Chapter Text
late. that’s all jihoon knew it was. late, and he had been in the studio for way too long. just like the day before, and the day before that, and probably the day after. he was hunched over his keyboard, notebook in his lap, pen cap chewed to oblivion between his teeth. he wanted so desperately to come up with lyrics but his thoughts were swimming. he was losing focus.
just when he felt like throwing his notebook across the room, there was a light knock on the door. he didn’t even have time to answer before the door was opening and a familiar figure was slipping through.
great, jihoon thought. another distraction. it wasn’t that soonyoung actively did anything to divert his attention; he became quiet and patient whenever he was around a working jihoon, ever understanding. but his mere presence had the potential to send jihoon’s thoughts into overdrive.
“hey,” soonyoung said softly, approaching jihoon with his hands cupped around a styrofoam cup. “thinking of returning to planet earth any time soon?”
“potentially,” jihoon said, raising an eyebrow at the drink. “what is that?”
“tea. i got it from downstairs. figured you needed a little something.” he held it out to jihoon, who took it and couldn’t help the smile that settled on his lips.
“thanks.” he eyed soonyoung as he took a sip, noting the clean muscle shirt with poorly replicated designer brands (a style he had decided to dedicate himself to in their many travels) and freshly washed hair. “you look clean. did you come here just to check on me?”
soonyoung averted his eyes and grinned goofily. “maybe.”
jihoon groaned. “i’m not a child that needs to be taken care of, soonyoung.”
“and i’m a man of free will who can be worried about you sometimes!”
jihoon grumbled from behind his tea. “did someone put you up to this?”
“no. i came by myself. i noticed it had been, like, three days since i saw you at the dorm.”
“i’ve been back,” jihoon protested. he knew he had to shower and sleep for more than three hours or everyone around him would start to notice.
“yeah, and that’s just to stay under the radar and keep me and the hyungs off your back,” soonyoung said, pointing an accusatory finger at jihoon. jihoon flinched at how on the mark he was, causing soonyoung to smirk in satisfaction.
“well,” soonyoung declared, plopping on the couch next to the keyboard. “i’m staying here until you’re done for the night.”
“yeah, yeah. i’m about finished.”
“you better be, because if you’re not getting ready to go back within the next hour, i’m going to personally drag you out of here and handcuff you to your bed.”
jihoon grimaced. “no thanks.”
soonyoung’s mouth fell open. “i didn’t mean it like that! like, so you can sleep!” he wiggled his eyebrows. “though, if that’s what you really want…”
jihoon held his styrofoam cup out to him threateningly. “shut the hell up or i will pour this hot tea on your crotch with no remorse.”
“alright, alright!” soonyoung closed his eyes and crossed his arms. “one hour, jihoon.”
jihoon huffed and turned his attention back to the notebook in his lap. he wrote out a few lines, tried it with a few melodies now that he had the pressure of soonyoung’s presence to be productive, but nothing was satisfying him. his eyes wandered and landed on soonyoung’s figure on the couch. he mentally cursed him for being so attentive of his absence, and how annoyingly concerned he was about his wellbeing, and how annoyingly toned his exposed arms looked or annoyingly soft his lips looked when they were slightly parted...wait, that has nothing to do with this, jihoon thought, pushing all his thoughts away, heart hammering in his chest at the realization of his wandering mind.
as if on cue, soonyoung opened one eye to peer at him. “what? god, i can feel your glare with my eyes closed. i could probably feel it through a wall.”
jihoon sighed. “its nothing.” he put the pathetic cap back on his pen and laid the notebook across the keys. “i can’t concentrate anymore tonight. let’s go back.”
soonyoung jumped up on his feet. “perfect!”
the walk back to the dorm was quiet. it was comfortable, especially for the hour and the throbbing headache jihoon had developed. soonyoung broke it first.
“you know,” he began, “you don’t have to work yourself to the bone. our deadline isn’t for awhile, you can take it easy for a bit.”
jihoon fiddled with the loose thread in his pocket. “i know. it’s just stressing me and i hate sitting around doing nothing when i know it’s coming soon.”
“you’ll be fine,” soonyoung reassured. “besides, you need to take some breaks between all your work so you can recharge. otherwise you’ll burn out. and we can’t have our genius producer burnt out!” soonyoung gave his shoulders a gentle, reassuring rub. “got it?”
jihoon smiled. “got it.”