Jooheon follows the others up the stairs to their practice room, puckering his plump lips in a pout as he watches just from two steps behind how his ragdoll of a hyung is obviously struggling. He quickens his pace so that he walks side-by-side with the older, placing a steadying hand at the small of his back.  

Hyungwon looks over, a serene, gummy-like smile coming to him easily at the sweet gesture. He returns his attention back to the path ahead, silent yet thankful. Jooheon knows, he doesn’t need to hear it from the older’s lips. 

“We should stop for a break,” Jooheon suggests. 

It’s been four hours already of nonstop practice, getting ready for their Japanese promotions with the little time they have left. It’s been an emotional couple of days with the closing of their world tour, but they don’t have the luxury of letting their tears dry. They need to perfect these stages, they’re already so far behind. But, with all this rigorous training, it’s gotten difficult for anyone, even Kihyun or Minhyuk, to pipe up and complain about how tired they are.  

Everyone’s gasping for air, buckets of sweat just pouring off them, but no one’s worse for wear than Hyungwon. Despite the lingering heat of summer, the older had word a long hoodie over his short-sleeved shirt to accompany the shorts that reach passed his knobby knees. However, his knees have begun knocking together, and his breaths come out ragged and forced. He leans against Jooheon for support, covering it up by pretending to be typically-clingy, though the rapper sees through it. 

Hyunwoo glances over in surprise at Jooheon’s words, because out of all the members it’s the rapper who tends to complain the least, but then he notices the real reason his dongsaeng is asking. He notes Hyungwon’s exhaustion, how his frail limbs seem to shake, and he nods easily. 

“Everyone take ten minutes,” Hyunwoo says, pulling his shirt up to wipe the sweat off his brow. “I’ll go see if the staff can bring us any more waters.” 

“I’ll go with you,” Kihyun offers, going to the leader’s side after retrieving his own face towel. Hyunwoo smiles warmly for a moment before leading them out. Minhyuk watches after them with a small huff of annoyance, plopping down on the bench. Ever since the airing of their last two X-Ray episodes, the blonde’s been feeling left out over the simplest of things, like he had when they’d first recorded the episode.  

Jooheon gently takes Hyungwon by the arm and leads him to the bench, as well, looking around them for a towel to wipe at the older’s face. 

“You should get better at calling for breaks when you need them, hyung,” Jooheon tells him worriedly, patting gently at the older’s beautiful face. Hyungwon slumps against the wall behind them, smiling fondly. 

“Why? You’ll just do it for me, anyway,” he replies, slightly teasing. The tips of Jooheon’s ears grow red at being called out, and he turns away to try and come up with a reason to make up for it. But, Hyungwon just chuckles under his breath, leaning close to give the rapper a small kiss to the temple. 

“Thank you for taking such good care of me,” he says, his tone painted thick with gratitude. ”I don’t know where I’d be without you, my sweet Heonney~”  

Jooheon doesn’t—can't—look up from where he stares, too bashful as he studies the shiny new polish on the practice room floor. He’s vaguely aware of Changkyun’s high-pitched giggle, probably at something Hoseok had said, but he pays them no mind. That’s been typical since they recorded that damn episode, too. 

His heart is beating impossibly fast, the sound of it filling his ears and making it hard to focus on anything else. He chews on his lower lip, trying to sort through this odd mixture of embarrassment and pride. There’s a warm sort of buzz spreading through his whole face beginning from where Hyungwon’s lips had touched his damp skin, and he only wishes he’d felt those lips against his own, instead. 

“I-I... um... It’s no problem,” Jooheon finally manages to stammer out. Hyungwon chuckles again, resting his head against the younger’s shoulder. A soft sigh escapes him, one that somehow serves to ease Jooheon’s heart... One of Hyungwon’s thin arms wraps around Jooheon’s waist, holding him close as he settles fully on the bench. 

“I’m glad we picked each other as ang-mates,” Hyungwon comments, his tone so incredibly delighted despite its drowsiness. “I can’t tell you how happy it made me to see your cute face waiting for me to turn around...” 

Jooheon’s ears grow even redder, every compliment making him progressively more embarrassed as the older speaks. Hyungwon’s long fingers thread themselves through Jooheon’s, and the younger catches out of the corner of his eye his hyung’s smile being reflected back to him by the wall of mirrors. He smiles a bit, himself, eyes flicking to the others in the room.  

Changkyun is sitting in Hoseok’s lap, hugging the vocalist around the neck as he whispers something that makes Hoseok blush madly. Minhyuk’s sitting sullenly on his phone, probably scrolling through the fancafe, but Jooheon has no idea why he’d be in such a bad mood... Sure, he’d ended up on his own at the filming, but Kihyun and Hyunwoo had spoken with him after to offer out a polyamorous go at it... He knows for a fact Minhyuk had accepted, because later that night some... noises very much sounding like something Jooheon never wanted to hear again came from that room.  

Jooheon sighs, figuring Minhyuk’s pouting just to pout, and he grips Hyungwon’s hand back assuredly. 

“Me, too, hyung,” he responds, a soft smile coming to his features. His eyes grow smaller as his smile grows bigger, his heart swelling in his chest. “I’ll be sure to take care of you... forever~”