Woohyun checked himself out in the mirror one last time, making sure everything was perfect. He was a handsome devil, nobody could deny that. He had this in the bag. Recently, he had stubbornly decided to conquer the world of variety. Sungkyu was becoming mildly successful in the variety scene, so he had just thought, he could do it so much better. He chuckled to himself, giving himself a wink in the mirror.

Today was important if he was going to reach his goal. It was the Mr. Charming contest. Every week there was this corner where handsome celebrities competed in a face off where only one came out victorious, who would then get a callback at the end of the season for a Mr. Charming special, competing for the title. It was a sure way to become popular in varieties, for the winner had an open invitation to all the main shows. The title was as good as his, he nodded to his mirror-self that was looking especially charming today.

The door to the dressing room opened, he turned towards it, thinking it would be the staff calling him in, for it was nearly time. Instead, a grinning Taecyeon burst through the door with an idiotic 'I am here!' expression on his face. Oh no. Not him. He was on good terms with everyone in 2PM, except Taecyeon. He couldn't stand him. He was always doing something ridiculous to get attention, so you either had to stoop to his level and make a fool of yourself or concede to sharing the spotlight. Woohyun was fine with sharing a lot of things, but the spotlight, that was his and his alone.

He wasn't worried, but this was definitely a minor setback. Taecyeon wasn't exactly the ugliest guy out there, and the girls went nuts for him. He didn't understand why, though. He was an oversized idiot in nice packaging. Don't get fooled by the pretty packaging, people! But this was nothing he couldn't handle. He just had to up his game. He hadn't expected the competition to get so fierce so soon, but this was good. Better to knock him out early in the process.

“It's time, guys.” a staff member stuck her head through the door.

He stood up and headed for the door, but Taecyeon caught up with him and bumped him to the side before he could reach it.

“Good luck!” Taecyeon smirked. “I think you're going to need it.” he chuckled dorkily, and disappeared out the door.

Ugh. He clenched his teeth. Taecyeon was going down. He put up his loveliest smile, and exited the door. This was war.

Apink Eunji, Sistar Hyorin, EXID Hani and some cute rookie girls were already there. Not a bad turnout. He sent one of the rookies a wink, making the poor thing nearly fall over in a shy giggle fit. She was blushing so much that her cordi had to use half a can of powder to cover it up. Aigoo, what a cutie. This was easier than he had dared to hope. He looked confidently at Taecyeon who stood beside him, as if to say 'that's how you do it!'. Instead of trying to upstage him with some of his crazy antics, Taecyeon smiled sweetly and sent him a wink. Him, not the girls. He got an uncomfortable feeling in his gut. What did that mean? Was this some kind of psychological warfare? Was he trying to tell him that he didn't need any of these silly warm-up exercises, or was he just trying to psych him out? Whatever it was, it was not working. His confidence didn't falter for a second. He was the original Mr. Charming, the world just didn't know it yet.

Heechul, the MC, started the corner with a witty welcome. They then drew the names of the girls they were supposed to charm. It was the most important part, because the girl was the sole decider on whether your charms really did work or not. There were no do-overs.

Heechul held a jar of white name slips in between them, Woohyun had already decided which one he was going to draw, reaching for it, when Taecyeon's uncharacteristically delicate hand beat him to it, literally pulling the piece of paper through Woohyun's fingers triumphantly. Everyone laughed. He let out a pretend chuckle or two, laughter being the furthest thing from his mind. This guy was infuriating. Why did he have to pick his piece of paper, it was not like they were see-through, they had no idea what name it would reveal. Begrudgingly, he picked another name slip and held it up confidently. Everyone clapped.

Taecyeon revealed his. “Eunji!” Heechul announced. Taecyeon did a chivalrous bow in her direction, making her giggle, wowing everyone with her sparkling smile. Ah. That was his piece of paper, Eunji should have been his partner.

Woohyun untangled the paper he was clutching in his hand a little too tightly. He took a deep breath before peeking at the name. His heart sank as Heechul grabbed the note, having to pry it out of his hands, nearly tearing it in half.

A gagwoman. He had to draw a gagwoman! This was all Taecyeon's fault. Eunji was who he had been going for, she was his destined partner. That conniving thief. So unfair. But he was not going to complain. He wasn't going to stoop so low. If he couldn't charm a gagwoman, then he wasn't much of a Mr. Charming. When he thought about it, Taecyeon might have inadvertently done him a favor. A gagwoman was bound to be easier than a high-class idol girl that had her pick of guys. He made the mistake of looking in Taecyeon's direction, he was looking directly at him, laughing his off. That bastard. He was smoother than he had given him credit for. He wouldn't underestimate him anymore. From now on he was going to bring his A game.

Woohyun and the gag-lady were on first. She was short and chubby, looking at him like she was going to eat him. He was a little bit nervous, but he pretended not to be. Since it was a comedian, he thought the funny, cute approach would go over better than a hot, sizzling romantic approach. Also, he didn't really want to open that can of worms.

“Aaand go!” Heechul gave them the cue.

“Heh...” he grinned awkwardly. And then he the charms. He crinkled his nose and made a heart with his hands, which then turned into a bird which flew towards the girl. She put up a funny 'iiihh maybe' expression, indicating his approach wasn't strong enough. Everyone laughed. It was time to bring out the aegyo arsenal. He did a heart over his head and then blew out his cheeks and did a *bboing bboing* with his balled up fists, ending it with a cutsie wink followed by an air-kiss. He could see he was affecting her, but being a comedian, she opted for a funny response, which was not in his favor.

“Alright! Let's see if Taecyeon can top the bird of love!” Heechul chuckled, turning the attention of the audience to Eunji and Taecyeon.

Taecyeon took one step forward so that there was barely an inch of air between them, looking into Eunji's eyes. And then did nothing. A second later Eunji stepped back, giggling uncontrollably, the audience making a swoony noise. He didn't get it, what had happened? He had done absolutely nothing!

“I think we have a winner!” Heechul announced.

“Wait!” Woohyun interjected. He ran to the gagwoman for a second chance, a hail Mary.

“Noonaaaa...” he said overly softly, taking her hand, and looking her in the eye with pleading puppy eyes. Her cheeks reddened immediately, giggling.

“See!” Woohyun showed Heechul.

“Too little, too late, man.” he shook his head.

“Oh, come on! Taec did nothing! This would never work in real life!!” he shook his head, outraged.

“Can I?” Taecyeon pointed at Woohyun, grinning. Heechul nodded, delighted.

“Okay, the ultimate test.” Heechul exclaimed, as Taecyeon got into position in front of Woohyun. This was ridiculous, Woohyun thought. Like this would have any effect.

“Now, you have to look him in the eyes the entire time.” Heechul warned.

Woohyun fixed his stare on Taecyeon, looking him right in the eyes. No sweat. Sure, those were pretty eyes, but that was not going to be enough. Taecyeon took one step towards him, standing awkwardly close to him. At first he stared intently into his eyes, electrifying the thin strip of air between them. Woohyun held his breath without meaning to. Then, slowly, Taecyeon's eyes turned soft. Almost... vulnerable. Without his permission, Woohyun's heart softened in response. Next Taecyeon put a little tension in his lips, making his perfectly wavy lips slightly pouty, drawing attention to them, making you want to just lean in and...

“Eh.” Woohyun released his breath and took a small step backwards, shaking his head so he would snap out of it. He felt as if he had been put under a spell by a powerful magician, no longer in control over his own thoughts and actions. It was disconcerting.

“And there we have it! Master Charmer!” Heechul announced thrilled, chuckling happily.

Woohyun staged a hearty laugh. “I was just acting ha ha ha!” he explained, or lied more like it.

“It seemed like it was working to me.” Heechul laughed, not convinced.

“That's just how good an actor I am. I'm a triple threat! I can sing, I can dance and I can act like the best of'em!” he put up his million dollar smile.

“I demand a rematch!” he added, determined. He was not going to lose this opportunity. Sungkyu would make fun of him forever if he admitted defeat.

“Alright. Let's try a reenactment.” Heechul suggested. “The first one is the famous kiss scene from 'Another Miss Oh', who's up first?” he asked. Woohyun and Taecyeon exchanged fierce looks, both their hands shooting up in the air at the exact same time. Woohyun narrowed his eyes, Taecyeon following suit. It was on.

“I think they've already started, look at that chemistry!” the gagwoman laughed. It didn't take Heechul long to catch on. “Woohyun and Taecyeon, everybody!” he announced, as if the two of them were going to do the reenactment together.

What. He looked at Taecyeon to see if he wouldn't object, but he just raised his eyebrows with a taunting look in his eyes. Well, if Taecyeon could do it, he could do it. He was not going to be the lame one that chickened out. No way.

“I'll be Eric!” Taecyeon shouted excitedly.

“Ha ha, Woohyun, you're Miss Oh.” Heechul giggled. Damn it! He didn't know you could choose. Damn that Taecyeon, always a calculated step ahead, like some unstoppable charm-monster.

Their attention was directed to the screen, where they got to see the scene they were going to be attempting to reenact.

Another Miss Oh

Episode 9 - Kissing scene

Woohyun burst into a fit of laughter as he watched Miss Oh beat the living daylights out of Eric with her bag. That was more like it, finally he had caught a break. Good choice. Nice. Until the kiss started. Woohyun's jaw fell to the floor, shattering into a million pieces. No way they were doing... that. That would never be approved for airing anyways. Nah-a! His stomach churned, hoping Taecyeon wasn't crazy enough to attempt anything.

“Aaand ACTION!” Heechul clapped his hands together as a cue.

Taecyeon started solemnly walking away from him. He waited until he was some distance away, before running after him, swinging a woman's handbag that he had been given, borrowed from a female audience member. And with all the might he had, he lunged forward and slammed the handbag into Taecyeon's back, knocking the wind right out of him.

“Ah!” Taecyeon turned around, fire in his eyes. He looked genuinely surprised at how much force he had used. Maybe he had been a bit too harsh, but he was in character!

Taecyeon grabbed his wrist, “Are you crazy?!” he growled. Wow, he was a good actor.

Woohyun wrestled his arm free, starting to storm away when Taecyeon grabbed his shoulder. Even though he knew it was coming, it still gave him a jolt. He turned around and started beating him with the bag, theatrically, over and over again, albeit not as hard as before.

“Aishh, seriously.” Taecyeon grumbled, avoiding the last hit and grabbing him from behind to stop him, holding him hostage in his big, burly arms. Woohyun had lost himself to the character, his heart was beating a mile a minute. And then suddenly, his feet were lifted into the air. Man, he was strong.

“Let me go!” he screamed dramatically, and the moment his feet found the ground again, he bent down and sank his teeth into the side of Taecyeon's palm, biting it.

“Ouch! You..!” Taecyeon threw him away, staring at his hand in disbelief. Much to Woohyun's dismay there were teeth marks visible on his hand. Not deep ones, but they were definitely there. He hadn't bitten him that hard, had he? He had kind of lost track of himself in all the commotion.

He gingerly flung the bag at him, as an attempt to say sorry and move the scene along. Taecyeon looked at him, livid. And then he came at him. Woohyun screeched in a high-pitched voice as they wrestled in circles. He was no match for Taecyeon's strength, who effortlessly swung him around and pinned him to the wall, grabbing both his wrists and holding his hands hostage against the wall.

Woohyun swallowed, catching his breath. He watched as Taecyeon's chest expanded and subsided as he took deep breaths. He noticed a drop of sweat the length of his neck. His lips were tense, exposing his teeth, his nostrils flared. He was looking at him like he was going to devour him. It felt as if his piercing stare was looking right into his soul, stripping him of all pretense.

As Taecyeon started slowly leaning in, not taking his eyes off him for even a second, the world seemed to disappear. He forgot all about the three hundred or so fans that were following their every move, not seeing anything but this amazing guy in front of him. Strong and manly, but that was only skin deep. He could see his soft side peeking out behind his eyes, melting his heart into a gooey puddle at the bottom of his gut.

The closer he got, the stronger his scent became. He breathed him in. He smelled good. His eyes focused on his lips, which were dangerously close, poised to do something more than just talk. Woohyun bit his lip, not believing this was really happening, but surprisingly, not wanting it to stop.

“Aaand CUT!!” Heechul came running, stopping them before anything could happen. In a daze, he wandered if Taecyeon would have really gone through with it. There wasn't really any point thinking about it though, for he would never find out. He tried to ignore the shadow of disappointment that started enveloping him.

“I think this brilliant, and intense, performance earned them both an unprecedented tie! They will both continue to the semi-final, in our search for Mr. Charming!” Heechul took their hands in each of his and lifted them up, to indicate they were both the winner. Taecyeon was still breathing heavily. He looked angry. Was he still angry that he bit him? Or that he beat him repeatedly with that lady's handbag? He had his pick of reasons.

“See you next week!” Heechul smiled until he got the cue that the recording was over.

The moment Heechul released his hand, Woohyun ran away. He was the first to exit the stage. He needed to get out of there. His head was all cloudy and he felt weird. As he reached the deserted hallway, he could finally breathe. He felt as someone grabbed his wrist, pulling him along as he passed him. It was Taecyeon. He stormed down the hallway, Woohyun could hardly keep up. He was definitely angry. . Okay, he was totally confident in being able to win him at everything, except a physical fight. After all, Taecyeon was pretty tall, and strong. Very strong.

Without warning, Taecyeon threw him into a small dressing room at the end of the hallway. It wasn't theirs. He pushed him all the way to the back of the room, not stopping until the wall made any further advances impossible. Woohyun knew he should say something, that he should object or take the first punch and run away, but there was a weird vibe in the air. Taecyeon had this cryptic look on his face. A fierce, hungry look. It made him curious.

Taecyeon slammed his hands against the wall, cornering him in a Taecyeon-cage. And then he just looked at him. He felt uncomfortable. He wanted to get away, but on the other hand he didn't. He didn't dare return Taecyeon's gaze. He looked anywhere but into his eyes. He decided the best thing to do was to sneak under one of Taecyeon's arms and just run like hell. He swallowed, readying his muscles. But then the strangest thing happened. Instead of running away, he lunged forward and kissed him. He. He kissed Taecyeon. And it was better than he had even dared to hope. So he kissed him again, and again.

Surprised, Taecyeon remained still for a moment, just letting him kiss him. But then he smiled, wrapping his big, burly arms around him so that he nearly disappeared into his arms, kissing him back, deeply.

“You taste good.” Taecyeon chuckled dorkily as they came up for air. Woohyun ran his hand down his broad back, getting weak in the knees as he felt his muscles bulge under his fingers. Taecyeon tightened his embrace, leaving almost no room to breathe, kissing him lightly on the neck.

“You wanna go back to mine?” Woohyun asked in a low voice, not really believing it was his own voice he was hearing. He had completely lost it.

Taecyeon didn't have to be asked twice, they got out of there faster than a bolt of lightning.

-------

“You can still see it.” Taecyeon murmured, pointing at the place on his hand where he had bitten him. They were lying together in Woohyun's bed, .

“Sorry.” Woohyun said, not sure what to say. They had just woken up after a very eventful night. He wasn't sure how he felt about everything that had happened, but he didn't regret it.

“You're gona have to pay.” Taecyeon grinned. He had such a dorky, but beautiful smile.

“Hmm... what do you want?” he asked hesitantly, understanding Pandora's feelings as she opened the box.

“You.”.

“Me...?” he repeated, waiting for the end of the sentence.

Taecyeon drew him into his arms, kissing his bare shoulder. Then he turned to face him.

“Yeah. You.” he said in a soft, enchanting voice. All of Woohyun's defenses melted away. Resistance was futile.

“Okay.” he whispered, sealing the deal with a kiss.