Work Text:
There are times when Changmin gets into one of his artistic zones. Whenever creativity and inspiration hit him, he usually just locks himself up for days. Deeply engrossed and lost in his own space made up of paints and colors and lines and splatters, transferring his world onto a canvas or pieces of paper. he always comes out of them happy and content. A soft smile playing on his lips, the set of his shoulders relaxed. It is always a good sight to witness. Oh, how Juyeon wishes for that smile to always remain on his face.
However, there are times where rather than locking himself up in his own home he'd just move around from place to place. Sometimes hopping from one park to another like he was kind of a bunny, cycling his way to the nearest beach or forest and then choosing a friend (re:Chanhee, Sunwoo and Jaehyun) and camping at their place for a night before moving and finding inspiration in another place.
The usual victim was Chanhee with how much Juyeon has heard Chanhee complain about it, even though he never meant it. The fond, cat-like smile on his face always gave him away. He never could be genuinely annoyed by Changmin unless it was for mundane things that they both pull out of thin air to bicker about. He would never admit it but he always felt envious of Chanhee because he got to see Changmin in his pure, unadulterated creative form.
(To be more specific, it was only that one time when Chanhee posted pics of Changmin for his birthday. seeing his cute freshly done perm messy on his tiny head while he was busy painting flowers had been enough to send him reeling. That was before he saw the other set of pics where he was drying his hair, shirtless , and his brain had short circuited just entirely for a full minute or so. Choi Chanhee was a devil for sending him a smiley-cat emoji on his personal after posting those pics, Juyeon had decided that leaving him on read was only fair.)
Now, it wasn’t as if Chanhee or Sunwoo or Jaehyun were the only ones. He has been privileged enough to see Changmin that way too. Usually whenever he wanted to dance, he stopped by the studio whenever he found out Juyeon was there too, letting his body sway to whatever rhythm the beat led him to. Sometimes he would even ask Juyeon to teach him a routine and Juyeon would be able to see a glimpse of that passion in his eyes, sharp movements and determined eyes.
Both of them would exert their energy, completely spent and then Changmin would lay down on the cool floor, sprawled like a star as he heaved for breath. Changmin would be looking at the ceiling and Juyeon at him . The way sweat gleamed on his skin, soaking the fabric of his shirt, a beautiful pink glow on his face from all the energy he spent, so pink pink pink pink . He would let himself be lost in the way Changmin looked after doing something he loved, eyes never straying from him even for a moment, greedily drinking up all he could in that moment.
It was only when his thoughts started straying in a rather dangerous territory that he would get up to get them ice cold bottles of water. It was either him getting out of the room for the sake of his own sanity or doing something impulsive like kissing Changmin silly and he wasn’t sure if he could survive the latter.
It was always easier to stick the cold bottle against Changmin’s neck and hear him squeak in that adorable high voice than it was to let his mind spiral and make a list with all the ways he wanted Changmin. It was easier to pretend he wasn’t looking at the smooth and pretty line of his neck when he was gulping down the water. a single, traitorous drop escaping and making its way down his neck before disappearing into the low dip of his shirt.
It was easier to pretend that his ears were red because of the adrenaline and not anything else, especially not the wave of want that was threatening to go over shore and drown him. It was easier to pretend his hands weren’t itching with the need to touch , to see if the pink on Changmin’s skin would bleed out on his fingers just as pretty as it looked on his cheeks. Just a caress in hopes that maybe it would be enough to satiate a bit of his own want, ravenous in its might as it simmered under his skin. Nights like that would usually end with them going to eat some tteokbokki at the small place near the studio that Changmin loved so much and then Juyeon dropping him home.
Juyeon had just finished filling his pretty black kitten, Yaong-ie’s food tray, when the doorbell rang. It was nearing 10 pm and he wasn’t expecting anyone over. He’s wondering who it could be as he makes his way to open the door, the soft pitter patter of Yaong-ie's paws following him and to say that he’s surprised at the guest would be an understatement.
There he is, Ji Changmin standing at his doorstep at 10 pm in the night with a small scrape on his cheek and forehead and dirt on his clothes, a small backpack hanging over his shoulders and a sheepish smile adorning his pretty lips as he holds a haphazardly put together bouquet of three sunflowers that have now lost their lustre. Yaong-ie is quick in making her way to him pawing at Changmin's leg, asking one of her favorite humans to pay attention to her.
"What happened to you?" Juyeon asks him, concerned whether there are any other injuries that aren't visible.
“Hi Juyo,” Changmin chirps sheepishly instead, like a little bird as he holds out the flowers towards Juyeon, his smile widening when Juyeon takes them from him.
Juyeon holds out the door for him as Changmin gets inside, picking Yaong-ie up as he does, toeing off his shoes and setting them neatly beside Juyeon’s. He doesn't answer Juyeon's question instantly, his attention on the little black kitty that seems to be purring contently in his arms as he gives her gentle rubs in her little head while cooing at her. Juyeon doesn't know if he should feel offended at how much Yaong-ie loves Changmin, but then again, he would be the same if he were a cat who got to be around Changmin.
Changmin finally averts his attention from Yaong-ie to him, a sheepish smile on his face.
“I fell from my bicycle.”
“You what?”
“Yeah…. I fell down while I was coming back from the sunflower field, the one that’s just outside the city. It’s okay though, the grass cushioned my fall. It just looks bad, I'm fine.”
“You literally have a bruise on your cheek that’s gonna look nasty really quick,” Juyeon tells him, and Changmin just gives him a deadpan stare in return. He didn't understand how Changmin is easily one of the most careful people he knows, but also how he doesn’t have any sense of self preservation.
“Have you eaten anything yet?” Juyeon asks him while putting away the flowers in a nearby glass, filling it up halfway with water and the way Changmin pretends not to hear him is enough for him to know that he hasn’t.
“Go take a shower, I'll order something and then I'll clean up your bruises after we eat.” Juyeon tells him as he takes Yaong-ie from him, who starts whining as soon as she’s out of Changmin’s arms. He shushes her up while ushering Changmin towards the bathroom.
Changmin gives him a look that reminds him of that one sad-kitty meme Kevin sent him once, but he tries not to let it get to him, they have things to do and he can’t let himself be distracted by how cute Changmin looks.
He's just cleaning up the dining table after ordering food from their favorite Chinese restaurant when Changmin gets out of the bathroom dressed in the pair of shorts that he had forgotten behind the last time he came over and one of Juyeon's faded t-shirts that was a bit too big for him, the neckline slipping over one of his shoulders. His cheeks flushed from the hot water and lips a pretty pink, droplets of water still dripping from his wet hair as he haphazardly rubbed the towel on his head before hanging it on the stand.
Juyeon's about to scold him about the wet hair and how he could catch a cold when Changmin pads into the living room, passing by Juyeon and going straight to Yaong-ie.
"Juyo, I'm hungry," Changmin calls out from where he's playing with Yaong-ie, his voice sweet with the aegyo that always seems to seep into his words whenever he is tired.
"Yeah Changmin-ah, that's what happens when people don't eat on time, they feel hungry." Juyeon tells him, feeling himself smile when he hears Changmin's annoyed whine of disapproval.
"What?" Juyeon says with a deceptively innocent smile when Changmin gives him an unimpressed look.
It’s always fun to tease Changmin, he always reacts like how Yaong-ie does when she’s angry (a very cute angry hiss that does not sound threatening at all.) He always gets this mean little look on his face where his eyes get narrowed and make him look a 100x cuter than he already does. He also tries to bite if he’s actually pissed but that’s a story for another time.
Before Changmin could get to the Biting-Stage the doorbell rings and Juyeon is saved by their food arriving at the right time. (Don’t get him wrong, he would absolutely love to get bitten by Changmin but preferably under different circumstances that he would rather keep to his own self, thank you.)
Changmin is getting the dishes and cutlery when Juyeon gets back with the food. He sets the takeout on the table before giving Yaong-ie her night snack that she licks away at, purring happily.
“Get the beers too. They’re at the bottom shelf. Oh and also can you bring Yaong-ie’s milk dish? It’s drying on the dish stand.” Juyeon says loudly to Changmin as he opens everything up and Changmin only replies with an approving hmm .
He gets back with the things and after that dinner is a rather quiet affair. Both of them are slow eaters and don’t talk much while eating, which is very helpful whenever they’re eating together because they don't need to make awkward small talk. The silence that they share is comfortable, the familiarity of it something that Juyeon holds very close to his heart. His small happiness.
When they’re done, he quickly tidies everything up, storing the leftover food in the fridge and throwing away the trash. When he comes back it’s to the sight of Changmin cuddling Yaong-ie on the carpet while she purrs up a storm and nothing could ever beat the happiness he felt as he saw two of his favorite beings bask in each other’s presence looking so happy and content. It’s a memory that Juyeon wishes to keep to himself forever. However, Changmin's hair is still wet, and his bruises are still not tended to. He quickly goes to get a dry towel and his emergency first aid kit.
“Changmin-ah turn around, we need to treat your scrape. And dry your hair, are you a kid? Do you want to catch a cold?” Juyeon says as he takes a seat on the couch behind Changmin, his knees on either side of Changmin’s shoulders as they cage him.
Changmin doesn’t retort as he obediently turns around, Yaong-ie now settled comfortably on his lap. His eyes are droopy as he tilts his face up at Juyeon, sleep evident on his face. Juyeon decides to treat his cheek first and he takes out a sanitizing pad and pain-relieving cream. He cleans up the scrape before he gently applies the cream on his face. Changmin is close enough to him and it's making his head spin, how Changmin smells like him, how he's wearing his shirt and how he wants it to happen more often. Always.
“Does it hurt?” Juyeon asks him in a low voice while he carefully applies the cream, not wanting to break the comfortable silence that has fallen over them. Changmin only shakes his head side to side as a response.
By the time he takes the towel to dry his hair, Changmin is already half-asleep as his head droops to the side.
“Changmin-ah come on don’t fall asleep yet, I’ll quickly dry your hair, it won't take long and then you can take the bed.” Juyeon tries to keep him awake as he rubs the excess water out of his hair and it works for one minute before Changmin has fallen asleep again. His head rests on Juyeon’s thigh while he’s still working on his hair and Juyeon can feel the warmth of his cheek from the thin material of his sleep pants.
He’s about to get up and move him to the bed when he sees that Yaong-ie has fallen asleep on Changmin’s lap too, her tiny body stretched out to the fullest across his thighs. He should really wake Changmin up so that he doesn’t hurt his neck in this position, but he looks like he hasn’t slept in days if the bags under his eyes are anything to go by.
He softly rubs his thumb across Changmin's cheek, mindful of the area where the cream has now almost dried and places a barely there feather light kiss just below it. He gently pats against Changmin's cheek to wake him up.
"Changmin-ah, get up. Go sleep on the bed, you'll hurt your neck this way. Come on." Juyeon tells him and Changmin's only nuzzles closer against his thigh with a whine that sounds suspiciously similar to how Yaong-ie sounds when she doesn't want to sleep in her bed, his brows furrowing a bit. Juyeon pats his cheek again and this time Changmin looks up at him disgruntled at having been woken up.
"Come on." Juyeon says again and Changmin pulls down a pillow from the couch to settle Yaong-ie on it. He gets up and Juyeon thinks he's going to the bedroom but he just pushes Juyeon down on the couch and squeezes himself into the leftover space beside him.
"Good night Juyo." Changmin says in a sleepy voice while nuzzling deeper against Juyeon, making himself more comfortable.
Juyeon is frozen for a moment not knowing what to do before he slowly puts his free arm around Changmin, his other hand awkwardly stuck between their bodies. Changmin stirs a bit with a frown before grabbing Juyeon’s stuck arm and placing it under his head, snuggling closer to him as his nose brushes against his neck.
His breath is warm against his neck and Juyeon feels a shiver run down his spine at how closely Changmin is pressed against him. The only time Changmin has ever been this close to him is when they were both drunk and in his own dreams.
"Juyeonie smells good." He hears Changmin speak from where he's pressed against him, his breath tickling Juyeon with every word.
Juyeon can feel the tips of his ears burn at Changmin's words, who's fast asleep snuggled against him with his arm slung over his waist. He can only see the top of his head with their current position, and he can't help but caress the soft hair. He hopes that Changmin isn't able to hear how his heart started beating faster when he smelt his shampoo on him.
He carefully adjusts their positions and pulls Changmin closer to him, their bodies pressing together snugly that not even air could pass between them. Juyeon falls asleep like that too, wrapped up in the arms of someone he has loved quietly for years as he revels in the heat of the body pressed against him that he couldn’t imagine in his dreams. He doesn’t know what is going to happen when they wake up next morning but for now, he lets himself have this much.