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“Jaehyun-ah!”
Jaehyun’s manager, Doyun, announces his arrival by the sound of plastic bags ruffling and a series of panting breaths. Jaehyun doesn’t even need to look up to know that it’s him.
“Back so soon, hyung?” he asks, eyes glazing over his phone before glancing at the door.
It’s nearly noon. Jaehyun and the entire staff working on his fancon had been here since before the sun even rose this morning. About half of them have probably had enough of the iced americanos and little cakes that the company has provided as snacks. The constant buzzling that comes with preparing for a large event has got everyone craving for some real food.
“Where did you get those?” Jaehyun frowns, eyeing the bags of food containers that his manager is carefully laying out on the table. “I thought you said you were just about to order.”
“I was.” Doyun nodded. “Taeyong beat me to it.”
Fire floods Jaehyun’s cheeks, his smile suddenly uncontainable. “What?”
“Yeah. He called just now to make sure we got it,” Doyun says. He hands a container to Jaehyun.
A complete eel rice meal, perhaps even better than the one Jaehyun sent Taeyong’s team during their Music Bank recording. Ha!
Jaehyun snaps a quick photo and sends it to his hyung. ‘are u trying to one up me? 🤨’
Behind him, the staff bursts with a funny mix of humble thanks, a little “Finally, thank god,” and some lowkey suspicious “Taeyong-nim?! Really? Huh.” Jaehyun bites his smirk to himself because yes, of course, it’s Taeyong—his Taeyong.
The reply comes less than a minute later.
‘hahahahaha’
‘so you’ve gotten it’
‘eat well, jaehyunie 😚’
Jaehyun stifles a groan as his head drops back, hoping that if he stretches his neck muscles, it’ll somehow hide his embarrassingly huge smile. It doesn’t, of course, so his hand flies to the tips of his ears, massaging them to get the blood flowing again.
He’s very aware of how sensitive he’s being. If anyone sees him now, they’d think Jaehyun is harboring a new crush for his hyung with the way he’s reacting. But honestly, who cares? Maybe he does still have a big fat crush on Taeyong, maybe he’s just as in love with him as the day he first held his hand. He doesn’t mind it anyway. Not everyone is lucky to have someone that still gets them so giddy every day, even over something as simple as eel rice bowls.
Jaehyun thinks part of it has to do with the military. Sure, they did everything in their power to cut off the times they have to be apart as short as possible; and sure, Jaehyun always called Taeyong in the barracks almost every night; and sure, they made it a point to spend time with each other at least every other weekend.
But they basically went from seeing each other in practice rooms nearly every day and coming home to sleep in each other’s beds nearly every night to having to settle for hushed sweet nothings under the barracks pillows because Jaehyun won’t drop the call until he’s made Taeyong an utter blushing mess. (Taeyong made it a point to get back at him as soon as he got out of the military, by the way.)
Anyway, Jaehyun therefore concludes that the cliches are very much correct: distance does make the heart grow incredibly fonder.
Jaehyun feels a presence hovering over his shoulder. It’s Minji noona, one of their senior stylists who has been working with 127 since the Sticker era. She also led Taeyong’s style team during his promotions for WYLD. She pretty much knows Jaehyun and Taeyong quite well.
“Are you talking to Taeyongie?” she asks casually, part of her chopstick still in her mouth.
Jaehyun, out of habit, tries to flip his phone to hide the screen. It was still open to his conversation thread with Taeyong. He has playfully saved him in his phone as “장미형 ♡ (Translation:장미 = rose, 장미형 = rose-shaped (or as play on words: rose hyung)) ” just to keep it safe from prying eyes. Not that hiding who “장미형 ♡” matters now, because Taeyong has sent a photo of himself with his tongue sticking out. What a damn tease, Jaehyun thinks.
But then again, Minji noona already knows Jaehyun and Taeyong quite well. (She was a firsthand witness of the infamous Studio Choom incident, mind you.) They may never have said anything directly and specifically, but Jaehyun is pretty sure she can tell. They’re safe with her, he believes. Still, he never knows what the hell Taeyong will send in the next few minutes so he locks his phone and puts it away anyway.
“Tell him thanks,” Minji says. “Is he coming tonight?”
Jaehyun scrunches his nose as he shakes his head. “He’s in Japan right now. For a fansign, I think.”
“Oh, right.” Minji clicks her tongue. “That’s too bad. He would’ve loved seeing you in your stage outfits.”
Jaehyun has to bite the inside of his cheeks as he nods. He definitely did not send a photo of himself during dress rehearsals wearing that navy blue sweatshirt with the sleeves rolled up and his shirt collar peeking out, and Taeyong definitely didn’t reply with a huge block of highly specific and totally inappropriate text about what he’d do to Jaehyun once he gets home… Nope… That definitely did not happen…
“Yeah, he would,” Jaehyun replies simply, shifting in his seat to cross his legs. “He really would.”
“I’ll make sure to send him some photos,” Minji promises. She gives Jaehyun’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Anyway, please tell him we’re grateful for how much you guys care about each other. We’re always glad to be at the receiving end of your love.”
Jaehyun chokes a little bit. He clears his throat and smiles. “Will do, noona.”
As soon as she walks away, Jaehyun unlocks his phone again. He takes his time to stare at Taeyong’s photo, giggling at the silly way his tongue is sticking out like he’s trying to rile Jaehyun up in a way that will never work. Jaehyun opens his own camera and poses with the meal box, nose scrunched and mouth open wide.
‘thanks for the meal, hyung,’ he sends. And another, ‘goodluck today. love you.’
‘love you baby 🥺’ comes the reply. ‘fighting for the fancon :D’
˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗
Jaehyun is finished with sound check when he first sees Minji noona’s Instagram story. It makes his heart tumble, his old anxious disposition resurfacing a little bit.
두 분 예쁜 사랑하세요 (Translation:please love each other beautifully)
장어덮밥으로 주거받는 마음덕에 스탶들 든든 (Translation:The staff feel reassured thanks to the comforting feeling of being treated to eel rice bowls)
@taeoxo_nct 💚@_jeongjaehyun’
It’s just some light teasing, he supposes, just an echo of what Taeyong said in his speech when he won first place on Music Bank… about his parents and how he’d appreciate it if they continue loving each other beautifully. So perhaps in this scenario, that’s what Minji (and the rest of the staff, apparently) is wishing for too, because Taeyong and Jaehyun loving each other beautifully means taking care of the people around them too even if they are a literal country apart.
If this were a few years ago, that kind of statement would’ve had Jaehyun running circles in his head the entire day. The thought of being found out was paralyzingly terrifying. He would’ve stayed frozen in his seat, overanalyzing every statement anyone has ever said, counting down the days when the news would get out, and he’d lose the very career he’d been slaving his life away for.
It took one huge fight, a two-day breakup (was that even a breakup?), and a whole lot of hard conversations for Jaehyun to completely let go of that suffocating unease every time the truth was hinted at even as a joke, to open his heart wider and trust the people in their inner circles a bit more. Amazingly, when they finally broke the news to some of their managers and trusted staff (after five years into the relationship by the way!), very few of them were surprised.
No matter how good Jaehyun and Taeyong thought they were at keeping their relationship secret, it was simply as plain as day for the eyes to miss. At least, it wasn’t hard to recognize that Taeyong always cared a little more about Jaehyun than the rest of the team, or that Jaehyun goes a little beyond what is asked of him if it’s for his Taeyong hyung. If anything, the news of them dating seemed to just become the key that made everyone understand that ah, that’s why they were as so.
Thinking about it now, Jaehyun can’t help but feel a bit ridiculous about how he used to act back then. Sure, his worries about their careers were completely valid, but it wasn’t like he and Taeyong were going to make out with each other on the streets or announce their love in the tabloids. It was just as simple as teaching himself how to be okay if people notice that his ears go red so easily whenever Taeyong touches him, or that he can’t help the soft way with which Taeyong’s name rolls off his tongue.
Because that’s just how it is. The simple truth is that he loves his Taeyong hyung, been in love with him for years, and it’s bound to show in the way he speaks of him or how his body reacts every time Taeyong calls his name. Jaehyun’s heart just seeps out through his fingertips whenever it yearns for Taeyong, and he’s learned the hard way that that’s not something he should ever be ashamed of.
Not to declare it, but not to deny it either. He just allows it to exist like all truth exists, quiet but certain. Jaehyun loves Taeyong, and Taeyong loves him too. It’s as true as the sky is blue, as the universe is endless, and as the earth is bound to the moon.
So now, Jaehyun just smiles to himself and sends a like to Minji noona’s story. He takes a screenshot of it and sends the photo to Taeyong.
‘everyone loves you here’
‘but i still win above them all so 😛’
Taeyong reacts ‘haha’ to his message. Then he replies, ‘you are a child jaehyunnie.’
Jaehyun snorts. He sends Taeyong a mirror selfie while on the makeup chair, with Minji noona standing above him holding a hair drier and a hairbrush. ‘minji noona disagrees,’ he types back.
‘lollll unlikely but okay’
Jaehyun sends another selfie from a quite unflattering angle just below his jaw, accentuating his chin and his furrowed eyebrows. ‘hmp,’ he sends with it.
That does nothing to piss Taeyong off. ‘god i miss youuuuu,’ he says, ‘still wish i can watch :((‘
‘there’s still next time. Don’t worry :>’
‘is the fansign going well?’
‘just about to start’
‘i need to put my phone away soon’
‘call?’
Jaehyun starts the call instead of replying. It only rings twice before Taeyong picks up, his entire face taking up the screen. Jaehyun makes sure his camera shows Minji noona and the rest of his staff behind him just to remind Taeyong that they’re not really alone in the call.
“Well, damn, you look great,” Taeyong comments before Jaehyun can even speak. “Great job on his hair, Minji noona!”
“Taeyong-ah!” Minji beams, turning the blow drier off to wave at Taeyong. “Thanks for lunch today! It was amazing. Did Jaehyun tell you I said thanks?” She glares at Jaehyun through the mirror. “Or is he smiling like an idiot because he forgot?”
Taeyong chuckles loudly. “No, no, he did tell me,” he says, saving Jaehyun from Minji’s bad graces.
“You have so little faith in me, Noona,” Jaehyun sulks. “I bought you rice bowls during hyung’s promotion too.”
“And I’m grateful for that,” Minji replies cheekily, earning another bout of laughter from Taeyong.
When the teasing dies down, Taeyong eyes Jaehyun carefully through the screen. “You nervous?”
Jaehyun sucks in a breath through his teeth. “Yeah, a little bit,” he admits. “The soundcheck helped, but it’s been a while. And I’m doing it alone too, so…”
“You’ll do great,” Taeyong says with a kind smile, slipping into the grounding tone he usually uses when he’s in leader mode. “You worked hard for this, so I know it’ll be awesome. Plus they already love you, Jaehyunie. So just have fun and do your best.”
Jaehyun presses his lips in a smile, his dimples poking out in his cheeks. “Thanks, hyung,” he mumbles. He brings the phone closer to his mouth, whispering into the mic. “Really wish you were here, baby. I miss you.”
Taeyong lets out a choked sound, trying to disguise it with a faint chuckle. “Yep. Same,” he says in that same bashful tone he always uses when Jaehyun used to tease him during their phone calls in the barracks. “I’m literally about to go out to the fans in two minutes, you little shit,” he groans. “You always do this.”
“What, I’m not doing anything,” Jaehyun says in his normal voice, pulling the camera away to show his face back on the screen, smirking.
Taeyong rolls his eyes. “Tell you what, I’ll just send you guys another meal tomorrow,” he says. “Would that make up for my absence?”
Jaehyun chuckles heartily. “No, but we’d appreciate it.”
Minji noona smacks him lightly on the shoulder. “You are so mean to him,” she scolds.
“Right?!” Taeyong whines. “Tell him, noona. It’s not like I can do anything with my schedule. And it’s not like he came to my music show recordings either.”
“Hey, you told me not to!” Jaehyun scoffs.
Taeyong cackles, red-handed. “Okay, let’s stop digging our own graves.”
To be fair, Jaehyun was running around between schedules like a headless chicken at the time, trying to catch up with everything he wanted to do after discharge. With him and Taeyong both being so busy, there was very little pressure to show up for each other’s events. Hence, the eel rice bowls as a show of support.
But they did promise to make time for each other as soon as their schedules ease up… which would be months from now honestly. BUT tomorrow night, Jaehyun will be done with the fancon and Taeyong is returning home from Japan, and they’ll have those few hours of the night to kiss each other crazy before jumping on the next plane to do god knows what again.
God, Jaehyun can’t wait. He changed his sheets, took out Taeyong’s favorite scented candles, bought a bottle of his favorite wine. Date night is going to be the highlight of his week, second to meeting his fans again of course.
“Jaehyunie, I really have to go,” Taeyong says, looking beyond his camera where his staff is already blurting out instructions. “What do you guys want to eat tomorrow?”
“Anything, hyung. Surprise us,” Jaehyun answers. “Goodluck!”
“You too, Jaehyunie. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yep. Bye!”
As soon as the call ends and the screen blacks out, Jaehyun excuses himself from Minji noona in the guise of having to use the restroom. When he finds a space to himself, he opens his message thread with Taeyong, finding four new texts unread.
‘love you jaehyunie’
‘minji noona was def listening in lol’
‘cant wait to see you tomorrow’
‘fighting!!!’
Jaehyun’s cheeks are about to fall off from how hard he’s smiling.
‘hahaha she definitely was.’
‘love you too baby.’
‘have fun today :> i’ll see u tomorrow’
˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗
Taeyong delivers on his promise the next day. It’s stir-fried beef and baked oysters this time, like gold in a box.
And just like yesterday, the staff cheered. One of them jokingly said that maybe Taeyong should always be overseas whenever Jaehyun does a major event, so they can always eat deliciously like this.
Of course, Jaehyun gave him the stink eye. “I’ll just buy you the meals myself,” he says.
Minji meets his eyes from the other end of the room, her knowing smile comforting Jaehyun in a strange way. Perhaps, this is the beauty of loving outside the shadows. He finds these small signs of support in little corners, and it always gives him the courage to love Taeyong a little louder, to keep him to himself a little less.
˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗
It’s nearly midnight when Jaehyun gets home to his apartment after the team dinner. He had to make a bunch of excuses to slip out after Doyun offered to buy everyone another round of drinks. He knows it’s not customary to get home early as the star of the night, but he had more important places to be.
Taeyong peeks into the hallway as Jaehyun comes in the front door, a huge smile plastered on his face. “You’re early!”
“You’re here!” Jaehyun beams, opening his arms to a running Taeyong, grunting as his body accepts his hyung’s weight. “I was gonna come over to your place.”
“Well, I knew you have an early flight tomorrow so I figured it’d be more practical to stay here,” Taeyong reasons through a pout, giggling as Jaehyun peppers his neck with light kisses. “I thought you won’t be home until, like, one.”
“Told them I need to get home to the love of my life,” Jaehyun mumbles against Taeyong’s skin.
Taeyong pulls away a bit to look at him pointedly.
Jaehyun breaks into a grin. “I told them I need to get up early tomorrow,” he admits. “But Minji noona had that look on her face. She just knew.”
Taeyong laughs, finally stepping away. “I was talking to her earlier,” he says, walking to the living room with Jaehyun in tow. “She kept sending me videos of your performance.”
“And? What did you think?” Jaehyun plops on his couch, putting his legs up on the coffee table because this is his apartment and Taeyong can’t tell him otherwise.
“That you are incredibly talented,” Taeyong says, taking his place beside Jaehyun, also putting his feet up on the coffee table because it’s not his. “And also insanely hot. Too hot, actually. Sometimes, I just want to keep you in a box, bring you everywhere.”
Jaehyun chuckles loudly, thundering against the walls of his apartment. His fingers slip against Taeyong’s, bringing their hands to his chest. “I actually wouldn’t mind that,” Jaehyun mutters pensively. He turns his head to face his hyung. “How was Japan?”
“Great!” Taeyong exclaimed. “The fansign went great. The food was great. The people were great. Ooh, and I bought a wooden shade for my scorpion too. I can’t wait to put it in the tank.” He pulls his phone out and shows Jaehyun some photos of it, sliding through his gallery until there comes another familiar face. “Then I met with Yuta, we talked a bit. He’s doing great too. He said hi.”
Jaehyun smiles softly, looking more at the dozen shifts in Taeyong’s expression than at his phone. “Looks like you had fun.”
“I did,” Taeyong beams. “We should go back there together sometimes, maybe visit that ramen place again.”
Jaehyun hums, nodding. Suddenly, it doesn’t seem as much of a fever dream as it once was. “We should totally bother Yuta hyung and ask him to show us around,” he says.
Taeyong snorts. He tosses his phone beside him on the couch and turns to drape his arm around Jaehyun’s torso. “You know what we should do?” he says, poking Jaehyun’s dimple. “We should get out of these clothes and take a shower.”
Jaehyun smirks, wiggling his eyebrows. “Oh, we should definitely get out of these clothes.”
Taeyong laughs, patting Jaehyun’s cheek playfully. He pushes himself up to a stand, grunting as his knees take weight. Oh to be in your 30s… “Come on, get up.” He holds his hand out for Jaehyun to take.
But Jaehyun, ever the little shit, grabs Taeyong’s hand and pulls him back down. Taeyong squeals as he lands on the couch, Jaehyun crawling above him until their noses are touching.
“Why are you a big baby?” Taeyong mumbles, sighing as one hand flies to Jaehyun’s jaw with the other softly pulling the hair on his nape.
“M’not. Just really missed you,” Jaehyun whispers with a smile before meeting Taeyong’s lips in a soft kiss. He slips his hand under Taeyong’s back pulling him closer against him, drawing out a moan. Jaehyun groans, his hips grinding down.
“Baby,” Taeyong mewls. He presses a firm hand against Jaehyun’s biceps as Jaehyun traverses the expanse of his neck, nibbling, sucking, pecking, like a man starved of touch. “Mm—god, stop using my weaknesses against me,” he groans.
Jaehyun chuckles against his skin. He noses the pulse on Taeyong’s neck, then his jaw, before finally going back to his lips for a final peck. “Fine,” he mutters, grinning at the blush adorning Taeyong’s cheeks. He pulls away, pushing against the couch to stand. He starts unbuttoning his shirt, heat pooling in his stomach at the way Taeyong is watching him intently.
Taeyong gulps, watching the muscles in Jaehyun’s arm contract as he slips his arms off his sleeves, letting his shirt drop on the floor like the gorgeously annoying tease he is. Taeyong stands up, hooking a finger on Jaehyun’s belt loop. “You are such a little shit,” he says, dragging Jaehyun to the shower.
˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗
Now freshly showered, Jaehyun leans against his bathroom door, checking in on Taeyong. He’s been in front of the vanity for quite a while. Jaehyun was beginning to worry he fell asleep while washing his face. Taeyong has his hair pushed back in a headband, his bathrobe tied tightly around his waist. He seems to have just started his routine, only rinsing off his facial wash.
“What are you doing?” Jaehyun asks, eyeing Taeyong’s phone that’s been set up against the vanity top.
“It’s for my daily log,” Taeyong explains. He takes a face towel and gently dabs it on his cheeks. “They’re pretty trendy these days. You don’t mind, do you? It’s just my face. Mostly.”
Jaehyun walks in, flipping Taeyong around on the sink and lifting him up to sit against the counter, all in one swift motion. He takes Taeyong’s phone and props it up on a shelf, making sure the camera angle captures both of them.
“What are you doing?” Taeyong raises an eyebrow as Jaehyun stands between his legs.
“Helping you do skincare,” Jaehyun answers as he grabs a cotton pad and a toner.
“In front of an audience?” Taeyong asks like he’s making sure he’s not hallucinating.
Jaehyun pouts, dabbing the pad gently against Taeyong’s skin. “You were taking too long.”
“You’re getting brave.”
Jaehyun only shrugs. “Well, everyone already seems to know I’m in love with you anyway.” He glances at the camera. “Do you really think they’ll be surprised?”
Taeyong laughs, shoving Jaehyun’s face playfully. “Too brave, Jaehyunie,” he says.
“Can you put some on me too?” Jaehyun asks, as he takes a generous dollop of night cream. Taeyong quickly does as told, drawing circles of cream on Jaehyun’s cheeks before massaging them.
“You know what’s funny? Earlier when they picked me up from the airport, Jihoon hyung sort of just assumed I’ll be going here instead of my own apartment.” Taeyong grins at the memory. “He even offered to just drop my things off at my place himself.”
Jaehyun’s lips curl up at the corners. “So, they know you’re pretty much in love with me, too.”
“‘Pretty much in love,’” Taeyong scoffs, poking Jaehyun’s cheeks again, his most favorite activity in the world. “I’d literally marry you right now, Jaehyunie. Don’t test me.”
Jaehyun laughs loudly. “Is that a proposal?” He points to Taeyong’s phone on the shelf. “Cause I got you on tape, baby.”
Taeyong tilts his chin up at Jaehyun. “Well, are you saying yes?”
“Like there’s ever a world where I could say no to you,” Jaehyun replies, leaning in for a quick kiss. “You know I’d marry you in a heartbeat, hyung. But tonight…” he taps on Taeyong’s thigh, signaling him to hop down from the counter.
“Tonight, we sleep,” Taeyong supplies, already yawning as Jaehyun drags him to bed.
“Tonight, we sleep,” Jaehyun agrees.
When they settle into the covers, Taeyong watches their video on his phone, his lips stretching into a wide smile as it drags on. “God, you are so in love with me,” he muses like it’s something he’s rediscovering for the first time. “Look at your face here.”
“Don’t need to. I’m not arguing,” Jaehyun mumbles, nuzzling his face on Taeyong’s neck, already losing the battle of keeping his eyes open.
He’s already dozing off when he feels those warm familiar lips against his cheeks. “I love you too, Jaehyunie,” Taeyong mumbles. “Thanks for hijacking my log.”
Jaehyun hums sleepily. “You’re not posting that, are you?”
“Of course not,” Taeyong answers. “I already share you with the world. I’d love to keep some things just for us.”
Jaehyun smiles against Taeyong’s skin. It’s simply the truth, existing as all truth exists—no matter if the world knows or not, as sure as the sea meets the shore and as certain as the moon belongs to the night sky, Jaehyun loves Taeyong and Taeyong loves him too.
“Goodnight, hyung.”
“Goodnight, Jaehyunie.”