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“Kyungsoo hyung! Kyungsoo hyung!”

Whining loudly like an overgrown child, seventeen year old Jongin padded into the living room, rubbing his eyes as he cried out for his favourite hyung.

“Kyungsoo!!!”

Some of the other trainees-his future group members- were sprawled down in the living room in various forms of repose because they’d gotten two hours free today. They looked up as he came. But he didn’t spare them a glance; half-closed eyes only looking for his best friend slash closest hyung.

“Kyungsoo! Kyungsoo! KYUNGSOO HYUNG!!”

Alarmed, the said boy rushed from the depths of the kitchen to where it joined to the living room, laying the spatula he’d been holding on the nearby countertop. Jongin immediately rushed to his arms and fell on top of him.

Kyungsoo staggered from the impact but managed to wrap his arms around the younger and steady them both. He was shocked beyond words at his behaviour and over his shoulder, saw the other trainees giving them curious looks, some even smirking as if knowingly.

Oh .

Kyungsoo blushed, embarrassed, and awkwardly tried to think of a way to get Jongin off of him as fast as possible. The others in their group all liked to make fun of them at every instance possible, saying that they secretly had crushes on each other. Although he should know better than to fall victim to their teasing, he couldn’t help the resentment whenever Jongin showed him too much affection… well, in front of them, at least.

But at that moment, he happened to glance at the boy who was the cause of it all. His face was buried in his shoulder and his arms enveloped tightly around his waist, tiny whimpers escaping him. Kyungsoo widened his eyes and immediately felt like crap. Jongin was actually sobbing. This was a first. Instinctively, he reached a hand up to pat the boy’s head.

Jongin only mewled more and buried his face deeper, crying out something that suspiciously sounded like Kyungsoo hyung Kyungsoo hyung that got smothered into the crook of Kyungsoo’s neck. He decided that the younger was probably still dreaming, or at least, partially dreaming, since he would never act this way had he been fully awake… although he did act childish and clingy once in a while.

“Is Jongin okay?” Kyungsoo looked up and Chanyeol’s concerned face filled his vision. The tall trainee tried to pat Jongin on the back and get a glimpse of his face, but he immediately shied away from the contact, dragging Kyungsoo with him.

“He’s still half asleep, I think,” Kyungsoo mumbled to the surprised Chanyeol. He blinked, then nodded. Before he had fully turned away, Kyungsoo whispered, “Can you get me some water Yeol?”

Chanyeol nodded again, glad to help, and walked to the water dispenser. He filled a glass with water and brought it to Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo lifted it up to Jongin’s face and clutched his nape to pull him away from himself, allowing him entrance to bring the glass to his lips.

The younger hesitantly obliged and took several sips. When he pulled away, Kyungsoo handed the glass back to Chanyeol, who had still been anxiously standing by them and who immediately took the glass and went to keep it. Kyungsoo then turned his attention to Jongin. His head was still slightly raised and he could finally get a glimpse of him now.

Jongin’s face was tear-stained, eyes hazy, and he seemed to be slowly waking up from his dream. He was blinking and sniffling softly. Kyungsoo reached for a Kleenex he’d thankfully kept in his pocket. He brought it up to the younger’s face, wiped at the dampness, then placed it over his nose for him to blow onto it. Instinctively, Jongin obliged, but after a while, he looked up at Kyungsoo and blushed, embarrassed.

He seemed to have been finally knocked fully awake from his sleep-induced daze because he sprang away from Kyungsoo, releasing him from his embrace while flushing even harder. Then, looking anywhere but at the elder’s face- or at any of the other trainees who stared at him from the living room when he turned- he fixed his gaze onto the floor and rushed back into his room hastily.

Kyungsoo had staggered back a bit when the younger pulled away from him. He stared at the latter’s disappearing back and blinked, wide eyed. Then his attention shifted to the others and he too reddened, remembering the possible teasing that would come for weeks from now on. He turned to walk back to the kitchen, where he had been stirring vegetables with Minseok and Jongdae, when he found that they had been standing right behind him. They simply stood, and when he was about to walk past them, Jongdae gently laid a hand on his arm to stop him.

Kyungsoo looked up to see the elder softly eyeing him. “I think you should go to him and see if he’s alright,” Chen informed, raising his eyebrows. Kyungsoo knew from his look that he had to oblige to his suggestion. Sighing, he took off his apron, handed it to the elder, turned and walked to his shared room with Jongin and Chanyeol. His steps felt heavy with every pair of eyes boring into him but he dragged himself for Jongin’s sake.

Upon reaching their room, he softly opened the door, finding it unlocked. Popping his head around it, his eyes landed on Jongin’s tall form plopped down on his bed on his stomach, face squished into a pillow and covers drawn over his head. Slowly, Kyungsoo inched towards him. Nearing the bed, he sat down on it and placed a hand on the younger’s back.

“Jongin?”

He barely heard his own voice but the younger raised his head instantly at the mention of his name, covers drawing back just enough to show messy bangs and swollen eyes, worried and questioning. Kyungsoo heart constricted at the sight for some reason. He brought his hand up to the younger’s neck to stop him from lying back down just yet.

“Kyungsoo.”

Jongin’s voice was hoarse and it tugged Kyungsoo’s heartstrings. He removed his feet from his slippers, drew Jongin’s covers down and got in beside him. The younger looked surprised but rolled over to the other side of the bed, towards the wall, to give Kyungsoo more space.

He settled down, brought the covers back up to their chests and turned to his side to face the younger boy. “Did you have a nightmare?” he inquired softly.

Jongin’s brows immediately knitted again and his forehead creased, worried. His lips formed a pout and he slowly nodded.
“Mind sharing it with me?”

The other shook his head twice. “That will make it come true…” he croaked.

“No, it’ll help you get it out of your mind if you tell me.”

The younger looked unconvinced, so Kyungsoo bit his lip. He stared at the other who refused to look at him and had his eyes focused instead on his hands that lay fisted just underneath the covers. After a pregnant pause, the elder held out his arms.

“Come here.”

Jongin looked up, stared at the arms stretched out in front of him for a few moments, and when they didn’t budge, slowly inched his way into them.  When he had gotten significantly closer, Kyungsoo closed the gap and enveloped the younger, one arm around his shoulder and one around his waist. The younger’s own arms eased their way around the elder’s torso. He buried his face in the crook of Kyungsoo’s neck for the second time that day.

Kyungsoo brought the arm that lay around Jongin’s shoulder up to his head. He the ever-soft brown locks and brought his face forward, nuzzling his nose on the younger’s hairline. He barely heard the words that were murmured onto his neck.
“Hyung, what if I don’t make it? What if something happens that would prevent me debuting?”

Kyungsoo stilled, then drew slightly back so he could look at Jongin’s face. Two brown orbs stared up at him and he knew he had meant it. He sighed and cupped Jongin’s cheek, it with his thumb. He gazed deep into his eyes.

“That won’t happen, Jongin. You’ll debut, trust me.”

His voice was low, but Jongin heard it. His shoulders visibly relaxed; Kyungsoo’s reassurance somehow did wonders to him. He brought his face back to its home on the crook of the elder’s neck and spoke onto it, his voice reverberating against Kyungsoo’s skin, “I won’t ever leave you either hyung. You mean a lot to me.”

Kyungsoo resumed the younger’s hair and closed his eyes, “Same Jongin, same”.

Then, feeling a little daring, he brought his lips to the other’s temple and pressed a soft kiss onto the warm skin there.

Jongin drew back to look up at Kyungsoo’s face, lips somewhat parted and eyes almost questioning. Kyungsoo knew they were inquiring him about his last action. He wanted to assure the younger that yes, indeed, he felt about him more than he would to a friend or a brother- that all those other times in the past when he had shown him too much affection to be classed as either, he had meant every single one of it. But all he could do was stare steadily back at him.

Their society did not approve of relationships of the kind he wanted with Jongin and he couldn’t offer the younger something that would harm them both. When the latter’s gaze softened and relaxed, Kyungsoo knew he had understood him.

“I think I’m getting sleepy again.”

Kyungsoo smiled, “Me too. We’ll skip lunch.”

Jongin’s eyes met his and he returned the smile. Kyungsoo’s insides warmed up with fondness and without thinking, he leaned forward and planted another kiss on his cheek. Almost immediately, he blushed, mentally kicking himself for acting without thinking, but the younger only grinned wider, eyes downcast and shy. Kyungsoo mentally cooed before Jongin leaned into him again, and after a few more silent but comforting minutes, they both slipped into a peaceful slumber.

Minutes later, it was Chanyeol who walked into the room to call them for lunch. When he saw his two friends sleeping, wrapped up in each other in Jongin’s single bed, he was initially shocked and flustered, but then a smile crept up his face. He locked the door from the inside and closed it behind him as he went back to the others.