Work Text:
It's funny how Yeonjun woke up at exactly 3:04 in the morning.
The number turns from 4 into 5 right after he blinks at his phone, but still - today must be lucky, if he managed to catch his debut date on time.
Well. Maybe not that lucky, since he’s up hours before he planned to, but he did say he’ll accept whatever the universe throws at him.
Too lazy to get up, Yeonjun rolls over in bed, still gripping his phone. He goes through the motions: the news, Twitter, Instagram, Kakao. Lots of new things, but none of urgent importance. Scrolling past the group chats, he arrives at one particular person and types out a ‘good morning! <3’ lest he forgets later. He doesn’t worry about it waking him up; his phone is always on silent, which can be frustrating sometimes.
By the time he’s exhausted all the social media apps, an hour has passed, and his body is aching from lack of movement. “Time to get up,” he mutters, voice rough as he practices how to narrate his movements - fans find it cute when idols do it, so he has to learn. Not that he isn’t cute already, though.
He makes his bed, plugs in his phone, and looks around his room. It’s a mess. The LE SSERAFIM song booms in his head as he trudges through the clothes and whatnot on his way to the bathroom. If he messes up the choreo while he pees it’s between him and the toilet bowl. Nevertheless, he boom boom booms his way back out and into the kitchen, switching on the little light above the dinner table so he doesn’t accidentally wake someone up.
When he turns to face the cupboard that stores their mugs, he remembers: it’s day 3 of their week-long break. Kai and Beomgyu are in Daegu, Taehyun is at his girlfriend’s, and Soobin is with his family. Yeonjun had visited family, too, returning to the dorm yesterday because everyone else had to work again today. Even their managers, two of which live in the same dorm, are on vacation.
Well-deserved, but Yeonjun is not quite ready to be alone today.
He is Choi Yeonjun, though, and he will take control of his day.
The unforgiveness of it all still courses through his body as he makes breakfast: something hearty and filling, unlike the past few months where his poor stomach had to be happy with a sandwich, a fruit, and/or coffee (with the occasional feast whenever content they had to shoot called for food). At 4:30 in the morning, he has the rice cooking and the vegetables boiling. A scrumptious smell fills the kitchen as Yeonjun sips on his hot milk.
“It’s a bit too quiet, isn’t it?” he mumbles to his now-empty mug. While the UNFORGIVEN party in the brain was fun, he does not really want to be energetic so early in the morning. So he searches on the music streaming app on his phone, listening and judging, until his brain connects the dots: he is cooking, hence he must have the ultimate cooking song.
It’s a shame Soobin took Odi with him. Yeonjun could’ve reenacted the entire film if the hedgehog was here. Odi would totally agree to sit on his head and control him; after all, he is the real boss here.
The song loops, again and again, as he tastes his soup and deems it ready for consumption. The rice cooker lets him know that the rice is good to go with a happy pop! as he turns off the stove. Things are really going well for him, he thinks, as he pours his vegetables into a bowl and scoops enough rice for one meal - the rice can last until dinner, if he’s mindful.
Yeonjun munches on his food, mind empty, body swaying to the song. If he could eat a song, he would consume this one, among many others. When he’s done eating, he waltzes to the sink with the dishes in hand, still dancing as he washes them. He’s thankful to Taehyun and Beomgyu for washing all their dishes before they left; otherwise, Yeonjun would’ve had to deal with them all today.
Taehyun and Beomgyu would be thankful to him, too, if he cleaned around the house, right? The music sets a fire in his soul, something slow but bright, like candlelight. He finds the vacuum cleaner and tackles the living room first: it is closer to the kitchen than anything else. It’s not that messy, but it did accumulate some dust and dirt from all the months of use and lack of cleaning. He even rearranges some of the CDs and books, giving the room a newer look. The throw cushions get new covers, too, something fresh to match the song he’s listening to and the feelings he’s having at the moment. When the bad days inevitably come, he’ll look at these pillows and remember that there are good days to match them.
His room is the next target. Before he does anything, though, he shoots a message to the band group chat:
foxjun
hey can i clean ur rooms today
nothing too crazy, just vacuuming and the laundry if there’s any
if u have any requests just tell me too
They won’t reply until much later, so he gets to the clothes on his floor. The clothes and the floor both rejoice as his laundry basket gets filled. Honestly, who let him live like this? At least he doesn’t store food in his room. As soon as the floor is cleared, he waltzes again as he picks up random pieces of Lego, papers, an AirPod, Beomgyu’s notebook, one of Kai’s plushies, and a toy that is probably one of Odi’s. The desk gets special treatment, as well: a whole renovation, changing the theme from minimalist to maximalist as Yeonjun decides to display all his polaroids and trinkets there. He pats the rabbit, bear, cat, and penguin figurines for good luck, then stares at his room.
He did well.
Yeonjun doesn’t really want to do laundry yet, so he checks his phone for replies. 5:53 AM - what a surprise. Even more surprising is the four users in his notifications.
beomie bear
go ahead hyung <3 ty ily
also did u happen to see my notebook? the purple one
tyun kitty
good morning, for me it’s okay if you do or if you don’t, but i’ll wait for hueningie’s response too
how are you? not too lonely?
soobunny
wow good morning
thank you hyung!! let’s get dinner when i get back, my treat
you don’t need to clean odi’s space btw it’s ok
pengning kai
hyung!! if it’s fine with tyun then it’s fine w/ me <3
i miss u!!!
His sweet boys. Maybe it’s because it’s so early in the morning, but he feels so mellow and warm.
foxjun
ok, i’m on it :)
why are we all up so early… what’s happening…
replying to beomie bear: yeah it was in my room, where do u want me to put it
replying to tyun kitty: i just had an amazing breakfast :)
foxjun sent a picture
beomie bear
wah hyung why don’t u ever cook for us like that!!
just on my table is fine thank you!!
kai fell asleep lol
beomie bear sent a picture
tyun kitty
cute
we are so polite today
why
I miss you guys, Yeonjun wants to send, but he knows he’ll regret that later, so he settles with an ‘i woke up at 3:04!! can u believe that’ and gets back to work. Le Festin plays through the halls as he goes to Beomgyu’s room with the notebook in hand. He chose that one because it’s most likely to be the cleanest, and he doesn’t want to shock the motivation out of his system when he sees with his two eyes the mess of Soobin’s or the maknae’s rooms.
Slow and steady. He doesn’t always have to rush things.
Beomgyu’s room is as fragrant and neat as it was when Yeonjun last entered it last week. He flips on the main switch for the light and is greeted with a space that is meant for someone so gentle and romantic: warm tones, mementos in every nook and cranny, cute decorations deliberately placed around the room. The bed has a singular stuffed bear tucked in, one that Yeonjun recognizes as a gift from Kai.
“Hello, Haribo,” he greets softly. “Hope you don’t mind the noise.”
The vacuum cleaner starts up, and all the dust gets sucked away. It drowns out the music a bit, but Yeonjun hums loudly to keep it alive. The purple notebook returns home with all its notebook siblings, probably excited to share about the new lyrics Beomgyu had written. Beomgyu had left a shirt under a pillow, obviously forgotten because he’d asked Soobin about it a while back. His laundry basket is quite full, so Yeonjun lugs it out to join his own.
Beomgyu’s room is easy to tidy up. It’s 8 AM when Yeonjun shuts the door behind him. Soobin’s room is next as it’s right beside Beomgyu’s, so he ventures right in.
Having a pet really did wonders to Soobin’s cleanliness. Though not on Beomgyu’s level, the leader’s floors are free of clothes and food and his bed is well-kept. Only his desk remains a total mess - he has a lot of things he wants to study, and a lot of materials to keep up with. Yeonjun makes himself comfortable on the computer chair, taking a little spin (and letting out a little ‘whee~’ ) before getting down to business. He organizes the stray papers first: which are for Soobin’s language studies, which are for his college work, for his guitar lessons, for song writing, for the ‘reusable’ stack, and for the rubbish bin. Yeonjun is proud of Soobin for trying out anything and everything he wants. Even if Soobin fails, it’s okay - success isn’t always a requirement for fulfillment.
The books and notebooks are next. Though most of the textbooks are alright, the notebooks are a bit of a mess (Yeonjun politely tells the Yunjin in his head that while he appreciates the effort, he doesn’t need a dance party right now). The first pages of the notebooks are enough to tell him what the contents are, so Yeonjun stomps down the urge to snoop and arranges them in the same way as the textbooks. Last are the loose papers, which he puts into Soobin’s color-coded folders.
Satisfied, Yeonjun finishes up and heads out. His phone is fully charged, the ‘100%’ sign happily staring up at him along with the time. Nice, he only took another hour; it’s about time for snacks - and a song change.
The person he texted earlier has replied by now, so he pulls up a playlist of their group’s discography.
giant puppy
good morning!
why were you up so early? aren’t you on break?
also it’s our day-off today~ hehe
little fox
i woke up on our debut date!! 3:04, can u believe it
im cleaning our dorm :)
if u have a day off then how are u already awake
wait dont u guys have a magazine shoot
The magazine his puppy's group was supposed to shoot for is known for their insanely sexy spreads. Not that Yeonjun was looking forward to that, absolutely not.
giant puppy
canceled :(
that's why we're all up
can't fall back asleep :(
little fox
aww does my puppy want more rest?
giant puppy
ew don't call me that
but yes :(
everyone's so energetic here and it's contagious
but i wanna sleep so bad
little fox
put on a playlist, maybe thatll help
giant puppy
miss your voice :(
Oh. A loud crunch takes up the silence as Yeonjun tries to calm his heart by biting aggressively into the bread. He really did toast this through, huh.
little fox
can i call?
giant puppy
YES PLEASE
"Puppy's a little eager, hmm?" Yeonjun greets when the puppy in question picks up after one ring. The chortle he's been holding in bursts when Yunho fake-wretches over the line.
"I'm hanging up."
"Ey~ Sorry, Yunho. I'm done, I promise." He can hear the eye roll in the succeeding silence, and Yeonjun giggles again.
"How's your morning?" Yunho asks, voice soft amidst the chaos happening around him. "The other boys are still away, right?"
Yeonjun hums in confirmation. "Taehyun says he’ll be back tomorrow night. I'm almost done cleaning, only the youngest's room is left. Say, you wanna come over? It's way quieter here."
The way Yunho makes a little sound of enthusiasm has Yeonjun's heart melting like the bread dipped in his coffee. "Really? Can I, like, spend the whole day there?"
"Even the night, if you want to."
Yunho lets out an adorable sound. He must be doing his wiggly victory dance. "Mm-kay, be there in a few."
When they hang up, Yeonjun's cup is empty and all there is left is bread crumbs. Might as well get the vacuuming out of the way, so there'll only be the laundry left when Yunho arrives. Before he continues, he texts the group chat about Yunho's visit, to which everyone says "tell him i said hi!".
To Yeonjun's shock, the maknaes' room is actually pristine - redecorated, even, with the beds in a different direction from last week. He mutters an apology to the pair; he shouldn't have doubted them. The only thing left is their overflowing laundry basket, so he pulls that to the laundry room and then cleans the floor, greeting Kai’s plushies and apologizing for the noise as the vacuum cleaner starts up again.
Out of spontaneity, Yeonjun decides to change the curtains and table mats to match the throw pillows in the living room, making his way through the rooms again in reverse order. The entire dorm seems to glow when he’s done, making him feel like he’s surrounded by sunlight itself despite the gloomy weather outside.
He's back in the kitchen by the time the doorbell rings. A text from Yunho comes in as well, signifying his arrival.
The sight of his tall, handsome, and smiling boyfriend feels like enough of a reward for Yeonjun's hard work. Taylor Swift bursts into song in his mind, which is a bit absurd considering that he doesn’t even actively listen to her.
"Hello hello,” Yunho says, gathering Yeonjun in a hug so big and warm it feels like it’s Yeonjun who needed rest and comfort. He melts into his boyfriend’s arms anyway, returning the embrace as tightly as he could.
Because they are silly boys who enjoy doing silly things, they waddle into the dorm with their arms locked around each other, Yeonjun shutting the door with his foot. They’d kiss, but Yeonjun’s cheek is squished against Yunho’s neck and honestly it feels too comfortable to leave.
Finally, they separate when Yeonjun has to open his bedroom door. While Yunho seems energetic, the hazy look in his eyes tells Yeonjun that he’s actually really tired. He advises Yunho not to sit on the bed yet, lest he falls asleep; Yunho silently shows him a backpack that stores his pajamas: a cute, duck-themed set that they bought together (Yeonjun’s is chick-themed).
With a kiss on Yunho's cheek, Yeonjun leaves to let him change and get comfortable. While they’re both physically affectionate people, they prefer being alone when they’re getting ready for bed - even if it is just a short nap. Yeonjun does not have a reason for this, but he’s glad his boyfriend has the same preference as he does. In the meantime, he returns to the kitchen, getting some water and bread ready, in case Yunho wants them. He probably should start on making lunch, but Yunho might want to cuddle, and Yeonjun definitely has his priorities straight.
Yunho is sitting in his bed when Yeonjun gets back. “Cuddles?” Yunho asks cutely, arms outstretched, and who is Yeonjun to deny him?
Comfortable under the covers, Yeonjun begins his mindless chatter, aiming to make Yunho fall asleep as soon as possible. He talks about his day so far, his narratives interspersed with humming the songs that have been playing in his head. Since it’s only been half a day, he proceeds to tell Yunho about what happened yesterday, then the day before that, and then before that too. They have a lot to catch on. Yeonjun doesn’t mind if Yunho’s eyes are drooping as he drones on and on; depending on the state of his mind, Yunho will probably remember what he’s saying, or ask him to repeat his stories once he wakes up.
Eventually, Yeonjun runs out of anecdotes to tell, thoughts he’s been harboring. Yunho is deeply asleep, little snores escaping his mouth now and then. Yeonjun had been planning to do the laundry while Yunho slumbers, but with the way his boyfriend is wrapped around him, it seems that he must adjust. So, he retrieves his phone from the bedside table and searches up the soundtrack for Up , choosing to play Married Life first. Not that he’s thinking about marriage, not at all. Domestic life is great and Yunho is a welcome weight on his body, but the idea of settling down when they’re both at the peak of their careers is something that Yeonjun would rather not consider right now.
He does love Yunho, though. Running a hand through the boy’s hair, now back to blonde in preparation for another hair color, Yeonjun hums along to the song, feeling the love and music swell in his lungs. Remember when we first met? the Yeonjun of last year asks Yunho, during a riverside date in the midst of their preparations for year-end award shows. It was during this time, right?
Yes, and I never expected for us to be like this. Close, quiet, and always so warm. People thought Yeonjun was this cold, intimidating guy, and that Yunho was distant, judging - but no one ever really knows an idol. Around everyone else, both of them are energy pills, leaders in their own ways; with each other, they can find rest, hidden in the pastel pink covers of Yeonjun’s bed.
The music goes on and the calm in Yeonjun’s body turns into drowsiness. Dropping one last kiss on the top of Yunho’s head, Yeonjun dozes off.
—
Yeonjun’s hair is being combed when he wakes up. Yunho’s fingers are soft and pleasant against his scalp, as is his voice while he hums. The older boy’s chest rises and falls under Yeonjun’s cheek, and Yeonjun brings a hand under Yunho’s shirt to rub his tummy.
“Good morning, Junnie,” Yunho mumbles, not ceasing his combing. Yeonjun hums in reply.
“What time is it?”
“Oh, I didn’t check.” Yunho wraps his arm around Yeonjun to minimize his shifting as he stretches towards the bedside table. “It’s 2 PM.”
Yeonjun yawns. “Put your hands up, put your hands up.”
“Pu-pu-pu-pu-pu-”
They dissolve into low giggles. The 3-hour nap (if it can even be called such) has left Yeonjun hungry with a jittery kind of energy in his bones. He tries to push himself off and up, but Yunho tightens his grip and whines, “Noooo, I wanna stay in bed.”
“We haven't had lunch yet!”
“I can be your lu- OW!”
Yeonjun was aiming to merely kick Yunho’s shin, but his knee had moved on its own and ended up digging into the older’s groin. “Oof, sorry.”
Yunho pouts down at him. “Make it up to me.”
“I will, if you let me go,” Yeonjun shoots back, returning the pout. “I’ll cook you anything you want for lunch.”
To his (lighthearted) frustration, Yunho only nuzzles his forehead. “But I want you for lunch.”
Sometimes, Yeonjun wonders if he shouldn’t have approached Yunho in the bookstore that winter day. “Dude, I am literally so hungry right now. If you don’t want me to actually bite your arm off…”
That makes Yunho relent with another exaggerated pout. Yeonjun can’t resist: he kisses it with force before planting his hands on his boyfriend’s chest to both push himself up and push Yunho away. As he walks away, he mentally squeals at how firm Yunho’s chest felt; he’s been working out a lot nowadays, building up strength and stamina for his group’s upcoming world tour. It feels cruel for ATEEZ to leave just when TXT came back. It’s as if the universal planner particularly hates them.
How quick his emotions turn when he’s left to his own thoughts. Starting to sing to distract himself, Yeonjun dives into meal prep, heating up the rice and vegetables while cooking some meat for Yunho. Seems like his rice won’t last until dinner, but that’s okay - maybe they can eat outside later.
Yunho ambles out a few minutes later, sliding across the wooden floor. Yeonjun realizes belatedly that he forgot to get the slippers for him, but Yunho stops him before he can leave: “I’m wearing socks, see? It’s fun to skate here, so clean and smooth.” He demonstrates for Yeonjun, doing figure-eights and spinning a bit before bowing.
Applause for his performance, then a taste test as a treat - Yunho accepts it all easily, even the peck Yeonjun plants on his cheek. Yunho asks if he can do anything to help, and Yeonjun requests him to sing a few songs. He’s always loved Yunho’s voice, something sweet and filling the way red bean buns are. He finds it similar to Soobin’s, but the younger’s is more like honey, thick and sticky.
From All About You to Fairy of Shampoo , Yeonjun suspects that Yunho is experiencing the same sappiness he’s been harboring since this morning. The swelling affection he felt earlier now feels like it’s flowing past his wrists and down to his fingers, begging to drip onto Yunho and seep into his skin. Does Yunho know how much Yeonjun loves him? Will he ever understand how much Yeonjun wants to be with him?
“There’s juice and soda in the fridge, if you want any,” Yeonjun says instead, letting the words fall out easily. He switches off the stove once everything is cooked, and as he reaches out to grab a plate, his hand collides with Yunho's.
Yunho smiles at him and takes a bowl. “Thanks. Table’s ready, by the way.”
True to his word, everything is set, from dishes to utensils. Yeonjun watches for a while as Yunho transfers the rice to the bowl he took, appreciating how beautiful his boyfriend is. How lucky can he be? And how sappy can he get today?
Slunch - “snacks and lunch”, as Yeonjun eloquently puts it - is a peaceful affair. Yunho plays a collection of the year’s recent comebacks in KPop, so they could keep up with the times, and the two of them sway to the music as they eat. Sometimes an artist they did a TikTok with comes up, and they pause from eating to dance the choreo. When they’re done, they wash the dishes side by side, well-coordinated after several years of practice with each other and their respective members.
“I still have the laundry to do,” Yeonjun laments when they’re done. A sense of lethargy has settled into his muscles, making him want to snuggle with Yunho again.
Yunho never disappoints, however, catching Yeonjun in a quick embrace. “I’ll help you do it! We can get ramen later, if we reach dinnertime.”
A sound plan. It seems like Yeonjun’s sappiness won’t disappear any time soon.
—
They’re at the ground floor of the building at exactly 5:53 PM. Signs are being sent, Yeonjun thinks. He doesn’t know what they are, but he gives into his delusions and pretends to listen by taking Yunho’s hand in his.
Yunho raises an eyebrow at the sudden display of affection, but plays along, even swinging their arms as they walk to the ramen place down the street. It might be risky, but there’s something whispering in Yeonjun’s brain that they’ve got this; they’ll make sure him and Yunho are safe today, and Yeonjun trusts that voice with all his might.
The sun is setting, casting pretty colors across the heavens. The clouds had all but disappeared during laundry time, and now all they have is the clear sky with all its blues, pinks, and violets. A tender orange courtesy of the sun bathes Yeonjun down to his toes, making his footprints glimmer in the asphalt. He wonders if Yunho feels the same, if he’s feeling as glowy and alive as Yeonjun is.
In the comfortable silence, music courses through Yeonjun’s veins once again, urging him to sing BUTTERFLY as they walk on. Yunho joins him in the refrain: ‘Cause you know my, you know my way. Their voices contrast each other, Yeonjun’s high and Yunho’s low, and Yeonjun visualizes their notes blending together as the colors of the sunset do. They bump shoulders occasionally. Sometimes it’s accidental, Yeonjun’s feet refusing to cooperate; other times it’s intentional, Yeonjun wanting to play around with Yunho and remind him, in a way, that Yeonjun’s still thinking of him - hey, I’m here and I love you.
Yunho bumps him too, pulling him back before repeating the action. Yeonjun wonders what unsaid words hide in the thick material of his coat. He doesn’t want to pry them off and into his palms, though; he’d rather have them enveloped in Yunho’s hands, extended towards Yeonjun for him to take.
All these thoughts about hands make Yeonjun squeeze Yunho’s, who squeezes back. They’re in front of the ramen restaurant now, Yunho pushing the door for them to enter. Regrettably, they have to let go of each other, and Yeonjun’s hands hang uselessly at his sides.
The lady who runs and owns the store greets them jovially from the counter. “Good evening, boys! The usual?” she hollers over the noise of the restaurant, filled to the brim with the dinner rush. Yeonjun throws her a thumbs up, then listens to her yelling into the kitchen as he and Yunho move into the private area reserved for Auntie Hanee’s favorite customers (namely, most of the KPop idols living in the area, including TXT).
As they wait for their food, the two boys pick up the conversation they had while doing the laundry: food, as usual, and which suit their fellow members the best. It had stemmed from a post Yeonjun saw, warning people not to eat TXT because they aren’t food, and it’s fun to discuss silly, meaningless things with the creative Yunho. They've started on debating what kinds of food their songs are when their order arrives, cutting off Yeonjun's (unserious) argument that BOUNCY is, in fact, instant noodle-spicy. His boyfriend is not easy to rile up, sometimes his nonchalance annoys Yeonjun to the bone; but on very special days Yeonjun manages to get the formula right and make Yunho's arms flounder around while explaining.
"I'll prove my point right here, right now!" Yeonjun announces with his chopsticks in the air. "Take your first bite, mister, and see that I am correct."
Yunho squints at him. "Excuse me, this isn't instant noodles-"
"It is noodles all the same! See, when you lift your noodles up to your mouth," Yeonjun demonstrates, staring straight at a still-skeptical Yunho, "you slow it down. Then you put it in and slurp it up," his oong-nyang-nyang gets more prominent as he tries to make his performance work, " make it bouncy , and the taste, you gotta vibe with it, the spiciness and all, yeah?" He leans back, raises an eyebrow, and chews.
Yunho shakes his head with an amused smile, but picks up his chopsticks all the same. "If you wanna know how, I can show you right now," he mutters, then takes his first bite.
The conversation shifts a bit after that, rolling down several hills and mountains as the two talk about everything under the sun, like they haven't been chattering non-stop since the afternoon. Conversing with Yunho is just so easy - not just because they're both natural social butterflies, but also because they both agree on so many things. Even on things they disagree on, they listen well to each other and often come to a compromise.
The pair decide to finish up a little after an hour, as the place gets even more crowded - a line is starting to form outside, and it might get dangerous for the two of them if they exit at a later time. They pile the empty dishes carefully on a tray to make it easier for the staff to clean, then mask up and pay for their respective orders at the counter (Auntie Hanee does not believe in online payment methods). Keeping their gazes low and hands painfully far from each other, Yunho and Yeonjun leave the restaurant.
The air outside is refreshingly cool. Yeonjun suggests they go for a walk, and Yunho readily agrees. They head towards an area without much vehicle and foot traffic - lights from the sidewalk shops cast a friendly glow on the deserted street, and the occasional car zips by. Here, they are safe to hold hands again; there’s no way anyone could recognize them, bundled in a beanie (for Yeonjun) and a cap (for Yunho), masks, scarves, and coats. This time, however, a comfortable silence settles between them. Yeonjun’s mind is weirdly (but not unwelcomingly) empty; he feels its weight in his stomach, which is full and warm.
They traverse the street for a while. Sometimes, one of them would point out something interesting - like the stars, clear and bright unlike most nights in the city; or a cute outfit on a mannequin in a store that Yeonjun thinks would fit one of Yunho’s members; or a plushie display that reminded Yunho of Huening Kai. These observations eventually push them into a stationary-slash-souvenir shop, where a teenage girl happily welcomes them and says, “If you need anything, just call!”
A small basket in hand, the pair hunt for knickknacks and other practical items they could give to their teammates as little gifts.
“Wouldn’t they find it weird? That I’m giving them something even though it isn’t their birthday or anything?” Yeonjun worries, peering at a keychain that has a fluffy bear head smiling up at him. He’s a bit torn between this one and an antique radio keychain for Beomgyu.
Yunho hums, carefully placing a set of metallic hair pins with flowers and vines into their basket. “Does it matter if it’s weird?”
His boyfriend has a point. “Yeah you’re right, and I think they’ll still use and cherish these even if they think it’s weird, no?” Yeonjun adds absentmindedly. “Hey, this kinda looks like Wooyoung.”
They spend a good one and a half hour like this, only deterred by the girl - Jieun, she introduced herself - sadly telling them that the shop is closing soon. Yunho jokes that their shop is cursed: “You have too many good choices! We’ve been trapped!”, to which Jieun only giggles. Yeonjun catches the all-too-familiar blush and shy gaze. Whether or not she recognized them, Yeonjun knows one thing: Yunho’s charm is too irresistible.
The bells above the shop’s door jingle as they cheerfully bid Jieun farewell, promising to be back soon - Yeonjun has his eyes set on a necklace, but his budget isn’t enough and he refuses to let Yunho buy it for him. Maybe they’ll return on their next date, and the mere thought of it makes Yeonjun want to wiggle all around the place. Goodness, he feels like a teenager again - maybe it’s Jieun’s energy taking over him.
Spurred by this energy, he looks up at Yunho and, tilting his head ever so slightly, says, “My place is near here.”
Yunho catches on quickly. “Is that an invitation?” he asks coyly, as if it wasn’t in their initial plans to have a sleepover.
Yeonjun shrugs, trying to keep his grin hidden in his mask. He can’t help it, Yunho just makes him feel so excited. His demureness collapses as the fizzling in his body overtakes him and manifests in giggles. Yunho, ever the energy-absorber, joins in; and soon they are walking home, filling the cold Seoul air with their laughter.
—
They’ve taken a hot shower (together, of course, because why not) and changed into their sleepwear (both old t-shirts and shorts, of course, because why not) when Yeonjun finds some rolls of wrapping paper in his storage box. By ‘some’, he means a grand total of four: one birthday-themed, two for Christmas, and one just has gold and silver polka dots on it. Yunho states that those will be enough; Yeonjun frowns and asks him, “How?”, to which Yunho only smiles and says, “Just believe me.”
And believe, Yeonjun does. Yunho is right after all: he manages to make the wrapper fit for all the gifts, guiding Yeonjun through folding and cutting until they have a neat pile of wrapped items on his desk. Yeonjun fishes out a set of greeting cards and Yunho manages to find two working pens, and the sound of scratching on paper fills the room, harmonizing with the Disney soundtrack playlist Yeonjun had put on.
Yunho seems to be full of good ideas tonight, as he takes Yeonjun dancing after they’re done with their mission, presents tucked into Yunho’s backpack and Yeonjun’s storage box. The way they waltz is reminiscent of Yeonjun's morning, and he tells his boyfriend so.
“Really? Seems like you had a great morning,” Yunho comments, and Yeonjun agrees.
“Had a way better afternoon, though.”
They’ve gotten closer, now - both metaphorically, through the years; and physically, as Yunho draws him closer, squeezing his waist gently and not letting go. Yeonjun can’t help but ask: “Was today… Alright for you, too?”
They don’t pause from dancing, even when Yunho lets out a huff. “Are you kidding?” he says, though his tone is void of any venom, “I’ve already listed this as one of my top 10 days in my life. Honestly, I’m thinking of telling Hongjoong hyung that I can’t attend tomorrow’s schedules..”
“Hey! Don’t do that, hyung’s stressed out enough.” Though Yeonjun sounds casual, his heart is frantically batting at the butterflies that rise from his stomach - which only worsen when Yunho whines, “But I wanna spend more time with you!”
Again, the universe is so against them - and Yeonjun has to stop himself from cursing it out, lest it retaliates and makes their schedules even worse.
“Hey.” The word escapes his mouth before the thought can actually form. Wow, his brain really is so empty today. His boyfriend makes an inquisitive noise, spinning them around as he waits for Yeonjun to continue.
“Junnie?” he prods when Yeonjun doesn’t speak after a few moments. Maybe he saw something in Yeonjun’s expression, or felt something in the air, because his voice is gentle instead of playful as it was earlier.
Yeonjun takes all the gentleness and patience that Yunho is offering him, scooping it in his dripping hands and holding it close to his fearful, nervous heart. It’s okay, the voice inside him whispers, he’s got you.
Yunho is looking at him when he lifts his gaze; it seems that Yunho has been looking for a while now, and a smile graces the taller’s lips when Yeonjun makes eye contact. Taking a deep breath, Yeonjun lets out the words he’s been wanting to say all day.
—
10:24 AM. Fate must have stuck to Yeonjun and then latched herself to Yunho throughout the night because this time, it’s his debut date that blinks up at him when he checks the time on his way home.
You are my special, my only one special, Yeonjun’s voice sing-raps, painfully tinny and distant over his earphones. Yunho misses him already. He leans on the window, feeling his head hit the glass with every movement of the bus, and wishes it was Yeonjun’s stomach instead. His hands could be gripping Yeonjun’s instead of his hard, cold phone; his legs wrapped around his boyfriend, instead of folded neatly at the knees and occasionally bumping the seat in front of him.
Yunho sighs, the scenery of the city blurring as the bus zooms by. As much as he loves the idol life, he can’t say he entirely enjoys the way he and Yeonjun have to sneak around and wrench whatever time they have just to be together. Then again, he’s happy to at least have this; they’re lucky enough to have a relationship in this harsh industry and society, let alone one that has lasted this long.
There’s no point in dwelling on all these thoughts. Turning the volume up, he lets the whimsical notes of his boyfriend’s discography wash over him.
little fox
good luck for today! fighting~
giant puppy
you too!
giant puppy sent a sticker
little fox
omg is that us
giant puppy
yes hehe
ily
oh my god
little fox
ily2 <3
what
giant puppy
I LEFT THE PRESENTS AT YOUR DORM
little fox
oh
well
looks like we’ll have to meet up again soon
:>