight.

Completely out of breath, they finally sat at the edge of the pool. Exhausted, but incredibly happy.

Chan watched the others smiling and was glad that they were so happy and exuberant. The worries and stress of the last few days and weeks seemed to be gone, or at least pushed into the background. And when he thought about what was still ahead of them, he could hardly resist a grin.

He took a deep breath and was just about to put his head on Changbin's lap when he made the institution to get up. "Come on let's go in, dry up! Before we get sick and have nothing from our trip!" Changbin said decisively.

Hunted by the younger ones, Chan ran into the apartment and almost slipped on the parquet, causing them all to land on the floor, cause of the others who ran into him.

Laughing, they lay on top of each other.

"And what do we do with the rest of the day?" Minho finally asked.

"I thought we might go out to eat something for dinner? And then maybe we'd rather go to sleep early. Tomorrow it could possibly be a little exhausting," Chan said with a smile.

"Oh dear," Jisung said laughing and stood up awkwardly. Carefully he pulled Minho up and together they disappeared in their bedroom.

But instead of getting dressed, Minho dropped on the bed and pulled Jisung with him.

He kissed Jisung gently before he looked at him seriously.

"Baby, I know you're afraid of what could happen when we have sex with each other. And I understand that! I'm scared too. But if we don't try it, we won't find out either. I don't want to force you to anything! And you should take as much time as you need until you are ready for it again! I just want us to talk to each other."

In Jisung, the most diverse feelings collided. Fear and panic, longing and understanding.

He closed his eyes for a moment, tried to breathe calmly and leaned against Minho. Because although he knew that Minho was right and felt the same for him, he still had the feeling of being overwhelmed by his panic. The world blurred before his eyes.

He felt Minho's hands on his body and tried to concentrate on it. Breathed in and out deeply several times. Tried to focus on how Minho smelled, how his fingers felt on his skin and how he was safe with him.

Slowly the panic in him became less and he could see properly again.

"I'm here baby and I'll hold you!" he heard Minho murmur and he let himself sink against him.

He wanted Minho. So much. And he wanted to be able to get closer with him again. And he really wanted to have sex with him again. Because they had had great sex with each other before all this had happened.

They had known exactly what the other wanted and needed and it had taken long enough to get there. Now it felt like they had to start all over again.

"I hope you know that I still want you... God so much! But I'm just so afraid to end up in the bathroom again on the floor next to the toilet..." Jisung murmured and the despair was all too clearly heard in his voice.

"I know baby! And I very much hope that we will never end up there again. But if we don't try it, it won't get any better..."

"I know."

Minho gently lifted his chin and kissed him.

"Do we want to get dressed then so as not to mess up Chan's schedule, right?"

Jisung nodded. Even if he didn't really feel like getting up and getting dressed. Actually, he preferred to stay in bed with Minho.

"Come on," said Minho laughing and gently pulled Jisung off the bed.

"But I don't want to," Jisung murmured with a slight pout on his lips.

"Baby, if you don't eat anything, there are no more cuddles or kisses for you! Not even from Channie and Binnie! Because I'm sure the two of them also want you to eat something!"

Sighing, Jisung went over to the cupboard and opened it. To be amazed to find out that Chan had already unpacked. And that Chan had secretly took his favorite clothes here. Even Minho sweater was with his things.

"All right," he said, pulled his favorite clothes out of the closet and immediately felt a little better.

꧁ ⸺ ♥ ⸺ ꧂