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Alcohol.
Drinking might not seem like a big deal, but for Hongseob it is. He has always been the youngest, the one who isn't able to do all of the fun things because of his age. But now it has come, the year he legally becomes an adult and can do all of these things his hyungs has told him about through the years.
Hongseob and Jinhong have talked about this day for many weeks now. Technically they could've went out drinking a long time ago, but their group happened to be preparing for their European tour right after New Years. They were sulking for a while, but as Changsun said: "Kisu will literally make you walk on your bare feet to Europe if you miss our practise". The last thing they wanted was to be scolded like kids for the 740174th time.
It's now spring and work keeps piling up like there's no end to it. The travelling back and forth between continents has taken its toll on all of the members. Not even the energic maknae line seems to be themselves anymore. Cory senses the bad energy and calls for a meeting right after their dance practise. They all sit down in a circle, focusing on their leader.
"I think all of you agree that these months have been some of the busiest of our lives. We've prepared for comebacks, dealt with member changes and travelled around the world."
He hesitates for a second before he continues:
"As a leader I feel like I have a huge responsibility on my shoulders to take care of all of you. I have to be the one to persuade you to come to the dance studio, even though your muscles might ace. But I'm also the person who has to decide when it's time to take a break and relax for a moment. That moment is now. "
The younger members look at each other with gigantic eyes. Hongseob looks like his eyes might fall out of his head. Did they really hear correctly? They are getting time off? This is something they haven't even been able to imagine for a long time.
✖✖✖
Jinhong barely has time to collect his things before Hongseob practically jumps right in front of him. His face is lighted up by a huge grin and his eyes sparkles with anticipation.
"So, we finally have some free time and can do whatever we want to do. You know what that means, right?"
Jinhong laughs at the other's excitement. He isn't going to lie, they have been waiting for this day for a long time. The only issue is getting out of the dorms without telling the others exactly what they are planning to do. Even though they are old enough to go for a drink he doesn't think Cory and Kisu will be too impressed about their plans for the first free evening in months.
"Let's go back to the dorm and come up with an idea to get out without them knowing. We'll just say that we're going out for a movie or something" Hongseob says after Jinhong voices his concern about the hyungs that will definitely be watching the youngers.
✖✖✖
None of them really knows how it works out, but it does. Jinhong would later claim that it was all because of his superb acting skills, but Hongseob could clearly see that Kisu wasn't taking any of their bullshit about going to the movies in button-ups.
"Watch out, with the amount of cologne Hongseob is wearing you might end up suffocating the innocent people in the movie theatre" he mutters after them as they quickly grab their bags and walk out of the dorm.
They had decided on the location a while back; a crowded bar on the outskirts of the city. This would decrease the chances of them getting spotted by fans. Even though they are grown adults there are still some things they have to be careful about as idols.
The two boys enter the foreign location carefully after the tiny heart attack that is showing your ID to the guard outside of the bar. Loud music blast through the huge speakers in the ceiling and the dancefloor is covered with bodies moving to the beat. It immediately feels more like a club than a bar, but it was too late now. They quickly find a vacant spot; an empty table located not to far away but not too close to the dance floor. Before they even have time to sit down a lady pops up right beside their table to take their orders. Buying drinks goes smoothly (even though Hongseob strongly has to suppress the urge of saying something like "I'LL HAVE 12 ALCOHOLS PLEASE".
One hour and six bottles of soju later, the boys start to feel the satisfying buzz of the liquid they just downed as if their lives depended on it. Hongseob looks into Jinhong's eyes with a satisfied smile, eyes slightly closed. He has unbuttoned his shirt for unknown reasons and has one arm draped across the back of Jinhong's chair. The other boy is slightly leaning back on his chair, letting Hongseob's hand slowly comb through his newly dyed locks. He closes his eyes for a moment. This is just what he needed, a night out drinking with one of his best friends. Hongseob lets out a deep laugh at the others expression.
"If only the hyungs could see us know" he says slowly and swigs the last drops of his last bottle.
Jinhong thinks about that one interview they did a while back when he still was a fairly new member of 24K. They were asked about their alcohol habits and the hyungs had gladly exposed eachother. When it came to Jinhong they explained that he was still a minor and therefore couldn't drink. Yet. This sparks an idea in Jinhong's mind.
"What would you say that my alcohol habits are, now that you've seen me like this?" He asks Hongseob, wrinkles visible on his forhead.
Hongseob makes an thoughtful expression before he confidently says:
"You get a lot more touchy with people!"
"I don't!"
"Yes you do!"
"Says the one who's been petting me like a cat for the past 20 minutes."
This brings silence to the table. Hongseob pulls back his hand to scratch his own scalp as the other sits up to look him into his eyes. He recognizes the look on Jinhong's face ; it's the face of "I've got a brilliant idea". Without any further words, Jinhong grabs Hongseobs hand and pulls him through the crowd on the dancefloor to the bathrooms. He opens the door and the entire area seems to be clear of people. Slowly but surely he closes the door behind him and turns to Hongseob who's looking at him with confusion written across his face. As if he could read the startled boy's mind he explains:
"I thought the only way of deciding who to give the touchy label is to play a little game. We stand on opposite parts of the room and move closer and closer to each other. The one to bail out the fastest is the one who becomes touchy when drinking and has to agree on this if the question is ever asked."
Hongseob frowns.
"That makes absolutely no sense, shouldn't it be the other way around?
Jinhong laughs and walks back to the nearest corner of the bathroom.
"That is true, but where's the fun in that? Come on Hongseob, or are you afraid you'll lose? Afraid that you will have to explain everything for the fans and our hyungs?"
Hongseob closes his mouth. He might not accept every challenge that is thrown at him, but he's not going to lose against Jinhong. No way.
✖✖✖
"This must look really weird" Hongseob thinks as he slowly backs into the other corner of the room, eyes focused on Jinhong. The other makes a move telling him to start. Hongseob complies by taking four steps forward, still looking into the pair of eyes that's now significally closer to him. It only takes a few seconds for Jinhong to do the same. They is now less than a meter between them. Without hesitation Hongseob closes the gap completely and Jinhong think his breathing might have stopped for a moment. Their noses touch and he can feel the youngers breath on his face, a faint smell of alcohol covering the usual minty freshness.
"Your turn" Hongseob whispers.
Jinhong watches as every syllable leaves the others lips. He doesn't think he has ever been this close to Hongseob for this long ever. The other's eyes are slightly hazed and his cheek are a pretty peachy colour as a result of the alcohol. His hair falls onto his forehead and slightly drapes to the left to cover one eyebrow. How come he has never realised before how absolutely perfect Shim Hongseob looks?
Everything becomes too much for Jinhong who swears his body temperature is close to boining at this very moment. Without any warnings he grabs Hongseob's t-shirt and pushes him into one of the empty stalls and onto the toilet seat. The other looks up, eyes widened as if he just got abruptly awakened. A deep growl comes out of Jinhong's throat as he puts his hands on the other's face.
He crashes his lips against Hongseobs without thinking about what he's actually doing. The combination of alcohol and the sexual tension that has been building inside of him for months becomes too much at this moment. Hongseob let's out a surprised yelp before melting into the kiss. He has no time getting used to this new sensation before Jinhong emigrates further down and attacks his neck with vigorous energy.
"Ah .. Jinhong, more please" is the only thing Hongseob manages to say as the older one sucks a large hickey right below his Adam's apple.
The other one looks in triumph at his masterwork before melding his own lips with Hongseob's once again. This time the other boy is prepared and puts his hand behind the others neck, deepening the kiss. Jinhong lets his hands migrate to Hongseob's thighs and manages to flip the other one around so that Hongseob is now straddling him on the toilet seat. Jinhong can feel the other male smile through the kiss as he hugs his entire figure to somehow get even closer to him than he already is.
They are so busy with each other that they don't hear the sound of the bathroom door open until the stall suddenly lights up and a loud shriek breaks the heated atmosphere. Hongseob quickly throws himself off Jinhong and turns around, not sure who it is that has just caught them making out.
A frozen human being is standing there with his mouth and eyes wide open, staring holes into the two youngsters.
"JEONGUK HYUNG, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Jinhong seems to be the first person to gather enough courage to say (or scream) something. Out of all people that could've walked in on them, it had to be one of their own teammates.
"I … I was just out drinking with some friends and had to use the bathroom … not in the same way as you two seem to use it though" the oldest member says, lowering his voice at the end of the sentence.
"It's not what it seems like, I promise hyung!" Jinhong bolts out, not even thinking about the hickey that is currently decorating Hongseob's neck. It's about as easy to hide as a traffic light and Jeonguk sighs, but a smirk slowly spreads across his face.
"Well, I'm not the one you should be worried about. Call me before you get home, I can't wait to see Kisu's reaction when the "pure maknaes" arrive back after their drunken adventures."
And with these words, he turns around and walks out of the bathroom. The room is eerily quiet. The sudden presence of the other member has had a sobering effect on the maknaes and they realise what they've actually done.
Jinhong stands stiff until he feels a pair of hands on his shoulder and he turns around. Hongseob looks up into his eyes, lips still red and swollen after the aggressive make out session. The thought makes Jinhong's face heat up and he finds it difficult to focus on the other's eyes. Before he knows it, Hongseob has moved one of his hands to his face, slowly tilting it up his face to reconnect their eye contact.
"You know what," Hongseob says with an assuring smile, "I don't know what this means, but we'll figure it out somehow. We don't have to label this "thing", as long as it makes us happy".
He ends the last sentence with a shaky breath. It's now he realizes how open he is with Jinhong about his emotions. This might not have been his first kiss, but drunkenly making out with one of his teammates isn't something they can just forget. Jinhong flashes his signature smile before he hugs Hongseob tightly.
"You're right, we'll figure it out. Now let's get out of this smelly bathroom and go home before Jeonguk manages to torture us any more than he already has."
✖✖✖
The high-pitched scream coming out of 24K's dorm that night was enough to wake up the entire city of Seoul. They might have forgotten to cover up Hongseob's hickey … and the fact that a certain one named Kisu might be awake.