Backseat // Meanie // Seventeen

Backseat

Rain was falling relentlessly the first time it happened.

Mingyu and the others quickly ran into the safety of their respective cars. Shoes splashing on growing puddles. Clothes getting wetter by the second. He finds himself being one of the first to get in. He occupied the very backseat, watching as the other members seated themselves.

He leaned on the window and looked over as he sees a certain black haired member made his way to sit beside him. Arm moving to wipe the water off his face.

He teared his gaze from Wonwoo in favour to look outside as the car began to move into the city. Watching as the scenery changed as the rain continued its onslaught. The car was filled with a comfortable silence. Members either sleeping, exhausted after their practice, or scrolling through their phone.

Mingyu had long since learned to cherish the times when there was a peaceful moment like this. The atmosphere usually filled with chatter and noise.

He continues to look outside the window. Head heavy with fatigued. He feels a shift in movement beside him and an abrupt feeling of another hand in his. He turned over and stared at Wonwoo.

Mingyu wasn't quite sure what spurred Wonwoo to suddenly grab his hand during a particular rainy day out but he finds himself not really thinking much of it. Especially when he smiled brightly at him after that.

~~

Nightfall bloomed overhead the second time it happened.

It had been a few days since the incident had occurred. What was suppose to be a simple affectionate gesture had now been seen to be something more to Mingyu. Wonwoo it seems had remained unaffected even though he didn't let go of Mingyu's hand until they reached the dorms.

Mingyu was left with a variety of emotions after it happened. Mostly confusion, a slight tinge of frustration and a feeling that made his heart flutter. He didn't know why the incident left him in such a mess. It must've been how he noticed that their hand holding held a different atmosphere. Different from the other times that they held hands. It felt too intimate to be considered a friendly gesture and too intense to be reviewed as brotherly.

He felt stupid how this simple gesture impacted him so much. So he brushed it off as exhaustion playing with his brain.

The members and Mingyu had just finished having a meal at a restaurant. All of them brimming with energy. They were by far one of the loudest customers there. He smiled and laughed a fair amount of times at the other members antics. The incident hidden at the back of his mind.

He had just situated himself in the backseat when he sees Wonwoo following suitly and sitting beside him. The memory of the incident coming back in full force. Unlike the first time, the car was filled with the members talking.

Several moments after the car had begun to move to the direction of the dorms, Mingyu felt the familiar feeling of a hand holding his own. He gazed at their interlocking hands before meeting with a pair of soft brown eyes. Wonwoo immediately sent another blinding smile before going back to watching the other members activities in front. Mingyu felt the fluttering in his chest coming back and intensifying when Wonwoo brushed his thumb over his.

He was probably smiling like an idiot but he didn't care. He wondered why he never noticed how their hands slotted so nicely with each other.

~~

The blaring noise of the crowd still echoed in his ear the third time it happened.

They were waving at the fans right up until the doors slide closed and windows were rolled up. Mingyu let out a sigh. Adrenaline still coursing through his veins. He was feeling hyper-aware of his surroundings.

He had taken his usual seat at the backseat and instantly noticed when Wonwoo slid in next to him. His mind was in a daze.

He didn't have to wait too long this time, just at the car had begun its journey he felt his hand being enveloped by Wonwoo's hand. The same radiant smile was flashed and Mingyu sent a smile just as beaming.

~~

After that it had become a normal occurrence known only to them. Mingyu soon found himself anticipating it and feeling like a giddy teenage girl every time it did. He considered it one of the highlights of his days.

Mingyu found himself being around Wonwoo more often. But had noticed that the feeling wasn't as explosive if the action was repeated anywhere other than the backseat of the car. In fan meets, interviews and even practices when Mingyu would be standing near Wonwoo, the action would resort to feeling like a brotherly gesture.

He had been confused at first when Wonwoo had first grabbed his hand during a fan meet and felt only a sliver of that intimacy. But the feeling would soon reignite when they were back in the car. He had deduced the fact that he only felt that personal feeling with him when they were away from the eyes of other people. In the backseat where the world outside seemed to fade away and only the two of them were left. Despite that knowledge, he continued to look forward to their interaction.

~~

The sun was out the first time it didn't happen.

Mingyu took his seat at the backseat as usual and tried to not make it that obvious that his eyes darted towards Wonwoo's movements. He felt his heart sank when he sees that the older had chosen to sit next to Seungcheol in the front. He tried to mask his disappointment when a cheerful Jeonghan sat on the only other available seat next to him.

He was puzzled but quickly shook it off when he thought that Wonwoo must have wanted to discuss something with their leader. It was the first time the two had not sat together in a long time and he couldn't help but feel sad about it. So he tried to distract himself by conversing with his other hyung next to him. His hand feeling strangely empty.

He continued to dismiss it after the second and third time it happened. But he felt himself getting irritated when Wonwoo kept sitting next to Seungcheol. He wanted to confront him about it when the action continued and had extended to the other members as well. But he didn't want to seem desperate and obsessive.

After a long while, Mingyu had attempted to initiate the action after having an extensive debate in his head. It was during a concert when he gathered the courage to take the other's hand. He had a rush of pure joy when Wonwoo had held his hand back if only for a few seconds before Wonwoo had dropped it. He was certain that things would go back to normal but was sadly mistaken when he once again decided to sit somewhere else that wasn't beside him. Mingyu had a restless sleep that night.

He didn't give up and attempted to initiate the action time and time again. Each time apparently having made no affect on Wonwoo whatsoever. He even considered to let him in the car first and then hurriedly sitting next to him before any other member did, choosing to abandoned his usual seat at the back. But he soon realized that all his attempts were futile when one day Wonwoo had went inside the other car. His seatmate had changed into the form of a sleepy Jihoon.

Mingyu still hoped that Wonwoo would come back but he soon finds that hope quickly diminishing when it continued to go on. Wonwoo's decision had hurt him and when he realized that he stopped hoping.

~~

Rain once again poured down as Mingyu took his seat in the car. He was feeling particularly tired today and felt his eyes drop just as the seat next to him dipped. He finds his hand being enveloped by another. His eyes snapped open.

Sitting next to him was Wonwoo. He felt like he was in a dream, one he didn't want to wake up from. But he didn't look over at Mingyu like usual and instead stared straight ahead. At that moment, he knew it wasn't permanent and tried to soak into the feel of Wonwoo's hand in his.

Mingyu knew that this wouldn't last forever. So he just decided to close his eyes and enjoyed it while he can. Holding the other's hand just a little tighter.