a/n prompt posted at the end to not spoil the fun :3

It had been happening for a long time now. Jinki had noticed something change, something different between the two youngest of their band and at first he had brushed it off thinking that it was probably nothing and just him looking too deep into it… but for almost a year now… he had not been able to shake it off. This feeling that maybe, maybe, there was something more between the two, a spark of some sorts.

Everyone else was oblivious to it, and Jinki wondered how no one noticed when Taemin snuggled closer into Minho, how he fell asleep against him by the end of the movie all of them were watching; how no one noticed when Minho would let him clear all the little distance away by snuggling so close, how he would shift gently when he noticed Taemin to have fallen asleep, so that Taemin could rest comfortably against him.

How could no one ever notice? The thought fluttered in Jinki’s mind because Taemin would never get this comfortable with anyone else, nor Minho would tolerate such a lack of distance with anyone else, at least not for long before politely brushing off anyone who got clingy with him. But he never refused Taemin.

It’s kinda cute. The thought often casually sprung up in Jinki’s mind as he watched them whisper to each other so animatedly, so intimately as they made their protein shakes late in the morning. Taemin’s soft, careless offbeat chuckling and Minho’s dorky grin– this kind of cheer was rare in their demeanor. This was their most relaxed, most happy state he had seen and it was mostly when they were around each other.

Woah. Jinki couldn’t help but notice at how Taemin’s eyes darted to Minho the very first when he entered the room, how fond they grew when he looked at him, how he just stood and stared while Minho was going about his usual chores or just yawning while he rolled on the sofa with his phone, completely oblivious to it. Yet… quite not, because it was with the same fondness Minho glanced at Taemin whenever he would fall asleep against him or would be struggling to get into his jacket and boots before leaving for his schedule in the early morning. He would rush to his rescue the next moment though and guide his arm into the sleeves and let Taemin hold onto his shoulders as support as he stuffed his feet into his shoes properly. And Taemin would bid him goodbye so softly, wearing a smile that Jinki knew wasn’t just of gratitude. Jinki would almost wait with bated breath, expecting the next moment, the next gesture. But Taemin would just leave awkwardly, a bit reluctantly and Jinki felt like something was missing. Like there was something that was not happening.

And it took a few more instances such as this for him to realize what it was.

They never crossed boundaries.

They liked each other, but neither of them was aware of it.

Jinki realized that perhaps this had been going on for long– them hesitating, controlling themselves, suppressing their feelings because they both thought that the possibility of the other requiting such feelings was null. It would be such a waste, it would be such a tragedy if this went on until they both gave up and moved on, leaving nothing but a bittersweet feeling instead of that wonderful feeling that was in full bloom in their hearts. The way they would look at each other wouldn’t be so fond but sad and regretful, they would grow further apart, being unable to even handle being just friends with how much hurt that would have accumulated over time, weighing them down.

And Jinki wanted nothing of that to happen. He didn’t know what it was, maybe the contract, maybe the pressure of their fame, or maybe their own insecurities, but nothing was worth letting this spark between them just die down. So he took it upon himself to make that something that was not happening, happen. He knew, in the end, it was their choice to either let it flare or extinguish, but it was at least right for them to know… that it was mutual.

“Why me?” Jonghyun asked in a sing-song tone as he searched for the pralines in the ice cream tub.

“If I rope in Kibum for this, he will take control of the situation,” Jinki answered, “Not that I mind it, but he wouldn’t be subtle about what we are trying to do.”

Jonghyun snickered, “You’re right. He would just gather those two and tell them to date already. But…” He looked at Jinki, smirking, “It would certainly get the job done.”

“They deserve to have that moment, you know, of them finding out themselves and confessing to each other.”

Jonghyun hummed, “Okay, I’m in.”

Jinki smiled brightly before his eyes landed on all holes Jonghyun had dug into the ice cream, “Hey… don’t eat all the pralines!”

“Quickly grab a spoon then,” Jonghyun chuckled evilly, digging another hole, “Before they are all gone.”

Jonghyun lowered his nose mask just slightly to glance over at all the stuff Jinki was throwing into the shopping cart. He had been too distracted by the scented candles Jinki had first put in, sniffing at them and relishing their scent, to have noticed the possible disaster that was unfolding before him. The cart– that had barely had a few things was now overflowing. He freed a pack of string lights from the humongous bunch of ornaments before he was distracted by the tinsel Jinki had just thrown in, adding to the ridiculous amount of stuff that had already filled the cart to the brim. Next, he saw him throwing in little cute figurines, some random stuff that was probably gonna be the gifts, a wreath, three more different kinds of string lights, a dozen bows and bells. They did try to do the best for Christmas… but Jinki was kinda overdoing it with how literally everything he touched was now in the cart.

“Um,” He finally spoke up on seeing Jinki try to find space to stuff in some wrapping paper and ribbons for presents, “You should probably stop.”

“But I’m yet to get the most important thing,” Jinki replied, pouting a little.

“And that is?”

Jinki’s pout turned into a smirk the moment Jonghyun had asked… and instead of answering, he just turned and grabbed that “important thing” and placed it carefully on the pile of his shopping, making Jonghyun smile knowingly as he pieced everything together, “Oh.”

“All done now. Let’s checkout.” Jinki dusted his hands.