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“shotgun!” changbin yelled the second the van doors slid open.
“you say that every time and still lose,” seungmin sighed, already climbing into the back row before anyone could argue with him.
“i might be short than you lot, but i have long legs,” changbin defended. “i deserve comfort.”
“you deserve silence,” minho muttered.
felix chuckled, patting changbin on the back.
the parking lot outside the company building was freezing, pale winter sunlight reflecting off thin patches of ice near the sidewalks. staff members rushed around loading filming equipment while the members shoved luggage into the van with varying levels of helpfulness.
felix and jisung had somehow convinced production that a christmas ski trip special for skz code would be “healing content.”
it was cleverly dubbed ‘staycation’ by the sunshine twins.
so far, nobody felt particularly healed.
especially not jeongin, whose fingers were practically numb despite being hidden in the sleeves of his oversized cream-colored puffer jacket.
“hyunjin!”
jeongin called, walking towards hyunjin. two suitcases dragged behind him, wheels rattling over the uneven ground.
“here,” the maknae rolled one towards hyunjin, who caught it by the handle, “why’s yours so heavy?”
hyunjin shrugged casually. “art supplies.”
“you packed art supplies for a four-day trip?”
“maybe inspiration will strike me.”
jeongin raised an eyebrow, “on a ski slope?”
hyunjin shrugged and ruffled his hair, his fingers lingering just a second too long in the soft strands before he smoothed them down.
jeongin’s eyes flicked toward him automatically.
something warm passed between them too fast for anyone else to catch.
“let’s get going,” hyunjin said lightly, adjusting the small digital camera in his free hand. “the others are probably waiting.”
“i’m so ready!” jisung was practically bouncing beside the open trunk of the van, “i call rooming with minho!”
“in your dreams,” minho shot back smoothly, not even looking up from his phone where he leaned against the side of the car, “i value my peace and quiet. go bother channie-hyung.”
“betrayal,” jisung gasped dramatically.
hyunjin laughed quietly, bringing the camera up to his eye.
through the small viewfinder, the world narrowed automatically to jeongin.
hyunjin laughed, bringing the camera up to his eye. he focused entirely on jeongin, who was shivering slightly in his oversized cream-colored puffer coat. hyunjin lowered the camera just enough to look at him directly, stepping closer until their shoulders brushed.
"you're already freezing, innie," hyunjin murmured, his voice dropping into a low, private register meant only for the two of them. without caring about the chaos happening around the trunk, he reached out, his warm hand cupping jeongin’s cheek. his thumb gently brushed over the sharp line of jeongin's cheekbone, holding him steady.
“do you want my scarf?” hyunjin motions to the fuzzy fabric around his neck. jeongin smiled and shook his head, “i’m fine, the heater will be on in the car.”
hyunjin huffed and took it off anyway, wrapping it around the younger’s neck nicely. the maknae let out an exasperated noise.
“hyung,” he whined, lower lip jutting out a tiny bit, face in a cute pout.
hyunjin laughed and booped his nose.
“cute.”
jeongin leaned into the touch instinctively before remembering where they were.
a soft pink blush crept up his neck almost instantly.
he swatted hyunjin’s hand away weakly, though the deep dimples appearing in his cheeks ruined any attempt at annoyance.
“the cameras are rolling, hyung,” jeongin muttered, “get in the car.”
“let’s sit together,” hyunjin said easily, winking before grabbing jeongin’s hand.
their fingers slipped together for one dangerous second before hyunjin quickly adjusted his grip into something less suspicious, tugging jeongin gently toward the van door.
behind them, minho finally looked up from his phone.
his eyes landed briefly on their joined hands.
then on hyunjin’s expression.
then jeongin, whose ears were still pink beneath his beanie.
minho’s gaze narrowed slightly.
-
the van ride started out loud.
changbin and jisung were arguing over snacks before they’d even left the parking lot, seungmin was trying to vlog over the noise, and chan had already turned around twice from the front seat to threaten everyone with “no ski resort if the manager complains before we even leave the city.”
hyunjin slid into one of the middle row seats beside the window, immediately pulling jeongin down next to him before anyone else could steal the spot.
“seatbelt,” he reminded automatically.
jeongin rolled his eyes but clicked it into place anyway.
the second the van started moving, warm air finally began flowing through the heaters.
the maknae practically melted.
“oh thank god,” he sighed dramatically, sinking lower into his seat.
hyunjin snorted softly beside him.
through the reflection in the window, minho watched hyunjin quietly reach over and tug jeongin’s scarf higher up around his neck.
“hyung,” jeongin complained quietly, batting at his hands. “i can fix it myself.”
“clearly not,” hyunjin tucks in the scarf.
jeongin rolls his eyes dramatically.
minho looked away before hyunjin caught him staring.
-
about twenty minutes into the drive, the energy inside the van finally started dying down.
changbin was half-asleep, listening to music on his phone.
felix and seungmin were editing clips towards the front while jisung was losing a battle to motion sickness.
minho heaved out a sigh, “finally, i can hear myself think.”
chan muttered in agreement from the front.
jeongin yawned, rubbing his eyes.
it happened naturally.
his head tipped sideways little by little every few minutes until eventually it landed against hyunjin with a soft thump.
hyunjin looked down immediately.
the fondness on his face was honestly sickening.
minho, sitting directly behind them, had front row seats to the entire thing. he watched hyunjin carefully adjust jeongin’s position so he wouldn’t hurt his neck.
watched him pull the scarf up higher when cold air drifted through the vent and brush blond strands away from jeongin’s closed eyes with ridiculous gentleness.
hyunjin glanced down at the camera still resting loosely in his lap.
then slowly turned it toward jeongin who was now almost asleep– cheek squished against hyunjin’s shoulder, and hands in his sleeves.
the older smiled.
“innie fell asleep,” he whispered quietly into the camera.
minho nearly scoffed out loud.
the way hyunjin said it–
it felt like the cutest thing he’d seen in his entire life.
jeongin shifted slightly in his sleep, instinctively curling closer toward hyunjin. without hesitation, hyunjin rested his head lightly against the other’s hair.
minho put on his headphones, leaning his head against the window.
hyunjin was clingy, yes, but something in how he clung to jeongin was well– different that to everyone else.
-
by the time they arrived at the resort, the sun was already starting to set behind the mountains.
the entire place looked ridiculously pretty.
snow covered the roofs of the cabins, warm golden lights glowed from the windows, and huge pine trees surrounded the property like something straight out of a christmas movie.
“oh this is nice,” felix gasped immediately, practically pressing himself against the van window. his australian accent seeped through.
jisung was already halfway out of the car before staff had even fully parked. seungmin was trudging behind him.
“race you inside!”
“if you slip and die i’m leaving you there,” seungmin called after him.
cold air hit them the second the van doors opened.
“come here,” hyunjin muttered, grabbing the younger gently by the sleeve and pulling him closer while they unloaded luggage.
“hyung, i’m fine–”
“you’re shivering.”
“because it’s snowing!”
hyunjin ignored him completely, reaching up to tug jeongin’s beanie lower over his ears.
then, because apparently that wasn’t enough, he rubbed his hands quickly over jeongin’s arms through the thick puffer jacket like he was trying to warm him up manually.
jeongin’s ears turned pink again.
“the staff are literally filming us right now,” he whispered.
“then they’ll capture your tragic final moments from hypothermia.”
-
the cabin itself was huge.
wood floors, giant windows, cozy lighting, two floors, and a massive living room with blankets thrown everywhere for “healing vibes,” according to the production staff.
the members immediately scattered.
felix and chan claimed the couch area.
changbin started raiding the kitchen with minho following close after.
jisung discovered the balcony and nearly slipped to his death within thirty seconds. seungmin looked disappointed, rubbing his forehead while watching him.
hyunjin stayed suspiciously close to jeongin the entire time.
staff eventually gathered everyone together in the upstairs hallway to assign sleeping arrangements.
“okay!” one of the writers announced, “small issue.”
that was never a good sentence.
“the dorm setup is lacking a bed. when we booked, the website said there would be two beds per room, but apparently that did not count for the guest bedroom.”
everyone went silent for a moment, then–
“i’m not sharing with changbin.”
“hey!”
“he kicks in his sleep!”
changbin tried to deny it, shaking his head furiously.
“hyung you literally kicked me once while unconscious,” felix replied.
“well somebody has to share,” chan stepped forward.
“not it,” seungmin said immediately.
“coward,” han laughed.
the staff member looked mildly exhausted already, “it’s only for two nights."
“i’ll share with innie.”
the sentence came out so fast it almost overlapped the staff talking.
silence.
hyunjin blinked once like he’d only just realized he said it out loud.
jeongin turned toward him so quickly his fluffy hair smacked into his forehead.
“…what?”
hyunjin recovered suspiciously fast.
“we already share hotel rooms sometimes anyway,” he said casually,“and you steal blankets less than jisung.”
“because i’m civilized,” jeongin muttered automatically.
minho stared at the ceiling, there was something off about the two.
nobody else seemed to notice.
except maybe seungmin, whose eyes narrowed briefly before changbin asked him if they could room together.
“works for me,” chan shrugged.
“same,” felix nodded.
“great!” the staff member clapped, “problem solved.”
“iyen-ah,” hyunjin cooed, hugging him from behind, “i get to sleep with you!”
felix raised an eyebrow at that. jeongin rolled his eyes and leaned away, trying to push the older off of him.
“hyunjin stop smothering our maknae,” chan said sternly.
-
their room ended up being at the end of the hallway.
it had a huge window and soft yellow lights.
the second the door closed behind them, jeongin dropped his bag onto the floor and turned around.
“that was not subtle.”
hyunjin failed to look innocent immediately.
“what?”
“you answered before she even finished the sentence!”
“well nobody else was saying anything.”
jeongin crossed his arms.
“i wanted to share with you.”
the honesty of it made the maknae’s face soften instantly. hyunjin stepped closer slowly, hands sliding around the other man’s waist.
“besides,” he murmured quietly, mouth forming into a smirk, “you get cold at night.”
“hyung!”
the older leaned down and nudged their noses together gently.
-
the cabin had gone quiet hours ago.
most of the lights downstairs were off now, leaving only the soft yellow glow of lamps in the hallways and the faint sound of wind outside against the windows.
minho woke up thirsty.
he stared at the cracks in the ceiling for a few seconds debating whether water was actually worth leaving his warm blankets for.
jisung was snoring softly in the bed across from his because he had given in and roomed with him.
eventually, with a long suffering sigh, he dragged himself out of bed.
the hallway floor was freezing.
“this is miserable,” he muttered under his breath as he walked toward the kitchen.
the fridge hummed softly and it reminded him of when he was younger– when he was afraid of the ‘fridge monster’ downstairs.
halfway there, he noticed light spilling faintly from underneath one of the bedroom doors.
hyunjin and jeongin’s room.
minho slowed slightly.
the door wasn’t fully shut– it was cracked open just enough for him to be able to see inside.
normally, he would’ve walked past– maybe even shut the door for them.
except he heard jeongin laugh quietly.
minho paused.
“…stop looking at me like that,” the maknae whispered.
“can’t help it.” – it was hyunjin’s voice
he should’ve kept walking.
really.
instead, he glanced through the opening, curiosity getting the better of him.
hyunjin and jeongin were sitting tangled together near the headboard under a pile of blankets, faces close enough that there was barely space between them.
jeongin’s fluffy ginger hair was messy from sleep, falling into his eyes while hyunjin brushed it back carefully with one hand.
the look on hyunjin’s face was catastrophic.
jeongin smiled shyly under the attention, dimples appearing immediately. he laughed quietly again and grabbed the sleeve of hyunjin’s hoodie.
“you’re clingy at night,” the older man mumbled.
“…maybe.”
hyunjin grinned.
then kissed him.
slow enough to make minho immediately look away in silent despair.
because oh my god.
he had suspected things.
sure.
but he didn’t actually think it was true.
inside the room, neither of them noticed him. hyunjin was still cupping jeongin’s face gently, the younger going soft in his touch.
minho backed away from the doorway silently before he had to witness anything else.
he made it three steps down the hallway before stopping abruptly.
because suddenly every interaction from the past month replayed in his head at once.
dear god.
they really thought they were subtle.
minho rubbed one hand over his face tiredly.
sure, him and jisung were together as well, but they were actually good at hiding it.
he sighed and trudged back to his room.
the next morning at breakfast, hyunjin slid a cup of hot chocolate toward jeongin before the younger even asked.
jeongin smiled and took it immediately.
minho stared into his coffee.
hopeless.
absolutely hopeless.
–
“let’s go skiing today,” jisung called, stretching his arms and walking into the living room, “i slept so well last night– i’m pumped!”
“woah there,” chan said, “it’s still pretty early. let’s wait for everyone to wake up, then we’ll discuss.”
minho hummed in agreement.
felix and changbin were still asleep– and seungmin was brushing his teeth.
the cabin felt unusually peaceful.
“speaking of getting up,” jisung turned to hyunjin, who was busy flirting with their maknae, of course, “how’d you wake up so early today?”
the other man tilted his head, “huh?”
jisung crossed his arms, “you’re literally impossible to wake up,” he continued, “i remember that one time you slept through three alarms and changbin falling off a chair.”
hyunjin opened his mouth to argue, “i just choose to sleep in, i can wake up early perfectly fine.”
jeongin quietly reached over and stole a strawberry from the older member's breakfast plate.
hyunjin looked down at him.
“hey.”
the maknae stared up at him, “you weren’t going to eat it anyways.”
hyunjin rolled his eyes fondly and pushed the entire plate closer to him.
minho took a long sip of coffee.
hopeless.
“anyway,” jisung continued, “why are you awake?”
hyunjin pretended to think for a moment, leaning back onto the couch, “innie woke me up.”
jeongin nearly choked on the strawberry, “what?”
hyunjin draped an arm over his shoulders.
“you got up at eight.”
“and?”
“and then i woke up.”
“that's not me waking you up.”
“close enough.”
hyunjin smiled.
across the room, chan spun around on his chair and nodded solemnly.
“that's actually kind of cute.”
“right?” hyunjin said immediately.
jisung’s head was swiveling between the two.
“hyung,” jeongin sighed, pushing hyunjin away from him, “stop it.”
“see he even pushes me cutely,” the other man chuckled, flopping onto the armrest.
minho sighed loudly and rested his head on his hand.
-
it was almost noon by the time all the members had woken up. han was practically bouncing off the walls as a sleepy felix entered the living room.
“morning,” he yawned, sliding down on the sofa next to hyunjin.
“eh?” jisung tilted his head, “it’s already noon, sleepyhead.”
felix yawned again, “so– are we doing anything or?”
“skiing,” chan clapped his hands together, “we’re going skiing.”
changbin groaned.
“i thought this was supposed to be a vacation.”
“it is,” seungmin replied, his hair still damp from the shower, “vacations involve activities.”
“vacations involve sleeping,” changbin reasoned, “and sightseeing and good food.”
seungmin rolled his eyes.
“same thing.”
minho laughed at that.
a knock on their door alerted the members to the staff- who had been staying in a separate cabin.
“coming!” chan called, standing up and moving towards the door.
a group of cameramen stood waiting outside, along with a few other staff members.
“hey,” one of them started, “we’re ready to begin filming now, unless you guys need more time.”
“oh,” chan smiled, “all of us are awake, give us ten-ish minutes maybe?”
the staff member gave him a thumbs up and retreated.
“alright,” chan turned back towards the members, “everyone get ready to go outside! we’re starting in ten.”
everyone disappeared upstairs almost immediately.
within minutes the cabin echoed with doors opening and closing, changbin loudly complained about the ski socks. minho had managed to lose a glove before they’d even left.
hyunjin zipped up his white ski jacket in front of the hallway mirror.
jeongin emerged from their room a moment later.
the younger had traded his oversized sweater for a cream-colored knit turtleneck tucked beneath his ski jacket, fluffy hair peeking out beneath a black beanie.
“what?” he asked after a few seconds of hyunjin staring at him.
“nothing,” the older replied quickly, “you’re cute.”
before jeongin could say anything else, hyunjin grabbed one of his hands and lead him downstairs where the others were waiting
"we're leaving!"
chan's voice echoed from downstairs.
everyone shuffled toward the front entrance– boots stomped against the wooden floor. staff members hurried around clipping microphones onto jackets while cameras rolled.
outside, fresh snow had begun falling again.
small flakes drifted lazily through the air.
one of the producers clapped his hands together.
"today's pretty simple. just have fun."
jisung gasped dramatically.
"this really is healing content."
the producer laughed, brushing a strand of hair out of his face, “just enjoy yourselves and make sure to film from your own camera as well. we’re going for a sort of vlog-style.”
"can we split up?" felix asked.
"of course."
"yes!" jisung immediately threw an arm around minho's shoulders. "you're with me."
“i call the maknae!” hyunjin exclaimed, hugging jeongin through his jacket.
“alright boys,” the producer clapped his hands together, “go have fun.”
-
the eight of them walked together toward the rental lodge, boots crunching through fresh snow while staff followed behind with cameras.
"it's actually freezing," changbin complained for what had to be the twentieth time that morning.
"we know," seungmin sighed.
"i think my ears are going to fall off."
"i hope they do."
inside, the warmth hit them immediately.
rows upon rows of skis lined the walls while employees helped fit boots and helmets.
"who wears what size?" one of the staff members asked.
everyone answered at once.
"...one at a time," the poor employee laughed.
jeongin sat down on one of the benches, struggling to force his foot into a ski boot.
"why is this thing so tight?"
"because it's supposed to be."
hyunjin crouched beside him without hesitation.
"here."
before jeongin could protest, hyunjin loosened the buckles with practiced hands.
"try now."
jeongin slid his foot in easily.
"...oh."
"better?"
"yeah."
hyunjin smiled.
"thought so."
minho, a few benches away, watched the exchange over the top of the boot he was tightening.
after another fifteen minutes, everyone finally stepped back outside carrying their skis.
felix looked up toward the mountain.
"whoa..."
snow-covered slopes stretched across the resort, lifts gliding steadily overhead.
"where do we start?" jisung asked excitedly.
one of the producers pointed toward the beginner area.
"probably there."
the members all headed over together, taking the ski lift up the gentle slope.
by the time they reached the top, everyone had managed to stay upright.
"...barely," changbin muttered.
they spent the next twenty minutes wobbling down the beginner course together.
chan patiently waited whenever someone fell.
felix laughed every five seconds. jisung somehow managed to spin in a complete circle before stopping.
seungmin was actually pretty decent at it.
hyunjin never drifted more than a few feet away from jeongin.
"careful," he called whenever the younger picked up speed.
"i am being careful!"
"you're pointing straight downhill."
eventually everyone gathered again near the bottom.
changbin brushed snow off his jacket.
"okay."
he pointed farther up the mountain.
"i want to try that one."
seungmin looked where he was pointing.
"that one's a little steeper."
"exactly."
felix glanced toward chan. "should we?"
chan smiled.
"let's give it a shot."
the leader turned back toward the others.
"you four staying here?"
“yup,” jisung gave a thumbs up, “i would actually die if i tried going on the other one.”
minho shrugged, “i’m not into heights.”
hyunjin looked over at jeongin, "what do you think?"
jeongin smiled, looking exactly like a fox, "i kind of want to practice a bit more first."
"works for me."
"alright," chan said, adjusting his goggles. "we'll meet back here in a little while."
with a wave, chan, felix, changbin, and seungmin pushed off toward the next lift.
soon, the disappeared around the bend and the slope suddenly felt much quieter.
jisung grinned. "race to the bottom?"
"absolutely not," minho answered immediately.
jeongin laughed, "i'm with minho-hyung on this one."
"come on!" jisung called dramatically, almost at the top of the slope already, "it'll be fun!"
"the last time you said that," minho replied flatly, "you ended up upside down in a snowbank."
hyunjin laughed, balancing his poles against one shoulder, "i'll pass."
jisung groaned.
"you guys are so boring."
jeongin nudged him lightly with the end of one ski pole.
"just go by yourself if you're so desperate."
"...actually, no."
he immediately shuffled closer to minho, "what if i fall?"
“then catch yourself,” hyunjin shrugged.
minho looked at jisung, "you were just trying to race us."
"i've grown."
"in the last thirty seconds?"
"yes."
he rolled his eyes, though a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"unbelievable."
the four of them shuffled toward the lift again, joining the short line.
staff members stayed a respectful distance away, occasionally filming from different angles while giving them room to wander naturally.
hyunjin glanced sideways.
"ready?"
jeongin nodded.
"i think so."
"if you fall, i'll catch you."
“don’t jinx me.”
the lift swung around behind them. minho and jisung sat together first.
hyunjin slid into the next chair beside jeongin and their skis lifted off the ground.
"whoa..."
jeongin instinctively reached for the safety bar with both hands.
“nervous?” hyunjin asked him.
"a little."
without thinking, hyunjin rested one gloved hand lightly over jeongin's where it gripped the bar.
"don't worry."
jeongin looked down at their hands.
a few chairs ahead, jisung twisted around as far as he could.
"look at the view!"
the mountain stretched endlessly beneath them, pine trees dusted white and tiny skiers weaving through the slopes below.
"it's pretty," jeongin admitted quietly.
hyunjin wasn't looking at the view.
he was looking at jeongin.
"...yeah."
the maknae turned just in time to catch him staring
he raised an eyebrow.
"...hyung."
"hm?"
"the mountain."
"what about it?"
"you're supposed to be looking at it."
hyunjin smiled.
"i found something prettier."
jeongin stared at him for a second before laughing in disbelief.
"that was terrible."
from the chair in front of them, minho let out the smallest sigh. he didn't even have to turn around.
he could practically hear hyunjin smiling.
hopeless, he thought for what felt like the hundredth time that trip.
absolutely hopeless.
-
the four of them spent the next hour working their way around the beginner runs, laughing whenever someone nearly lost their balance and stopping every so often for the cameras to film little vlog clips.
by early afternoon, everyone was comfortably making it down the slopes without falling.
"progress," minho declared.
"i only fell twice," jisung defended proudly, hands on his hips.
staff eventually skied over to gather them.
"we're going to head back toward the main lodge for a short break," one of the producers called. "the other group should already be there."
the four members nodded, pushing off toward the base of the mountain together, skis crunching softly over the fresh snow.
-
the break ended up lasting much longer than planned.
changbin was halfway through his second hot chocolate, felix had somehow convinced chan to take another run with him, and seungmin was filming an unnecessarily dramatic montage of people walking in ski boots.
"where are hyunjin and innie?" chan asked, glancing around the crowded lodge.
"...weren't they with you?" felix blinked.
"no?"
jisung frowned.
"i thought they came down before us."
a small silence settled over the group.
minho sighed.
"i'll go."
"you know where they are?" seungmin asked.
"...i have a guess."
before anyone could question that suspicious answer, he clipped his helmet back on and pushed himself away from the lodge.
-
minho found them five minutes later– tucked behind one of the quieter maintenance buildings near the edge of the beginner area, mostly hidden from the crowds.
"...seriously?"
he rounded the corner just in time to stop walking.
hyunjin had jeongin backed lightly against the wooden wall of the building, one gloved hand resting beside jeongin's head.
snow drifted lazily around them while the older man leaned down with the softest smile minho had ever seen.
"you've got snow..." he murmured.
"i know."
jeongin looked to the side- thankfully the side minho was not on.
"you'll get sick," hyunjin said quietly, sounding genuinely worried.
the shorter man laughed softly.
"i'm literally wearing four layers."
the other man reached up anyway, brushing a few melting snowflakes from jeongin's beanie before absentmindedly smoothing down a strand of hair that had escaped.
“hyunjin,” the maknae whispered, “someone could see us.”
hyunjin smiled.
"let them."
jeongin blinked.
"hyung."
"i'm serious."
his hand, still braced against the wall beside jeongin's head, slipped lower until it rested lightly against the younger's waist.
"you disappeared with me too," jeongin pointed out quietly.
"because i wanted you to myself for five minutes."
the confession came so naturally that the maknae's ears immediately flushed pink.
hyunjin looked down at him with that hopelessly soft expression that only ever seemed to exist around him.
"everyone keeps stealing you."
"what?"
"jisung wanted you earlier. felix dragged you away for vlog footage. chan keeps asking you to help him with things," he puffed out a tiny breath, "i'm allowed to be selfish every once in a while."
jeongin couldn't help smiling.
"you're jealous."
"a little."
"over chan-hyung?"
"everyone."
he said it so seriously that jeongin laughed outright.
"you're ridiculous."
"maybe." hyunjin leaned in just enough for their foreheads to bump together, "but you're my innie."
the words were barely louder than the falling snow. jeongin's smile softened instantly.
hyunjin gave the younger's jacket sleeve a gentle tug, almost pouting.
"just for another minute."
jeongin pretended to think about it before sighing.
"one minute."
the other man grinned like he'd won the lottery.
just then– minho coughed into his sleeve.
“ahem.”
both of them froze.
minho stood a few feet away with his ski poles tucked under one arm, looking less surprised than deeply, deeply tired.
"are you two done?"
hyunjin blinked.
"...hi, hyung."
"don't 'hi, hyung' me."
jeongin immediately hid his face in hyunjin's shoulder. "i told you someone would see us," he mumbled.
hyunjin rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
“this isn’t what you think–”
“hyunjin-ah,” minho sighed, "you literally have him pinned against a wall behind a building."
the other man didn’t respond.
minho rubbed his forehead, looking between the two of them.
“it’s okay,” he said slowly, “...because i’ve known since yesterday.”
both of them stared at him.
"...you what?"
"i walked past your room."
hyunjin's soul visibly left his body and jeongin made a tiny horrified noise and buried his face completely.
"...you kissed,” minho continued, “for a while… i left before it got more embarrassing.”
hyunjin slowly closed his eyes.
"i'm moving countries."
"please do," minho replied immediately.
after another beat, his expression softened.
"look, i'm not telling anyone."
both of them looked up at him.
"just..." he pointed a ski pole toward the crowded slopes, "be a little more careful."
hyunjin nodded almost instantly, "we will."
jeongin peeked out from behind him, "you're really okay with it?"
minho shrugged, "you make each other happy."
hyunjin instinctively reached for jeongin's hand before remembering where they were, stopping himself halfway.
minho noticed anyway.
"...hopeless," he muttered, shaking his head, "come on."
he turned back toward the lodge.
"everyone's looking for you two."
hyunjin waited until minho had walked a few steps ahead before leaning down.
"see?"
jeongin looked at him.
"what?"
"he called us 'you two,' ” the older man said, "that means he approves."
jeongin laughed, gently shoving him away.
"let's go before he changes his mind."
hyunjin happily fell into step beside him.
just close enough that their shoulders brushed the entire walk back.
minho glanced back, catching the two of them walking hand in hand. he shook his head, adjusted his goggles, and trudged on.
to anyone else, it just looked liked hyunjin was talking and jeongin was listening with a smile tugging at his lips.
except minho had seen the way the older man unconsciously matched his pace to jeongin's.
he'd seen jeongin angle himself ever so slightly toward hyunjin without even realizing it. seen the tiny smile hyunjin wore whenever jeongin laughed.
now that he knew, it was impossible to not notice.
by the time they reached the lodge, the others immediately descended on them.
"there you are!" chan sighed in relief. "we thought you got lost."
"hyunjin got distracted," minho answered before either of them could speak.
hyunjin coughed into his glove.
"...sorry."
jeongin stared very, very hard at the snow beneath his boots.
felix tilted his head.
"distracted by what?"
"the scenery," minho replied smoothly.
hyunjin blinked.
"...right."
"yeah," jeongin nodded a little too quickly, "the scenery."
seungmin's eyes flicked between the two of them for half a second.
"sure."
thankfully, chan interrupted before anyone could linger on it.
"who wants more hot chocolate?"
"me!"
"changbin you already had two cups."
"well i want more, obviously."
the conversation dissolved into complaints about cold fingers and whose turn it was to carry the cameras.
hyunjin drifted naturally toward jeongin again. this time, though, he stopped himself just before reaching for the younger's sleeve– shoving both hands into his pockets instead.
the maknae smiled almost imperceptibly before walking just a little closer until their shoulders bumped anyway.
minho let out a quiet, resigned sigh.
they were unbelievably obvious.
reckless.
ridiculously in love.
his eyes drifted toward jisung, who was happily arguing with changbin over marshmallows without a care in the world.
minho smiled to himself.
everyone deserved someone who looked at them the way hyunjin looked at jeongin.
even if hyunjin really needed to learn some self-control.
"...hopeless," he mumbled one last time– walking faster in the snow in hopes of catching up to jisung.
some secrets weren't his to tell.
and this one–
this one could stay between the three of them.