Chapter 27

It took a while for Chunji to figure out what he was being thanked for. It wasn’t until in the middle on Miss Right as he was rolling on the floor that it hit him actually, when his mind should have been focused on the performance at hand.

“Thank you,” C.A.P had said. “For not choosing sides.”

The performance ended and they all went back stage and changed. Chunji chatted amicably with L.Joe as they got ready to leave though he couldn’t keep from tracking C.A.P’ movements in the corner of his eye. He noticed C.A.P as approached Niel, placing his hand at the small of the other’s back. Niel smiled shyly at the leader and nodded.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok.”

Those were the words he read from their lips.

Chunji turned away from them then, content to know another argument probably wouldn’t come out before they left Malaysia and was surprised to meet L.Joe’s glaring face beside him.

“What’s wrong with you?” Chunji asked, shouldering his bag.

L.Joe gestured with his head at the resident couple of the band and Chunji looked over again in time to see a blushing Niel kissing C.A.P’s cheek.

“Looks like they made up to me,” Chunji shrugged.

L.Joe scoffed.

“Chanhee stop pretending. You know as well as I do they didn’t really make up. How could they make up just like that? ‘oo, I’m sorry’ and a kiss on the cheek. That’s what I call pretending and that’s why they’re the way they are because they won’t ing properly talk,” L.Joe said, angrily shouldering his own bag and stomping away.

Chunji sighed, knowing why L.Joe was frustrated but not wanting to get into it there. He followed his friend out the room with his own bag.

“Byunghun, wait!” he called.

L.Joe didn’t stop to wait for him but Chunji easily caught up. L.Joe reached up, slinging his arm around Chunji’s shoulders. It was comfortable and Chunji leaned closer to his friend before they were stopped by their manager.

“Where are you two going?”

“We were looking for you. We’re ready to go,” L.Joe replied.

“You can wait in the van,” manager said handing Chunji the keys. “We’ll be there soon too.”

Chunji accepted the keys and dragged L.Joe along to the parking lot behind the venue. They would be going straight to the airport from there.

“Anyway, you know what I mean, right?” L.Joe said as they entered the vehicle and got situated in the back.

“Yeah I know,” Chunji sighed.

“The fights never get resolved and they just pretend everything’s ok. It’s so stupid. When they just pretend like everything is fine and apologize when the issue was never resolved again you just get repeats of the same thing over and over,” ranted L.Joe. “They should break up. Or take a break, whichever. Because they can’t talk to each other, or rather won’t talk to each other. I don’t know what they do when they’re along together, but I have an idea and it’s definitely not talking.”

“You’re closer to Daniel than I am. If you really want to help maybe you should talk to him then. I’ve talked to Minsoo. He thinks that Daniel doesn’t love him. He thinks it’s one-sided,” Chunji informed.

L.Joe scoffed, “Really? He said that? As if he’s the one with the one-sided love in this.”

“You don’t believe him?” Chunji shifted more towards L.Joe, curious as to what the other would say.

“Not at all. He doesn’t love him.”

“You can’t say that for sure.”

“If that’s love I don’t think I want to have it,” L.Joe said. “But hey. I’m not one to judge people on just that. I don’t want to shallowly date someone just to have a reliable person to as needed but who am I to judge if that’s how Minsoo is.”

Chunji shook his head a slight smirk on his face, “You’re really mad that Daniel is still with him.”

“Of course I am. He’s my friend.”

“Minsoo’s our friend too,” Chunji reasoned.

“Well, right now with the way he’s playing with Daniel he’s not so high up on my list.”

Chunji hummed, nodded a bit in thought before saying, “So I guess it’s over, huh? This neutrality that you and I agreed on. You finally chose a side. We said we wouldn’t try to jump to conclusions about them and only act if there was any definite reason.”

“I feel like there’s reason,” L.Joe replied.

“Ok,” Chunji said. “But you do realize this all runs both ways. You think Minsoo doesn’t love Daniel but like I told you, Minsoo thinks Daniel doesn’t love him. He said that. Really, he did. And I think he feels like he’s the only one who wants the relationship to work, even among us as the group.”

“It’s his own damn fault,” L.Joe was unsympathetic.

Chunji shook his head, “You’re still choosing sides, huh?”

“Yes.”

“Fine.”

L.Joe rolled his eyes, “You mean you won’t.”

“No. I think rather than trying to make things worse by making Minsoo feel ganged up on we should try to help them resolve their problem. Like you said, they’re not talking. They just put their head in the sand and hope it goes away,” reasoned Chunji.

“So what do you suggest we do?” L.Joe asked. “It’s not like we can just lock them in a room together until they talk it out or break up or whatever happens. We have a responsibility to Daniel. You know that. Because of his past he’s fragile, right? Someone that’s supposed to love him, isn’t that the last person we want to hurt him?”

Chunji nodded wordlessly unsure of what to say. He didn’t want to bring Niel’s past into the conversation because he knew then he couldn’t win. Daniel had been through a lot in a short period of time and nobody helped him then. He couldn’t help but fear something like that happening again, but he also couldn’t help but trust C.A.P. The C.A.P he knew wouldn’t take advantage of Niel in his vulnerability. The C.A.P he knew loved Niel before everything and even after. For Chunji, it seemed unthinkable that the leader wasn’t sincere. Had he inadvertently chosen sides?

L.Joe spoke first, interrupting Chunji’s thoughts in the silence that had settled in their van.

“Maybe it was a mistake to think it was ok for them to get together in the first place.”

Chunji’s heart took a slight dive upon hearing those words. The thought of the Niel and C.A.P he’d known for years not being together just didn’t seem right. Everyone knew they loved each other before the pair probably realized it themselves. There was no way those two were a mistake. Maybe the timing was wrong, but the two definitely had genuine feelings that would have come out eventually regardless.

“We should talk to Daniel,” Chunji tried once more. “If they can’t talk to each other at least let them talk to us. We offered him the invitation before; we should remind him of it.”

L.Joe sighed, running his hands through his dyed hair.

“We already tried, don’t you remember? It was a failure,” the rapper reminded, turning slightly and leaning his head on the van window.

His body language was showing that the conversation had become tiresome from him but Chunji didn’t want to let it drop just yet. Just a few more words more and he’d be content.

“Changhyun and Daniel have a schedule together tomorrow. If anyone can get Daniel to talk, I think it’s him. You’ll ask him right? To talk to Daniel?” Chunji pressed.

L.Joe opened his eyes and lifted his head slightly to regard Chunji who stared back imploringly before sighing again and letting his head drop back against the glass.

“Yes, I’ll ask him.”

Chunji smiled and grabbed L.Joe’s hand, squeezing it lightly in his and letting his head drop to L.Joe’s shoulder. His eyes fluttered shut as he did so, whispering, “Thanks.”

-----

Home sweet home. It was a long trip and there were some good times in Malaysia but the stress outweighed them all. Ricky was glad to finally be back in his own home and able to be in his own room and in his own bed. He had already showered, hoping to retire early since he and Niel had a schedule the next day. It was finally the time of their recording with SECRET and he wanted to be well rested.

Ricky felt his eyes dropping, yet in his drowsiness barely managed to realize the room light was still on. He was too tired to turn it off himself and decided to leave it for Chunji when he came back. Rolling over with his head in his pillow he allowed himself to drift without another thought.

It probably wasn’t even 5 minutes when Ricky awoke again to his bed shifting and a weight on his back. He groaned, pulling his pillow closer as the person tried to take it from him. Ricky didn’t have to be fully awake to know who it was either.

“Jonghyun, stop!” he muttered.

Changjo only replied by leaning down and nuzzling his face into Ricky’s neck. Ricky did his best to ignore it. Changjo wasn’t one to be deterred and instead went from nuzzling to kissing the side of Ricky’s neck. As soon as Ricky felt Changjo’s wet tongue he gave up on sleeping and turned around onto his back.

“Yay! You’re up,” Changjo smiled down at him.

Ricky glared but there wasn’t any power in it. He reached up, touching the hair at the back of Changjo’s neck before pulling him down for a kiss. It was powerful and all consuming, the two young ones not yet perfecting the art of kissing. Before they were hesitant and shy but that changed into a powerful need. Changjo’s hand flew down, under the sheets to rest at Ricky’s hip, rubbing at the waist band of his shorts.

When they broke apart Ricky’s eyes flew to the door and Changjo used his hand to pull Ricky’s gaze back to him.

“Chanhee’s in the shower,” Changjo said, leaning down and giving Ricky another kiss.

Ricky kissed back, letting his arms wrap around Changjo’s neck and pulling the younger yet larger boy flat against him. The weight wasn’t uncomfortable but it was weird and he pushed Changjo away almost as quickly as he has pulled him close.

Changjo sat back, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it just wasn’t comfortable like that,” Ricky said, blushing a bit.

They were both inexperienced so the mechanics of where each of their limbs should go and what was comfortable was yet to be worked out but Ricky couldn’t help but be embarrassed. He was older and felt he should take the lead but wasn’t sure how to start.

“Uhm… do you want to get on top?” Changjo asked.

Ricky blushed even harder, and Changjo didn’t wait for the answer before leaning back on the bed and then pulling Ricky onto of him by the waist. Ricky’s leg swung over Changjo’s body so that he was now straddling the other’s lap. Ricky felt even more flustered being perched on top of Changjo. Looking down at him as he reclined back felt so intensely . The heat of Changjo’s lower body was threatening to set him on fire and Ricky was afraid to move lest he burst into flames.

Changjo didn’t seem to want to wait though. He sat up, and initiated another kiss. Ricky moaned as he one again threw his arms over Changjo’s shoulders. Changjo’s fingers dug into his waist but Ricky could feel Changjo’s body trembling beneath him. Ricky’s hands slid across the skin exposed above the collar of Changjo’s tshirt before breaking the kiss to place his mouth where his fingers had just been.

The sound that Changjo made sent a thrill through Ricky’s body. Changjo definitely liked that. His hand shot up from Ricky’s waist to the back of his neck as his body fell back again onto the mattress.

“Changhyun,” Changjo’s legs bent up and fingers curled into the back of Ricky’s shirt and the younger lightly at the skin just beneath his ears.

Ricky didn’t know he would get such a reaction but he made note of it, loving the way Changjo was turning into jelly beneath him. He loved this side of Changjo. As he had leaned forward, he shifted a bit in Changjo’s lap unintentionally and Changjo responded with an equally unexpected push of his hips upward against Ricky’s bottom.

A shameful noise left Ricky’s mouth before he could stop himself and Changjo, being the evil child he was, did it again. He pulled Ricky’s head back up in order to share another kiss. He turned them onto the sides and their legs easily intertwined. It was Changjo who finally broke the kiss.

“Changhyun,” he said, looking down at where his hand was resting on Ricky’s hip.

Ricky followed his line of sight and when Changjo boldly decided to move and slip his hand beneath the waist band of his shorts he reached out to stop him. Wordlessly, their eyes met, Changjo’s gaze was steady though Ricky could feel that his body was trembling. The hand that was trying to slip into his pants was clammy and Ricky laced their fingers together before pulling it up and kissing the back of it.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want it but he was scared. His heart was beating so fast from adrenaline and over excitement he thought it would burst and he just needed to slow down and catch his breath for just a moment. Changjo pulled his hand free and used it to press their faces back together for a kiss. This one was softer, more like the innocent ones they shared before, and when it ended Changjo sat up and began to get out of the bed.

“Where are you going?” Ricky asked, sitting up as well, a whine in his voice.

“Chanhee can be back any time. We can’t get caught,” Changjo said.

“You tease!” Ricky whined.

Changjo laughed and stood, arranging his clothing and walked to the door.

“Good night.”

As soon as the door closed behind Changjo, Ricky flopped back onto his bed, kicking his legs in protest. How could Changjo just do that!? He snuck into his bed while he was sleeping, woke him, and then riled him up, only to leave him hanging!

“That evil maknae!” Ricky cursed, rolling onto his stomach and beating his pillow.

He was rock hard and there was no way he’d be going back to sleep in that state. But there was nothing he could really do because Changjo was right that Chunji could return at any second. Ricky laid there agonizing until finally Chunji returned to the room. Quickly, Ricky hopped out of the bed and ran to the now vacant bathroom to handle his business.

Afterward, Ricky came out of the bathroom finally content to go back to sleep when he saw L.Joe in the hallway.

"“Hey,” L.Joe said, stopping in his tracks and back tracking to the front of the bathroom door.

“Huh? Hey, hyung,” Ricky said, surprised L.Joe stopped to talk to him.

“You aren’t sleeping yet? You have an early schedule tomorrow, though,” L.Joe noted.

“I was about to go now,” Ricky said.

L.Joe replied, “Oh. I was actually looking for you though.”

“What for?”

“I wanted to talk to you,” L.Joe replied. “About Niel.”

Ricky tilted his head in confusion. What could it be about Niel that L.Joe would want to speak with him specifically?

“Ok,” Ricky answered.

Because really, how was he to refuse?

-to be continued-

AN: sorry for updating 3 times in one week ;~; i know some people think that's too fast but it's best for me to write while I can or else i'll procrastinate forever lol!

anyway, uhm.... yeah this chapter knida speaks for itself. SORRY ABOUT THE CHANGIRCK! but at the same time NOT SORRY! that's a treat for me! mwahhaa i mean wut! so what you think of chunjoe conversation?