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On a lovely Sunday evening, Soobin was watching Jujutsu Kaisen 0 with Huening Kai in the living room, one hand in the bowl of popcorn propped between them while the other was lazily draped over the couch. His hand was considerably close to Yeonjun's head who was lounging beside him on the other side with Taehyun, playing with their phones. Suddenly, Beomgyu burst into their dorm carrying a crate full of bright red strawberries, his loud nature alarming them of his presence and startling everyone from their seats.
“I got strawberries!” shouted Beomgyu, followed by a deep chuckling that meant he was more than excited. He walked to the kitchen to deposit the heavy crate on their dining table and beckoned the members to join him. With the movie paused and phones down, the boys approached the redhead as they gawked at the large amounts of strawberries piled on top of one another.
“Wow, these look amazing, Beomgyu-hyung! Where did you get them?” Kai asked eagerly, mesmerized by one particularly large strawberry sitting at the top.
“My mom sent over strawberries after seeing the color of my hair,” replied Beomgyu, laughing warmly in the process. The others joined him in the laughter because true to his words, the strawberries were nearly, if not fully, the same shade as Beomgyu’s newly dyed red hair for their comeback.
“Yah, you know what this needs? Chocolate dip!” yelled the oldest. Yeonjun’s remark had Soobin nodding vehemently. After all, chocolate-dipped strawberries are truly delicious and Soobin always had a sweet tooth. Considering the grueling hours of their present schedule on top of practicing, Soobin has been craving sugar more and more these days. Yeonjun noticed his enthusiasm and grinned at the younger boy. Unfortunately, the others seem to have a different opinion.
“No, cream dip!” Taehyun rebutted, earning him strong nods from Beomgyu and Kai.
“Chocolate!” Soobin joined Yeonjun in defending their chosen dip. “Cream!” parried the younger members, immediately forming an alliance. Of course, the hyungs were never one to back down. They volleyed their wants through a long and tiring debate.
“Strawberries need a sweet partner to balance out their tartiness and citrusy taste! What better way than to pair it with the most delicious dessert known to mankind – chocolate,” Soobin stated firmly. Yeonjun bobbed his head in full agreement, wrapping his arm around the leader’s shoulder in support. “You tell them, Soobin-ah!” Yeonjun commented.
“When we eat out in restaurants, strawberries are always served with cream! Hyungs, why do you think strawberry shortcake is popular? Because strawberries and cream are the superior pair,” argued Kai. Taehyun and Beomgyu murmured their agreement.
“That’s right, hyung. Is there even a character named after chocolate-dipped strawberries? No! We only have Strawberry Shortcake!” added Beomgyu, making everyone laugh at the ridiculous yet acceptable detail.
Their debate went on for about half an hour until Soobin felt he needed to put an end to this whole debacle because it was becoming too tedious to sustain. And he really just wanted to eat the strawberries, with or without the dip anyway. Just then, a brilliant solution popped into his head, regretting that he didn’t think of it sooner. But then again, he was too invested in throwing out arguments that he wasn’t able to think past his own desires.
Soobin raised his arm to draw their attention. “OK, that’s enough. What if we just have both dips? That way everyone can try one or the other or both. Does that sound good enough for everybody?” he asked, checking to see if every member agreed. Everyone seemed stunned for a second, realizing that their leader’s suggestion was spot-on. No one has to sacrifice their wants. In fact, they’ll be getting more from what they were fighting for in the first place.
Yeonjun was the first one to break the silence. The blonde idol let out a hearty laugh and said, “Yah, you’re right. Why are we even arguing in the first place? We can just have both! Our Soobinnie is so smart!” He patted Soobin’s butt like he always does. The tall boy smiled proudly at the older boy’s praise, his dimples making an appearance on his cheeks.
The younger members agreed immediately, loving the idea that everyone wins in the end. They then hurried to prepare their fruity snack. Soobin and Yeonjun took charge of preparing the chocolate dip, while Taehyun and Kai took care of the cream dip. In the meantime, Beomgyu washed the strawberries thoroughly in the sink.
Once everyone was done with their tasks, Soobin instructed them to bring the fruit and dip to the coffee table in their living room. Taehyun cleared the table before the others laid down the food. Soobin and Yeonjun sat down together on the couch while Beomgyu occupied the one-seater sofa, with Taehyun and Kai on the floor.
“Wah, these look really good! Thank you for the food, Beomgyu’s eomma!” said their maknae with much delight, his hyungs laughing at his adorableness. Beomgyu ruffled his hair in response.
“Haha! Thank you indeed, eomma!” he said. “Now, let’s eat!” The others didn’t need to be told twice as they reached for the bowl of strawberries. Being the responsible older brothers, Soobin and Yeonjun waited for the younger ones to get a piece before getting one for themselves.
Soobin dipped his strawberry in a generous amount of chocolate and ate it in one whole bite. Bursts of sweetness with a hint of a crisp tartiness, complemented by chocolatey goodness danced on Soobin’s tongue, a blissful moan leaving his lips before he could stop it.
He didn’t realize that Yeonjun was gazing at him with an amused expression. “Ish it dewicious, Soobinnie?” Yeonjun asked in his cute baby voice, his eyes fluttering excessively.
Deciding to play along with his act, Soobin replied, “Eung, it’s dewicious, Yeonjunnie!” His dimples reappeared on both cheeks. The older boy was beyond happy to get the adorable reaction he was hoping for.
“Owkway owkway, eat lotsh!” the older boy said in return, patting Soobin’s thick locks like he was petting a big dog. Soobin hummed in reply and said the same thing to the older boy. “Eat lotsh too, hyungie!” Yeonjun nodded and ate his chocolate-dipped strawberry as well.
“Too old for aegyo,” coughed one of the members, followed by low bouts of giggles. Yeonjun immediately snapped his head in Beomgyu’s direction, knowing full well who was bold enough to disrupt his and Soobin’s aegyo moment, a playful glare settling on his face. Acting all innocent, Beomgyu just shrugged his shoulders and looked at Yeonjun like he didn’t say anything when he was clearly the culprit.
“Yah, Choi Beomgyu, come here,” Yeonjun said menacingly as he stood from the couch and approached the red-headed boy. Soobin didn’t even bother holding his hyung back. He figured Beomgyu deserved the punishment anyway as he resumed eating.
Beomgyu quickly stood up and ran to the other side of the room to put some distance between him and the approaching threat that was Yeonjun. The maknaes were enjoying their game of chase as they laughed while they ate. Boemgyu didn’t get far as Yeonjun reached him with just a few long strides, receiving a brief yet painful flick to the forehead. He shouted in pain and recoiled with much exaggeration. “Ack! That hurt, hyung,” he whined, rubbing his reddening forehead as he pushed his bottom lip to a pout.
“That’ll teach you to respect your elders, you little punk,” Yeonjun countered playfully before returning to his seat. Entertained by Yeonjun and Beomgyu’s usual banter, Soobin clapped and grinned proudly at Yeonjun.
“Good job, Yeonjun-hyung!” said Soobin, before picking up a strawberry and dipping it in chocolate, “You deserve an award. Say ah,” the young boy preparing to hand-feed Yeonjun.
Yeonjun chuckled at the leader’s sweet display of affection, not like it was anything new though. For a split second, Yeonjun almost pried the strawberry away from Soobin’s hand to feed himself for fear of other people getting the wrong idea. But since there weren’t any cameras in their midst to capture their interactions, Yeonjun was able to relax and accept Soobin’s strawberry without any worry.
He opened his mouth wide, signaling Soobin to continue, to which the latter understood immediately as he brought the strawberry to Yeonjun’s mouth. Yeonjun munched on the delicious treat and let out a delighted sound. “Thank you, Soobinnie.” Soobin flashed him his dimpled smile, with eyes turning into crescents, satisfied with hand-feeding his hyung.
Soobin always loved it when he took care of his members, especially Yeonjun. The older boy meant the world to him ever since they were trainees, and if Soobin was being honest with himself, he always had a crush on Yeonjun – the romantic kind. But then again, who wouldn’t? Yeonjun was too perfect to not have people falling under his feet. Hence, whenever Yeonjun does something to Soobin like give him a hug or a playful peck on the cheek, it took everything in him to not let his true feelings show, lest he risks their friendship and end up losing him in the process.
So now, when Soobin faced Yeonjun who was holding out a strawberry in front of him, he didn’t know how to react. He was always the one to feed Yeonjun, not the other way around. With several seconds passing by and Soobin just continuing to stare at the red fruit coated in runny chocolate, Yeonjun just grinned and kidded, “Yah, hurry up. My arm’s getting tired from holding this strawberry up. Come on, open up before the chocolate drips on the couch.”
Flustered by a second, Soobin obediently opened his mouth and Yeonjun deposited the fruit in the younger boy’s mouth. But since he was taken aback by Yeonjun’s actions, Soobin wasn’t able to open his mouth wide enough to capture the hand-fed treat in all its entirety. As a result, excess chocolate dripped on his chin.
Soobin was just about to wipe it when suddenly, Yeonjun leaned forward and wiped it away with his thumb. And what he did next rendered Soobin mute and flushed. Yeonjun brought his thumb to his lips and licked the chocolate, keeping his eyes trained on Soobin with a peculiar glint that Soobin didn’t quite understand.
“Mmm, yummy,” Yeonjun whispered hoarsely, sending shivers down Soobin’s spine.
Seeming to have been frozen in time, Soobin can only stare at the blonde boy with wide eyes, his heart thrashing violently in his chest that it hurts. He thought he developed an immunity to Yeonjun’s flirting after all these years, but a gentle wipe and a lick were all it took to leave Soobin panicking and speechless. Yeonjun continued to gawk at Soobin with hooded eyes, almost as if he was seducing the younger boy.
Trapped in their own world, Kai was staring at his hyungs amusingly, strawberries in both hands as he shoved them one after another, anticipating what would happen next like he was watching a drama. Taehyun on the other hand showed no expressions, but the way he was looking at Soobin and Yeonjun was that of an observant scholar, ready to act at a moment’s notice if need be. And finally, Beomgyu, who is pretty much aware that Soobin and Yeonjun have feelings for each other for quite a long time now, was frustrated to see them flirting with each other but never really doing anything to seal the deal. He wanted to scream ‘Just kiss already!’ but he knew that sooner or later, the older boys would figure it out, or at least Beomgyu hoped. For now, he would keep his mouth shut – a first for Beomgyu.
Still locked in each other’s eyes, Yeonjun decided to add more fuel to the ever-growing flame that is scorching between him and Soobin. He scooted a bit further while he picked up another strawberry, bringing it to Soobin’s lips once more. “Eat one more for me, bunny,” said Yeonjun in a hushed tone, his eyes speaking louder than his words as his gaze turned desperate to see Soobin eat his offered food.
When Soobin heard Yeonjun call him by his pet name, heat immediately rushed up to his cheeks and ears, warming his face and neck. And with the way Yeonjun was eyeing him incessantly, Soobin felt even hotter and more bothered by the second. He was afraid that he might have shown the older boy a glimpse of his true feelings for him, so Soobin felt a cold sweat break out on his back. He didn’t realize he was wringing his hands out of nervousness until he felt a warm hand cover them, stopping his actions. It was Yeonjun.
Yeonjun offered him a small yet kind smile. “Soobin-ah, relax. It’s just me. I just want to feed you, that’s all. Would you do this for hyung? Please?” he pleaded, his eyes relaxing considerably, almost as if he was nervous that Soobin would reject his gesture.
Having no intention of doing that, Soobin let out a deep breath and acquiesced to Yeonjun’s appeal as he opened his mouth for the second time. Soobin could see that Yeonjun was very pleased with his action.
As soon as Soobin bit down on the fruit, Yeonjun leaned further, invading his personal space, and planted a chaste kiss on his cheek. Soobin stopped chewing as he felt his whole body freeze and ignite at the same time. How is this even possible?! Soobin thought to himself. One moment he was as rigid as ice, then the next thing he knew, blood was rushing in all directions in his body, reaching some places more than others.
Yeonjun didn’t pull back. Instead, he turned his head to whisper in Soobin’s ear. “You taste just as sweet, baby.”
Soobin combusted internally. His entire being just melted into a heated puddle as he couldn’t believe his ears. His mind was racing as hundreds of questions bombarded his thoughts. Did Yeonjun seriously just call him baby? He never heard Yeonjun call anyone baby except himself before. Is this his new nickname for Soobin? Wait, will this be his new thing now? Will he start calling other people baby ?
The last thought had him sporting a sour look before he could stop it. He shook his head mentally as he banished the unruly thought away, schooling his expression in the process. This, however, did not go unnoticed by the older boy as he sensed the change in Soobin’s demeanor the moment it happened, even if it just happened for just a split second.
Leaning back but still keeping significantly close to Soobin, Yeonjun looked at Soobin concernedly that it made Soobin’s heart beat faster. “Are you okay, Soobinnie?” When he saw that Soobin was staring at him blankly, unmoving with the strawberry left unchewed and unswallowed in his mouth, all the blood drained from Yeonjun’s face. “I’m sorry, Soobin-ah. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I just really wanted to spoil you as you spoil me,” he admitted, the last part coming out more as a desperate whisper. “I never get a chance to do so because you’re always one step ahead of me. But today, I figured I could one-up you by taking you by surprise. I’m sorry if what I did threw you off. I won’t do it again, I promise.” Yeonjun hung his head low, feeling ashamed of his actions.
Soobin didn’t know how to reply, or what to reply for that matter. Both his mind and heart were still racing, the younger boy unable to keep up with what’s going on around him. Was he even breathing at this point? The only thing running through his head is the word baby and the way Yeonjun said it to him. Replaying the scene again in his mind, Soobin could clearly hear the slight gruff in the older boy’s voice and he shivered all over again.
While Soobin was trapped in his own thoughts, Yeonjun misunderstood the younger boy’s silence as an indication that everything he said was true, and that his actions horrified their leader to the point that he had no words to say. A nervous laugh escaped his lips as moisture began to form in his eyes. He began to back up to put space between himself and Soobin, fearing that Soobin would see him cry over something so trivial. Yeonjun wanted to punch himself for everything he did in the past minutes. He took Soobin’s kindness for granted, and now he’s going to regret ever assuming that Soobin treated him slightly differently than the others. He was so wrong… or so he thought.
Yeonjun was indeed correct. The moment Soobin saw the tear-filled eyes of the older boy, his heart ached for him feverishly, realizing a second too late that he failed to refute Yeonjun’s misunderstanding of his reaction due to the turmoil rampaging in him. Soobin scrambled to hold Yeonjun’s hand, wasting no time to close the momentary gap that the older boy just made. He frantically chewed and swallowed the fruit in his mouth before he spoke.
“No, hyung! You’re wrong. You didn’t make me feel uncomfortable. Surprised, yes, but never uncomfortable. I need you to know that,” he said, desperation laced his every word. “I was just shocked, that’s all. I’m sorry if I made you doubt yourself. I’m the biggest idiot for making you feel, or even think that way! I honestly couldn’t think straight because my heart was pounding in my ears.” Okay, maybe he’s being too honest right now. “I want nothing more than to be spoiled by you. You can’t imagine how happy I am right now. And when you called me baby, my brain just shut down because it felt like my heart would burst out of my chest,” Soobin ranted, breathing heavily as he finished.
Yeonjun was now looking at him with delighted shock. A tear slipped from his glossy eyes, trailing down his cheek and hitting their woven hands. Soobin panicked and wiped the wet trail, resting his palm on the older boy’s cheek. “I’m sorry, hyung. Please don’t cry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Tell me how I can make it better,” he pleaded, eyes furrowed in fear and worry. Soobin wanted nothing more than to stop his hyung from crying.
Yeonjun sniffled and shook his head, a tiny whimper escaping his lips. “I’m not crying because I’m upset, Soobin-ah. I’m crying because I’m happy,” he replied, bringing one of his hands to cover Soobin’s hand on his cheek. “And you are an idiot,” to which Soobin scoffed playfully, but Yeonjun continued nonetheless, getting closer to the younger boy until their foreheads were just a breath away, “but you’re my idiot, only if you want to. Be mine, that is.”
Soobin’s heart swelled even more, and he knew he was close to having a heart attack. Was Yeonjun seriously confessing to him right now on their couch, surrounded by their dongsaengs? But not like he had any complaints though. He would gladly hear Yeonjun’s confession, even if they were in a dumpster with nothing to their name. With flushed ears and cheeks, Soobin didn’t trust his lips to deliver his thoughts properly, so he just nodded fervently.
Soobin watched as Yeonjun exhaled long and deep, almost as if he was holding his breath as he waited for Soobin’s answer. His lips turned up into a genuine, contented smile and his eyes turned into lovely crescents again. “So, you like being called baby, huh?” teased Yeonjun.
Soobin couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the older boy’s sudden shift of demeanor from nervous to teasing. Yeonjun just chuckled as he leaned back, but kept his hold on Soobin with one hand still locked with his. Feeling more confident now that they have established their mutual feelings for each other, Yeonjun once again picked up another strawberry and brought it to Soobin's lips. “Say ah, baby.”
Soobin smiled shyly before opening his mouth, accepting the treat once again. Soobin did the same and tried testing out a different nickname – darling , which elicited a dark hooded look from Yeonjun, indicating that he liked - no, scratch that - loved the nickname. Soobin felt like he owned the world as he and Yeonjun fed each other strawberries for what seemed like an eternity. Strawberries have never tasted so sweet until now, Soobin thought as he gazed at Yeonjun dearly.
All the while, Kai and Taehyun busied themselves with the tv as they found an interesting channel, while Beomgyu wanted to pull out his hair and scream Just get married already! but decided to stuff his face full of strawberries instead.