kid at heart

he’s been missing him of late, and he knows junhong has been feeling the same if their little dates at home have meant anything at all.  but anywhere, anytime is good for him - as long as seungyoun is spending time with junhong, anything can be a date, right?  even if it means just getting a bubble tea and sitting at the park.  “ wanna go get bubble tea? my treat.  honestly, who cares if we’re sweaty -” seungyoun grins and leans in to whisper in his ear, “ let’s go on a date.”

though an exaggeration, junhong can say he feels like he hasn't seen civilization properly in months. so his eyes are wide and bright, looking at the bustling city around them with a new love. and at the mention of bubble tea, junhong immediately perks up and opens his mouth to respond, but pauses when seungyoun leans in. he finds his lips curling at the suggestion and nods eagerly. "okay, let's."

it isn’t until he gets home that the disbelief turns to an almost hysterical laughter.  it’s a strange feeling that bubbles within him; he’s not sure if it’s excitement, or happiness, or relief, or maybe it’s just nerves.  or, reality check - it could just be an odd mix of every emotion under the sun that seungyoun keeps stifled normally coming out in a shaking laugh as he covers his face and rests his head against the door.  “ junhong -” he calls out to the apartment, knowing his boyfriend must be somewhere within.  “ come over here and tell me this is real.”

so he complies, small towel still hung around his neck as he makes his way out to the living room, atlas trailing at his feet as he grins, wide and unrestrained. “it is. you’re gonna be public, younie.”

(sms) this is true. (sms) i don't know about enough but i am sleeping. (sms) hehe never there is always room to grow! (sms) of course i do!! and weekends are good for me hbu?

seungyoun wonders if they see that, too.  “ you have a look like you’re going to throw up.” he snorts in response, slumping back in his chair and looking back towards the evaluation room - waiting for their turn, wondering when it’ll be and how much longer they’ll wait to perform.  “ … the eval.” he admits finally, shrugging his shoulders. “ and you.” he says quieter, so no one can hear but junhong. “ you’re not actually nervous, are you?”

his head lifts again at the soft comment, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips as he quirks an eyebrow, “good to know,” he laughs, the sounds low and quiet. and he sobers up at the question, turning to look at the other male with a serious expression before a grin stretches across his face. “me? nervous? when am i ever? just excited.”

“ who knows ~” he hums quietly, sitting back in the desk chair he’s sitting in and spinning around in it. “ you might have already picked someone else to work with or got bored of me by now.  your coaches haven’t said anything about it yet? that we’re always together?” seungyoun snorts, finally stopping his turn to see junhong closing his notebook - eyebrow raised and nodding to it. “ are you working on something we can use? or should we come up with something different together?” 

the younger male blinks in surprise, cocking his head even while knowing that seungyoun isn’t being serious. “definitely not,” he laughs before thinking silently, replying, “no, not really. i guess they just assume we are comfortable with each other, right?” and junhong’s fingers are fiddling idly with the notebook cover when he pauses at the question before offering a sheepish smile, “...i don’t think so. nothing is ready to use yet.”

he’s already come so far, and junhong is still at his side.  maybe they really will get a chance to debut in a group together - after all their work, after all they’ve been through, he thinks they deserve it.  the variable in that equation would be trc - the only wild card in their relationship, seungyoun thinks of it as a challenge.  he just wants to prove to them, too, that they shouldn’t be separated.  he throws a smile to his boyfriend and waits for their turn, hands behind his head.  “ what are you thinking about?”

he’s pulled out of his focus when seungyoun addresses him, turning to him and blinking quietly. he pauses his music and smiles, “what i always think about before evaluations,” he replies with a laugh, before continuing, “the eval. what are you thinking about?”

but that’s not a worry in his mind - the only thoughts that race through him are about this month’s evaluation and how it’s so similar to things they’ve already done together before.  so he slides in next to junhong with ease, tilting his head with that too -wide smile.  “ we’re working together this month too, right?”

junhong looks up from his notebook, laying the pen down on the table with a sigh of relief and returning the elder’s wide smile with one of his own. “is that even a question?” he jokes as he closes the book and nods his head, “i would like to.”

where junhong is always affectionate, his heart always beats so wildly.

so instead, he remains quiet about it - slipping back into the darkened room only to grab a pair of shoes and a room key, then back into the hallway with the click of the door behind him.  though they both surely have to hold back from holding hands ( as much as seungyoun hates the fact he has to - ) he takes the moment to touch junhong’s shoulder, squeezing it gently as if to comfort him as much as he can. “ you must be the kind of person who can’t sleep out of his own bed then.” he nudges his boyfriend with his elbow, eyes flashing teasingly - but his words mean so much more. “ wanna go down by the beach? i hear it’s pretty at night.”

and junhong only nods, a smile curling up the corners of his lips as he reminds himself-- friendly, playful, best friends-- and returns the gesture, bumping seungyoun’s elbow with his own. “you seem to be that way too,” he replies quietly, jostling the plastic convenience store bag as they start to walk. “that sounds great.”