Work Text:
changmin. changmin. changmin.
are the only words that repeat in youngjae's mind like a broken videotape. the sound of his name is soft, warm, and loving too just like his dark brown eyes. that ever so endearing smile of his is too much to resist.
music flows through the room practice room where eric was practicing, now laying on the floor, watching their reveal stage performance. originally, he stayed over to practice his dancing. the rest of the members headed back to the dorms, aside from chanhee and sunwoo who wanted to focus on their composition and vocals.
but youngjae's thoughts cease the moment a familiar voice calls out to him.
"hey, eric. youngjae, earth to eric?" sunwoo says, waving a hand in front of him. and when he doesn't get a response, he whips his head over his shoulder, meeting eyes with a small figure making his way towards them as if he's about to plan something dangerous both of the boys are unaware of.
"son youngjae, snap out of it," chanhee starts gently.
he brings an arm out, placing a hand on the younger's shoulder before leaning in just to whisper in his ear, "stop dreaming already and tell him how you feel," if him wasn't any indication, youngjae would have laughed.
he doesn't find himself laughing, instead, his head raises, trying to read the flat but obvious expression on chanhee's face that screams how much longer are you going to hide your feelings for changmin? and sunwoo is just standing three feet away from them, eyebrow raised, curious twinkling brown eyes, and when chanhee leaves the scene, throwing a wink to eric, sunwoo is flabbergasted.
"excuse me, what? what the hell is going on here and why do I know nothing about this matter?" the red-head asks rather calmly, arms folded across his chest, eyes shooting daggers at youngjae. this time the younger laughs, completely out of his trance. he's on both feet in a matter of seconds.
a wide smile stretches across his face as he breathes in, then out deeply, eyes shutting close, opening again.
it's been a while he's been feeling like this, all mushy, mellow, head in the clouds, happier than usual, not that he wasn't ever happy: he's smiling more, giddy, twice as energetic, and feels serene in a moment he knows that may not last if eight letters carved in his heart are said to the only and only. youngjae is in love with changmin, he's utterly in love with him, and he can't tell the dancer how he feels because feelings are floating until they are sinking if one wrong move occurs.
and that one wrong move would be the biggest mistake of his life: changmin avoiding him once he knows how youngjae feels about him.
it's wrong he knows, but it feels so right. it's killing him. the idea of letting the dancer know how he feels about him.
it wouldn't hurt to try, would it? or no he could just be obvious like the usual, occasional glances, soft touches randomly, and just be there for him.
but he knows it's not enough. he knows the way his heart races when the dancer passes by, screams, helps them with the choreographies, or how he moves when he dances, how his laugh has such a huge impact on him. when he started developing feelings for the boy?
he isn't quite sure and can't pinpoint how it happened, all of the sudden, maybe it's just attraction? he thought over it a few times and eventually his heart gave him the needed answer.
It didn't matter when and how he fell in love with the dancer. eric does know his feelings for the raven-haired are there, true, real, and reverberating through his ears as his heart pounds against his chest, aware of the red-head waiting for an answer that is . . . if he even cares anymore, but he does. sunwoo lets out a prolonged irritated sigh before shaking the younger by the shoulder, a wide happy smile stretching across his face, making his dark eyes gleam.
eric, finally, escapes out of his trance, and laughs, "okay, okay. I'll tell you what's going on and I'm sorry for keeping this secret of mine away from you, but it's just that I find it safe to tell chanhee even though he's really close with changmin but . . . you get me?" he says, almost questioning himself.
sunwoo snorts. he starts shaking eric by the shoulder's again and at this point, the silver-haired, brown eyes, half-grin slipping across his face gives up. shutting his eyes close, eric takes a deep breath, and then says it.
"I'm in love with Changmin."