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It was normal for Keonho not to know everything about the world; whoever would?
James thought the boy was just faking it at first when they were trainees, but he quickly realized that wasn’t the case. Keonho was the type who asked a lot of questions, his deep brown eyes lighting up as he sucked in the knowledge being poured into him. A smile cracked every time he gained a new piece of wisdom, and his cheeks flushed a brilliant crimson every time one member in particular turned to gaze down at him: Martin.
Seonghyeon definitely saw the way the dynamic between the two bickering members was slowly evolving into something more wholesome.
Sean knew how to read Keonho like an open book. They were getting ready to wrap up in the dance room when Sean/Seonghyeon first began to notice Keonho lingering behind. At first, he thought nothing of it, until he turned around to see that it was Martin that Keonho was waiting on.
So, when they got into the halls, Sean decided to be blunt. “Do you like Martin Hyung?”
Keonho blushed instantly, the heat traveling all the way to the tips of his ears. “Shhh! What if he hears you!” he hissed, dragging Seonghyeon down the hall and further out of earshot.
“So what if he hears? Doesn't he like you too?” Seonghyeon cocked his eyebrow up in confusion. Wasn't it obvious?
“What? No, Martin Hyung is straight, remember? He was talking about how hot some girl group member was just last week,” Keonho argued, his chest tightening. Beneath his defensive tone lay a heavy, familiar insecurity. Even if Martin did like guys, Keonho thought bitterly, why would he choose me? I'm just the clumsy youngest member he has to take care of.
“He could be bisexual too, Keonho—” Sean deadpanned, to which Keonho just scoffed.
“The possibility is still slim. Just keep this between us, please?”
Sean was visibly torn. He didn't have much experience with having a crush, much less on another boy, but he knew this uncertainty was tearing his friend apart. So, he just nodded his head okay and offered to buy Keonho sushi to help clear his mind.
Martin, who had rounded the corner just in time to see them huddled together, frowned at the two boys. His first thought was a sharp spike of irritation. Why are they so close to each other, whispering?
“You two waiting for me?”
Keonho flinched at the sound of Martin's voice and turned around, locking eyes with the hazel-eyed boy. He was blushing openly, but maybe he could play it off as a post-practice flush.
“We were actually going to get some sushi. You can head back without us, Hyung, it's okay,” Sean said. He quickly read the situation and knew Keonho wouldn't be doing the talking; the younger boy was currently struggling just to breathe under Martin's intense gaze.
Martin remained suspicious, but he still nodded his head and left. “Since when were they so close?” Martin muttered to himself. He knew how well Keonho and Seonghyeon got along, but he would never admit aloud how much that easy camaraderie made him jealous.
The next few days were filled with Martin doing… whatever it was that he was doing. Bringing water for Keonho when he noticed the boy panting on the practice room floor? Wiping his sweat away with his expensive designer jacket? Juhoon pursed his lips and glanced around the room to see if anyone else was witnessing this. Seonghyeon sent him a knowing look and shook his head with a smirk.
“Get a room, you two,” James mumbled as he passed by them to turn the camera off.
Keonho instantly flushed a deep scarlet and picked himself up from the floor, putting immediate distance between himself and Martin. “Yah! It isn't like that, Hyung!”
James laughed and waved a dismissive hand. “Just joking.”
Only Seonghyeon really knew how Keonho felt, and Keonho preferred to keep it that way. Panic swirled in his gut. What would the others even say if they knew? Would they think I'm disgusting for liking another boy? Let alone the leader of our group? The sheer weight of his hidden identity felt like an anchor, dragging him into a spiral. He began to visibly panic, his breathing turning shallow.
“Hey.” Keonho looked up and noticed it was Seonghyeon. He instantly took the other boy's outstretched hand and let himself be pulled into the quiet hallway.
As soon as they stopped, Seonghyeon pulled Keonho into a firm hug. He’d tease him for this later, but right now, his friend was overwhelmed and needed comfort.
“Sean, how am I supposed to go live with him later?” Keonho muffled into his shoulder. “I know I promised the fans, but he keeps doing these cute things. I can't understand him, and it's driving me crazy.”
“Maybe set a boundary with him,” Seonghyeon advised softly, pulling back. “Martin won't know it's messing with your head unless you mention it. Although I still stand by the fact that he likes you too.”
Keonho blushed and playfully hit the other boy's shoulder. “No… I doubt it.”
A couple of hours later, they were in the studio. Martin was back to doting on Keonho, even more openly now that it was just the two of them.
“You seem so tense, man. You sure you want to do the live?” Martin noticed the usually smiling Keonho was now balled into himself, nervously biting his lower lip.
“Actually, um… can I talk to you about something?”
Martin stopped what he was doing. He sat in the rolling chair and scooted it all the way across the room until his knees bumped firmly against Keonho’s. Personal space simply did not exist when it came to the older boy.
“What's up, baby?”
Keonho stilled the moment Martin rested a casual, warm hand onto his knee. The intense eye contact, the proximity, and the casual nickname were the cherry on top of his anxiety.
“Hyung,” Keonho started, his voice trembling slightly. “You're usually not like this with me. What's going on? Suddenly you're calling me cute names, doing everything for me, and babying me. Why? I'm… I'm starting to think maybe you like me.”
“Because I do.”
Keonho froze completely, looking up at his Hyung with wide, disbelieving eyes. His heart hammered against his ribs. Is he playing with me? Testing me?
“I don't think you know what you're saying,” Keonho whispered. He began to look around the room, desperately searching for an escape route in case this conversation went entirely wrong.
Martin’s expression shifted, a flicker of something guarded crossing his face before he masked it with a soft smile. “Keonho, it's my job to take care of you. Don't think too much about it, okay?” He patted Keonho's knee and stood up to set the camera up for the live stream, leaving Keonho reeling in confusion.
Keonho knew that fans would catch any odd expression on his face, so the moment the broadcast went live, he forced himself to lock in. Comments came flooding the screen with excitement and an array of compliments that made Keonho’s cheeks burn.
Martin glanced at the scrolling text, a sudden, playful smirk forming on his lips. He leaned in closer to Keonho, their shoulders brushing.
“One comment says you're my clueless boyfriend.”
Keonho stilled once again, staring blankly at the screen as his heart skipped a beat. “Ah, Hyung, don't read comments like that,” he stammered, giving Martin a nervous, playful nudge with his shoulder as he let out a forced laugh.
“Why not? I think it’s accurate,” Martin teased, his voice dropping an octave, pitching it just low enough that the microphone barely caught it. He leaned even closer, his eyes dancing with mischief. “You are pretty clueless, aren't you?”
Keonho felt his entire face catch fire. He ducked his head, hiding his flustered expression behind his hands. “Stop it, seriously! Look at the next comment!”
Martin chuckled, clearly enjoying how easily he could fluster the younger boy, before smoothly transitioning back to their planned content. He began explaining the differences between a sea lion and a walrus. The fans in the chat went wild over how cute it was; Keonho was listening so intently, leaning forward with wide eyes. The difference between the two animals had never really dawned on him until today, and Martin explained it beautifully, considering he was a known rambler.
“Sea lion, right?” Martin turned his head to face Keonho. The soft glow from the ring light reflected in his hazel eyes, making him look incredibly gentle.
Keonho locked eyes with Martin and smiled. For the first time since the live started, it wasn't a performative idol smile—it was big, real, and made his eyes crinkle into happy crescents.
“Yes, Hyung.”
Martin mirrored Keonho’s smile instantly, a look of pure affection melting his features.
After the live finally ended and the two boys said their goodbyes to the fans, the broadcast cut out. Keonho remained glued to his seat, the sudden silence in the room feeling heavy. Martin stood up, stretching his arms before he began pacing the room, tidying up the stray equipment and wires.
Keonho stayed in his rolling chair, slowly spinning himself in small half-circles, his eyes tracking the taller boy's every move. The lingering anxiety about his own identity, mixed with the electric tension from Martin's teasing, made his chest ache.
“Keonho,” Martin said softly, breaking the quiet. He didn't look up from coiling a microphone cord, but his voice was steady.
“About earlier. What you said about me babying you.”
Keonho’s breath hitched. He stopped spinning the chair.
Martin finished setting the cord down and turned around fully. He didn't hesitate. He walked straight over to Keonho’s chair. Instead of pulling up his own seat, Martin stepped directly into Keonho’s space, standing right between the younger boy's parted legs.
Keonho had to tilt his head back quite a bit to look up at him. The sheer proximity made his pulse race, his hands gripping the edges of his seat.
“It's not just because you're the youngest, Keonho,” Martin murmured, his voice dropping all of its usual playful banter. It was deeply earnest, laced with a raw vulnerability that Keonho had never heard from him before.
Martin reached down, his fingers gently tracing the line of Keonho’s jaw, forcing the younger boy to look nowhere else but at him.
“It's because I love you. I want to give you the absolute world, Keonho. And the only way I can do that—the only way I can protect you and hold you without the fans or the managers getting suspicious—is to baby you. It's the only excuse I have to touch you.”
Keonho’s breath was completely taken away. The words echoed in his mind, shattering every single insecurity he had harbored over the past year. Martin wasn't straight. Martin didn't view him as a burden. Martin loved him.
“Hyung…” Keonho’s voice was barely a whisper, his throat tight with a sudden rush of emotion. He looked up into those hazel eyes, needing certainty. “Kiss me. Please. Just… so I know it's real.”
Martin didn't hesitate. A soft, breathless smile touched his lips before he leaned down, cupping Keonho’s face in both of his hands.
The kiss was gentle, lingering, and filled with a quiet passion that grounded all of Keonho’s racing thoughts. It tasted like a promise. When Martin finally pulled back just a fraction, his forehead resting against Keonho’s, the younger boy let out a shaky breath, his own hands coming up to clutch at Martin’s wrists.
“I love you too, Hyung,” Keonho confessed, the truth pouring out of him like a floodgate had finally opened. “I’ve been so scared. But I love you so much.”
Martin smiled, kissing the tip of Keonho's nose before pulling him up from the chair and into a fierce, protective embrace. “We don't have to be scared anymore. We’ll conquer this industry together, Keonho. Just you and me. I’m never letting anyone tear us apart.”