A/N: Hints of ChangNiel and heavy NielJoe, just because I've been hit with that particular brand of feels and satisfies my inner L.Joe fangirl. Warning for scenes of a ual nature--both for the content and my amateur writing, haha. That said, hope you enjoy reading this latest installment.

Chapter VII: Infrared

Lovestagram.

Apparently that's what some of their fans have taken to calling it.

Barely a month before Niel's long-awaited solo debut, and Teen Top's reputation is about to get ripped in shreds because of a dating scandal. Byunghun's painstakingly looked it up, every scant detail he could find, the allegedly matching bedsheets that were a gift from a fan, the coffee date selfies. Circumstantial evidence, he could argue in court, but their Angels would never have let this go on if they hadn't seen a grain of truth in it. Where there's smoke, there's fire, or so the English expression goes.

His body goes rigid at the sight of the culprit happily absorbed on his phone. Maybe he's messaging that nugu , a voice in his head comments snidely. It's a sign of his twisted personality that he doesn't even feel the least bit guilty for that particular thought. Their group has barely skidded past the threat of obsoletion through the efforts of their fans, but that girl...in an industry where it's either sink or swim, daring to be in a relationship when you're just another nobody trying to make it big is suicide.

"Hey, Jonghyun." His voice sounds frighteningly calm to his own ears. "Hey, maknae, look at me."

The first thrown punch takes Jonghyun by surprise and lands squarely on his jaw. His knuckles tingle from the contact. The taller man jerks to dodge the second one, but Byunghun won't get him away so easily. The second hit doesn't do anything to dissipate the rage simmering inside, painting his vision red.

Jonghyun raises his hands up quickly in surrender, leaving his face completely exposed. Byunghun seriously considers breaking his nose, but his rationality gets the better of him. A few bruises people can ignore, but a broken nose would only add fuel to the mess. 

"Do you even know why I hit you?" Infuriated with that closed-off expression, he finally asks. Their youngest member nods. "You ed up, Jonghyun.

"Big time."

Hanging his head, Jonghyun mutters, "I know."

 "I don't think you do," Byunghun retorts, seizing him by the collar of his turtleneck. "Or you wouldn't have done it in the first place." The smile he flashes has too much teeth and not enough sincerity. "I guess in the end Niel was just a convenient substitute until you got yourself a real girlfriend." He's had enough of just watching from the sidelines. It evidently wasn't enough to protect Niel, the way he thought he initially could. 

Jonghyun's jaw visibly clenches at the accusation. "It's not like that." Byunghun waits for him to justify himself, but an explanation isn't forthcoming. He snorts. Does the younger man expect to be forgiven so easily? Niel might cave in, but he won't.

"Then make it go away."

The maknae lets out an exasperated sigh. "It's not that easy, hyung."

"Make it go away, Jonghyun," he repeats, releasing his hold on the knitted fabric. "And I'd stay away from Niel until this blows over if I were you." The dancer's visage crumples as he sags into the sofa. Byunghun steps out of the dorm. Niel's waiting for him at the local park, probably with hands stuffed deep into his coat pockets and mouth hidden by an oversized scarf.

No need to interrupt Jonghyun's self-indulgent pity party.

...

Sometimes he hates Niel for running to him every time he and Jonghyun hit a rough patch in their relationship. There's no way he could try and understand what's going on in that guy's head, and he doesn't really have any desire to do so, either. He has no real answers to offer, and no useful advice. Even so, Niel insists just a listening ear is more than enough, so he sticks around and lets the younger man ramble until his voice turns hoarse and inevitably cracks.

When there's nothing left but a quiet, lonely kind of silence, Niel shuffles closer, desperate for that extra bit of warmth. Byunghun can count it down to the second from the moment he leans in until he lays a head on his shoulder. Strands of Niel's black hair tickle the underside of his chin.

Byunghun is terrible at expressing himself, always has been, and always will be. It's the reason he and Niel were like water and oil in the beginning. Still, for his sake he wants to try.

"You still have me, you know." It's clumsy and not at all what he thought he was going to say, but the statement makes Niel turn his head.

There it is, that smile he so often teases Niel for, showcasing those lips too full, too red to belong on a Korean man. His heart beats inexplicably faster at the sight. When Byunghun reaches out to pull Niel to him, he doesn't resist. His freezing lips thaw almost immediately against Niel's warm, supple mouth. They've kissed before, but only once, and Byunghun wasn't in the right state of mind to fully enjoy it. Now he throws caution to the wind, past caring if anyone spots the two of them in public. The sky will stay dark for at least another three or four hours, anyway. Niel makes a grab for his hair when he slips his tongue inside, and he fully expects to get pushed off, but it doesn't happen. He traces the ridges with his tongue, tests the sharpness of his incisors, maps out every centimeter of that wet, hot mouth like it's the last time he'll be doing it.

(He hopes not, even if the odds are stacked against him.)

Jonghyun will recover from his fall from grace, eventually. Just like Niel was a convenient substiute, so he is Niel's convenient substitute, although he guesses the other man doesn't know what for, not yet. It's a role he's prepared to play.

When Niel suggests something incredibly hot and also incredibly dirty in his ear with that husky, breathless voice, Byunghun allows himself a satisfied smile. As long as he's playing that role, he'll make sure to thoroughly savor every second of it.