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When Jungwoo first saw Dejun walk in with a comment of 'I'm hungry' following just seconds after, he didn't know what to think. The first thought was 'huh?' followed quickly by an 'oh! He's hungry!'. He didn't linger too much on it, with Mark and Jisung explaining how the dough was too raw for him to eat and that there were others in the waffle iron that he could have once they were done.
However, it wasn't until he sat beside Jungwoo, eyes bright and shining, that he felt a little more moved, his mind shifting to a grey area where he couldn't help but stare. Dejun was beautiful, as were most of the men he was surrounded by on the daily, but there was something so... So pretty about the way his visage betrayed his every little emotion, his cheeks rounding as he tried to contain giggles.
Jungwoo didn't think he was one to be swayed by little charms. Especially not when he was known for them himself, loving to tease everyone around him with too-long lingering gazes and slow blinks that had his lashes brushing against his cheeks with unwavering eye contact. He would have been lying if he said he didn't do it to purposely gain reactions (more often than not consisting of groans and disgruntled shoves).
He supposed that habits became treasured, his own actions mirrored subconsciously back to him in how Dejun reached over to the back of his chair, the scent of his mint and citrus perfume tasting better than the waffles that warmed just a metre away from them. He spoke with a hand squeezing and rubbing Jungwoo's shoulder, cat-like eyes focused on his whenever he turned to face the younger man.
Blush coloured lips pulled into another smile and he briefly wondered if Dejun had applied lip tint just for the vlive he would be doing next.
"Only a few more minutes and you can have some," Jungwoo reassured, an arm wrapping around his shoulders to pull him into a side hug. Dejun merely nodded, attention caught by something Jisung had said.
He really was gorgeous, bundled up in his honey tinted jumper and golden glasses that sat comfortably on the bridge of his nose. What a shame, Jungwoo mused, that we're not in a unit together.
Once or twice, he caught him looking at him, the camera catching it as a quick look towards Mark or Jisung who were perfectly unaware of the simmering underneath Jungwoo’s skin at how dark brown irises rolled over his profile, caught on tan skin before moving away once there was danger of being caught. You’re so cute, Jungwoo wanted to coo, knowing he was being especially frivolous in front of the fans, but he couldn’t help it.
The waffles were done and he picked up the can of whipped cream, shaking it with Dejun mere inches away, stood on his tiptoes with expectation and excitement intertwining with the mint. “It smells good!” he said, leaning on his palms against the table, eager to catch another look and Jungwoo had to bite the inside of his cheek, needing to keep his smile hidden.
“Let hyung finish decorating it and you can have the first bite as our guest.” Dejun nodded eagerly and he turned away, thankful that he did not blush easily and that his ears had yet to feel the rush of familiar heat. A swirl here and another perfect swirl there - then it was done after Jisung had finished adding letters on top.
He cut it into quarters, giving him the piece with a small fork and almost guiding it to his lips, catching himself before the sin was committed and instead handing it off with an innocent smile and a watchful stare.
“It’s delicious,” he exclaimed, nodding in appreciation for the sweet treat, unaware (or purposely avoiding) the eyes that were focused on his face.
“Are you just saying that?” Jungwoo teased, placing his hand on his arm and laughing when he shook his head vehemently, eagerly.
“No. I really mean it.”
It was then that Jeno had come over, breaking between the both of them and his attention was torn away, instated to the blue-haired man as he stole a piece for himself while laughing and joking with them. The camera turned off and the manager got up, telling them they did a good job and to have fun cleaning up - a dust outline in place of where they had been due to the quickness in which they’d left. Jungwoo shook his head, knowing he would end up having to clean a majority of the mess.
“I gotta steal Xiaojun from you guys,” Jeno said, hands on the older man’s shoulders, his smile typical and easily recognisable. “Let’s go before we get forced to clean this mess too.”
Dejun agreed, also fearing having to wipe sticky counters and discard open bags of icing. “Thank you for the food. I’m just glad that the icing wasn’t wasabi flavoured.”
“You and me both,” Jungwoo laughed, palm flat against his arm for one last time, the layers of fabric barely there as he gently squeezed. “Have fun on your vlive.”
“It’s cards so let’s hope we can actually make it entertaining,” Jeno spoke in lieu of Dejun (and while Jungwoo could not deny the slight hint of disappointment, ultimately did not mind as Jeno was also someone he treasured). “See you guys later.”
“Bye,” they chorused, his eyes lingering on the gold frames and striking eyes behind them.
“I’ll see you soon.”
While there was no definition to the word ‘soon’, Jungwoo wished he could have had a better estimate of when he would next see Dejun. It wasn’t often - or ever before this - that he found himself thinking of another, thoughts drifting back to the man continuously. He didn't have his number and he felt slightly awkward trying to ask someone else for it. Nonetheless, Jungwoo wasn't one to back away from devouring something his heart desired.
Jungwoo: Hey
Ten-hyung: What's up?
Jungwoo: Do you have Xiaojun's number?
Ten-hyung: I do
Jungwoo: Can I have it? 😁😆
Ten-hyung: 🤨
Ten-hyung: here it is
Ten: ***********
Ten-hyung: He's in his room right now so he'll see whatever message you send pretty much instantly
Jungwoo: ok! 👍🏼 Thanks hyung
The contact was bright on his screen, the profile picture of the horizon and the setting sun creating an ambiance that Jungwoo didn't want to disturb.
Jungwoo: Hi Xiaojun 😊
Jungwoo: It's your Jungwoo-hyung
He took a quick picture, showing both his face and the clock perched on the wall behind him as proof. They could never be too careful with checking who had a hold of their numbers.
His message was marked as viewed only seconds later, the man on the other end typing while Jungwoo chewed on the inside of his cheek, waiting impatiently for the answer.
Xiaojun: Hi Hyung! ^^
Xiaojun: How did you get my number?
Jungwoo: I asked Ten-hyung for it, hope you don't mind ;;
Xiaojun: No, of course not! ))
Xiaojun: You don't need to call me Xiaojun. Dejun is fine since we're friends
Dejun: What r u doing rn?
Jungwoo: Got it! Dejun it is 😌
Jungwoo: Nothing honestly T_T
Jungwoo: I was just thinking that we should get closer
Jungwoo: Mark was talking about awsaz and I was hoping that you didn't find it too awkward
He knew that, personally, he didn't find it tense at all, though he suspected that Dejun was not quite as sociable. Of course, this was a by-product of mismatched schedules but Jungwoo didn't want to be a stranger - not anymore than he needed to.
Dejun: oh
Dejun: i didn't find it too awkward ㅋㅋㅋ
Dejun: You and the others made it okay and welcoming
Dejun: And that waffle helped to ease tension 🤣
He found himself smiling, cursing himself as he caught his reflection glaring back at him.
Jungwoo: ㅎㅎㅎ
Jungwoo: I thought we could meet up again if you're free?
Jungwoo: maybe practise together?
Jungwoo: I want to know what choreography Wayv is doing
Dejun: How about tomorrow?
Dejun: The second floor studio is free from 5pm onwards
Dejun: If you want we can practise together then
Jungwoo: That's fine with me 💪🏼^^
Jungwoo: I'll be there !
Dejun: I'll look forward to it 🤭
He stared at the emoji for a little longer than necessary, his saliva thick as he swallowed. He was thinking too hard about inconsequential things; Jungwoo shook his head.
(He couldn't wait for tomorrow).
The restlessness that plagued him the entire day had not gone unnoticed, his eyes constantly moving to the clock to try and will the hands to move faster.
"Are you okay?" Doyoung had asked with a hint of concern in his voice that had come from watching Jungwoo bounce his leg and check his watch continuously for the past half hour. "Are you worried about something?"
"Hm?" A sudden pull back into reality. "Ah, no I'm just waiting for something."
"What is it?"
"I made plans with Xia- Dejun."
Doyoung raised an eyebrow. "Since when were you two hanging out?"
He crossed his arms over his chest, pouting in a way that he knew would make Doyoung internally roll his eyes and drop the interrogation. "Can't I have a good relationship with the Wayv members?"
"Seems more like you're about to get shit yourself rather than hang out," Doyoung quipped one last time before getting up, his bowl of cereal cleared completely. "If you're so nervous, there's some herbal medicine in the cabinet."
"Mm." He exhaled the moment Doyoung was out of the room. Perhaps he was being a little bit uptight. There was nothing scary about Dejun and barely anything to be nervous about either. He was the man's senior too!
The clock finally hit 16:30 and Jungwoo got up, his outfit of a black shirt, grey trousers and a beanie hardly worth praise, even less so with the large coat he had shrugged on top.
As he walked, he breathed in the frigid air, letting it cool his throat and insides. Huffs of his breath formed small clouds that dissipated the moment he passed them by, turning into wisps that escaped his grasp. His lips were chapped, the dry air not helping him since he had to apply another layer of lip balm within the hour.
Nonetheless, he arrived at the studio with 5 minutes to spare and slowly opened the door, music playing from within that he recognised as one of Wayv's title tracks.
It seemed as though Dejun hadn't noticed him yet, too immersed in his routine to pay attention to who went in and out. Jungwoo wasn't complaining, however, far from it.
He stayed near the door, admiring him. Like himself, Dejun's outfit wasn't anything outstanding and was made for comfort and heat reduction, a short sleeved white shirt and black trousers moulding his look.
His each move was fluid, the steps memorised flawlessly and executed as such. He moved with purpose, the choreography eye catching and impressive. Dejun's eyebrows furrowed in concentration, his expressions not the priority yet Jungwoo was enamoured.
The song played in its entirety before wide eyes caught his, a faint tinge of pink coating his cheeks. Jungwoo smiled.
"You should have said something," he said, breathing slightly laboured. "Were you there the whole time?"
"Pretty much. I didn't want to interrupt you, you were so focused." The faint sheen of sweat on his skin glistened under the low lights. "You have a really strong presence. I couldn't take my eyes off you."
The rose undercurrent of his cheeks deepened, a laugh bubbling from Dejun's chest. "Don't say things like that. I'm still a rookie compared to you."
"Doesn't mean you're any less good." Heat radiated off of him, his fingers squeezing Dejun's shoulder reassuringly, loitering for a few seconds too long. "How long have you been here?"
"Only ten minutes. I thought I'd warm up a little."
"Oh." The coat was hung up. "Did you book the studio?"
"Yeah. It's just us."
It was nothing more than a statement but Jungwoo felt something twist in his stomach while his calm demeanour remained outwardly unwavering. "I've been needing to get some practise in. I've been getting a little lazy recently."
Dejun scoffed at this, an expression he hadn't seen before but he didn't mind. "You're far from lazy. 127 is always busy, you must barely have time for sleep, let alone dance."
If only he could dispute it, alas he was doomed to silence and could only present a toothy grin. "Still."
The younger man picked up his phone, coming to stand beside Jungwoo and present his playlist of NCT's songs. "Which one should we do?"
"Do you like kick it?"
"Yeah."
"Do you know the dance?"
"Only the chorus. I haven't gotten to learn the rest." Perfect.
"I'll teach you then," Jungwoo stated, pressing on the song as it blasted through the speakers. "Don't worry, I'm an amazing teacher."
Jungwoo was also an amazing multitasker.
Almost an hour had gone by, the time consisting of nothing but him showing the moves and waiting for Dejun to copy, singing his praises when he was exactly right while encouraging him when he miss-stepped. This was not the multitasking, however, rather it was how he would look into the mirror at both himself and Dejun as his thoughts narrowed to one line of thought: gosh, he looked so pretty under the golden lighting. His skin glowed and his jaw was tight in concentration, eager to please and impress; Jungwoo found it adorable.
There was one particular part that Dejun seemed to be struggling on, the part just after the chorus making him stumble multiple times with frustration clearly growing within him.
Jungwoo took measures into his own hands, fingers grazing over his limbs as he pulled them into place, his face close enough to Dejun's that their breath mingled. The faint scent of peppermint gum hung in the air. "You don't mind if I correct you like this, do you?"
A gulp. "No."
If he told himself that Dejun was unaffected, then he could remain sane. The proximity was eating him alive but he had always been a masochist. "Try again. I'll correct you if it's wrong."
He nodded dutifully, following the beats of the music and doing much better.
"Good," Jungwoo praised. "Let's do it again, you're almost perfect."
This time his fingers brushed against his waist, eyes watching for any signs of discomfort only to find a challenge staring back at him. He wished he could take the bait, to sink his teeth into honeyed sweetness, but all he did was move his hand away and corrected him again with a touch that left his fingertips burning.
"One more time."
This time, Dejun did it with no mistakes, moving through the routine flawlessly and he clapped, cheering for him.
"My turn to teach you, Hyung."
If Jungwoo was purposely being obtuse, he could have written off the wistful glances as a trick of the eye, something that he was hallucinating in his boredom and desire to be acknowledged.
Though, he was far from stupid.
He wanted to do better, to do the choreography like he would be asked to join wayv the next day, so long as he gained Dejun's approval and he could see the happiness that brightened his features when Jungwoo did everything correctly.
They barely noticed the time slip through their fingers, too caught up within the air of … Something?
Jungwoo wished he knew what to call it.
Dejun-ah: Hey hyung?
Dejun-ah: Are you awake?
Jungwoo: Hm? 😙
Jungwoo: Can't sleep?
Dejun-ah: Not really no
Dejun-ah: I feel restless
Jungwoo: Ah I understand
Jungwoo: Let's go out
Dejun-ah: Now? It's so late
Jungwoo: I know ㅋㅋ
Jungwoo: meet me outside the 7-ELEVEN near the sm building
Jungwoo: some late night food night help you
Dejun-ah: Ok 👍🏼
Dejun-ah: I'm coming now
Jungwoo: don't be late ^^
Truthfully, Jungwoo didn't know what he was doing, sneaking out at nearly 2am while everyone else in the dorm was fast asleep. There was an air of feeling like a child still awake past their bedtime as he opened the front door and made his way down, dressed in a big black coat with a cap and mask. He didn't want to risk being seen now by anyone other Dejun.
The journey that usually took 20 minutes took 12 in his haste, the large strides working in his favour as he found himself outside of the store before his partner in crime.
Jungwoo: Where r u? 😕😰
Dejun-ah: god you walk fast
Dejun-ah: almost there, give me two minutes
True to his word, not even a minute later - he was here. His clothing reflected Jungwoo's once more, their outfits identical and he giggled as he pulled down his mask.
"Did you copy me on purpose?" He asked, Dejun's pointed look only amusing him. "Tut tut, I told you to be on time. You shouldn't keep your elders waiting."
"Hmph. It's not fair when you have long ass legs to carry you everywhere."
Jungwoo audibly laughed, the mask pulled back up as he looped his arm around Dejun's, shutting the man up instantly. "Let's get some shit to eat. Being up late is making you fussy."
"Is not." How cute.
The bright lights of the shop made his eyes hurt, regret at not wearing his glasses hitting him when colourful dots danced in his vision. His arm wound tighter around Dejun's, seeking him out for comfort.
Thankfully, he didn't comment on it and instead walked over to the refrigerated section. "Do you want anything from here?"
"Hm, I feel like having an onigiri." He took one down, choosing the tuna mayo option and offering one to him - to which he happily agreed to. "If you keep me here too long, I'll buy the whole section."
"You must have a black hole in your tummy." Dejun shook his head, picking up a yogurt drink and a jelly pouch.
"Why do you think I keep growing? Come, you don't need to be shy around me." He really loved teasing him, his flustered demeanour always so endearing. "Pick anything you want."
"You should too. You can't feed that hole with only onigiri."
Even if only to encourage Dejun, he picked up a strawberry and cream sandwich and two cheese strings. The combination of foods was bizarre but 2am was hardly the time to care.
In turn, Dejun guided them for the snacks and selected seaweed snacks, saying something about he was craving salt.
Their visit to the store was done in an instant, the time passing too quickly for Jungwoo's liking.
He made sure that he reached the cashier before Dejun, standing at the end of the belt after unlacing their arms. "Put your things down, I'll pay for it."
"Huh?" He blinded owlishly, mouth opening and closing before he shook his head. "No. I'm the reason you're out here. I'll pay for my own things, Hyung."
"Hey. It's your hyung's treat," Jungwoo said, almost daring him to argue again. When Dejun handed him the goods silently, he grinned smugly behind his mask. "Food tastes more delicious when others buy it for you."
Dejun didn't say a word because they both knew it to be true.
The total was unimportant, the plastic bag rustling as it hit his thigh while they walked. "Do you want to sit inside?" In truth, he didn't really care where they were as long as he could stay by him.
"Can we sit by the river? I think it looks nice at this time."
"Yeah."
They walked quietly along the river's edge, a comfortable silence broken only by the sounds of night life and distant cars. Jungwoo felt his heart hammer, echoing in his ears for reasons beyond his comprehension.
The moonlight always made him feel melancholy and today was no different. In actuality, it seemed to only be amplified.
"There's a bench over there," Dejun pointed out, hand wrapping around his wrist as he tagged Jungwoo along. His heartbeat grew louder.
For some reason, his mouth had run dry when their shoulders touched, their warmth shared as Dejun took the bag and set it on the junction of their thighs.
"Hyung?" Jungwoo turned his head, looking at his profile with his tongue glued to the roof of his mouth. The smell of mint was almost overwhelming to his addled brain. "Thank you."
"You don't need to say thank you." His voice was quieter than he wanted it to be. "What was keeping you up?"
Teeth dug into his bottom lip, endless eyes reflecting the river's surface. "I have a habit of overthinking. Kun-ge says I should try to relax but sometimes it's a little overwhelming."
"I know what you mean." Jungwoo turned away, taking out the onigiri and unwrapping it. "It's hard to sleep when your thoughts are so loud."
Dark eyes followed his movements, watching as he took a bite. "I'm just grateful to you. I feel like the three of us joined at an awkward time and it made it hard to find any connection with the members that aren't in wayv."
He had the feeling that Dejun had more to say, so he simply nodded and swallowed.
"From you, I made better friends with the rest of the 127 hyung's. I feel a lot better about it but there's still something that I can't stop thinking about." There was a deep inhale, the weight of the world resting on his shoulders. "I couldn't sleep because of you."
His heart felt like it would beat out of his sternum. "Did I do something wrong?"
"Ah… No. You- well,"-the air whistled as he sucked in a breath-"I really like you."
His fingers tightened around the onigiri, eyes wide open in surprise and shock. There had always been something simmering in the underbelly of their relationship, whisked away and hidden between the stolen looks and fleeting touches. Jungwoo knew what he felt was true to him, but to know that Dejun felt the same was simultaneously a relief and terrifying.
His response has taken too long, long lashes fanning over his cheek as he shut his eyes. "It's fine if you don't feel the same. I just couldn't keep it to myself anymore."
"Dejun-ah?"
"Yes?"
"Look at me."
The snack was put down but the taste of it did not leave, slender fingers running over a prominent jawline before he leant in and was met halfway.
Neither of them deepened it any further, opting to bask in the touch of the other after months of nothing but whispered notions. Jungwoo wanted to gulp down air and lean in again, to let him know that he felt the same and that there was no question of doubt in his mind.
But it was cold and he heard Dejun's sigh, a relieved chuckle coming from the man so close to him.
The blush reached Jungwoo's ears this time. "I really like you, too."