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Jisung was minding his own business—mainly complaining about the cold he'd caught to everyone who would listen—when Felix came barreling toward him in a hurry.
"Han-ah. Han-ah. Han-ah!"
His eyes were wide, his lips parted in alarm as he grabbed Jisung by the arm with both hands.
Jisung yelped as Felix hauled him away without so much as a warning, abandoning Jeongin in the middle of what had been a very productive conversation about why his cold was clearly terminal.
"... Hey! I was talking to Innie!"
Jeongin didn't even bother protesting. The traitor simply took one look at Felix's expression, grinned, and used the opportunity to disappear.
Jisung watched him go in disbelief.
"What?" he finally managed as Felix dragged him behind one of the stage wings. "Felix, what's wrong?"
He was honestly starting to worry.
Felix looked like he'd either seen a ghost or—arguably worse—his rank just been demoted all the way back to Bronze.
Felix glanced around conspiratorially before lowering his voice.
"So, I was getting water earlier, right," he began, voice low. "I walked past the dancers and—it was completely accidental, I swear—I overheard them talking."
"... Okay?"
"They were talking about Lee Know-hyung."
Every trace of amusement vanished from Jisung's face.
"What about him?"
Felix leaned in even closer.
"I think one of them has a crush on him."
Jisung blinked.
"... What?"
"At least one of them, maybe? They were gossiping about how gorgeous Lee Know-hyung was. How they couldn't stop staring when he was dancing."
Jisung folded his arms. Gesturing toward Felix to continue.
"One of them was being such a fanboy, you know what I mean? He just kept gushing about how sexy he looked in his black t-shirt and grey sweatpants."
"Yeah, damn, that T-shirt really hugs him in all the right places..." Jisung mumbled dreamily, recalling how well defined Lee Know's muscles looked in that tight fitting black t-shirt.
Felix smacked his arm. "Han Jisung!"
"Huh?"
"Focus! I'm trying to tell you something important."
Jisung blinked. "Yes, okay. I'm sorry. Please continue."
Felix huffed before continuing, "Well, I got curious, right? So I just stood there pretending to sip my drink, being all stealthy. I heard them teasing the guy who couldn't stop talking about Lee Know's sexy t-shirt. They said they'd all caught him staring at Lee Know since rehearsal started."
Jisung frowned. Honestly, he hadn't been paying much attention to anyone outside their group, so this was all news to him.
Curiosity began to creep in. Which one was Felix talking about?
"It was honestly kind of cute. Like eavesdropping on STAY talking about us." Felix beamed before suddenly dropping into a look of exaggerated horror. "But then they started hyping him up to go talk to Lee Know."
Jisung's eye twitched.
"They kept saying things like, 'Just ask him,' and, 'You'll regret it if you don't. When else are you ever going to have a chance like this?'"
Felix paused dramatically.
"And somehow..." he said, sounding genuinely baffled, "...they all just knew that Lee Know is one hundred percent gay. It was unanimous. They kept insisting there was no way he'd reject their friend because it's super obvious that Lee Know is a boy-kisser."
Jisung stared at him.
"...Well. I mean. He is. Gay, that is."
"Yes, he is. But that is not the point!" Felix smacked him again. Harder this time.
Jisung hissed, rubbing the injured area. "Lixie, that hurt!"
"Why aren't you taking this seriously?" Felix demanded, his eyes were wide in disbelief. "They're talking about walking up to Lee Know! About shooting their shot with our Lee Minho!"
Suddenly, Jisung realized the gravity of the situation.
Someone had a crush on Lee Know.
"Someone has a crush on Lee Know," he said out loud.
Felix nodded, hands flailing quite emotionally. "Yes!"
"Someone wants to make a move on him."
"Yes!"
"But they're overlooking one very important detail."
Felix nodded rapidly.
"Yes. Yes."
Jisung stared at him for a beat.
"Lee Minho is married."
"Yes."
"... To me."
"Exactly!" Felix exclaimed, looking far too excited for the situation.
Then he beckoned Jisung closer and motioned for him to peek into the hall. Pointing with his index finger, he gestured toward a group of guys huddled on the other side of the room.
"There."
Jisung followed the direction of Felix's finger.
He found them without much trouble. Six or seven guys stood together on the other side of the room. One of them—a medium-height guy with light brown hair—was blushing bright red as his friends relentlessly ribbed him. It was painfully obvious what they were teasing him about. Every one of them kept sneaking glances toward the center of the hall.
Toward Lee Know.
The brown-haired guy, especially, could barely take his eyes off him.
Lee Know, blissfully unaware, was talking to Changbin and Hyunjin, laughing at something Changbin had said.
Jisung knew that smile by heart—the way the corners of Lee Know's eyes crinkled, the glimpse of his slightly asymmetrical front teeth whenever he laughed, and the bright, high-pitched giggle that followed.
The cutest bunny in the world.
Truthfully, Jisung understood the guy.
Lee Know was beautiful—drop-dead gorgeous. He had the body of a god, the smile of an angel, and dance skills to die for.
It was ridiculously easy to fall for him. One look was all it took, and you were done for.
That's exactly what had happened the day Jisung first met him.
He'd been a lost cause from the very start.
Which was why he kind of sympathized with anyone who'd fallen for Lee Know's charms.
Having a crush was one thing. Acting on it, though?
That was where Jisung drew the line.
Lee Know. Lee Minho. Stray Kids' resident demon cat-bunny.
He was Jisung's.
His alone.
In that instant, something deep inside Jisung roared to life.
Felix, seemingly aware of the storm that had just awakened inside Jisung, patted him on the shoulder.
"Go save your husband."
Jisung nodded and cracked his knuckles.
Lee Know had taught him how to box.
Not that he'd ever gotten particularly good at it, but he knew the basics.
With one last pat on the back and a final word of encouragement from Felix, Jisung strode into the hall, making a beeline for Lee Know.
🩷💚
His timing couldn't have been more perfect.
Changbin and Hyunjin had wandered off somewhere else, leaving Lee Know all by himself. He was sipping from a bottle of water, a towel draped over his shoulders, looking unfairly pretty despite being drenched in sweat.
The perfect, innocently unsuspecting potential victim of some unwanted advances from a certain dancer—
Who, from the corner of Jisung's eye, appeared to be making his move.
His friends trailed close behind, but they all slowed to a stop the moment they saw Jisung step up in front of Lee Know.
"Felix told me to come save you."
Lee Know lowered his water bottle, his big boba eyes full of confusion.
"Wha—? Save me from who?"
Jisung edged a little closer.
As if by instinct, Lee Know's hand immediately found its way to Jisung's waist, pulling him closer like it was second nature.
Jisung smiled to himself.
"Felix overheard some of the dancers talking," Jisung said. "Apparently one of them has a crush on you. He's on his way over to make his move as we speak."
Fighting back a grin, Jisung lifted his arms and looped them around Lee Know's neck.
Marking his territory.
Staking his claim.
"So," he said with a shrug, "here I am."
Stealing a glance out of the corner of his eye, Jisung saw the group of dancers come to an abrupt halt. They looked completely caught off guard by the sudden turn of events.
Good, Jisung thought. Take the hint and back off.
A smirk tugged at Lee Know's lips.
He leaned in, both hands settling on Jisung's waist.
"Oh, I get it," he murmured, his breath warm against Jisung's ear. "You want to put on a little show for them?"
A shiver ran involuntarily down Jisung's spine. He closed what little distance remained between them until they were nearly chest to chest.
The idea was tempting.
Far too tempting.
Jisung would have loved to put on a show right then and there.
Even with the members, the managers, and the rest of the crew milling around the rehearsal hall. He wanted every single person there to know exactly who Lee Know belonged to.
Lee Know—Lee Minho—was his.
His.
Legally his, actually.
Their Australian marriage certificate said so.
So, yes. Jisung would love to show them this fact.
He was already leaning in when reality suddenly caught up with him.
He stopped short and pulled back with a pout.
"We can't," he whined. "I can't risk giving you my cold."
Lee Know blinked.
Once.
Twice.
A few more times.
Then he burst into laughter—so loudly that several people nearby turned to stare.
Jisung pouted even harder. This was not the time to laugh.
"I think it's a little too late to worry about that, jagi," Lee Know said once his laughter had finally subsided. "After what we did last night."
It was Jisung's turn to blink.
Once.
Twice.
"... And this morning. Twice, in case you forgot. "
Jisung gasped.
Then lightly smacked Lee Know's chest.
"Oh my God!" He stared at his husband in horror. "You're infected! Oh no, you've definitely caught my cold!"
Lee Know only laughed again before pulling Jisung into his arms, the embrace warm and familiar.
Right there in the middle of the rehearsal hall.
Right in front of everyone.
Including the dancers.
"I always catch your colds, jagi," he murmured against Jisung's neck. "Comes with the territory of being married, doesn't it?"
🩷💚
The performance went smoothly. The audience was incredible.
Jisung was especially amused by the sheer number of SKZOO plushies waving through the air. It was an almost comical sight—dozens upon dozens of tiny animals above the crowd—and probably utterly baffling to anyone in the audience who wasn't a STAY.
Now, backstage, Chan was leading them out of the transit room to greet everyone.
It was a tradition they kept whenever time allowed—to thank each and every person who had helped make the performance a success. They always made sure to do this after every show or event.
Jisung brought up the rear right behind Lee Know, smiling and bowing to everyone they passed.
Earlier, someone had reminded them once again that the storm was closing in, so they needed to hurry to the van and get back to the hotel. The line moved quickly, everyone aware they couldn't afford to linger.
Soon, they reached the dance crew.
The sight of them reminded Jisung of what had happened during rehearsal the other day. If he was to be honest, the whole thing had completely slipped his mind amid the chaos of getting ready for the show and then the show itself.
He spotted the familiar group almost immediately, huddled among the other dancers.
Jisung gave a quick bow, murmured a polite, "Thank you for your hard work," and expected the line to keep moving. More than anything, he wanted to get back to the hotel, take a long, hot shower, and finally have dinner.
A medium-rare T-bone steak sounded especially good right about now.
But before he could take another step, one of the dancers stepped forward.
Not the guy Felix had told him about.
One of the guy's friends, if Jisung remembered correctly. Dark-skinned, curly-haired, wearing an easy smile.
Almost instinctively, Jisung slipped his hand through the crook of Lee Know's arm.
Whether the dancer didn't notice or simply chose to ignore Jisung's reaction, he stepped into their path, bringing the line to a stop right in front of Lee Know. Jisung had no choice but to stop as well.
"Hi, sorry. Could I steal a second?" he asked, his voice bright and friendly.
Behind him, his friends—including the brown-haired guy—looked equal parts excited and horrified.
Jisung tightened his grip on Lee Know's arm.
As if sensing the shift in his mood, Lee Know edged a little closer until their shoulders brushed.
"Mr. Lee Know, my friends and I were wondering..." the dancer continued. "We're all really big fans of yours. You're an incredible dancer and performer, and, well..." He glanced over his shoulder and gestured toward the brown-haired guy, who immediately turned the color of a ripe tomato. "My friend here was hoping to get to know you better... if you'd be okay with that."
Jisung stared.
The utter ignorance.
The sheer audacity.
"We're grabbing some drinks after this," the dancer hurried on. "It's really close to your hotel, so you won't have to worry about the storm or anything."
He smiled hopefully.
"So... what do you say?"
Jisung's first thought was, Is there anything breakable nearby that I can throw at this idiot?
His second was, Damn it. Murder's illegal.
Can I sue him instead? For trying to steal my husband?
Before Jisung could do anything, Lee Know turned to look at him.
He wore a perfectly confused expression—wide, blank eyes and parted lips.
Jisung almost laughed.
There was no way Lee Know hadn't understood what the dancer had just asked.
People were often fooled by his reluctance to speak English, but Jisung knew better. After all these years, he knew Lee Know understood far more English than he let on. At the very least, he had no trouble understanding it when people spoke to him.
Playing along with Lee Know's little act, Jisung translated the question into Korean.
"He said his friend has a crush on you and wants to know if you'd like to grab a drink with them later."
"Ah."
Lee Know nodded slowly, as if the explanation had finally clicked.
Such an Oscar-worthy acting performance.
Jisung had always wondered why his husband had never been cast in a movie.
He watched as Lee Know turned back to the dancers, who were waiting anxiously for his answer—especially the brown-haired guy at the back.
"Thank you for asking," Lee Know said in slow, carefully broken English.
Then he shifted the arm Jisung was holding, sliding it around Jisung's back until his hand settled into its familiar place on his waist.
"But I have special plans tonight with my husband."
Lee Know paused for just a beat before adding, in the same matter-of-fact tone,
"Sexy plans, you know."
He said it so casually you'd think he was commenting on the weather.
Which was probably why the words didn't register right away.
Then, all at once, came the collective gasp.
"... Did he say husband?"
"They're married?!"
"How can he be married—to a guy? He's a K-pop idol!"
Lee Know, meanwhile, seemed perfectly content to ignore the chorus of bewildered whispers. He offered them one last polite bow before continuing down the hallway, his hand never leaving Jisung's waist.
Jisung somehow managed to hold his laughter in all the way to the van.
The moment he slid into the back seat, tucked between the window and Lee Know, he completely lost it.
He doubled over, laughing so hard he could barely breathe.
Changbin, seated in front of them, immediately twisted around.
"What?" he demanded. "What's so funny?"
Felix, next to Changbin, looked over his shoulder too.
"You look insane," he said. "Did you overdose on your cold medicine?"
Jisung only laughed harder.
He couldn't stop, wheezing helplessly between breaths. Blindly, he swatted at Lee Know, urging him to tell the story.
Felix's eyebrows shot up, curiosity etched all over his face.
"What is it? What happened?"
"The dancers invited me out for drinks," Lee Know said with perfect calm. "Apparently one of them had a crush on me."
Felix gasped.
Changbin practically shouted,
"What?!"
"Was it the guy I told Jisung about? He actually went and asked you out, even after your little PDA stunt the other day?!" Felix spluttered, his gaze darting back and forth between the two of them. He was practically kneeling and bouncing on his seat, completely oblivious to whoever he might have been kicking in the process.
Lee Know shrugged.
"No. I think it was one of his friends who talked to me."
The driver started the engine.
Lee Know buckled his own seat belt before leaning over to fasten Jisung's, seeing as Jisung was still laughing too hard to do it himself.
"And then?" Changbin demanded, impatient.
"I thanked them and said no," Lee Know said, giving Jisung's stomach a gentle pat once he was satisfied the seat belt was sitting properly.
Then he looked at Felix and Changbin and, with the straightest face imaginable, said,
"I told them I have sexy plans with my husband tonight."
A stunned silence followed Lee Know's statement.
It must have lasted for a full minute.
Then Changbin let out an unholy screech.
Felix threw both hands into the air.
"Oh my God! Oh my God, you crazy idiot! You did not actually say that to them!"
Jisung nodded vigorously between gasps for breath.
"Oh yes, he did. You should've seen their faces—"
He dissolved into laughter all over again.
Through his wheezing, he vaguely caught Changbin mumbling something about, "Thank goodness Chan-hyung isn't in this car," while Felix launched into a full-blown lecture, "Do you have any idea how many NDAs our company has made people sign?!"
Lee Know, naturally, looked entirely unbothered.
The van pulled away amid the chaos.
Still recovering from laughter, Jisung leaned comfortably against his husband, all thoughts of the heartbroken dancer fading farther and farther away as the venue disappeared behind them.
🩷🐰🐹💚