Work Text:
There are just some things in the world that you simply cannot refuse as fact. For example:
2+2=4
Triangles have 3 sides.
What goes up must come down.
Yoon Jongwoo is fucking hot.
That last one was a fact that Jay had come to know all too well since they'd first met, all those months ago.
In fact, it was staring him in the face that very moment as he watched the man in question pull his black t-shirt over his head, exposing what seemed to be an endless expanse of pale skin pulled tight over sculpted muscle. He watched in a trance as Jongwoo bent down to grab a towel off of the bench along the far wall and used it to dry the sweat that had gathered on his bare chest and abs. They'd been practicing for hours at this point, the mirrors around the room were foggy and currently only the sounds of heavy breathing filled the air. From where he was sprawled out in the corner of the room Jay could see just the edge of dark ink spilling over Jongwoo's shoulder but he'd seen the designs so many times now that he didn't need to see the tattoo in its entirety to remember what it looked like.
He could clearly picture the full moon and the intricate branches that ran over the curve of the older's broad shoulder, the small petals clinging to them as they descended down his bicep. He liked Jongwoo's tattoos. They weren't flashy or over the top, the dark ink stood out against his pale skin nicely and- in Jay's opinion- the designs reflected Jongwoo perfectly: fierce but with an underlying softness that you really had to look for to actually see.
His good looks were just a small part of what made Jongwoo so enthralling in Jay's eyes though. He was cool and fashionable but could be dorky and funny once he grew comfortable with a person. And he was such an incredible dancer! He was also a great leader; he was considerate and inclusive but knew how to be firm and exercise his authority when he needed to.
(Privately, Jay would admit that he often found himself flushing uncontrollably on the rare occasion that Jongwoo put on his "leader voice". His tone would drop even lower than it already was and while he was never harsh or unfair in any way, it was a tone that brooked no argument and made Jay feel a little weak in the knees every time.)
Above all that, Jongwoo was kind and thoughtful beyond compare. He'd taken such good care of him during Boys Planet and Jay would be forever grateful to him for that. At some of his lowest moments Jongwoo had been there, seen him at his worst and had encouraged him to keep going, sometimes without even using words. Jay could remember so many times that a strong arm would wrap around his shoulders and squeeze him gently or a large hand would ruffle his hair in comfort.
Even now, Jongwoo was still being incredible to him. As Jay had been preparing for his solo debut over the last month he'd been a hectic mess, running from solo practice to group practice to recording sessions and back again. For three weeks he'd barely been to the dorm for anything more than sleep and maybe some food, if he could stay awake long enough.
Jay could remember one night in particular that stood out above the rest. It had only happened the week before when he'd stayed undeniably too late at the studio, trying to perfect the tiniest details on the track he'd been recording for that day…
"Ahhh!! Why can't I get it right?!"
He threw the headphones off with a huff and watched as they bounced safely on the nearby couch. He buried his face in his hands, feeling exhaustion settle on his shoulders like a weighted blanket. He'd been recording all day and for the first half it had gone pretty well but after a while he'd grown dissatisfied with what he was hearing. He wasn't hitting the tone correctly in certain parts, he'd been falling flat on his high notes for hours…
Wait… how long had he been at this again?
He reached for his phone from where he'd abandoned it on the couch after the staff had left for the day-he couldn't even remember how long ago that had been- with an encouraging cheer and a warning to not stay too late again.
12:28 AM glared back at him in blocky bright white font.
Shit.
He'd been in the studio for over 16 hours.
On his screen there were dozens of text notifications and even a couple of missed phone calls, all from his group mates. He scrolled through them haphazardly, grinning at the playful jabs from Yedam and Tag and sighing fondly at Seongmin's chiding. As he got further down the text feed he could see the tone changing to genuine concern as they all began to ask for him to come home soon, that they were worried because they hadn't heard from him. He felt bad, seeing the distress he'd caused his friends.
Most of the notifications were from Jongwoo.
The first was one of the two missed phone calls from earlier in the evening, around dinnertime. After that missed call there were questions as to where he was, if he'd eaten dinner, what time he'd be coming back to the dorm. Reading the texts from the older man, seeing the increasing concern as Jongwoo stopped caring about typos or grammar so that he could get the texts out faster, made a familiar fluttering start in his stomach combating the guilt the bubbled there. He'd grown used to that flutter during the filming of Boys Planet when he'd privately acknowledged that he had begun harboring a small crush on the elder during their time on the 'Home' team together.
The most recent text was time-stamped only about 20 minutes ago.
'I'm coming to pick you up.'
The studio was only a 15 minute walk from their dorm.
"So you finally looked at your phone, huh?"
Jay startled at the sudden voice behind him and jumped out of his chair, swinging around to find Jongwoo standing at the door watching him with an intense gaze. The dancer was dressed in sweatpants, a dark hoodie and his favorite bucket hat and for the late hour he seemed to be quite alert, which was a far cry from how Jay currently felt. It was like the entire day had come crashing down on him all at once and the world seemed to tilt on its axis for a moment, his head spinning uncontrollably.
"Shit- Jay!"
He could hear the sound of heavy footfalls rushing towards him and before he even realized what was happening Jay found his face buried in soft dark fabric, the familiar scent of Jongwoo's cologne filling his senses as the older's warmth surrounded him. He groaned as he became aware of how hard his head was pounding and of the empty feeling in his stomach, burying the sound in Jongwoo's chest as he slumped against it, clinging to the back of his hoodie.
"Hey, c'mon let's sit down." There was some shuffling around and then Jay could feel himself be set down on the plush couch but he didn't release the hold he had on the raven-haired man. He felt a large hand brushing the hair away from his face, the other cradling his chin and tilting his head up so Jongwoo could get a better look at him. His eyes were soft with concern, "Seriously Jay, have you even taken a break at all today?"
Jay blinked up at him and let out an unintelligible whine, leaning into the comfort of Jongwoo's gentle touch, but managed a shrug after wracking his brain to remember when he had actually last stopped working all day. The last "break" he could remember taking was when he'd stopped to chug an entire bottle of water and eat a protein bar that the producer had shoved into his hand sometime in the early evening, just before he'd left the studio.
To drive that point home, his stomach chose that moment to let out an embarrassingly loud growl. If he'd had the energy to feel self-conscious, Jay was sure his face would've turned bright red at the sound. As it was he could only manage another strangled groan before he mumbled, "…dunno. A while ago, I think?"
He couldn't even blame Jongwoo for the unimpressed huff that ruffled his hair.
Those well-muscled arms tightened around him and he could feel long fingers begin to gently stroke his hair. For the first time all day- probably all week, actually- Jay finally allowed himself to relax. Jongwoo wouldn't judge him for indulging in this small comfort and he relished in that familiar feeling of safety the elder brought him.
They sat in silence for a little while longer and Jay felt himself starting to grow drowsy as more time passed. The warmth combined with the gentle touches and the soothing sound of Jongwoo's heartbeat was lulling him to sleep. Before he could succumb completely, Jongwoo gently jostled him and he lifted his gaze up to watch a warm smile spread across the dancer's face, "Let's go home, yeah?"
Jay nodded sleepily and let out a yawn, "Mm… sounds good."
He could only watch, sleep-stupid as Jongwoo went around the room shutting everything down and gathering up his things. His limbs felt heavy as he was helped into the jacket he'd worn to the studio, not really understanding the smirk that had lifted Jongwoo's lips as his gaze had drifted over the garment once it was settled over his shoulders. (He didn't remember until the next day that the jacket in question had belonged to the older and that Jongwoo had obviously noticed- and maybe even liked?- Jay having stolen his clothes.)
On the way home Jongwoo kept an arm over his shoulders, squeezing him closer when Jay shivered in the chilly late night breeze. He cast a glance up at him out of the corner of his eyes, admiring the way the moonlight hit the sharp tilt of Jongwoo's nose and the curve of his lips. As though feeling his gaze, Jongwoo turned to look at him, "Everything alright?"
He nodded, grateful for the relative darkness that hid the light blush he could feel spreading over his cheeks, "Yeah, just… Thanks for coming to get me, hyung. I really didn't mean to worry you and the others so much."
"I know you didn't, Jay-ah. And I'll always be there for you whenever you need me. You know that, right?"
Jay felt his heart swell. He leaned up just a bit to adjust for their small difference in height and- in a moment of sudden bravery that he would later blame on how sleep deprived he'd been as he lay in his bed, replaying the moment over and over again in his head- he pressed his lips to Jongwoo's cheek in a feather-light touch.
He stared firmly at his feet, terrified when he felt that safe embrace release him, but was pleasantly surprised when he felt his head being tilted up and Jongwoo's warm, slightly chapped lips press against his own. The kiss lasted for only a few seconds and an eternity at the same time. He couldn't help lean forward to chase Jongwoo's mouth when the older pulled away.
Jongwoo's deep voice rumbled through his entire body, "So cute…"
Surprisingly, Jay didn't mind having stayed so late at the studio anymore. Not when he had Jongwoo holding him in his arms and smiling at him like that in the middle of a deserted street in the dead of night, looking at him like he was the most precious thing in the world.
They stayed like that for a little longer, just basking in the tender moment as they gazed up at the stars. Jay smiled a little into Jongwoo's shoulder when he saw a shooting star but he had no need of a wish. All of his worries had washed away now and he could honestly say without any hesitation that this was the happiest moment of his life so far.
A yawn broke the mood, making Jay's jaw crack with the force of it. He peered up through his lashes, "Can we go home now hyung?"
Jongwoo's large hand wrapped around his own and tugged him back to his side as they started back down the road, "Anywhere you want, baby."
So if the point hadn't already been made obvious: Jay liked everything about Jongwoo. Quite a lot, actually.
He was jarred from his pleasant memories by something cold and wet being pressed against his cheek suddenly. He jolted up into a sitting position with a yelp, flinching away from the sensation, eyes widening as a familiar low chuckle filled his ears.
Jongwoo.
His ears turned red when an amended thought filled his head.
'Jongwoo, my boyfriend.'
The dancer was standing over him with a grin. He'd replaced his sweat-soaked tee with a black muscle shirt and was holding two bottles in his right hand. Mischief sparkled in the older's dark eyes, sending Jay's heart skyrocketing as butterflies fluttered in his stomach. He couldn't help the pout that curled his lips, even as he could feel his cheeks burn, "Hyuuung!"
This time the elder laughed loudly but the mischievous look in his eyes softened into fondness as he smiled apologetically and held out one of the water bottles towards him, "Sorry Jay-ah, I couldn't resist! Here, drink this. We've been practicing for a while now, I don't want you to get overheated or dehydrated."
Jay dipped his head a little half-bow of gratitude as he took the water, "Thanks."
He expected that to be the end of the interaction but couldn't help the smile that lifted his lips when Jongwoo took a seat next to him, both of their backs pressed against the padded wall. The older was a line of searing heat against his side as their arms and legs brushed against one another. Part of him wondered how Jongwoo could even bear to sit that close to him, considering how hot it was in their practice room, and advised him to move away from the older while the other part was demanding that Jay just give in and climb directly into the dancer's lap.
He did neither.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, both sipping at their waters. Jay watched from across the room as Tag began to prod at a sprawled-out Yedam with the toe of his sneaker, the silver-haired boy saying something with a smirk that earned him a loud grumble and a half-hearted swat from the maknae. He laughed at their antics. Seongmin paid neither of the maknaes any mind as he scrolled through his phone a few feet away from them.
When he glanced back over at Jongwoo to pass a comment about their two youngest members he was surprised to meet the other's dark gaze dead on, as though the older had been looking at him the whole time, "Hyung?"
For a long moment Jongwoo didn't say anything, just staring into his eyes with an unreadable look. Finally he broke the silence with a quiet but passionate, "Thank you, baby."
The intense gaze and the pet name combined with Jongwoo's smooth, low voice caused Jay to feel like all of the air had been sucked out of the room. He took another swig of his water but his hands were suddenly trembling and he managed to spill a bit down his chin. Another blush to involuntarily spread across his cheeks as he managed to stutter out, "F-for what, hyung?"
The powerful gaze had faded back into familiar, soft affection and Jay inhaled sharply when he felt Jongwoo's thumb brush gently over his bottom lip to wipe away a few stray water droplets, "For staying with me through all of this. I know it's been rough on you, juggling both your solo activities and our upcoming group debut. You lost so much sleep because of me and-"
Before the older could continue any further, Jay leaned forward to silence him with a kiss. When he pulled back a warm shudder went down his spine at the heat in the other's eyes and he bit his lower lip as he gazed up at him through his lashes, fingers fiddling with the edge of Jongwoo's shirt.
"…I didn't mind."
Jongwoo leaned forward, a playful grin lighting his handsome face, "Hmm? What was that, sweetheart?"
Jay slapped his chest gently but smiled into the kiss when Jongwoo leaned in to capture his mouth again. He could vaguely hear Tag making teasing gagging sounds from across the room as Seongmin playfully shouted for Yedam to cover his eyes and he gave them a rude gesture over Jongwoo's shoulder that sent them all into hysterics.
When they pulled apart he smiled brightly, "I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Becoming a singer was always my dream but you made my dream so much better than I ever imagined. When you asked me to join this group with you, I was even happier than when I found out I was getting my solo debut. So really, I feel like I should be the one thanking you! You've given me so much… And I'm happy to be with you. All of you."
Jay was tugged forward again so he was crushed up against Jongwoo's chest and he happily snuggled in, wrapping his arms around the older and inhaling his scent. He felt a kiss press into the top of his hair and heard a muffled, "I love you, Jay-ah."
"I love you too, Jongwoo-hyung."
There are just some things in the world that you simply cannot refuse as fact. For example:
2+2=4
Triangles have 3 sides.
What goes up must come down.
Yoon Jongwoo is fucking hot.
That last one was a fact that Jay had come to know all too well since they'd first met, all those months ago. But there's one more fact that just so happens to be Jay's favorite one of all:
Jay Chang is in love with Yoon Jongwoo and Yoon Jongwoo is in love with him too.