Title: Howon the Beautiful

Pairing: Hoya/Sungjong

Author : jjaestar17

Summary: Contrary to popular belief, Howon does not make an evil ahjumma of a woman. INFINITE learns this the hard way.

 

 

 

Lee Howon wakes up in the middle of the night and immediately feels off; his tank top is tighter than he remembers and his head feels oddly heavy- although his ears feel quite warmed. He shakes his head and feels something ticking his back and frowns. He feels weird.

 

 

 

He stumbles through the dark, feeling off-balance in his own body, and goes to the bathroom in hopes that washing his face will make him feel better.

 

 

 

He blinks once. Then twice. He rubs at his eyes and slaps at his face.

 

 

 

And his conclusion is that he must still be sleeping.

 

 

 

Because what he sees in the mirror is definitely not him- because what he sees is some girl with long hair, a softer jawline, narrow shoulders, peeking collarbones, and very familiar facial features.

 

 

 

But nope. That can’t be him.

 

 

 

Howon slaps himself in the face.

 

 

 

Nope, that’s definitely him.

 

 

 

And then he punches the mirror.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

The mirror smashing into bits stirs almost everyone in the dorm.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

One by one, each member ends up stumbling into the bathroom- and in hindsight, Howon figures that breaking the mirror probably wasn’t a good idea.

 

 

 

Especially since the first thing each other INFINITE members see is what looks like a crime scene.

 

 

 

Because what the members first see is an enraged looking woman with a bloody fist- which, honestly, seems a lot worse than it actually is.

 

 

 

"I’m calling the cops," is Sunggyu’s immediate response. There is danger in the dorm, and as leader, he is going to get rid of it before it tries to eat s.

 

 

 

Woohyun holds up his hands in a placating fashion, but all he manages to say is, “Please don’t kill us.” They’ve dealt with sasaeng fans, yeah. Plenty of times. But no one has actually gotten into the dorm before. So his first thought is to secure their lives. “Please?”

 

 

Sungyeol is holding a bat, off to the side, and Myungsoo is blearily holding his bamboo pillow in front of Sungjong as a way of maknae-line defense.

 

 

 

Dongwoo is just barely making his way to the bathroom.

 

 

 

And Sungjong just frowns, trying to move the bamboo pillow out of the way so that he can actually see.

 

 

 

There’s something familiar about the way this person is standing, how their mouth is pursed in a grimace- and even their clothes, because Sungjong is sure that he has seen that exact tank top and short combo worn by- “Howon hyung?” Sungjong will deny it later, but he definitely squeaks.

 

 

 

"Well, someone gets it,” Howon sasses.

 

 

 

It’s definitely Howon, alright.

 

 

 

Myungsoo drops the pillow.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

There is an immediate, emergency band meeting in the living room. Woohyun and Sungyeol go into the kitchen to make coffee- because everyone needs the caffeine.

 

 

 

(“Hyung, Howon hyung has s. s. And if he has s and is a girl then that means he has a-”

 

 

 

“Shut up and make the coffee, Sungyeol.”)

 

 

 

Sunggyu looks like he is going to have an aneurysm. “What happened to you?”

 

 

 

Howon has no answer, so he keeps his mouth shut, lips pursed and displeasure rolling out in waves.

 

 

 

They enter an awkward, distressed silence as everyone takes their time to look at Lee Howon. The confusion is definitely palpable.

 

 

 

For the most part, they’re all standing; only Sungjong is sitting on the floor, looking up at Howon.

 

 

 

Howon has, for the most part, kept his height, even in newfound woman form. He (she?) has only lost two inches, making for a very tall woman. If Howon wasn’t in a state of emotional distress, he would laugh at the fact that even though he has lost height and transformed into a woman, he’s still taller than Dongwoo- and at Woohyun’s height. He makes a mental note to make fun of them later when he is no longer emotionally compromised and has his man parts back.

 

 

 

Sungjong, from his seat on the ground, notices that Howon has long, toned legs.

 

 

 

Legs. Legs, legs, legs.

 

 

 

Howon is all lean muscle and toned everything, which, as a man, makes him look very intimidating.

 

 

 

And Howon is still all lean muscle and toned everything, but now slimmer and more slight- and with curves.

 

 

 

Yes, curves. Definitely, curves.

 

 

 

"You’re supposed to be ugly," Sunggyu deadpans. On the plus side, he’s not laughing. On the negative side-

 

 

 

Woohyun walks into the living room and immediately protests Sunggyu’s statement. “You can’t say that to a lady, hyung!” Howon hates Woohyun sometimes.

 

 

 

Howon isn’t very successful in holding back a growl. “I’m not a lady!”

 

 

 

"You are very much a lady," Sungyeol quips, making obscene gestures towards Howon’s chest. Howon hates Sungyeol all the time.

 

 

 

But Howon feels a little better when Woohyun slaps Sungyeol up the face and Sungjong trips him when he walks by. Howon sniffs. “I hate all of you.” Except Woohyun and Sungjong.

 

 

 

"It was a compliment!" Sungyeol feels the need to defend himself. "Rejoice! You’re hot!"

 

 

 

“Thanks,” he deadpans. “That makes me feel so much better.”

 

 

 

Sungyeol takes his own turn to sniff. “You’re welcome.”

 

 

 

Sungjong rolls his eyes at the scene, but he turns out to be the voice of reason. “We have to find a way to find out what happened and fix this.”

 

 

 

"I can only depend on Sungjong," Howon frowns, turning his (her? Sungjong is still confused) head towards the maknae.

 

 

 

The statement makes Sungjong feel all different variations of tingly, and he can’t say he completely hates the feeling. It’s not a feeling that he’s new to- in fact, he feels rather tingly around Howon all the time. Regardless of whether Howon is a man or a woman, it seems.

 

 

 

Well. This is a problem.

 

 

 

Sungjong shifts awkwardly on his feet, looking anywhere but Howon. “FIrst order of business,” Sungjong notes, tone flat. It’s getting hard to look at Howon. Especially since his hyung is shifting towards him, intent on sitting next to the maknae. ”You need a bra. And passable clothes.”

 

 

 

"I like hyung bra-less!" Sungyeol protests. There is a toothy grin on his face, one that makes it clear that Sungyeol is merely joking and diffusing the tense situation.

 

 

 

But Howon isn’t particularly in the mood for jokes.

 

 

 

Dongwoo has to hold Howon back- because, really, everyone saw that lunge coming.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

Woohyun walks in with a bag and announces, “I carry imprisonment and proper lady attire.” Howon hates Woohyun again.

 

 

 

“Where did you even-?” Sungjong is cut off, with Woohyun ruffling his hair.

 

 

 

“Hyung has his ways.” (That involve a certain Kim Kibum of SHINee.)

 

 

 

Sungjong honestly doesn’t want to know.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

Howon struggles with the bra for longer than he will ever admit to.

 

 

 

Sungjong ends up helping Howon with closed eyes and lots of embarrassment.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

Sunggyu goes to lie to management about how sick and dying Howon is and tries to make the headache go away.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

Myungsoo, Dongwoo, and Sungyeol form an analysis team.

 

 

 

“I’m still wondering why he’s not an ahjumma,” Sungyeol opens the analytical discussion in all seriousness. “He’s not supposed to be hot.”

 

 

 

“Very hot,” Dongwoo agrees.

 

 

 

Sungjong walks in and immediately frowns at what he’s hearing, still pink in the cheeks from trying to help Howon. “Great discussion, guys.”

 

 

 

“Thanks, maknae,” Dongwoo grins. He looks to be all carefree nonchalance, but Sungjong can tell in the tenseness in his shoulders and his tired smile that he is genuinely worried about the situation.

 

 

 

So Sungjong does nothing but roll his eyes and huff. Count on his Dongwoo hyung to still try to smile. Howon takes this time to awkwardly shuffle out in the clothes that Woohyun managed to suspiciously acquire.

 

 

 

Form fitting shorts and an even more form fitting v-neck t-shirt. Sungjong doesn’t know whether to destroy Woohyun or worship him.

 

 

 

“So you guys find out why I’m a woman yet?”

 

 

 

“No, but on top of not understanding why you’ve turned into a woman, we also don’t understand your hotness.” Myungsoo is sincerely serious as he elaborates to Howon.

 

 

 

Howon half wishes that he didn’t aim to miss when the couch pillow sails past Myungsoo’s head.

 

 

 

Myungsoo is completely unfazed, like he hadn’t even seen the pillow. “Hey, remember that story where someone turned into a beast by some curse? Maybe Howon hyung pissed off some witch then the witch turned hyung into a lady as revenge. What was it called again?”

 

 

 

“Beauty and the Beast?” Sungjong deadpans.

 

 

 

“That’s it!”

 

 

 

Howon is starting to look rather livid, while Sungyeol is convinced that Myungsoo has found something there.

 

“How was the Beast turned back?” Sungyeol asks, excited.

 

 

 

Only Dongwoo seems to remember the answer. With a toothy grin, he provides an answer of, “The power of true love.”

 

 

 

Sungjong fidgets awkwardly, as does Howon.

 

 

 

There is a moment of silence before Sungyeol declares, “We don’t have time for that.” Well, so much for that. “How else are things fixed in fairy tales?” Because they must be dealing with fairytale magic here. There is no other reasonable explanation.

 

 

 

Dongwoo brightens considerably when he has a legitimate contribution to the topic. “Oh, what about The Princess and the Frog? Except instead of turning into a frog, Howon turned into a woman?”

 

 

 

In any case, they have no better theories. And yet, Sungjong can’t help but wonder how things came to this. “But why would anyone turn Howon into a woman?”

 

 

 

Sungyeol seems to know the answer. “Because he’s been saying that he’s the real man of INFINITE for too long!”

 

 

 

“So someone cursed Howon for being too manly?” Dongwoo, bless his soul, is making sure that everyone is on the same page.

 

 

 

"Hey, being a woman isn’t a curse! Women are beautiful," Woohyun quips, passing them on the way to make sure Sunggyu hasn’t died by increased blood levels via stress.

 

 

 

“Shut up, you’re not in this.” Sungyeol swats at Woohyun half-heartedly before getting back to business with a frown. (Sungjong takes a quick look at Sungyeol, then to Woohyun, and then goes back to Sungyeol- and something clicks.)

 

 

 

“Oh,” he simply mumbles. Sungjong is completely ignored.

 

 

 

"Do you remember that fairy tale and how they broke the curse?"

 

 

 

Woohyun passes by again to get more aspirin from the kitchen. Sunggyu is in dire need. “A kiss.” Sungyeol hits him whole-heartedly this time around.

 

 

 

Myungsoo looks at Howon blankly. “So, what? Someone needs to give him a kiss?”

 

 

 

"Someone needs to kiss me?" Howon grimaces and his mouth twists in disgust. "But I hate all of you." Okay, he doesn’t hate them- they’re like family to him. But being kissed by a fellow member would legitimately feel like being kissed by a brother and- and Howon is not okay with that.

 

 

 

Sungjong, once again, acts as the voice of reason. “I don’t think Howon hyung would be okay with that,”

 

 

 

Oh wait. There’s one member he doesn’t hate (and rather likes a lot, in not a very brotherly fashion, actually).

 

 

 

Howon raises his arm, suddenly shouting, “I volunteer maknae!” Sungjong only blinks in surprise and feels those tingly feelings that he always associates with Howon.

 

 

 

There’s a chorus of disagreement all around, with Myungsoo screaming a particularly adamant, “No.”

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

INFINITE proceeds to bicker for the next ten minutes over the pros and cons of Howon’s choice.

 

 

 

On the pro side, Howon is willing to give it a try. And they really have nothing better to go on.

 

 

 

On the con side, it is with Sungjong- their cute, lovable, forever fresh maknae.

 

 

 

They can’t decide whether to risk Sungjong’s innocence in hopes that it works or decide that Sungjong’s innocence prevails all and that Howon could just wait it out. Sungjong makes a vague comment of being twenty years old and not all that innocent, but he is promptly ignored. Maknae is maknae.

 

 

 

There is talk of other members being the figurative sacrificial lamb, but Howon is adamant about it being Sungjong.

 

 

 

Sunggyu ends up begrudgingly coming out of his room to silence them all. They, to his defense, were making his headache worse.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

So in the end, Howon gives an ultimatum.

 

 

 

It’s either Sungjong or no one else.

 

 

 

Sungjong only blushes a little when he hears that.

 

 

 

"You can stay a woman forever," Myungsoo declares with a childish pout.

 

 

 

"We really can’t have him stay a woman forever," Dongwoo argues.

 

 

 

Even Sunggyu has his own doubts about the “plan” they’ve come up with. ”But- a kiss? That’s so stupid.”

 

 

 

Sungyeol just shrugs, crossing his arms. “We have no other choice.” Howon looks rather smug at this point.

 

 

 

Sungjong raises his hand in the air to ask, “Does the maknae get a choice?”

 

 

 

Dongwoo, quite honestly, asks, “When does the maknae ever have a choice?”

 

 

 

"Fair point," Sungjong muses. But, kissing Howon? Sungjong can’t say he quite minds.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

Sungyeol comes to a horrible conclusion. “You’re like a princess, needing a kiss from her prince charming!” Howon really does hate Sungyeol.

 

 

 

Woohyun backs up Sungyeol’s conclusion. “As a princess, you need a princess title.”

 

 

 

Howon will destroy all of them in their sleep.

 

 

 

Sunggyu, for the first time since Howon had been found a woman, contributes to INFINITE’s stupidity. “Howon the beautiful?”

 

 

 

Sungjong only hums thoughtfully. “I like the sound of that.” Because it’s not like Sungjong disagrees.

 

 

 

Howon had been ready to snarkily voice his opinion on the whole princess thing, but, well, if Sungjong likes it- Howon does a rather magnificent hair flip on the spot.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

“Okay, lets see if this works,” Sungyeol announces, seating Sungjong right in front of Howon. “Lay one on him!”

 

 

 

Sungjong rolls his eyes and huffs, cheeks just barely splayed with pink. “Yeah, yeah, I got it.” Those tingly feelings are attacking him full force and Sungjong squirms a little in place.

 

 

 

Howon is grinning, but no one says a word. Howon finds the first perk to waking up a woman in the middle of the night. Sungjong is cute all the time, but especially cute while blushing and flustered. Howon is lost in his thoughts about how Sungjong looks really good up close, and thus, almost misses when Sungjong starts.

 

 

 

Sungjong leans over, lifts Howon’s chin up and- and why does Sungjong look like he has experience doing this?

 

 

 

That is not okay. Sungjong should not have experience, where he did get this experience, why does Sungjong-

 

 

 

Howon feels a soft pressure against his lips, and the kiss is a little moist, super gentle, and something Howon could seriously get used to.

 

 

 

This. This is more than okay.

 

 

 

Getting to kiss Sungjong makes it worth it even if he has to be a woman while doing it and-

 

 

 

A magical poof occurs, smokescreen and all, and Howon is back to his own body.

 

 

 

God damn it, it worked.

 

 

 

“What the .” Sunggyu goes to get something stronger for his headache.

 

 

 

Howon lets out an amused chuckle. “You have got to be ing kidding me.”

 

 

 

“Sungjong is your prince charming,” someone deadpans. It’s probably Myungsoo. Myungsoo could it.

 

 

 

It takes Howon three seconds to readjust to his back-to-man body before he’s leaning into Sungjong again. “Wait, let me get another kiss- just to, you know, make sure I don’t turn into a woman again.”