Alien-Minsung AU

Part 2

      After walking together to the pizza place on campus, they arrived and Jisung's heart began to beat faster looking into the busy restaurant. "Uh... Minho, do you mind if we sit outside on the patio?" Jisung asked. "Sure. I will just go in and let them know we are sitting out here." Minho said as he gestured for Jisung to go ahead and sit at a table. 'It's cold as shit in the middle of January but sure, why not, there are heaters out there.' Minho thought sarcastically as he went in. He came back out with a waiter following him. Minho sat down in front of Jisung and could immediately tell that something was off with him. "Hey Minho, who is your friend?" The waiter asked. "Oh uh Seungmin, this is my project partner from my song writing class, Jisung." Minho replied. Jisung quickly nodded politely but didn't say anything. He looked at Minho confused and it was like Minho knew exactly what he was thinking because he said "Seungmin is a friend of mine, I used to work here part time for a little bit." "What do you two want to drink?" Seungmin asked. "Hmm tea for me." Minho replied. Jisung said in a small voice "Water for me." Seungmin smiled and headed to get their drinks and as soon as he walked away Jisung let out a large sigh like he had been holding his breath. Minho analyzed him for a second before asking "You don't like ordering for yourself do you?"

      A scared expression flashed across Jisung's face as he asked "Was it that obvious?" Minho nodded as he said "Yeah kind of..." "I'm sorry, it's just kind of hard for me for some reason. I know that's embarrassing..." Jisung said looking down. "It's really not a big deal. What kind of pizza do you want and I will order for us." Minho said with a sincere smile. Jisung looked up at him surprised before saying softly "Um... just cheese I guess." Seungmin returned and Minho ordered for the both of them. After Seungmin walked away Jisung said "Most people make fun of me when I tell them that I have a hard time ordering for myself." "Well I'm not most people." Minho said smiling. Seungmin came out with their slices of pizza and after setting them down, stopped behind Jisung facing Minho and gave him an excited thumbs up. Minho gave him a 'fuck off' glare and Seungmin ran away snickering. "So you used to work here? Do you work somewhere else now?" Jisung asked. Minho laughed nervously as he replied "Yeah I work at a bookstore here on campus. It's not bad but who knows how long it will last." "Why do you say that?" Jisung asked. "Well I have a hard time sticking with jobs, I just get bored so easily." Minho said. "Oh." was all Jisung muttered.

      "With like jobs and hobbies, not with people or anything like that!" Minho said frantically. Jisung's eyebrows raised at Minho's sudden panic and he scoffed trying to hold in a laugh. "Are you laughing at me?" Minho asked. Jisung covered his mouth trying not to smile as he said "You just got so serious out of nowhere. It was kind of funny." "Well I realized after I said it, it might sound like I'm some kind of fuckboy or something." Minho said nervously. "I mean what you do in relationships is none of my business." Jisung said. "Right... Yeah I don't know what I was thinking..." Minho said laughing nervously. "Were you worried that I would think you were going to be an unfaithful project partner?" Jisung asked snickering. "Something like that." Minho said as he laughed and rolled his eyes. "You know I thought you were really quiet but now you are over here teasing me." Minho added. "I usually am with most people but like you said... you aren't most people." Jisung said smirking lightly. Minho felt his cheeks getting warmer as he looked down trying to conceal his smile. After they were done eating, Minho returned to his dorm room having felt like he went on a date instead of working with a project partner. He laid down on his bed still smiling as he thought 'This is not going to be good for my delusional heart.'

      The next day Minho sat in his room wondering if he should text Jisung. He sat on the end of his bed, phone in hand as he thought 'Why am I so nervous to text him? We have an assignment we are supposed to do together. It's not like I'm asking him on a date.' Minho's mind began to wander to the day before and an image of Jisung's smile flashed in his head. 'Nope. I will just wait for him to text me.' Minho thought as he sighed loudly laying back on his bed with his arm draped over his face. Jisung didn't text him that day at all. The next day they had class together so Minho knew he would see him then. In class, Minho sat in front of his friends Chan and Changbin and looked over at the empty seat where Jisung usually sat but he hadn't come in yet. Chan tapped Minho on the shoulder and said "Hey mate, tell us how it went with your partner, how is he?" Chan was from Australia so he would often use slang such as 'mate' among other things. "He's... nice. I don't know what you want me to say." Minho said blushing slightly. "Are you blushing? What the hell? Do you like him?" Changbin asked. Minho replied "What? Of course not. I don't even know him." "I mean he is probably not that bad looking under that beanie and blank stare he is always giving." Chan said. "Whatever, we just worked on the project the other day, that's all." Minho said specifically leaving out their pizza dinner, knowing the boys would just tease him about it.

      As he sat there in class he grew more and more concerned waiting for Jisung to show up. He never came and when class was over Minho asked the professor for an extra set of the work they were doing in class. Minho texted Jisung assuming he must be sick, and asked if he wanted him to bring his class work to him. Jisung replied with the address to his apartment. Before going to the address, Minho picked up a chicken noodle soup from a convenience store close to campus and headed to see Jisung. He knocked on the door and Jisung opened it only a crack. Minho looked at him weird and handed the papers through the crack before saying while gesturing to the soup "Well this isn't going to fit through there." Jisung opened the door more and Minho could finally see him. He looked rough, bundled up in a hoodie and sweatpants with dark circles under his eyes. His eyes were also blood shot and puffy like maybe he had been crying. Minho being the person he was couldn't just drop off the food and leave. He stepped into the apartment with the food instead, much to Jisung's surprise. "Hey! I didn't say you could come in!" Jisung exclaimed. Minho looked around to see the place a complete wreck. There were dishes piled in the sink and it smelt like old food. Minho had seen this type of scene before and began to piece together what was going on.

       "Hey! I said I didn't invite you in! You brought the work, you can leave now!" Jisung said angrily. Minho turned to him and narrowed his eyes as he said bluntly "No I'm good. I brought you this soup and it looks like you don't have a clean bowl to put it in so let me help you out with that before I leave." Minho said as he set the soup on the kitchen counter and rolled up his sleeves to start washing dishes in the sink. "Knock yourself out." Jisung said, mad but with no energy to argue. He went and sat down on the couch in the living room that was also covered in empty chip bags and to-go boxes. As Minho washed each dish and threw trash away in the kitchen, Jisung watched him. Firstly he was so mad because he was embarrassed and then his second thought was that Minho was simply taking pity on him and that pissed him off even more. But as he watched Minho, his exterior began to soften as he realized that wasn't the case. There was something about the way Minho went about helping him that didn't make him feel pathetic. Maybe it was how casual he was about it but the main thing that set it apart for Jisung was the sincerity in Minho's eyes when he said he was going to do the dishes. He didn't offer, he just told Jisung what he was going to do to help. There was something endearing to him about that.

       Jisung slowly walked over to the kitchen and began helping Minho finish the dishes and picking up around the kitchen without saying a word. Minho glanced at Jisung and smiled a tiny smile to himself. Jisung left to clean and tidy up in the living room. When Minho finished cleaning he warmed up the soup for Jisung and brought it to the living room with a hot pad underneath it. Jisung sighed as he looked at the soup and said "I'm not actually sic..." Minho cut him off saying "Come on, you probably haven't eaten today." He gestured for Jisung to sit and Jisung begrudgingly did. He then sat next to him on the couch and handed Jisung the bowl. Jisung ate a few spoonfuls as they sat there in silence beside each other. "Why are you being so nice to me?" Jisung asked. "Hey you can't talk if there's food in your mouth. Keep eating!" Minho replied sternly. Jisung started to crack a smile and Minho turned to him to see it. "Not bad." Minho said. "What?" Jisung asked. "I managed to make you smile a little." Minho said smirking. Jisung rolled his eyes but on the inside he felt really warm.

      After he was done eating, Jisung immediately went and washed his dish. "I'm sorry I was kind of an asshole earlier..." Jisung said as he came back into the living room. "I'm not that good with people..." Jisung added as he sat back on the couch. "Don't worry, I don't scare that easily." Minho said smiling softly. "Well thank you for helping me..." Jisung said avoiding Minho's eyes. "Do you need me to help clean up anywhere else?" Minho asked as he stood up to go ahead and do it anyway. Jisung stopped him saying "No! Really, you have already done too much, we barely even know each other... I feel so embarrassed already..." 'That's right. Just because you have stared at him, observing everything about him for weeks doesn't mean you actually know him Minho...' Minho thought sadly. "People have rough days, rough weeks and sometimes they just need a little help, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. I'm glad I could help even just a little bit, I will head out now though. Text me when you feel up to working on the project." Minho said as he left out of Jisung's apartment.