A/N: I'm not dead, guys! For those of you who were wondering what happened to me, haha. I've just been increasingly busy with work, but I've been doing a lot of internal squeeing at all the ChangNiel happening this Ah-Ah era. While doing so, inspiration struck and so I present to you an Ah-Ah inspired drabble from Niel's point of view. This chapter is a little y (not too y, though!) so if you do not enjoy the thought of ChangNiel engaging in intimate physical contact, you're free to step away from the page.

As always, apologies for any OOC-ness and I hope you enjoy the read.

Chapter V: Grayscale

Jonghyun has such nice, well-defined muscles.

A little part of Niel is envious, seeing as he’s tried bulking up his own body with abysmal results, but he’s mostly awestruck at how the scrawny kid with such an innocent smile transformed into a complete lady-killer. The thin cotton shirt he’s wearing is soaked through with sweat, revealing the faint outline of his broad chest. How many times has he had his face uncomfortably pressed against it trying to catch a wink of sleep in between their promotional activities?

“…are you listening? Hey, Niel!” When he turns his eyes upward again, Jonghyun’s face is mere centimeters away. He swallows involuntarily, overwhelmed by the heat rolling off of his body in waves. Their proximity is suffocating, and he doesn’t understand why. If he tilts his head a bit more to the right, Jonghyun’s lips would brush his ear, he thinks idly.

He has no clue why the idea won’t go away, even as he makes a half-hearted apology and asks for another demonstration. Jonghyun gives him an exasperated look, but does it anyway. Jump, lean left, pull back, and then Jonghyun’s hand is abruptly on his crotch as his hips swing side to side while he drawls, dark eyes staring straight at Niel, “From morning until morning the two of us~”    

He can feel his face flaming up. “I c-c-c-can’t,” his voice comes out squeaky and stammering. It’s not the first time they’ve had provocative gestures included in their choreography, but it’s the first time he’s felt genuine embarrassment over it. Instead of looking effortlessly y the way Jonghyun did, he’s going to make a fool of himself.

Jonghyun is quick to chide him. “Don’t say such stupid things,” he says, frowning. “Here, let’s do it together.”

It’s easy enough until the ridiculous crotch-grabbing move, where Niel’s limbs betray him and he flails around like a wizened old tree swaying in the breeze instead of the sinuous pop idol he actually is. “You need to get a feel for it,” Jonghyun breathes into his neck from behind him. When had he switched positions? His right hand slips easily in the space between Niel’s hips, fingers tantalizingly close. “Now try moving your hips.” He can only nod and watch himself in the mirror, inexplicably fascinated by the sight of another man’s hand in between his legs. “Yes, good, just like that.” If it were anyone else, he would’ve pushed them away as soon as their hands started reaching lower. This isn’t something two normal bandmates would do together, never mind how close they were.

When he turns his head to face Jonghyun, he feels fingers ghosting up his right inner thigh and then clamping around it in a vise grip. “Don’t look like that unless you mean it,” he warns Niel tersely.

“Look like what?”

Jonghyun’s voice is so soft his words are nearly inaudible. “Like you want me to kiss you.”

 It sounds like a challenge, and Niel’s never been one to turn a challenge down, so he closes the distance between them with his lips. Niel has limited experience to draw from, but he’s certain it will be better than their first accidental kiss. The inside of Jonghyun’s mouth tastes like mint toothpaste.

It’s a kiss that he thinks will never end, and he clutches at one shoulder desperately, feeling like he’s being eaten alive. Saliva drips wetly from a corner of his mouth when Jonghyun finally pulls away, eyes still hungry. He wipes at the drool self-consciously with the sleeve of his shirt.

“I think I’ve got the feel for it now,” he announces, and if he sounds a tad breathless his companion doesn’t comment on it. Practice continues like usual, and Niel is left wondering if he had imagined the whole incident. Every time he runs through the routine, he remembers the sensation of Jonghyun’s hand lightly skimming across the worn denim of his jeans, how that hand splayed across his hips had looked from the mirror, as if Niel was touching himself.

Chanhee-hyung runs over and slaps his hand when he catches Niel dancing through the chorus for the first time. “What is that dirty hand doing?!” He shrieks, and Niel snatches his right hand back as if burned. Did his hyung know…? The rest of the members gather to his side, unable to ignore their second oldest member making a racket.

“What did Niel do now?” Byunghun-hyung is grinning, obviously amused at Chanhee’s reaction. His grin fades after Niel repeats the dance more hesitantly, and he gapes. “I think we need to change the rating for our MV,” he mumbles, walking away with a somber expression. Minsoo-hyung shrugs, clearly not seeing the problem, leaving only Changhyun and Jonghyun. The former runs excited circles around him and assures him he looks “Really cool! And kind of , too… but still really cool!”

Jonghyun gives him a consoling pat on the head, leaning in so his mouth is directly against Niel’s ear. “Mostly , he means.” And then he runs off, laughing.

Eventually, he and Jonghyun are going to have to talk about what really happened that day, but in the meantime, a little -kicking is in order.

“Try saying that again, Choi Jonghyun! I dare you!”