D-60 to Lee Sungjong's Birthday!

Pairing: Howon/Sungjong

Prompt: Dancing

(INFINITE S is a matter of interest)

Howon was serious about making INFINITE S an actual thing. It was an actual matter of interest bordering priority.

Until he actually told Sungjong (and the whole world about it).

-

They’re at an interview (with something called Jjang TV? Howon’s not even sure- all he knows is that the MC is speaking English, and once English is involved, Howon is lost to the world), and Howon is barely paying attention. Why pay attention to a man he can’t even understand when gorgeous Sungjong is standing off to the side, looking all cute and confused at the use of English.

So he amuses himself for a good portion of the interview, discreetly stealing glances at Sungjong’s side profile. It’s a good use of time, he thinks. And if he didn’t get caught staring and not paying attention, then everything would be wonderful.

Unsurprisingly, everything is indeed wonderful because Howon has an impeccable sense of timing- and for all that he did not pay attention during the interview, he perks up in attention once a question is being directed at him. (He thinks it might be because his name and Sungjong’s were used in the same question, but- that’s just a guess.)

“So I heard you would like to make a subunit with fellow member Sungjong?”

Howon gives a confident nod and an easy grin before saying, “Yes, I would like to form INFINITE S with Sungjong.” He’s promptly asked what the S would stand for and immediately says, “S for y.” He is completely serious.

So the MC goes and asks for a little preview of what INFINITE S could be. From Sungjong. Beautiful maknae looks a little flustered, which makes Howon grin from ear to ear. Too cute.

He’s just about to volunteer himself to do a y dance instead but-

Sungjong actually steps up and dances a little to SNSD’s ‘I Got A Boy’ and Howon regrets everything he has ever said about INFINITE S. He even regrets having thought about it a couple (okay, maybe more than a couple) times.

Everything is no longer wonderful.

Because nope. There was no way he would get any actual dancing done if Sungjong was prancing around like that. Nope. No way.

It was hard enough ignoring Sungjong dancing to their typical choreography, as the maknae pained him on a regular basis. But giving Sungjong something a little ier to work with, and having Sungjong be a tease be right in front of Howon (as it would be all the time, if they were in an actual subunit)...

“I think I changed my mind,” is what is said. But Howon has definitely changed his mind, no doubt about it. There is no ‘I think’. No way. “I take it back, I don’t want INFINITE S.”

The rest of the interview is a blur for Howon.

(He spends the remainder of the time replaying Sungjong dancing to ‘I Got A Boy’ in his mind.)

-

Sungjong pouts at him later, when they get home. “Hyung, I thought you wanted to be in a subunit with me!”

Howon stares blankly in retaliation and opens his mouth to reply when, of course, he hones in on the little pout on Sungjong’s face- and is thereby distracted. He stares a little more before shaking his head repeatedly. Nope, he definitely cannot be in a subunit with Sungjong. No way. Not when a little pout makes Howon lose all coherent thoughts. How could he be in a subunit with that? INFINITE S cannot happen. Even if it was a prior matter of interest. How could he forget that he doesn't really function at full capacity around Sungjong?

“No way in hell, Jongie,” he says. He pats Sungjong’s head a little and wants to be done with the whole conversation.

“Hyung!” Sungjong’s still pouting, although he sounds a little more irritated than actually whiny. “I would be awesome to be with in a y subunit!”

Oh, Howon knows. Howon knows. That’s why it was (is?) a matter of interest. And a problem.

“It’s okay, Sungjong, I’ll be in a y subunit with you~” Sungyeol wiggles himself into this conversation by walking over and slinging an arm over Sungjong’s shoulders. He’s grinning, and that upsets Howon.

“No way in hell,” is what he repeats. Because, yeah, he wants subunit opportunites for Sungjong. He really does. But thinking about what kind of subunit Sungyeol and Sungjong would make- instances of their ‘Troublemaker’ performances filter into Howon’s mind and he finds himself grimacing. If they were that y and in each other’s faces (literally) for a couple performances, he can’t even imagine what they would be like if they were the legitimate y unit. (And it's not fair that Sungyeol got to kiss Sungjong so many times. Not fair at all.)

So nope. No way in hell. He pushes Sungyeol away from Sungjong, takes the maknae into his arms, walks into his room, and closes the door. Dongwoo will just have to find another place to sleep tonight because Howon locks the door after that.

Sungjong would be confused if he wasn’t so amused. “Why did you just push Sungyeol hyung and lock me in your room?” He moves to sit on Howon’s bed and stares, waiting for an answer.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Howon huffs. “I have my reasons!” Just because he didn’t want to be distracted over Sungjong (not that he wasn’t on a general basis- it would probably just be a lot worse if there weren’t five other band members that Howon could pretend to be focusing on) didn’t mean other members could be allowed to have a y subunit with the maknae. Nope.

Sungjong was his matter of interest. His. Not anyone else's. (Fine, so Sungjong was probably the matter of interest to a lot of people, but Howon could pettily dream, okay?)

Howon tries to lock Sungjong away for the night to keep him away from Sungyeol. It doesn’t work, but at least Howon can say that he got to bodily tackle Sungjong away from the door.

(So basically Howon got to hug Sungjong on the floor for a while, and that was enough to appease him.

He didn’t see Sungyeol getting any hugs on the floor, okay?)

i'm late by a day on this one ;( makes me a little sad, but things came up and- better late than never? ;D hojong was my original -jong ship (before i realized that sungjong was shippable with all of his hyungs) so it makes me spaz like nothing else when i recalled that sungjong is howon's matter of interest. and i would love for infinite s to be a real thing, even if howon would probably be pained over sungjong's perfection all the time ;D

i like pettily jealous howon. and how much he cares for sungjong. and how he talks about him all the time. oop, getting back all the hojong feels.