Double update this week! ^^

From the moment he met Minwoo, Donghyun knew he was getting himself caught in a trap he had no way of getting out of.

The younger had a certain allure that pulled Donghyun in. Donghyun couldn’t resist. Wouldn’t resist. He felt relaxed whenever Minwoo was nearby. It was easy to get addicted to the feeling of calmness when Donghyun was constantly surrounded by the need to be perfect. Perfection as an idol, perfection as a leader, and perfection as a hyung.

The pressures of perfection often threatened to overwhelm him, pushing him into a corner and blocking all means of escape. Whenever that happened, Minwoo would arrive and chase the demons away, reminding Donghyun that he was only human.

Even now, Minwoo entered their shared hotel room and immediately headed for Donghyun’s bed rather than his own. The maknae flopped down next to Donghyun, making Donghyun bounce lightly. Donghyun instinctively shifted closer to Minwoo so their shoulders touched.

“Hyung, are you tired?” Minwoo asked sweetly.

“Very,” Donghyun groaned as he rubbed his face, “What about you? The promotions took a long time today.”

“It did. Jeongmin-hyung said his feet ached, Hyunseong-hyung was using the neck massager, and the twins are already asleep.” Minwoo listed the conditions of the others. “I gave Jeongmin-hyung the extra bottle of massage cream I packed, and I think he’s going to share it with Hyunseong-hyung. Too bad the twins aren’t getting any.”

Donghyun smiled lightly. “We’re going to have a hard time getting them to get up tomorrow.”

Minwoo laughed. “We can always roll them out.” He got up and went to his suitcase, pulling out a bottle of cream. “Do you want some muscle cream, hyung?”

“Sure.” Donghyun sat up as Minwoo climbed back onto the bed. The maknae opened the bottle and poured a generous amount on Donghyun’s hands before taking some himself. They rubbed the cream over their legs and feet in silence, occasionally rustling the blanket in order to massage the bottoms of their feet as well.

“Minwoo-ah.” Donghyun broke the silence. “Did Jeongmin and Hyunseong say anything else when you talked to them?”

Minwoo paused in his administrations, tilting his head to the side. “Well, Jeongmin-hyung also said that he’s sure we did well with our promotions today. Why do you ask? Was there something wrong with the promotion?”

“I don’t know. Was there?” Donghyun repeated the question a little apprehensively. “Did I say or do something weird?”

Understanding dawned on Minwoo’s face. “Hyung, are you worried that the promotion wasn’t perfect?”

Donghyun swallowed. The pressure of being perfect was rising again. It carved a pit of dread in Donghyun’s stomach and filled his mind with baseless anxieties. He knew he was worrying too much, but he couldn’t help it. He just wanted to make sure everything was perfect.

Donghyun’s silence was enough of an answer for Minwoo. The maknae placed the massage cream bottle on the nightstand between their beds and scooted closer to Donghyun. He took Donghyun’s hand in a reassuring grip that the older idol had become so familiar with. The nagging voice in Donghyun’s head quieted down, dying into barely more than a murmur.

“Hyung, it’s okay to not be perfect,” Minwoo said patiently, despite having told Donghyun the same thing many times before. “We’re human, and making mistakes is a part of being human. It doesn’t make you bad or worthless. You’ll be my Donghyun-hyung no matter how many mistakes you make.”

Donghyun released the breath he had been holding and wrapped his arms around Minwoo. The voice in his head had fallen silent now.

Minwoo was always able to bring Donghyun the peace he needed.