Archive of Our Own ^beta

“What are you gonna be for Halloween?”

Yunho immediately turned to listen in at the sudden question. “Halloween? I mean—I haven’t thought about it.”

“You’re running out of time already then.” Barely a week left and Mingi was also guilty of letting the decision slide for too long. “Makes two of us.”

“Yeah, I didn’t get around to planning something, so if anything I’ll just bust out the spiderman suit again.” 

“That’s boring. And it kind of kills the vibe if you either have to wear pants over or have your bulge sticking out.”

“Okay, I’ll take that last part as a compliment.” 

Mingi regretted ever speaking before thinking. Yunho indeed took it in stride without another thought though, and saved him from having to dwell on it. “You’re right though, I kind of want to do something different this year.” 

“Like what?” Mingi scooted closer on the couch to face him. 

“Maybe—just something with a little more thought put into it.” The low-effort gag costumes Yunho made himself were always clever, funny, silly as he was. Still, Mingi was curious to know what he might be thinking. “Lots of options then. There’s the scary route, cosplay route, sexy route...”

Yunho laughed. “Yeah, maybe this year I’ll wear a garter belt and thigh-highs to finally pass Wooyoung’s sluttiness check.”

That image Mingi really didn’t need at the moment, or ever if he was to keep his sanity. Yunho’s long legs were propped up on the coffee table, and Mingi’s were all draped over his lap too close for comfort when the thought of Yunho in objectively sexy clothes was running rampant in his head. 

“What about you?” Yunho’s returning question didn’t work much to redirect his thoughts when he turned to look directly at Mingi, even when they were nearly touching. 

“I don’t know, not really feeling it this year. If anything, I’ll just aim to pass Wooyoung’s damn sluttiness check and wear that bunny suit again.”

A smile quirked on Yunho’s lips. “Not a bad idea. You looked nice in it.”

“Wha—nice?” Mingi sputtered. “The playboy bunny suit?”

Mingi couldn’t see Yunho’s face when he turned away and mumbled a yes, half laughing.

“It was cute,” he added unhelpfully.

Out of all Mingi’s better (and less provocative) costumes, Yunho chose to compliment that one. He’d have to freak out about it later; Yunho thankfully turned the conversation away again when he looked back to Mingi, smiling just like normal now. “Kinda makes me want to think of something. As a surprise, maybe.”

“Surprise? You’re no fun, then I wouldn’t get to see.” 

Mingi didn’t even realize he was pouting until Yunho tapped a finger to his lips. “Why don’t we do the same thing? Surprise each other for once.” 

True that they had always reviewed and even helped make each other’s Halloween projects since he could remember. It didn’t sound like a bad idea; now he was curious as hell what exactly Yunho was thinking, but judging by the grin on his face Mingi wouldn’t be getting the answer out of him now that he’d made up his mind. 

“What do you say, princess?”

“Sure.” Mingi was blanking on possibilities so far but Yunho’s enthusiasm was infectious. “Wait—you say you’re going to do something actually cool? I don’t know if I’ll be able to make anything good.”

“Fuck that, just do whatever you feel like. I’ll still be excited to see.” 

Of course Mingi’s stupid brain took it the wrong way, and went straight to the question of whether Yunho would be just as excited to see him as some random character from an anime he wouldn’t know as he would be to see Mingi in the bunny suit.

It stuck with him more than he had the space of mind for. Mingi’s sudden conviction to lock in and do something along the lines of actually cool for once had also brought him an idea that he probably shouldn’t have had—yet it was too appealing, and after pointlessly weeding out choices he concluded there was only one for him.

If Yunho hadn’t suggested their impromptu surprise costumes, Mingi never would’ve even entertained the thought; now following through with it wasn’t so preposterous when he didn’t have Yunho complimenting him, telling him he looked nice in a playboy bunny suit.

Though Wooyoung wasn’t much better. But if he was going to be teased, let it be Wooyoung rather than Yunho—over that, Mingi would take Wooyoung practically smacking his back out when he asked to come with them for costume shopping.

“About time.” Wooyoung’s grin was a little too devious for Mingi’s liking when he grabbed his shoulders. “What are you?”

Mingi squirmed. “An idiot sandwich? Gay? Don’t ask me deep questions like that.”

“Smartass. Your fucking costume.” Wooyoung shook him a little and Mingi shrank in on himself. 

“Um. A—princess.”

His inane hope that Wooyoung wouldn’t pick up what he was inadvertently putting down died the moment his laugh rang out loud and fuck, Mingi was so in for it.

“Really? Did Yunho suggest this, perchance?”

“He doesn’t know.” Mingi scrambled to give more context at Wooyoung’s raised eyebrow. “Don’t say a fucking word—it’s supposed a surprise. He’s doing the same thing.” Even with an explanation Mingi felt he was only throwing oil on the fire to fuel Wooyoung’s barely contained cackles. 

“Surprise costume reveal, got it. Won’t say a thing,” Wooyoung promised through laughter.

If Mingi couldn’t hide anything from him, at least he knew he could trust Wooyoung to keep his word despite being the yapper he was. Less surprising still, his bombardment of questions actually helped Mingi to feel out what exactly he had in mind. 

“Is there a specific reason you chose this costume?” 

“That’s not relevant.”

“You need a dress, is there a color you have in mind?” 

“I thought you could’ve guessed pink.”

“Are you gonna be a slutty princess?” 

If Mingi had to be half naked in a sexy princess costume in front of Yunho, he might just die. “Nah, I don’t think I’ll go for the seal of approval this time.”

“He’ll be ogling you either way.” Embarrassingly, Wooyoung didn’t even have to try to avoid Mingi’s smack. 

“That’s not a factor.”

“Sure? You knew who I was talking about.” 

Mingi should’ve known Wooyoung would’ve known. It didn’t stop the words of pink princess ringing in his head with a sound just like Yunho’s voice. 

The thrift stores Wooyoung rattled off on their list Mingi wasn’t familiar with (Hongjoong had recommended them so they couldn’t be bad at least), and Wooyoung told him he was bringing Yeosang too.

“Yep, he dragged me along,” Yeosang said by way of greeting on the day Mingi met up with them. “But it’ll be fun,” he relented when Wooyoung shoved him. “What are you going for again?” he asked Mingi.

“Ah, a princess costume.” 

Bless Yeosang’s angelic heart for being so kind as to simply nod and start to wonder out loud where they’d get a dress. “If you wanna get a quality gown, that’s going to be… expensive.”

“This store we’re going to is supposed to have some thrifted evening wear.” Wooyoung was eager to drag them both along, definitely the most excited out of them. Mingi was kind of glad for it when he walked into the small thrift store, rather cramped yet cozy. Still, the tight racks full of assorted garments was a little intimidating to start with and he wove in and out of the hangers until he found on the back wall a few evening gowns tucked away.

Though they were still rather expensive, judging by the quality of the gowns they would surely be far more pricey if bought new. Still, they were all in perfect condition when Mingi examined the fabrics under his fingers. It was more a question of finding what he wanted—if he knew what that was at all. 

The choices were looking better than he’d anticipated and he found himself absorbed in just looking, imagining how they’d feel to wear. He was a little overwhelmed with so much of it, corsets and fitted gowns and flowy skirts, all with different touches of elegance, luxury, and even sensuality in the fabrics. 

Mingi wondered if something so beautiful could look as such on him. Not like he hadn’t worn dresses before, but an evening gown so fancy as these was unfamiliar territory to him.

Yeosang and Wooyoung found him still browsing, indecisive faced with a wall of beautiful trains and skirts that either wouldn’t fit him or didn’t suit him.

“Did you get anything?” Wooyoung held a few shiny clothes of his own for his ‘fairy scissor sister matching costumes’ that Mingi had remembered him planning with Yeosang, standing at his side laden down with even more things.

Mingi shrugged. “Could use some advice, if you’re free to.” He glanced around. Above, the racks stacked too high and too packed. Amidst the pressed fabrics he spotted a flash of pink he hadn’t seen until then.

“Give me a second.” Mingi had to tiptoe to reach the edge of the hanger. When he pulled it free, pink tulle slipped over his fingers, trailing off a long skirt that was so pretty he hoped against hope would be long enough to fit him.

“This?” Mingi smoothed his hands over possibly the most beautiful gown he’d ever seen. “Wow, I like this one. It might not fit, though...”

Holding it up to his chest in the mirror, it looked about the right length, trailing its delicate skirts over the ground. The bodice was strapless, fitted, and Mingi wondered if it would even fit to him enough to stay up. He liked to think he had enough chest for it, but if he was being realistic it probably wasn’t made for him.

“You should try it.” Yeosang offered to take his jacket. Mingi traded it for the piling pink tulle, his hands a little unsteady when he stepped into the change room and shut the door.

Faced with the mirror, he was a little unsure of how to go about this properly; it wasn’t as bad as he’d initially thought, and once he undressed and slipped into the boned bodice it sat surprisingly well on his hips and chest. 

Just looking at the shimmering gown took his breath away. The corset and layers of soft tulle created such an elegant flow of fabric that clung low on his chest and all the way down to trail around his feet. It brought out all his curves and broad shoulders in such a way that he liked, even loved how he looked in the gown. 

After shifting the fit around until he was satisfied, the only thing left was to tie the laced corset at the back. Mingi’s fingers felt weak pulling the strings tight until the bodice hugged his torso in its fitted lines. Still it looked and felt like it was made for him, sitting perfectly over his body.

The laces on the back were too slippery in his fingers and Mingi cracked the door open to gesture to Wooyoung and Yeosang. “Hey, can one of you help me tie this up?”

Both of them jumped at the chance to see. Wooyoung whistled when he saw the dress. “That’s fucking perfect. C’mere.” Wooyoung spun him around and yanked at the strings. Mingi’s lungs already felt a little tight as he tried his best not to fidget while Wooyoung tied the laced back. 

The moment he was done, Wooyoung smacked his ass and Mingi yelped. “Show us.”

Yeosang was laughing when Mingi turned around to face them. Now the bodice was snug over him, with just enough push to accentuate his chest and create enough shape to hold in the boned corset. He hadn’t realized there was a slit in the skirt until he walked forward and the fabric slipped to part around his thigh, high enough that he might actually have to worry about his underwear showing. 

Despite barely a connection it took him back to the similar problem of Yunho’s spider-man suit and that really wasn’t something he wanted to be reminded of right then.

“Am I pretty?” Mingi swished the skirt around him. Even in the dim room it caught the light, glittering with such an allure, the soft pink making his skin glow.

“Fishing for compliments now?” Yeosang reached out to smooth over the tulle flowing off his hips. “Okay, but seriously, yeah—you’re so pretty.”

Yeosang’s compliment was enough to make Mingi blush as pink as his gown. He stood still while Yeosang brushed over the fabric until it fell perfectly from the skirt then pulled away, satisfied. “Looks like it fits nicely too. Is it too tight here?” Yeosang squeezed his waist the slightest bit.

“No, it’s comfy.” Mingi slung his arm around Yeosang’s shoulder in return and he wrapped his arm around Mingi’s waist properly. “It suits you then. I guess you already have a grabbable waist too.”

“Ah. Thanks?” 

Wooyoung groaned. “Can you guys get a room? You can take this one, I can’t watch this shit.”

Yeosang laughed. He let go and stepped back to examine his outfit. Mingi instinctively covered his collarbones under both Wooyoung and Yeosang’s scrutiny. Maybe the bodice was too low, too tight over his chest—though not quite on the same level as that bunny suit, the design was inherently made to be a touch sensual where it hugged his figure and pushed his chest out. 

“Don’t hide, you’ve also got the tits for it.” Wooyoung batted his hands away and Mingi shivered at the cold air on his exposed shoulders. “I don’t know, does it look too sexy? Or not sexy enough? I don’t know if it fits me in that way.”

“It’s not that sexy, but you make it look sexier,” Yeosang said helpfully.

“Stop worrying, silly Mangi. You’ve got the tits, ass, waist, hips, everything to look like a fucking snack.” Wooyoung pushed a finger into Mingi’s chest and he couldn’t help but laugh again.

“Fuck, I mean—thanks. I guess I don’t have to fish for compliments with you guys.”

“Awesome, that’s settled.” Wooyoung swung to smack his ass again, this time on the side where the slit showed his thigh. “Get changed now then.”

“Wait till we’re out first, I still don’t wanna see you naked.” Yeosang dragged Wooyoung away and shut the door on Mingi’s laughter.

The rest of the shopping trip was a bit of a blur. Mingi felt bad that he couldn’t be of assistance the same way Yeosang and Wooyoung had helped him, but it didn’t matter too much when for the most part they spent the rest of the trip bickering over what to get. The glittery stockings they were currently debating over were both so pretty Mingi found himself a bit jealous, but the dress had been expensive enough for him to refrain from buying anything else. 

He should have everything he needed, including a tiara Wooyoung promised him and jewellery of his own to use. Just browsing in the lingerie section, he was kind of tempted to get stockings of his own—there were so many options, including thigh-high stockings that immediately sent him back to thinking about Yunho’s passing comment. 

And of course, as if the stars aligned to cause him maximum distress, he chanced upon a garter set and lace panties in the exact same shade as his gown. 

Fuck. No, Mingi told himself, he wasn’t going to make his costume any sexier than he already was. And he really wasn’t going to when he was already indulging in what his idiot brain deemed a smart move for his sanity, dressing as a fucking princess of all things. 

He did need something, the idiot part of his brain reasoned. His normal underwear wouldn’t suffice with the high slit that he was starting to consider just sewing up the tiniest bit if the other, more tempting option was this.

“Fuck it,” Mingi muttered, and reached out for the lingerie set.

He kept telling himself that it was fine, reasonable, and that the worst thing about it was the extra money he’d be spending (which it actually sort of was now that he thought of it). Lingerie, fine. Comfortable even, a piece of clothing that made him feel sexy. In conjunction with his particular costume was where it got a little bit worse, thinking of who would see him in it—yet he wanted to wear it, a lot more than he could admit.

At the checkout he couldn’t avoid Wooyoung and Yeosang’s staring eyes. “I thought you said you’re not doing a sexy costume,” Wooyoung accused.

He wasn’t. “Yep, uh, I had a change of heart.”

“It’s because your boxers were showing, isn’t it?” Yeosang examined the lace he’d picked out as Mingi sputtered. “You noticed that?”

“I notice things.” 

“Only when you want to,” Wooyoung cut in. “Mingi, don’t make excuses and just admit you wanted to show off your sexy thighs.” 

“Fine, I wanted to show off my sexy thighs.”

The cashier who came up to check them out looked slightly amused when they overheard and Mingi wanted to die of embarrassment, hiding behind Yeosang.

Even after any and all shopping was done, Wooyoung and Yeosang ended up at his place, asking to see what jewellery and accessories he had. 

Mingi stood in front of the mirror, clad in his gown and newly purchased lace panties and garter belt underneath. It wasn’t as obvious as he’d initially thought, a little peek of the lace band when he walked a step or took the skirt up in his hands. Just about perfect to solve his little problem and add a little extra touch to the look.

Behind him, Yeosang and Wooyoung sat riffling through his jewellery, constantly handing him new ones to try so Mingi was swapping out practically every pair of his earrings and necklaces, holding them up to match with the pink in his gown.

“Do you guys need to borrow any of these?” Mingi offered his box of necklaces. Wooyoung responded, “Not really my style,” at the same time Yeosang said, “Sure, they’re pretty.”

Mingi sighed and handed over the box. “Feel free to borrow anything, as thanks for helping me out.”

“No need for thanks.” Yeosang lifted up a silver pendant. “But maybe I will borrow this. For unrelated reasons.”

“Don’t fairies not like silver?”

“That’s werewolves, idiot.” Wooyoung sighed and propped a hand on his chin to look up at Mingi from where he sat on the floor. “Are you gonna try those heels?”

The dusty pink heels Wooyoung had lent him seemed even less his style, and sure enough when Mingi asked, he said he’d borrowed them from Seonghwa, without telling him Mingi’s costume to keep the surprise. 

Either way, Mingi was hesitant to try—indeed the moment he slid into the slightly small heels he nearly toppled over just standing.

“Maybe don’t try the heels. You’re already clumsy.” Yeosang was probably right on that front. If he tripped and broke his neck it wouldn’t be very sexy at all.

A knock came on the door just as he was slipping off the heels. The moment of panic, hoping it wasn’t who he was keeping the surprise from, passed when he heard Jongho’s voice muffled through the door.

“Mingi?”

“Yeah, come in.” 

Jongho peeked through once the door was open. He barely blinked at their odd setup, only waving in greeting when he spotted Wooyoung and Yeosang going through Mingi’s jewellery.

He did take notice of Mingi’s gown, only glancing at the jewellery and garter belt peeking out on his thigh. “Damn, what’s the occasion?” he asked, still sounding rather unfazed.

“It’s my Halloween costume.”

Jongho raised an eyebrow. “What are you supposed to be?”

“Well, I don’t have everything, but I’m a princess.”

Jongho blinked. His cute little smile made his cheeks scrunch up and he laughed, quite unexpectedly and Mingi could only stand in confusion.

“What’s so funny?”

Still Jongho was laughing too hard to answer him. Once he calmed down, still grinning, the fucker just waved it off.

“Nothing, sorry. You look great.” Definitely not nothing if he was that amused. Mingi didn’t get much chance to pester him about it when Jongho moved on to ask about the party Yeosang and Wooyoung were hosting, making sure he got the right time that Mingi too had half forgotten.

Jongho retreated to his room and Mingi made a note to grill him later about whatever the fuck he knew that Mingi didn’t. Probably a lot.

—

He promptly forgot about the interaction entirely until the day of the party, all his things gathered up before he left for Yeosang and Wooyoung’s place early. Jongho wasn’t even there, so Mingi was left alone to stew in his thoughts. 

This was fine. Wearing a princess costume that he was going to show Yunho specifically was fine. Of course his mind went there of all places—all day the anticipation had been killing him, wondering what exactly Yunho had cooked up in this unusual case. 

Fuck that. Mingi was already dying thinking of Yunho seeing his costume, he didn’t need to go crazy wondering what Yunho’s was too. 

By the time he was knocking on the door, it was still a little earlier than he intended to arrive but Yeosang was quick to answer and invite him in.

“Seonghwa’s here too, he says he’ll do your makeup.”

“Oh. That’s really nice of him, but he doesn’t have to—”

“Yes he does.” Yeosang led Mingi to an empty room. “I’m doing your hair too, so change in here first.”

This time Mingi was able to tie his own laces on the corset. It didn’t take him long, and when he came to peek his head into the master bathroom, Yeosang immediately sat him down to style his hair. 

Seonghwa was there too, helping Wooyoung fix his makeup and Mingi greeted them, marvelling at the shimmering glitter dusted over Wooyoung’s cheeks. Seonghwa had equally glittery scales painted over his arms and neck—Mingi recalled he was doing a siren and pirate costume with Hongjoong. A big step for Hongjoong especially, he thought, snickering to himself.

Yeosang was nice to him even if he was guilty of fidgeting, getting distracted even as he styled Mingi’s hair into soft strands that draped back around his ears and flowed around his face. It made him look softer too, taking advantage of his slightly longer than usual hair to create a contrast with his sharp features.

“Does that look good?” Yeosang tucked a strand behind his ear in a light gesture that sent a shiver down Mingi’s back. 

“It’s perfect. Thank you.” Mingi felt a little lighter when Yeosang shooed him away to switch places with Wooyoung.

Mingi was now sitting in front of Seonghwa, smiling warmly at him. “A princess, you say?”

“Ha, yeah.” Seonghwa paused to gather up his things. Mingi idly checked his phone, not really expecting anything. There was only one text from Yunho, a simple asking how it was going and if he was there yet. 

Sweet as he always was, it only served to relight Mingi’s incessant wondering of what he would see Yunho as in just an hour or so. He tried not to go there, but his errant mind wasn’t ever under his control and if Yunho really was going to show up in a garter belt and stockings showing off his gorgeously long legs, Mingi would definitely just die right then and there.

Of course Seonghwa picked up on his inner turmoil—it was probably hard not to, staring Mingi in the face to apply blush on his already flushed cheeks. 

“You alright, Mingi? Is it the party?”

Mingi blinked his now thicker lashes. “Ah, I’m fine. Just a little tired already.” Parties, a little anxiety-inducing but usually fun. The factor of surprise for him made it a little worse on both the nervous and exciting front, and he could only hope Yunho hadn’t gone all out and picked something as slutty as possible. Mingi liked to think he knew it wasn’t Yunho’s style, but he also knew Yunho was unpredictable and he could never really know until he saw for himself.

Maybe he was an idiot to be freaking out about it (Mingi thought he’d done a good job of containing his freakout brain to mostly just the day of the party), but the thought of Yunho calling him princess when he looked too much the part kept knocking around in his head.

Seonghwa’s makeup brush was soothing as his smooth voice—a little something to ease Mingi’s nerves, to force him to stay centered while Seonghwa painted colors under his eyes. 

Seonghwa blended the last bit of gloss into his lips then set down the brush, checking over his work. “That’s pretty good. Take a look.”

Seeing himself with the most delicate rose blush on his cheeks rendered Mingi breathless. Hints of gold shimmered in the corners of his eyes made sultry with more deep shades. His lips were all dewy where he let them part open to take in a breath and he was practically glowing, the pink in his outfit and on his cheeks a perfect compliment to turn him both soft and striking.

“Thank you, Seonghwa. It’s beautiful.” Mingi looked up to where Seonghwa stood, already admiring his handiwork. 

“Of course.” Seonghwa’s smile was just as soft when he squeezed Mingi’s shoulder. “Is it to your taste? I tried to go for elegant, sweet, and sexy of course.”

“In that case, you fucking nailed it.” Mingi turned his head to admire the tiniest dusting of shimmer on his cheeks. 

“Seonghwa does it again.” Wooyoung’s fairy wings framed them both when he came up behind Mingi to look. “Wow, that’s perfect. You’ll be the prettiest and most fuckable person at the party.”

“Those aren’t mutually exclusive?”

“What, definitely not.” Wooyoung clapped him on the shoulder. “You got your jewellery? I have the tiara right here.”

Mingi took the little jewellery box from the bag he brought and got to work fastening a delicate anklet and fixing his necklace to sit on his collarbones, the tiny gold pendant bright and glinting to draw the eye to his bare shoulders. As the last touch, Yeosang took the tiara from Wooyoung and nestled it onto Mingi’s head, secure enough that it wouldn’t fall. 

Looking at himself once more, the sight of the rose gold tiara inlaid with pink gems tied up his look to make it really sink in as a princess.

Mingi almost laughed when he could so clearly hear Yunho’s voice calling him as such, maybe even pretty like Wooyoung said. But definitely not the other one.

“Hey, Mingi, people should be getting here soon.” Wooyoung was careful not to mess up his hair when he tapped Mingi’s back. “There’s drinks, and if you need somewhere quiet to escape to, I kept the lounge room closed. As like, a sanctuary specifically for someone who needs to go there.”

“Really? Thanks.” Even if he didn’t end up taking up the offer he appreciated the thought.

Yeosang's own wings were shimmery in the brighter light, just as dusted in glitter as the eyebrow he raised. “Don’t just offer to anyone. Otherwise that’ll probably end up becoming the sex room.”

“Oh my god Yeosang, is that the first thing you think of, huh? Anyway, Mingi won’t fuck around in there, will he?” 

“Ah, well…” Mingi grinned. “Depending on whether or not you’re right about me being the most fuckable person at the party.” 

“I’m trying to be nice, you have to do this to me?” Wooyoung grumbled as Mingi and Yeosang laughed. “Actually, that reminds me—congrats, Mingi passes the sluttiness check too. Approved.”

“Thanks.” Mingi could definitely see the so-called ‘pretty and fuckable’ in himself, thanks to much help from his friends. Though he most certainly wouldn’t end up using it to his advantage this time around. “Why, though? Mine’s not even that sexy.”

“Did you even look at yourself? All dolled up and dressed as this specifically? I know where that’s coming from, Mingi.”

Mingi didn’t have much time to think about what Wooyoung said when he heard a firm knock on the door. Wooyoung was faster this time and left Mingi wringing his hands in the kitchen, wondering if he should go greet the barrage of voices he heard.

The footsteps got closer, and Mingi came into the living room to see who it was; he spotted Hongjoong all dressed in his pirate getup, then San in his cat ears, fixing Jongho’s matching bear ears. 

The heavier footsteps were unusual, but when he caught the first glimpse of metal he knew exactly who it was.

Mingi would’ve taken literally any slutty costume over the gleaming knight’s armor Yunho was covered head to toe with. He hadn’t seen Mingi yet; in one hand he carried a helm, and the other rested on a fucking sword at his waist.

Why the fuck was he wearing that? Leave it to them to match each other even in this. Mingi was going to die for sure.

Who was he kidding, it was so Yunho’s style. Or rather, it suited him so well—too well for Mingi to handle seeing his poised figure and deep voice and handsome face framed as a knight, clad in a full suit of armor with a cape draped over his shoulders. Everything about him screamed chivalry, honor, valor, like he fit into his role perfectly as his armor fit to his chest to make him look even taller, sturdier.

The immediate thoughts running through Mingi’s head went entirely off the rails and he had to bite his cheek to shock himself out of it. Yeah, he was so fucked.

Mingi managed to approach on unsteady legs and he was so glad he’d foregone the heels. 

Yunho’s gaze finally landed on him and he froze, eyes raking over Mingi’s whole body. 

“Yunho, hey.” Mingi came to stand in front of him and Yunho followed him all the way up till he could look Mingi in the eye. 

“Mingi.” Leaving Yunho speechless wasn’t exactly what he’d expected, but Yunho just continued to look at him—Mingi could see when his eyes lingered on the slit in his dress and Yunho’s hand went tight on the pommel of that rather realistic sword.

“Damn, you went all out.” Mingi’s voice sounded steadier than he felt, and he tapped Yunho’s chestplate with his nail. It felt pretty fucking real—though maybe not quite as heavy as solid metal, it looked even more real than it felt, clinking when Yunho’s gauntlets tightened.

“Thanks. You too, you look good.” Yunho looked him up and down, then smiled. “Princess.” 

The tension turned to butterflies as Mingi laughed, a blush on his cheeks and heart in his throat. “Aw, thanks. And I guess you’re my knight in shining armor.”

His own words sent his own idiot brain off to go haywire, but for better or worse Yunho’s ears were red too and he laughed with his eyes still fixated on Mingi. “How did you know? If Jongho told you I’ll have to rethink my trust in that guy.”

“I didn’t. Jongho didn’t tell me either.” Well, that explained it. Though Mingi still couldn’t see why he had found it as funny as he did. “Why, who else did you tell?” he asked.

“Eh, just Hongjoong and Seonghwa. I knew the others couldn’t be trusted with stupid secrets.”

“Ah, well, Yeosang and Wooyoung and Seonghwa helped me with this.” Mingi gestured to his makeup and hair, still perfectly in place. “And I guess they managed to keep it a secret.” 

“No, yeah, it looks…” Yunho’s eyes visibly flicked to Mingi’s lips, all shiny and soft and sticking together ever so slightly when he parted them. “You look good,” Yunho said again. “It looks—pretty, so pretty.”

Pretty and fuckable was what he was going for, wasn’t it? So Mingi should’ve been simply flattered, unsurprised even, but he couldn’t think of anything rattling around his head but the words of pretty and princess that sounded so good when Yunho said them.

“Ha, um, thanks. I feel pretty tonight.” Probably the wrong thing to say but fuck him if he could think of anything but how he heard Yunho saying he was pretty, and that he could also call him a princess, elegant, sexy, fuckable—

No, not that one, definitely not that one if he was to not act like a total idiot just talking to Yunho.

“Is this your necklace? I feel like I’ve seen it before.” Yunho thankfully either didn’t notice Mingi short-circuiting or was nice enough to pretend he didn’t.

“This? Yeah, it’s mine but I don’t wear it much anymore.” 

Yunho’s habit of intense staring was cute at the best of times, but burning on Mingi’s skin now, when it was trained directly on his fully exposed shoulders and half exposed chest. The strapless sweetheart neckline sat low, mostly held up by the laced corset and squeezing itself around his chest.

Okay, he kind of took it back in thinking it wasn’t too sexy; it was definitely sexy, the look he’d created, with the corset giving his chest more volume and the slit revealing his thigh and the fucking garter that he was almost regretting with the way it itched on his skin when Yunho looked at him. 

“You remembered the—what I said about wearing a garter belt?” 

“Haha, yeah.” Mingi was regretting it. Though it did make him feel a little better that Yunho looked as embarrassed as Mingi, his ears turning pink the moment he said the words. “It was a great idea.” 

Underneath his dress, the lace panties and garter belt sat just out of sight on his hips. Fuck him for wearing them at all—the fact that Yunho noticed the lace garter was bad enough. It was even worse that he was looking, even higher up to where the thin strap that held it up disappeared under Mingi's dress.

He stepped a fraction closer, and instinctively Mingi reached for his hand. Yunho accepted seemingly without thinking either. It shocked them both a little, his metal gauntlets clicking under Mingi’s manicured nails. 

They both laughed a little. Mingi slipped his hand away and Yunho let go at the same time. 

Their conversation turned to the inane again and Mingi made Yunho put on the helm (faceless or not he looked divine), which was soon tossed in Mingi’s bag and forgotten about once more people started to arrive, turning the room busier, louder with layers of conversation. 

Amongst all the other costumes—many intricate and eye-catching that made Mingi wonder how one went about creating such art—Yunho’s gleaming chestplate and deep red cloak taunted him, such a presence that he got many compliments, especially for his sword that Mingi still couldn’t discern the authenticity of.

Mingi too got many, if not more exclamations and impressed whistles and compliments of his gorgeous gown. He couldn’t help but to smile a little under the praise, satisfied with his effort and appreciative of his friends’.

There were a few other calls of ‘looking good, princess!’ that he knew everyone who said them meant nothing of, but still made him laugh at the thought of hearing his nickname differently. He didn’t know if he was imagining it, but every time someone called him a princess he’d find Yunho at his side again, his smile a little tight when he took Mingi’s hand and offered him another drink.

He decided to steer away from the alcohol for once. The stupid fucking butterflies stuck in his ribcage and under the boning of his corset would only be fed by beer and shots. No one knew he was sipping a rather boring soda instead, and the rest of the night was spent receiving more compliments, playing inane party games and chatting with friends and friends of friends; some conversations ending up awkward, and some ending up with strengthening or making new connections with a new number in his phone.

The chaos of the party still got to him a little, alleviated by a few quiet moments spent on the sidelines. Still Mingi felt flushed, a little dizzy even without a single drink, and Yunho staring at him even more than usual was really not helping. 

Along with the staring, Yunho seemed to be hanging by his side too, not mingling as much as he would, instead opting to stay with his arm around Mingi’s waist, chatting and laughing with him wherever he went. It fed his infernal butterflies all the more, when right then Yunho had him grabbed close, literally feeding Mingi sips of fruit punch from his own glass and looking far too happy every time he accepted it. 

Mingi realized what it must look like when the crowd around the drinks table started to exclaim about the knight and the princess, and Mingi found himself in the center of the clamor around both of them. 

Yunho still held one arm around his waist and the other with his glass to Mingi’s lips. He set it down on the table behind them, laughing and smiling and accepting the praise from everyone. He obliged when asked to draw his sword, and Mingi also got to hold it in his hands and feel only metal plating—not real, but it looked and felt real enough to make him a little nervous holding it around so many people.

He handed it back to Yunho and he sheathed it once more. That smile was too mischievous and Mingi was about to ask him what his problem was, but Yunho beat him to it when he got down on one knee and took Mingi’s hand again.

Everyone cheered when Yunho, still smiling with eyes only for him, brought Mingi’s hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles ever so delicately. 

“You look beautiful tonight, princess.” Yunho’s voice was low under the roar around them.

The more calls of princess Mingi got, the more Yunho’s hand tightened in his. It took him a minute to realize that Yunho was fucking jealous, and Mingi honest to god didn’t know what to do with that information. 

It very much did not help when someone yelled, ‘nice couples costumes!’ and Mingi felt his heart nearly jump out of his ribs snug in the bodice of his dress. 

Yunho only smiled and slid his arm back around Mingi’s waist. “Thanks,” he said, lighthearted and with just enough humor to leave the space for a joke. 

Even after they slipped away from the crowd, Yunho stayed by his side, a little flushed and a little wide-eyed. His arm around Mingi’s waist was comfortable even with the armor, and still he didn’t let go and Mingi didn’t twist away.

The close contact, the show of whatever that was when he’d kissed Mingi’s hand—it must have been that jealousy he could now pick out in Yunho’s tight smile, there every time someone called Mingi pretty or princess or something along the lines of sexy. 

That last one was the problem. He’d heard pretty much every other compliment thrown his way from Yunho too, and imagining him calling Mingi sexy in such a way—

Nope, he needed to shut his brain up. It wasn’t easy when the idiot at the center of his plight stood inches away from him, those puppy dog eyes commanding his attention that he couldn’t give in full without blushing under his makeup.

Though Mingi couldn’t look at him for too long, Yunho on the other hand had no problem with it and hardly ever took his eyes off of Mingi. Now that he was cloaked in the dim lights and chaos of the party, he was always looking, whether Mingi was bold enough to stare right back or too shy, and turned away to let his waves of hair fall over his pink cheeks. 

Even when Mingi’s attention was focused elsewhere, he caught Yunho’s gaze trained on him like he thought Mingi didn’t notice. Wooyoung had been right about that at least—Mingi would rather not stop to think if he was right about anything else.

For all Yunho's diligence in keeping near, it wasn’t too long until Mingi was alone again, standing in the kitchen nursing a much needed glass of water. In the relative quiet, once again he could clearly hear Yunho’s voice calling him princess over the other, stranger voices to whom it didn’t mean anything but a raucous comment.

As the night went on, Mingi had gotten much less of such blatant flirting directed his way. For a while he’d just shrugged it off as everyone being introduced in some way or another—there weren’t even that many people in the comparatively small place—but he had to wonder if it had really been Yunho’s possessive arm on his waist and that fucking hand kiss that made them back off. 

Now that he got to catch his breath a bit, he was able to properly process the little tiny revelation that Yunho was jealous over him.

Friends and people he knew in passing calling him a princess when he intentionally, literally was dressed as such didn’t really ruffle him. But he knew Yunho was partial to his little nicknames and thinking about the look on his face when he first heard the compliments, Mingi felt kind of bad. And maybe good in a twisted way. And definitely confused. 

Couples costumes. A little joke to Yunho, possibly the truth to the bystanders, and to Mingi a wish that he refused to indulge.

The ambient noise of people talking and yelling and laughing was still too grating to be bearable. Mingi internally breathed a sigh of relief when he remembered the ‘sanctuary’ (or sex room) Wooyoung had let him in on and he made a beeline for the lounge room down the hall. 

When he approached from down the hallway, the door was open ever so slightly and Mingi stopped. 

He knocked. The door swung open a little more at the tap, enough that he caught a glimpse of Yunho inside.

“Mingi? Come in.” Yunho was removing his armor piece by piece, his chestplate and cape already set aside on the coffee table. 

A sense of relief flooded Mingi’s chest just coming into the room with him. “Yunho, there you are. I lost you for a little while.” Mingi threw himself into the couch to watch Yunho slide off his greaves and boots. “Jesus, are those real?” 

“Couldn’t tell?” Yunho handed him one of the shoulder pieces that probably had a name Mingi didn’t know. “It’s only plated with metal. The rest is plastic.”

Mingi should’ve realized earlier but he’d been either too busy freaking out at Yunho’s costume as a whole, or freaking out about the jealousy that was now entirely gone from him. “Aren’t they still heavy?”

“Fuck, yeah.” Yunho winced when he shook out his arm. “I don’t mind sacrificing comfort for looks sometimes, but at this point I also don’t mind just taking all this off.” Yunho set down another piece and paused, glancing over Mingi yet again. “I never got to say, that gown looks expensive as hell. Is it comfortable too?”

Yes, but only when Yunho’s eye wasn’t glancing over the bodice that suddenly became too tight on him. 

“It’s not bad,” Mingi answered instead. “The worst thing is still the price, yeah. Although this corset is a bit stiff. And I keep stepping on my skirt. Honestly, just ditching the uncomfortable parts after a while is the right idea.”

Yunho grinned. “Probably shouldn’t take yours off, though.”

Mingi fake gasped and clutched his chest filled with very real butterflies again. “How scandalous, everyone will think the princess is having an affair with the knight.” 

Maybe he shouldn’t have continued to torture himself with such jokes, but it was too much fun to watch Yunho’s ears turn red as he laughed. 

He felt a little like that princess then, lounging on the couch with his gown fanned out around him and gazing at Yunho’s hands working to undo the armor around his forearms. He wondered if there was something wrong with him for feeling there was something almost obscene in watching Yunho take off all his armor—thinking back to his own joke, at some point or other there was surely many a princess who had sat the exact same way, thinking the same thoughts as Mingi while watching their lover undress.

That thought had come a little sudden and fuck, he was making himself blush this time.

Underneath all his armor Yunho wore a plain black shirt and pants. Mingi instinctively turned to look elsewhere when his last piece of metal was gone—Yunho wasn’t even remotely naked, though he might as well have been for all Mingi couldn’t look at him in his tight shirt and easy smile that was now relaxed once more.

Yunho came to sit by him on the couch. The lamp inside the smaller room managed to better illuminate his still flushed face, cheeks all soft when his smile was turned on Mingi. God, Yunho looked like all he wanted and more, just sitting together with him, one elbow resting on the back of the couch to support his cheek on the heel of his hand. 

And still he didn’t even try to hide his staring. Not that he ever did, but Mingi felt extra flayed by his gaze in nothing but his dress that felt far too revealing for the familiarity of Yunho’s eyes.

“Do you want to change? I can go get your bag for you.” 

So he did notice Mingi’s hands coming up to cover himself. “No, I’m good. Thanks though.” Still Yunho gave Mingi his jacket that he accepted to wear against the slight chill on his bare shoulders.

Chivalry, his brain supplied. Not that he needed to cover up—though Mingi had certainly seen Yunho looking earlier, when it was just them he kept his eyes firmly off of the revealed parts of Mingi’s body. 

Mingi kind of wished he would just look as he pleased. The question of whether or not he wanted to was at least known to him after so long at the party where Yunho couldn’t tear his gaze away for two seconds.

In the reverie of the quiet room with just the two of them, Mingi didn’t have the mind (or maybe he was just pushing it down again—hey, at least he recognized it) to unpack the realization that Yunho was not only jealous over him, but also looking at him in a way that may or may not have always been there. What he took it as turned into something a little different with the added factor of that possessive streak he now knew was there.

Some things made more sense now. And it’s not like Mingi himself was any better. 

Problem was, he wouldn’t be able to feel Yunho watching him do anything normally now. Not that he could before, but even when he had to take a few sips of water with Yunho there, he could feel that fucking stare on him. It was made even worse when he spilled a bit that ran down his exposed neck and Yunho immediately wiped it away with his sleeve.

“You thirsty too?” Mingi offered him his own glass of water and Yunho reached out to accept, but Mingi held it away again. “C’mere, I need to feed you too.” 

Out of all things, it was that which got Yunho speechless this time and he just let Mingi raise the glass to his lips and feed him a few sips in the same way he had done for Mingi.

Maybe not quite the same—when Mingi pulled away, Yunho was still a bit stunned and didn’t move to wipe the drop on his lips so Mingi did it for him. “Getting taken care of like a princess, the true Yunho treatment.”

“That’s not what…” 

Mingi’s raised eyebrow stopped him again. “I don’t do that,” Yunho protested. “I mean—do I?”

“Just earlier you fed me punch from your glass for like, a whole few minutes.” He didn’t know what it said that there were so many such cases of Yunho taking care of Mingi in his odd little ways that always drove him a little insane. “And I bet you’re holding my hand right now because of that one time I said it was comforting.”

“Okay, that one’s not… yes, I suppose I am, but I’m also holding your hand because I like it.” 

Mingi had never had to ask about it in such a way that Yunho would tell him outright he liked it—Yunho had never been one to say it out loud and Mingi didn’t need to hear it when his actions said enough. But maybe he kind of wanted to either way.

“Why, do you mind when I—give you ‘the Yunho treatment’?”

God, he was so precious. “Do I mind being fed fruit punch and getting called a princess? No. I like it.” 

It was easier to say than he’d thought. Yunho’s laugh was a little choked at his response, like he was somehow surprised at Mingi’s answer. “I’m not doing it just because of—your costume, either.” 

“Shut up, you do it all the time, you know?”

Yunho’s hand went tight around his. “Only because I like to take care of you, princess.” Yunho’s smile was a little unsteady now. His hands were so much softer without his metal gauntlets.

It reminded Mingi of Yunho kissing him earlier. On the hand. Just a normal thing, really, a little inside joke that Mingi couldn’t help but think about too much. 

In the context of their roles in costume, at a party, it was nothing for Yunho to get down on one knee and kiss him and call him beautiful. Now it felt too intimate, too close to consider hearing it again; and Mingi wanted to more than anything. 

“Princess?” Yunho squeezed his hands tighter still, a grounding touch to jolt Mingi out of it. 

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry, I guess I’m zoning out now that it’s so quiet in here.” Mingi had unconsciously shifted his legs so his ankles rested over Yunho’s. Familiar to feel, but not so much with the skirt of his gown pooling around both of them. Every time he ran his fingers through pink tulle he couldn’t help but marvel at how pretty it was, and how pretty it made him feel wearing it. 

Yunho too had one hand slipping through the fabric near his leg. Now he was looking again, both in the eyes and glancing at the gown he wore. “Where did you even get this? It’s beautiful.”

Mingi looked up to meet his eyes again. “Found it in a thrift store that had a bunch of formal stuff. Wooyoung and Yeosang came with me.” 

“It’s pretty. You look pretty in it.”

Yunho was stronger than him if he could look back and not even waver while Mingi was half laughing, half dying on the inside. “Thanks, it really makes me feel like a princess.”

“You don’t need a gown to be a princess.” Yunho’s fingertips were warm when he reached up to fix Mingi’s hair. “I’ll always treat you like one.”

“Ah, that’s—sweet,” Mingi managed, because what the fuck. “Is that why you do that?”

“Do what—call you pretty? Feed you drinks? Take care of you?” Yunho kissed his hand again, so gentle and without the guise of his armor to keep Mingi's pulse from running wild through his veins.

“Take care of me,” he went with. 

“I do it because I like you. Not because you need it—but I like doing these things for you.”

Mingi knew that. He did, but to hear Yunho say it in such a way—

“God, you’re such a prince.” Mingi scooted closer until their thighs were touching, close enough to see the light reflecting in Yunho’s wide eyes. “Or, more like a knight. It fits you well, you know.” 

“I’m not a prince, or a knight. I’m just doing what I always do.” Yunho wasn’t even wearing the armor anymore, but he didn’t need to either.

“Yes, you are. It’s like you’re always trying to be a knight, not just now. Or it feels like it to me.” It felt too intimate to kiss Yunho’s hand in return, but too good not to. “Does that make you my knight?” The barest tinge of Mingi’s lip gloss came off over his knuckles and a little tiny part of him loved it, to leave the imprint of the closest thing he could get to a kiss on Yunho.

Yunho’s face was unreadable. He didn’t let go of Mingi, but the tension in his hands was palpable now. “Mingi, you’re drunk.”

“I’m not drunk.” 

Yunho stared at him. Mingi didn’t break eye contact this time. “I’m not drunk,” he said again. “I thought you would’ve noticed, hanging off of me the entire time.” He looked Yunho up and down. “Are you drunk?”

“No.” Yunho still stared unflinching, mere inches away. “I gave you all my fruit punch too.”

So it was just them, no inhibitions weakened. Only the strength of their own clearheaded choices that left too much potential energy between them.

“Why do you say that?” Mingi’s chest twinged with a tiny bit of hurt, that Yunho wouldn’t believe his words were spoken with clear conviction. “You call me pretty, princess; can’t I call you my handsome knight too?”

That sent Yunho reeling. “Mingi, don’t say things like that.”

“Why? Why not, Yunho, I thought you wanted to be—”

“Don’t say it if you don’t mean it,” Yunho whispered.

“I do mean it.”

The way Yunho leaned in was too hopeful, too eager for someone who had always been the target of everything Mingi held close. “I always mean it, you know that?”

The same stare he had felt all night was still burning on his skin, even worse in their close proximity and Yunho slowly nodded. “I… yeah, I do.”

“You thought I was joking? You were the one who said I’m easy to read.”

“Yet you knew I meant it every time, when you tell me I’m hard to read.” Yunho finally laughed, a little strained as it was. “Am I? Hard to read?”

Right then, just the two of them, Mingi could see something unfettered and fond in Yunho. “Not to me. You’re always so sincere.”

“You know me best, I suppose.”

“I know you were jealous.” 

Mingi didn’t mean to say it so bluntly. Yunho looked stricken, finally glancing away from him. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I didn’t mean—”

God, he really had been. 

“You didn’t like them using your nickname for me, did you?” 

Now it was Yunho who struggled to look at him, even covering his face with his hands. Mingi pried them away, gentle now. “Yunho, it’s fine. If you want me to be only yours, you can say it. You can ask me.”

“My what?” 

Yunho’s hopeful eyes betrayed more than his words ever had. “My best friend? Or—” Yunho twisted his hands in his lap. Mingi took them in his own and immediately he calmed.

“I like you, Yunho.” It felt natural to say and even more natural to want it. “And I’m asking you too. If you like me, enough to want me the same.”

It seemed a redundant question when all he saw was the fondness Yunho always looked at him with. “I like you,” Yunho said in the same words, made his own in his shaky voice. “God, I like you so much, Mingi.”

Mingi’s laugh was full of the warmth of fondness, finally out in the open and it was such a relief when Yunho’s smile turned blindingly bright along with him. “We’re both fucking idiots.” 

Yunho was definitely blushing now. “Well, I’m going to be even more of an idiot and ask just to clarify; you mean like, as in—going on dates and holding hands kind of like?”

“Yes.” 

Yunho’s next exhale was just as shaky, but this time of relief as palpable as Mingi’s. “Awesome,” he breathed.

“I think we already do all that though.” Though it came as a joke, when Mingi thought about it for more than two seconds he realized it was true. 

“Then we’ll still do all that. It’ll just be a little different.” 

The thought of changing something with them sounded both exciting and a little scary to Mingi until he was brought back by Yunho reaching for him, pulling him closer to clasp their hands together. He was the same, the same as ever with so much of that infernal sunshine in his smile. “And we can do other stuff too. Like—”

Yunho paused. “Kissing. Touching. Possibly. Only if you want to.”

“If I want to?” Mingi sat up straight and Yunho followed him, hands still reaching out a little timidly. “I’ve liked you since high school.”

“Since—fuck, Mingi, why didn’t you say anything before?”

“What, did you like me too?”

Yunho’s silence said enough and Mingi laughed, too loud for the quiet room but it felt good to finally be free of those fucking butterflies tearing through his lungs. “Damn, we could’ve been high school sweethearts.”

“Look, we’ve already established that we’re both fucking idiots, okay?” Yunho caught Mingi’s wrist when he smacked him, still laughing. “We can forget about that for now.”

“Like how we can forget about you getting all clingy when someone called me princess?”

“Yes, that too.” Despite his obvious embarrassment, Yunho’s hand came to rest on the boning of his corset again. Mingi had always thought Yunho’s arm had fit too well around his waist to not be meant to stay there.

“Alright, I’ll let it slide.” Mingi didn’t have the mind to think about anyone else looking at him when Yunho was right here, and gazing at him in that so deeply fond way of his.

It was everything that was familiar in the concept of them that made it so easy to hold Yunho in his arms and ask.

“Why don’t we try that kissing thing you mentioned?”

Said right when Yunho was staring at his lips yet again. He was caught for real this time, but Mingi found he could definitely get used to these flustered moments of Yunho.

“Can I?” Yunho sounded breathless already, like he couldn’t believe it even now. “Can I kiss you, Mingi?” 

The words were strange but the way he said them was so Yunho, so perfectly him that Mingi would really have to stop grinning if he wanted to kiss him too.

“Of course you can.” They were already almost touching. Yunho pulled him in with a hand on the back of his neck to rest his forehead against Mingi’s, a rarer yet familiar gesture that spoke of comfort and more of that same fondness than Mingi knew what to do with.

Yunho turned his head to press his cheek into Mingi’s until their lips brushed in a soft touch, a first dip into truly unfamiliar territory.

It was both perfectly natural and so fucking weird to kiss Yunho. Mingi wasn’t surprised how gentle he was, barely a ghost of a touch making their lips sticky with Mingi’s lip gloss. It was awkward, hesitant, but Mingi had never felt better than now when he got to feel Yunho in this way.

Yunho pulled Mingi into his arms with one around his waist and the other with a hand on the nape of his neck. The exact same way he hugged Mingi, kissing or not. They fit together perfectly when Mingi slid his own arms over Yunho’s shoulders to close the other side of the hug around them.

They stayed slow, exploring, a gentle push and pull. It was strange to feel everything Mingi already knew in Yunho along with the new sensation of his lips pressed into Mingi’s. He raised both hands to cup Yunho’s face and his jaw relaxed under Mingi’s fingers. This was a good place to be, where he could feel Yunho’s soft cheeks and the sides of his neck tensing and flexing with their movement.

Mingi pulled away when he realized he was practically throwing all his weight on Yunho. Maybe they should’ve kissed sooner (for many reasons), and it was also making him realize he did the same with every hug given and received and yet Yunho still held him up.

Maybe he was a princess more than he thought.

Yunho was breathless already. His lips were all shiny with saliva and Mingi’s shimmering lip gloss, messy on him and surely even worse on Mingi himself.

“That was nice.” Yunho blinked like he was dazed just from one little kiss. “Fuck, I mean… It was more than nice.”

Mingi grinned. “It was. Let’s do it again.”

It was more than nice when Yunho stared in that utterly taken way of his that Mingi could free him of his torment and just kiss him yet again. There were too many different things to take in, like that he was learning Yunho loved to use his hands, be it on Mingi’s waist or neck or even on his cheek, one of his thumbs teasing at the corner of Mingi’s lips while they stopped to catch their breath.

That staring was getting to be too intense this close up, shocking Mingi to his bones every time he made eye contact. And maybe it wouldn’t help, but the urge to get himself all over Yunho was too tempting and he stopped to slide Yunho’s jacket off his own shoulders.

The choked sound Yunho made was both hilarious and about the same as Mingi felt when he stood before Yunho, then slid into his lap. 

“Is this okay?” Mingi’s skirts pulled around him and he was never more grateful for the seductively high slit so he could sit comfortably over Yunho’s legs.

“This is—good,” Yunho said. He didn’t seem to know what to do with his hands anymore, hovering over Mingi’s exposed shoulders and back before moving to his waist, now touching the laced bodice directly instead of over his jacket. His other hand went under Mingi’s thigh to pull him up farther and Mingi’s skin burned where Yunho touched him.

Those starry eyes visibly went wide when his fingers met lace and Yunho pulled away immediately. “Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to touch there—”

Mingi took his wrist to guide him back. “You can. Hold me.”

He wasn’t regretting the garter in the slightest now that Yunho was gripping his thigh just hard enough to leave the pattern of lace indented both his hand and Mingi’s skin. 

Mingi wondered if it was too hasty to want to touch Yunho more, now that he was allowed to at all. Sitting face to face, kissing like neither of them knew how to, there was so much more of Yunho to explore than Mingi had ever thought he could see. 

But he’d hoped to, too much and for too long, and now the build of passion and sweetness was nearly intoxicating. As they got more handsy, Yunho’s grip grew a little tighter, a little more possessive than ever even when Mingi was all his now. 

“What was that you said earlier?” Mingi pulled away long enough to see Yunho all well and properly kissed with lip gloss all over him. “About… touching. Between us.”

Yunho’s ears were so red when Mingi brushed aside his hair to see his face better. It made him chuckle a little, such a sight he was used to, just not in this context. “What would you say if I wanted to touch you more? Would that be doing too much?”

“Are we talking like, just making out or do you want to go further?”

Mingi hid his face in Yunho’s neck and murmured, “Both?”

Yunho laughed, so warmly and close under Mingi’s head. “No, that’s not too much to me.” His hand on Mingi’s waist was meant to steady but it also made the simmering heat in his core burn hotter every time Yunho almost unconsciously squeezed down. “You can come closer.”

Mingi slid forward until he could wrap his arms all around Yunho’s shoulders. He could feel the sharp breath in Yunho’s lungs when Mingi hugged him close with his nearly bare chest pressed into Yunho’s shirt, along with the pendant he wore digging into both of them.

“Touch me more,” Mingi whispered into Yunho’s neck. “Kiss me while you’re at it.”

Yunho happily came in again to kiss him with a little more push when he returned the touch, getting bolder now that he knew in just how Mingi ached for him. 

It was hard to quite believe so much of what he’d always thought of as out of reach was right here under him, in the form of Yunho looking up at him with so much fondness. He too still seemed a little in disbelief that Mingi was his, free to touch as he pleased and asking him for more.

Their meshing sweetness was undercut by the hint of desperation creeping through both of them when they next pulled apart, gasping for breath. Mingi felt the pull of lace around his thighs and hips much too acutely when he was flushed and sensitive. Now they were practically grinding into each other, Mingi all over Yunho’s lap and Yunho only keeping him there held tight in his arms.

Through the layers of tulle swept all around them, Mingi could feel Yunho, trembling ever so slightly and unable to shy away when Mingi stared him in the eye directly, trying to mimic his mannerisms.

“What?” Yunho moved his hand to grip lower, right over Mingi’s hip and he hissed at the contact even through fabric. 

“This garter belt also came with some lace panties, in case you were wondering.”

Mingi couldn’t possibly copy the way Yunho’s eyes went wide and his jaw tight, in such an involuntary way that it revealed far more than his strained words. 

“Honestly, I kind of was.” Yunho pushed away his skirt ever so slightly, just enough to reveal more of the garter around his thigh. “But I felt bad for looking at you like this. The same as just anyone else who wanted you.”

“Yunho, you can look.” Mingi nudged his chin up to see Yunho’s face, a little ashamed still. “You’re not just anyone,” Mingi whispered. “And I want you too.”

Maybe feeding that little possessive spark he saw so clearly now was what really got Yunho going. It was a little strange to see and feel in sharp relief how Yunho gripped him tight, in the same way he did surrounded by the eyes of people who weren’t him taking in everything of Mingi. “Then I want you to be mine.”

At that point Mingi didn’t know why he was surprised at such a claim spoken so clearly—trust Yunho to be unpredictable in any case. 

“Do you want to see?” Mingi countered with an even bolder push that brought Yunho’s attention to his skirt pushed up his thigh.

After another questioning look then a nod from Mingi, Yunho tugged aside his gown just enough to reveal all the lace underneath. It was too sheer, too sexy for Mingi to feel anything but utterly exposed when Yunho’s eyes found the edges that dug into his skin.

“Actually, wait there for a second.” Mingi got up too abruptly and Yunho’s hands trailed through the fabric of his gown as he nearly tripped on his way to the door. He was never more grateful or sorry to Wooyoung and Yeosang that the designated sanctuary (or sex room) had a lock. He came back to Yunho, standing now and looking too worried when he was all Mingi wanted. 

Mingi grinned. “Wouldn’t want anyone to know the princess is having an affair with the knight.”

Yunho laughed, the note of tension gone from him now. “I think everyone knows already.”

“And whose fault is that?” 

Yunho’s cheeks were such a cute shade of pink when Mingi nudged him to sit and crawled into his lap again. 

Yunho yanked him closer still until they were properly flush together. Mingi gasped at such close contact, and he couldn’t help grinding into Yunho’s lap just a little, enough to feel all the lines of his body through their clothes.

“Mingi…” Yunho didn’t pull him off but Mingi stopped. “Wait, just—do you really want to do this with me?”

“What are we doing, Yunho?” Mingi didn’t need to make Yunho look him in the eye now. It was strange to see Yunho looking him all up and down directly and not just out of the corner of his eye.

“I want to jerk you off.”

Mingi choked on nothing. “Ah, me? Well—sure. I like the sound of that.” He’d asked for this, but to hear Yunho say it out loud was something else altogether. “Then if you’ll let me, I want to touch you too.”

Yunho breathed out a shaky laugh. “Okay, princess. Come here.”

There was hardly any space between them. Mingi was able to slide up so their hips slotted together perfectly, close enough to make both of them shiver. God, it was so weird to be able to touch Yunho all over now. Mingi had always longed to lean in with his own body to feel Yunho’s chest rising and falling, warmest right where his heart beat fast, and stay as he was instead of being too shy to linger in a hug or in the comfort of a shared bed.

The idea of doing more of everything with Yunho excited him to the point of getting lost in thinking, only brought back by Yunho’s hands on him in the moment. Gentle and grounding as he always was, but with an added touch of intensity that Mingi had never felt before in how he dug his fingers in at Mingi’s waist.

Or maybe he had, when Yunho was pulling him in amidst the chaos of the party to feed him fruit punch; or when he was wound full of tension through his smile when someone called Mingi a princess right in front of him.

It didn’t make it any less sweet to taste him fully and without restrictions on what they were to each other. If anything, it was a little facet of Yunho he hadn’t seen before that he was glad to know now.

That side of Yunho that was oddly fascinated by just observing Mingi came out all the more when his touches moved closer still, watching his reactions as Yunho teased under his gown again. “Is it okay if I hold you here? I want to feel you.”

Mingi snorted. “Yes, come touch me already.” He put his hand over Yunho’s while he moved closer and closer until his fingers met Mingi’s bare hip. 

It tickled a little, Yunho’s hand sat right in the gap between lace, like he really did want to touch just Mingi unobstructed. He seemed much too enraptured, drinking in Mingi’s breathy little sounds and watching him twitch forward whenever he squeezed down. 

“Yunho,” Mingi whined. “You’re such a fucking tease…”

The sound of Mingi saying his name in such a debauched way spurred Yunho to get both hands on his hips and under the lace of his garter belt. “I’m not teasing, I just like looking at you.”

“You always look at me, you can touch me too.”

“I never got to see you like this before, let me enjoy it.” True that Yunho had seen him more naked than he was now, but never in such a way that he could make Mingi whine with only his hands.

Maybe that’s all it was, taking things familiar to them into the unfamiliar experience of kissing and touching like they were. The unbalanced sense of it being so strange to touch Yunho like this coexisted with how right it was with Yunho’s hands on him, teasing into where he was softest. 

Mingi’s gasps turned into a moan when Yunho finally brushed his fingers over the front of his lace panties. He was embarrassingly hard and leaking through the already sheer lace. Yunho didn’t seem to mind, smiling like an idiot when he felt Mingi writhe under his touch. “That feel good, princess?”

“Fuck, yeah…” Mingi had his face buried in Yunho’s neck as he grinded into the slightest of pressure that felt like so much when it was Yunho touching him. Mingi thought he knew how Yunho’s hands felt, but feeling them in this way brought out something else in him. Yunho was eager to touch more, fingers slipping under the hem of Mingi’s underwear and teasing, too teasing to be just enjoying himself.

“Yunho, please touch me.” Mingi already knew whining Yunho’s name was an easy way to make him fold. It worked as always when Yunho laughed, then finally closed his fingers around Mingi’s trapped cock. 

He was really whining now, with lace underwear pulled aside and Yunho’s big hand wrapped around him. It didn’t make it any easier to keep his composure when Yunho’s burning stare was all over him as much as his hands. 

Mingi let go of Yunho’s shoulders to press his palm into the front of his pants, just enough to feel the hardness under him. 

Yunho hissed in surprise and Mingi pulled away. “Sorry, I should’ve asked.”

“It’s fine.” Yunho hadn’t been paying attention to anything but Mingi under him, and now that he was reminded of his own arousal he shifted around in place the more Mingi’s hips grinded into him. 

“Then can I feel you too?” 

“Yeah,” Yunho said, still unblinking when he looked up with those starry eyes. He only snapped out of it to help Mingi undo his own pants and it was almost more scandalous to watch his long fingers work with Mingi hovering over him. 

A shiver ran through Yunho, exposed now and inviting him in. Mingi ached to get his own hands on Yunho, and the satisfaction of feeling soft skin under his fingers was made even better with Yunho’s choked moan in his ears. 

“That feel good, my knight?” Mingi teased with Yunho’s own words thrown back to him. 

This time the groan he received was exasperated. “Shut up, you’re killing the mood.”

“Your dick says otherwise.” Yunho was so big in his hand, hard and pulsing with his uneven breathing. Mingi had seen it before, but never when he was allowed to look as much as he wanted and he savored it now, mind running wild with imagining having Yunho in all the ways he could, in his mouth and filling his ass and sliding through his thighs.

The most appealing of them all was now, in the moment where he could kiss Yunho’s lips and take in his breathless moans that only made him hold Mingi tighter. 

“Princess, let me do it.” Yunho gently moved Mingi’s hands away. Mingi felt his pulse jump when Yunho brought his own fingers to his lips then slid them into his mouth, letting his saliva gather until he pulled them out, a slick string connecting back to his lips. Suddenly shameless, he spit into the palm of his hand too, smiling at Mingi’s own lips parting in slight surprise.

He guided Mingi’s arms back over his shoulders then took hold of both of them in one hand, pressing them flush to make Mingi cry out. 

Yunho stroked them together, squeezed in his long fingers. He’d meant it when he said to let him do everything; Mingi was limp and melting in Yunho’s arms the whole time he whispered low in his ear, telling him how good he looked and felt and how he was everything Yunho wanted too.

Yunho’s arm tight around the boning of Mingi’s corset was a constant reminder that it was both just them as always, and something new when they were rutting into each other with a different kind of passion. 

Despite it all, some things would never change. The way Yunho smiled at him carried the same fond look in his eyes, all for Mingi. 

“Gonna come all over us, princess?” Yunho squeezed a little harder and Mingi could feel it in his whole body, everywhere Yunho touched him pulsing with his impending orgasm. 

“Y—yeah, I’m so fucking close, Yunho…”

Yunho continued to stroke them with deft hands until Mingi was nearly there, both hands around his shoulders and keeping them crushed close. As soon as he tensed, Yunho had his eyes wide open to watch Mingi shudder and cry and fall apart in his arms.

The warmth of Mingi’s release getting them messy made Yunho gasp and soon he was coming too, hips jerking into his own hand beside Mingi still riding out his own high.

Yunho never let go even with his head bowed, nearly shaking with the force of it. He stroked them until Mingi was soft and whining; even then, Yunho took in his little cries until he too had to let off to breathe a sigh of release. 

Mingi stayed draped over Yunho as he kissed and murmured all his fond little things into Mingi’s skin. 

He basked in the attention. Maybe he was a princess, if he enjoyed being kissed and fondled and taken care of by Yunho as much as he did. In that too, Yunho seemed to enjoy giving such treatment just as much as Mingi enjoyed receiving it, with his unwavering grip still as steady as ever even as Mingi found the strength to push himself upright and kiss him back.

“Did you feel good?” Yunho stopped to look him in the eye again, like he needed to ask.

“What kind of question is that?” Mingi pressed their foreheads together, smiling too close for Yunho to see. “I feel perfect,” he said. “Did you?”

Yunho exhaled with Mingi’s hand on his chest. “It was good, Mingi. All I needed to know was that you felt good too.” He pulled away, pausing to take in Mingi’s ruined lipgloss and hair. “Ah, sorry, you’re a bit of a mess.” 

“Well, I’m not the only one.” Mingi shifted in Yunho’s lap, deliciously messy with both of them. “It was your hand we both came all over, where does that leave you?”

Yunho couldn’t use either of his hands with one still sticky with their shared release and one supporting Mingi, only bumping their cheeks together in his laughter. “I don’t mind. It’s hot.”

Mingi was starting to think that Yunho was indeed more full of not-quite surprises that could always catch him off guard. 

Yunho only laughed watching Mingi cover his perpetually blushing cheeks. “Come on, I’ll clean you up too, princess.”

For the second time in recent hours, Mingi was grateful for a small luxury, this time of a bathroom connected to the lounge room that he hadn’t realized until then was probably a bedroom before. It felt a little weird to bask in the afterglow with Yunho by his side and still insisting on taking care of him, cleaning him up like he promised and treating him like a princess in that too. 

And it felt good, so good, to see Yunho’s smile turned his way and bright as the sunshine he brought to Mingi. So him, so familiar, and even better up close where he could pull him in and kiss Yunho all wrapped up in his arms. 

Mingi let go too soon, already gasping for breath at such a gentle, chaste kiss. He found himself staring at Yunho in the same way he so often did to Mingi, observing, fond, with a smile on his lips. 

“So are we like—boyfriends now?” The words felt odd to say in the same context as we, him and Yunho together in a different way.

“As long as you want it too, yes.” That smile, gentle hands, familiar voice—god, he was such a boyfriend, Mingi’s boyfriend now, and it didn’t quite feel real even with Yunho right by his side. 

“My boyfriend.” Mingi leaned in closer to the comfort of him. “I like that.” 

Yunho grinned. “I like you, princess.” 

That sunshine was bright enough to be blinding and fuck, Mingi needed him closer. “Come kiss me again.”

Yunho’s smile stayed on his face as he kissed Mingi with all his fondness. “My princess,” Yunho murmured into his lips.

Mingi’s own smile spread warm through him where they were touching. “I’ve always been your princess.”