Work Text:
the café was warm, the kind of place where the scent of coffee and rain lingered in the air like a half-remembered dream. junghwan sat by the window, his fingers tapping restlessly against the tabletop. he’d texted youngjae an hour ago, asking him to meet after practice. it wasn’t like youngjae to be late — not when it came to their usual post-practice coffee runs, the ones that had become a ritual since their trainee days. junghwan’s eyes flicked to the door again, his stomach twisting with something he refused to name.
7.50 pm. he’s just running late. it’s fine.
but then the bell above the door chimed, and it wasn’t youngjae who walked in. it was seokjoon, a trainee from their company, laughing with a group of friends. and there, trailing behind them like he belonged, was youngjae.
junghwan’s breath hitched. youngjae’s hair was still damp from the rain, curling slightly at the edges, and he was wearing that sweater — the oversized gray one he had “borrowed” last winter and never given back. it looked better on youngjae anyway, the fabric swallowing his slender frame, the sleeves hanging past his fingertips.
he was smiling at something seokjoon said, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and junghwan felt something sharp and ugly coil in his chest.
jealousy.
it wasn’t the first time. junghwan forced himself to look away, staring down at his untouched latte. you’re being ridiculous, he told himself. youngjae was his best friend. his best friend. they shared everything — secrets, dreams, the last slice of pizza at 3 am, the kind of silence that only existed between people who knew each other’s souls. but lately, every time someone else made youngjae laugh like that, it felt like a needle pricking under his skin.
youngjae finally noticed him and waved, excusing himself from the group. he slid into the seat across from junghwan, still smiling, oblivious.
“sorry, sorry!” he rubbed the back of his head, “seokjoon… needed to talk. he’s debuting soon, so you know how it is — he asked for some advice, as his sunbae.”
junghwan forced a smirk, though his voice came out tighter than he intended.
“yeah, i know. you two seem real cozy.”
youngjae blinked, then rolled his eyes. “oh, come on. you’re not still on about that, are you?”
junghwan’s fingers tightened around his cup. “on about what?”
youngjae sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “you’ve been weird ever since i said i liked seokjoon’s presence. you glared at me the entire time i was talking to him.”
“i wasn’t glaring.”
“you were definitely glaring...” youngjae’s voice softened, his tired eyes searching junghwan’s face. “okay, look, if i did something—”
“it’s not you,” junghwan cut in, suddenly exhausted by his own act. he exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “it’s just… i don’t like sharing… you…” the words hung between them, heavier than either had intended, impossible to take back.
youngjae’s eyes widened, his lips parting slightly. the café noise faded into the background, leaving only the sound of rain tapping against the window. junghwan’s heart pounded.
say something. anything.
youngjae’s fingers twitched on the table, as if reaching for him before pulling back.
“hyung,” he said quietly, “are we still talking about seokjoon?”
junghwan met his gaze, the weight of years of friendship and unspoken feelings pressing down on him. “no,” he admitted. “i… don’t think we are.”
the silence stretched, thick and suffocating. youngjae’s mind raced, rewinding through years of inside jokes and shared glances, late-night conversations and stolen touches. had it always been like this? had he just been too blind — or too scared — to see it? junghwan’s fingers drummed against the table again, restless.
“remember that time when we were trainees, during practice?” he said suddenly, voice rough. “when you sprained your ankle, and i carried you back to the dorm?” youngjae’s breath caught. of course he remembered. he’d been in so much pain, but all he could focus on was the way junghwan’s arms had felt around him, the way his breath had hitched when their faces had been too close.
“yeah,” he said softly, intimidated. junghwan’s gaze was intense, almost accusatory.
“you told me you’d never forget how i took care of you, that you cherished our time together,” junghwan’s voice cracked slightly, “ but you let everyone in our company walk you home last week, like they all were your real best friend,” his gaze darkened. “and seokjoon? you’ve been inseparable since. so now what? i’m supposed to sit here waiting for you because seokjoon needs you? do i mean so little to you?”
at that, youngjae’s stomach dropped.
“hyung, it was just seokjoon—”
“it’s always just someone. it’s either the trainees or some friend from gimhae, even jihoon—” junghwan snapped, then immediately looked away, his jaw tight. “i’m sorry… i’m really sorry. i don’t know why i’m like this.”
youngjae studied him — the frustration in his eyes, the way his fingers curled into fists. it clicked. he was jealous. not in the way friends were, but in the way people were when they wanted something more. junghwan wanted to be more than a spot in youngjae’s life. the realization sent a shiver down youngjae’s spine. he reached across the table, hesitating before brushing his fingers over junghwan’s clenched hand.
“… hyung,” he said, voice barely above a whisper, “look at me.”
junghwan finally met his eyes, and youngjae saw it all — the fear, the longing, the years of holding back.
“what if i don’t want to be just friends either?” youngjae admitted, his heart pounding. the café seemed to still around them. junghwan’s breath caught, his eyes searching youngjae’s face as if memorizing it.
“what?” junghwan scoffed.
“i’ve been waiting for you to say something first, you know.” youngjae had a small smile on his pink lips.
“don’t tell we’ve both been—”
“scared,” youngjae finished for him. junghwan turned his hand over, lacing their fingers together. the touch was electric, a spark that ignited something new between them.
“… you like me?” junghwan asked, a bit shy. “like… like?” youngjae squeezed his hand, blushing.
“i do, hyung.”
youngjae treated his hyung to dinner, hoping to make up for all of the times he’d been late. the walk back to their dorm was a blur of rain-slicked streets and shared smiles. their hands were still linked, fingers tangled together like they were afraid to let go. junghwan’s thumb traced circles over the back of youngjae’s hand, sending little sparks up his arm. he couldn’t stop smiling, even though his mind was racing.
this is real. this is happening.
youngjae glanced at him, his cheeks still flushed from their confession at the café.
“you’re quiet,” junghwan teased, nudging youngjae’s shoulder with his own. the latter laughed softly.
“just thinking about how long it took us to get here.”
“yeah, well,” junghwan said, swinging their joined hands between them playfully, “we were both cowards.”
the eldest decided to stopped walking, just to pull youngjae in front of him, under the dim glow of a streetlamp. junghwan reached up, brushing a stray of youngjae’s hair away with his free hand. his fingers lingered, cupping youngjae’s cheek.
“can i kiss you?” he asked, voice rough with anticipation. youngjae’s breath hitched, but he nodded, his eyes never leaving junghwan’s.
“yeah,” he whispered. “please.”
junghwan leaned in slowly, giving youngjae time to pull away if he wanted to. but youngjae only closed his eyes, tilting his face up to meet him. their lips brushed — once, twice — soft and hesitant, like they were memorizing the shape of each other.
then junghwan deepened the kiss, his hand sliding to the back of youngjae’s neck, pulling him closer. youngjae melted into him, his fingers tightening around junghwan’s. when they finally pulled apart, breathless and grinning, youngjae rested his forehead against junghwan’s.
“we should’ve done that sooner,” he murmured. junghwan chuckled, pressing a quick kiss to youngjae’s temple.
“we had to be ready.”
youngjae hummed in agreement, then tugged junghwan’s hand, leading him toward the dorm entrance.
“come on, let’s go inside before we get soaked again.” the dorm hallway was quiet, most of their members already asleep or out. they tiptoed to their shared room, the tension between them now laced with excitement.
junghwan closed the door softly behind them, and for a moment, they just stood there, taking in the familiarity of the space — their beds, the messy nightstand, the stuff on the walls. junghwan turned to youngjae, suddenly shy.
“so, uh… what now?” junghwan stepped closer, his hands finding youngjae’s waist.
“now,” he said, his voice soft, “we figure this out together.” youngjae’s hands were now resting on junghwan’s shoulders.
“i like the sound of that.”
junghwan kissed him again, slower this time, savoring the way youngjae sighed against his lips. when they parted, he grinned.
“we need to get some sleep, hyung. we’ve got practice early tomorrow.” youngjae was still red; junghwan groaned, flopping onto his bed dramatically.
“you’re such a downer.”
“i know, i know. i’ll go shower first. good job for today, hyung.”
“good joob for today, youngjae-yah.”
the next morning, youngjae woke to the sound of his own alarm blaring obnoxiously from his phone. he yawned, burying his face in his pillow, but the memory of last night — junghwan’s lips on his, the warmth of his hand — made him smile into the fabric.
junghwan was still asleep, but the sound of the rain tapping against the window kept him from resting any longer, so he woke up. he turned to youngjae, whose partition was split open, and smiled when he saw him already awake.
“morning,” he said, his voice still rough with sleep.
youngjae sat up, blushing a bit. “morning, hyung.”
there was a beat of silence, the kind that should’ve been awkward but wasn’t.
“did you know?” junghwan’s lips quirked, “you snore in your sleep.”
youngjae gasped, he grabbed the pillow and whipped it at junghwan’s head. junghwan laughed, dodging it easily, and youngjae couldn’t help but grin. this was what he’d been missing. not just the kisses or the confessions, but the easy, unguarded moments between them. junghwan stood up and grabbed the younger’s wrist before he could throw another pillow, pulling him out of bed and into his arms. youngjae yelped, but he didn’t resist, melting into junghwan’s embrace.
“you’re such a brat,” junghwan murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. youngjae leaned in, tilting his face closer, and junghwan met him halfway, their lips meeting in a slow, sleepy kiss. when they pulled apart, youngjae’s heart was racing.
“we’re gonna be late,” he whispered. junghwan smirked.
“worth it.”
practice was a blur of stolen glances and shared smiles. their members noticed, of course — they weren’t exactly subtle. dohoon raised an eyebrow at them during a break, but youngjae just grinned and leaned into junghwan’s side. the eldest wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer.
“what?” junghwan asked, feigning innocence.
dohoon shook his head, laughing. “nothing. just glad you two finally figured it out.” youngjae felt his cheeks warm, junghwan just squeezed his shoulder.
“took us long enough.”
after practice, they found themselves back at the café, sitting in their usual spot by the window. youngjae stirred his strawberry latte with a pink straw, watching the milk melt slowly into the sugary layers of coffee.
“what now?” he asked softly. junghwan reached across the table, his fingers brushing against youngjae’s.
“today we can have sex, if you—”
“hyung, please!” youngjae blushed furiously, then averted his gaze. they were still lacing their fingers together.
“okay, okay! we’ll take it slow…” junghwan chuckled.