Chapter Text
Eugene was watching Moondae from across the kitchen table, chin propped up on his hand in their dorm. It smelt like the remains of dinner and, weirdly enough, Raebin's energy drinks. He scrunched up his nose after catching a whiff of that acid-like smell.
“You’re staring.” Moondae said without looking up from his phone.
“I am observing. There is a difference hyung.” Eugene said smoothly, not even pretending to stop looking.
Eugene squinted his eyes as if that would help him figure out his issue. Moondae takes care of him much differently than he does the other members. While he is more hands off – allowing them to come to him with their problems or silently taking care of them. He doesn’t actively take care of them like he does for him.
Moondae always has treats on hand for him. Allows him to latch onto his back, shoulders, even laying on his lap – a level of physical touch – a boundary the other members aren’t able to reach across and achieve, but he can. Moondae will let him talk for hours and even if he doesn’t realize, will listen and respond well past the point anyone else would. Not even Keun Sejin is allowed to talk so long about what people compute as pointless rambles to Moondae.
Objectively in Eugene’s eyes – he is Moondae’s favorite in the group. It has been a long while since he noticed his feelings for the slightly older groupmate. He feels as if he has tried everything he could at this point to catch his attention in a romantic light. Close proximity? It is just Eugene being Eugene. Trying to reciprocate and give extra portions of meals and snacks to Moondae like he does for him? Shot down because Moondae keeps a more idol-like diet and refuses to indulge in extra meals and snacks like he allows Eugene to.
So why, Eugene thought, narrowing his eyes slightly as Moondae blinked sleepily at his screen, isn't he falling in love with me yet?
If the current strategy wasn't yielding results, it simply meant the execution needed adjusting. It was time to make a deliberate plan.
What can he give Moondae that he will see in a similar light to the things Eugene receives from him?
His eyes drifted to the cluttered coffee table in the living room, specifically to a stray sheet of colorful stickers left behind from their most recent album. An utterly ridiculous idea began to take shape in his mind. If he couldn't feed Moondae, he would just have to occupy every square inch of the older boy's visual field instead.
It’s brilliant! Eugene’s pondering expression morphed to that of one filled with glee. He quickly pulls out his phone and orders a sticker scrapbook so all the stickers he gathers will have a home once he gives them to Moondae.
Everyone loves small trinkets as long as they aren’t a weirdly minimalist favourite colour is beige type of person.
Overjoyed Eugene giggles into his phone causing Moondae to glance up and ask, “What’s got you all happy Eugene?”
Finding this as the perfect chance to start his subtle flirting plan, Eugene looks at Moondae once again and exclaims in English, “[Stickers!]” Getting up from the table he grabs the sticker sheet and shows them to Moondae.
“Look, they paired the members up with each other on this sheet! [We have one on here that has your dog and my cat animal representatives!]” Eugene explains switching from Korean to English midway without a care because his Moondae-hyung never cares when he does as long as he gives him some time to translate in his head.
Moondae nods his head at Eugene’s observation and is about to turn back to his phone when Eugene suddenly runs off to the kitchen. Moondae, not fully understanding what is going on in their youngest’s mind, sits and waits to see what he comes up with. Fondly exasperated due to the consistency of Eugene’s inconsistencies.
Eugene comes barrelling back to the table sticker sheet in his left hand and scissors in his right hand. Quickly he cuts all the stickers away leaving just the sticker with the cat and the dog. Placing everything else on the table he looks back to Moondae with a wide grin on his face and sticks his hand out, palm up and sticker sitting in the middle of it.
He says, “Here for you hyung!”
Moondae grabs the sticker from Eugene’s palm not caring about their hands touching but unbeknownst to him Eugene is all giddy from Moondae taking the sticker and being the one to initiate contact between the two of them, no matter how small.
“Thank you for the sticker Eugene.” Moondae responds with a small smile. He takes the backing off of the sticker and places it on his phone case planning to show it to their fans tomorrow on their scheduled live show because they love seeing bonding moments between the members.
Eugene watching Moondae is practically jumping with joy in his mind. Step one of his plan is complete. Moondae does enjoy stickers. It is time to continue and be on the prowl for any stickers he can in any way shape or form link between them. He quickly cleans up the remains of the sticker sheet and puts the scissors back from where he had gotten them from.
While he is doing so Moondae gets up to go to the room he shares with Raebin and calls out to Eugene, “Good night Eugene. Make sure you don’t stay up too late today, we have a busy schedule tomorrow.” Looking back to make sure Eugene is going to respond to the order.
“[Okay I will make sure not to stay up late, sleep well hyung!]” Eugene calls out as Moonde turns back to go to the room.
Once Moondae is gone Eugene looks up at the ceiling and sighs thinking I have to keep Moondae-hyung's attention on me as much as possible. If he thinks of me more than before he has got to like me back. Maybe I should try to look cooler for him?