_

yunho turned the open sign to closed as mingi swept away the last of the various petals, stalks and foliage on the shop floor. he had worked hard, yunho thought. a slice of days-old cake in the fridge really couldn't repay mingi for his help.

yunho had provided the other boy with an apron and the customers that afternoon hadn't noticed anything out of place; mingi fitted right in.

"I had fun this afternoon" mingi said happily as yunho began to empty the cash register, "thank you for letting me help"

"no, thank you, you've been a great help... I know you said you didn't want much in return, but really, the contents of my fridge doesn't exactly suffice"

"it's really okay, yunho"

yunho noticed how the sky had gradually darkened in the last hour - it looked like rain. angry clouds littered the once-blue sky as the evening drew in, and this caused yunho to happen across another thought: "and I can't let you go back out there to sleep on the ground - especially when it looks like it's gonna start raining soon"

"yunho, stop it. I'm going now, okay?"

"mingi, please" yunho begged, "please let me help you"

"I told you I'm not a charity case-" mingi began.

"-I know you're not" yunho interrupted, "and I don't see you as one. I think you're a really cool guy and now I know you a little better it hurts me even more to see you out there alone"

mingi just glared at the ground below him, feeling too awkward to speak any more words.

"look, I'm not offering you much. I was just going to ask if you wanted to sleep in here tonight instead of outside - that was all"

mingi looked up at the other boy who gave him a gentle, comforting smile in return. it was at this moment that mingi noticed how attractive yunho was. he had these wide eyes that sparkled even in the dim light, the cutest round nose, and the way his hair adorned his face highlighted his features so well.

"there's no way you'd trust me to do that" mingi replied incredulously.

"why wouldn't I? if anything goes missing at least I know who did it"

yunho's joke didn't go down as well as he expected as he watched the sadness creep into mingi's eyes, "I've never stolen anything - the whole time I've been homeless" he protested.

yunho moved closer to the other boy, wanting nothing more than to hug him and tell him that his opinion of him wasn't what he thought it was.

"shit, mingi, I didn't mean it. I was kidding - I'm sorry. that was insensitive of me"

"do you really trust me?" mingi wanted to know.

"yeah. and I want you to have some shelter tonight"

mingi smiled, and yunho didn't know how happy the prospect of having a roof over his head for the first time in months made him.

_

"will you be okay?" yunho asked as he turned out most of the lights in the shop, leaving just the one on in the back room where mingi would sleep for the night.

"what do you mean?" mingi questioned as he sat down on one of the stools precariously, unsure of how exactly to make himself comfortable. it had been so long since he had had comfort.

"I mean... on your own"

"I'm alone all the time, yunho. I'll be fine"

"I'll bring blankets for you tomorrow, and a pillow. I hope you'll be okay for tonight"

"this is way more than I'm used to, you don't need to worry" mingi assured him.

but yunho would worry. and he was already beginning to question why part of him felt like he actually wanted to stay here with mingi.

"goodnight, mingi" yunho said softly before he could make any stupid decisions, like sleeping on his shop floor because he didn't want to leave this poor boy alone. or worse still - invite mingi back to his home.

"goodnight, yunho. and thank you, so much"

_

as he expected, yunho spent the whole night thinking about mingi.

he questioned if he had done the right thing - in honesty a small part of him did worry about whether or not he could trust mingi. and then another part of him wanted to trust him completely... would it be so bad to invite mingi to stay with him?

of course it would. you barely know this person.

but yunho felt that the two were like-minded, similar... it felt like he knew mingi. but he was always to quick to trust, that's what his mother had said. he was far too trusting for his own good. but it would be so nice to have some company. any mingi needed someone too.

perhaps they needed eachother.

as these thoughts swirled around his head, he felt himself finally drifting to sleep, mingi's smiling face still in the fore-front of his mind.

_

yunho honestly didn't know what to expect when he unlocked the shop door the next morning. but when he saw mingi laying there with his jacket over him as a blanket, still fast asleep, he felt content that he'd made the right decision.

he didn't want to make mingi jump, so he tip-toed over to his sleeping form and bobbed down next to him.

"mingi?" he whispered. "mingi, wake up".

he reached out to shake the boy slightly and finally mingi opened his eyes. "shit, I'm sorry" he croaked, "do you need to open up? I can go now"

"it's okay" yunho chuckled, "there's still around 30 minutes until opening time. did you sleep okay?"

mingi nodded, "yes, thank you. very well"

yunho smiled softly before he asked, "would you like coffee?" and then "I brought some pastries from home too"

mingi sat up, eyes bewildered, unable to comprehend why yunho was doing so much for him. but the sweet smell of croissants filled his nose and he knew he couldn't say no.

"yes, thank you very much" he began politely, "and then I'll go"

"don't you wanna help me out again today?"

"yunho, listen. I really enjoyed it yesterday and I'm very grateful for everything but - look at me"

"what do you mean?" yunho asked.

"I'm a fucking mess" mingi replied bluntly. "I probably smell like shit too"

"I didn't notice anyth-"

"-so you cannot have me working here"

yunho had no idea what came over him at that moment, but he knew he had to do whatever he could to stop mingi going back out there. he didn't even know why it meant so fucking much to him - it was so confusing. he had a perfectly good, comfortable life. mingi wasn't his problem, right?

"I don't know what I'm doing right now but... you need to come home with me"

"I what?"

"come back to mine, get washed up, I'll give you some fresh clothes. then you can work for me properly and I can actually pay you and help you get out of this shitty situation"

mingi stared at yunho for a second, trying to take in everything he just said. it was too good of an offer to turn down, but a voice in the back of mingi's mind told him he wasn't worthy of such an opportunity: the street was all he deserved.

"yunho-" mingi began, but was interrupted by an unexpected third voice coming from the shop floor.

"yunho? you left the door unlocked" the voice, which belonged to san, got louder as he neared the door to the back room, "yunnie, are you in... oh... hi" he said as his eyes settled on mingi, sat against the wall, legs curled up to his chest.

"san.."

"yunho, what's going on?"

_

"I know this looks weird, san, but it's complicated" yunho tried to explain after he took san outside to talk. he tried his hardest to keep his voice hushed from the passers-by.

"that guy could have done anything to the shop, or you! what were you thinking?!" san reprimanded.

"I don't know, I can't explain it... but I know he wouldn't do anything like that"

"you've known him for less than two weeks" san helpfully reminded him.

yunho sighed, "yes, I know. but san, it could be you - it could be me"

"but it isn't. and you have a successful business to run, remember?"

yunho began to pace back and forward a few steps, "I can't help it"

"yunho - I know you have a big heart. but you can't trust this guy-" san was interrupted as a figure appeared in the corner of his eye.

mingi stood in the doorway and he looked pained. he looked like san's words had knocked the life out of him. and what yunho and san didn't realise was how sick he was of hearing the same old opinions about him. the same ideas about him that could never be true.

"you can trust me, yunho" he whispered, wanting to plead his case but barely looking up from the floor. "please," he turned to face san, "please, don't judge me. I'm not what you think I am. I would never steal anything or hurt yunho. especially when he's been so kind to me"

yunho quickly reached his side and comforted the tall boy who somehow looked so small in that moment. "I know, mingi. please go back inside and let me try and make san understand"

mingi nodded sadly and turned to walk away from the others. but san stopped him,

"mingi- is it? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to judge you. it's just, yunho is my friend and I look out for him... forgive me"

someone actually cares about my feelings? mingi asked himself in disbelief. someone actually sees me as a human being?

"I'll go" san whispered to yunho, "call me if you need anything"

yunho nodded, breathing a sigh of relief.

"see you soon, mingi" san added.

_

a/n: I feel like this chapter was longer than usual..

anyway, please vote + comment if you enjoyed! ♡