“Yah, Bae Jinyoung finish your food!”

It’d be normal if it were his mother, but his mother is not short, blonde, or a boy.

“I can’t eat it anymore.”

“Don’t give me that, you haven’t been getting enough sleep, at least finish your food.”

Jinyoung groans, but picks up his chopstick to take the remaining strands of mung bean and rice from his plate.

“Jinyoungie, so obedient,” Jihoon chastises from across him.

“Don’t start with me Park Jeojang.”

“Whatever you say Jinyoungie.”

“If only people knew how insufferable you were in real life.”

“Aww, I’ll always save that in my heart.”

Daehwi smacks Jihoon slightly, “You’ve been hanging out with Woojin too much.”

“Ew, don’t lump me with this beast.”

Woojin didn’t have the energy to even look slightly offended.

Jinyoung ignores their bickering as he shoves another mouthful of rice into his mouth. Things have calmed down again after the last elimination. Daehwi’s ranking went down a few spots last elimination, much to the surprise of everyone.

Jinyoung had anticipated it to go lower, but was relieved that Daehwi retained his top 11 ranking. He himself was still sitting at 12, but this only meant things were still within reaching distance.

Daehwi had processed the events well. He was now a bit more cautious when they were being recorded, but he was still very much the Daehwi everyone loved.

As for their relationship, well, it’s come to Daehwi doting on Jinyoung all the time and Jinyoung trying to not look like he needed be with the other boy for him to breath easy.

It was very scary how he wanted to always be around him. Made more difficult after their next assignment saw the two separated from each other.

“Hey, Daehwi, how have you been fairing with Dongho?”

Daehwi visibly clams up and starts poking the piece of beef he was about to eat. He shrugs in reply and starts to stare elsewhere.

It’s been like that for a while. After Daehwi was teamed up with Kang Dongho, he’s been more subdued, because Daehwi had always been just a bit intimidated by Dongho ever since the first recording.

They’ve all been telling Daehwi to just talk to Dongho; Minki even gave Daehwi talking points. But the boy just wouldn’t budge.

Jinyoung’s been trying to get talk Daehwi into starting a conversation with Dongho so that they could break the ice, but Daehwi always found a way to distract him from getting further into the conversation.

It usually involved Daehwi pouting—a weapon he used freely against Jinyoung to get his way.

“Daehwi, you have to talk to him. You have one of the most formidable teams right now, you guys can go crazy with your stage.”

Daehwi shakes his head, “That’s what’s difficult. Dongho and Sewoon have been butting heads about how they want the song to be arranged, leaving me and Minki looking like idiots.”

“Ya, Daehwi-ah, aren’t you really good with these things,” Seongwoo says from where he’s murmuring to Daniel about their choreography.

“At what?”

“like making people smile, can’t you just pout and have everyone drooling at your feet?”

“I don’t do that!” he says indignantly.

Jihoon gives him a look, “You always do that to Jinyoung.”

Daehwi actually looks offended and pouts at the boy in question, “I don’t…do I?”

Jinyoung bites his lip, because he cannot resist Daehwi. He’s been trying, but nope, not today.

“Ya, Daehwi you’re doing it right now.”

Daehwi, shocked by his own actions, looks at Jinyoung, “Do I?”

Jinyoung gives a stiff nod and Daehwi frowns.

“N-not that it bothers me or anything!” Jinyoung says while waving his hands, “I just don’t like seeing you frown is all.”

“Oh my god, I’m going to barf,” Samuel squeals from the other side.

Daehwi flashes a smile before he hugs Jinyoung.

--

Once again, Daehwi escapes the topic of Dongho unscathed and Jinyoung can’t blame anyone but himself.

He’s walking to the practice room when he catches sight of Minki dragging Dongho down the hall to their respective practice room.

It comes as a surprise to Jinyoung when he blocks the elder’s way.

He wasn’t necessarily afraid of Dongho, but they haven’t really spoken to each other. And even though Minki had insisted Dongho was the sweetest among the Nuest boys—a fact Jinyoung wasn’t too doubtful of—Dongho still looks plenty intimidating.

“Oh, Bae Jinyoung, hello,” he says politely.

Jinyoung sort of freezes for a bit before he starts to talk.

“Um…hi.”

Minki is trying not to laugh, but elects to contain the snickers to watch the impending trainwreck that was unfolding in front of him

“Did you need something?”

This was his opportunity. This was the moment to finally force Daehwi to face his fear and talk to Dongho. Only if Jinyoung could do the same right now.

“Um…yes…sort of,” he says fiddling with his fingers as he tries not to look directly at him. 

“What is it? Minki and I have to practice.”

Now. Tell him. Tell him.

But Jinyoung’s confidence dwindled as soon as it grew, and soon he was a stuttering mess who did not know how to process proper words.”

“D-d...ugh…I’m sorry for interrupting you. Bye.”

It’s a dinner when Daehwi smacks Jinyoung on the head.

“Ow, what was that for?”

Daehwi pouts at him, “For being stupid.”

Jinyoung raises his hands, “What did I do?”

“You made a fool of yourself in front of Dongho.”

This catches the attention of Woojin and Jihoon, who have forgotten their dinner to watch the two bicker.

“What did he do? I need to know,” Woojin all but squeals.

Daehwi shakes his head as he sits down, “He asked for a favor then forgot how to talk.”

Woojin nods, “Yeah, he’s been doing that a lot.”

Jinyoung flushes in embarrassment, and Daehwi just shakes his head as he sits down beside him.

“What did you even need? Dongho was so worried because you looked so close to fainting.”

Jinyoung flushes further. His mouth is dry and his tongue stopped functioning properly. Jinyoung thinks he needs to see a physical therapist, these things have been happening way too much, most of the time when it involves Daehwi.

Jihoon, who’s been quietly observing the entire conversation, his eyebrow, “Did you perhaps, make a fool out of yourself for Daehwi’s sake?”

“N-no!” he says so frailly that even he is unconvinced.

Jihoon shakes his head,  “Oh, C9 Bae Jinyoung, when will you ever learn?”

Daehwi is slightly confused, if the slight furrow in his eyebrow is any indication.

“What? What’s happening that I don’t know.”

Woojin pats Daehwi on the back and smirks, “Your Jinyoung darling here was talking to Dongho for you.”

Daehwi tilts his head in confusion, “What? Why?”

Jinyoung, finally able to find his voice, faces Daehwi, “You w-were scared of him, and I know that you really want to do well during this stage. So I tried to ask him to like try to talk to you and not be scary and stuff,” Jinyoung says in one hurried breath, “But I chickened out when I was talking to him because he hasn’t shaved and his face is scary.”

Woojin and Jihoon are all out cackling at the confession, and Jinyoung is back to blushing. Daehwi is trying to hide the laughter that is about to erupt—he only gets a snicker out.

Daehwi pinches Jinyoung’s cheeks, “Aigoo, you’re so cute what am I going to do with you?”

Jinyoung smiles, “Ah, you’re cuter.”

Woojin and Jihoon have shifted to all out amusement to looks of horror, as Samuel enters the scene at the exact moment.

Jinyoung is not good at English, most Koreans aren’t. But Daehwi is, and so was Samuel.

Daehwi sounds like those guys in the movies, like that Tom Cruise guy. But this is because Daehwi lived in the US for most of his life, he grew up with the accent shoved at him. And the fact that he could speak fluent, gorgeous English wouldn’t really be a problem if Daehwi didn’t talk to Samuel in English all the god damn time.

“You look like you’re about to burn someone with your eyes,” Jihoon says beside him.

“Why is it I’m always with you?”

Jihoon gives him an amused look, “We’re WinkDeep, remember. We’ve got a ship name and everything.”

Jinyoung shakes his head, “I didn’t know that would get that big.”

Jihoon shakes his head with tsk, “Dear Jinyoung, you’re dealing with Mr.1, everything I do goes viral.”

Jinyoung rolls his eyes, “If only everyone knew how insufferable you are.”

“If only everyone knew how so gone you are for Daehwi,” Jihoon murmurs more to himself.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Jihoon says with a fake smile, to which Jinyoung grimaces.

“So what would make our Deep Dark so sulky this early in the morning? If I were to guess, it would be something involving a certain Lee Daehwi.”

Jinyoung shrugs as he continues staring at Samuel and Daehwi conversing from across the hall.

“They even have a ship name,” Jinyoung murmurs to himself, however, Jihoon managed to get the murmur from how close he was to Jinyoung. Jihoon looks to where his friend grimacing to find Samuel and Daehwi conversing in some faraway corner of the room and adds things up.

“Ya, Samwhi. It’s cute,” Jihoon says with a coo that is obviously an attempt to tick Jinyoung off.

If you were a sane person, it would have been easy to see that it was a ploy. Sadly, Jinyoung was never fully sane when it came to Daehwi.

“Daehwi and I are cuter.”

“Wow, competitive much.”

Jinyoung ignores Jihoon’s comment to glare at Samuel and Daehwi again, “If we had a ship name we would be the cutest.”

“Yeah, You two would be called ‘Stupid heads’”

“Is it because our heads are small?”

“No, it’s because your heads are stupid.”

“I resent your friendship.”

“Well dear, you’re stuck with me, unless you want captain snaggletooth to accompany you?”

Jinyoung’s eyes flare up, “No, I’d die.”

“Yeah, you would,” Jisung suddenly says as he takes a seat beside Jinyoung and Jihoon.

“Couldn’t help but overhear your stupid troubles and I wanted to help Jihoon,” he says.

“Why is everyone against me?” Jinyoung says raising his hands.

“Jinyoung, no one’s against you. We just don’t like you pining all the time, it gets sadder each time it happens.”

Jinyoung just shrugs it off as he eyes Samuel and Daehwi snickering about something in English.

“Do you think I could learn English?” he asks to no one in particular.

Jihoon and Jisung share a look, “Yeah, charm him up with ‘yes good’ for an hour,” Jihoon says, earning a soft chuckle from Jisung.

Jisung, quite tired of Jinoyung’s pouting, decides to turn his from the easiest way he knows how.

“DAEHWI!” he hollers, catching the boy and his companion by surprise. Jinyoung turns impossibly red and Jihoon starts cackling on the table as a confused Daehwi and Samuel walk over to the table.

“Yes, hyung?”

Jisung smiles as he goes up to stand, “Jinyoung is sad. Cheer him up.”

Daehwi immediately directs his attention to a very flustered Jinyoung who is looking at anything that is not lee Daehwi.

“Jinyoung, what’s wrong?” Daehwi says as he places a comforting hand on the small of Jinyoung’s back.

“N-nothing,” he murmurs.

Daehwi pouts and pats his back comfortingly, “Are you sure?”

Jihoon has stopped snickering enough to smirk at Jinyoung impossibly embarrassed face.

“Jinyoung wants to learn how to speak in English.”

Daehwi suddenly looks absolutely enamored that he actually coos.

“Aw, were you too embarrassed to ask? I can teach you, Samuel can help.”

Jinyoung feels a nerve tensing ever so slightly. He sees Samuel nodding good naturedly at him, while Jihoon looked like he just won five Daesangs.

Jinyoung lifts his head to get closer to Daehwi and whispers, “Um, it’s okay if it’s just you.”

Jinyoung thinks Daehwi turns a faint shade of pink, but that’s highly unlikely. Samuel looks a bit perplexed as Jihoon gathers him with a sweep, the two of them walking away leaving the two on their own.

“Sure. We can have private lessons.”

Jinyoung smiles, “Yeah, that sounds nice.”

It’s the second elimination and Jinyoung is stressed out. There’s a thrumming in his stomach that he can’t rid of, and a veritable heat that’s plowing through his veins. He can’t sit still and his eyes are moving everywhere.

He’s next to Jihoon and they’re holding hands throughout the entire thing. His heart gets faster at each announcement until he’s finally called and is sitting comfortably in his seat.

But slowly the seats were being filled and Daehwi still wasn’t called. He ranked 10^th last time, it was possible that he rose, actually that’s probably what happened. But Jinyoung is just nerves and anxiety at this point as he watches the seats get filled without Daehwi sitting in any one of them.

That’s when the possibility hit him. That’s when the idea of continuing without Daehwi almost wrecked his mind with dread.

The warmth and smile that inspired him. The voice that made him believe in himself. That love that made believe that he could do anything.

The idea was preposterous and downright insidious. There was still so much to do, so much to conquer.

They were going to debut. They were going to explore the ups and downs of idol life. They were would do everything.

Together.

They were going to do it together.

BoA has reached the fourth seat and she announces that the faces of the ones taking the seat would be flashed.

Then Jinyong thinks back to the promise by the fountain and steels himself. If—no—when Daehwi takes a seat, he would work harder and debut. This was his dream, he would push through.

Both of them would.

And then there’s Daehwi’s face next to Jonghyun, Jihoon and Kuan Lin. His shining, radiant face looking relieved.

He gets fourth and Jinyoung is smiling so wide he couldn’t contain it.

It’s at the moment that Daehwi walks up to his seat and flashes him a smile that Jinyoung finds it himself to admit that he was irrevocably in love with the boy who ran after him because he liked his impossibly small face.

He was in love with Lee Daehwi and this time he would let him know. He would let the world know.

--

Okay, so he let Jihoon know first. He can’t help it, confessing your undying love to someone wasn’t something you could do without preparation.

Jinyoung took his friend out to a covert meeting at a coffee shop where he would divulge his darkest secret so they could make a plan.

Right now though, Jihoon was being a prissy little .

Jihoon is sipping on iced coffee and looking at him with a pout.

“This is news why?”

Jinyoung actually looked at him in surprise, “Um, I’m going to confess.”

Jihoon sips his coffee as he leans back on his chair, “Why are you telling me this?”

“I need…your help?” Jinyoung asks uneasily as he looks at Jihoon’s impassive face.

“You don’t need help dear. Just shout that you want to raise kids in a faraway land and you’re golden.”

Jinyoung groans into his hands, placing his head on the table.

“Help me.”

“Jinyoung, I am. Just tell him, there’s no need for elaborate plans. Just say it and you guys can be more disgusting than you already are.”

But fascinatingly enough, he takes his friend’s advice and takes Daehwi to the fountain at midnight—near the time they made the promise so many nights ago.

Sue him, he wanted it to be meaningful.

Daehwi is looking at him sleepily after Jinyoung steals him away from the dorm to confess.

“Jinyoung, why are we here at this hour?”

His hands clam up and there are trickles of cold sweat dribbling down the bottom of his neck. It feels awfully cold even though they were transitioning to spring, and he suddenly feels the urge to use the bathroom.

“This is where we made the promise. Remember?”

Daehwi is still half asleep, but he wakes up after he hears his words. He actually flinches a little as he nods.

“Of course, how could I forget?”

Jinyoung smiles. This was it.

“B-because, I wanted to make another promise tonight.”

Daehwi tilts his head at Jinyoung, soft tufts of hair falling ungracefully down his face. There’s a small dribble of dried spittle tacked at side of his mouth, and his lips looked like they were newly moisturized.

“Did you put something on your lips?”

Daehwi scrunches his eyebrows together and puts a finger to his lips.

“Oh, Sungwoon gave me some of his lip sleeping mask.”

Jinyoung gulps because Daehwi looks very kissable and his bowel movement is moving at a quickening pace even though he remembers clearly not eating anything for dinner because he was too nervous about what he was doing right now.

“Jinyoung did you call me here to ask me for lip balm, because I can give you some without you having to drag me here—”

“IWANTTORAISEBABIESINAFARAWAYCOUNTRY!”

Daehwi flinches at the impact of Jinyoung’s holler as he takes a step back to avoid getting screamed at again.

“What? Jinyoung why are you screaming?”

Jinyoung’s mind is breaking into what may just be thoughts and common sense. Everything’s fragmented and he blames Jihoon and his stupid iced coffee. He just wanted to kiss and hug Daehwi.

“I WANT TO KISS YOU JIHOON!”

Daehwi’s face actually turns sour as he eyes Jinyoung with a glare that he honestly thinks is more intimidating than Dongho’s unshaven face.

“Why are you telling me you want to kiss Jihoon. Tell him yourself,” he says preparing to turn around.

Jinyoung’s mind is in disarray so his body does what it needs to do.

He kisses Daehwi.

Well, at least he tries.

He tries to plant a peck on his lips, but ends up stabbing Daehwi’s eyes with his lips.

“Ya! Are you making me your training doll? What the hell?”

Jinyoung is frustrated and confused and lost and can’t let this beautiful boy think he’s in love the son of satan with the worst fashion sense.

“I don’t like Jihoon!” Jinyoung says grabbing onto Daehwi before he tries to escape again.

“Then why are you telling me you want to kiss him!?” Daehwi screeches back as he tries to pry himself from Jinyoung.

“I don’t want to kiss him. I want to kiss you!” he screeches right into Daehwi’ face. He does it so close to his face that there are small droplets of spit now covering Daehwi’s face.

Jinyoung curses everything, especially Park Jeojang and his face.

Daehwi is silent. Jinyoun is silent while looking at Daehwi being silent.

“Y-you want to kiss me?”

Jinyoung nods his head very quickly because he really needs this to end.

“Why?”

Jinyoung tries to pry himself out of Daehwi’s arms, but the other boy shakes his head.
 

“Answer me, Bae Jinyoung.”

Daehwi does even care that he has all his spit on his delicate face. He’s looking Jinyoung with such demand that he can’t deny him.

“I like you, I really like you. I have for a very long time.”

Daehwi looks up at Jinyoung and smiles.

Then he pecks him on the cheek.

Jinyoung feels warmth spread down his body and an unflinching hunger in his gut to do it again.

“Good. Cause I like you a lot too.”

Daehwi untangles himself from Jinyoung and leads him to sit by the fountain whilst holding his hand.

“Is this why you brought me to the fountain, to confess?” Daehwi says.

Nod.

Daehwi smiles warmly, the soft light of the moon reflecting his bright eyes.

“Your so cheesy.”

“Only for you,” Jinyoung says looking at Daehwi with the softest smile he could muster.

Then there’s a loud barfing sound from behind them.

Jinyoung glances in the direction and finds Park Woojin gagging into the air with a equally amused Jihoon dragging him along.

“Can’t wait to show this to the rest of the boys,” Jihoon smirks.

Woojin is repeating the footage from when Jinyong shouted that he wanted to kiss Daehwi and his cheeks heat up.

“Bae Jinyoung, I can’t believe you’re not attracted to me, I’m both appalled and pleased,” Jihoon says with a triumphant smirk.

Woojin is snickering at Daehwi, “Wait till I tell Youngmin and Donghyun, it’ll be a riot.”

Daehwi doesn’t even look fazed as he grabs Jinyoung’s hand and starts running into the direction of the dorms.

Author's Note:

Okay so Jinhwi just deadass confessed that they got close because Daehwi was interested in Jinyoung during the auditions, then he was A center and Jinyoung was F center, and they kept staring at each other and smiling so Daehwi asked for his number and I'm dead. like I didn't even have to write fanfiction. They're living one already jsfc.

Anyway, they've been killing me and I can't deal with them being clingy and cute and stupid. So here's the second chapter, which is mostly fluff, but whatever.

Also 2Park are little s. I love them

I think I missed a few stuff but I'll check over that later.