I swear I wasn't actively trying to snoop.

The night had been long and quiet and boring. I'd counted the cracks in the wall, the threads in his pillowcase, the grasshoppers singing outside. I had decided to start again once I'd made it into the millions of dust motes floating in the air.

I got up to take a closer look at the drawings on the wall. Each was dated and signed in a scribbly handwriting — Minho Lee, 1994, etcetera. It felt like a look into his past, the thick crayon lines and splotches of what smelled like applesauce. I paced the room and picked up a book from his nightstand. Harry Potter. Was that the one about witchcraft? I read a few paragraphs and set it back down.

There was a sleeve falling out of the open drawer of his dresser. I picked up the shirt — it smelled so much like him — then folded it and put it back. I lay on my stomach and reached under the dresser. Nothing. Just more dust motes. I added them to the tally.

I paced the room again. I heard the quiet hoot of an owl outside. I opened the window, leaned out and replied with a hoot of my own. Across the street, the owl's head swivelled — its eyes locked on mine. I retreated when the eye contact became unsettling.

I knelt next to Minho's bed. He was sacked out, lying on his back for once, arms above his head. I kissed his hair.

"Have I really told you anything?" I whispered. "About me? How I feel about you? That I love you more than you can imagine? And I'm... a little bit scared to tell you?"

He snorted softly, turned on his side.

I sighed. "I know, it's pathetic."

I ducked down and felt around under his bed. My hand came back with a couple of Lego bricks. I stuck them together and left them on his desk.

I lay down next to him again and counted his breaths.

~ * ~

"What's up?"

Minho — bacon-covered pyjamas askew, hair flat on one side — was sleepy and smiling, sitting close in my arms. I couldn't keep it in, those words that I had implied but not outright said. It was kind of killing me. It felt like the right time to say it.

"Oh, nothing. I just love you."

There might have been a better time to say it, honestly. Maybe in a car, so I wouldn't have to stare at him while I waited for his answer. A moment of silence. I got worried. What an amazing time for him to reveal he was just kidding and never really liked me and wanted me to leave and never come back.

"Sorry," he said on a breath. "I forgot how to do words. I love you, too, Jisungie. I'm in love with you."

I threw my arms around him and hugged him too tight. "You're my entire world, Minho."

We stayed in bed for a little while longer, talking, bickering. His stomach was starting to growl — I had to bug him about it. He grudgingly took my hand, led me out of his room and downstairs. I craned to look at the framed photos on the wall but he didn't give me any time to peruse.

He scrounged around in the refrigerator as I sat down at the table. There was a newspaper clipping taped to the wall. 'Charlie Swan — leader of Forks' finest — enters 'fishing for charity' contest, aiming to raise money for summer camps, and snatches up the largest fish ever reaped from local waters. But wait, that's not a fish! It's a dogfish, and Chief Swan is falling backward off the dock! Maybe he should stick to catching criminals...'

Minho dropped down in the chair across from me, an apple and a granola bar in his hands.

"I thought humans needed more filling foods," I said. Now that I thought about it, his eating habits were concerning — even to me, a guy who killed my food and sucked it to a husk on the spot.

"It's fine. I don't want any distractions."

"Distractions from what?"

"You."

My expression was half elated, half guilty — all panic. "Please don't starve yourself on my account. Please don't starve yourself at all."

"I'm not starving myself." He waved his granola bar around.

"I could make something for you. I used to watch Food Network. Do you have any English muffins?" He probably had eggs, ham or bacon, salt and pepper. I didn't see an apron — I guessed I'd have to manage without protection.

"We have Wonder Bread," he said.

Ew. "I can work with that."

"You don't have to. I'm not really hungry."

"I'd beg to diff—"

"Stop listening to my stomach!"

"I can't help it!"

He bit off a piece of his apple. "I'm eating, it's okay, breathe."

I breathed once.

Minho got up, moved his chair next to mine, and sat down again. I put my arm around his shoulder, braided a lock of his hair in one hand — a Finnish plait, nothing complicated. My brothers and I would braid each other's hair every now and again, bet on who could do it the fastest. Felix had the nimblest fingers but Haseong was the least concerned with yanking the hair out of our skulls.

Thinking about my family's weird traditions reminded me of last night. I had to at least attempt to ask — I'd never hear the end of it otherwise. I mulled over the right and wrong words to use before I spoke.

"Minho, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Do you wanna meet my family?"

That brought him up short. He swallowed and stared at the chipboard of the table.

"Minho?"

"Uh. I'm just thinking."

"What are you thinking about?"

He met my eyes. "I just — I don't really know what to expect."

"We would drive to my house. I'd introduce them to you. They'd utterly humiliate me. We'd stay for a little while, and then we'd come back, or go for actual, real food, or anything else you'd like."

"What about your brothers? Are they — I don't know — mad at me?"

He really had no idea, did he? He was so in for it.

"They are the opposite of mad. They practically bullied me into asking you."

"So you don't want me to meet them?"

I winced a little, wary. "I might sound territorial."

"Don't worry about it."

"I don't want to share you. I've longed for you — for months — and now I'm met with the prospect of wasting even an hour of our precious time together? No."

He smiled, bumped my shoulder. I was relieved.

"But," I went on, "they really want to get to know you. I thought I should at least ask. You're family to them... What are you thinking now?"

"I'm thinking I want to meet my family."

Good God, they were going to be ecstatic. I'd have to beat them away from him with a stick.

"Awesome." I kissed his cheek. "Hey, maybe I could meet Charlie, too."

He looked like he sucked on a lemon.

"Is that a yes?"

"That's me having an aneurysm."

"I have to meet him at some point. I'm gonna be here all the time — it's basically inevitable."

He sighed. "At some point. At some other point."

Good enough for me. I patted his knee and watched him finish his stupid breakfast.

~ * ~

I cut the engine in the diner parking lot. There were only two other cars. When I turned to Minho, he was already staring at me with his brows flat over his eyes.

"You live in Ma's Diner?"

"No. How do you feel about a lunch date, my love?"

"Is this about breakfast? I'm totally fine."

"Minho, why don't you want to eat?"

"You were bugging me about it before — now I wanna contradict everything you say."

"We can leave, then, let's just starve ourselves."

"Sounds good to me."

"No, you weren't supposed to—" I smacked my forehead. "Look, I'm not an expert on human stuff, but I just want you to be health—"

"AHHHH."

"Holy shit — what the hell?!"

"Just felt like screaming."

"I heard your stomach, Minho, you didn't hide anything."

"Damnit." He held his arm to his forehead as if he were in distress. "I'm so hungry, this has been going on for too long. Why must you keep me from eating, Jisungie, why?"

I collapsed against the steering wheel — it honked and I flinched back. Minho laughed at me.

"I'm so overwhelmed," I said.

He rubbed my back. "I'm sorry, I'm playing with you. I'm just — so happy to be with you. I don't wanna waste any time."

I smiled a little. "I feel the same way."

He smiled back and rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, let's get in there."

I gasped. "Really?"

"Yeah."

I held his face and kissed him all over. He giggled, craned his head back — I kissed his neck instead. His blood was strong and flowing just under my lips but I didn't pay it any mind. It was kind of thrilling.

Minho laughed again. "Hey, I thought it was lunchtime for me."

"I can't stand you sometimes. I'm totally in control."

"Why couldn't you have been so in-control before? Like when we were alone in my house all morning? Jesus, that feels really good. I've always wanted a boyfriend. I think I've been starved of touch. I took my aunt to junior prom, have I told you that?"

"Um, no. Let's go inside, my love."

"You know what, no, I need more incentive."

"Incentive?"

"One kiss for every step I take. You can pay upfront if you want."

"I don't trust you to keep up your side of the bargain."

"Good call."

I scooted out of the truck and walked around to meet him. He was trying not to smile, arms crossed over his chest.

I held his cheeks, punctuated every syllable with a kiss. "In — cor — rig — i — ble."

"I am so high on you right now."

He took exactly four steps with me, stopped, and held his arm to his forehead again. I dropped my head back and groaned.

I walked back to him, slid my fingers into his belt loops and pulled him forward. He smirked, satisfied, and followed me.

We — finally — made it into the diner. He had a better feel of the place than I did. He led me to a little table in the back and pulled a chair out for me.

"Thank you," I said. "You've eaten food here before?"

"Charlie and I used to come here a lot when I was, like, thirteen, but then there was this whole thing with an egg salad sandwich and — yada yada, Charlie's banned for life, but I'm allowed in. God, doesn't that smell good to you?"

Oh, how I wanted him to elaborate on his story. "Not really."

"That's insane. Diner burgers are to me like what I am to you."

"The axis on which your entire world revolves?"

"Er, no, they smell good. Because you—"

"Yeah, I get it."

We smiled.

"Minho Lee!" A lady in a pink waitress's uniform pranced up and mussed Minho's hair. "You've grown so much!"

He fixed his hair and smiled up at her. "Hi, Helen."

"Do you want a bigger table? There're lots more booths."

"No, it's just the two of us."

She looked at me. "And who is this?"

I smiled and nodded, made no move to shake her hand. "Jisung Han, it's a pleasure."

"He's my boyfriend," Minho said.

"You're one of Dr. Bang's boys, aren't you?" She clutched the cross hanging from her neck. "Your father saved me. The sciatica was unbearable. You give him all my love, all right?"

"I'll pass it on, ma'am."

She pulled a notepad out of her apron pocket. "What'll you have, boys?"

"A burger please, with the works."

"Not an egg salad sandwich?"

They both laughed loudly. I watched, fascinated.

"Better not risk it," Minho said. Helen shoved his arm playfully, still giggling.

"Anything on this side of the table, Jisung?"

"Uh. A milkshake. Please."

"Alrighty then. Get comfortable, feel free to take a look at the complimentary newspaper — the funnies are extra funny this Sunday. I'll get your food started for you."

She strode away and disappeared into the kitchen.

"You're gonna have a milkshake?" Minho said skeptically.

"Wouldn't wanna be suspicious, right? Will you drink it for me, love?"

"I was gonna do that anyway. Christ, we'll have to cancel with your family and go home for a food coma after this."

I stretched over the table and messed with his sleeves. "Please don't sleep again, I'll miss you too much."

"Was it really that bad?"

I nodded helplessly.

He smiled and held my hands. "You're in luck. I promise I'll never sleep again. And I'll stick to my word."

--------------------------------

in editing, i cut out a line that was one of the few reasons i wanted to publish nightfall in the first place. so even tho it's not in context, here it is because i like it and i don't want it to go to waste:

"His eyes held just a little too long at my top button. I knew him well enough to anticipate he might try to open it. I hoped he realized that, if he was to undo one of my buttons, I would have to undo one of his."

ooh spicy ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

speakin of spiciness, the song of the week is...

Dejavoo - Under My Skin

**link below**

this is another song that i think fits minho. 'you're dangerous but I don't wanna let you go / because I'm hooked on your heart / and now you're under my skin.' the guitar-ish sounds at the beginning are just *chefs kiss* infectious. this song has my ✅ enthusiastic approval!

see you next time friends~