#crow noises

These guys dynamic pie chart is comprised of sweetness, nudity, deadpan humor, deep respect and admiration of each other, and playfulness, as wonderfully demonstrated with the above clip.

Yunho is wandering down the stage. Yeosang is dancing and interacting with Atiny (a common sight) but he’s gradually backing away from the edge of the stage because he knows a dance break is coming up and he’ll need to head to his place.

Yeosang catches Yunho’s eye, and in a split second decision Yunho falls into a metaphorical play bow. Everything about his body language and face says “play with me” to Yeosang, and he stands there waiting for it.

And Yeosang knows as soon as he sees Yunho what he’s asking for, and adjusts accordingly. You can see it in how how moves his feet; he was going to walk past Yunho in order to get to his place for the dance, but he corrects his autopilot and steps into Yunho’s space instead.

I’d like to point out Yunho’s crossed arms, and how that makes their play more inviting to Yeosang. We know that’s he’s not the most touchy person, and if it was San or Wooyoung posing like this then he’d probably give a wider berth, expecting to be trapped in a hug and/or kiss. But from Yunho, this mock-disappointed pose, almost like a “and where are you meant to be?” tease, also tells Yeosang that Yunho isn’t going to touch him.

So, just like we’ve seen him do with Jongho, Yeosang gets bold, putting himself right up in his face and twirling around him.

Bold Yeosang seems to be exactly what Yunho wants. These two aren’t unfamiliar with being closely face to face, and they’re immune to held eye contact with each other. Yunho’s teasing nudge meets Yeosang’s measured indulgence.

Something common in their skinship is Yunho letting Yeosang take it as far as he wants. He doesn’t push Yeosang into or out of anything. It’s one of the few areas where Yunho cedes control, which is both fascinating and makes complete sense. He trusts Yeosang’s nearly unshakeable professionalism. (And admires it, but that’s a whole different post on its own.)

Neither of them are going to take it farther than intended on camera/stage… unless Yunho’s cute aggression breaks his resolve one day. Which is unlikely but I hold out hope.

Yunho leans in, happy to engage in this tiny moment of play with Yeosang, before both jump right into the muscle memory of the dance break as if nothing happened.

My point is, they are both getting enjoyment out of this, regardless of whether or not it’s fanservice. They fall in and out of this playfulness so easily because they do little things like this all the time.

I could name you dozens of other instances of this playfulness between them, this constant need to amuse the other even if it’s only for the briefest moment on stage.

It’s just past sunset when Yunho and Yeosang turn in for the night. The dishes are done, they’ve showered, they’ve changed into soft pajamas, but they’re a little too awake to go to sleep just yet.

Yeosang pushes the pillows up against the headboard of the bed while Yunho sets up the Playstation in their room.

“What do you want to play?” Yunho asks.

“LittleBIGPlanet !” Yeosang exclaims.

“Which one?”

Yeosang runs their blanket through his fingers as he thinks. “The first one. So I can kick your butt.”

Yunho laughs. “It’s a collaborative game, not a competition!”

“I’m still going to kick your butt,” Yeosang smiles.

Yunho rolls his eyes affectionately, pushing the disc into the slot. Taking the two controllers from the dock and handing one to Yeosang, he climbs into bed behind him. Yeosang shuffles forward a little so that Yunho can wrap his legs around his hips, and once they’re situated, Yunho puts a hand on his shoulder to guide him to lay back against his chest. He tucks his arms under Yeosang’s, resting his controller and hands on Yeosang’s lower stomach.

Vibrations rumble through both controllers as the console starts up, tickling Yeosang and making him squirm away from the sensation. Yunho chuckles at him.

He scrolls to the game and opens it, the two enjoying the opening cutscene and settling into the growing tranquility of the evening. Yunho runs through the tutorial level quickly, Yeosang waiting to join until the first proper level. Having played this game quite possibly a million times together, they spend a few minutes dressing up their Sackboy avatars with all the outfits they’ve collected and teasing each other for the other’s choices.

Yunho ends up as Spiderman and Yeosang ends up as a ninja.

They enter the level, Yunho pushing the blocks over so they can make it over the first wall, but Yeosang pulls them out just as Yunho goes to hop onto them. He then proceeds to stay on a mischievous streak through the first couple levels until Yunho starts trying to sabotage him back and neither end up getting anywhere. They hold each other’s avatars down, make their characters make faces at each other, trap the other or leave them behind, and make themselves run out of lives. Yeosang even pulls Yunho’s controller out of his hands at one point and holds it away from him, keeping him from reaching it by putting his weight into his shoulder. Yunho is eventually able to grab it back with his long arms, and Yeosang pouts at his loss.

By the time they somehow make it to world three, they’re laughing so hard they can’t focus on what buttons they’re pressing.

Yunho pauses the game so they can each catch their breath.

“Yunho, I’m hot,” Yeosang says through subsiding giggles.

“I know,” Yunho smiles down at him.

“No, I mean temperature,” Yeosang turns his head to the side so he can see him better. “Set me free?”

Yunho lets him out of his grasp, but keeps teasing Yeosang. “You shouldn’t deny that you’re hot. Talking down on yourself is bad for your self esteem.”

“Be quiet,” Yeosang says around a smile, setting his controller to the side and sitting up. He grabs his shirt by the collar and pulls it up and over his head. Yunho can’t help but admire his bare back, setting his own controller to the side so he can smooth his hands over the defined musculature. When he travels upwards to lightly massage Yeosang’s shoulders, Yeosang stops with the shirt still hanging on his arms, melting completely into the touch and dropping his head in contentment.

“Do your shoulders hurt?” Yunho asks.

“They’re a little sore; I worked out yesterday,” he murmurs.

Yunho puts some pressure behind his hands, working from his shoulders inward to his neck, and then down. He splays his hands across Yeosang’s shoulder blades, rutting his thumbs in grooves on either side of his spine. He knows Yeosang tends to carry tension there, and the little sigh he lets out tells Yunho he’s right. Smiling, he leans forward and presses a kiss to the nape of his neck.

Yeosang lets out another little sound, and then a laugh that Yunho feels vibrate against his lips, still held to Yeosang’s back. His hands have traveled downwards and he may or may not be pinching his sides lightly.

“Stop, that tic— tickles,” he giggles out, trying to wiggle out of Yunho’s reach. Yunho pulls him back and nips him, making him let out a yelp in the middle of his laughter. Yeosang tangles his hands with Yunho’s in an effort to push him away. He uses it to twist him around into a kiss, consuming his laughter like it’s an addiction. It’s not the easiest position, but Yunho couldn’t care less when Yeosang is exactly where he wants him. In his arms.

He can feel Yeosang’s pulse under his fingertips, taking notice of the way it gradually steadies out as they continue kissing. For how mischievous Yeosang can be, moments like this are where his true heart comes through. He’s always been the gentlest kisser, his soft heart leaking through into his actions like an overspill. Which is something Yunho has learned intimately is a thoughtless action on the other’s part. A helpless need to care and care to the core.

The depths of his care for others is part of what drew Yunho in, getting caught up in his personality like a fly in a spider’s web; quick and involuntary.

Though of course, now that isn’t the case. He’s a willful prisoner in Yeosang’s heart.