Prompt by Mongji10

”Ferocious solo rapper Bobby has a huge crush on idol leader Hanbin.”

——— 

Sometimes Bobby thought he was a little pathetic. He was supposed to be the tough winner of Show Me The Money 3, rough voice and ripped body and, most of all, not the biggest softy for an idol leader.

Of all the people he could’ve crushed on at first sight, the leader of iKON really took the cake. Yeah, he was famous for being a hard- in the practice room and charismatic on stage, but he was still an idol, soft and vulnerable in way he was allowed to be and Bobby wasn’t. 

He had to admit though, he definitely had great taste. Hanbin was beautiful, with his Roman nose, soft cheeks, endlessly dark eyes, and those plush as  lips. It was almost enough to send Bobby into cardiac arrest when Hanbin would giggle and cover his face with a sweater paw. 

He sighed, slumping down in the van as he was being driven to an award show. No matter what he did, Bobby just couldn’t get Hanbin out of his mind. And now he was on his way to a show Hanbin was also at. 

And guess where he was sitting. Guess. 

Yup – right next to Hanbin and his group, iKON. Great. Fantastic. This was fine, really. Bobby wasn’t internally screaming, who could ever think that? 

He was calm, collected, and – definitely panicking. 

Bobby took in deep breaths as his manager stopped the van and turned to look at him, expression mildly concerned. “You good?” He asked his charge and Bobby nodded lightly, giving his friend a strained smile. 

“Amazing,” Bobby forced out and his manager looked unconvinced even as he unlocked the car and Bobby climbed out, schooling his face into indifference as cameras started flashing in his face, reporters talking over each other to ask him questions. 

He was escorted into the venue by bodyguards when the reporters got a little too excited, eager to get even a sentence from one of the most popular, yet surprisingly elusive, rappers in the industry. 

Bobby did his customary bows towards the people already in the spacious room as he made his way to his seat and he almost missed a step when he saw iKON there already, Hanbin sitting a seat away from Bobby. 

He didn’t know whether to curse the directors for not putting them side-by-side or praise them. He didn’t think his heart could handle being so close to Hanbin, but not touching him. 

Bobby took a deep breath and gave a slight smile to iKON, bowing when they did too. He slipped past the group and avoided eye contact with Hanbin, feeling his cheeks flush a light pink at the curious gaze the idol leader aimed at him. 

He sat down and looked around awkwardly, wishing his rapper friends could’ve come and cursing the fact that Zico had another event and Mino was busy producing WINNER’s new songs. 

The blast of music knocked him out of his thoughts and he straightened up as the MCs for the award show started their ment. 

The bright lights and sounds distracted him enough from the presence of Hanbin and he internally thanked the Lord for that.

-

Bobby couldn’t resist. Five songs in from different groups and his eyes kept drifting towards Hanbin, unable to stop himself since Hanbin was so close. 

He could get a better view of Hanbin’s cute features and that smile whenever he enjoyed a particular song if his other member, Donghyuk, would lean back a little. 

He made a small sound of frustration as Donghyuk shifted again and obscured his view of Hanbin before he decided to take matters into his own hands and casually lean forward with his elbows on his thighs. 

That’s better, Bobby thought when the position gave him the perfect spot to subtly stare like a schoolboy with a crush. 

Hanbin was ridiculously pretty. Or maybe that was Bobby looking at him through rose-colored lenses, but it didn’t matter. Hanbin was pretty and Bobby was close to losing it. He didn’t know if his heart could handle anymore of this. 

A hand tapped his arm and he jumped slightly, turning to the side to see a director crouching next to him. “You’re on in three songs,” the guy said and Bobby nodded before getting up and moving backstage as quietly as he could, missing the looks iKON sent their leader as he stared at Bobby’s back.

-

The adrenaline after a particularly good stage was always amazing, Bobby thought hazily when he collapsed back in his seat, sweat lightly covering his skin as he hummed happily.

A manic gleam was still in his eyes after the fast-paced and thrilling diss track he rapped, spitting bars and sending a vicious grin aimed at all his haters.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the same director tap Hanbin’s shoulder and the group got up to leave, getting ready to perform the last stage before the award show ended for him. 

Bobby never stayed for the actual awards, he was already three years into this game and ten years wiser with how these big productions chose winners and he was most definitely not in the drawing pick for that. 

The starting beat for ‘Dumb & Dumber’ broke through his cynical spiral of thoughts and he settled down to enjoy his favorite group – not that anyone but his closest friends knew, of course.

-

He left before iKON could come back to their seats, weaving past the bowing idols and sneaking through the exit where his manager was waiting for him at the van. “You ready to go?” He asked Bobby and the rapper nodded, feeling drained from having to act carefully in front of idols and their thousands of fans. 

“Definitely,” he replied through a yawn, stretching his arms up and bending back, groaning at the cracks his back made in response.

His manager winced in sympathy and opened the van. “Let’s get you home,” he suggested and Bobby gladly fell into the soft leather chairs, falling fast asleep as soon as the door closed and the car dimmed.

-

A gentle hand shaking him woke him up and he vaguely remembered stumbling up the stairs to his apartment before curling up into bed and falling into a deep sleep. 

He groaned, feeling gross after not showering, changing clothes, or brushing his teeth last night. “What time is it?” He mumbled without opening his eyes. 

“Almost five in the afternoon,” his best friend Mino’s voice answered him and he grinned sleepily. 

“No wonder I feel so good,” his voice was gravely and he winced at the dryness of his throat. 

“Go clean up,” Mino sounded fondly exasperated and hands pulled his body up, “I have fun news to tell you.”

Bobby grumbled, but obediently ambled into the bathroom to wash off yesterday’s lingering touch. He sighed in happiness as the hot water hit his body. 

After he was more alert, he called out to his older friend, “What’d you have to tell me?” Mino laughed, sounding delighted. 

“This is something I want you to see in person. I even bought take-out.” Bobby huffed, but accepted that Mino wanted to see his reaction, so it would probably be embarrassing for Bobby. Great.

- 

He walked into the living room wearing low-slung sweatpants and drying his hair with a towel. Mino was waiting impatiently with the food set up and his phone in his hand like it was a weapon. 

Bobby sat down next to him on the couch and looked wary. “So, what’d you want to show me?”

Mino smiled and pushed his phone screen up towards the younger. Bobby plucked it out of his hands and looked down before blanching. 

“Please tell me I’m hallucinating,” Bobby requested in a small voice and Mino started wheezing. 

“N-nope!” He choked out, “That’s really an article about how many times you were caught staring at Kim Hanbin last night!” Bobby whimpered and buried his face into his hands. 

“End me now,” he pleaded desperately and his best friend, that , just kept laughing until tears streamed down his face. 

“T-they think you don’t like Hanbin and that’s why you were staring! Little do they know, it’s because you have a huge, gay crush on him!” Mino started howling and slapping his thighs, tossing himself back on the couch to roll around. 

Bobby flushed and stared at Mino sulkily until he stopped laughing. The older rapper grinned and cooed at him, “Hanbin saw this article too and he looked so sad to think that his favorite rapper didn’t like him.”

“F-favorite rapper?” Bobby sputtered out in delight and Mino’s eyes sparkled as he nodded. 

“He’s still moping in the studio,” Mino chirped brightly and Bobby cursed himself for forgetting Mino was close to iKON, close enough to call them little brothers. And especially close to their leader-slash-Bobby’s-crush.

He hesitated, fidgeting shyly until Mino sighed in exasperation, “Yes, I will bring you to the studio so you can woo your lover-boy.”

“Please never say that again,” Bobby deadpanned in lieu of thanks. 

“Don’t worry, I know I’m still your favorite hyung, no matter what Seungyoon likes to claim,” Mino sniffed as he got up and stored away the food before leading Bobby to his car and driving to the studio where all YG artists spent most of their lives. 

They were outside Hanbin’s studio door and Bobby shifted around nervously as Mino knocked loudly. A small bang was heard in the room and footsteps stumbled towards them. 

Hanbin opened the door, looking ready to scold Mino when he spotted Bobby and went completely red, falling silent with a quiet squeak. 

“I brought a present!” Mino said, shoving Bobby and Hanbin into the room and slamming the door shut before running away. 

The duo stood in an awkward silence, Bobby rubbing the back of his neck nervously while Hanbin looked at the ground. 

“Why’d you come here…?” Hanbin’s timid voice made Bobby look at him and the older rapper nearly melted into the floor at how shyly cute Hanbin was. 

“Oh! Um, Mino-hyung told me you saw that article of me staring… at you,” Bobby trailed off embarrassedly, realizing how creepy that sounded. 

He cleared his throat, “He told me you were moping so I came to clear up any misunderstandings.” Hanbin pursed his lips together and looked ready to hunt Mino down before he registered the rest of Bobby’s sentence.

“Clear up what?” He asked in curiosity, fascinated by the resulting flush. 

Bobby gulped and decided the best way was the unthinking way. He blurted out, “I wasn’t staring at you because I didn’t like you… I was staring because I probably like you a little too much.”

Hanbin stared at him in wide-eyed surprise and the older rapper felt nerves crawling around his stomach, feet shifting back and forth as he waiting for Hanbin’s reply. 

“Oh,” the younger uttered before smiling sweetly. “I like you too,” he confessed, “that’s why I was sad.”

Bobby’s heart rate shot up and he held back a huge grin. “Then,” he mustered up the courage to ask, “would you like to go on a date with me?”

The smile he got back was blinding. “Of course.”