“Jinho hyung.”

The way the words escaped the younger boy’s lips was so calm and familiar, like a statement rather than a question – a call the older one was so used to, the sound of the deep voice sending light chill through his small frame. He didn’t know how or when exactly that simple greeting started having that effect on him. Maybe it was there from the beginning, Jinho was sure he loved the color of his voice from the moment he had first heard it and it was too easy to just accept it, embrace it.

Yuto was rewarded with a warm smile when the shorter boy turned to look at him. It was enough for the taller one to feel reassured as he stepped into the studio, the room looking too big with only Jinho in it.

“You should finish up quickly, hyung, it’s late.” He continued after Jinho turned to stop the music. “Hui hyung is worried.”

“Hui is worried?” Jinho looked back at him, a small, amused smile dancing on his lips, painting Yuto’s cheeks a light shade of red as he realized how stupid that must have sounded. He hesitated for a moment and it was enough for Jinho to back away and nod instead. “I won’t be long.”

As the older one started the music again and turned to the mirror, Yuto moved to the back, sitting down on the floor and leaning against the wall. He met Jinho’s questioning gaze in the mirror.

“I’ll wait for you.”

It was simple and it was so easy to love this boy. Those words were his words. Jinho said them to Yuto too many times to count. Whenever the younger boy needed encouragement or even when he didn’t, he kept saying them. They were naturally making their way out to be heard, as a support, as a show of affection and confirmation that he was not alone.

The dynamics of Pentagon worked like that. They had each other, the bonds all ten of them shared were different, but strong nonetheless. Jinho loved all of his dongsaengs.

He loved their amazing leader Hui that glued them all together, forming such a strong team in what seemed to be effortless way. But Jinho knew better. It wasn’t effortless at all, it was very hard – only to Hui it could be so natural, simply because the boy had a heart big enough to fit all of them together, the heart that allowed them to bask in the love it provided, along with a mind of a cautious, talented leader. It was a huge responsibility, balancing between the company, the public and a bunch of kids. No matter how much they loved him and tried to behave they were all so different and could be quite a handful. Jinho knew that. Jinho was watching. Jinho was admiring. Jinho was trying his best to help. Because Hui deserved to be taken care of as well.

Jinho loved Hongseok. He turned to him in an effort not to burden Hui whenever he had a problem and they became close, so close that Jinho started referring to him as his best friend in no time. It was the same the other way around, it was natural and no one was questioning it. It was just that obvious, they clicked well, it was very simple. Hongseok smelt like home, like freshly washed laundry and tasty meal, like family. And he proved to be as reliable and trustworthy as a true family was. Support, voice of reason and comfort – and Jinho was grateful.

Hyojong was valuable. Jinho couldn’t imagine his life without Hyojong. It would’ve been a much darker place, not as vivid, not as special. Hyojong was inspiration, he was art – very cool, sophisticated, much needed. If Hui was shining upon them all, true sun, providing unconditional love and warmth, Hyojong was glimmering moonlight, the other side of a beautiful coin that was Huidawn, equally necessary. Jinho spent nights after nights in the studio with Hyojong, molding music together. Both him and Hui did. Moments he treasured so much, some of the best were with Hyojong. The other boy quiet as he listened to Jinho’s rambling thoughts, reading him with small nods of acknowledgment. And then he would open his mouth – to talk or to rap or to sing and it was so on point, the pure art of creation leaving small vocalist speechless. The older boy always felt exposed in front of Hyojong and a lot of times the rapper gave out the hyung vibe even if he was two years younger, but the feeling was never uncomfortable for Jinho. Having Hyojong as a part of Pentagon and in his life just felt right.

Thinking about Shinwon always made Jinho emotional. He had a peculiar soft spot for the boy, especially since they almost lost him. The thought itself was able to make Jinho’s heart writhe in pain, so he would quickly push it away whenever it appeared, only thankful that didn’t happen in the end. He felt stupid for not paying more attention to him before Pentagon Maker, before the events leading to the younger almost not becoming a part of their group. He felt guilty for not taking care of him, for not working more with him, for not helping. So he made sure to change that. Working with Shinwon was rewarding, it made him feel accomplished on a whole different level. Watching the younger improve was only a part of it. Watching him smile, joke around and just be happy was much more meaningful and they might not have been the closest in the group, but the bond was there and Jinho was happy.

Yeo One and Yan An were hard not to love. There were times when Jinho would just sit and watch the two interact with what he knew must have looked like a motherly smile on his face. He wasn’t ashamed of it – mainly because he caught other members with similar expression on their faces. Yan An was the baby of the group even if he wasn’t the youngest. The innocence behind his tall appearance was so evident everyone felt the urge to protect him. But Yeo One was the one who would rush to him first, stealing all the spotlight without the second thought, like a true soul of their little family. Changgu was beautiful – in a ‘taking your breath away’ kind of way. And Yan An let his breath be taken away. Sometimes they seemed to be self-sufficient, like they were in a bubble of their own, only turned to each other, other times they were more than clearly in need of others’ attention and that’s when everyone else were more than ready to step in and shower them both with love.

Maknae line was precious. Giant baby Wooseok who appeared to be more mature than most of his hyungs, silent shield from the outside world – literally and figuratively, but far from not needing pampering, even though he would’ve never admitted it. Jinho loved snuggling him, letting himself be wrapped into tall maknae’s arms, the thought of how ridiculous they must’ve looked considering their age being inversely proportional to their physique always bringing smile to his lips. Taking care of Wooseok was something they all did, as subtly as they could. Wooseok was perceptive, a trait highly valuable when you’re the youngest in the group, making him able to adapt well and be much stronger and mature for his age. It wasn’t a surprise that a lot of boys loved hanging with usually calm and composed Wooseok, he was providing them all support in his own unique way. The bare sight of smiling, hardworking Kino, on the other hand, was enough to make anyone smile. He was another ball of sunshine their group was happy to have. Hyunggu was so much more than a pretty face or a talented dancer, he was a cheerful baby, fast and hyper, the vibe he gave off changing from cute to y, from innocent to teasingly mischievous in a blink of an eye. Serious when he worked, bubbly when they were having fun – it was a perfect blend of everyone’s favorite and none of them would love their Kino any other way.

And then there was Yuto. Jinho couldn’t explain to himself what drew him to the Japanese boy, causing their relationship to develop the way it did. However, the force that did was so strong he didn’t even try to fight it. It came easily, them developing a bond, but so fast too, so fast that it made Jinho’s head spin. Yuto was difficult to explain, much like the effect he had on Jinho. He was quiet, but warm, insanely handsome and talented, but humble. That wasn’t anything new, they were all pretty humble when it came to their talents, but it seemed like Yuto was hiding. So Jinho took it upon himself to discover what the younger boy had to offer. It started off as helping a boy out of place on foreign land. Yuto just accepted it and Jinho assumed his childlike face and small frame worked in his favor as the taller one seemed to be more open to him than some of his other hyungs.

Japanese boy ended up spending a lot of time with the oldest of the group. From practicing to asking for advice to practicing Korean to simply listening to Jinho sing or talk or interact with others, he was always there, beside him – being a part of the older one’s activities or just in some corner, observing or doing his own thing. He probably didn’t think much of it, but Jinho was very well aware. And he liked it, a lot in fact.  Yuto wasn’t just a part of Pentagon family or his life, he was a part of his every day, there, in the air that they shared for the bigger part of the day and if he couldn’t physically feel him he could definitely sense his presence. Just like now.

“I’ll wait for you.”

Words rolled off his tongue easily, much too easy for the meaning they held behind – at least to Yuto. He heard them numerous times from Jinho, the boy always having that warm, patient smile when he said them, making all worries disappear. When he first met his hyung he was taken aback by both his appearance and the experience as a trainee. However, the older boy was eager to help him get used to it all and ended up truly making him feel at home. He was lacking. A lot. He was insecure and scared and just not at home. Jinho’s presence and efforts were a gift.

I’ll wait for you – and the unspoken ‘I’m here, you are not alone, you don’t have to push yourself because I’m waiting. I won’t leave you behind… even if it’s just the two of us left.’ were the only words he needed and Jinho kept saying them. They didn’t grow old, Yuto doubted they ever will.

The younger was surprised with the way they easily came out of his mouth this time though. He didn’t remember he has ever said them back. It was funny how he thought they would be heavy when it was such a simple sentence. It meant the world to him though, it was the light appearing whenever he was engulfed in darkness and one look at Jinho’s reflection in the mirror told him he wasn’t the only one feeling that way. Jinho hyung understood.

The music started again and Jinho resumed his dance practice, shifting focus from the Japanese boy back to his own reflection in the mirror. Yuto chose to watch, his gaze following smaller boy’s moves as his mind drifted along memories. His admiration for the older boy has been rather obvious for a long time, at least Kino and Wooseok picked it up really quickly. He wasn’t sure about the other members, even though he could tell it was no secret, by the way Hyojong and Hui sometimes looked at him when he was talking to Jinho or Yeo One made sure to make space for him to almost always sit next to their hyung. No one but Hyunggu and Wooseok said anything though and even the two of them weren’t as teasing as they could’ve been, leaving him alone with his thoughts about the small vocalist most of the time.

He wasn’t sure what those feelings were. Not at first anyway. He assumed it was just something that Jinho did to people. He could be rather… overwhelming. The oldest one was so talented, it appeared as if there was nothing Jinho couldn’t do – singing, rapping, dancing, you name it and Jo Jinho will do it, sooner or later he will. And he will do it perfectly too. On the other hand he was the oldest, the most experienced one, his age clashing with his small frame, making him look adorable and it all tugged at Yuto’s heart the more he was getting to know his hyung, kind nature and will to unconditionally help others not helping one bit. He couldn’t remember the time when he started adding it all together, those thoughts  about ways Jinho’s traits made his heart work, but as soon as it happened he knew he was gone past the mere admiration for his hyung.

The hypersensitiveness came next. Suddenly, Yuto started to notice a lot of things, his eyes always roaming over small gestures and things that made Jinho Jinho. The way the smaller boy tilted his head when he worked on his music, the gestures he made while singing, his facial expressions when he was deep in thought or mesmerized with something, the way his small frame moved to the beat or… just moved in general. And then his hair and his eyes and cheeks and lips, his neck and slim frame and down to his hips and thighs… and then back to his hands – Yuto was taking it all in and it was too much and too little at the same time and sometimes it was just driving him crazy. But what drove him crazy the most was it all combined together along with everything that Jinho was beyond his physical appearance.

Japanese boy was taking it all in again. The way Jinho was practicing the same move over and over again, music paused for the time being until he could perfect it and then start that whole part of the song again, his face lightly flushed from the heat, a trickle of sweat running down the side of his neck, making it glisten under the light of the studio, too bright for Yuto’s taste tonight. His gaze dropped to the older boy’s thighs in an attempt to distract himself, soon finding out that wasn’t a good idea and almost frantically searching for something else to look at. Looking away just wasn’t an option.

And then his eyes settled on Jinho’s hands. The older boy’s hands were one thing Yuto never could stop staring at. He tried to contain himself whenever his eyes landed on them, but it was always just so hard. There was something about Jinho’s hands, the way they wrapped around mike, the way they lingered in the air as he gestured while singing. Yuto could call them pretty, but they were more than that. Elegant in a way, larger than expected considering the older boy’s height, they were manly and the taller boy was in love with them. He knew what they felt like against his own, that kind of skinship was rather normal between them and the bare thought of the familiar smoothness of Jinho’s skin was enough to make him crave for his touch, make him fantasize.

His mind drifted again, eyes fixed on the older boy’s fingers and he found himself his lips, the air suddenly seeming hotter than it was just a minute ago. He took a breath, willing himself to close his eyes and focus on something else, but the image of Jinho followed him , lingering in his mind. Those hands, that smile and warm gaze. He ran his hand through his hair, letting out a small sigh, then opened his eyes again, finding Jinho’s reflection looking at him. Yuto offered a small smile, trying to play it cool, wondering when exactly he started hiding his true feelings from his hyung, afraid to watch their friendship crumble.

Jinho stopped the music and moved to sit down next to him, Yuto immediately passing him a bottle of water. He drank a bit before speaking.

“Weren’t you bored? You haven’t been doing anything, sorry it took a while…”

“I’ve been watching you.” Yuto blurted out without thinking, then paused in panic as the older boy looked somewhat taken aback. “Don’t apologize.” He added quietly. He never did when Jinho just kept waiting either.

“… You must be tired, Yuto-yah.” The vocalist’s voice was softer this time as he leaned his right shoulder against the wall, watching him.

“I’m fine… I can’t go home without you.” Yuto replied, looking into Jinho’s eyes, looking more serious than he intended to. The older boy’s gaze softened more and he slowly reached to slide his hand – his perfect hand – on top of Yuto’s, wrapping his fingers around his palm.

“I thought Hui was worried.” He couldn’t help but tease, a small smile appearing.

“He is. But I’m the one waiting.” Jinho chuckled at Yuto’s words, making younger glad – the laugh lightening the serious atmosphere he created without even wanting to. His hyung understood it all – well, maybe not all, but everything he wanted him to anyway.

Jinho wanted to tell him he didn’t have to – doesn’t have to wait, but he couldn’t bring himself. It wouldn’t work, not with Yuto and he wouldn’t be honest to himself either. Having the Japanese boy by his side, as always, was right. It made him feel like everything was alright, the way it should be – even when he was doing something simple and regular as his dance practice was. And there was something else to it. He was always the one providing support, doing his best to be there for Yuto, to make him feel safe and loved. Somewhere along the way he realized Yuto was doing the same for him. And he wasn’t willing to let that go.

So when the taller one stated he was the one waiting tonight – voicing it out felt like a surprise, but the fact itself wasn’t new. Jinho knew it, just like he knew Yuto is worth waiting for, irreplaceable, like he knew he was in love with him. The thought wasn’t scary, Jinho was never the one to be easily scared, but he would’ve lied if he said he wasn’t worried. Therefore he kept himself in check, making sure to not let anyone suspect anything, not even Hongseok. It was becoming more difficult with time passing, but he wasn’t ready to face it – the possibility of anyone finding out. Especially Yuto. He was happy with the way they were, as long as the boy was by his side he would be fine, right?

“We should go.” He smiled finally, moving to get up from the floor and quickly changing into a dry shirt and a sweater before picking up his things. Yuto got up as well, waiting for him and then wrapping his arm around his shoulders casually, the way he always did before they started walking out together.

“Hui hyung will be satisfied you reached the bed before morning.” Yuto joked, rewarded by another soft laugh, the voice he loved so much ringing in his ears, making him smile wider. Their lives were far from simple as was their relationship, but for now – this was enough.