Work Text:
Hyunsuk isn't one to be easily satisfied when it comes to working. Perfectionist is a label for people like him but to Jihoon, it's more than that. To measure how big Hyunsuk's love for craft is to scale the vast universe itself. It is impossible because akin to the universe that continues to expand every second, so does Hyunsuk's passion. The edge is nowhere to be found.
And like an astronaut watching the grand spectacle directly inside the space station, so is Jihoon inside Hyunsuk's purple-dimmed studio.
"Again."
Hearing the older leader, Jihoon wets his lips before leaning forward to the pop filter of the microphone and sings,
"You have the same sad face as me. Won't you stay with me? Come to me~"
When it's done, Jihoon exhales, then glances at Hyunsuk, seated next to him, who's pursuing his plump lips. Ah, he's not satisfied, Jihoon guesses.
Then, the next second;
"Can you stretch the last words a bit longer, Jihoon-ah?"
Bingo.
Jihoon nods, "You mean, the 'come to me' part?"
"Yeah."
After gulping his tumbler, Jihoon executes what he's told, meanwhile noticing the small fingers of Hyunsuk tapping the desk as the owner keeps his calculating eyes on the PC screen displaying the music editing program.
They're recording a song cover in response to the fans' request a few days ago. The fans asked for a cover of We The Leaders but Hyunsuk decided on a better, more suitable one that fits their voices; Stay With Me by Taeyang feat. G-Dragon.
Jihoon agreed.
"Good! Okay, let's move on to the bridge," exclaims Hyunsuk, clicking the mouse, moving the cursor around the screen.
Jihoon catches a glimpse of the clock hung on the wall. It's been two hours since they started, after completing a day filled with meetings for the comeback.
"You're awfully dedicated to making a cover at this time, hyung," Jihoon pokes through the comfortable silence with a small talk.
Hyunsuk quirks an eyebrow. "What time is it?"
"Almost 10."
"Ooh. We should be done by midnight. Also, what do you mean 'me'? You agree to this too, Jihoon-ah."
"Never gonna say no to you, hyung," Jihoon says nonchalantly but it manages to transform Hyunsuk's full lips into a sheepish smile.
Their eyes meet briefly before Hyunsuk nudges Jihoon's elbow lightly with his. "Come on. The quicker we wrap this up, the quicker we go home."
Jihoon lets out a snicker. "As if recording with you ever ends quick, ddangie."
Jihoon skims the lyrics shown on the phone, and does his part.
"Let yourself stay in this moment without a word. When tonight passes, a new day will start. I only have you. You are the only one I love. Hey, don't hesitate and just as you are, stay with me~"
Lengthy; Jihoon heaves a harsh breath afterward. Hyunsuk on the other hand looks pensive. Lips curls, eyes squint, as if he is searching for something missing. Can Jihoon the astronaut help him find it amid the obscurity of space?
Only one way to know; just keep going.
"Hmm. Again. But only starting from the third sentence, Jihoon-ah."
The younger leader complies.
"I only have you. You are the only one I love. Hey, don't hesitate and just as you are, stay with me~"
Short after;
"Again. And put more emotion into them, Jihoon-ah."
"I only have you. You are the only one I love. Hey, don't hesitate and just as you are, stay with me~"
But Hyunsuk maintains the troubled look. His mouth now pressed tight, hiding the plump skin Jihoon knows so well.
The creases across his hyung's temple deepen so Jihoon offers, "Again, hyung?"
The addressed man shakes his head. "Wait, wait, lemme think for sec."
So Jihoon does, taking a chance to take a break and drinks his water. While Hyunsuk is mulling on his own, an idea strikes Jihoon.
"How about a little exercise, hyung? I try singing differently and maybe along the way, you find what you're looking for."
Wide-eyed and happy, Hyunsuk nods frantically. Hyunsuk pauses his clicking then steers his chair to face Jihoon. Their thighs intersect, neither mind, accidental skinship always a welcome amid their hustle-bustle. Hyunsuk lets the younger leader clear his throat before observing him singing without being recorded.
"I only have you. You are the only one I love."
Hyunsuk hums along but his fingers are still tapping anxiously across the desk. "Okay, okay. Again."
Jihoon breaks out into a smile, seeing how serious his petite hyung is; pouting and frowning at him now they're face to face. Unconsciously, the amused smile stays while he sings.
"I only have you. You are the only one I love."
And as a receiver of Jihoon's voice and gazes, Hyunsuk chuckles amused. "Again," he asks, just wanting to see the smile.
Jihoon of course obeys, even gives a wider one this time, and an added message.
"You are the only one I love. Stay with me~"
Hyunsuk snorts, before patting Jihoon's knee. "That's not how the lyrics go."
Jihoon smirks; a plan is brewing in his brilliant mind. "Really? Should I try again?"
"Again."
But this time, Jihoon doesn't sing.
While locking his eyes with Hyunsuk's, he leans forward and utters,
"You are the only one I love. For worse or for better, just stay with me forever."
And just as expected, faint pink graces Hyunsuk's cheeks; Jihoon touches them before the color fades, caresses them like a million times before as he never gets tired of feeling smooth skin under his fingertips and the doe eyes that stare back at him.
Hyunsuk leans at Jihoon's palm and murmurs, "That's my line, Jihoon-ah."
"No, it's ours."
Before anything, Jihoon erases the space, the light-years distance between them for Jihoon the astronaut has fallen for the beautiful, starry universe that is Hyunsuk.
Jihoon seals their lips together like a promise they will never part. For better or worse, the lyrics read, and Jihoon couldn't agree more. And when he pulls away a bit, Hyunsuk chases him and gasps, "Again."
Jihoon's other hand latches on Hyunsuk's slim waist before they dive into another kiss. Tongue wetting their bottom lips, playing lightly before the mouths separate.
But Hyunsuk-- "Again."
And Jihoon laughs, breathlessly and giddy, when they're an inch from each other. "And people say I'm clingy."
Hyunsuk beams back, bopping their noses. "What do people know about us?"
"Nothing," Jihoon whispers, "They know nothing," before deepening the kiss. For them, let their love become one of the mysteries of the universe. Let it be wondered, dissected, or even celebrated because to measure how big Hyunsuk's love for Jihoon is to scale the vast universe itself. It expands every second they kiss, touch, live, and Jihoon the astronaut is gladly lost in it.
-
"So, how do you want me to sing, hyung?" Jihoon asks when they're ready to record a new take, and Hyunsuk answers gleefully because he has found the missing ingredient to the song.
It's love, after all.
"Sing while you think about me."