Work Text:
“Sana, have you really never heard of a set before?”
Jihyo wasn’t mocking her, which was almost worse in Sana’s eyes. It was a genuine question out of pure disbelief.
Sana, in fact, never particularly enjoyed working out.
Most of it stemmed from how much the terminology confused her. She would rather forget the time Jeongyeon asked her how much she could lift and she answered with a very confident three by seven, only for her confidence to be quickly shot down by the impromptu laughter from the other members. How was she supposed to know?
Otherwise, weightlifting was fine, bearable at best if she ignored the rather pitiful amount of weight she could lift.
That wasn’t to say she didn’t enjoy the results that came from the gym. Defined muscles, rock-solid abs, Sana knew what she liked. She could appreciate the time, discipline, and dedication put into sculpting the body of one's dreams, and she could appreciate some extra eye candy for herself.
Especially if that eye candy belonged to a certain leader.
Sana would be lying if she said she wasn’t looking forward to seeing Jihyo in her workout gear. Sleeves rolled up with muscles on full display as she moved with that signature effortless confidence Sana pretended not to notice. How lucky was she to have someone like Jihyo in her life? It was enough to make the idea of the gym almost appealing.
Almost.
As excited as Sana was, she was unfortunately the latest victim of Jihyo’s workout regimen, involuntarily put up for sacrifice by the other unwilling members. She vividly remembered the day Chaeyoung’s figure collapsed with exhaustion after her time in the gym with their leader, flopping to the floor like her limbs had given up on her. The poor girl didn’t move from her bed for hours.
Sana knew she would be rendered in the same state soon, and she was dreading her rapidly approaching demise. However, Jihyo being the last thing she saw before she perished wouldn’t be the worst way to go out, she had to admit.
“Um, no,” Sana mumbled sheepishly, a free hand grabbing a fistful of hair to put up into a ponytail.
Nerves laced itself in each one of her movements. A laugh that was let out more often than usual, the jittery bounce of her leg; Sana knew Jihyo wouldn’t make her do more than she could handle, but that wasn’t to say the leader wouldn’t push her to her limits either.
“Right, okay,” Jihyo nodded carefully, crossing her arms. Her muscles naturally flexed, a fine line of definition drawing onto the skin. Sana’s eyes, by nature of course, couldn’t help but trail off. “Let’s introduce you to some workouts, and then we can do sets of the ones you’re comfortable with doing.”
“Will you be demonstrating?”
A question under the guise for something more. A chance for Sana to not only learn, but for her and ONCEs to appreciate the results of Jihyo’s gym rat behavior. A win-win. Sana always made sure to look out for their fans.
“I can if you need me to,” Jihyo shrugged indifferently.
Sana perked up as a lightbulb sparked to life in her mind. If she was going to workout with Jihyo, she might as well have fun with it. Ultimately, at the poor expense of the leader, but she knew all would be forgiven at the end of the day. At least she hoped so.
“Please,” Sana hummed, bouncing on her heels with a newfound eagerness.
In response, Jihyo raised a suspicious brow. Anything could happen with a person like Sana, and she could only expect the worst. The cameras that surrounded them became an ever looming presence before she became aware of Sana again.
A small rig hovered above them a few feet away as a staff member crouched low to keep the shot steady. It was intended to be casual, a simple gym vlog like with Chaeyoung; something lighthearted for content. She was used to being on camera, but with Sana, it felt like she was out of her depth.
It complicated things, to say the least.
Instead, she adjusted the height and weight of the machine, her movements precise and efficient as if she was grounding herself in the familiar actions.
“We’ll start with the leg press, it’s simple enough,” Jihyo finally said, locking her corrections in place. “Just so you understand the movement.”
Sana nodded, attentive and genuine.
“Feet shoulder width apart, and keep your knees at a ninety degree angle when you’re at rest. Activate your core when you push through your heels, and keep the motion slow. Try not to lock your knees when you do, you’ll hurt yourself otherwise.” Jihyo settled into the seat before placing her feet carefully against the platform. She gestured to her legs as she looked at Sana, completing a controlled rep as her muscles tensed and relaxed with practiced ease. “Like this.”
She stood and stepped aside, motioning to the now free seat to Sana with a wave of her hand.
Sana slid into place and shuffled inside the contraption. Almost immediately, her expression shifted as hints of discomfort made itself known on her face. The seat was set far too close for her legs to rest comfortably; her knees were nearly tucked into her chest, and her thighs were pressed uncomfortably against her torso.
“Jihyo,” Sana whined playfully as her lips formed into a pout. “Why do you have to be so short?”
“Sana, you’re only around three centimeters taller than me," Jihyo let out a heavy sigh, already reaching for the adjustment lever. “Here.”
She stepped closer and leaned in beside Sana, one hand bracing the back of the chair while the other searched for the latch beneath the seat. Jihyo’s shoulder pressed against Sana’s arm, solid and warm, and for a second Sana forgot why they were even there. Jihyo’s scent immediately overwhelmed her. She smelled faintly of something familiar and pleasant, her soap maybe, and it did absolutely nothing to help Sana focus. Her presence was entirely unavoidable.
She barely was aware of the camera shifting slightly closer.
“Jihyo—” Sana started, then faltered when Jihyo leaned in even more, close enough that it made her voice dip naturally. Heat slowly crept up her neck, then across her cheeks.
“Hold on,” Jihyo muttered, entirely too close to her ear as she tugged on the lever. The seat shifted back with a soft metallic click. “Tell me when you feel comfortable.”
Sana swallowed, suddenly terribly aware of how all of it must look on camera.
Jihyo hovered over her, far closer than necessary, her hands focused and steady as she worked while Sana sat flushed and pliant. She could already imagine the edits: slowed shots, lingering close-ups, soft glances, the illusion of intimacy framed neatly between reps, captions screaming about being fed ‘Sahyo crumbs’. The thought made her cheeks burn.
But beneath the cameras and actions that could be easily played off as fanservice, it was something else entirely to Sana. Carefully disguised under practiced smiles, it would look like playful teasing or Jihyo indulging Sana for once to anyone watching. To Sana, it was achingly familiar and impossible to brush off simply as just content.
She knew Jihyo’s tells too well, especially under the watchful lens of the camera. How she lingered for a second longer than necessary. How her touch stayed light and careful, but always deliberate. Maybe Jihyo was simply teasing her, nudging at the boundaries in a subtle way they learned to master if they wanted to express their affection.
Sana wasn’t a quiet lover by any means. If she could, she would profess her love for Jihyo from the mountaintops for the entire world to know without hesitation. Kiss her in front of a crowd of millions for everyone to see. Unfortunately, they both knew their world didn’t work that way.
Sana was used to it by this point. It was a fact of their life they had long ago accepted, but it didn’t mean she didn’t wish for more.
She wanted Jihyo close. The attention, the lingering neediness that came with having to pretend they were nothing more than close teammates on screen that worsened with each played up act of affection for the fans. She didn’t expect how hard it would hit when Jihyo leaned in the slightest bit too close, when the between performance and truth blurred in a way Sana couldn’t react to.
Over time, walls erode and crumble. With a force of nature from a woman like Park Jihyo, it was only a matter of time until Sana’s walls fell.
In a way, Sana got what she asked for. She didn’t actually expect to deal with the consequences of her own actions.
“Mm… yeah. That’s better,” her eyes glanced up at Jihyo, who was still hovering nearby as she tested the new position, her legs now able to stretch out properly.
Jihyo nodded, seemingly satisfied, but didn’t step back right away. She was still close. Close enough that Sana could see the faint gleam of sweat along her collarbone, the way her chest would rise and fall steadily with each breath, and the way her eyebrows knitted together as she focused, completely absorbed while she assessed Sana’s form.
It was endearing how meticulously she cared.
It wasn’t the charismatic kind of charm Jihyo displayed on stage. It was softer and more mellow. It made her look earnest, almost tender with how she tilted her head slightly, lips pressed together as if she was mentally running through corrections. How her eyes flicked over Sana’s positioning on the machine with genuine concern.
All of Jihyo’s attention was on Sana, and she couldn’t be happier.
“You need enough space to extend comfortably enough,” she explained, hands lifting to gently guide Sana’s knees into alignment. The touch was brief, but it sent a shiver down Sana’s spine anyway. “This way, you’re using your full leg strength and lessen the risk of injuring yourself.”
Sana’s heart pounded loudly in her ears, and she hoped, prayed even, that the cameras didn’t make it obvious the way she stiffened beneath Jihyo’s hands.
Jihyo straightened abruptly afterward, as if realizing the same moment Sana did, and cleared her throat.
“Okay. Try it now.”
Sana nodded, gripping the handles a bit tighter than necessary making her knuckles turned white. She pushed through the movement, slow and controlled, but her focus was split. Heat lingered beneath her skin as she felt the uneven pounding of her pulse. She was painfully aware that Jihyo’s proximity had completely thrown her off, and it would read exactly as the kind of content the fans loved.
The machine faded into the background.
Jihyo did not.
As Sana grew accustomed to the machine and finished her reps, she let out a heavy breath and leaned her head back with a soft thud, rolling her shoulders as if to shake off the built up tension. Jihyo stepped in, almost instinctively, and offered a hand to help Sana up while she grinned from ear to ear with a proud smile.
“That was great, Sana,” Jihyo said as she cleared her throat, slipping seamlessly back into a professional demeanor. “Let’s keep going. We don’t want to wait around too much and have lactic acid build up in your muscles. Practice tomorrow would be horrible to deal with while sore.”
“I think I’m already sore from all of this,” Sana muttered under her breath.
The camera followed as they went through a variety of machines and workouts. Cable rows, lat pulldowns, bent-over rows, each time Jihyo explained the movements with precise clarity before demonstrating herself, and then stepped aside for Sana to attempt.
After each workout, Sana couldn’t help but notice Jihyo's similarly slowly dwindling restraint. Her voice softened with each mention of Sana’s name, gradually losing its edge and authority and instead turning into a reserved fondness. The sharp edge dulled into something warmer.
Affection, even if it was thinly veiled.
Sana could tell Jihyo still tried to keep her distance, as if it took a conscious effort to do so. The cameras, no matter how much she wished for them to go away, were still there. Each lingering touch on her shoulder disguised as correction drove her insane. She wanted nothing more than to grab Jihyo right then and there and kiss her senseless.
A smile tugged on her lips. If Jihyo wasn’t willing to join her in her game, Sana wasn't going to back down. She knew exactly where the line was, and she was going to make Jihyo stand right there with her. She was going to make her absolutely break.
“What’s your favorite machine, Jihyo?” Sana asked lightly enough to feign innocence. A question she already knew the answer to. “Maybe you can introduce me to that one next?”
Jihyo paused. She tilted her head slightly, eyes narrowing as they settled on Sana. The weight of her gaze sent a shiver down Sana’s spine, measured and far too perceptive. Jihyo studied her for a moment longer before she let out a heavy sigh, already resigned.
“The hip thrust machine.”
Sana caught it immediately. The faint hesitation before Jihyo spoke, the softness to her voice.
“Oh? Why?” Sana straightened, her grin growing wider and wider.
“It’s good for your glutes and hamstrings,” Jihyo answered, careful to keep her tone even.
“Is that all?” Sana asked, teasing on the brink of something more. She wasn’t exactly subtle. The poor editor would probably have to cut this part out.
The corner of Jihyo’s mouth twitched. She glanced briefly toward the camera, then back to Sana, as if silently warning her not to push too far.
Sana only smiled wider.
The workout continued, but the rhythm shifted and faltered. Jihyo desperately tried to keep them moving, tried to stay efficient, but her focus slipped more and more by the minute. She corrected things that were already right, found reasons to hover under the guise of guidance. It certainly didn’t help with Sana’s feigned ignorance to push the limits and see how far she could take Jihyo before she broke.
She was at the edge, and Sana was poking the bear.
Each time Sana finished a set, Jihyo was already there, attention fixed on her before the camera could even catch up. Her restraint, her carefulness, all of it was unraveling. At some point before Sana could even register, Jihyo leaned in again, muttering something about her form, her breath warm against Sana’s shoulder.
That was enough. Sana needed to take her chance and seize the moment.
Sana turned her head just enough that her breath brushed the shell of Jihyo’s ear, tickling the skin with the warm air. A calculated touch hidden as a supposed coincidence.
“Careful, Jihyo,” Sana murmured, voice low and heavy. “The cameras are still on.”
Jihyo paused, and her figure became strikingly still.
Her breath hitched, sharp and unmistakable, before her eyes darted instinctively around the room. The camera was still there. The staff were still nearby. Reality, as much as she dreaded it, was hanging over them as an unfortunate reminder and snapped into place far too quickly.
She had to change it to the reality she wanted.
“Cut it,” Jihyo said suddenly, voice firm.
“—Now?” The cameraman hesitated as he peeked over the lens.
“Now,” Jihyo answered without looking away from Sana, who seemed to shrink from her spot. “That’s enough for today.”
There was a moment of stunned silence before the camera slowly lowered. The tension broke into low whispers and uncertain movement by the surrounding staff as they exchanged glances with each other. They could only imagine what was going to happen next.
“...Let’s get out of here,” Jihyo said quietly, her expression tight. It was so quiet that Sana wasn’t sure she heard her right.
“Huh?” Sana blinked, surprised despite herself. “Wait— can you even do that? Won’t management—”
“I’ll handle it,” Jihyo said immediately, cutting her off with a dismissal that left no room for argument. “It’ll work out.”
Unlike when Sana was confused with her workout, Jihyo didn’t explain further. Jihyo didn’t look back as she grabbed her wrist and pulled her away, Sana’s figure trailing not too far behind.
The line they had been dancing around had long been crossed, and the wall that separated them had broken down into pitiful pieces.
The car ride back was agonizingly quiet.
The air was heavy, filled with a suffocating tension that threatened to snap.
Every now and then, Sana tried to sneak a glance at Jihyo only to find the leader’s gaze to be permanently fixed out the window, her arm propped up against the door. There were no signs on her expression, nothing that would give away anything that could possibly happen next.
Sana felt her heart sink deeper and deeper in her chest as she fiddled with her fingers anxiously. Did she push it too far? Surely Jihyo wasn’t going to reprimand her.
It was all becoming too much.
“Jihyo—”
“Shh.”
She obediently went quiet.
Sana saw the company driver wince in the rear view window. He was probably feeling pity over their trouble in paradise. He had seen it all: the good, the drunk, the hangovers, the sleep deprived, and now unfortunately, the bad. Sana felt terrible for him. They were more trouble than what he was being paid, and she could only imagine the poor man contemplating his life choices.
She’d have to remember to buy him a gift later as compensation for his troubles.
Silence lingered the rest of the ride back to Jihyo’s place, save for the low hum of the running engine. No attempts at conversation, and certainly no explanation to be heard. The two exited the car with a low ‘thank you’ before the door shut behind them.
The walk to Jihyo’s door felt miles long. Sana’s legs felt heavy, dragging low with each step. Not just from their earlier workout, but dread. Anxiety. Anticipation, even. Jihyo unlocked her door with a soft click and held it open, fingers firmly pressed against the wooden material. She glanced past her shoulder, nodding at Sana.
The moment they stepped inside, all hell broke loose. The tension snapped.
The door barely had time to close before Jihyo immediately pressed Sana against the nearest wall, the impact knocking the air from her lungs with a low whine. Despite their minimal height difference, Sana still felt towered over. Jihyo’s body trapped her, her arm resting on the wall above Sana’s head.
“You are such a tease,” Jihyo leaned in, exhaling heavily against her ear as the hot air sent familiar shivers all over Sana’s body. Her voice, rough and heavy. “I really don’t know how to deal with you anymore.”
Sana didn’t hesitate. She lifted her chin up, smugly almost, in defiance while her fingers curled into the fabric at Jihyo’s sides.
“Then why don’t you try and show me?”
They stumbled down the hallway and towards the kitchen, kicking off their shoes haphazardly along the entryway. Their hands grabbed onto each other frantically, desperate and needy as if it would all be just a fleeting moment. All the teasing and the playful flirting was worth it in the end, consequences be damned.
Jihyo grabbed Sana firmly by the thighs and in one effortless motion, lifted her onto the counter. It happened so suddenly Sana barely had time to react before she was seated on the counter, letting out a surprised yelp before erupting into a fit of laughter.
Sana always knew Jihyo had incredible strength, but she never expected to experience it in such a way. Jihyo was always deliberate, carrying her with attentive grace and care if Sana was ever too tired to walk or even just because. She was spoiled her rotten
Jihyo held her as if she weighed nothing with steady arms, but her grip was anything but casual. Her fingers pressed into the soft skin of Sana’s thighs, almost possessive in a way. Sana let out a quiet whine as she buried her face against the crook of Jihyo’s neck, her breath warm against her skin while her arms hung limply across her shoulders.
It was sudden, different. It made her heart race faster than ever.
“I didn’t know you could do that,” Sana hummed, pleased as she peppered kisses along Jihyo’s jaw. Her fingertips traced the line of muscle along Jihyo’s arm, back and forth in a steady motion.
“You never asked,” Jihyo laughed softly. “If you focus on your arms, you could do the same thing to me one day.”
Their bodies burned against each other while their hot breath mingled and intertwined. Sana could feel the heat radiating off Jihyo’s skin.
Jihyo was absolutely beautiful. A beautiful mess, but somehow still managed to be perfect.
“God— just kiss me already.”
Sana felt Jihyo’s hand finding its way to her jaw, cradling it gently as her eyes studied Sana’s features intently to commit to memory. Her grip was firm, but light enough to not hurt. She felt like she was burning, and it certainly worsened underneath Jihyo’s fingers.
It wasn’t long before Jihyo leaned in to claim Sana’s lips.
The moments their lips met, any traces of restraint Jihyo had been clinging onto finally gave way. The hunger behind each kiss deepened instead of faded, sharpened by the careful restraint that had only made the need heavier and urgent. There was a messiness, a barely contained desperation that hadn’t been there before, each kiss pressed further and harsher than the last as she finally allowed herself to take what Sana had been offering.
Sana felt the way Jihyo’s mouth lingered longer, more insistent, like she was reclaiming each second she denied herself. All of her teasing, all the careful provocation, had only fed the moment.
Sana needed to do it again if this was the side of Jihyo she got.
Sana responded instantly, her hands finding their way to Jihyo’s shoulders as they fisted the fabric. One of Jihyo’s hands slid up Sana’s back, warm and firm, holding her tightly, possessively.
They broke apart only to take a breath.
“You drive me insane sometimes,” Jihyo’s forehead rested against Sana’s, eyes closed and her breath uneven. “I waited so long to do that.”
Sana only smiled, breathless and dizzy.
“Then don’t stop now.”
Jihyo laughed quietly before leaning in again. This time it was slower, but still full with intent. Sana felt herself melting into the kiss, her hands sliding up to wrap around Jihyo’s neck. Each kiss lingered just a moment longer than the last.
Sana felt the way Jihyo’s hands eased, sliding from where they’d been gripping to rest more gently at her waist, thumbs tracing small circles. Their lips brushed again, settling into a slow, tender rhythm.
“I wish the world could know you,” Sana mumbled against her lips in between kisses. “Not as the idol, not as our leader, but you. Sana’s Jihyo, my Jihyo.”
Sana pulled back enough to observe her closely, raising her hand for her fingers to thread gently through the strands of Jihyo’s hair, careful and affectionate.
“You say things like that,” Jihyo sighed heavily, the corner of her lips twitching as she tried to suppress a smile. “And then expect me to act like nothing happened.”
Sana leaned in again, brushing a kiss to the corner of Jihyo’s mouth. She grazed the skin lightly with her fingertips, teasing her with the sensation.
“Well, you did a good job earlier, didn’t you?”
Jihyo shook her head with an affectionate sigh. Her expression softened as she reached up to grab Sana’s face, her thumb brushing along her cheek.
“Sometimes I think you enjoy watching me try to keep it together more than the actual payoff,” Jihyo muttered, scattering kisses all over Sana’s face, slowly and tenderly.
“I would never,” Sana grins, stifling out her laughter.
Jihyo's eyes narrowed in on Sana, the weight of her gaze suddenly shifting the tension of the room. Her hands dropped from Sana’s face to her hips, lifting her up once more with ease.
“Your behavior from before says otherwise.”
Sana only smiled, casually draping her arms around Jihyo’s neck for stability.
“And what are you going to do about it?”
Jihyo leaned close to Sana’s ear. Her voice dipped dangerously low, hot and heavy with a revived hunger.
“I’m going to show you that all that training isn’t just for show.”
Sana swallowed, completely taken aback as her heart stuttered in her chest.
She knew she was going to be sore by the end of the day, but certainly not like this.
“Wait, Jihyo—”