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Jake tugged awkwardly at his seat belt which was way too constricting after all the drinking and eating he had done with Sunghoon and Sunoo that day. His bright phone screen lit up the dark van as he watched recent interactions from the previous day's sendoff in Manchester. Shaking his head as he watched the same clip over and over of someone asking if they could call him mommy.
To his right, Sunghoon was doing the same. Not the mommy thing of course. That was his own personal burden.
Korean pop music played faintly in the background of the van, courtesy of one of their manager’s playlists. Sunoo sat in front of them, his odd behavior shaking Jake’s concentration every now and then as he watched Sunoo’s phone screen time out and then inexplicably turn back on a few seconds later.
He became more and more aware of his dongsaeng’s weird actions, his head moving back and forth against the car seat, rubbing up against it like a cat. Staring out the window and trying to take a picture only to tap violently at the screen as he was unable to figure out how to switch the camera.
“Dude,” He leaned into Sunghoon, voice quiet so as to not alert their security team, “he’s totally gone.”
“Who?” Sunghoon replied nonchalantly, eyes still glued to one of his fancams.
“What do you mean ‘who’? The person who hasn’t drank in weeks and suddenly discovered he has a passion for Guinness? Sunoo???”
He watched Sunghoon’s head snap up, eyes working hard to focus from the lit screen of his phone to the back of Sunoo’s still bobbing head.
Jake continued, “We definitely let him have too many.”
Sunghoon’s eyes didn’t stray from the passenger in front of him, “well, he liked it...”
Just then the van screeched to a halt at the back entrance to their hotel, the both of them cringing as they watched Sunoo’s half conscious body slump forward against the seatbelt and then back against the head rest.
The two watched as one of their managers opened the door for them, sliding it open as Sunoo sloppily worked to figure out how the contraption known as a seatbelt worked until Jake slipped his arm through the gap to unbuckle it for him.
Sunoo burst forth through the van in full energy, while the two boys watched on in horror.
“Sunoo!” Sunghoon called frantically, unbuckling his own seat belt in record speed so he could pelt out after him.
Jake shook his head as he looked around the darkness of the van, picking up both their left behind phones as he crawled out after them.
“Do you need a hand with him?” One of the security guards approached Sunghoon who had his arm around Sunoo’s waist to keep him upright.
Jake watched the shift in Sunghoon’s demeanor. Hand tightened around Sunoo’s small waist as he shifted the drunken boy’s body closer to him.
“We’ve got him,” He motioned toward Jake, “Jake and I, you guys can head in, it’s a short walk to the elevator from here.”
Their entourage looked at one another before finally sighing and agreeing, secretly glad to be able to turn in even earlier for the night and call their loved ones back in Korea.
They watched them go as Sunoo’s eyes got even more glazed over until they finally closed, his body falling even more into Sunghoon.
“Damn, you really do need a hand though, want me to take a side?” Jake offered, pocketing their phones so he could help.
“No, I actually think I’ve got him, hold on,” Sunghoon hand clenched his waist, earning a yip from the boy, “Sunoo-yah? Do you think you can put an arm around my shoulder?”
Sunoo’s eyes snapped open against Sunghoon’s sweatshirt, blinking a few times before squirming in his hold.
“Like this?” Sunoo giggled as he hopped slightly, arms stretching up to clutch onto Sunghoon’s neck in a hug.
Jake’s draw dropped. Sunoo wasn’t normally so affectionate. Granted, when he got drunk he could be a little clingier but this was extreme even for him. But Sunghoon seemed unphased.
“Yes, good work, Sunoo-yah.” He chuckled at him, flushing slightly as he unwound one of his arms from around his neck so just one could be wrapped around his shoulders as he regained his previous hold on Sunoo’s waist.
Jake led the way to the elevators with heavy steps, looking back over his shoulder constantly at the pair behind him.
Surprised every time that Sunoo managed to put one foot in front of the other. He was being so obedient for Sunghoon, who stared ahead at him with a slightly guilty expression on his face that Jake couldn’t place. Sunoo seemed none the wiser, his own eyes closed with a brilliant smile on his dimpled cheeks as he let Sunghoon drag him into the elevator.
Jake hit the button to their floor, praying silently that no one would come into the elevator and see the nearly unconscious fox who only seemed to be leaning more and more into Sunghoon.
“Shit,” Sunghoon swore under his breath causing Jake to look up, “I think his knees are about to buckle..”
Jake puzzled at the statement, “how would you even kn—”
Sunghoon caught him before he could hit the ground, his other arm coming around to steady his front as Sunoo’s arm slipped from his shoulders.
“Sunoo?” Sunghoon shook the boy he was holding upright in his arms, “Sunoo?”
Sunoo groaned, making an exasperated noise as his head tilted from side to side like it was in the car, almost as if he was denying consciousness itself.
“Fuck, Jake, can you watch the door?” Sunghoon placed an arm around his back as he curled his other under his knees, hoisting Sunoo up in his arms.
Jake opened his mouth to say something, probably, “what the fuck”, but shifted his eyes to the doors regardless, they only had a few floors left to climb before they would reach theirs.
But even as Jake did his best to keep the coast clear his eyes kept shifting back to the pair, Sunoo snuggled up like a Christmas present in his arms while Sunghoon stared straight in front of him, almost exasperated.
Suddenly Sunoo let out a laugh, his brown eyes opening up in a crescent shape, he tried his best to focus, “..Hyungie? Where are we going?”
Sunghoon looked down at him, his expression softening instantly as his tone got gentler, “to your room.”
Sunoo giggled, wiggling in his arms so he could wrap his own around Sunghoon’s neck once more.
“You mean our room!” He tilted his head up to press a kiss on Sunghoon’s jaw before burying his head back into his chest and closing his eyes again. Completely unaware of the scene he just caused in the elevator.
Jake shifted his eyes back towards the doors as he felt Sunghoon’s wide eyes snap to him.
The last few floors were painful, painful, just awful stuff. The silence. He was used to silence with Sunghoon. He liked that about him. He was quiet, but this was different. This silence was twinged with unease and turmoil. The both of them unaware on how to break it.
He could see out of the corner of his eye as Sunghoon’s mouth opened and closed a few times, trying to get whatever he wanted to say out, as if the color on his face and ears wasn’t giving him away. His normally pale face getting redder the more seconds stretched by as the elevator climbed.
“C-can you grab the keycard from my front pocket?” Sunghoon’s voice choked out, finally cutting the pregnant pause.
Jake turned to stare at him numbly, before finally hearing the elevator ding and the doors open.
He hastily frisked Sunghoon for it, pulling it out as they started off for Sunoo’s (Sunghoon’s??) hotel room.
He walked a few paces behind them, watching Sunghoon’s broad back and confident tread as he carried the limp boy in his arms with ease. White and orange nike’s bouncing with every step were the only indication that Sunghoon was carrying someone.
Jake opened the door for him, holding it as Sunghoon sidestepped inside.
Jake let himself in after them, walking slowly to the desk to put down both their phones as he tried not to notice Sunghoon’s bag in Sunoo’s room or his leather jacket strewn across the desk chair.
He put them down with a sharp noise, the metal on wood breaking the silence that was previously only interrupted by the soft sound of Sunoo’s breathing.
Jake kept his back turned to them, watching through the mirror above the desk as Sunghoon set Sunoo down on the bed, shaking his head slightly at the sleeping boy with a fond smile on his face.
Jake looked away as he saw Sunghoon turn to him.
Jake cleared his throat as he avoided eye contact with Sunghoon as he stepped toward the door.
“Jaeyun….” Jake turned back to look at his best friend.
Sunghoon wasn’t much of a talker, or an explainer. He wasn’t big on sharing emotions or feelings. But he was someone who was there for you always. He WAS a listener, and he was someone who spoke more with his actions than with his words. His expression was full of everything he left unsaid, an apology, a plea, perhaps maybe even an excuse, and then finally a look of uncertainty and fear.
Jake sighed, taking off his baseball cap to run a hand through his hair.
“Dude. I get it. He’s cute.”
He watched Sunghoon visibly relax, his chest letting out a deep exhale as his eyes darted around the room, blinking rapidly as they filled up with tears.
Jake stepped closer, patting him on the shoulder, “have a good night, man. Make sure he drinks a lot of water, okay? Plane leaves at 1:30pm, you remember?”
Sunghoon nodded weakly, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides as he struggled with what to say back.
Jake just shook his head at him and headed back for the door.
“Jake!” Sunghoon called out as he opened it. He turned back. Sunghoon was fully looking at him now, even if his eyes were red and watery.
“...Thank you.” Sunghoon turned back to look at Sunoo’s peaceful expression, a faint smile still on his boyfriend’s face. Sunghoon swallowed.
“From both of us.”
Jake grinned, waving at him, “anytime.”
He shut the door. Leaving the couple to themselves.
He slid in the seat next to Jungwon the next morning, as casual as ever. He looked over at the row in front of them. Sunghoon was slipping his sunglasses over Sunoo’s eyes and pulling his hood up to block the light, palm outstretched with pills on it that Sunoo gratefully accepted.
“So how many weeks has that been going on?” He whispered to Jungwon, correctly assuming that he would know all that goes on with their members.
Jungwon didn’t need to glance up to know what he was asking. He scoffed, leaning in so they wouldn’t be overhead.
“You mean, ‘how many years?’”