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“Alright everybody!!” the director shouts, grabbing attention of the chattering crew and the members.
“Last que for the day. We’ve got the elevator pool scene. Everything is already set up, I just need ateez back in hair and make up and then we can move to the set.” the director explains flipping through the schedule on his clip board.
This was the scene that Yunho was dreading. He doesn’t know where it started, but he hates water. But its not just a dislike. No he doesn’t like the feeling of wet clothes sticking to his body and weighing him down. But he also hates being in it. Everytime he goes into a pool, his heart begins to race and his mind wanders into terrible and yet impossible scenarios of what could happen. His brain would convince him that there were sharks in the chlorine saturated pool.
He’s had this fear for god knows how long at this point. And its only gotten worse over time. When he was a kid, he loved going into the ocean and seeing how far he and his friends could go until someone chickened out. Now, even taking a bath is panic inducing.
Despite how devastating this fear is, he never told any of the members about it. The only person who knew was Mingi. He had to tell Mingi when he witnessed him nearly have a panic attack after some of the members threw him into the pool as a prank on a variety show.
The rest of the group walks back to the small tents outside on the beating hot pavement. Yunho walks back to his station with his make-up artist and stylist. As soon as he sits in the fold out chair, he begins to think to himself, ‘its just water. It’s just water. Its just water.’ these three words repeat in his head over and over until the hair stylist calls his name.
“Yunho dear?” she calls in a sing-songy voice.
“Huh?” he asks.
“You alright, darling? You look like you’re about to cry.” she asks gently.
“Yeah! Yeah! I’m okay. Just a little tired.” he smiles, pushing back the lump in his throat.
She nods, the look of worry still on her face as she looks back to focus on his hair.
***
The group enters the warehouse set. Yunho almost has to squint to adjust from the blinding sun to the dimly lit warehouse. Then he sees it. First the silver elevator, standing eerily by itself in a pool of crystal clear water. The water couldn’t be that deep, maybe two feet at most. It would be almost perfect for a relaxing bath. But the mere sound of the water sloshing against the tarp is enough to make Yunho’s gut twist. Just then he feels a squeeze on his hand.
“You gonna be okay?” Mingi whispers close to his ear, a small tingle running down his neck. His voice is deep and it almost sounds less like a whisper and more like a grumble.
“Yeah. Yeah, I should be okay.” a complete lie.
“Are you sure? I can ask the director to do something else for you.” Mingi offers, absentmindedly placing a hand on the small of his back. Yunho pulls Mingi in by the shoulder.
“No. Don't. I’ll be okay. We don’t need to slow the shoot down because of this.” He demands. Yunho might be scared but he knows that fans would definitely find it weird if he was in every other set except that one. And not only that, he didn’t want to inconvenience the other director and make everyone else’s day a living nightmare because he’s afraid of a little water.
One by one the members step over the lip of the makeshift pool and step into the pool, soaking their designer pants in the process. Once it gets to Yunho’s turn, he hesitantly lifts his leg over and steps one foot into the water. The cold sends an instant shock up his body. And his heart begins its rapid rhythm that he’s all too familiar with. He lets the other foot follow and begins to walk against the water, having to fight the water just to place one foot in front of the next.
The shoot continues as they film them running out the elevator, moving very sluggish as their feet are restricted by the water. Yunho is always good at putting on a face. He tries to stay professional under any circumstances and gives his best performance regardless of what he’s going through at the moment. He smiles and laughs against the panic building in his chest. After every take he can spot Mingi glancing at him and checking. Yunho returns a small smile in reassurance.
Now that the group shoot is done, the director calls each of them into the elevator for their solo shots. Each member stands in the eerie metal elevator, giving their best model face and lip sinking to the backtrack. Mingi approaches him after his shoot.
“How was that? Was I sexy?” he says, opening his jacket, exposing a little bit of his defined chest and biting his lower lip. Yunho is shocked it hasn’t fallen off from how often he does that.
Yunho manages a small laugh out of him. “Yes, very sexy.” He compliments. Apparently Mingi can still see how uncomfortable Yunho is as he places his hand on Yunho’s shoulder once more. “How are you doing? Do you need to take a break?” He whispers. Yunho sighs in frustration.
“No, Mingi. I’m fine. My shoot is next so I’ll just get that over with and then this will all be over.” Yunho gestures to the elevator.
“Can I get Yunho next?” The director calls from behind the wall of cameras and monitors.
Yunho makes his way towards the elevator and stands himself in the center, as per the director’s instructions. He takes a deep breath. In his nose. Out his mouth as he tries to focus on his body and the camera, attempting to ignore how his heart is beating out of his chest.
Yunho continues posing and lip sinking without a huge issue. He thinks his shoot is almost done when the director calls,
“Can I have you kind of lay back in the water?”
Yunho freezes.
“What?” He calls.
“Like can you sit down and lean against the back wall?”
Just standing in the water was hard enough. Now he has to completely submerge himself?
Yunho hesitates. He feels so many eyes on him, all expecting him to comply and continue with the shoot. Yunho takes another deep breath as he slowly lets his body sink down. He as he sits, he can feel the water travel up his body in a cold spread. Once he sits in the water he can feel it surround him. It presses against his body and its cold. He can feel his lungs grow cold the longer he sits in the water.
Now the paranoia kicks in. shooting his eyes around at every small current. His body is convinced there is something in the water when he knows there’s nothing. He closes his eyes shut attempting to calm his rapid and stifled breathing.
“Yunho? What’s going on bud?” the director calls.
But Yunho cant seem to respond. He’s too overstimulated by everything around him. The cold water pressing against him, the silver walls of the elevator enclosing him, the whispers from the crew. His ears are ringing, but he can hear faint sloshing moving toward him and then a muffled seonghwa and hongjoong. Both a hand on his knee.
“Yunho? Yunho, are you okay?” Seonghwa’s voice fading in over the ringing in his ears.
“What do you need, Yu?” Hongjoong asks.
Yunho manages to pant out between his hyperventilating gasps,
“Mingi…Get- Get Mingi” he stumbled out.
He feels the hands lift off his knees and the presence leave. Moments later, a current moves toward him. It moves close to him, one hand on his knee and the other on his shoulder.
“Hey. Hey. Hey. I’m here. Its okay.” Mingi’s voice rumbles, breaking through all the buzz in his ears. He reaches out and grips mingi’s jacket, pulling him even closer.
“Can you open your eyes for me, Yu?” Yunho peals his eye lids open and he’s met with Mingi's eyes staring back at his. They’re not his usual half lidded stare, they’re wider and comforting. Just looking at Mingi has already brought his breathing down, but it is still rampant and un steady. Mingi slowly lifts yunho’s hands to hold him by the cheeks, not caring about the water dripping from his hands.
“Just focus on me, okay? I’m the only one here.” Yunho holds his stare with Mingi, feeling his smooth skin in his hands.
“Just follow me okay? Breathe in.” Yunho follows Mingi in his stuttering breathe.
“Breathe out.” they both push the air through their mouths.
“Breathe in.” Mingi’s voice is calm and gentle. Yunho can feel it in his hands as they caress Mingi’s cheeks.
“Breathe out.” Yunho feels his heart slow and his breathe steady. He can feel his muscles relax as Mingi rubs his hands up and down his bare shoulders.
Mingi continues to guide Yunho’s breathing. In. Out. In. Out. Until Yunho is so relaxed he feels like he could fall asleep right there. Yunho’s hands fall to Mingi’s neck as he leans his head against the wall closing his eyes.
“How are you feeling, Yu?” Mingi whispers.
Yunho nods his head, “Better.” He whispers back.
***
They ended up ending Yunho’s shoot there and immediately got him out of the water. He asked that Mingi stay with him as he sat and waited for the other members to be done with their shoots. Mingi sat right next to him and held his hand as Yunho sat with a towel around him.
Back at the dorms, Yunho went straight to his room and laid down in his bed. He didn’t care that it was only 2pm. He was so exhausted that he needed to give his aching body a rewarding rest.
After a while Yunho dozed off, only to be awoken by Yeosang knocking on his door. He turned giving a very groggy greeting to his roommate.
“Mingi wants to see you.” he calls. Yunho slowly sits up to see Mingi standing behind Yeosang. Yunho nods to let him in.
Mingi sits on the edge of Yunho’s bed. Yunho speaks first.
“Thank you for today. I’m sorry I couldn’t keep it together for the shoot.” he apologizes, running a tired hand over his face. Mingi places a hand on Yunho's knee.
“Dont apologize. You had a panic attack. You can't control that. It's not your fault.” Mingi's voice is gentle and soft. Their eyes meet and Yunho finds a look in Mingi's eyes that he’s never seen before. Its serious, but its not mean. And it sends a chill down his spine.
“I know, but-” Mingi raises a hand to Yunho’s lips.
“No. None of that.” he whispers. “I won't have any of it.”
Mingi’s hand doesn’t move. It stays there, warm against his lips. Yunho’s eyes travel up Mingi’s arm and find their place in his eyes. Mingi’s face is slightly flushed but shows no attempt in hiding it. Its like Mingi is telling him a thousand things just through one look. Yunho’s heart begins to quicken, but not in a way he’s familiar with. Its not the cold shock of panic. This feels warm. Its feels sweet.
Yunho finds his body leaning into Mingi. Its slow. Deliberate. He never noticed how beautiful Mingi's lips are. They’re plump and vibrant with a pale red. And look so soft. Mingi cant be more than four inches away from his face. Mingi releases his hand from Yunho’s face and slips to the back of his neck. Tangling in his hair. Their breath mingles together the closer they are. In. Out. In. Out. Yunho takes one last look into mingi’s dark eyes, they’re almost desperate.
Their lips smash together, pulling at each other like magnets. Their hands grip at each other pulling and tugging each other closer even when they are fully flush against one another. Yunho feels Mingi moan into his mouth as he slips his tongue past his pout lips. Returning the favor as he hums at Mingi’s tongue against his own. Their tongues dance against one another, sliding and mingling together like dancers on a ballroom floor. They finally break for air, panting against each other's lips as they press against each other.
Yunho might not understand these feelings yet. The feelings that his body understands before his mind. But he is willing to find out. To understand what about Mingi ignites his soul and calms his aching heart. What makes him want to drown in him, and never come back up for air.