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It’s meant to be their day off.
The first day off they’ve had in a while, and Jinyoung should be spending it in bed with his laptop balanced on his chest and his hand stuck in a bag of chips.
But then Yonghee asks him to come to the practice room with him, and if there’s one thing Jinyoung can’t say no to, it’s Kim Yonghee. Especially when said Kim Yonghee is pouting in a way that he knows Jinyoung can’t resist.
Their manager drops them off at the building. The whole car ride, Yonghee remains glued to his side. His fingers are curled around Jinyoung’s shirt sleeve and their knees are pressed firmly together. His eyes are fixed on some far off point outside the window, and he sits stiff and upright in his seat.
Jinyoung rests his hand softly, reassuringly, on Yonghee’s knee. He doesn’t say anything in response but he knows he’s made Yonghee feel better by the way he relaxes back into his seat.
_______
They’ve been working on a choreography together. Just the two of them. It was Yonghee’s idea in the first place, and of course Jinyoung was more than happy to oblige, because what could be better than combining his two favourite things; dancing and Yonghee. Before they started dating it was an excuse to spend more time with him, after, it became part of the precious few moments they could spend alone together.
Yonghee has good ideas, too. Sometimes Jinyoung watches him in the mirror as they dance, while Yonghee is so focused on himself that he won’t notice. He’s so different from when they first started, so much better.
(Jinyoung remembers when they were just trainees together:
“Yonghee, your movements need to be more fluid.”
“...” He’d run through the moves again, and again.
“Yonghee.”
“I know.”)
Now, he doesn’t need Jinyoung to tell him where he needs to improve. He already knows, and he’s already working on it, and Jinyoung is so incredibly proud.
He likes watching Yonghee dance. Partly because he kind of reminds him of himself when he first started, and partly because he just likes looking at Yonghee. Seunghun would call it yearning, but Jinyoung calls it admiration. Adoration. Maybe with just a little yearning.
He watches him from the floor with half-lidded, tired eyes. Yes, he would rather be at home watching Itaewon Class with his head on Yonghee’s lap and being fed snacks (or curled up in bed with Yonghee tucked in his arms).
However, he’s also more than happy watching Yonghee graze a hand over his thigh and the way his shirt rises a little above his waistline every time he lifts his arms (the dance is a little provocative, and Jinyoung will never get over the blush on Yonghee’s cheeks and the stumble in his words when he’d suggested it. The image is burned permanently in his mind).
But there’s something about tonight that’s making Yonghee tense, that’s making him stiff and tight and strained. He misses a step and curses at himself, running a hand raggedly through his hair (which, under normal circumstances, Jinyoung would find very incredibly attractive).
“It’s fine, Yonghee. We all have bad days,” Jinyoung tells him. Yonghee looks at him, and he nods, but Jinyoung knows his words have gone in one ear and straight out the other.
“Yonghee?” He tries again.
“Mmm,” he hums, but his eyes are still trained intensely on his own reflection.
“Maybe we should stop,” Jinyoung suggests, and Yonghee finally looks at him. He fixes him with a look. “For now. Take a break,” he adds.
Yonghee sighs and looks like he wants to say something significant, but doesn’t. He purses his lips instead and lowers himself to the ground with shaky legs. There’s a minute of awkward, tension filled silence.
“Yonghee--”
“You’re frustrated with me,” Yonghee says simply. It’s a statement, not a question, and Jinyoung isn’t sure what to say. He’s not. Of course he’s not.
He takes a deep breath, because he has to think carefully about what he’s going to say next. They’re both tired and on edge and he wants to be gentle with Yonghee. He wants to reassure him, but he’s not entirely sure how, and every time he opens his mouth the words fade on his tongue.
Jinyoung scoots over so he’s kneeling directly in front of Yonghee. He takes Yonghee’s face in his hands, even though his palms are sweaty. Even though Yonghee is refusing to meet his eyes.
“I’m not frustrated with you, Yonghee.” He looks up when Jinyoung says his name, hair falling delicately into his eyes. Jinyoung’s breath catches in his throat, and he almost forgets what he was going to say. He pinches Yonghee’s cheeks gently. “Never at you.”
Sometimes, distracting Yonghee is the key to getting his mind off everything, and Jinyoung is well aware of the fact that Yonghee thrives off physical affection. So Jinyoung leans forward and he kisses him. It’s a brief kiss, only a few seconds long, but it's nice in the way that kissing Yonghee always is. Something he’s sure he’ll never get tired of.
When he pulls away, Yonghee’s eyes linger closed for a few seconds after. When his eyes finally flutter open, he’s visibly less tense and his shoulders are no longer bunched up to his ears.
“Thank you,” Yonghee murmurs. He raises his left hand and places it over the one Jinyoung still has on his cheek. He leans into Jinyoung’s touch every so subtly and Jinyoung tries not to smile. The laugh lines in his cheeks give him away, but when Yonghee notices, he simply smiles back.
Jinyoung wants to kiss his dimples (so he does).
“You don’t have to thank me,” Jinyoung replies. It is definitely no inconvenience for him to kiss Yonghee. Quite the opposite, actually.
Jinyoung continues to press little butterfly kisses over Yonghee’s face. Yonghee giggles at each one and Jinyoung’s heart leaps. Leaps and sings and screams from the top of a mountain. He’s reminded of the times when he and Yonghee had first started dating, when they’d traded quick, soft kisses hidden around corners and behind doors.
(They’re more comfortable now but Jinyoung's heart still flutters uncontrollably whenever he’s with Yonghee.)
“I think I’m just tired,” Yonghee says. He leans forward so he’s resting his forehead against Jinyoung’s. Jinyoung lets his eyes close, slowly. His hand is warm on Yonghee’s cheek.
“We both are,” Jinyoung agrees.
“Mmm,” Yonghee hums.
They remain in comfortable silence for a few minutes, Jinyoung’s thumb brushing over the soft skin of Yonghee’s cheeks, his lips, travelling the length of his jaw and, of course, his eye mole. (He’s not sure how many times he’s worshipped that spot with touches and kisses, but he knows he’s not going to stop any time soon. It’s obligatory at this point; the eye mole kisses.)
After a while, Jinyoung is worried that Yonghee has fallen asleep like this (it wouldn’t be the first time). He gives him another second before he shakes him, gently. “Yonghee..?”
Yonghee huffs. “I’m not asleep.” He pulls away from Jinyoung and looks at him with blurry eyes. Maybe he wasn’t asleep yet, but he was definitely close. There’s a little red mark on his cheek where Jinyoung’s hand was.
Jinyoung bursts into laughter, covering his face with his hand and turning his face away.
Yonghee frowns. It just makes him look funnier. “What?”
“It’s nothing.”
“You’re laughing at me.”
“Am not,” Jinyoung laughs, again. “You’re just cute.”
Yonghee pouts. “Says you.” He reaches out and brushes blue strands aside and touches his fingertip to the spot on Jinyoung’s forehead where he was leaning against Yonghee. He shivers at the touch, slight as it was. “You have a mark here.”
He smiles at him then, and Jinyoung’s heart swells tenfold. He doesn’t realise he’s been staring until Yonghee waves a hand in front of his face. “Hello? Earth to Jinyoung? I said we should probably head off soon.”
“Right. Home, then?” Jinyoung suggests.
“Yeah, home.”
_______
It’s already late when they get home, and Jinyoung sends Yonghee to shower first while he makes the both of them hot chocolate. He hums to himself while he stirs the mixture with a spoon and finishes them off with an extra large topping of cream.
(He puts more marshmallows in Yonghee’s than his because he worked hard and he deserves it.)
When he’s done, he sets the mugs on the counter and sticks his head around the door. The sound of the shower stopped a few minutes ago but Yonghee has yet to reappear
Then, he notices the cool breeze that's blowing through the room and tickling his ankles, and the way that their balcony door is slightly ajar. Found him.
Taking the mugs in both his hands, he steps out onto the balcony where he finds Yonghee huddled with his back against the glass window and a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He’s staring off into the night sky. They’ve been having a lot of cloudy nights recently, but tonight there are stars sprinkled across the dark expanse of sky.
Yonghee is wearing the grey hoodie Jinyoung has been looking for for weeks and a pair of shorts. He has his knees pulled up to his chest.
“You’re going to get cold,” Jinyoung says, and places Yonghee’s mug down in front of him. The steam spirals off and dissipates into the air.
“I’m not,” Yonghee states. “You’re going to warm me up.”
He smiles widely and lifts up one side of the blanket so that Jinyoung has room to shuffle in beside him. Jinyoung rolls his eyes and sits himself down beside Yonghee, who wraps the blanket over his shoulders. He presses as close as humanly possible to him and cradles his own warm mug between his palms.
Yonghee takes a sip from his and recoils almost instantly. “Hot!”
“I know I am,” Jinyoung laughs, and when Yonghee turns to glare at him, he notices the thin layer of cream lining Yonghee’s top lip.
It would be the cheesiest thing to lean in and kiss it from him right now. It's a good thing Jinyoung doesn’t particularly care.
(Besides, Yonghee looks like he’s very aware of the mess on his lip because he’s blinking at him in such a way that Jinyoung knows he’s done this on purpose.)
He’s also not one to think twice about kissing Yonghee, so he leans in and presses their lips together. It’s an easy, lazy kiss and tastes sweet and sugary. Addictive. In the space between them, Jinyoung’s pinkie finger brushes against Yonghee’s and he interlaces their fingers. Yonghee hums appreciatively against his lips.
He’s the first to draw away, and Jinyoung chases after him for another, only to be met with Yonghee’s finger against his lips stopping him in his tracks.
Yonghee laughs. “Cheesy.”
“You love it.”
“Unfortunately.”
Jinyoung isn’t sure if it’s the sugar, but he feels giddy and happy and warm. He lays his head on Yonghee’s shoulder and stares out into the sky.
“I meant what I said earlier,” Yonghee says. He kisses the crown of Jinyoung’s head then rests against him. “Thank you for being patient with me. For not getting annoyed. And for everything, really…”
“And I meant it when I said you don’t have to thank me.”
“No, but I wanted to. Thank you.”
Jinyoung squeezes his hand. “Then you’re very welcome. I’m really proud of you, y’know?”
“...What do you mean?”
“I’m proud of how far you’ve come. Of how you’re still going. I’m happy to be with you through all of this.”
Yonghee squirms under his compliments. He can’t see his face, but Jinyoung knows he has a raging blush speckled across his cheeks (which is precisely why he likes showering Yonghee with compliments).
“Well, I’m happy to be able to learn from you, and from everyone. And I’m glad you chose us.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Jinyoung says, and he honestly feels like he could cry at any moment. He lifts his head from Yonghee’s shoulder and shuffles awkwardly to sit up.
Then, he slips his arm around Yonghee’s shoulders and pulls him closer so he’s leaning heavily into Jinyoung. He follows gratefully and rests his hand on Jinyoung’s stomach.
They spend the next five minutes sipping at their now cooled hot chocolates until the mugs sit empty beside them. He looks down into the city below them, watches the street lights flicker and the quiet hum of cars sweeping by. Eventually, he finds himself drifting off.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course,” Jinyoung says, eyes closed, words laced with sleepiness.
“If we saw a shooting star, what would you wish for?” Yonghee asks quietly, shyly. He fiddles with the hem of Jinyoung’s shirt.
Jinyoung does not hesitate one moment.
“You.”
Yonghee laughs, his eyes crinkling. “You already have me.”
“I know, I just want to make sure.”
“Well, I promise you have me.” He links their pinkie fingers together. “Always.”
He feels like his heart is about to burst. “I love you, Yonghee.”
“I love you too.”
_______
“Jinyoung?”
“Yeah?”
“...I’m cold.”
Jinyoung snorts and shakes his head. “What did I say?” He stands and takes the handles of both empty mugs in one hand. He offers the other hand to Yonghee, who takes it without hesitation. He pulls him to his feet and they head inside.
Their hands stay intertwined as Jinyoung places the mugs in the sink. “Bed?”
“Bed.”