A serene soundtrack filled the air, and Jongin got nudged by Kyungsoo's elbow. Not too gently. He flinched.
"What did I do?" he whispered, and if his voice had been any louder, the pout would probably be audible. Kyungsoo's expression was barely visible in the current darkness.
"You keep sighing. Can you keep it down, people are staring at us."
"But-" Jongin began, but thought better of it, and with unhappily knitted eyebrows he turned back towards the screen currently displaying a futuristic bedroom.
But it's not my fault that the movie , he thought stubbornly.
As if on cue, Chanyeol let out a low 'woah' at the hologram on the protagonist's wall. Or something. Of course Chanyeol would be impressed by anything and everything. Jongin rolled his eyes. Unfortunately, he must have made a sound while doing so, because Kyungsoo actually groaned.
"That's it," he began, and now people were really starting to glare and quietly complain, as Kyungsoo got up and demanded Jongin to switch places with him. Bewildered, Jongin complied, plopping into Kyungsoo's seat, leaning into the comfy jacket the Northener had bundled up to cushion his back. Even Chanyeol had torn his gaze from the screen and he could feel his gaze on them.
"Kyung-"
"Shh. Let me watch this in peace," Kyungsoo cut him off gruffly, and Jongin meekly obeyed, zipping his mouth shut and turning back to the front. Just when he was starting to overthink, he felt a hand coming to a rest on his right arm, sliding down until it came to a rest on the back of his hand. Jongin calmed down and relaxed almost instantly. So Kyungsoo wasn't too angry. Jongin was genuinely distracted for the following minutes, to the point that he didn't even notice a ridiculous bump in the screen-writing, or the time where they obviously forgot about a device that was introduced awhile earlier. Ever since that time they'd taken a bath together last Sunday, Kyungsoo seemed very willing to initiate skinship. It would have looked casually if not for the fact that he usually wasn't the type for that. Heck, he touched Jongin more than he touched Chanyeol (in public, at least). It served as a constant reminder that last weekend was not a dream, that this really happened, that this was all real. Jongin found it hard to wrap his mind around it. There was someone who didn't mind being physically close to him, even though was off the table. Not to mention that Kyungsoo wasn't even particularly drawn to him. Friendly, casual, but genuine skinship. So strange. Then again, he wasn't exactly normal, either. This was perfect, wasn't it?
Maybe it shouldn't be - maybe Jongin should feel belittled, like Kyungsoo doesn't take him seriously. But for some reason, he didn't. This was more than alright, Jongin thought as he basked in the weight of Kyungsoo's hand on his as he stared at the screen almost absently while Chanyeol muttered something about how nice the space ship looked.
Could this just be the way they dealt with things? Could skinship come first, feelings (hopefully) after?
"She loves him...!" Chanyeol half-rumbled, half-squealed next to him, and Jongin snorted quietly.
"Their relationship is based on a big, fat lie - she'll obviously find out soon and give us the typical drama."
"Maybe she'll love him so much by then that-"
Angry shushing noises came from the back row, and a sideglance told him that Kyungsoo was blissfully ignoring both of them, eyes following the movements on the screen.

Kyungsoo let go of Jongin's hand, in favour of stretching his arms with pleased, little groan.
"Well, this wasn't too bad of a movie!" Chanyeol chirped, scurrying along with the purposefully small steps reserved for the company of short people.
"It was a disaster," Jongin argued blankly.
"You two are the disaster," Kyungsoo retorted in mild exasperation. "Remind me to never watch a movie with both of you ever again."
Jongin pouted, if only a little. Kyungsoo hadn't seemed that annoyed when it was just the two of them at the theater. As if reading his thoughts, Kyungsoo looked at both of the sheepish guys.
"One of you I can deal with, but both? My brain can't take that."
"But Soooo..." Chanyeol whined, clinging on to Kyungsoo's side, who stumbled with a noise of protest.
"Don't gimme that now. You don't even have an excuse, this is just aimless whining-" Kyungsoo said strictly, though it lacked venom, nudging Chanyeol away from him. "Go and cuddle Jongin, maybe your positive and negative attitudes will clash and outbalance each other."
Jongin looked up at Chanyeol, who met his eyes with a wry smile, slung his arm around his shoulders to tug him a long for a bit, before silently letting go again.
Awkward.
It was something Jongin had been pondering for awhile, though maybe now was no good time to be absent-minded, with the three of them being together. They headed towards the station and bid their farewells to Kyungsoo, who had to take a different underground train than them. It got silent immediately after they were left to themselves. Jongin was about to take the lead, when a strong hand suddenly gripped his upper arm.
"What-"
"Let's go somewhere else, before we go home?" Chanyeol asked. Jongin nodded slowly, suspiciously even, but Chanyeol just tugged him along with a poorly concealed sigh of relief.
Sometimes, like right now with them silently standing next to each other in a crowded train, Jongin felt how little he actually knew about Chanyeol. Sure, he was now aware of the fact that there were actually things going on in that big head of his, but that didn't mean Jongin could follow along or actually understand his train of thoughts. But that was a big part of what drew him towards the Southener, too - his ability to genuinely see the good in the world, and especially his understanding of everyone around him, the ease in which he molded the atmosphere.
It seemed like him turning quiet meant he was gnawing on some heavy topic, so maybe this silence should make Jongin nervous. Maybe he was getting nervous, and maybe Chanyeol noticed, because he always did, and looked up from his phone right this second.
"Sorry, I'm a little social media addict," he laughed, rubbing his neck sheepishly before putting his phone away. "And also I might have tried to distract myself, so I won't annoy you with my endless talking."
But you don't seem to like that, was the unspoken implication. Jongin wasn't sure how to make him feel like he was doing something right by talking, so he simply shrugged.
"I guess I just gotta get used to it," he said in what was hopefully an encouraging tone. Why was it so hard to be open towards Chanyeol, of all persons? It's probably the same reason it was so easy to be with him in the first place, Jongin mused as he half-paid attention to Chanyeol ranting about the ups and downs of leading a successful blog.
Because Chanyeol effortlessly got him. Unlike Kyungsoo, whom he had to serve every information clean cut, Chanyeol just took a peek and saw more than Jongin might be ready to share. It was a little scary.

They got off at a station Jongin hadn't been at before, though it wasn't too far from the city center or Chanyeol's home, it seemed.
"I was just thinking that it's been a long time since we did something together, you know?" Chanyeol rambled, as they strode down the streets filled with artificial lights and laughter echoing from various restaurants. "It would have been our turn this weekend, right?"
"Well. It's all three of us from now on," Jongin stated, though it clearly came out as more of a question.
"So?" Chanyeol only asked back at him, and they stopped in front of a lit building. It looked like an... art gallery?
"This is a museum, and it's only open at night. Let's go inside?"
A museum? Out of all places, Jongin would have penned Chanyeol to rather avoid museums. Weren't those usually boring, anyway?
But Chanyeol was unfazed and went ahead like he felt completely at home. He paid the small entrance fee and led Jongin to an elevator.
"The gallery is actually on the 18th floor. Pretty cool, don't you think? It's a private project by a very passionate art lover."
Jongin nodded, taking in the brightly lit entrance area, until the elevator closed. It was hard to believe that midnight was approaching when everything seemed so brightly lit and awake.
"You visit museums in your free time? Didn't take you to be the type," he joked dryly, and while Chanyeol did pout, it was obviously hard to keep up the facade.
"Well. I would visit museums on topics that interest me," he defended himself, and Jongin watched his playful expression through the mirror across them. "But you're right, that's not why we're here."
Jongin could of course pester him and bug him until he got a proper reply, but if Chanyeol wanted to play mysterious, fine.
They stepped into an admittedly nice-looking gallery, and Chanyeol kept leading the way with purpose, tugging him towards a lone corridor towards the... toilets? Jongin was about to actually protest when Chanyeol stopped at a random-looking door and opened it, slipping through with a bewildered Jongin in tow. This could not be legal. The door led to some sort of staircase that looked entirely industrial.
"What are you doing?" he hissed, but Chanyeol only dismissed him with a wave.
"It's cool, no one will see us. Didn't take you to be the type who sticks to rules."

And Jongin looked at his back as he followed him up the stairs, and thought that's because I'm not. The reputation of the team was the only thing that was restraining him, really. Jongin had never been one to play by rules. Maybe he could not be Jongin, representative of the East, but just Jongin, the boy who believed he'd never outgrow the dumb teenager inside him. Just for a little, it would surely be alright, wouldn't it?
The funny thing was that if they were to get in trouble, Jongin was perfectly sure Chanyeol would step up and take all of the blame without hesitation. And maybe it was even funnier that he wouldn't want him to. Chanyeol - and Kyungsoo, too - were always so ready to protect him... it sparked an odd sense of competition in him. Was that selfish? Maybe that was the reason why people liked to call love a selfish feeling.
Chanyeol finally came to a halt in front of another door, and cool air hit Jongin's face as soon as it was opened. It looked like a small balcony, just below the roof of the building.
"I guess employees usually smoke here?" Chanyeol replied an unanswered question and sank to the ground in front of the railing, only to look up at Jongin and gesture for him to follow.
"Didn't we just spend hours sitting at the cinema?" Jongin huffed out half-heartedly, but complied. Chanyeol chuckled.
"Wouldn't want the view to knock you over. We're pretty high up here."
And it was a stunning view indeed. Judging by the stairs they took, Jongin would estimate them to be on the 21st floor maybe, and they had a perfect view over the sea of colored lights below and less aggressively shining stars above their heads.
For awhile, Jongin just aimlessly looked at the tiny lights zooming down the streets. It was cold enough for his breath to become puffy, and he blessed his warm jacket for accompanying him through the years.
I wouldn't have taken you to be so cheesy, Jongin would have liked to say. Except he did.
"We'll be in trouble if we get caught," he said instead. The following shrug was noisy due to Chanyeol's ridiculously bulky jacket.
"If any employee catches us now, he or she will be too sleep-deprived to actually get us in trouble."
Jongin hummed.

This was the perfect opportunity for some real talk, he thought to himself. Up there, sheltered by darkness, with a stunning view to distract him and fueled by the emotions trickling down from the night sky (or maybe it was just Jongin getting emotional at night).
But where to start?
It was funny that with all the stuff they'd been through to reach this point... they were the weakest link in this triangle. Not Jongin and Kyungsoo. Jongin and Chanyeol. How and when did that happen?
Chanyeol used to be all over him, in every sense of the word. He used to seek Jongin's attention and skinship alike. Ever since that one faithful day where he had kissed his cheek, nothing even remotely similar had happened. Heck, he felt more distant than before the whole messy confession. So when had that stopped? With a small sigh, Jongin leaned forwards until his forehead touched the cool metal, completely disregarding how silly he must be looking.
It all changed when Kyungsoo had proposed letting Jongin in on their relationship. When he'd confessed to being aual. Even though Chanyeol was quicker to notice, because of course he was.

"Everything alright?"
Chanyeol sounded mildly worried, but Jongin didn't look up immediately.
Maybe it was all because Chanyeol didn't want to lead him on too much. Because if was not a thing to consider, maybe he thought he'd give Jongin the wrong idea by being touchy?
"Chanyeol."
"Yeah?"
Jongin fidgeted a bit. How to voice this out? Without sounding like an idiot?
"If you only like me in a platonic way, then you should tell me, you know?" he finally asked, eyes still trained on a particular light of an apartment complex that slowly switched colors. It was currently a vibrant shade of orange. When had he become this hesitant and anxious towards Chanyeol?
"W-what?" Chanyeol spluttered dramatically. "Why would you even think that?"
Jongin bit his lip, gathering the courage to shot him a fleeting glance at least. Chanyeol looked scandalized, even in the dim lighting. Maybe Chanyeol liked him in a way that might make his heart beat faster, but not made him want to touch Jongin?
"It's okay, you know? Or maybe it's not, but at least we could kind of work something out, I guess-"
"What do you mean by platonic?" Chanyeol cut him off. "Are you seriously doubting whether I find you attractive right now?"
Jongin tore away his gaze from the intense, yellow light, to look at him defiantly.
"I mean, it's kinda obvious," he began, and in one swift move, he placed his hand on Chanyeol's thigh, who jumped at the touch. "See?"
For a blissful few seconds, Chanyeol gaped at him, and Jongin wasn't sure whether there were any gears turning in his head right now. But then he laughed incredulously, startling Jongin.

"Are you blind?" he asked, and he'd never heard Chanyeol use such an exasperated, almost snarky tone on him. It was off-putting, and that must have shown on his face, because Chanyeol didn't wait long for an answer.
"If there's anything obvious going on, it's the way I constantly drool all over you like a fool?"
Jongin made a grimace at the image, and Chanyeol rapidly shook his head.
"No, really - are you kidding me? You even used that to with me, during that concert back then-"
"That was just..." Jongin began, but trailed off. He had wanted to play a little with Chanyeol, being sure that he was both into guys and too proper to actually go further. Had he assumed Chanyeol would have reacted like that no matter whose behind was grinding on him? Wow, that actually sounded kinda terrible, even in his head, now that he thought about it. So complicated.
"I even tried to prove to you that I like you in a not-only physical way before? And whenever we went swimming, I was constantly concerned about getting a , and I'm not sure I kept myself in check all the time, so don't try to tell me you didn't notice me constantly ogling all over you and your bared skin and- god, you even made me say all this, you can be so cruel," Chanyeol trailed off with an embarrassed, high-pitched whine as he buried his face in his hands in pure embarrassment. Now Jongin was just confused.
"But... you seem to hate touching me," he stated blankly.
"I don't!" Chanyeol swiftly protested, muffled by the fingers still hiding his face.
Jongin blinked. He didn't? He found him attractive, even? So why?
"I just- I didn't wanna push you or make you uncomfortable-"
Oh? Jongin scrunched up his brows, eyes flitting around the area. He felt like he was on to something now. This was Chanyeol, who always tended to underestimate himself.
I'm not sure I kept myself in check all the time, he'd said just now, right? The word choice suggested that-

"It's because I'm ase- because I'm not interested in ," Jongin stated, fairly certain of himself this time. With a sigh, Chanyeol's shoulders dropped along with his hands. He'd been spot on. Jongin felt a flurry of nervous, conflicting emotions, but there was no going back now.
"You're afraid you'll go too far? Or somewhere I don't want you to, in general? You think I wouldn't stop you?"
"I know you would," Chanyeol protested weakly. "But... you'd still be hurt in your trust. Even if you'd pretend not to be."
Well. This was true, but-
"Are you maybe stupid?" Jongin asked slowly, almost mockingly curious. It was like the tables had turned, and now Chanyeol was blinking at him cluelessly.
"Huh?"
"Do you actually think you'd jump me and force me to do stuff I wouldn't want you to? Your faith in yourself is disturbingly low, like please. I have more faith in you than you do, and that's saying something."
Chanyeol didn't look completely convinced, and so Jongin went on, running on auto-pilot now.
"You think I'd climb into a bath tub for cuddles if that made me uncomfortable? And don't gimme that whole 'but that was Kyungsoo' nonsense," he cut him off before Chanyeol had a chance to open his mouth, "because it's supposed to be the three of us being together equally, right? You don't need to treat me like porcelain, like I might break at a wrong touch, cause I won't-"
"Okay, okay!" Chanyeol fell in with hands raised in defeat, and Jongin immediately shut up, fearing he might have taken it too far with his attitude.
"But try seeing it from my point of view," Chanyeol began, hands wringing together to keep away the cold. "You used to hate me for the longest time. And then, all of a sudden, you wanna be together with Kyungsoo and me. Like, I know we've become friends, sort of. I trust you if you say you wanna be with both of us. But."
Sensing that he was getting nowhere, he shook his head, shaking off any hesitation as he looked Jongin straight in the eye.
"Do I have to always assume everything? I can be wrong, too. I could be wrong about you and what you think."
He didn't sound accusing, just a little helpless. And while Jongin stared at him, he realized that maybe he should sound accusing. For if he was actually doubting Jongin's feelings, it was clearly his fault for not expressing them right. Especially since this was Chanyeol, who was basically a mind reader.

"I'm not good with words, I guess. Sorry," Jongin said awkwardly, unconsciously seeking out what was now a pink light.
But I really like you. I'm crushing on you.
Soon, I'll be able to call it love, I can feel it.
He opened his mouth, but none of these words would come out. It was like his throat was blocked.
"It's okay," Chanyeol said, placing his palm over Jongin's lower arm in a touch so fleeting that it was impossible to feel it through the jacket. It was frustrating.
"Just tell me... tell me since when you felt that way for me, maybe?"
Everything about his voice screamed help me out here, and Jongin still noticed how he was making it easier for him, by asking the questions and not putting a label on what Jongin may or may not feel. He placed his own palm over Chanyeol's, pressing down generously, until he could feel him.
"Since when. I don't know, it just... happened."

He bit his lip, trying to swallow all pretense and just be honest and straight-forward with Chanyeol for once.
"I really don't know. I know I realized it when you played that song, remember? The universe one?"
Chanyeol made a quiet, acknowledging sound, patiently waiting for him to continue.
"That's where I really understood. That being around you is not a chore, but something I... enjoy," Jongin said slowly, trying not to claw at Chanyeol's hand. "I can be myself and relax around you - which probably sounds stupid, since I'm obviously not relaxed at all right now, but point is: I really want to be with you. As more than just team mates or friends or whatever. If that's okay with you."
His resolve admittedly faltered a bit towards the end, and his eyes had been constantly flitting between Chanyeol's and their hands, but at least he'd said it. A couple seconds passed. It felt like an eternity.

"Okay."
The response was a whisper, so quiet Jongin almost didn't hear it over the wind.
The pressure on Jongin's arm increased as Chanyeol placed his second hand on top of Jongin's and leaned in.
"I want to," he murmured as he inched closer. And closer. Until Jongin felt the cool air being blocked, until he felt the warmth Chanyeol's radiating off burning cheeks, until-
Until Jongin ripped his hand free to smack his fingers over his own mouth, just in time. Chanyeol backed off a bit immediately, looking startled and flustered.
"W-what now?" he asked, clearly embarrassed. Jongin hoped the beginning of a blush on his face wasn't that obvious yet.
"Kyungsoo isn't here."
"So?"
"It's unfair to him," Jongin protested quietly, still refusing to fully remove his fingers from his lips. Chanyeol scratched his head, looking all sorts of confused.
"So I should only kiss you when he's around?"
Jongin shook his head before he knew it. Before his mind consciously knew what his body knew already.
"No. Just. This is the first time, and Kyungsoo waited for you, too. So..."
Chanyeol blinked as understanding trickled in. Then he broke into a small grin that grew into a smile, and Jongin was kind of shocked how much it actually put him at ease.
"That's adorable," he chuckled, and before Jongin could remove his hand to complain, Chanyeol had grasped his wrist to keep it there.
"Okay, I'll wait," Chanyeol hummed, leaning back in to press his lips against the back of Jongin's surely icy fingers. He was close that Jongin's eyes fluttered shut instinctively, senses sharpening to focus on the sensation of warmth. It wasn't a simple, innocent peck that went by in a flash. No, Chanyeol placed an open-mouthed kiss on his fingers, languidly nipping at his knuckles as if trying to map them out. So close.
Meanwhile, Chanyeol's hold on his wrist was noticeable, but loose, with one finger casually sneaking below the leather bracelet, making Jongin's breath hitch. Sensing this, Chanyeol's lips slowly came to a rest as he tugged at the leather, ever so lightly, and Jongin let out the tiniest gasp. The bracelet. Their symbol of belonging. He was theirs. And Chanyeol was his.
His head was still spinning when Chanyeol drew away, and Jongin wanted to get rid of this unusually confident, stupid grin. But also snap a picture beforehand, so he'd not forget the sight. As if in trance, Jongin finally lowered his hand.

"You're a weirdo," he mumbled, not sure how to act, feel or think. He was a mess. God, Park Chanyeol could turn him into a mess this easily.
The tension melted like a snowflake landing on your palm, and with a bright smile, Chanyeol reached around to forcefully tug him into his side.

"I'm trying," he said in an airy, maybe even breathy voice, but he trusted Jongin not to be freaked out.
Just like Jongin trusted him when he silently leaned into the side hug.

 

This might not be the best chapter, but I've been getting back into writing after a two week break, so... be gentle with me?
(I know, my Rom-com should be next, but I'm not feeling happy enough for that one *sigh*)
Yeah, in my head the 'weakest link' would be ChanKai, after the last chapter.
Does it get across that Jongin thinks a lot? To me, he thinks more than the other two, by far~

Love,
Sugar-and-Salt ♥

P.S.: Jongin is my boyfriend as we watched Passengers. Srsly though, don't spend money on that one. At least not if you wanna see some interesting characters...