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It all started when Junhui found out about Seungkwan uploading the video of him singing in the shower. Naturally, he would be upset towards Seungkwan, but in addition, he began to ignore Mingyu. At first, it seemed cute and childish since the older would literally puff out his cheeks and pout, but as time went on, the others began to realize that it was an actual "serious" fight.
Even after they returned from Japan, Junhui hadn't said a word to Mingyu, and the latter had pretty much given up. Seungkwan thought just as much, it was what you get when both sides were childish peeps.
Now that their tour was over, Seungkwan thought they would be more willing to work it out with the stress off, but before he could suggest a little meeting, Junhui had dragged him out, saying something about getting food with him. Well, he hoped that Junhui actually meant getting food and not treating him to food. He wasn't sure which was more terrifying, Mingyu's glare as they left "hand-in-hand", or Junhui's stomach size.
Just as he predicted, Junhui was now working on his fifth bowl of beef noodles with no signs of stopping anytime soon. It wasn't a very pleasant sight, and Seungkwan hoped that none of the people in there recognized them as idols. But still, of course he was worried for his hyung, especially since Junhui usually ate to forget unpleasant thoughts. It didn't take a pro to figure out what he was feeling upset over, they all had a general idea, but none of them's heard it from Junhui himself yet. Maybe it was a good time to put the case on the table-
"Jun-hyung, why won't you talk to Mingyu-hyung?"
The dancer almost choked on the broth, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, "W-w-why are you bringing that douche up?"
Seungkwan sighed. He really needed to know who's been teaching the Chinese members certain words, but that could wait, "Because it's been going on for long enough. Is it about the video? Mingyu-hyung had nothing to do with it, and besides, you got really positive feedback-"
"Do I sound funny when I sing?" Junhui interrupted, genuine worry in his eyes as he looked over at their group's lead vocalist earnestly.
"No! Hyung, you know we like to joke..." Seungkwan immediately said, slightly alarmed that Junhui would feel so self-conscious over a minor V live gag, "None of us meant it that way, I swear! I uploaded the video because I thought it sounded good, not because I thought it was a joke!"
Junhui licked his lips self-consciously, then proceeded to slurp up more noodles, putting the bowl down heavily on the table, "Seriously, why does Mingyu have to be such a brat sometimes? He knows I get shy about singing Chinese songs..." the older complained, piling the now empty bowl onto the little tower next to him, "And he knows how much his opinion means to me..." Junhui mumbled quietly into his glass of water.
Being the experienced gossiper he was, Seungkwan immediately picked up on the important points. Junhui was upset towards Mingyu for making fun of him singing in the shower, and it mattered especially because it was specifically "Mingyu".
Narrowing his eyes in a sly manner, Seungkwan rested his cheek against his palm, feigning nonchalance, "You like Mingyu-hyung, huh?"
Cue spit-take.
"L-l-l-l-like him? Well, I mean, yeah, I like all the members-"
"I mean like like him." Seungkwan rolled his eyes, pushing the stack of paper napkins towards him. He honestly felt like he was having a conversation with a kindergartner. Then again, it was Junhui he was dealing with. "Don't even try to deny it, it's too obvious."
"D-d-d-does he-"
"No." Because he's just as childish as you. Seungkwan thought to himself as Junhui breathed a huge sigh of relief. "But if you two don't resolve this soon, I might consider spilling your little secret-"
"What if I treat you to lunch every week?"
"Deal." Welp, food over whatever this silly thing was. Besides, two teenage girls in love was just as entertaining as any K-drama. Sorry, he meant two of his most beloved members.
Then again, that didn't stop him from giving them just a little push... Since he was sure if he left it to them, things would just spiral out of control. Wouldn't want that now, right?
1. Blind date
But before they can move towards the whole "friends-to-lovers" part, he needed to make sure that they got back onto friend terms first. A lot of the websites he used as references to get his hyungs together warned that when two people refer to each other as friends, there was already no chance of them moving to the next level. But, pfft, what did they know? Boo Seungkwan was the expert of experts when it came to matchmaking.
In order to get Junhui and Mingyu to start talking to each other again, Seungkwan asked both of them out for breakfast, without telling the two that the other would be there. Then, as planned, he would simply stand on the side and watch as magic unfolds.
Unfortunately, he forgot that the two were polar opposites when it came to waking up in the morning. Junhui was the first of all thirteen of them to get up, while Mingyu was the last. So, as it turned out, Junhui arrived at the coffee shop way too early, while Mingyu arrived a little later, but by that time, Junhui had already suspected something fishy, and seeing Mingyu rushing in confirmed his suspicions. Without allowing Seungkwan the chance to explain himself, Junhui immediately left. Not before paying for Seungkwan's food though.
The 98-liner wiped a metaphorical tear away from the corner of his eye. A true hyung. He had never been more set on getting Mingyu and Junhui together.
2. Double date
After the breakfast incident, Junhui had unfortunately become much more cautious around Seungkwan, so he had no other choice but to drag more of his wonderful hyungs into the act. He knew immediately that there was no better pick than Wonwoo and Minghao, since they were the only couple within the group, and conveniently one of the closest friends of the problematic duo.
Now that his bribery was completed with a month of free snacks, Seungkwan proceeded to watch Plan B unfold. He was sure it would work this time. Minghao and Wonwoo respectively invited Mingyu and Junhui to dinner, and since they had promised to treat their friends to the meal, there was really no reason for the two to leave. No matter how grudging Junhui was towards Mingyu, he would never say no to free dinner, right?
Well, that part was true, except Junhui had remained silent throughout the entire meal while Mingyu practically shoveled everything into his mouth and left as early as possible. Both because having to sit across from a murderous Junhui was already making him feel uncomfortable, and also because Wonwoo and Minghao were getting a little too into their own world.
Wonwoo referred to it as a double date, but Junhui corrected him saying it was a date plus training wheels.
3. Have a party
To be fair, the double date went a lot better than the blind date, so Seungkwan thought, hey, maybe the trick was to have more people around as witnesses so there would be no escape for the two problem children. So during one fine group meeting, Seungkwan casually suggested having a movie night with the entire group.
And by casually suggested, he meant that he practically begged Seungcheol to accept the idea before realizing he should be bringing out the big guns. So he begged Jeonghan instead. After that, it was a sure win for the vocalist.
So there they were, all crammed into one room in front of the television. The three oldest hyungs got the couch while the younger ones claimed spots on the floor. The four 96-liners claimed seats on the couch arms in pairs, even though Soonyoung tried fruitlessly to sit on the sofa's back arch.
Seungkwan scowled slightly, Junhui and Mingyu were practically sitting in complete opposite corners of the room. But that was fine, he always had a backup plan.
"Jun-hyung, I want popcorn!" He tried to sound as sweet as possible, bringing out his dongsaeng charm as he looked up at Junhui innocently, batting his eyelashes slightly when the older looked hesitant, especially since he just found a comfortable position next to Jihoon, "Please~?"
"Fine, fine..." Junhui sighed, an amused smile on his face as Seungkwan clapped his hands together excitedly. He didn't mean to brag, but he was really expecting a Best Actor nomination soon.
Now then, if only someone could remember their lines instead of getting absorbed into the movie... Seungkwan thought, pinching Wonwoo's ankle harshly. "Ow! What's the big id- Oh. Uh. Mingyu, why don't you go help him?" The older said stiffly, trying not to wince as Seungkwan's nails dug into his skin.
"It's just popcorn, why would I need help?" Panic was evident in Junhui's voice, Seungkwan could have sworn his voice had gone an entire octave higher.
"I'm kind of thirsty anyway, why don't you get some drinks for us, Mingyu?" Jihoon suddenly piped up, unknowingly helping Seungkwan's plan.
"Sure." The rapper replied nonchalantly, clearly not as bothered as Junhui by the thought of them having to be in the same room alone.
The two exited the room, with Junhui walking in the front with extremely unnatural arm movements and Mingyu walking behind him, looking completely relaxed, his hands were even tucked into his pockets. Seungkwan began to wonder if Mingyu even remembered they were supposed to be fighting, so he slipped into the dining room after them, claiming he was going on a bathroom trip.
At first, he was alarmed to hear the sound of bickering coming from the kitchen, but when he got closer, he realized it was the exact situation he was trying to set up, confrontation regarding their cold war.
"Why have you been ignoring me lately? You can't still be hung up about the whole singing in the shower thing, right?" Mingyu's voice was lowered, but due to the empty space around them, it still echoed slightly within the small area.
Seungkwan peeked around the doorway carefully, and almost did a spit-take. Mingyu had Junhui pressed up against the kitchen counter, there was literally zero escape for the older boy, unless he was cruel enough to kick his dongsaeng in the stomach, which he wasn't, so... yeah, Junhui was screwed. Seungkwan had to take a moment to fan himself. Nice, Kim Mingyu!
"I'm sorry, that was probably insensitive wording, but I don't think it's good for the group if this tension isn't resolved soon..."
Junhui chewed on his bottom lip, his head slightly tilted to the side, avoiding Mingyu's gaze, but the young rapper refused to back down, and continued to wait patiently for a response.
"...Does my singing sound funny to you?" Junhui finally said, his gaze fixated to the floor.
There was a moment of silence while Seungkwan mentally shook Mingyu ferociously. How could he be pondering on what to say at a crucial moment like this?! The answer was obvious!
"You were that bothered?" Mingyu finally said, but instead of replying, returned the question with another one. Junhui nodded in an almost timid manner. Sighing, Mingyu's tensed shoulders relaxed slightly as he leaned closer towards Junhui's face, looking into the older's eyes earnestly, "I love Jun-hyung's voice, whether it's when you're just making stupid jokes or singing your heart out... Believe me, I'm your number one fan. I didn't mean to make fun of the way you sing, rather than that, I was trying to show it off..."
Junhui looked up at the younger boy, both relief and surprise in his eyes, "Y-you really mean it?"
"Of course! I love how it sounds naturally soft and sweet, but at the same time, strong and steady. Actually, I-" Mingyu suddenly stopped himself mid-sentence, and Seungkwan swore he saw a shade of red cross the younger's face, "Never mind."
"Huh? What is it?" Junhui pushed, innocent curiosity written all over his expression. The lighting was too dark for him to make out the sneaky blush creeping onto Mingyu's cheeks, which worked in his own favor as well, seeing as his ears had been burning red since the beginning of their conversation.
"Nothing, really..." Mingyu's reply came as a mumble, but then he straightened himself up again as though he had just made up his mind about something, "No! Actually," he grabbed hold of the older's shoulders, staring into the dancer's eyes once more. Seungkwan thought he heard Mingyu audibly swallow a lump in his throat, "Jun-hyung, I-"
"Don't you smell something burning?" Junhui suddenly interrupted, much to Seungkwan's dismay, "Oh my god, it's the popcorn!"
The vocalist shook his head as the kitchen duo proceeded to salvage the popcorn remnants. What a clumsy pair. But, at least there was progress now. Seungkwan patted himself on the back for his brilliant play.
4. Make sure they purposely run into each other
This was easy. They already lived in the same house, it was actually harder to make them avoid each other. Now that they were back on speaking terms, things were going to get much easier from here on out.
Not.
Even though the two had successfully resolved the uncomfortable tension between them, a new type of tension had entered the scene.
Seungkwan wondered if Junhui was aware of his excessive giggles to Mingyu's jokes, no matter how lame they were. He wondered if Mingyu was aware of his stupid goofy grin whenever Junhui spoke. He wondered if either of them knew that their obvious crushes for each other were starting to show on screen, to the point that Wonwoo and Minghao had to give them respective talks.
The thing was, Seungkwan didn't even have to find excuses for them to be alone now, at least in the house. Junhui would help Mingyu with preparing meals without being asked, and Mingyu would go shopping together with Junhui for groceries.
Being the responsible matchmaker he was, Seungkwan made sure to follow after them on these little "dates". They appeared to be doing well, with the constant banters and slight brushes of the hands. He figured they might be ready to head to the next level.
5. Traditional set-up
Seungkwan figured that he could have just skipped this step, but since they've never actually had a proper date, he thought it should be appropriate that they went on one before he unleashed his final move. What? They haven't even confessed yet? Not a problem. Since they won't even know they're on a date until it was too late, and snap! The mouse was in the trap.
Since Junhui had trust issues around him now, Seungkwan had to convince the other ten boys to leave the dorms. Finally, he managed to get nine of them on his side, at the expense of Seungcheol's wallet. Of course, by the time they got to the hotpot place, it was too late for Seungcheol to say no when his cute dongsaengs were already counting on him to pay.
Obviously, Seungkwan felt just a little bad, but what else was he supposed to do? Besides, this was all for the sake of Junhui and Mingyu. Speaking of which, he wondered how they were doing. Maybe they were already cuddling on the sofa, or maybe they were already taking it to the next level on Mingyu's bed?! Just wondering about all the possibilities made Seungkwan's gossip sense swing every which way. It was too much. He needed to know. He had to know.
Gobbling up all the meat in his bowl, he feigned a tummy ache, attempting to excuse himself from the table, but Seungcheol wasn't having it. Seeming to have caught onto his scheme already, Minghao was also giving him a strange look. It was almost accusing, like Seungkwan was trying to abandon his scheming allies and gather the goods by himself.
Needless to say, after the glare Minghao flashed him, Seungkwan became less enthusiastic about the free dinner, and spent the rest of the time poking at his little hill of rice. So when it was finally time to go, he ignored the suspicious glances his hyungs were flashing him and zoomed out, waiting impatiently for the others to catch up.
Almost all too eagerly, Seungkwan pulled open the door, expecting to see at least something scandalous. Just Junhui wrapped in blankets next to Mingyu was also fine, give him something!
But alas, the only thing he saw was a less than romantic sight of Junhui breathing heavily into a paper bag while Mingyu held a glass of water next to him. Seungkwan was glad that their fans weren't there to see it, what would they think of these two supposed visual kings? Fine, Mingyu still looked fine, but Junhui... Never mind, it wasn't like he took care of his facial expressions that much off stage anyway. What a waste of a good face... Seungkwan lamented.
"Jun-hyung, what's wrong?" Hansol was the first one to speak after squeezing to the front while the other members were still contemplating what to make of the scene.
At the sound of the younger's voice, Junhui immediately looked up, shoving the paper bag into Mingyu's hands as he practically pounced onto Hansol, "My baby is back!"
"I'm your dongsaeng, too, Jun-hyung..." Mingyu grumbled, tossing the paper bag carelessly into the garbage can. But the older boy was too busy doting on the younger rapper to tend to the over-sized pup, so Mingyu went to seek comfort from Minghao instead.
Seungkwan sighed heavily. Looks like they still had a long, long way to go.
6. Plan a vacation together
Seungkwan decided to scroll past this suggestion as there was no way they had the time to go on a vacation, not during this crucial time. By crucial time, he meant a short break before they get locked inside the practice room from days to nights. Besides, it just wasn't affordable.
Thinking that he needed some "original" inspiration, Seungkwan closed his laptop and figured he should go for a walk. But as he made his way through the hallway towards the stairs, Mingyu's very much recognizable voice sounded from the middle room. This immediately perked Seungkwan's interest. What was Mingyu doing in the large bedroom? Of course, it had to be something about Junhui, right?
Quietly, he slid towards the room, the door was left carelessly open. Seungkwan hid himself against the wall so that he was peeking inside at an unnoticeable angle. Sure enough, Mingyu was inside, curled up on a bed. More specifically, Junhui's bed. On the other hand, Junhui was reading one of his favorite web novels with his phone, his back leaning against the side of his bed casually.
"Jun-hyung is not fair... I'm a dongsaeng... you should take care of me, too..." Mingyu mumbled from underneath the covers.
"Right, right." Junhui patted the puffed up shape on his bed carelessly, but an amused smile crossed his features.
"You always say that I'm capable and I can do everything... but if you keep babying the others I might just turn useless..." Mingyu continued to babble on.
Junhui let out a chuckle, finally putting down his phone as he turned to the bed, standing on his knees, "So you want me to treat you like a baby instead of a man, is that it?" The older teased, pulling the covers off the giant whining puppy.
A look of alarm immediately crossed Mingyu's face, "O-of course not! But I mean... well..."
Leaning down, Junhui planted a kiss on the overgrown pup's cheek, "Say, Mingyu, why don't you come to China with me next time?"
"What? Y-you mean meet your parents?"
"No, I mean meet my cat." Junhui scoffed sarcastically, ruffling Mingyu's hair endearingly, "Yeah, of course. You guys have met before during the debut project filming, but I haven't introduced you as my boyfriend, yet-"
"I'LL GO I'LL GO I'LL GO!" Mingyu immediately piped up excitedly, pushing off from the bed with a little too much enthusiasm, and of course, ended up hitting his head on the upper bunk.
Seungkwan sighed, shaking his head as Junhui proceeded to give light pats to his... wait, boyfriend? Since when? He thought Junhui was acting a little too collected lately, so it was because they finally established their feelings for each other? But... when?
Whatever. It wasn't like Seungkwan needed to know everything in his hyungs' lives. Besides, it was good that they were finally together, now the rest of them could live in peace, not needing to hear them voice silly troubles about their little crushes. Everything was good. Yeah.
Like hell it was.
Before Seungkwan could stop himself, he stepped into the room and pointed an accusing finger at the apparent new couple, "HOW- WHEN- WHAT?????"
7. Leave shortly after they meet
Seungkwan remembered when they first met Junhui in the green practice room. The instructor had reminded them that the new member was a foreigner, so they were expected to be on their best behavior so as to not embarrass the nation. Seungkwan had rolled his eyes and thought their instructor was simply being dramatic.
Communication was hard at first since Junhui had almost zero knowledge of the language when he first arrived, but his actions were friendly enough. Being the helpful person he was, Mingyu had decided to take care of this hyung, despite being younger. Seungkwan wondered since when Mingyu started developing feelings for the initially alien-like hyung. Well, he was still strange, but at least in a more understandable manner.
He remembered Junhui taking care of all the younger members because they reminded him of his little brother, and he initially looked out for Mingyu as well. But as time went on, it seemed like Junhui was slowly starting to neglect his mom-like care for Mingyu. Though in Seungkwan's eyes, it felt like Junhui was the mom and Mingyu was the dad when Seungcheol and Jeonghan were out. So everything worked out well in his perspective.
He remembered seeing Junhui put a blanket over Mingyu when he kicked his off in his sleep. He remembered seeing Mingyu holding Junhui's hand when he seemed lost in the camera frame, as though to assure him that he belonged there.
He also remembered bumping into Mingyu in the hallway one day while they were at a hotel in Japan. He seemed to be listening intently to something coming from the door next to him... wait, wasn't that Seungkwan and Junhui's room?
Huh, so it was since that far back... Seungkwan thought to himself.
He watched as Junhui skipped around energetically in the kitchen while Mingyu fixed up ramen for everyone, looking over Mingyu's shoulder occasionally, anticipation bursting like a child's. Mingyu sighed, then turned around to poke the older's forehead, laughing as Junhui rubbed the slightly sore spot, pouting cutely. This only encouraged Mingyu as he leaned down to kiss the dancer on the same spot.
Despite his confident demeanor on stage, Junhui was extremely bashful in reality. His face would turn different shades of red, and he'd hide behind the closest member to him. Since there wasn't anyone else in the kitchen, he buried his burning face into Mingyu's shoulder as the younger laughed and continued to tease him.
Seungkwan sighed. Well, whatever. As long as his hyungs were happy, right?
[Bonus]
What? You really thought nothing happened while Seungkwan's back was turned? Not a chance. As most of the members already knew, Mingyu adored Junhui. Jeonghan and Seungcheol were already growing tired of constantly hearing him gush about how cute Junhui was, and Jihoon actually kicked him out of the room a couple of times. In fact, Junhui's name had become a forbidden word in their room, but of course, the others knew nothing about it.
So obviously, the first thing that came to his mind on their live broadcast was Junhui. He didn't think the older would be that bothered though, and of course, he felt bad about it. There were many times when he wanted to apologize, but as Junhui continued to avoid him, guilt turned into something close to anger, frustration, maybe. Fine, two can play at this game!
It wasn't until the day Wonwoo and Minghao dragged the two of them out that Mingyu finally had the chance to look Junhui straight in the eye. Granted, the latter still wasn't looking at him, and he was emitting quite a strong murderous aura, so instead of confronting Junhui like he had planned, Mingyu escaped from the scene as soon as possible.
He found himself regretting this three hours later when Wonwoo dragged a pretty drunk Junhui back to the dorm. It was a good thing all three of them were in disguise or they'd never hear the end of this little fiasco. "Why did you let him drink?" Mingyu demanded in a borderline accusing manner, frowning as Wonwoo passed Junhui's arm over to the younger rapper, who smoothly took over as though it were the most natural thing to do.
"Believe me, we really tried stopping him." Wonwoo shrugged exasperatedly as Junhui slurred out random words in Mandarin, "Anyway, Minghao and I are going to go on an actual date now. Take care of the drunkard."
"Bastards." Mingyu muttered as Wonwoo ran one hand through Junhui's hair in almost a comforting manner before exiting the front door. Mingyu frowned down at the drunken dancer in his arms, it was probably the first time he's seen him like this. Maybe it was the alcohol's effect, but his face looked redder than usual, and his aura felt softer.
The group's capable boy shook his head, then proceeded to drag Junhui upstairs, but the latter was being extremely uncooperative. Gritting his teeth, Mingyu slung Junhui's arm around his shoulders, hooked his own arm under the older's legs, and with one swift movement, shifted their position into a bridal carry scenario, "You gave me no choice, so you better not wushu me to death when you get up..." Mingyu grumbled, trying to ignore the ticklish feeling of Junhui's hair sweeping under his chin.
"Mmph..." Junhui let out a noise similar to a whine, peering up at Mingyu with hooded eyes, "...My, my~ Isn't this our capable boy, Kim Mingyu~?" The older slurred in an unnaturally jolly tone while the younger tried to block his voice out. It's just a drunkard, it's just a drunkard... Mingyu's focus almost snapped in half when Junhui suddenly slid his palms over his cheeks, forcing Mingyu to look into his eyes straight-on. After a while of just staring, Junhui broke into a goofy grin, "As I thought, I still look way cooler~ When are ya handing over yer visual title, huh~?"
Mingyu let out an annoyed grunt, ripping his head out of the very much drunk dancer's grasp. How typical of him.
"Heh heh... But our Mingyu's the most handsome... he can do everything..." Junhui's tone dropped sullenly, and his head drooped slightly, hiding his face in Mingyu's shoulder, "Except he can't be mine."
The group's resident visual tree almost tripped over the last flight of stairs. He stopped in his tracks and stared incredulously down at the dancer, who was now humming his apparent woes away.
"You know, Mingyu can do everything~ he's so perfect and capable, I never have to worry about him... But he must think of me as a burden... I can't do anything, aside from being able to speak various Chinese dialects, there's nothing special about me, is there?" Junhui continued to slur, his words slightly muffled by Mingyu's shoulder, "You know, I've been practicing singing lately~ maybe I'll gain more skills and become more useful~ but that's not going well at all... I only get laughed at..."
A strong sense of guilt stabbed Mingyu in the chest. So he really was bothered... He opened his mouth to apologize, but figured it was best if he waited until Junhui woke up. After all, who knew how much he was going to remember given his drunken state? In the midst of his pondering, Mingyu had made his way to Junhui's room and plopped the older down comfortably on his bed.
He was about to turn and leave, but Junhui grabbed onto his arm, looking up at him with wide round eyes that should belong on a child begging for his father to not leave for work, "Are you avoiding me again, Mingyu~?"
Putting aside the fact that Junhui was the one who's been avoiding him, Mingyu suddenly found himself latching one hand under Junhui's chin, tilting the latter's head up slightly before pressing his lips in almost a feverish manner to Junhui's.
Although still in a daze, Junhui's eyes widened slightly at the action, then felt himself numbing under the sensation. To him, it was like a dream, and it was probably just a dream. There was no way Mingyu would kiss him like this in real life, he only thought of him as a joke, right?
The dancer took in a shaky breath and let out soft pants when Mingyu finally freed his lips, their faces were still at close proximity, their foreheads pressed together, and the tips of their noses brushing against each other at a teasing distance. The corner of Junhui's mouth turned up in small satisfaction, and he began to lean away. After all, he wasn't a greedy person.
Sensing his intentions, Mingyu quickly tugged Junhui towards him once more, pressing their lips together yet again. Except this time, Mingyu took a step forward, running his tongue along Junhui's parted lips before diving in, pulling the older even deeper into the kiss.
Like the first time, Junhui's reaction was stiff at first, before relaxing and allowing himself to respond to the almost bossy kiss. A new shade of blush touched Junhui's cheeks as the room filled with wet smacking noises as their lips left and found each other repeatedly in the dark, their tongues entangled, accidentally pulling quiet moans from his throat.
Losing energy, Junhui fell back onto his pillow, pulling Mingyu with him. It wasn't until Mingyu forced himself to refocus his gaze, noticed that he already had Junhui's shirt ripped into a v-neckline, that he came to his senses. Quickly pushing himself off the older, Mingyu hurriedly left to the bathroom, leaving Junhui in a heated daze on the bed.
The next morning, Junhui didn't seem to remember anything. Either that, or he simply dismissed it all as a dream, even the fact that he had suddenly gained a new shirt with a v-neckline. He's always been a bit of a scatterbrain anyway.
But if anything came out of that night, it was probably Mingyu's resolve to end this "cold war" or whatever once and for all. So that was what he did when Seungkwan's little movie night party came along. He had to thank Jihoon later for giving him the opportunity, intentional or not.
He felt relieved for finally being able to get their misunderstanding cleared, and he had planned on confessing, but the damn popcorn got in the way. He blamed it on Seungkwan.
But no worries, he eventually got around to doing so when Junhui decided to help him with dinner preparations one day.
"We just spent the whole day shopping together, you're not tired of spending time with me?" Mingyu had teased when Junhui waltzed into the kitchen with the ingredients.
"Nope! Might as well make myself useful..."
Mingyu's smile slipped slightly at the sensitive wording, reminding himself of the drunken babble from that certain night, "Jun-hyung, no one thinks you're useless around here... I mean it."
"I know that~" Junhui replied in a singsong tone while busying himself with gathering all the pots and pans he could find, even though they didn't need that many.
Mingyu bit his lip lightly. For someone who had been trained as an actor since childhood, Junhui really wasn't that great at lying. While the older continued to recite a nonsensical recipe to himself, Mingyu crept over from the other side of the counter, then proceeded to trap the older in a back-hug. Junhui was obviously spooked, Mingyu almost laughed out loud when the dancer gave a little yelp and literally jumped from surprise.
"Hey, hyung... I told you, didn't I? I really love your voice... not just that, I love your dance, your laugh, your face, even the tips of your fingers..." Mingyu whispered, sliding a hand under Junhui's palm and locking their fingers together. His lips quirked into a smile when he noticed the soft redness creeping onto the tips of Junhui's ears. "I love everything about Jun-hyung. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
After a moment of silence, Junhui slowly responded in a shaky voice, "Are you really okay with me?"
Instead of replying, Mingyu brought his free hand up, turning Junhui's face slightly, their lips met each other in a completely natural manner. After all, it wasn't their first meeting, and Junhui seemed to had realized that as well.
Watching as Junhui desperately tried to hide his face into the taller's chest, Mingyu merely laughed, but failed to notice the broth boiling over the edge behind him. From that day onward, Seungcheol had banned them from being in the kitchen together. Not like they listened, but that, you already know.
The rest was pretty much how Seungkwan had noted, and of course, Mingyu knew what he was up to. The younger ones were always pretty nosy with his business with Junhui, but he had to admit they were somewhat helpful.
Speaking of the maknae line, he had always felt envious of them. Junhui was abnormally caring towards them, especially to Hansol. That day when they finally had the dorm to themselves, Junhui would worry about the kid every three seconds.
But as Mingyu lied in bed that night with Junhui snuggling warmly into his arms, he figured that having special treatment really wasn't bad at all. Feeling mischievous, he leaned down and gave a light nip on Junhui's defenseless ear, earning a surprised yelp from the older, who then buried his entire head under the sheets.
The rapper couldn't help chuckling at the cute action, tugging his lover even closer. Hyung, do you know? Hunting dogs are trained to latch onto their prey, and never let go. So you better be prepared... 'cause I'm never letting you go.