Chapter Text
Dylan had truly tried everything at this point. He had shoved Jun during practice, blocked him on every social media site he could find, and even resorted to calling his flirting 'pathetic'. Every attempt to create distance had only resulted in Jun’s irritatingly upbeat way of being, or, worse, a new note appearing on his floor. Step 3 was a spectacular, soul-crushing failure. He was losing. Big time.
After returning from another late night at the studio, he entered his room and stopped dead.
Something was on his bed.
Dylan walked towards his bed slowly, a feeling of dread settling in his stomach. It was a soft plushie bear. A really soft-looking, light pink bear. And it was holding a small, red heart. The heart had a single, neatly stitched word on it: MINE.
Dylan stared at the bear, his eyes narrowing. This was the absolute limit. A soft toy. A soft toy holding a heart. After all he’d done. After all his efforts. Jun had sent him a soft toy. It was so ridiculously Jun.
Dylan wanted to scream. He grabbed the bear from his bed. He wanted to rip it apart, chuck it out the window, set it on fire. But he couldn’t quite bring himself to do it.
He stormed out of his room, the soft toy bear clutched in his hand, anger building inside him. He strode into the living room, where Thame was sitting on the couch. Thame looked up, his face changing from casual interest to immediate worry when he saw Dylan. And the bear.
"Thame. I am going to kill Jun."
Thame’s eyes went wide. He slowly put his phone down. "Dylan? What’s happened?"
Dylan pushed the bear forward, almost shoving it into Thame’s face. "This. This happened. He gave me a soft toy. A soft toy, Thame. With a heart. And it says MINE." His voice got louder with each word, full of disbelief. "He thinks arguing is flirting. He thinks this is a game. Can I kill him? Please?"
Thame took the bear, holding it carefully. He looked at the soft toy, then back at Dylan, a faint hint of amusement trying to show through his worry. "A soft toy, huh? That’s quite the move. And no, you absolutely cannot kill him. Unfortunately, we do actually need him."
"It’s not a move!" Dylan yelled, shocking Thame a little at this complete overreaction. "It’s a declaration of war. And why not? Can’t I just kill him a little?"
"That doesn’t even make any sense, Dylan. Calm down. It’s just Jun being Jun."
"That’s the problem." Dylan snapped, shrugging off Thame’s hand. "He’s Jun. And I can’t get rid of him. I’ve tried ignoring him, I’ve tried being unbearable to live with, I’ve tried winding him up, and all he does is send me soft toys and notes about how cute I am when I’m mad. He’s a nightmare."
Thame sighed, trying to hold his laugh. "This situation is actually ridiculous."
"So, that’s a yes?"
Thame looked bewildered. "In what universe is that a yes? You can't actually kill him. You’re trying so hard to suppress your feelings when it’s so obvious what is really going on here "
Shit. He knows.
"You know nothing." Dylan stormed off back to his room.
He opened his bedside drawer and took out his notebook to the page with 5 Steps to a Jun-Free Life.
He wrote his next update.
5 Steps to a Jun-Free Life
Step 1: ignore Jun completely
Edit: Step 1 failed. He’s like a golden retriever… but with a microphone
Step 2: Be an unbearable roommate
Edit: Somehow made him more annoying. He bought me snacks
Step 3: Piss him off until he avoids me
Edit: Backfired. He thinks arguing is foreplay
Jun actually liked their arguments. He found them funny. He found them flirty. This was beyond annoying.
As he felt a fresh surge of anger rush through them, he muttered to himself, "I don't care what Thame says, I’m gonna kill him."
Step 4: Kill Jun
After all that had happened today, Dylan was exhausted. So exhausted that he didn’t remember to put away his notebook before retiring to his bed, leaving it open out on his desk.
~
Jun felt a buzz of excitement as he wondered if Dylan had found the plush bear he left on his bed yet. He knew Dylan was trying to push him away, to make him angry, but Jun just couldn’t bring himself to be anything but amused.
Dylan, you’re so obvious.
He had been in love with Dylan for ages, a feeling that had only grown with each of Dylan’s attempts to be a menace. He found the attempts quite endearing, actually. Dylan was putting so much effort into trying to piss him off that he didn't realise that he was making his entire life revolve around Jun, his attention always focused directly on him. Exactly as Jun wanted.
He headed towards the studio, hoping to catch Dylan before practice started. He wanted to see his face. He wanted to see if the bear had worked its magic, or if it just made him even more annoyed. Either way, it was a reaction. And any reaction from Dylan was a win in Jun’s book.
He walked through the corridors, seeing Nano chatting with Pepper near the main rehearsal room. Nano waved him over, a wide smile on his face. "Jun! You’re just in time. Dylan’s in there, looking for something."
Dylan was always managing to misplace his things, he had a memory like a sieve. Usually, Jun would be the one to secretly find his things and place them back where Dylan would find them again. Of course, he had never told Dylan that. He just let Dylan believe he was a genius who had suddenly remembered all by himself.
I wonder what I'll be helping him find this time.
He tried to keep his expression neutral, but a grin tugged at his lips. "Oh? What’s he lost now?"
Nano shrugged. "No idea. He just stormed in, muttering about 'idiots' and 'lists'. Probably just misplaced his headphones again."
Jun chuckled.
A list, huh?
Dylan was always making lists. Schedules, song ideas, things to buy. What kind of list would make him storm around?
He walked into the rehearsal room, his eyes scanning for Dylan. The room was mostly empty, just a few scattered bags and water bottles. Then he saw him. Dylan was bent over a table in the corner, rummaging through a bag.
Jun walked closer, his steps light so he could sneak up on him. "Lost something, Dyl?"
Dylan jumped, straightening up quickly. He turned, his face a mixture of surprise and annoyance. "None of your business." He had a notebook in his hand. Dylan’s private notebook. The one he always carried and hid from them all.
Jun’s eyes fell on the open page. So this was Dylan’s list.
He started reading.
5 Steps to a Jun-Free Life
Step 1: ignore Jun completely
Edit: Step 1 failed. He’s like a golden retriever… but with a microphone
Step 2: Be an unbearable roommate
Edit: Somehow made him more annoying. He bought me snacks
Jun felt a warmth spread through him. He kept the snacks. He actually wrote about them.
His grin widened at the next step.
Step 3: Piss him off until he avoids me
Edit: Backfired. He thinks arguing is foreplay
Then his eyes dropped to the final entry.
Step 4: Kill Jun
Jun blinked. He read it again. Kill Jun. A shocked laugh escaped him. That’s a bit extreme, even for you, Dyl. He looked at Dylan, who was now glaring at him, clearly embarrassed that Jun had seen his secret list.
Dylan snatched the notebook closer to his chest. "That’s private!"
Jun shook his head, still smiling. "Oh, Dyl. You’re too much."
He really does want me gone. But he also keeps me around. What a fun game. A game I can easily win.
He had to make Dylan see. He needed to see that all this, the flirting, the teasing, the persistence, it was all genuine. If playing Dylan’s silly games was the way to finally get him, then Jun was all in.
"Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic list." Dylan raised his eyebrows at him. Where was Jun going with this? "But I think there is just one little edit that would make it so much better."
Dylan looked at him in confusion as he reached into his bag, grabbing his special glitter pen. Perfect.
"I’ll fix it for you," Jun said, his voice cheerful, almost sing-song. He plucked the notebook from Dylan’s hands before Dylan could react. Dylan stared at him, bewildered. Jun uncapped the glitter pen with a flourish, and he wrote over Dylan’s words.
Step 4: Kill Kiss Jun <3
But he wasn't quite done yet. Jun continued, adding a new line, his heart pounding with daring hope. This was it. He hoped it would work.
Step 5: Admit you’re obsessed with me
He held the notebook out to Dylan, a triumphant smile on his face. "There! Much better, don’t you think? Less violent."
Dylan just stared at the notebook, then at Jun, then back at the book, as if he were stuck in a loop of surprise. He looked shocked, and embarrassed, and a little of something else Jun couldn't quite work out. But it wasn't anger, that much he could decipher.
He’s conflicted. Good. This is working.
Jun thought the next best course of action would be to let Dylan sit and ruminate on the thought, clearly his brain wasn't functioning enough to do anything right now.
Dylan watched as Jun walked away, the glitter pen still clutched in his hand. He looked down at the page.
Step 4: Kill Kiss Jun <3
Step 5: Admit you’re obsessed with me
Huh? His mind reeled.
He was furious. He was absolutely livid that Jun had seen his private thoughts. His most desperate, ridiculous plan. He wanted to grab Jun and shake him.
It was a violation. His secret was laid bare to the one person he wanted to see it least. Jun had taken his secret list…read it, and then edited with glitter.
But beneath the anger, a different feeling stirred in his chest.
Kiss Jun.
Those words, written in glitter, seemed to jump off the page. Was Jun serious? Or was this another one of his elaborate jokes? Another way to wind Dylan up? Was there something else behind it?
Dylan had been in love with Jun for a long time. It was a hidden, painful love. He had watched Jun flirt with everyone, charm everyone, and never once truly look at Dylan in that way. He had built walls to protect himself from that constant, casual rejection. He had convinced himself that Jun was just an annoyance, a challenge to be overcome.
He couldn't give in to false hope now. He wouldn't.
He looked at the glitter heart next to 'Kiss Jun'. He'd drawn a heart…Jun. He would never do that, not for him. Or would? No, that thought was far too dangerous.
He traced the glitter with his thumb. He remembered Jun’s smile, the way he had looked at Dylan when he handed him the notebook. There had been something in his eyes. Something that made Dylan’s stomach flip.
He’s playing with me. He has to be. This is just another game.
Dylan told himself this. He repeated it in his head. He was desperately trying to convince himself that Jun couldn't actually possibly mean it, that he might actually feel something for him.
He thought back to all of Jun’s recent actions. The snacks. The notes. The way he had pushed past Dylan’s anger and found a way to be close to him anyway. The way he had looked at Dylan during their arguments, a spark of something beyond mere amusement.
Dylan’s heart hammered wildly in his chest. He wanted so badly to believe it, to throw caution to the wind and ask Jun. He wanted to know if this was real. But the fear of being wrong was stronger. The fear of being the butt of Jun’s joke.
He closed the notebook with a snap. The glitter caught the light, a mocking sparkle. He felt a desperate urge to hide it, to pretend he had never seen it. But the words were already burned into his mind. 'Kiss Jun'. 'Admit you’re obsessed with me.'
He walked towards his bag, shoving the notebook deep inside. He needed to think. He needed to understand. Was this a new level of torment? Or was it a chance? He didn't know.
~
The studio door closed behind them, muffling the distant sounds of their bandmates still packing up equipment. Dylan’s hand tightened around the straps of his bag in anxiety as his eyes found Jun, leaning against a vending machine across from him.
Jun had been watching Dylan all rehearsal with that annoying half-smile. The one that made Dylan’s stomach twist in ways he refused to think about.
Dylan could still sense Jun’s fingers brushing against his back during their last formation, the way he had lingered a little too long when adjusting Dylan’s posture. Two hours of subtle touches, smirks when no one was looking, and whispered comments just loud enough for Dylan to hear. It had been torment. A beautiful, thrilling torment.
The warring thoughts had distracted Dylan almost the entire time. He couldn't stop thinking about it. One minute, he was angry that Jun was beating him at his own game and that he'd outwitted him, then he was a blushing mess at the attention he was getting and the words Jun had written to him, then he looped back to how this whole situation started, and he was angry again.
He couldn't let Jun win. This was his game. He would stay strong. He would let his anger be known. He wouldn't give in.
Determined, he strode towards Jun, shoving the notebook against his chest, the pages conveniently spilling open to the page with his list, now covered in pink and glitter. "You," he growled, "are absolutely insufferable. Do you know that?"
Jun didn’t even have the decency to look surprised. His hands came up to hold the notebook, and Dylan's hand, against his chest. He looked Dylan directly in the eyes, as sincerely as he possibly could, and said, "but I'm your insufferable, aren't I?"
Dylan's brain buffered.
What the fuckity fuck?
What was he supposed to do in this situation? Jun couldn't just say shit like that, whilst basically keeping his hand hostage on his chest, and expect Dylan to be able to react normally to that. He blushed furiously, trying to look anywhere else in the room but at Jun.
Jun snickered quietly, then grabbed Dylan's chin and slowly turned his face back towards him, forcing Dylan to look him in the eye. Dylan was lost for words, he had no bite left in him. Jun had finally rendered him completely inept of all ability.
Jun put on a fake pout, tilting his head. "What? Cat got your tongue? Suddenly, you can't think of some cutting insult to throw my way?"
At that provocation, something in Dylan finally started working again, his brain kicking into autopilot. He needed to do something. Anything. And so, he leaned in, and kissed Jun.
Dylan’s nose bumped against Jun’s cheek, the notebook crumpling between their chests. Jun made a surprised sound that quickly turned into something incredibly smug, his hands finding Dylan’s hips to pull him close.
The taste of Jun’s stupid cherry lip balm filled Dylan’s mouth. Jun’s fingers pressed into Dylan’s waist through the material of his practice shirt. Dylan could feel Jun’s heart beating fast against his own chest, the quick thud-thud-thud that showed his calm exterior was just an act. He was just as affected as Dylan was.
When Dylan finally pulled away, struggling for breath, Jun’s lips were swollen from the kiss, his breathing uneven. A strand of hair had escaped his usually neat style, sticking to his damp forehead. His eyes were dark with something Dylan couldn't quite work out. He looked completely undone. And he had done that to him.
Dylan hated how much he liked it.
"Okay, so you did updated Step Four. But what about Step Five?" Jun asked, his voice rough in a way that sent warmth low in Dylan’s stomach. His thumb moved along the side of Dylan’s jaw with a maddening softness, making Dylan’s skin tingle.
"Shut up," Dylan managed, his own voice coming out embarrassingly raspy.
Jun laughed, the sound filling the space where their chests still pressed together. His warm breath touched Dylan’s cheek as he leaned in closer. "You kissed me."
"Because you.." Dylan stopped himself, his jaw tight as he fought for control.
Because you looked at me like that during rehearsal when you knew the cameras weren’t rolling. Because you’ve been driving me mad since we were trainees sharing that tiny dorm room. Because I couldn’t take one more second of your stupid face and your stupid lips and the way you always know exactly how to get under my skin.
The words stayed in his throat, too risky to say.
Jun’s expression softened in a way Dylan had only seen a few times, when he thought no one was looking. He pressed closer. "Say it," Jun murmured, his breath warm against Dylan’s lips.
Dylan glared, even as his hands grabbed Jun’s shirt. "I hate you."
"No, you don’t." Jun’s fingers traced the tight line of Dylan’s shoulders, feeling the tension there with frustrating accuracy. "You wrote it right there," he said, pointing at the notebook now lying on the floor. "'Kiss Jun.' You even used a heart."
"That was you, and you know it," Dylan muttered, but his protest didn’t have its usual fire. Not when Jun was looking at him like that.
Jun just smiled. His hands slid under Dylan’s shirt, rough palms warm against bare skin. The difference between Jun’s gentle touch and their earlier rough kiss made Dylan’s breath falter. "Then why are you still here, if you hate me so much?" Jun challenged, his voice dropping to that low tone that always made Dylan’s heart thump.
Dylan should have walked away. He could have kept what was left of his pride and left Jun standing there with the vending machine and his silly glitter pen. But no. Apparently, Dylan's heart didn't want to cooperate with his brain today. Instead, he kissed Jun again, slower this time, putting all his frustration into the firm press of lips.
Jun responded eagerly, biting at Dylan’s lower lip until Dylan groaned, his fingers tightening in Jun’s hair hard enough to make Jun gasp. The sound went straight to Dylan’s gut, heat spreading low in his stomach, as he could feel Jun smiling against his mouth.
When they pulled apart again, Jun’s shirt was rucked up where Dylan’s hands had wandered beneath it. His lips were red and swollen from the kiss, his eyes bright with victory. He looked way too pleased with himself.
"Admit it," Jun whispered against the side of Dylan’s ear, his teeth gently touching the sensitive skin there in a way that made Dylan’s skin break out in goosebumps. "You’re obsessed with me."
Dylan pushed him back against the vending machine. "In your dreams," he spat, but the effect was ruined by how rough his voice sounded.
Jun just grinned that annoying grin, the one that had been in Dylan’s thoughts for years, and pulled him in again.
~
Jun lay stretched across the couch, relaxed, one arm casually over his eyes. His lips curved into a slow, happy smirk as he basked in the late-night quiet of the apartment.
The kiss looped over and over in his thoughts. He replayed how Dylan had grabbed him, fingers twisting in his shirt like he was afraid Jun might disappear if he didn’t hold on tight enough. How Dylan’s breath had caught, hesitating before he had moved forwards as if he couldn’t stop himself.
He wanted me. He really wanted me.
He heard footsteps behind him.
Jun didn’t move, but his smirk sharpened. He knew that sound. Careful, even steps, the slight drag of tiredness in them after a long day.
Dylan.
The footsteps went past the couch without stopping. Jun opened one eye just in time to see Dylan toss a folded piece of paper directly at his chest. It landed with a soft thump, and then Dylan was gone again, disappearing down the hallway without a word, without even breaking his stride.
Jun blinked.
He sat up slowly, taking the note from where it had settled against his ribs. The paper was neat, the folds sharp. Dylan had clearly folded it several times, like he’d been thinking about whether or not to actually give it to him.
Jun’s heart sped up.
He unfolded it carefully, smoothing the creases with his thumbs. It was Dylan's list.
5 Steps to a Jun-Free Life
Step 1: ignore Jun completely
Edit: Step 1 failed. He’s like a golden retriever… but with a microphone
Step 2: Be an unbearable roommate
Edit: Somehow made him more annoying. He bought me snacks
Step 3: Piss him off until he avoids me
Edit: Backfired. He thinks arguing is foreplay
Step 4: Kill Kiss Jun <3
Step 5: Admit you’re obsessed with me
And beneath the last step, in tight writing, as if Dylan had made himself write it through clenched teeth:
Fine. You’re tolerable. Sometimes.
Jun laughed to himself, holding the note to his chest as his shoulders shook.
"That’s not an admission!!" he called after Dylan, his voice ringing down the hall.
From deep inside the apartment, Dylan’s reply was flat, muffled by distance and what was probably a bedroom door. "Take it or leave it."
Jun lay back on the couch. His heart beat quickly. Tolerable. Sometimes.
It was so Dylan, so grudging, very minimal. Like it was a secret pulled out of him against his will.
It was the closest thing to a confession Jun had ever received from him.
He pulled out his phone, taking a quick picture of the note before carefully tucking the original into his pocket. He was going to keep that forever. Then he opened the group chat, his thumbs flying over the screen.
Jun: GUYS
Jun: HE’S DOWN BAD
The responses came right away.
Nano: ??????
Pepper: What happened? What did you do?
Thame: oh god
Thame: i'm scared
Jun attached the photo.
Jun: proof ^
The chat blew up.
Thame: OMG
Pepper: Oh?
Nano: i’m crying
Nano: real tears
Jun’s phone pinged again, a private message from Nano.
Nano: I TOLD YOU SO
Nano: all that fighting was just him trying to get your attention
Jun grinned, typing back:
Jun: oh, i know :)
~
Dylan closed his bedroom door, then leaned back against it, resting his head against the wood.
The note was a mistake. A moment of weakness. I should’ve burned it.
His phone pinged on the nightstand. Then again. And again. The sound was so insistent that he couldn't ignore it any longer.
Dylan walked over to the nightstand and grabbed his phone, unlocking it. The screen lit up with a flood of notifications. Dozens of messages from the group chat, all capital letters and exclamation points and emojis he didn’t even want to try and understand.
He didn’t need to open it to know what they were about. Fucking Jun.
He threw his phone onto the bed, but it kept pinging, sliding across the sheets with each new message. Dylan glared at it, as if it would make it stop.
A new notification popped up, a direct message from Jun.
Jun: you thought you were so slick
Jun: i knew what you were doing the whole time
Dylan’s whole body tightened.
Dylan: i hate you
Dylan: you’re a nightmare
Then Dylan realised what he'd just walked himself into and was about to type out the 'don't say it' when Jun's reply came.
Jun: but i’m your nightmare 🥺
Fucking hell.
Dylan tossed his phone aside again. He wasn't going to grace that with a response.
He sighed, rolling onto his stomach and burying his face in the pillow. This was a complete mess. Jun was impossible. The group chat was a disaster. And worst of all, Dylan could still feel Jun’s lips against his, the way Jun’s hands had gripped his waist, the way he had smiled like he’d won something.
He was in deep trouble. Deep, deep trouble.
~
One week later, the five members of MARS filled their shared kitchen. The fridge door was covered with schedules, takeout menus, and a new, shiny addition. Dylan’s famous 5 Steps to a Jun-Free Life list. It was now proudly displayed under a gold star sticker, as big as Nano’s hand.
Pepper stood by the kitchen counter, arms folded across his chest. He watched as Jun draped himself over Dylan’s back, like a very clingy and affectionate scarf. Dylan, for his part, was aggressively stirring his coffee. But he hadn’t pushed Jun away, not even once.
"This," Nano announced, slapping the fridge door for emphasis, "is the greatest love story. to ever exist."
Dylan glared at him.
Thame, who had been mid-sip of his tea, spluttered. He doubled over, gasping as laughter shook his shoulders. "I can’t believe you stuck it on the fridge."
"Truthfully, it belongs in a gallery," Nano said seriously.
Pepper just let out a long breath, sounding weary. He was so done. With all of them.
Jun, not bothered by Dylan’s hard stare, nudged his head into Dylan’s neck. "Step Four is my favourite," he mused, tapping the shiny Kiss Jun <3 with his free hand. "Very clever. Very cute. Very like me."
Dylan’s hold on his spoon tightened. "Yeah, because I didn’t write that."
"But you did it, though," Jun sing-songed back.
"I can’t stand you."
Jun acted surprised, putting a hand to his chest in mock offence. "Liar. You wrote tolerable. That’s basically saying you love me."
Dylan’s ears went pink. He pointedly ignored the way Jun’s fingers had slipped under the edge of his shirt, drawing faint patterns against his hip.
Nano clapped his hands, his eyes bright. "This is better than any TV show I’ve ever seen. The drama. The longing. The sparkle."
"There shouldn’t have been sparkle. Sparkle isn’t necessary," Dylan mumbled.
Jun kissed his shoulder. "Sparkle is ALWAYS necessary."
Nano nodded furiously in agreement.
Thame, still recovering, wiped tears from his eyes. |I can’t believe step four was just ‘kill Jun’ and it became ‘kiss Jun’. No notes. Perfect. Amazing."
Dylan frowned. "It was a joke."
"A joke you kissed him over," Nano corrected happily.
Jun grinned, resting his chin on Dylan’s shoulder. "And then some."
Nano and Thame gasped (one in delight and one in horror) as Dylan lightly slapped Jun on the chest, his cheeks growing redder by the minute. Jun didn't flinch at all.
Pepper rubbed his temples. "I’m surrounded by toddlers."
Thame, still smiling, reached for his phone. "I’m sending this to Po. He’s going to go mad."
Dylan’s head shot up. "Don’t."
Too late. Thame’s finger had already hit send.
Jun, sensing trouble, tightened his arms around Dylan’s middle. "If we go down, at least we go down together."
Dylan made a low sound of annoyance, but he didn’t pull away.
And if his hand settled over Jun’s arms, keeping him there (possibly even pulling his arms around him tighter), no one said anything about it.