Work Text:
[Phoenix, two hours before]
“Looking handsome for the stage, I see.”
Jongho turned around just to see Mingi patting his shoulder while his makeup is applied. Mingi’s prep ended earlier than the younger, so he got some time to kill before going on stage.
“I heard you have something special for our Arriba stage,” Mingi asked because of a small stunt Jongho did during thier soundcheck earlier that day.
“Yeah, for Atiny,” Jongho responded fast.
“Obviously, who else could it be?”
Jongho side eyed Mingi before looking at the mirror again after the makeup artist finished the final touches and left.
“…Or maybe it is for someone else?” Mingi asked in a teasing manner to see the younger’s reaction.
“Mingi, I told you it’s for Atiny, no one else…!” Jongho turned away, hiding his face that started to redden.
“You said you ‘wanted to confess to someone special’~ “
Fed up with Mingi’s teasing, Jongho turned to Mingi before letting out a sigh. Mingi chuckled when he sees Jongho’s face getting red as a tomato.
“Oh c’mon bro, you can’t hide it anymore. Is it Yeosang?”
Jongho looked at Mingi before nodding. Of course the ‘for Atiny’ is a literall lie, it is a plan to confess to Yeosang in front of Atiny.
But he’s not that stupid to say it directly.
“Now that you knew, don’t tell anyone about this, or else I’ll crush you.”
“Chill bro, I’m not telling anyone. Besides, I’ve noticed your silly lil’ crush for Yeosang for so long that I wondered if you wanted to… you know, confess or anything. “
“You knew, huh…” Jongho scratched his head when he realised that he was so obvious about it.
“I have to go. Yunho is waiting for me outside.”
“Where are you going? Dating?”
“Don’t be so loud! The others cannot know about this especially Hongjoong-hyung!”
“Go ahead, I won’t tell him.”
“Thanks bro,” Mingi said before leaving the dressing room. ‘Seriously, sneaking out a few hours before the show? Crazy,’ Jongho thought.
And all of a sudden, Jongho was heartstruck when he saw a figure walking behind him, the sweet musky cologne leaving a trail of scent that lingers in Jongho’s nose and heart.
It was Yeosang. Wearing a crop blazer without any inner wear, stunned Jongho stared into the older’s exposed chest before he was pulled back to reality.
“Jongho-yah… Are you okay?” Yeosang asked with concern, worried if the younger was nervous for the show.
“Ah- I’m okay, I’m okay! Just… a lil’ bit nervous, I guess, haha…” Jongho muttered in panic. Yeosang’s voice is like honey, and Jongho was flustered when he heard his voice.
‘Just a few more hours and I can let this feeling out!’
“Jongho-yah, let’s go to the stage, it’s almost time.”
“Oh, okay…” Jongho answered before trailing along the older as they went to the stage.”
. . . . .
It was almost time to perform Arriba.
All of the members are in position before the music started to play and San opened the first verse, followed by Seonghwa. It continued before Yeosang sang the pre-chorus.
La cucaracha, step by step
Dance the final dance
The moment feels like eternity
Dance in madness
Jongho sang his part after Yeosang. They all danced to the chorus in sync before before the song shifts to the rappers’ parts.
‘It’s almost time. After the second chorus is the little stunt. I can’t mess up!’
Jongho went to the bar prop before starting the stunt.
“It’s been a long day…” Jongho said as he signalled the bartender to pour a drink in his glass before downing it in one go. He complimented the drink before eyeing the rose beside the bartender and reached for it.
“Oh yeah, I was actually planning to confess my love to someone special… Can I just borrow this rose? No? No?? I’m just… taking it anyway.” As Jongho took the rose and walked forward, he started singing the bridge, his part.
Surrendering our bodies to the rhythm
Drink up the end of this night
Let’s sing, hoping all of this
Feels like a dream
As his parts are getting closer to the end, Jongho stepped closer before slipping the rose through Yeosang’s hands and taking one of his ear monitors off.
“This one’s for you, Kang Yeosang,” Jongho whispered at Yeosang, but it can be heard through the purple mic, eventhought it was faint.
The audience cheered loudly after they saw Jongho giving the rose to Yeosang. The members also saw it, but they decided to mention about their maknae’s actions after the show.
After the music stopped, Yeosang waved at the audience, with the rose still in his hand, and Jongho looking at him dearly before turning away when he looked at the younger.
. . . . .
“Jongho, I didn’t know you’re that bold!”
San slapped Jongho’s back as he laughed thinking about what the younger did on stage.
“Just say that you’re jealous.”
“Nah, Wooyoung would,” San said as he turned to Wooyoung, whose top was off to dry himself from his own sweat.
“San-ah, he’s asking you.”
San just laughed as he took the towel from Wooyoung’s hands before they started fighting over the towel.
“…I’m going now. Have fun, lovebirds,” Jongho said the last sentence in a joking manner.
As Jongho left the dressing room, he saw Yeosang at the corridor. He didn’t know if he wanted to face the older or just go to the toilet.
He decided to go to the toilet. As he took a few steps, he felt that someone was tugging on his shirt.
“Jongho.” Yeosang called, his voice more serious than before.
“Yeosang-hyung… What’s up?”
Yeosang showed the rose Jongho gave him on stage as he said in a serious manner; “Explain this.”
Jongho went silent. He doesn’t know what to say, there’s too much words that he couldn’t let out.
“So… That stunt of yours wasn’t for Atiny?” asked Yeosang.
“Why would I do it for Atiny when you’re right in front of me?” Jongho answered, it was spontaneous, or maybe it came from his subconcious.
“Because you know… fan service?? Besides, do you really like me that bad? I guess I did caught you all wrapped around my finger, huh?” Yeosang said with a grin.
Yeosang sounded serious, but Jongho couldn’t help but thinking how attractive he was when he’s like this. This is the side of Yeosang that fans overlooked because he seldom acted like this in front of them. Jongho knew that there’s a high chance that Yeosang was actually mad at him.
“What if I say yes?” Jongho blurted.
“Drop the ‘what if’. You don’t need to say anything because it was so obvious that you have a crush on me but I chose to be silent.”
Jongho was too stunned to speak. He doesn’t know what Yeosang was trying to say, the mixed signal confused him.
“Don’t you have anything else to say? You know that I can just kiss your pretty face off and call it a day, right?” Yeosang said as he walked closer to Jongho.
“Yes, please-“ As Jongho blurted that, Yeosang pulled Jongho and kissed him for a while before pulling away.
“So, uhh…… Are you mad at me now?” Jongho said, still in shock from the older’s kiss.
“You thought I was mad at you?” Yeosang said and laughed. Jongho really liked it when Yeosang was amused because he could see his pearl white teeth when he laughs.
“…You’re not?”
“How can I be mad when I found out that your stunt during Arriba was a confession to me and not Atiny?”
Jongho was still confused. Does that mean that he… wasn’t rejected?
“C’mon Jongho, you’ve been so obvious about it, I don’t even have to wait for a confession!”
Yeosang brushed the rose on Jongho’s face and chuckled when he sees the younger’s reaction. The former then pulled the latter closer and leaned until their lips are an inch away from each other.
“What’s your pre-chorus line, after mine?” asked Yeosang as he dropped the rose on the floor. His whispers brushed Jongho’s ears like a wisp of wind.
“The ‘Let go of reason for a moment and dive in?’ part?”
“Yeah, that…”
“I think the bridge is the best to describe our moment right now,” Jongho took Yeosang’s hand and took a step back before standing in a stance for dancing.
“You wanna dance? That’s unexpected.”
“There’s no one else here. No one cared if we sing and dance together anyways.”
Yeosang replied with an ‘Okay’ and they started dancing. Jongho started singing the bridge and Yeosang followed, his low voice complimented the younger’s contrasted voice.
“Oh wow, I think we should sing the bridge together for the next stage,” Yeosang said after they sang together.
“Yeah, we could,” Jongho answered, he felt like he was on cloud nine at the moment.
Yeosang dragged Jongho back to the dressing room, where the other members are already waiting for the two of them.
“Hello, lovebirds,” San said, repeating Jongho’s directed words towards him and Wooyoung just now. Wooyoung was already chuckling when he saw the two of them together and said; “Did you guys kiss?”
“Hey, don’t ask like that! You should give them some space,” Seonghwa said. He was among the ones that noticed that Jongho’s stunt wasn’t meant for Atiny, because he knew that Jongho would say it’s cliche to express his love to their fans.
Jongho didn’t mind the other members teasing him, now that he declared his feelings for Yeosang, but what matters the most is that he was never as happy like this before he slipped the rose through Yeosang’s fingers, and he was more than glad to know that his feelings are not one-sided.