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Taesan had always loved taking pictures.
It had started when he was visiting his grandparents once when he was 6 and he'd found an old camera in a box in their closet. It was the proper vintage kind that used film and had to be rewound between shots. He remembered sitting enraptured on the living room floor as his grandpa went through the process of explaining how to change the film and adjust the shutter speed, patiently answering every question that Taesan asked about it while his grandma baked cookies in the kitchen.
By the time that weekend was over Taesan had used up two entire rolls of film on whatever had caught his attention. Pictures of his grandparents doing mundane things around the house, their old sheep dog Mari sleeping under the tree in the backyard, sunrises, birds, random street signs, the list went on. When his parents had come to pick him up Taesan had run to his mom as fast as his little legs could take him and excitedly told her that when he grew up he wanted to be a photographer. He vividly remembered the way she'd bent down to his level to stroke his cheeks and press a kiss to his forehead with a loving smile. Her warm words echoed in his memory like a sweet melody, "I'm sure you'll be a wonderful photographer, Dongminie. Be sure to do your best, okay?"
So he'd kept at it.
Even as he'd grown up Taesan never stopped taking pictures, though eventually he'd exchanged the old film camera for his phone. They were never anything grand, just whatever caught his attention or things he felt deserved remembering. The view from the train on his commute to school, his friend's face when he lost marks on a test for forgetting to write his name, his little sister's beaming smile when she graduated kindergarten, the first record player he'd purchased with his own money that he'd earned doing odd jobs for their neighbors, his brother's soccer trophy that he held up proudly in a grass stained uniform. When he became a trainee there were selfies in the foggy mirrors of practice rooms, the first pair of shoes he'd custom painted laying in the foyer to the dorm, lyric sheets scattered on his desk as he worked late into the night.
Once he moved to Seoul there were new faces that began to feature in his gallery.
The first was Sungho, who Taesan met the week after joining KOZ. Taesan learned early on that for such a good-looking guy Sungho got really weird about being photographed if it wasn't for an official reason and Taesan preyed on it like a hawk. He made sure to catch the eldest his natural state as much as possible. Sometimes it was when he was being strict and serious like the times he scolded Woonhak about talking with his mouth full while others were of him being incredibly unserious and caught up in the particular brand of chaos the six of them were rapidly becoming known for. All of them perfectly encapsulated everything that was Park Sungho and had the older constantly nagging at Taesan to erase the ones that he claimed he looked like an idiot in. Taesan had a particularly good shot of Sungho frozen in the middle of a laughing fit, half curled in on himself in a way that was familiar and endlessly hilarious. Sungho didn't know it but Taesan had that one as the older's contact photo in his phone even to this day.
Jaehyun and Woonhak came as a package deal, one that Taesan didn't have a say in purchasing but received nonetheless. They'd both latched onto him like a pair of loud, annoying parasites from the moment they'd met but fuck if Taesan wasn't fond of them anyways. As a result of their impromptu Three Musketeers dynamic, naturally Taesan had countless photos of the two of them from their many late nights working in the studio. There were probably too many videos of Woonhak stuffing his face looking like a squirrel preparing for winter while Jaehyun cackled in the background and selfies of the three of them where Taesan pulled faces between them just for his own amusement. He liked taking pictures of the way Jaehyun's smile curved when they achieved something as a group and the happiness that filled Woonhak's entire being at any given time. They felt like extensions of the mess of music and half-formed lyrics in Taesan's head, a perfect symphony of chaos that worked even when it shouldn't have.
Riwoo was a distinct contrast to the rest by comparison, calm where the rest were wild but still bright under Taesan's pointed lens. Pictures of the older tended to be wide shots, Riwoo as the star in otherwise ordinary settings like walking up the street leading to the convenience store near the dorm or Riwoo leaning his head against the window of the van with a soft smile on his face while the rest of them bantered around him on their way to their next schedule. Taesan had a particularly sweet one of him cuddling Daebak in his lap during their trip for Funnextdoor earlier in the year that the older had asked him to send to him so he could show his mom. Last he'd heard, Riwoo's mom had gotten the picture framed and hung it over Daebak's bed. In every photo and video Riwoo was a much needed respite amidst chaos, an anchor in the storm.
Taesan adored each and every one of them but by far his favorite subject had to be Leehan.
Call him biased but Leehan had a face that was just made to be photographed. Taesan remembered the day they'd met like it was yesterday. They'd told the infamous story at least a dozen times in interviews and fanmeets about how Leehan had stared at Taesan until he hadn't been able to ignore him any longer, offering up his ramen in response to the alien-like behavior the younger presented him with and how their friendship had bloomed from there.
The part of the story that always got left out was the way Taesan's fingers had itched with the need to take a picture the second he'd looked into those wide, clear eyes of Leehan's. So deep and sparkling that it was like a thousand flashes were going off in them, capturing Taesan's heart in their majesty. How the handsomeness of his face, the cut of his jaw and the plush pout of his lips had all practically begged Taesan to capture it in all of its glory in every way he possibly could for as long as he was allowed.
He didn't know back then that he'd fallen in love in that moment.
It wouldn't be until over a year later when he looked back and realized that yes, he took a lot of pictures and videos of the members but by far he took the most of Leehan. It was then that he would see the extra care that he put into those photos; the way that Leehan's were framed differently from the others, softer somehow with particular emphasis on all of the things Taesan loved most about him. The way his eyes scrunched up when he grinned widely, capturing him mid-giggle after he'd done something silly to make the rest of them laugh, his serious expression when he focussed hard during practice… Those and so many more and yet even a thousand pictures wouldn't be enough to do Leehan justice in Taesan's opinion.
Two years after debut and Taesan had amassed more pictures and videos than most people probably took in their entire lives. He'd already filled an entire phone and was well on his way to maxing out another one with more. There would never be enough space on any SIM card or cloud storage that could hold all of the memories of the things and people that Taesan loved most but he kept compiling more anyways.
Moments of frustration and joy, laughter and tears, the roar of the crowd and the quiet squeak of shoes on the practice room floor, countless instances both big and small that filled their daily lives; Taesan collected all of them and hoarded them like a dragon guarding treasure because they were precious. They painted the story of them— of six ordinary boys who'd come together thanks to one fantastical dream that had become a reality— and it was a story that Taesan hoped people many years in the future would come to know and love just as much as he did.
"What're you doing?"
Taesan felt a smile curl up the corners of his lips when the familiar voice reached his ears, honey-sweet and a little sleepy around the edges. He looked up from the gallery he'd just been scrolling through to tilt his head against the back of the couch as he watched Leehan enter their living room, eyes tracking his slender form until he was standing right in front of him. The younger was dressed in his 312 pajama pants and one of Taesan's hoodies. He looked cute in the oversized garments, soft and comfortable in a way that sent a possessive thrill up Taesan's spine. He lifted his phone and snapped a quick picture, already snickering when he saw Leehan's cheeks flush pink.
"Did you seriously just take a picture of me?! I just washed my face! I swear Han Dongmin, if I see that posted on Weverse later I'll—"
Taesan grabbed Leehan by the waist and tugged him down so that the younger landed in his lap. The little yelp his boyfriend let out when he caught himself against his chest pulled another laugh out of Taesan which only made Leehan whine again and slap at his arm lightly. Taesan leaned in to kiss him softly in apology. He smirked when he pulled back, proud of being the reason for the dazed look in Leehan's eyes and couldn't resist teasing him just a little, "We both know that Onedoor would thank me if I posted it. You're pretty no matter what, baby."
Leehan buried his face in Taesan's shoulder and let out a little huff but didn't deny it, too used to Taesan's unending compliments at this point to be truly bothered by it. Taesan could see the way the tips of his ears turned red though and pressed another kiss into his messy curls, heart hammering from how adorable the younger was.
Further in the dorm Taesan could hear Sungho moving around his room getting ready for bed and the faint click of Riwoo's keyboard from the older playing a match in League. He imagined the lower dorm was much the same—they'd had a long day and had been looking forward to some downtime after how jam-packed their schedules had been lately— maybe a little louder though because Jaehyun and Woonhak didn't really have an off-switch for their volume even when they were tired. It was probably what had driven Leehan up to their dorm in the first place.
Slowly Taesan felt Leehan relax against his chest. He cuddled in closer as the tension bled out of his body and Taesan tightened his arms around him in response. They sat there in silence for a while longer until Leehan spoke again, voice blurry like he was seconds away from falling asleep entirely, "Seriously though… What were you lookin' at?" His Busan accent always got stronger when he was tired and it never failed to be charming.
Taesan sighed, sensing that Leehan wouldn't give up until he got his answer, and reached across the couch to pick up his phone from where he'd thrown it when he'd pulled Leehan down. He opened it and turned the screen so his boyfriend could see it, feeling heat crawl up his neck in mild embarrassment, "I was just looking at some old pictures of us."
Leehan gently pulled the phone from his hand. Taesan watched him lazily thumb through the photos as he ran a hand up and down the younger's back, "How's it been two years already? I swear it was just yesterday that we debuted." A smile worked its way across his face, lighting it with unrestrained affection, "Look at how chubby Woonhak's cheeks were! He's still cute even now but wow, he looked like such a baby back then."
Taesan chuckled, "We all looked like babies back then."
"Mm…" Leehan hummed, nodding as he leaned a little heavier against him, "Guess we did."
"Hey," Taesan kissed the top of his head again, jostling his boyfriend gently, "Let's go to bed. You're falling asleep out here."
"No 'm not…" Leehan didn't protest further when Taesan moved him off his lap so that he could stand and bend back down to slip his arms under Leehan to lift him up in a princess carry. He curled his arms around Taesan's neck for stability and rested his head against his chest again, humming softly under his breath as they made the short journey to Taesan's bedroom.
"Are you seriously humming 'Live in Paris' right now?" Taesan laughed, trying to keep quiet because Sungho's room was just across the hall and he was pretty sure the older was asleep by now, if the fact that there were no lights shining from under his door said anything. He shouldered the door to his own bedroom open easily, mentally thanking himself for forgetting to shut it tight earlier after he'd gotten out of the shower. He put a knee on the bed as he gently set Leehan down on his dark sheets, smiling when the younger naturally curled up on what had become his side.
"It sounds pretty," Leehan mumbled, "You always make the best songs."
Taesan brushed some hair out of his face, smiling tenderly when Leehan snuggled into his hand instinctively, "And you say the sweetest things when you're half-asleep."
He forced himself up to cross the room so that he could close the door and turn off the lights. The small amount of moonlight that crept in through the gap between the window frame and the blinds allowed Taesan enough light to see as he crawled in beside Leehan, wrapping his arms around the younger's waist to pull him close so that his chest was pressed up against his boyfriend's back. Leehan immediately rolled over to tuck his face into the crook of Taesan's neck and he pressed a sleepy kiss to the skin there. Taesan adjusted his arms around him to accommodate the new position, let his hands curl in the soft fabric of his own hoodie as Leehan's breathing started to even out.
When he shifted a little to get comfortable Taesan felt something poke his side and realized he hadn't taken his phone out of his pocket. He moved slowly so as not to disturb Leehan, pulling it out so that he could put it on the nightstand. Before he did, a familiar itch started in his fingers when he caught sight of how a beam of moonlight was hitting Leehan's sleeping face. He looked beautiful, ethereal in the dim light and Taesan couldn't resist the ever-familiar urge to take a picture.
After double-checking the image Taesan twisted his torso so that he could put the phone down for the night. Leehan made a small noise in response to the sudden movement, arms tightening like he thought Taesan was going to leave him.
"Shh baby," he murmured softly, smiling fondly into Leehan's curls when the younger started to settle down again, "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."
Taesan could still hear Riwoo playing his game in the distance. He silently wished the older luck but also hoped he'd go to bed soon, for his own sake. They had a long day ahead of them again tomorrow. It would be another day of unending chaos and exhaustion, the most rewarding experience of their lives because they would all spend it together.
Tomorrow would be another opportunity for Taesan to capture more memories that he would keep for many years to come— his favorite pastime and his greatest love along with Leehan and music— and Taesan couldn't help but feel eager for it to come sooner. He let his eyes slip shut and the gallery of memories in his heart played like a montage as he drifted off to join Leehan in the land of dreams.
In the morning, Riwoo would come to wake Taesan up and find them wrapped together in the same position. Sungho would peek over his shoulder and smile warmly at the sight they made. Both of the oldest members would snap a picture of their own, a new addition their own galleries that they would quietly treasure. And if it maybe found its way into their groupchat later? Well, it wouldn't be the first time.
The saying went that a picture was worth a thousand words but to all of the members of Boynextdoor, they would always be priceless.