Chapter Text
"You want a go?" Changbin asked, tapping away the buildup of ash onto the concrete pavement by their feet. Jisung looked hesitant for a moment, glancing up and down the length of the narrowed street cautiously before agreeing, taking a drag from the cigarette he was offered. Changbin chuckled, dropping the butt to the floor, stamping on the glowing cinders with the tip of his boot, a cloud of blue-tinted smoke shrouding them. "Your boy not like you smoking or something?" He teased, a smirk on his face as Jisung scowled.
"Shut the fuck up, man," he shoved him lightly with his elbow, his hands balled up into fists, tucked into the pockets of his jacket. Billowing winds rustled the bare branches of half-dead trees above their heads, the chill from the autumn weather permeating between the fabric of their clothes and prickling against their skin under the yellow glow of the sunset. The bitter scent of the cigarette smoke clung to their clothes desperately, laced between every fibre. "He just didn't want me to give myself problems later and he worried so much whenever I went round to his so I promised him that I'd stop smoking for good."
"Aw, that's so cute," Changbin laughed loudly, earning another groan from Jisung before they were both pulled into a comfortable silence, nothing more than the sharp, monotonous whistle of the wind and the distant hum of car engines rumbling along some nearby street punctuating the atmosphere. It was oddly pleasant, despite the incessant gales reminding them of the steep progression to winter. Then this would all stop - no more spending hours on end wandering the streets together, taking detours from each other's places to corner stores or to other friends of theirs - yet, neither of them minded too much. There would always be another time; they weren't going anywhere anytime soon. "I never thought anyone could get you to quit that easily."
"Me neither," Jisung admitted, a happy grin gracing his features at the thought of him, though his eyes strayed away from Changbin, towards the two sets of double glass doors they were waiting by for the arrival of their third friend. "I feel like I get along with him so much better than I ever have with anyone else. Plus, he has three cats that I love to death and they absolutely refuse to come near me when I smell like a bonfire pit."
"Three?! Fuck, you are so whipped it's unreal!"
"Okay, jealous arse, just because you're such a lonely bastard in your little studio apartment," Jisung mocked, rolling his eyes at the elder's antics. That was their normal - the constant over-exaggerated arguments and meaningless insults were never anything more than shitty, two-dimensional jokes riddled with sarcasm. They personally found themselves hilarious, even if others didn't. "If you want a kiss, just say so, bro." The elder of the two scowled, shifting a step away.
"From you? No, thanks. I'd rather get stampeded by scared cows than get kissed by you," Changbin retaliated, pushing Jisung away by his shoulders as the younger male made a feeble attempt to land a short peck on his cheek - 'to make him less jealous' his excuse was. Their little quarrel went on for a moment, both of them giggling wildly at the end of it, so emersed in their joke that they hadn't even noticed Chan had arrived and was standing just to Jisung's left, watching in amusement as the two of them bickered childishly. "Channie!"
Changbin squealed loudly, over-exaggerating every syllable as he dashed over to Chan's side, almost completely mocking the younger schoolgirl crush stereotypes floating around their school. Chan couldn't help but laugh at how fast Changbin had switched between personas, slinging his arm over the younger's shoulders absently.
"I take it the both of you are finished with your fight, yeah?" He asked, earning a nod from Changbin - still very deeply in character - and a nonchalant hum from Jisung, who was trying hard and failing miserably to conceal the pleasant smile he wore. "So, who's this boy you were both talking about?"
"How long were you listening?!" Jisung yelped, his face flushed red almost immediately, causing Changbin to release a laugh that was neither quiet nor subtle.
"I was stood behind the wall for a while because I heard you talking. But stop avoiding the question. Who's this boy, huh?" Chan pressed on, all of his attention now focused on Jisung, who had practically silenced himself from embarrassment. Changbin, on the other hand, had no problem spilling Jisung's secret to their friend, which only made the youngest of the group turn an even deeper shade of red. "Oh, a friend. I see," Chan teased.
"I hate both of you with a burning passion."