"Kihyun hyung, can I ask you something?" I.M came around the corner, resting his shoulder on the side of the fridge, as his hyung was tidying up the kitchen. He decided that this was perfect moment to talk to him, since everyone else was in the other room playing video games. Not to mention the absence of their two shadows, Wonho & Shownu.

"Yeah sure, what is it?"
"Well.." so as to not make it feel awkward, he stood beside him to help- grabbing a cloth & a few dishes that needed washing.
"I was wondering.. & you dont have to answer this if you dont want to! But couldn't help but wonder.."
"Yes, me & Shownu are dating." Kihyun said as-a-matter-of-factly.
"Actually I- huh??" Dropping the bowl he was washing in the sink, it hit the water with a 'plop!', causing the soapy liquid to splash everywhere. Preoccupied with cleaning the counter, Kihyun simply wiped the water off his face with the back of his hand, & continued.
"I'm sure you already knew that though, huh? Hyung says we're pretty obvious about it. We've had this discussion many times, but I was always too nervous to tell any of you."
I.M shook his head. "No, I didn't know.. I mean that's great! But I didn't.. uh.."
Kihyun's cloth stopped swiping against the counter now, as he turned to look at him.
"Was that not what this was about?"
I.M tilted his head nervously, mouthing the word "no".
Kihyun looked puzzled. "Then what?"
"I didn't want to ask you about yours & Shownu's relationship, but rather you & Wonho's..."
"We don't have a relationship. At least, not a romantic one."
"Yeah, but didn't you?"
Kihyun's brows pulled together.
"Who told you?"
"No one. I figured it out yesterday by your interaction with him."
"Right, but how? We weren't even doing anything."
"Well, let's see," I.M got more comfortable, leaning against the counter. "For one-" he started counting on his fingers, pulling together a list he made in his head "-between me, you, & Shownu, you were the only one able to get through to him & relax him a bit. Two, he was flirting with you-"
"He flirts with everyone!"
I.M didn't look amused. "He's playful with everyone. Flirting is a different story. Also I noticed your face was turning red-"
"That was out of frustration-"
I.M ignored him & continued, making his final point. "& you knew about his mood swings. A.K.A, something no one knows about. Except me. & now apparently you." He closed his list, as he watched Kihyun struggle to come up with something to say as a response.
"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. I already know."
"Then why ask? Why bring it up? What was the point?" Kihyun's tone was much more sharper now, & that threw I.M off.
"Yes, we dated. But what's it to you?" The bitterness in Kihyun's voice led him to believe that the relationship didnt end well, so he made sure not to ask him about that aspect of it, for future reference.
"Sorry hyung. I didn't mean to make you upset."
"I'm not upset it's just.. why are you asking this? I feel like there's a piece of information missing that you're just not telling me."
"Well.." I.M tugged at the bottom of his earring nervously. "I'm dating Wonho now.."
Kihyun's expression turned to complete shock. "Really?"
The younger one could only nod, not sure how he would handle this news. To his surprise, Kihyun seemed very welcoming to the idea, patting I.M on the shoulder.
"Congrats, man! I didn't see that one coming. Ah, but now I do see why you asked."
They both smiled at each other, & I.M was just relieved that the conversation didn't go sour.
"Congrats to you & Shownu, too! You two have got that whole 'mom & dad' thing going on. Now how did I not see that coming?"
Kihyun chuckled. "Yeah, it just fit naturally, I suppose. What happened yesterday, by the way? I wasn't gonna ask about it, but since we're near the subject.."
"Oh, that." I.M frowned. "Jooheon said something that really set him off."
"Something like a jab at how self-centered he is?"
"Oh. How did you know?"
"I didn't. Just a lucky guess." The ginger haired boy hopped on the counter, taking a look back at the kitchen to admire his work. "Wonho is.. difficult. He's not the easiest to read, but at the same time, he gives himself away at key moments. He stressed me out so much, to be honest. Being with Shownu is much less tiring. Ah-" he quickly caught himself. "I don't mean to say anything negative about your boyfriend. I'm sorry."
I.M shook his head, reeling a bit at that "boyfriend" term. "You don't have to apologize. I don't mind."
Kihyun nodded. "You're still pretty young. If things don't work out, it's not the end of the world."
"Do you.. do you think they'll work out..?" I mean, why wouldn't they? The things Kihyun was putting in his head were starting to worry him.
"I don't have an answer for that. You're a different person than I am. But hopefully he treats you better." He jumped off the counter, but as soon as he did, he collided with Wonho, who was entering the kitchen at that exact moment.
"Whoa! Watch it, shortie." Wonho laughed a throaty laugh, & Kihyun only glared. He hated being called that. & Wonho knew it, too. Without another word, he left silently. Rolling his eyes, Wonho caught sight of I.M & swiftly lifted his boyfriend onto the counter top, giving him a light kiss on the lips.
"Good morning, sunshine."
"It's afternoon."
Wonho frowned. "Way to ruin the mood. & your deadpan expression doesnt help."
"Well it's early afternoon, so you're not that off." I.M smiled, causing Wonho to bite his lip.
"That smile of yours just makes me want to do so many things to you.." He pulled at I.M's shirt suggestively, & I.M could only blink with astonishment.
"Are you feeling okay?"
"What?" Wonho's frown was back again. "Why?"
"This is one of the first times you've ever given me a compliment."
"You're exaggerating."
"Hyung. I'm not kidding."
Wonho looked sad just then, letting go of his shirt. Noticing one of his mood changes again, he quickly thought of something to make him feel better.
"I don't mind it, hyung! I've gotten used to it."
"Yeah, but you shouldn't have to get used to it. It shouldn't just be you giving out the compliments. I'm sorry. Maybe my head is in too far up my ."
"No no no no no no" I.M's head went from left to right, causing his already messy hair to become even messier. "It's not, I promise! It's just very easy to compliment you because theres not one thing about you that isn't worth complimenting."
"Why is it that you always know the right thing to say? I don't deserve it."
"Aww don't be so emo!" I.M hopped off the counter & wrapped his arms around Wonho's neck. "Hyung, look at me."
He didn't, still looking off into the distance.
"Wonho."
still nothing.
"I want to see those pretty blue eyes of yours."
Wonho's eyes locked on I.M's, but his head was still turned.
"Am I gonna have to fight you for this?"
"I just don't like doing as I'm told."
"I've gathered that. It's another control thing, right?"
Now his head fully turned to face I.M, & I.M smiled again.
"I'm right, right?"
Wonho laughed, & I.M took that as a yes.

"So.. I.M knows.." Kihyun said cautiously, as he was in the bathroom fixing his hair, next to Shownu. Alerted by this new piece of information, Shownu put a halt to his teeth brushing. Kihyun felt a twinge of uneasiness, wondering what the older one would say. Interestingly, he remained hunched over the sink, resuming what he was doing. It's not exactly as if he could talk much with a toothbrush in his mouth, anyway.
"Nod once if you're angry, twice if you're not."
Shownu shrugged.
"That wasn't any of my choices!" he grabbed his hair brush & hit him lightly on the head with it. Spitting once, Shownu grabbed a towel to wipe his mouth, standing all the way up now. Kihyun continued to fix up his hair.
"Why did you tell him without me? I wanted to do it with you. On top of that, I wanted everyone to know at once, not individually. That way they know we're not playing favorites."
"I didn't tell him! Somehow he just knew.."
"Somehow?" the tone in Shownu's voice indicated that he wasn't buying it. "Or did you give yourself away yesterday?"
"Um.." Kihyun smiled sheepishly.
"I already know you still love him. Just let me know in advance if you're thinking about leaving me."
"What?" Kihyun's eyes grew big. "No! Never!" He pressed his fingertips against his hyung's chest.
Shownu leaned against the sink. "So you won't warn me, then?"
"No no no! Listen!" He grabbed for Shownu's hands, & held them in his own. "You really think I'd chose him over you?"
"Well I don't know about that. Isn't that why we're having this conversation?"
Kihyun grumbled. "& even if I wanted to go back to him, I couldn't."
"& why's that? He loves you too, you know." Not sounding surprised in the least bit, Shownu had come to accept this.
"I.M & Wonho are dating."
Now Shownu had something to be surprised about.
"He's dating I.M & he still has time to flirt with you? Amazing.." Shownu released from his grip, making his way out of the bathroom & into their bedroom, with the ginger haired boy quickly following.
"Hyung, stop it, please?"
"Why should I?" He turned around to look at Kihyun, fuming.
Kihyun could only stare. Sure, on the outside Shownu looked intimidating, but once you broke through his exterior & got to know him better, he was the sweetest, cuddliest person in the world, who seldom got mad at anything. & this was one of the few times that Kihyun himself had seen that. He felt awkward whenever he got like this, & it reminded him of his No.Mercy days, where the two weren't exactly the best of friends.
"You need to stop being so jealous over nothing. I stopped him from beating the crap out of Jooheon! Nothing less & nothing more."
"That's not the underlying issue here. Not once have you denied my assumptions about the way you feel about Wonho. So am I right to think that way, or am I wrong?"
Kihyun's palms became sweaty. He was absolutely right. But there was no way in hell he would ever admit it, especially not to his own boyfriend. He quickly tried to think of all the things that annoyed him about Wonho, making it easier to answer him with a firm lie. "No, you're wrong. I don't like Wonho like that anymore. Hyung, please believe me."

The shorter boy moved in closer to his hyung, standing on his tippy toes to give him a kiss on the lips.

"You don't understand. I was only trying to do what's best for our team. If we could get everyone in for some kind of group meeting, that would really help us out a lot. We really need to be focusing our energy on this comeback, not on drama like this. Don't you think so?"
Shownu nodded, his bad mood subsiding.
"So you'll talk to them, then?" Kihyun asked, hopeful.
Shownu sniffed, scratching his neck. "Me?"
Kihyun rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll do it. Some leader you are." He pushed Shownu playfully, not even making his hyung move an inch. You would have thought that smoke was coming out of his ears, as Kihyun pushed him even harder, trying to get his body to move.
'Cute,' Shownu thought, as he watched his boyfriend make tiny shoves against his back with his shoulders. Shownu broke into his gap toothed smile now, his eyes completely disappearing.
"I hate being the smaller one," Kihyun huffed, letting out tiny gasps of air.
He looked up at Shownu & noticed that he found all of this amusing. Out of spite, he gave him one last shove.

"Okay, so." Kihyun clasped his hands together, standing in front of all the members in the practice room. "Before we get started, I'd like to do a little group meeting."
"If this is about me eating the last slice of pizza, then I'm sorry. But I got hungry!"
Everyone turned to look at Hyungwon now. Minhyuk shook his head.
"I bet you fifty won that this is not what this is about."
"Then you owe him fifty won." Kihyun jutted his head in the direction of Hyungwon. "This is not what this is about."
Minhyuk held out a hand for his won, as the taller boy merely slapped it.
"I just wanted to point out that we are a team-" he really put the emphasis on the word 'team' "-& that any issues we have that are going on right now need to be left behind once we enter this room, or the recording room. That's it."
I.M & Wonho faced each other with uneasy looks. They turned away instantly when they heard the sound of Shownu's fake cough. Kihyun looked at him disconcertingly.
"You got somethin to add?" the shorter boy wasn't in the mood for any of his interruptions.
"No, but you do."
Kihyun paused, staring at him with his mouth agape.
"I thought I made it clear that I was not willing to bring up any more drama. I'm not saying anything else."
Shownu put his hands up as if to say "fine" & left it alone.
"I've got something to say." Everyone turned their heads to Wonho, as he raised his hand & stood up.
'What could this be about?' I.M thought to himself, watching the blonde take a step next to Kihyun. 'An apology towards Jooheon, maybe..?'
Wonho opened his mouth to speak, & then closed it, trying to think of how to word it carefully. He did it again, & then again 2 more times. Kihyun gave him a confused stare.
"Oh would you come on!" Minhyuk wailed, slapping his hands against the wooden floor.
Wonho gave him a look. "I got it, alright? Here's the thing: I.M & I are together now. Furthermore, what happened yesterday won't happen again, I promise. I'm not here to worry you all, but instead to simply be a trustworthy member of Monsta X." he took a small bow, & took his spot next to I.M.
"Why so formal?" Kihyun wondered, tilting his head slightly & aligning it back in place almost at the very same moment.
"I don't know. Let's just practice now."
"Wait wait wait!" Minhyuk waved his hands in the air, as if he was signaling for a time-out. "Is this for real? & why am I the only one who seems to be surprised about this?"
"Because it's you." Jooheon said.
"Wait so what does this mean?" the white haired boy still had so many questions, locking eyes with all the other members, trying to make sense of it all.
"It's not that hard to process. We just ignore them & continue to work on preparing for our comeback." Jooheon leaned his head back a little, impatiently waiting to start.
"Ignore them-?"
"He's right," Kihyun cut Minhyuk off. "We've got our teaser photoshoot soon, our mv shoot, & then after that a music show performance almost every day. Not to mention recording one last song for the album. We really have to stay focused. So when he says 'ignore them', he doesn't mean their entire existence, but just the fact that they are a couple. Nothing can get in the way of this. Agreed?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Congrats man," Hyungwon smiled, lightly punching I.M on the shoulder, & I.M smiled back.
Everyone then stood up & got settled into their positions of the dance. Wonho scooted beside Jooheon, leaning close into his ear & putting a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sure everyone can stay focused if certain people stop sticking their noses where they don't belong, right?" he said in a low, but calm tone. Despite the edge in his voice, he was grinning ear to ear. Jooheon payed him no mind, staring straight ahead & waiting for the music to start.
"Hyung, get back in your spot!" Kihyun called, almost pressing start on the CD player, but stopping himself when he noticed they weren't all ready.
Without another word, Wonho slipped back into position.