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It was a universally known fact that Minho was a giant flirt, much to the chagrin of Jisung’s feeble heart. The fans knew it, the members knew it, hell even their staff wasn’t safe from the boy’s teasing. But above everyone else, Jisung was always the number one target. At this point the younger wasn’t sure why; it could be because he was incredibly easily flustered or simply because he and Minho clicked when it came to teasing and ridiculous conversations (“Do you think we could get the ajumma at the restaurant next door to make me a bibimbap bowl that looks like my face?” “I’m not sure they have anything thick enough to make those bushy eyebrows of yours.” “YAH-”) but regardless the flirting had been out of control lately.
The boys had their schedules packed and while they were in their dressing rooms, Jisung always found himself next to Minho in some situation that was giving him heart palpitations.
“Hey Jisung.” A catlike grin. “You should wear ripped jeans more often, they look amazing on you”
“Jisungie! Your eyes do that thing where they get all sparkly when you’re excited. It’s cute.”
“Stop looking at me like that it makes me want to squish your cheeks.”
A hand moves his hair out of his face. “Sorry Sungie, your hair was in your face and I thought I’d move it so I could see you better.”
Quite frankly, Jisung was ready to combust. The others had noticed, obviously, and Felix wouldn’t stop elbowing him or wiggling his stupid eyebrows at him whenever Minho would say something cheesy like that. To be honest, the brunet wasn’t sure what to think. He’d liked Minho for a long time and had accepted that trying to face his feelings could be dangerous for their team dynamic. Yet, here was the elder being all confident and smiley. So that’s how Jisung found himself running away from his long time crush and best friend for the 3rd day in a row, crouching behind a vending machine in the JYP building.
To say the least, it hadn’t been the boy’s proudest moment. Minho had been trying so hard to find him and constantly attempting to tease him that Jisung almost felt bad for ignoring the other. Almost.
From: BinnieBeanie
Sung where tf are you
Jisung sighed at all the messages from his team members. He had full out sprinted away once dance practice was over and been too panicked to go back to the dorms. The boy knew he couldn’t do this forever, that Minho hadn’t done anything wrong and didn’t deserve to be blatantly ignored. Yet, he couldn’t help but want to be selfish and harbor his affections for a little while longer. The elder would probably never think of his younger friend the same way and trying to confess would ruin so many things for both.
So yes, here was Han Jisung. Boy of age 18 years and Korean idol, a boy too awkward to talk about his feelings. A bang startled Jisung and nearly made the crouching brunet topple over from his squat. He relaxed his shoulders when he realized someone had just gotten a bottle from the machine and attempted to calm his breathing. Jisung was used to anxiety attacks, he had them often enough to warrant looking up breathing exercises and calming music playlists, but he definitely wasn’t used to having one in a semi-public location. He squeezed his eyes shut and desperately tried to count in his head. 1 … 2 … 3… gasp …
“Sung? Hey Jisung!” The boy still couldn’t pry his eyes open and his chest tightened as his thoughts raced. His fuzzy brain couldn’t even begin to process whose voice was calling his name so he just cowered back farther into the crack he was seated in. “Hey, sweetie. Jisungie, please breathe with me.” His breathe stuttered and Jisung felt the tears in his eyes. “Can I touch you baby?” A nod.
The next thing the boy knew, he was being pulled out and into a pair of strong arms. A familiar scent, a mix of a lightly floral and woodsy, covered his senses and Jisung relaxed into the embrace. He buried his face into the other person’s face, not noticing the sweat sticking to it or the sigh of relief from the other once Jisung’s breathing slowly evened out. The boy could hear a blur of reassuring phrases being whispered into his hair while they rocked back and forth slightly. The two stayed like that, seated on the floor of the JYP practice corridors for a few more minutes until Jisung finally calmed down completely. With a jolt, he looked up to be met with a pair of soft, concerned eyes.
“Minho hyung?” The elder smiled slightly and wiped Jisung’s cheeks, the tears from earlier leaving a trail behind. “W-what are you doing… out here?”
“Looking for you! What the hell were you thinking, sitting behind a damn vending machine like that, worrying us all sick?!” Minho sounded angry now and Jisung flinched slightly at the harsh tone. The elder blanched. “Sorry I didn’t mean to yell at you. I’m just frustrated.”
“I’m sorry hyung, really.”
“No don’t be sorry about this, I’M sorry you had to feel like that. I’m more upset about you avoiding me lately.” Now, the elder pouted but his eyes betrayed a deeper uneasiness that made Jisung’s heart clench in a different way than before.
“I haven’t been-”
“Yes you have.”
“Ok yeah.” Jisung sighed and ran a hand through his fluffy hair, the strands settling back to cover his eyes slightly as he avoided the catlike glance being sent his way. “I… I’ve just been nervous ok!”
“About what Sungie? You know you can talk to me about anything.”
“ About you!” Minho blinked in surprise and leaned back on his palms, face carefully blank. Jisung would usually be panicking about what that look meant but the words seemed to be pouring out of his mouth without end now. “You and your dumb pick up lines and that stupidly beautiful smile of yours! Seriously what the heck man; how is it possible for someone to be so good looking but simultaneously make me want to scream all the time.”
“Sung-”
“And then you’re so talented and good at everything and you’re so confident in your ability to work hard. I admire you so much and I care about you a lot but also why the heck do you still hang around with someone that’s such a mess like me? You can’t possibly believe all those pick up lines considering I’m a literal potato-” Minho leaned in and suddenly Jisung crossed his eyes, words halting. He felt a gentle peck on his nose as the elder leaned back and giggled, eyes turning into happy crescents.
“Jisung. You’re so dumb.” The younger gaped, affronted. “Not literally but seriously do you not know how amazingly talented you are too? And I do believe all the things I say- you know I don’t lie.” He squished the younger’s cheeks between his hands and leaned in again, their noses almost touching. “I don’t want you to say any more lies like that again, ok? You’re amazing Sungie and you deserve all those praises and then some. I could tell you every day that you’re beautiful and it still wouldn’t be enough.”
“Hyung.” Jisung whined, trying in vain to back away and stop his cheeks from heating up. The blond boy giggled again but didn’t weaken his grip on Jisung.
“You know, Sungie, I really do want to be there for you. I care about you a lot, yeah?” Jisung widened his eyes at the sincere expression on Minho’s face and felt a small smile start to bloom on his face.
“Ok, yeah… yeah me too.”
“Let’s go now, before Chan has an aneurism worrying about where you ran off too.” Minho snickered, finally pulling away and standing up while reaching a hand down to pull Jisung up after him. The young rapper felt his chest get warmer, a familiar sense of security that he had been missing enveloping him as the two locked their fingers together into a puzzle-like combination. As the two walked slowly back to the practice room, hands swinging idly between their bodies, Jisung thought about how easily the elder could draw him out of his shell and lower his inhibitions, how much he made the younger want to believe the sugary words he said on the daily. The sharp eyes that looked into his soul and the smile that lit up whatever room he was in - Minho was a star for Jisung’s night sky that would always guide him when he got lost in the web of cosmos that the world threw at them.
“ I think I love your laugh.” Jisung whispered as they turned a corner. Minho nearly stumbled and side-eyed the younger. “I think I love your singing voice, your rapping voice, and your talking voice.”
“Wha-”
“I think I love your dumb jokes.” Minho stopped walking now, eyes wide and confused into a look that would usually have Jisung laughing but was now making him slightly nervous. He wasn’t willing to back down anymore though, so the brunet forced himself to look the elder in the eyes and continue. “I think I love the way your sillouette looks when we stay behind in the dance studio at night and the night sky lights up the room. I think I love the way you hug me from behind even when we’re on camera.” Minho’s eyes seemed to be getting slightly glassy now, as though he wasn’t sure what was happening. Jisung wasn’t sure he himself did.
“Sungie…”
“Lee Minho.” Jisung took a step closer after glancing up and down the hallway. He leaned up slightly and put his lips next to Minho’s ears, making the blond suppress a shiver. “I think I love you.” This time Minho really did make a sound, a light choked noise that made Jisung squeeze his eyes shut and freeze. He had finlly said it. He wasn’t sure why now, after all these uears, but he couldn’t take it back now.
“You’re serious Jisung? You’re not just joking right?” Minho said quietly, making Jisung open his eyes and step back slightly. The hopeful light on the elder’s face was all Jisung needed to lean in and press a light kiss to the other’s lips, a fleeting touch that merely confirmed what he meant and more. Minho smiled so wide that Jisung was afraid his cheeks would hurt after. If that meant the elder would never stop smiling, so be it.
“I never lie to you hyung, just like you haven’t to me. Unless you take back all those things from earlier.” He raised a cheeky eyebrow. Minho smirked and placed his hands on the boy’s hips, pulling him close.
“Of course not. I just can’t believe my little Sungie is confident enough to kiss me in the middle of a public facility.” Jisung immediately reddened and attempted to pull away as the reality of the situation came crashing back down on him. Minho simply laughed, a happy and lighthearted sound that reminded Jisung of a child on a playground swing when they pretended to fly.
“Hyung!”
“You started it baby.” Jisung nearly combusted right there at the pet name. This boy would seriously be the end of him. “ I’m never letting you take any of that back now.” Minho pressed a kiss to the shorter boy’s forehead, then his nose, and then his lips once more, lingering a little longer and making Jisung lean into him looking for more. The elder chuckled. “I think I love you too, sweetheart.”
And if anyone noticed their linked hands or matching wide smiles when they returned to the practice room, no one dared to say a word. If anyone thought something had changed, they didn’t mention it around the two who stared at each other like they held their entire world. Because nothing had really changed after all, except for a few brighter lights in the universe of smiling supernovas.
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(“Hey, hyung, where did you even think of those pick up lines from?”
“I’m obviously a flirting genius, whatever could you mean?”
“He’s been taking notes during those cheesy dramas he watches.”
“Changbin, I am going to kill you.”)