Work Text:
It’s been some time since the group did a mature concept for a comeback. That’s not to say there haven't been significant ones before this. It also hasn’t been something they’d have to get used to again-- the promotions and appearances, everything that Vernon would rather pass up on if he had the chance. The process wasn’t easy but for the members who haven’t had a day that didn’t coincide with another gig, this was going to be grueling. Seungkwan, for one, has been busy being a darling in entertainment to Korea. He was in talk and game shows and he was a participant; an honored guest; an emcee. He was going to come back from all of that to be the one thing he really signed up for: being a singer. Then, he’d come back to the same shows to let the world know about the songs he’s sung with the rest of his members. He’d talk; but in relief, he wouldn’t be the only one talking.
In less than a month, it was going to be showtime for the new album. Seungkwan remembers the poster and trailer coming out a week or so ago. The company has not been coy about getting the band back into full relevancy, with content releasing back to back on weekends of other shorts or episodes from their show. He was going to be in a series and attend a show with Vernon in the next three days. It’s safe to say that he didn’t mind, he was not ‘elated’ as Seokmin would say. Seungkwan was used to it. He is a professional singer and idol, and Vernon was his co-worker, aside from being his boyfriend.
“I’m excited,” His lips break into that wide, lopsided grin that is determined to stay on his face until Seungkwan acknowledges him. “I like the concept of the show. I promise I’ll be talking.”
Seungkwan is a little taken back and he chuckles a little before he lets himself find Vernon adorable. “I know you will, though I think they’re going to dig up your childhood videos again.”
He tilts his head a little. “Ah, what’s a show with me in it without the childhood videos? It was cute the first time around.”
“It’s cute each time.” Seungkwan assures him. Vernon doesn’t verbally reply to it, only choosing to pinch the side of his waist. “Hey, after the shooting, I was thinking maybe we could eat dinner in the same place?”
“I thought that too, and that we should bring some food back home for the members.”
“Hmm, Jeonghan-hyung might be the only one home by then,” Seungkwan contemplates it for a second. “Yeah, he’d appreciate that.”
The entertainment industry liked to keep Seungkwan inside this cubic set with two walls and an unimaginable number of cameras and equipment in front. It would often smell of cosmetic powder and stale air from the lack of it circulating the area. The first time he had to be put under the brightness of stage lights was almost like seeing god and wondering if it was the end of his days. Once he found out that he had a knack-- no, he was meant for this whole thing, he had to embrace the talk and the scripts; the drama; the comedy. Seungkwan walked into the set with a good-natured attitude and made a point to greet the staff and engage in small talk with the other guests he’s worked with before, all with his boyfriend in tow. Vernon would smile and agree to everything being said to him once someone realized there was someone behind Seungkwan. It would be to ask how he’s doing or that they must be busy around this time and they would break it off by telling him to look after himself. Seungkwan would look back at him with a shit-eating grin and Vernon would roll his eyes, letting him know that he was self-aware of the awkwardness that he apparently emanated. They settled into their seats when the lights started going on one by one and the cameras got to rolling.
It went as normally as predicted. Vernon had to go on the same spiel about being born in New York but not having as much of a connection to it like he did with Korea, how he has to speak English at home, having to react to his old commercials and having the other guests do impersonations of it (including Seungkwan, who took great pleasure in doing it) and abandoning all sense of humility in him by once again being compared to Leonardo DiCaprio (Sofia must be having a fit of laughter back at home). Despite having to sit through that, the whole shtick of the show: mothers reacting to the day-to-day life of their celebrity sons, entertained him enough not to mind everything else.
The conversation naturally wandered to both Seungkwan and Vernon-- well, more on Seventeen, really. It was common for members in idol groups coming on shows to answer questions that one would otherwise never answer; unless you wanted to be an asshole on tv, then maybe you could honestly answer a question like: "Vernon, do you have a certain ranking for the visuals in Seventeen?"
If he could, he would laugh in this guy's face. Seungkwan was right beside him, and he could start speaking in prose about his face. "Oh, I do." He glances back at his boyfriend who happens to be looking back at him. "I can’t say what rank Seungkwan is because that would upset him.” He watches as his face turns into one of incredulity. It was all fake, of course; because Seungkwan knew better than to believe that.
Still, he manages to retort in the name of show business. “Well now, you’ll have to tell me what rank I am, otherwise I don’t think we’re going to leave here on good terms.” The cast bursts into laughter and Vernon has to quietly shake his head at him and reach out for his hand under the table.
The recording ended an hour after that and Seungkwan had to do rounds of saying his ‘goodbyes’ to everyone before leaving for the restaurant they agreed to go to. It was getting chilly outside-- late September, the air was crisp, the kind that turned sensitive noses, like Vernon’s, pink. Seungkwan was languid in the way he moved but he still walked ahead, which meant Vernon had to follow him at an awkward pace. The two of them had to walk considerably far apart, ever so wary of the public eye though it no longer holds any power on their relationship like it used to.
"I don't really feel like eating outside tonight. Maybe we can get take out for both of us too?" Seungkwan asks him plainly before pushing the door labeled with 'pull' on the side. Vernon has his eyes on him like there's something on his face, something he can't physically pick out. "Okay, go ahead."
With Seventeen, it's usually never a case of ordering one kind of food for one person. It was always either shared or the one who had to buy the food for the others had to buy two of the same kind for one member. That's why Vernon and Seungkwan walked out of the place with both hands occupied by plastics that held containers of black bean noodles and fried chicken. The smell of it is trapped within the car, mixed with the pine air freshener. Seungkwan scrunches his nose up during the entirety of the ride back home.
“Hey,” Vernon nudges him when he starts to fall asleep on his elbow and he knows it’s not far enough for a nap until they get there. He doesn’t mind that their driver sees everything, including the soft way he parts the hair around Seungkwan’s forehead. He has never looked at them in the way that made them know it came from a place of disdain, and really, the staff has acknowledged how close they were, regardless of what they really were to each other. “I didn’t mean it, you know.” He mutters to a half-asleep Seungkwan.
“What?” He asks, but he really has no intention of knowing what he was talking about. He’s neck-deep into this thick stupor that he just tells himself to remember to ask Vernon about what he meant in the car, right after he got some shut-eye in the dorms.
The car stops right outside the gate and Vernon has to lightly shake him back to consciousness. “You two take care,” the driver calls out to them. He smiles and mouths a thank you before the driver rolls the windows up and disappears from the driveway.
Seungkwan had been right about Jeonghan being the only one home at this time. He was in the kitchen staring at something inside the fridge, or more like the existence of it instead of one specific thing in it. “Where the hell is everyone? Do they all have schedules?”
Jeonghan decides to not answer either of the questions. “Is that food? Oh thank god, I thought I would have to cook again.” Oh, that explains his deal with the refrigerator.
“I’m going to go ahead and sleep.” Seungkwan drops the plastic bags of food on the table. He breaks into a yawn just before he says, “Solie, please for the life of me, leave some of that for me.” Vernon only laughs and nods in response before shoo-ing him away with a dismissive hand.
Once Seungkwan was out of sight and honestly, far from earshot, Jeonghan turned to Vernon. “How’d it go? I still can’t figure out from the look on your face if there’s something wrong.” It’s very Jeonghan of him-- to want to figure it out in the first place, admitting that try as he might, he can't always get it right on the first try. Vernon smiles at the gesture.
“I don’t know. It went well, for the most part anyway. I can’t help but think I said something wrong though. He usually doesn’t keep it to himself when he’s upset with me, so I’m not really sure.”
Jeonghan hums in contemplation, poking around the noodles on his plate. “You can always ask him.”
“I know.” Vernon sighs a very short one that means he knows he’s making a big deal out of nothing. “It’s just… sometimes I wish I didn’t have to, I’d just know.”
-
Seungkwan insisted that they watched as it got broadcasted on television the following night. They had the living room to themselves. They still wouldn’t mind if any of the members cared to join them, but so far all of them have been cooped up in their rooms right after dinner. Vernon takes the popcorn that’s been chucked in the microwave and brings it over to the little coffee table in front of the couch.
“Ah, we’re too late.” Seungkwan moans over the fact that twenty minutes of the show have already gone by. “Whatever, it’s not like we never knew what happened.” When Seungkwan woke up at maybe around 3 am last night, complaining about sleeping on an empty stomach, he’d been at the dining table waiting for him. Seungkwan, in all his post-slumber grumpiness, still managed to smile at him. Vernon couldn’t find it in himself to ask so he let him eat the food and let him go back to sleep, doing all the things you’d do to avoid a fight in the dead of night. Because at this point he’s also forgotten what this was about. All he knew was that Seungkwan was upset and it had something to do with him.
He couldn’t figure it out but he agreed to watch the show with Seungkwan because a) it was time spent with him and b) he said something on this show; and if that part aired, he’d find out what it was. Seungkwan had his eyes on the tv and he couldn’t see how he was practically teetering from the edge of the couch trying to see if he even mouthed or said something under his breath. Then, he hears it coming.
He remembered it, right when the conversation had turned to them. “Hey,” he taps on Seungkwan’s shoulder, “I’m going to the comfort room, real quick.”
He goes inside and is relieved to still be able to hear the tv from the plastic door they have installed. Seungkwan doesn’t know what’s up but he notices the jittering in how he made his way to the comfort room. Only he brushes it off as Vernon just really needs to take a piss. He turns his attention back to the show and it’s right when one of the hosts says, "Vernon, do you have a certain ranking for the visuals in Seventeen?" and he replies with "I can’t say what rank Seungkwan is because that would upset him.” when his phone gets an Instagram notification.
@chwenotchew added to their story.
What the hell was he doing in there?
Seungkwan opened it hastily, for a nail-biting second that seemed to last minutes, to see a snap of his leg with the couch and carpet in the background. In the middle of the picture was a link to a song from an artist called LEX.
It was titled No.1
Seungkwan laughed, with all of him, his back sinking into the couch with so much amused disbelief that he didn't even see Vernon come out of the room with a grin so accomplished, you’d think he had asked Seungkwan to marry him. “God, you are such an idiot.”
“I thought you were upset about it.”
Seungkwan laughed again and managed to punch lightly at his shoulder. “Why would I-- was this why you stayed up last night?” Vernon nodded. He shook his head before hooking both of his hands behind his neck, reeling him in for a kiss.
“I wasn’t, just for the record. And do you really think carats won’t piece this together?”
“I sure hope they do.”
