Work Text:
Say I’m your number one
I don’t do last place
—“The Moment” by Jackson Wang
May 26, 2025
“Wait, he’s going to be there too? And her?!”
Jackson’s affronted outrage had Jinyoung sputtering with laughter across the room, where he was exchanging the lukewarm ice bag in his hand with a new one from the freezer.
He gave his watch a quick glance. After he had gotten his hair and makeup done at the salon earlier, he had been scheduled to be shuttled directly to the venue where the press screening and the subsequent friends-and-family screening for his new movie, Hi-Five, would be held. But he had insisted on making a stop to check on Jackson, who was suffering from a fractured tooth that had become horribly inflamed over the past thirty-six hours. Not only that, but it would be the last time they would see each other before Jackson flew to LA that evening.
Still chuckling, Jinyoung crossed back over to the living room, where Jackson was lying on the couch in his underwear, looking pitiful as he scrolled through the final list Jinyoung’s manager had sent over of the guests who had confirmed their attendance.
Jackson’s belabored grouching was already funny enough, but with his swollen gums, his voice sounded much too adorable for Jinyoung to be able to maintain a straight face. He’d spent all of yesterday trying to get Jackson to stop speaking in order to avoid exacerbating the injury, but his mouth being hampered only seemed to make Jackson even more talkative than usual.
“Here,” Jinyoung said, crouching beside Jackson and readjusting the pillows that were keeping his head elevated. He tested the temperature of the fresh ice bag before holding it against Jackson’s swollen cheek. “Is it too cold?”
“No, it’s fine,” Jackson said absently, cupping his hand over Jinyoung’s to keep it in place. He was still glaring balefully at the screen of Jinyoung’s phone. “Jinyoungie, you’ve had dating rumors with a good third of the people on this list.”
“It’s not like I started them myself,” Jinyoung protested. “I don’t know why it’s so hard to accept that two people can work together and keep it strictly professional.”
“Because it’s a given that nobody would be able to resist Park Jinyoung, flawless idol and actor extraordinaire! For all your fans know, you’ve dated every one of these people.”
Jinyoung laughed. “That’s ridiculous. Nobody thinks that. Besides, you know very well it’s not true.”
“That doesn’t mean you couldn’t date them in the future,” Jackson grumbled. “Aish, what if they like your performance so much they ask you out afterward? And don’t you spend part of the movie shirtless? What if it sparks something in them? Or what if they’re attending because they’ve been secretly in love with you for years and are hoping to shoot their shot?”
Jinyoung giggled. “I’m pretty sure they’re coming to support me because I’m their friend.”
Pretending not to hear him, Jackson sighed dramatically. “A room full of beautiful stars all conspiring to steal my partner away from me, and I can’t even be there to stop them. This is the worst.”
He pouted as Jinyoung continued laughing. When Jackson was sulking about something, it was safe to expect it to go on for hours.
“Jinyoung-ah, you don’t seem to be taking this seriously. I’m going to lose you to some legendary actor or world-famous idol, and I won’t even have the chance to defend my position.” He shook his head as if in dismay. “Why is destiny so cruel?”
“Seunah,” Jinyoung interjected, his laughter fading as he scrutinized Jackson. “Your position needs no defending. You know that, right?”
He slid his hand out from underneath Jackson’s, making sure the ice bag remained in place, and cupped the nape of his neck, stroking the soft skin there he loved to touch.
All too often, Jackson hid his insecurities beneath jokes and exaggerated hysterics, and even after all these years together, Jinyoung sometimes still needed to sift cautiously through the layers of humor and playful nonsense to unearth the bitterly guarded kernels of truth.
“You’re the only one for me, Seunie. I invited all those guests as friends, and sunbaenim, and industry colleagues. But you were my number one guest.”
“Number one?” Jackson repeated, his eyes widening a little. “Really?”
Jinyoung smiled indulgently. As if it could possibly be anyone else. Jackson was so precious sometimes. He ruffled his newly shorn and dyed hair affectionately. “It’s like you always say, isn’t it? You were the first to believe in me and encourage me to pursue an acting career. Of course I reserved the best seat for my biggest supporter.”
“That’s right!” Jackson exclaimed, lighting up. “I was the first. I always said, ‘Jinyoung, you’re going to make it big,’ didn’t I? Even before we debuted, I could tell. I always told you…”
Jinyoung shook his head, rolling his eyes fondly as Jackson continued boasting. He must’ve heard this spiel at least a hundred times by this point.
He tucked the throw blanket more firmly around Jackson and got up, letting the indignant retelling wash over him as he made his way back to the kitchen. Just the sound of Jackson’s voice filling up the room put Jinyoung at ease. He always hated the day after Jackson had to leave, when both of their apartments would feel eerily quiet and empty.
He heated up in the microwave a bowl of the congee they’d ordered in the morning and dressed it with Jackson’s preferred toppings before portioning out the remainder into two compact food containers he put back in the fridge.
“Can you eat?” Jinyoung asked, bringing the bowl over to Jackson and interrupting his rambling. “You should pad your stomach before the flight. And I packed the rest in containers you can bring with you. Don’t forget them.”
“Okay. Thanks, Jinyoung-ah.”
Jinyoung helped him sit up. He made sure the food wasn’t too hot, as the dentist had directed, before feeding Jackson a modest spoonful. But even that bland, formless morsel made him wince in pain.
Watching him carefully, Jinyoung frowned. “Are you sure you can’t wait for your tooth to get better? I don’t like the idea of you being on a plane for that long without access to a dentist. What if it gets worse while you’re in the middle of the ocean?”
Jackson shrugged. “I’ll just have to get through it.”
“I still think you should’ve just had them do the root canal here,” Jinyoung said.
“I told you, I have to be on stage in a week. I can’t afford the recovery time. I’ll deal with it in LA.”
Jinyoung sighed. He’d lost the argument yesterday too. “You’ve packed your painkillers, though? And the gauze I got you?”
Jackson nodded mutely. His resignation made Jinyoung’s heart wrench. He hated seeing Jackson suffer, but even worse was knowing Jackson would be in pain so far away from him, and Jinyoung would have to rely on other people to take care of him. That Jackson always pushed himself too hard and had, up until recently, been so thoroughly deceived and taken advantage of by someone he had trusted deeply only made Jinyoung more terrified. He wanted to bundle Jackson up and keep him by his side, to personally ensure his health and safety, to prevent anyone and anything from ever daring to hurt him again.
He fed Jackson as much congee as he was willing to put up with before he began complaining about not just the pain but also the carbs. Eyeing the circumference of his wrists, Jinyoung was tempted to put up a fight, but as Jackson somberly pressed the ice bag to his cheek again, he decided to reserve it for another day.
Instead, he busied himself with bringing over salt water and a clean bowl for Jackson to gargle with, rinsing out any remaining bits of food from the fissure in his tooth.
“Fuck, that stings,” Jackson whined, pressing his forehead to Jinyoung’s hip.
Jinyoung stroked the crown of his head. “You did well, aegi.”
While Jinyoung was doing the dishes, his phone rang. Jackson fished it out from where it had been ensnared in his blanket. “It’s your manager,” he announced, making to stand up and bring it over.
“No, no, stay. I’ve got it.” Jinyoung dried his hands quickly and dashed over to accept the call.
“The car will be here in twenty minutes,” he told Jackson after his manager hung up. They exchanged a disappointed look.
Jinyoung sat back down beside Jackson and smoothed his hand over his bare thigh, squeezing the lean muscles intermittently. He should have been using the time to check the kitchen and Jackson’s luggage for anything amiss, and to confirm he had packed everything he needed in his own bag. But leaving Jackson’s side suddenly felt like an impossible task. Taking care of him while he was unwell had distracted Jinyoung from mourning the fact that Jackson would be on a flight by the time the screenings were over.
“Ugh, it’s so unfair,” Jackson muttered, as if reading his thoughts. “I wish I could go with you. All those people will get to celebrate with you, and meanwhile I’ll be stuck on a plane not knowing when I’ll even get to watch your movie.”
“I wish you could too,” Jinyoung admitted. “But even when you’re not there, I’ll be thinking of you.”
Pouting, Jackson tucked himself against Jinyoung, careful not to disrupt his hair or makeup. Jinyoung wrapped an arm around him, caressing the side of his neck with his thumb.
“I feel terrible,” Jackson said quietly. “I wanted to be there to support you. I made sure I would be in Korea for this and had a special outfit put together and brought over by Henry and everything. I really planned on it, baby.”
Jinyoung rubbed Jackson’s arm soothingly. He’d been disappointed too when Jackson had solemnly told him that he’d had to move his flight earlier in order to accommodate a series of meetings that had been confirmed at the last minute and would be hell to reschedule.
“I know you did. But you can’t miss those meetings, right? They’re really good opportunities, and you need them more than ever right now to get the company back on its feet.”
Jackson sighed. “Yeah.” He cast his eyes down. “Just feels like there’s always something. Even when we try to make plans ahead of time, they get ruined at the last minute. I fucking hate that. I wanted there to be less of that this year, especially now that you’ve finished your military service, and I don’t have a manager anymore, and I’m living here in Korea half the time.”
“I know,” Jinyoung said, cupping the back of Jackson’s neck and holding him closer. “Me too. But this is what we signed up for, right? And things are already better than they used to be. We’ll keep figuring out ways to balance everything.”
Jackson nodded, but he remained glumly silent, a sure sign he was thinking too hard.
“Even if it didn’t work out, thank you for making the effort,” Jinyoung said gently, hoping to pull him out of his head. Jackson had always been prone to spiraling, and after the fallout from the mess a year and a half ago, it had been harder than ever to disentangle him from it. “I know it wasn’t easy to schedule, with Henry’s birthday, those meetings you had to move around, the festival, and everything else in between. It means a lot to me that you tried.”
For emphasis, he tilted Jackson’s chin up and pecked him on the lips.
“Wait, your makeup—” Jackson protested.
“You think I’m going to let you fly all the way to LA without kissing you goodbye?” Jinyoung scoffed. “I’ll have it fixed later.”
“Well, in that case,” Jackson said with a mischievous glint in his eye that Jinyoung was pleased to see. In answer, he raised a playful eyebrow, egging him on.
With an amused chuff, Jackson dropped the ice bag into his lap and cupped the sides of Jinyoung’s neck with both hands, his thumbs brushing against his ears. The cold fingers made Jinyoung jump a little, but with Jackson kissing him carefully yet thoroughly, he could hardly complain.
Although Jackson tasted like salt and copper, and they had to be cautious with the swollen side of his mouth, none of that mattered. When words weren’t enough for them, physical affection was always able to bridge the gap.
“Jinyoung-ah,” Jackson said, drawing out the last syllable, when Jinyoung pulled back, worried about pushing the limits of Jackson’s injury.
“Yeah?”
“Will you wear one of our couple rings to the event? I’ve just been reminded of how much I don’t want to share you with anyone else.”
Jinyoung burst into surprised laughter. It was difficult to be annoyed at Jackson for refusing to let the matter go when he was being so cute about it.
Ever since Jinyoung had been discharged from the army, Jackson had been buying them increasingly lavish sets of couple rings. Although Jackson usually either wore jewelry from his sponsor or promoted his own line during schedules, and Jinyoung suddenly wearing one particular ring in public could risk sparking unwanted interest, Jackson had told Jinyoung that he hoped he might sometimes choose one to wear when he thought of Jackson while they were apart, and Jackson would do the same.
Jinyoung, who had never been one for any kind of jewelry and had always found couples’ paraphernalia fairly tacky, indulged Jackson’s harmless new fixation. As a bonus, the prospect of being free to deck him in other jewelry seemed to make his stylist happy too.
“Okay, I’ll go get it,” Jinyoung said, squeezing Jackson’s shoulder and heading to the foyer. He kept the rings secured in a slim case inside his bag.
“Bring me the matching one!” Jackson called after him.
Jinyoung rifled through the open luggage in the bedroom and unearthed the corresponding ring. While he was there, he took the opportunity to verify that Jackson’s other essentials were in order too, given the miserable state in which he’d had to pack them.
“How about this one?” Jinyoung asked as he emerged from the bedroom, holding up his left hand.
Jackson held his own hand out, fluttering his eyelashes up at him, and Jinyoung chuffed a laugh as he slid Jackson’s ring onto his fourth finger.
He pressed a kiss to Jackson’s knuckles. “My precious jealous Seunie,” he teased.
“Hey, let’s be real, you’re just as bad—maybe worse,” Jackson replied sourly.
Jinyoung pouted, a retort on his tongue. But before he could defend himself, his phone chimed, and their faces fell in unison.
“Driver’s here?” Jackson guessed.
“Yeah,” Jinyoung confirmed, quickly sending back a message. He exhaled, glancing around the room for anything he’d missed.
“I set alarms on your phone for your next painkiller doses,” he told Jackson. “Don’t forget to take them. And don’t forget to pack the congee; I made room in your bag for it. What time is your team picking you up?”
“Around five,” Jackson said. He broke out into a fond smile. “You’re fussing, baby. I’ll be okay.”
“Sorry,” Jinyoung said, embarrassed.
Jackson left the comfort of his nest to follow him to the foyer, leaving the ice bag behind. “I don’t mind,” he said. “But you should focus on your event. It’s your big day! I’ve distracted you long enough.”
“You are always very distracting,” Jinyoung agreed, but his heart wasn’t in it. That all too familiar sense of dread at their parting was creeping up on him. Quietly, he shrugged on his coat and slipped on his shoes before checking the contents of his bag again and giving his thankfully still intact hair and mostly intact makeup a onceover in the mirror.
Finished with the logistics, he glanced back at Jackson, who was watching him, almost completely still. The look in his eyes—the depth of longing there; the overflowing affection; the way it bore the weight of their history together, all the good times and the bad; the way Jackson always saw all of him, even the parts he tried to hide away—made Jinyoung’s heart squeeze. No matter how often they had to say goodbye to each other, it never got any easier.
He held his arms open, and Jackson stepped right into his embrace, squeezing him back just as tightly. With Jinyoung in his shoes and Jackson in house slippers, the difference in their heights was more pronounced than usual, and something about the way Jackson fit in his arms because of it made Jinyoung feel particularly tender and protective.
“Love you,” Jackson murmured into his shoulder.
“I love you too,” Jinyoung said, stroking Jackson’s hair. “I hope your tooth feels better soon and that the flight isn’t too miserable. You’ll let me know when you take off and arrive?”
“Of course. Thanks for taking care of me, Jinyoungie. It was nice.”
Jinyoung’s heart ached. How long had it been since Jackson had allowed anyone to do this for him? How long had it been since anyone else had made the effort—not because he was their employer or because it would curry favor with him, but because they simply wished to ease his pain?
“I’ll always take care of you, aegi,” Jinyoung vowed. “Thank you for letting me.”
He pecked him on the forehead, then on his unimpaired cheek, then on the lips. Before he realized it, they were kissing deeply, his hands caressing the planes of Jackson’s bare back and Jackson’s face tilted up eagerly, his hand pressed to Jinyoung’s chest like he was claiming him.
Just as Jinyoung was considering the consequences of further delaying going to the event so he could push Jackson’s waistband down and give him a worthy parting gift, Jackson disentangled them, laughing under his breath. The glint in his eyes conveyed that he knew exactly what was going through Jinyoung’s mind.
“Go,” he urged, giving Jinyoung’s ass a scolding pat. “Don’t keep your driver waiting.”
Heaving a sigh, Jinyoung reluctantly rallied himself and tried to purge his mind of lascivious thoughts. “Okay, okay. I’m going now.” He snuck in one final peck. “Bye, Seunah. Safe travels.”
“Bye-bye,” Jackson said, waving after him. “Congrats on the movie, baby.”
But when he was about to walk through the door, Jackson called out, “Jinyoung-ah!”
Jinyoung turned around.
“I’ll be there next time, I swear,” Jackson promised. The determined set to his brow brooked no argument.
Jinyoung smiled, a slow warmth blooming in his heart. “I know you will,” he said, and meant it.
[15:24]
Jackson:
Hope the press screening and junket go smoothly!
Jinyoung-ah! Fighting!!
[2 photos sent]
[15:36]
Jackson:
[voice message sent: 2:03]
[voice message sent: 1:52]
[16:25]
Jackson:
My tooth got worse
It hurts so bad I’m lying on the floor
Moved my flight to tomorrow instead
[16:49]
Jackson:
Can’t even sleep
This is the fucking worst
Never felt this horrible in my life
[17:51]
Jackson:
How the hell did you get this gauze stuff to stay?
Never mind I got it
[18:13]
Jackson:
Ahh I want to see it
Sexy villain Jinyoungie
[18:36]
Jackson:
I’m really proud of you baby
My movie star
[19:27]
Jackson:
Wait a minute
How come everyone gets to see you shirtless
When I didn’t even get to see you shirtless today?
So unfair
[19:52]
Jackson:
Second screening starting soon right?
Hope everyone likes it
Wish I could be there…
[photo sent]
I miss you.
[22:05]
Jinyoung:
[3 photos sent]
Second screening just ended!
Haha you see me shirtless all the time
You only didn’t today because you woke up too late
Wait, you changed your flight? You’re still at home?
Jackson:
Yeah…
How did the screenings go? Was the audience reaction good?
I was tempted to crash it
Jinyoung:
Forget about the screenings
Are you okay? Did you take your painkillers? Have you been changing the ice bag?
Do you want me to come back?
Jackson:
No no no
You can’t miss the afterparty
You’re one of the stars!
It’ll be good for networking
And for seeing friends you haven’t seen in a long time
I took the painkillers and I’ve been changing the ice bags
The gauze helped a little
[22:23]
Jinyoung:
Sorry, had to give a ment
Need me to ask Choi to go over to help out? Do you need to go to the hospital? Any symptoms of infection?
Jackson:
No it’s ok
No new symptoms
It’s just like earlier but 10x worse
I’m watching a movie and gonna try to sleep again
Jinyoung:
Okay, remember to keep your head elevated
Please call either of us if you need anything, especially if any other symptoms start up
[22:37]
Jinyoung:
Ah… Seunie, I’m really worried. Maybe I should come back
Jackson:
Don’t worry about me
Just enjoy the party
Wait I take it back I just remembered who’s there
Don’t enjoy it too much
Jinyoung:
Hahaha
Promise you’ll contact me if you need me to come back, Seunah. You don’t need to handle it on your own, okay?
I’ll be able to check my phone now
Jackson:
Ok ok I promise baby
You worrywart
Just focus on the party
Wish I could be there with you so bad
Have some drinks for me please
But DON’T go home with anyone else!!!
Even if they’re all so much cuter than me right now
Jinyoung:
Hahaha
You’re the cutest in the entire world to me, no matter what
Get some rest. And keep me updated
[01:33]
Jinyoung:
Are you still awake, Seunie?
Jackson:
Yeah too much pain, can’t sleep
Are you still wearing your ring
Did you get seduced away by any of your guests??
Jinyoung:
Nope, still all yours
[photo sent]
Jackson:
Good!!
It looks sooo pretty on you
[photo sent]
Jinyoung:
I’m so sorry you’re in so much pain and you’ve been suffering all alone, Seunah. I feel terrible
Jackson:
Don’t feel bad, I’m no fun right now anyway
[01:47]
Jackson:
Is the party already over?
[02:03]
Jinyoung:
No, but I’m sleepy, my social battery is depleted, and I want to see you
I’m heading back to your place now
Jackson:
Omg!!
At least we get to spend one more night together
Hey does this mean I’ll get to see you shirtless today after all
Jinyoung:
Is that going to make you feel better?
Jackson:
It might heal me entirely
Jinyoung:
Hahaha
Jackson:
Maybe we can do some villain roleplay and you can show me what I missed from the movie
Jinyoung:
…
We can talk about that once you’re better
For now you need to rest
Jackson:
That’s not what your eyes were saying earlier
[02:16]
Jinyoung:
Do you need me to pick anything up on the way back?
Jackson:
Changing the subject huh
You’re not slick Park Jinyoung hahahaha
No just bring yourself
That’s enough for me
I missed you
Jinyoung:
Me too, Seunah
I’ll be there soon
Jackson:
Ahhh can’t wait
See you soon baby