Work Text:
Fengfan’s usual image of Masaya was warm afternoons; 2PM rays that hugged you as you slept. But standing right before him under the night sky, Fengfan thought he was beautiful like this too: moonlight cascading down the side of his face, its white glow draped on him like a blanket.
Fengfan wondered if the world brought all things pretty down to molecules and tucked them behind Masaya’s ears when he was born. There were times where he deemed it simply unfair to be this charming. A wide smile that played guitar strings on his ribs. Laughter that made his breath catch.
How much longer could he contain the garden that grew every time he was with him?
Masaya turned to admire the way the petals drifted slowly from the tree branch. He held out his hand to catch the stray flower that flew off direction from the rest and closed his palm gently so as to not crush it.
What a testament to the person he was.
Never rough, considerate to no end.
Fengfan lifted his camera and pointed it towards Masaya, who paid him no heed as he continued to be in awe of the cherry blossoms.
Click.
“Hey, I wasn’t looking.”
When Fengfan put his camera down, there was no contempt found on Masaya’s face. Instead, it was an amused grin that Fengfan knew all too well. Now that he thought about it, Masaya never got angry at him. He treated him so gently it made his heart ache.
“Let me pose properly next time Fen,” Masaya chuckled. He playfully threw up a peace sign with a cheeky expression, "Like this."
There it was again. The warmth that spread from Fengfan’s chest to his arms.
I like you.
“I think photos are better when they’re taken like this though,” Fengfan said, putting down his camera. Most of his work were life stills or of the members doing mundane things such as Taji walking down an empty street after a late schedule or Kyosuke fawning over a kitten waiting outside of a convenience store. He was a firm believer that the ordinary is beautiful if you stop to admire it. “I prefer candid shots over planned ones. Why don't you take a look and tell me what you think?”
He switched his camera to the photo gallery mode and handed it to the other boy. It was a perfect shot: the contrast of Masaya’s white pullover against the grainy background of the night sky made him the photo's focal point. His eyes were closed as he smiled contently holding the single light pink cherry blossom petal.
Masaya grinned wider as he inspected the photo, “You really are amazing, Fengfan.”
A small blush formed on his cheeks, “Thank you.”
I like you.
“Earlier, I was thinking about how flowers look like they're dancing when they move,” Masaya said with wonder, eyes chasing the cherry blossoms that rode along the wind. “The choreo of our newest song really does match the lyrics we sing while performing.”
“Still thinking about work on our day off?” Fengfan joked.
“Hey, I’m just pointing it out,” Masaya puffed out his cheeks cutely. “I’m always thinking about dancing anyway. It’s what I love most.”
“Well, it's thanks to you that our group can get through all those grueling dance practices.”
Masaya waved him off, “Nah, I just try to make them fun when our dance coaches are there. They can totally be tough to train under.”
“Yeah, I honestly like to practice when you’re the one to teach us,” Fengfan admitted. “You just seem to have so much fun, it's contagious.”
“Contagious?”
Usually, Fengfan isn't this candid with Masaya, but their current situation made him feel like it was okay for him to say things that would normally embarrass him.
“Seeing you work hard while enjoying yourself makes me want to do the same.”
“I should be saying the same thing to you. If you're not rehearsing, you're studying a language. If you're not studying, you're practicing photography. Like I said, you're an amazing person, Fengfan.”
Masaya reached for the lowest branch of the tree that jutted out and plucked a flower that had budded beautifully. He slowly twirled it by its stem to admire the way it looked at every angle, when he suddenly looked at Fengfan with a fond smile.
“Hey, look at me,” Masaya said.
Fengfan simply blinked back at the other boy, confused at his sudden request.
When Masaya made an imploring look, Fengfan realized that he was being serious.
After a few beats, he hesitantly straightened up his shoulders and looked at Masaya as instructed. Fengfan didn’t know what to expect, so when the other boy got impossibly close to him, his body stiiffened. Masaya lifted a finger to his face and ghosted his rosy cheeks with his knuckles. He closed his eyes as the other boy’s breath came and passed along his cheekbones, leaving trails of warmth in its wake. Using the tips of his fingers to brush his bangs away, Fengfan felt the cool stem of a cherry blossom placed carefully behind his ear.
"Ready?"
It was Masaya’s turn to lift the camera to capture Fengfan.
When Fengfan smiled for the photo, Masaya stopped in his tracks before he could look through the viewfinder. Perhaps a week from now, Fengfan would convince himself that this moment was all in his head. But in that instant, Masaya looked at him with an expression Fengfan had never seen him make before. With the camera held loosely in his hands, the other boy’s gaze was one of longing, looking at him like there were a million words he wanted to say but all he could do was stare quietly.
It’s moments like this, Fengfan thought.
Masaya's expression faded as quickly as it came and he concentrated on getting a stable shot of the other boy instead. Waiting for the right moment, he squinted in the viewfinder and slowly pressed the shutter.
Click.
Fengfan’s smile faded slightly as he watched Masaya review his work with a critical eye. It wasn’t often he was the one being photographed in spaces that weren't flashy photoshoots for work; his heart was racing at the result.
After what seemed like eternity, Masaya beamed at the small screen of the camera and handed it for Fengfan to see.
He felt his face heat up more than he ever thought was possible: the expression in his eyes as he looked at Masaya in front of him had his true feelings written all over it.
Raw adoration. Rosy cheeks that turned to apples, mimicking the red that adorned the inside of the flower perched on his ear. A small smile that held back honeyed words of confession.
"The flower suits you.”
Fengfan turned to Masaya, whose eyes were sparkling in pride at his work, and couldn’t help the way his chest tightened.
that make me wonder,
He plucked the flower behind his ear and swiftly placed it behind Masaya’s instead.
“Here, let’s try it on you now.”
if something beautiful could ever blossom between us too.