It’s a dangerous game they play, the three of them with Jongdae stuck in the centre.

He’s not sure when it started but it’s almost routine now, the smug teasing grins Baekhyun throws Kyungsoo over Jongdae’s shoulder when he manages to get Jongdae away, a hand wrapped around his waist, the intense glares Kyungsoo gives Baekhyun when he succeeds in wrestling Jongdae back from Baekhyun, a possessive arm around his shoulder. Sometimes, Jongdae suspects this is less about him than it is about the two of them, the way Kyungsoo stares at Baekhyun like he wants to punch him or him hard. Perhaps it’s just unfortunate that Jongdae got caught in this, whatever this is. It wouldn’t be so bad if Jongdae isn’t an idol and Kyungsoo his manager and Baekhyun his coordinator, or if either of them were bad enough at their jobs for Jongdae to find an excuse to fire them. Instead, the two of them are intensely accomplished in their work when they’re not taunting each other over Jongdae, and Jongdae – poor, caught-in-between, too-tired-to-care Jongdae – has to somehow live with all this.

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The excuse this time – as with all the other times before it – is –

“It’s for the fans.”

Jongdae hears Kyungsoo snort.

“Sure,” he says, voice deceptively even and smooth as he stares at Baekhyun’s back. The intensity of Kyungsoo’s stare would have made most people piss themselves but not Baekhyun. Baekhyun’s still calmly fixing another clip-on piercing onto Jongdae’s ear, and instead, it’s Jongdae who’s trying not to fidget under the weight of Kyungsoo’s gaze.

“It’s just clip-ons,” Jongdae says, trying to placate whatever tension is going on between his manager and stylist. Kyungsoo huffs, rolls his eyes.

“Sure. Clip-on ear piercings I get. But is there a need for clip-on  rings?”

At the word , Jongdae’s attention is brought to his chest as Baekhyun purposely moves from adjusting the silver hoops on his ears to the one firmly clinching his . He tries not to shiver under Baekhyun’s warm fingertips.

“Uh –”

“It’s aesthetics,” Baekhyun insists, smile too bright for Kyungsoo’s stoic expression. His jaw is tightly clenched.

“Sure. Aesthetics, you say, while I have to be the one to make sure Jongdae doesn’t get injuries from wearing it at performances where overzealous fans