&. 𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘

august stresses about A LOT of things , but airports aren't one of them . he's probably spent a quarter of his life in the sky ; their only plans for tomorrow anyways were to laze about and recoup from their quick stint in los angeles . and besides , he's got people to hash out the flight details for him . if his assistants can't figure it out , he'll just book them a hotel and charter a jet out tomorrow . for now , august is perfectly content just sitting here with matt in his lap . neck cranes downwards at the younger's beckon , lips already pulling into a smile before he's even fully fixed his eyes on him . " of course , darling . i'm sure we can find something of the sort in the terminal . " and he doesn't have a problem dropping the august hwang card to get it off - menu if he has to . limb stretches out to caress matt's face , tenderly taking hold of his chin and thumbing over his lesser lip . " i was actually just thinking that i needed another americano , you little mind reader . " august uses his grip to coax him closer , meeting him halfway with a kiss . " might be good to move around too . " he mutters against his lips . " i swear i can FEEL someone recording us right now . " and he's right , pulling away and nodding discreetly at a teenage girl with her phone angled towards them just right . august has been doing this for so long that he's developed a sixth sense . " ... c'mon . " hand drops from matt's chin down to his hand , tugging at him to stand when he does . " oh --- and your pills are in my bag , honey , don't worry . "

⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀matt hooks his arms around august's bicep, trying to get as close as physically possible to the actor despite practically laying across his lap. he leans into the hands tenderly touching his face, trying to soak up every ounce of august's warmth and affection. when august thumbs over his lip, matthew has to resist every single urge in his very being not to nip at his fingertips — ultimately failing as matt does just that, tongue laving over the pad of august's thumb. ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀a small frown tugs at the corner of matt's lips, looking up at august with a look that can only be described as textbook puppy dog eyes. ❝ you should eat something too, auggie . . . another americano is not food. ❞ though any sort of plea dies on matt's lips when august kisses him, melting further against him and letting out a content little HUM. ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀he lets out a little noise of confusion when august speaks up, eyebrows knitted together before he looks to the benches a few spaces away from there — where, sure enough, they ARE being watched. matt had been so absorbed in this little bubble with august he hadn't even realized they were in public. and that august was an easily recognizable public figure on top of that. discomfort sits heavy on his stomach now, not liking the aspect of being recorded for all of twitter to see later on — and he lets august tug him up to his feet, crowding himself against the actor's back in an attempt to hide from prying eyes. matt doesn't think he'll ever get used to this part.

taemin is quick to respond to minjun's beckon , instantly backtracking to stand beside him . he thinks nothing of it --- figures maybe the stain is more noticeable somehow out here and minjun is going to try and get it off ... or maybe one of his infamous sasaengs was waiting outside the mightee one building to catch a glimpse . just the thought of that makes his skin crawl , subconsciously inching even closer to the elder . god , why did he even think that ? now he's craning his neck to see behind him , looking for whatever minjun's looking for . but then he's telling taemin to pull his mask down , and he's a little confused , giving him a funny , quizzical look . he still does it , of course ; taemin trusts minjun more than anything or anyone ever . he's NOT AT ALL expecting to be kissed right now , right here , in the middle of the sidewalk , like they're normal people that can do this sort of thing . taemin's so shocked that he just stands there , completely melting into minjun's touch . dazed and happy , he doesn't even chase after the kiss like he usually does --- it's a wonder that he doesn't just turn into a heaping pile of lovesick goo right there on the pavement . taemin's all giggly now , arms wrapped tightly around minjun's torso , leaning his full body weight onto him , chin digging into his chest as he gazes upwards . a kiss in the middle of seoul initiated fully by minjun ... it feels like something out of a dream . " i love you . " his eyes glimmer , giving minjun a squeeze . " ... that was really romantic , junnie . " taemin giggles , grabbing a fistful of minjun's jacket , continuing in a sing - song tone , " you have a crush on me ! "

⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀it's nice to pretend sometimes — like when it's the early hours of the morning and minjun can pretend they're all just some friends that live together, trying to get through adulthood and making memories along the way. minjun wouldn't trade their hard work for anything, but he'd be lying if he said he never thought about what it would be like to just . . . live with taemin. to not have to overthink if a camera caught a miniscule display of affection in the background of a vlog, or the backlash that would surely come if dispatch were to reveal the true nature of the two no spin members. it'd be nice to be able to hold taemin's hand without having to put too much thought behind it. ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀taemin melts into his body, and minjun finds it every bit endearing he possibly can. he also realizes something very important as taemin tells him he loves him — and that's the fact that minjun realizes he doesn't actually care if dispatch were to wake up tomorrow and drop these photos onto the internet for the public to pick apart, because minjun loves him too. ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀minjun looks down at him with a smile stretching across his lips, hands coming up to cradle taemin's face in his hands. the pads of his thumbs glide across taemin's cheekbones, and minjun thinks that like THIS — warm, pliant, barefaced and wearing some old ratty clothes — minjun finds him the most beautiful. ❝ my sweet boy, ❞ he mumbles softly, pressing another kiss to the corner of taemin's mouth before pulling away. ❝ i love you too . . . c ' mon, let's go and get your ice cream. ❞

minjun's shoving, but taemin's giggling. maybe a little too delighted at the reaction to his gross little jest. he tucks his free hand under minjun's arm, curling his grip around his bicep and CLINGING as they stepped out the door together. "--- that was one time!" ... that minjun knows of, at least. hyunwoo had promised not to tell about the night him and jae put way too much water in the pot and it boiled over. jaesung's puppy dog eyes had saved them. taemin's pouting now as he looks up at his boyfriend, "you know i'm no good at cooking. you're being mean, hyung." his feelings aren't actually hurt, but minjun's been gone all day: taemin has a backlog of brattiness that he's got to get out of his system. he huffs playfully and tears his arm away from minjun's, taking longer strides so he's a little bit further ahead of him. taemin yanks his mask up as he heads out the front entrance of the building --- he'd rather NOT be recognized on this outing. all he really wants is for minjun to catch up to him and give him attention... wants to walk with their fingers intertwined down a back alley where nobody can see them. really, in a perfect world, they'd be able to walk hand in hand, maskless, down the most populous street in seoul without a worry in the world. but the world isn't perfect. taemin's pace slows, giving minjun the chance to reach him, tucking his hands neatly into the front pocket of his own hoodie. his jovial spirit has escaped him now, falling into step beside the elder quietly. "you promise, right?" he pipes up, "... that you always miss me? you're not just SAYING that?" he turns to look at him walking beside him, eyes glittering in the dim glow of the streetlights. "pinky promise?"

⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀there's a quick glance around their surroundings, before minjun lands on the fact that he just doesn't care if any peering eyes ( or cameras ) happen to catch the intimate moment between them. his hand come up to tug at his mask, letting it hook around his chin before urging taemin to do the same. minjun smiles upon seeing the younger's mouth, even if he'd only seen it moments prior to putting their masks on. minjun leans in to catch taemin in a sweet kiss, fingers grasping his jaw and holding the boy in place. when he pulls back, the space between them is almost non - existent, a hair's breath away as minjun's thumb strokes over taemin's cheekbone. ❝ i pinky promise i'm not just saying it . . . i miss you when i know you're only in the other room. i miss you when you're just on the other side of a stage. i miss you even when i have to close my eyes but you're still laying right beside me. ❞

hwichan had retreated to his room a long time ago --- managed to slip past the seven or so other people in the living room unnoticed on his way out (and back in!) to the convenience store for a quick snack. guess it really did help to be the aloof one in the group. he won't lie: he does like taking part in shenanigans with the others... but that was accompanied by a big SOMETIMES, and today was just not that day. he's happy to be lost in the serenity of his room. it's positioned far enough away that the jovial yelling coming from jaesung is muffled enough that he can mostly ignore it. once he turns on some background music, it's almost like he's totally alone in the dorm --- a rare, but TREASURED occurrence. but the dreamy facade of an empty house all comes toppling down the second jiwoon steps through the door. his gaze fixes on the other man immediately, eyes narrowing as if to say what the hell are you doing in here? nothing actually escapes him though --- partly because he's feeling nice and partly because he'd shoved a handful of chips into his mouth just before jiwoon had entered the room. hwichan waves towards his bed, giving him the go ahead as he finishes chewing, hand carding through his hair to try and make himself look at least slightly more presentable. not that he cares what jiwoon thinks of him or how he looks. that would be RIDICULOUS. "... i feel oddly intrigued to ask what 'in use' means, but considering the fact that you share a room with taemin, i think i might already know the answer." his features soften now, cracking a faint smile, giving jiwoon a discreet once over. "you can stay as long as you want." he pauses for a beat, pointing at the dish in his hands. "but spill that on my bed and you're a dead man."

⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀the idol stands paralyzed in the doorway, a deer caught in headlights before hwichan gives him explicit permission. a grin spreads easily over his lips then, taking the steps towards hwichan's bed and easily making himself at home against the headboard. ❝ hwi - yah , ❞ he starts dramatically, because everything jiwoon does has to be dramatic, ❝ they were using MY bed ! hyung has his own room all to himself, and a double bed — so WHY were they using my shitty ass bottom bunk ? ! ❞ he's kinda over it at this point, only because he's seen a lot worse out of the two. whatever, he'll just make taemin change his sheets and make him pay for dinner next time they go out. after a beat, jiwoon looks up at hwichan sat across from him, noodles shoved into the pocket of his cheek, studying the singer. pushing down the food, jiwoon speaks again. ❝ thank you, by the way . . . for letting me stay. ❞

minjun's question elicits a small whine from taemin, lesser lip jutting out in a pathetic little pout. "i don't even wanna think about it." his voice is nothing more than a mere mutter when he says it, inching closer to minjun until he's pressed right up against him, chest to chest, nose tucked into the crook of the taller's neck. taemin prefers to forget all about the fact that minjun begins his military duty in just a few months. arms wrap tightly around minjun's waist, clinging as if minjun would just up and disappear if he ever let go. "i miss you already." the words are muffled against the skin of minjun's neck. there's a feral corner in his brain telling him to bite him while he's so close, but he refrains, choosing instead to push away from him at the mention of the stain. "you ruined the moment!" taemin shoves at his shoulder once more, giving a fond roll of his eyes. honestly, the subject change is welcomed--- thinking about minjun leaving always sends him down a sad slope. he takes minjun's hand in his, lacing their fingers together. "c'mon, gotta take our kids out for a walk. so hard being a father, but so fulfilling." taemin jests, pulling minjun out of the room and towards the front door. he's bubbling over with excitement now, like he always is, "what did you do today? any new songs? were they about me? did you miss me? say yes."

⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀minjun bumps his shoulder against taemin's as they walk towards the front door, a lopsided smile on the leader's face. ❝ meetings for the most part. then me and hyung just kinda worked in the studio on some potential things for the album . . . maybe i did. maybe i didn't. you'll just have to wait and see, baby . . . and yes — i always miss you, even when i close my eyes. ❞

"that's not true!" his protest is accompanied by a small pout, arms crossing over his chest defiantly. taemin always wants to do nice things with minjun, even when they don't involve snacks of any sort. besides... "i've been using it since i was twelve. get it right, mister." he's fully stepped into the room now, close enough that he can give minjun's shoulder a playful little shove. it's hard to believe that they've known each other that long--- that taemin has been glued to his side for upwards of ten years now. he'd be happy to stay with minjun for ten more years, and then ten more after that, and ten more after that... his pout has dissipated now, making way for a fond smile to settle on his features. hand comes to rest at the nape of minjun's neck, inching upwards to comb gently through his hair. "we can stay in if you're too tired." the petting motion stops suddenly, and he's leaning down to kiss at the corner of his lips. digits curl into his hair once more to give it a small tug before stepping away from minjun and towards his closet instead. taemin shuffles through the clothes like they're his own (and they might as well be with how often he insists that they share), lingering for a little while longer once he gets to the several hoodies hung up neatly together. his nose wrinkles up, obviously unsatisfied with the selection in front of him, and side-steps towards the laundry basket, fishing out a pre-worn hoodie to slip on instead. it smells like minjun. there's no greater comfort than that. taemin turns back towards his boyfriend, now draped in his hoodie, sweater paws on full display as he stretches his arms out towards him. "don't forget your wallet." he's joking. sorta.

⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀❝ lead the way, darling. wherever you go, i'll follow. ❞