han jisung, the newly appointed flight attendant at SKZ Airlines, has a fear of heights. what happens when, on his first flight, he is paired with none other than the stern and unyielding captain, lee minho?
posted on ao3 user [aixichn] with the sam...
hyunjin and jisung were now on the train heading back to the area where their hotel resided. they were messaging the group chat to discuss their plans for the evening.
as they awaited minho's response to their invitation, jisung's heart raced in his chest. conflicted feelings churned within him. he wasn't certain whether he wanted minho to join them, given the older's obvious avoidance, but he also longed for minho's presence.
jisung closed his phone for a moment, shifting his gaze to the window of the compartment as the passing scenery caught his attention. lost in thought, he contemplated how he would face minho during their dinner later, assuming he decided to join them.
his contemplation was abruptly interrupted by the notification on his phone, causing him to flinch.
hyunjin noticed jisung's reaction and looked away from his own phone, concern lacing his voice as he asked, "are you alright, ji?"
jisung responded with a soft hum, turning on his phone to read the notification on his lockscreen.
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jisung felt his throat tighten as he considered the impending dinner with minho. his thoughts were tangled with a mix of emotions – anger at minho's avoidance, a longing for his presence, and confusion about his sudden change in behavior.
'is he avoiding me because of the kiss?' jisung thought to himself. he found it confusing that minho was avoiding him over the kiss, especially considering they had been more intimate before.
as frustration seeped in, jisung muttered, "fuck him."
beside him, hyunjin shot him a curious side-eye, his interest piqued. "what's got you so riled up?" he asked.
jisung decided it was time to share some of his bottled-up emotions with hyunjin. with a sigh, he admitted, "minho hyung is avoiding me."
hyunjin's dramatic reaction, complete with a gasp, amused jisung. "why on earth would he do that? you two were practically glued to each other a few days ago!" hyunjin exclaimed.
a blush crept onto jisung's cheeks, hyunjin's words unintentionally having an effect on him. "i... i don't really know, but i think it might have something to do with..." jisung trailed off, contemplating whether he should disclose everything.
hyunjin playfully whined, leaning closer to jisung. "come on, jiii. spill it. i'm your bestieee," he urged, his tone a mix of curiosity and encouragement.
jisung swatted hyunjin away with a playful protest, gathering the courage to spill the truth. "promise not to tell anyone, but... minho kissed me at the viewing deck," he admitted in a quiet voice, his head bowed as memories of that night flooded back, stirring up a whirlwind of emotions.
hyunjin's eyes widened in shock, and he couldn't contain his astonishment. "what the fuckkkkkk?!?!?!" he exclaimed, causing jisung to quickly smack his arm, signaling for him to lower his voice despite the seemingly empty compartment.
hyunjin composed himself and asked cautiously, "so that explains a lot... did he regret it?"
jisung's voice wavered slightly as he recalled the encounter, "he told me he's 'sorry,' and i could see the regret in his eyes."
hyunjin's mouth formed a surprised 'o,' sympathy evident in his expression. he reached out, placing a comforting hand on jisung's back and rubbing it gently.
jisung perked up slightly at the comforting gesture, ready to engage in a more heartfelt conversation. "but... did you like it? do you... like him?" hyunjin's voice softened, brimming with concern.
jisung felt a momentary freeze at the question, unsure of his own feelings. he knew his feelings for minho went beyond friendship, but defining those feelings was challenging. he remembered the kiss vividly, how he had kissed minho back, how it had felt. with a hesitant confession, he replied, "i... i don't know, hyunjin. i... enjoyed the kiss, and i can't deny that it made me feel something different, something more. but... i'm so confused right now."
"i... i'm not sure... but i know my feelings aren't just friendly," jisung responded, his words reflective of his attempt to understand his emotions towards minho.
hyunjin leaned in slightly, offering his perspective. "there's no such thing as 'too fast' when it comes to love, ji. sometimes feelings just happen, and it's not something you can control."
jisung sighed, feeling his heart flutter and his cheeks warm as he continued, "i can't say if i like him considering we just met, and it might be too soon to determine."
hyunjin gave him a reassuring smile. "take your time, jisung. feelings can be confusing, especially when they're new."
jisung's thoughts shifted to the club incident, and he felt a mix of emotions bubbling up. "i don't even know if this is love or maybe just admiration, or maybe it's because of what happened between us at the club," he admitted, his voice uncertain.
curious, hyunjin asked, "what happened at the club?"
jisung's embarrassment flared, but he eventually decided to share. "well, we may... or may not have slept together," he blurted out, immediately closing his eyes as he felt the heat of embarrassment rush over him.
hyunjin's reaction was nothing short of dramatic. he let out a high-pitched scream, stood up abruptly, and performed a series of flailing arm motions and strange gestures.
"SO YOU DID SLEEP TOGETHER!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide and mouth agape in shock.
"YOU DON'T HAVE TO YELL IT FOR EVERYONE TO KNOW!" jisung retorted, his ears burning red as he regretted sharing the information with hyunjin in the first place.
hyunjin then settled back into his seat, leaning closer to jisung and whispering in his ear, "so, who was top?" his voice carried a playful tone, and his eyebrows wiggled with mischief.
jisung's immediate reaction was to swat hyunjin's face away from him, his face a mix of shock and embarrassment. "WHAT THE...!"
"I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, OKAY?"
"WHY WOULD YOU EVEN WANT TO KNOW!?"
"for scientific purposes...?"
jisung let out a sigh, feeling his energy drain as he realized arguing with hyunjin would get him nowhere. "i did..." he admitted in a small voice.
hyunjin once again launched into a series of theatrical gestures for added effect. "YAH, I DIDN'T KNOW SOMEONE IN THE CREW HAD THAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP," he playfully exclaimed.
"shut the hell up, hyun. but yes, the reason i'm doubting minho, as well as myself, is because of that," jisung began to explain.
"i feel like minho is acting this way because of what happened between us. maybe his feelings are just a result of that one-night stand we had," he confessed, his voice heavy with uncertainty and self-doubt.
"i'm aware that i have deeper feelings for him, but i don't want him to reciprocate those feelings just because we slept together. i want him to like me for who i am," jisung concluded, his head lowered as he shared his thoughts.
hyunjin hummed thoughtfully, tapping his chin as a sign of contemplation. "maybe you're right. you should definitely talk this out, but since minho is avoiding you now, giving him some space might be a good idea for the time being," he advised.
"it is odd that he's reacting like this to the kiss but not to what happened between you two. feels like there's something missing in the puzzle," he added.
jisung smiled appreciatively at hyunjin's words. "thank you, hyun. you're the best," he said genuinely.
before long, the train's intercom announced their arrival at their destination. the doors slid open, and jisung and hyunjin stepped out onto the platform. as they walked away from the station, jisung's nerves began to intensify, thinking about the approaching dinner and how he would face minho.
