Work Text:
Many people didn't know or would rather not think about how much media training idols had. They would literally take classes on the subject, with a strict instructor pointing out every single flaw in the way they conducted themselves in public.
Keep your expression neutral. Smile when appropriate. Give good reactions. Be sure to show your best angle. Flirt with the camera when it's on you. Don't flirt with the camera too much. Be polite at all times. Only complain if it's in a cute aegyo way. Defuse controversial topics and redirect to something you can actually talk about. Never ever talk about other idol groups. If you must, just praise them. Never talk too much about girl groups. So forth and so on.
It was probably Juyeon's least favorite part of being a celebrity, if he could dare call himself one. How careful and aware he had to be at all times about his own behavior and how it would reflect on his image. Dancing was fun. Singing was sometimes hard, but he was always up for a challenge. But managing his image... Now that was just annoying.
Sometimes his real feelings and reactions would come through, even if he tried to keep them under wraps and separate from his idol persona.
Like, for example, during an interview alongside Hyunjae. The question asked of them was which of the members they wanted to date. They had rehearsed similar questions several times and answered things like this in fan meetings and vlives a lot. He knew what they wanted.
"Honestly? Hyunjae hyung." And then he went on and on about how his member was nice and considerate, but also a bit of a tsundere. Hyunjae laughed, as he was supposed to
And then it was his hyung's turn to answer. After fumbling a bit and not being able to sound sincere even for the crew behind the camera, he finally had the answer: "All of the members would be good. But Jacob..."
Juyeon threw the little fragment of paper where the question had been printed out, his expression as if he was pouting and not pleased with what he heard. Hyunjae laughed, and so did the crew. They exchanged a few comments about their choices, with Juyeon concluding that "If it's Jacob hyung, I can respect that."
But he didn't. Not at all.
Sometimes Hyunjae would cling to Jacob, and would even joke that he was his secret admirer. Other times, even off camera, it came so easy for them. Holding hands, a quick hug, exchanging supportive words and quick jabs at each other.
Even Hyunjae seemed unable to shut up about Jacob's many qualities and how amazing he was. Not that Juyeon didn't agree, but didn't the other get tired of it? Why did Hyunjae always need to praise and exalt every single thing about Jacob?
Most often than not, it was Juyeon who was paired with Hyunjae in several photoshoots, interviews and even in sections of their dance performances. So how come Hyunjae very rarely had anything to say about Juyeon?
One day, it was too much, he simply couldn't take it anymore. His patience, which the members joked was infinite, had ended.
Hyunjae was slouching on one chair situated at a secluded corner, holding a small electric fan to his face, trying to keep his straightened and perfectly styled hair under control so it wouldn't revert back to its naturally curly state from the humidity, as well as keep the make-up intact on his face, even if he was sweating buckets.
"Hyung." Juyeon started. Now that he was there in front of the other, it suddenly felt way more nerve-wracking than he expected. Even if he had rehearsed this in his mind. "Can we talk?"
"Do it have to be now, Juyeonie?" Hyunjae whined, throwing his head back dramatically. "Hyung is here dying from dehydration."
Juyeon opened his mouth to insist, but then what he said instead. "No, it can wait."
But something in his tone might have picked Hyunjae's interest, because he straightened his posture in the chair, turned off the fan and looked straight at Juyeon. His eyes were attentive, searching Juyeon's face for any reasons for his behavior. The scrutiny made Juyeon hesitate even more.
"So what is it?" The hyung insisted and, when his dongsaeng didn't answer, he took Juyeon's hand into his, grabbing his fingers and massaging the skin. Hyunjae had always liked playing with Juyeon's hands, it was something that he did both deliberately and unconsciously. For some reason, their hands always seemed to meet.
That comforting, familiar gesture gave Juyeon the push he needed to spit it out. "Why do you keep praising Jacob hyung?"
Hyunjae looked somewhere between startled and guilty after hearing Juyeon's question. He hesitated just a beat too long before settling on a neutral "You know as well as I do that the fans love when we praise each other. It's fanservice. Besides, I like Jacob, he's nice and a good friend." He paused for a moment and then pressed on. "Why, Juyeonie? What brought this up?"
A loud cackle of laughter interrupted them. Younghoon almost folded in half holding his stomach from how hard he was laughing at Haknyeon and Eric's hijinks. The other members were also all over there, as well as several staff from the magazine they were currently shooting for. Currently, Sunwoo was working on his individual photos and putting on a herculean effort not to break down laughing at Eric and Haknyeon’s teasing and Younghoon's hysterical laughs.
The sudden realization that there were way too many people around who could overhear their conversation set Juyeon on a frenzy, so he just grabbed Hyunjae's hands and dragged him down a corridor, so they would have some privacy to talk.
Hyunjae didn't really object, just quietly following Juyeon around. After a few moments, only their footsteps echoing on the corridor, Juyeon found a secluded corner underneath a staircase and pulled his hyung there.
He didn't waste time then and pulled him into a hug, practically crushing Hyunjae against the wall. Not that his hyung minded, because, in response, Hyunjae only chuckled and rubbed circles on his back. "What brought all of this up, Juyeonie?" His voice was a breath whisper against Juyeon's ear, causing all the hairs in his nape to stand up as his whole body shivered.
"Hyung, you should praise me too." He blurted out, sounding even more like a petulant child than he expected he would. Not even a second later, Juyeon buried his face against Hyunjae's neck.
Hyunjae snickered quite loudly, chortling inelegantly when Juyeon shushed him, urging him to be quiet. "Oh my, poor Juyeonie. You work so hard and you want to be praised too, is that right?" His voice was patronizing, which made Juyeon's cheeks burn hotter and his lips pout even harder, as he nodded in agreement. "But the members are always praising you, tho? Didn't Eric say just yesterday that your body was amazing? And Kevin talked about how nice you are?"
" Hyuuung ." He whined against Hyunjae's ear. "I want to hear it from you."
This time, Hyunjae didn't laugh, but he pushed Juyeon slightly away from himself, so he could look him in the eyes. His fingers caressed the soft skin of Juyeon's cheek delicately. "Juyeon, you are so beautiful." He started. "I love your eyes, they're fierce and innocent at the same time."
"And I love your lips too. I could write poetry about the way they slightly curl up" Hyunjae followed Juyeon's lip shape with his finger, caressing the smooth, warm skin softly. "because they're so kissable."
His voice was no louder than a whisper but it was the only thing Juyeon was capable of hearing at the moment, besides his own heartbeats. "And I'm not even talking about your body. You hear over and over from the members and deobis how amazing it is, how sexy you are, how perfect your muscles look..." His hand moved and explored Juyeon's body, feeling the swell of muscle underneath his already admittedly quite tight clothes that left little to the imagination. "Why do you want to hear that from me too? Do you want hyung to tell you exactly how sexy you are?"
Juyeon was pretty sure he couldn't find in himself to actually answer verbally, so he nodded dumbly at Hyunjae, trying to close the distance between them, trying to reach the other's lips.
But Hyunjae wasn't one to do things halfway through, so he continued. "And your personality too. You're caring, friendly, approachable, sweet, innocent-"
"Jaehyun hyung." Juyeon begged, one of his hands on Hyunjae's nape, pulling him closer. "That's enough."
"I thought Juyeonie wanted to hear exactly how perfect hyung thinks he is." Hyunjae, always a tease, pondered, as if he was confused. "And also hear how much I love you."
"I love you too." Juyeon crashed their lips together, hearing a small gasp from the other in response, his hands darted, one grabbing Hyunjae's waist to pull him even closer to his own body and the other cradling his face, so he could deepen the kiss.
Hyunjae, however, once again moved his face away. "Stylist noona will have our balls if we mess up our clothes or make up, Juyeon."
He knew his hyung was right, but also Hyunjae was standing right in front of him, showering him with praise and telling him how much he loved him. It was a tough decision to make, and it was hard to keep himself from jumping his hyung. But they were professionals at the end of the day, so Juyeon pulled Hyunjae's hands so they were at his eye-level and peppered them with kisses and rubbed his face against them, in an affectionate display.
"You don't need to be jealous. You know you are my number one, right?"
"I do." Juyeon paused and then added softer. "But sometimes I like hearing that I am."
"Understood." Hyunjae giggled as Juyeon took hold of his hand and led him back where the other members and staff were probably wondering where they ran off to.