The signs were all there.  At least as many of the signs one could ever read from someone like Jonghyun.  He was so damn stoic when he wanted to pretend he didn’t care, it was frustrating.  But to those who knew him, like Minsoo and the rest of s, he was damn near an open book and it was almost laughable to see the way he would focus on the television screen when a particular person made an appearance.

                They might have been from different companies but that didn’t mean they had no contact with their peers in other groups and from the looks of it, Jonghyun had been ensnared from afar by one of them…  Minsoo bit his bottom lip in amusement and looked around the room where he saw Byunghyun pestering Daniel just to be a bothersome annoyance, and Chanhee with Changhyun on the other side of the couch, glancing between the screen and Jonghyun.  The maknae of their group had no idea he was being scrutinized so hard and it took a great deal of effort for Minsoo not to laugh, biting his lip harder to keep from making a sound.

                He met Chanhee’s eyes and his shoulders jerked in a stifled laugh as Jonghyun leaned forward just a hair, his attention shifting moderately as the shy, cute male on the screen transformed into the powerful dancer that had captivated their youngest.  It wasn’t anything much; a slight narrowing of his dark, focused eyes as he stared under the fall of straight black hair accented by deep red streaks, while his clasped fingers tightened perceptibly on the backs of his hands.  He hardly seemed to blink as his lips parted just a touch and it was clear he was completely focused.

                “Whatcha doing?” Minsoo finally asked, leaning close with a cheesy grin that made Jonghyun jump in surprise, immediately pretending everything was fine.

                There was that smooth mask again, neatly falling into place as Jonghyun collected himself without missing a beat.  “Just watching the show,” he gestured towards the screen at the recorded performance with every evidence of simply observing their moves.  A hint of being flustered shone through in the way he wouldn’t quite hold Minsoo’s eyes and when he hit the pause button, he flinched just enough for the older male to notice, blinking briefly where it stopped perfectly on the figure of his attention.

                Minsoo watched the Adam’s apple along Jonghyun’s throat bob as he swallowed and managed a quick glance at the screen to see what exactly had caught his attention.  Ah.  So that was it.

                “Oh!  That’s a great pause face!” Changhyun clapped, hopping up and pointing out the figure beside the one in the center.

                It was true.  Junhong did make some of the best comic expressions when the videos were paused, but Chanhee smiled slyly and let his eyes drift to Jonghyun.  “No doubt, but I think Jongup’s trying to kill the fan girls with the way he ‘accidentally’ pulled his shirt up like that,” he teased, putting special emphasis on the one word.  “Don’t you think so Jonghyun?” he asked in an offhand manner, as if it was the most natural question in the world.

                Minsoo watched their maknae shift uncomfortably, waving the question off as he tore his eyes from the screen.  “Eh.  He’s alright.  I think I’ve got him beat though,” he smirked with a confident nod and patted his toned abdomen hidden beneath his shirt, hiding his discomfit behind bravado.

                “We should compare,” Changhyun giggled, rushing over to excitedly pull Jonghyun from the couch.  “Come on.  You know you want to!” he whined, dragging the taller, more muscular boy from his seat to the evident amusement of Chanhee and Minsoo.

                “Might as well,” Minsoo shrugged, wandering around the side to ‘help’.

                “Yah!” Jonghyun yelped, swatting at prying hands in flushed confusion as they tugged his shirt up just enough, revealing his physique for all to see as they inspected both intently.

                “Look, look!” Chanhee pointed out, tapping on the screen where the cut of Jongup’s abs peeked under the raised edge of his shirt and gleamed in the lights, his torso shiny with a thin covering of sweat, and nigh on perfect.  “I think his look better in this shot,” he teased the taller boy, poking at the relaxed abs before him.

                “That’s because I’m not trying!” Jonghyun growled, yanking his shirt back down with a wounded air.  “I don’t see you asking Minsoo to compare,” he muttered with a nod towards their leader who had a relatively comparable form any given day of the week.

                “Should I?” he responded immediately, taking the cap off his head to smooth his short black hair back before replacing it quickly.  Without waiting for an answer, he stepped up to the screen with a speculative expression and lifted his shirt, flexing enough to at least come damn close to matching the boy on the television.  “What do you think?” he murmured, glancing around the group.

                “Byunghyun!  Get back-“

                Smack!

                “-here!” Daniel finished too late before the shorter male slammed his open palm into Minsoo’s abdomen with a devilish smirk.

                “!” Minsoo shouted, covering his abused torso defensively as he took a step back and leveled a glare at Byunghyun.

                Undaunted, the shorter male snapped back, “Stop showing off.”

                “Now, now.  There’s no need to get jealous,” Chanhee teased, slinging his arms around Byunghyun from the back and grinning like a Cheshire cat beside him.

                “Who said I was jealous?” he retorted with a scornful snort, turning his head away so that he didn’t have to see Minsoo or Chanhee’s face, which was still only mere inches from his.

                Nursing his wounded stomach, Minsoo laughed softly and let his quiet attention return to Jonghyun.  The maknae had stepped back from the immediate distraction of the rest of his bandmates and had resumed his focus on the screen, expression intent.  Damn.  He would never admit to it but he was crushing hard and it looked like it was going to be up to him, and maybe some of the other members, to finagle something.  Even if nothing came of it, at least they would have tried!  And it was bound to be fun in the meantime.

                Another exasperated glance at the blonde Byunghyun made him shake his head and he debated enlisting the red haired Chanhee, who would be more than happy to assist.  Changhyun wasn’t much good for setting something up but he could totally disarm their true maknae if he needed to and as for Daniel…  Actually.  That was a thought!

                Grinning mischievously, Minsoo hurried over to speak with Daniel quietly as the ever energetic Changhyun continued to pester Jonghyun like usual.  He’d probably be able to get Byunghyun to do something or other but in the meantime, they had some serious planning and such to do.

                It took Minsoo and the rest of their group nearly three weeks to organize things, during which time they played a lot of concerts and shows from other groups so that he wouldn’t get suspicious, even going so far as to ‘choose’ groups of their own that they became very interested in.  They tried to make sure BAP had a greater appearance and were certain to announce it covertly whenever they came on if their maknae wasn’t around.  Sure enough, regardless of what he was doing at the time, Jonghyun eventually made his way into the common room to watch as well, usually leaning against the wall if he had been in the middle of something or shifting to take an attentive seat on one of the open surfaces if he hadn’t.

                The first necessary event was completed by a series of phone calls and texts to Himchan, who was delighted to assist and immediately began treating Jongup to the same exposure on his end.  How else was he going to figure out if the shortest member of their group had any similar feelings if he didn’t?  Like Jonghyun, it was difficult for the other BAP members to tell exactly what was going on in Jongup’s head themselves and if nothing else, Himchan was more than willing to see how things would work out just for the hell of it.  Not to mention he loved playing match-maker where possible and this was just too good an opportunity to pass up.

                With Himchan on their side, Yongguk was easily roped into the scenario after that.  Once he was taken care of, the rest of the members that needed to be in on it were pulled in as well and they had the makings of what was probably an overly elaborate attempt at a setup they felt for sure was going to be entertaining no matter what happened.  The next part was actually crafting the challenge and then getting Jonghyun and Jongup to fall into it without being aware of what was going on…

                Jonghyun was trying to pay attention to the conversation that Chanhee and Daniel were having beside him, his head twisting from side to side as either person spoke, but he was slightly distracted by the television in front of him.  It was back on another variety show featuring BAP and just earlier it had been a rerun of theirs which they’d laughed and teased each other about almost mercilessly.

                He perked up slightly when he saw Jongup wander into the screen and for the umpteenth time, he wondered what the hell it was about the older dancer that fascinated him so.  Sure he was nice enough and always smiling, which was a plus but not all that different from Changhyun any given day of the week.  He was short too which might have accounted for something but the almost squinty eyes and semi-vacant expression did nothing for him, or so he told himself.  Once more, he scratched his hair and sighed, freezing altogether when the male on the screen started dancing for some prompt or other.

                That…  That was what had done it.  Gone was the perpetually easy going manner, replaced by a fierce persona of power and confidence that dominated the stage whenever he set his mind to it.  He was truly beautiful in those moments and Jonghyun couldn’t take his eyes off him as he watched the muscled arms in the light, shadows playing off the definition as the older boy’s face frowned in concentration, a captivating sight as he moved with fluid grace and belied strength.  He could watch him all day.

                Even when he was finished, the shift back to his usual, quiet self was fascinating to watch as he shed the easily donned confidence, laughing and often blushing in embarrassment.  He was a walking contradiction and Jonghyun was intensely curious about him.  They were practically the same age and yet he would consider their skills on par with each other.  Really, he wanted to get close to him to see what it would be like to dance together and play off the other’s moves.  Maybe help each other out a little bit… if not more.  His brow furrowed slightly at the thought and his lips pulled down into a thoughtful frown.  Now he was just being ridiculous.

                The maknae was snapped from his rather embarrassing thoughts when he heard the sound of arguing approach and he sat upright, tearing his attention from the screen to see Minsoo and Byunghyun bickering over something.  “Why do you always shoot off at the mouth?!” their leader demanded in annoyance, expression cross with his arms laced in front of his chest.

                “Because I’m right!” Byunghyun fired back, gesturing with both hands emphatically.  “You’re a better rapper and I told him that any of us could best em in a competition,” he exclaimed proudly, clearly happy with himself.

                “What were you thinking?” Daniel wailed in his powerful voice, turning around to lean over the edge of the couch, straight brown hair nearly falling into his eyes before he shook it away distractedly.

                “Hey!  I was defending our pride,” Byunghyun grumbled, slouching his shoulders as he became the center of attention.

                Changhyun came running up in a near panic and shook both his hands in front of him, “No!  We can’t!  I mean…” he trailed off, blinking around the interested circle before he met Jonghyun’s very confused gaze and went on.  “You guys could keep up but what would I do?”

                “Your aegyo of course,” Chanhee urged, hopping up to throw an arm around the younger boy’s shoulders and pull him close.

                “That’s not good for the competition,” Byunghyun rolled his eyes.

                “There wasn’t even supposed to be a competition,” Minsoo muttered, jabbing his finger into the short blonde’s chest, earning an offended grunt in return.

                “What competition?” Jonghyun stood up and interrupted, clearly lost as he gazed around suspiciously.  “What happened?”  He didn’t like the fact that everyone else seemed to know what was going on but he couldn’t help but be curious all the same.

                Minsoo huffed and worked his jaw for a quick moment before answering, “Hot head over here volunteered us for a showdown with the BAP members because he thinks we’re better than them.”

                “We are,” Byunghyun mumbled, not meeting the rest of the members’ eyes.

                “And?” Jonghyun prompted with a wave his hand when no answer was forthcoming, his heart picking up speed automatically when he realized that would put them in close proximity with each other rather unexpectedly.

                “And he convinced Daehyun to sing against Daniel,” Minsoo nodded towards their main vocalist with a raised brow.   

                “Eh?  Me?!” he gasped with both hands against his chest and eyes wide in his face.

                “Ne.  But that wasn’t enough for you was it?” he frowned, glaring at the shorter male who was still looking away.

                “Oh boy,” Chanhee sighed, resting his weight on Changhyun’s shoulders with a perturbed expression.  “You are a pain in the sometimes,” he chuckled with a shake of his head before the question was even answered.

                “Yongguk said it wouldn’t be bad to test his skills in a showdown and he wanted to go against you,” Byunghyun grumbled, clearly irritated he hadn’t been the one opted in.  “And since we had a vocalist and a rapper up for it…”

                “You didn’t,” Jonghyun blinked with a deadpan expression, immediately catching on where this was going.

                “We needed a dancer too,” Byunghyun shrugged, his eyes going wide in his face as he caught Jonghyun’s expression.  “Eh…” he trailed off, side-stepping behind Minsoo who laughed in amusement at him.

                “Oh this is too good!” Chanhee giggled, clapping his hands excitedly as Changhyun slowly caught on and joined in.

                “Really?!” Daniel gasped, grinning at Jonghyun with a huge smile, reaching out to clap his hand on the younger male’s shoulder, only to retract it immediately when Jonghyun focused his gaze on him instead.

                “I’m not doing it,” Jonghyun shook his head, glaring at Byunghyun again, despite how excited the prospect actually made him feel.  It was not his idea and he wouldn’t do something he’d arbitrarily been volunteered for.

                “But you’re the best dancer,” Changhyun blinked with huge, innocent eyes.

                “No.  No one asked me first,” the maknae reiterated, gesturing with his hands again to emphasize his rebuttal.

                “Jongup’s already been volunteered on their side so we just need someone to match against him and…” Minsoo glanced around their circle with a slightly apologetic look.  “Let’s face it guys.  Jonghyun’s the best bet we’ve got.”

                Jonghyun just glared at the rest of the circle, knowing what the result was going to have to be since Changhyun was coming along but in a test of skills, they all knew he wasn’t up to the maknae’s level.  Daniel and Minsoo were already accounted for and Chanhee and Byunghyun just weren’t coordinated enough to go against someone as practiced as Jongup in dancing.  There was just him.  And rather ersely, he wanted to do it too, because it was Jongup he’d be facing off against.

                “Please!” Changhyun whined in a pleading tone, wriggling in place cutely as he pouted and raised both hands towards him, fingers laced together in supplication.

                Grumbling under his breath, Jonghyun placed his hand on his head and exhaled heavily, fighting with himself on the matter.  He was so going to regret this…  “Fine.”

                “Yes!” Byunghyun cheered, hopping in place with his fist in the air before he hid behind Minsoo again, peeking over the taller boy’s shoulder.

                “Alright!” Daniel beamed, nearly falling off the couch, only to be rescued by a joint effort from Chanhee and Changhyun.

                “Careful!” they cried in tandem, leaving Jonghyun to look at Minsoo skeptically.  Their leader simply shrugged in apology and then stepped close to clap him on the shoulder with a friendly gesture.

                “It shouldn’t be too bad,” he promised with a nod, gaze flickering towards the screen.  “Just a little friendly competition right?”

                Jonghyun followed his gaze and saw the rest of the BAP members on the screen in some sort of dance off thing and he felt a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.  They were definitely skilled.  That was for sure.  And both Junhong and Jongup were exceptionally good.  In actuality, Jonghyun was eager to see just how things would go.

                “Oh!  And don’t worry if we do actually lose,” Byunghyun waved to get their attention once more, turning all eyes back to him.  “The penalties aren’t that bad after all.”

                “Penalties?” Jonghyun asked with a raised brow, blinking once.  That wasn’t part of the plan.

                “Eh…” Byunghyun murmured, finding himself suddenly without a shield since Minsoo had moved.  “Not that it’ll be a problem,” he forced a cheeky grin, feigning confidence.

                “Right…” Jonghyun drawled in a deadpan tone, noticing Chanhee waving for Byunghyun to move in a subtle gesture.  Irritated, he took a threatening step towards the blonde who immediately bolted for cover.

                “Help!” Byunghyun shouted, grabbing Changhyun and yanking him into place as an improvised shield while the younger male yelped in surprise.

                While Jonghyun didn’t chase him down too far, he did pause to look back at the screen as noise erupted around him again.  So he was going to be competing against Jongup in a dance-off and there was some sort of penalty involved if he lost.  Well, it would be interesting to see just how skilled he was against the slightly older dancer.  And hopefully, the penalty wouldn’t be too bad.  Ah hell.  What was the worst it could be?

                He really had to question his own judgment when they finally got together in one of the practice rooms reserved just for the occasion.  It had taken some serious finagling but BAP and Teen Top had managed to convene in the same building for the purposes of following through on their very private competition.  Energy was high between them and they were all joking with each other, with the exception of the usually quiet Jongup, who kept to himself, and the tense as nails Jonghyun who was watching everything play out with a cloudy expression.

                They’d started off easy with Minsoo and Yongguk going first, breaking the ice and rapping their way into the showdown as they gave the vocalists a chance to warm up and the dancers time to stretch out.  By general consensus between both groups, Minsoo came away as the winner by a slim margin and Himchan argued the results the entire time before Daehyun and Daniel got ready.

                Before they were able to go on their way though, Yongguk had to complete his penalty for ‘losing’ which in his case, was performing some atrocious feat of aegyo for Minsoo.  Supposedly, the penalties were already decided for each member in advance since the aegyo one clearly would have favored Minsoo.  The Teen Top leader, while not nearly as good as their maknaes, could pull it off better than the BAP leader, though Yongguk gave it his best shot anyway.  Personally, Jonghyun was curious to know what Minsoo’s penalty would have been but he wasn’t given a chance to ask before they moved on to the next event.

                Yongguk blushed fiercely after his painful attempt and was congratulated heartily for the effort by the rest of his group, as well as the majority of Teen Top who cheered him on, regardless of the actual result.  He was game enough to try and that was enough for them.  Even Jonghyun found himself smiling at the older male’s chagrin as he theatrically bowed and gave the floor to Daehyun and Daniel instead.

                Practically bouncing in place, Daniel was almost too full of energy as he went first, since Daehyun was being uncharacteristically polite for whatever reason.  After a shaky start, he warmed up to the song and managed to make the listeners wince when he finished on a particularly strong note that resounded almost painfully off the glass mirrors in the room.

                “Damn,” Daehyun chuckled, clapping once before he cleared his throat and took a breath.  In a moment, his equally unique voice filled the room and echoed off the walls, sounding back much like Daniel’s had with slightly more confidence.  Likely because he’d gone second and had more time to prepare himself.  Whatever the reason was, he was announced as the winner and a blushing Daniel had to perform a quick thirty second clip of a girl group dance for Daehyun.

                Not surprisingly, he was awkward, flushed, and on the verge of losing his composure at any moment, but thirty seconds went by faster than he anticipated and he retreated to the safety of the rest of his group, laughing all the while.

                His ending, however, meant that it was now Jonghyun’s turn…  Crap.  Steeling himself, the dancer looked across the distance between them as a nervous Jongup made his way over the wooden floor and stopped in the middle uncertainly.  He looked just as lost as Jonghyun felt and the younger male couldn’t leave him alone like that…

                Taking a deep breath, he strode onto the dance floor with a false sense of confidence as the rest of the members on either side cheered loudly.  He blinked in surprise when Jongup beamed at him and extended a hand preemptively.

                “Good luck,” Jongup smiled, his eyes nearly disappearing in his face as he did so while just a hint of color tinged his cheeks.

                “Thanks,” Jonghyun nodded, accepting the gesture with an almost shy smile himself.  Quite frankly, he’d never expected to be this close to him or in this sort of situation.  Ever.  He was partially terrified and the other half of him was exhilarated; his heart wouldn’t slow down and he swore he was sweating more than normal.  “You too,” he managed to add without completely losing all ability to think rationally.

                “You’ve got this, Jonghyun!” Minsoo cheered from the back.

                “Come on, Uppie!  You can do it!” Himchan shrieked loudly, hopping in place as he used Yongguk as a springboard from which to bounce.  Yongguk gave his gummy grin and playfully guided the hyper male slightly to the side so he could watch in an unimpeded fashion while Junhong hit the player for the music.  Dancing could be done without it, much like singing, but it was considerably harder to create your own steps without the guiding beat.

                Jonghyun had studied Jongup’s moves often over the past few weeks so he felt pretty comfortable as he accepted the first go, rolling his shoulders while he settled himself in to begin.  It was a powerful beat with sensual overtones and if he wasn’t concentrating so hard on actually making it work, he probably would have blushed given the nature of his dancing competition.  He could feel Jongup’s eyes on him, tracing his every move as he writhed in time to the music, feet stomping out invisible steps on the well worn floors.  It was both very distracting and incredibly gratifying to be the center of his focus for however long it lasted.

                When he could grab the opportunity, he focused on Jongup in the mirrors but never made direct eye contact for more than a fleeting second, feeling his attention slip too much just from being under the other’s gaze.  What the hell was wrong with him?  He never had this sort of trouble in front of his group.  His toes scuffed too often in the middle of turns and he knew his heart was beating too fast.  Dammit.  He should have never agreed to this…

                Somewhat ungracefully, he stuttered to a halt when Junhong paused the music to let him know it was Jongup’s turn and he flashed a worried smile at his friends.  They gave him encouraging thumbs-up signs that did nothing to bolster his confidence as he turned around, ersely eager to see Jongup in action.  It was one thing to watch him on a screen, without being able to feel that energy and see him up close, but it was another entirely to hear the sound of his breathing as he started off smooth, feeling his way into the dance as certainty radiated from him.

                Like usual, Jonghyun found himself mesmerized by the transformation that overtook the other dancer, shivering when the happy expression melted into something fierce and determined.  Jongup’s features became almost hard as he undulated and spun, stomping forcefully on the ground after a beautiful, perfectly executed jump that matched the music exactly.  He didn’t look at anyone else either, keeping his attention focused solely on his steps and the music and it was in that moment that Jonghyun knew he’d already lost.

                Then again, getting to watch the dancing persona of Jongup that was all tense power and tantalizingly revealed iness was almost worth it.  Jonghyun nearly sagged when the music was ended and he started as he realized he’d actually stopped breathing for a few seconds.  As inconspicuously as possible, he took a breath and clapped graciously, pretending modest interest where he knew he’d been enraptured a moment before.  God he hoped no one had seen that…

                “Thank you for dancing with me,” Jongup beamed as he approached Jonghyun, barely winded and back to his innocent guise once more, expression happy and exhilarated.

                “You too,” Jonghyun nodded, keeping his head bowed to try and hide the encroaching flush as best as possible.  “You were really good,” he admitted, glancing up from under raised brows.

                They both looked over their shoulders at the conferring groups with uncertain smiles and he shrugged in response.  “So were you.  It was fun though,” Jongup assured the taller boy with a quick bow, instantly prompting a reciprocating response from Jonghyun.  It always felt weird not to bow to someone older, especially in this situation.

                Awkwardly, Jonghyun stood up and waved at the other dancer, who energetically responded in kind, and shuffled back to his group while Minsoo jogged to the middle to speak with Yongguk.  He chewed his lip nervously as the other four clamored around him, vying for his attention, but his focus was firmly riveted on the leaders and their decision.  His stomach dropped when Yongguk smiled brightly and turned to Jongup with a victorious gesture.  The BAP team cheered loudly and Jongup looked slightly more relieved than one would have expected.  That did not make Jonghyun feel particularly good when Minsoo sauntered over with an almost apologetic smile on his face.

                “What?” Jonghyun asked dryly, feeling a strange uncertainly settle in his stomach as he met Minsoo’s gaze evenly.

                The older male cringed slightly and then waved Jonghyun closer as he whispered into his ear.  “You’re, eh… punishment for losing is…”

                For a moment, Jonghyun blinked dumbly for he must have heard incorrectly.  There was no way that was what they’d agreed upon.  How could it even be possible?  Preemptively, his ears flushed bright red and he stared at Minsoo hard, waiting for the older male to laugh at the joke but when it didn’t happen, he wasn’t sure whether to be mortified or… excited.  “Seriously?” he asked, looking around the circle before he glanced back at the BAP members who were pushing Jongup back towards the center of the floor one more time, obvious confusion on their target’s face.

                “Yep,” Daniel nodded with certainty.  “I did my part.  Now it’s your turn,” he urged, shooing the equally tall male out with a giddy grin.

                “I…”

                “Would you just go already,” Byunghyun snorted, getting Chanhee’s assistance to give the younger boy a shove in the right direction.

                “Yah!” Jonghyun flailed, stumbling towards Jongup with a deer in headlights look.  He heard Changhyun cheer him on from the rear and had to rub the back of his neck in embarrassment.

                “You can do it!” the strangely happy boy called, his tone much too filled with glee.

                Of all the ‘punishments’ they could think of, this one had to be particular twisted, even if he’d been curious about such a thing for quite some time now.  When he figured out who thought it up, he was going to personally thank them, but in the meantime, he swallowed hard as he stopped directly in front of Jongup and gave a crooked smile.  “Hi,” he waved, all manner of uncertain.

                “I have no idea,” Jongup shook his head in what the younger boy figured was supposed to be a reassuring gesture, his stiff, brown hair held in place by too much product with nary a hair out of place.  “What did you get?” he asked, obviously curious since no one beyond them was actually saying anything.

                Well that didn’t make him feel any better either.  “Yeah well,” Jonghyun took a breath as he mentally cursed all the guys here: Teen Top and BAP.  He couldn’t believe he was about to do this, but he resolutely placed his hand on Jongup’s shoulder and firmed his jaw as everyone else fell silent.  Poor guy.  He looked so confused.  Not that Jonghyun could blame him.  He would be too.  Scratch that, he was, and he could see it to perfectly in Jongup’s dark eyes which reflected his visage so clearly.

                “Jonghyun?” the shorter male asked, nervously looking over his shoulder towards the rest of his group.

                He had never backed down from his word, or a challenge, before and he certainly wasn’t going to do so today.  Jonghyun just didn’t know if he’d survive the experience.  Swallowing hard, he nodded once to himself and when Jongup looked back to meet his gaze, he pulled the other dancer forward and reached up to cup the back of his head as he kissed him firmly.  Immediately, a chorus of entertained and frantic howls rose around them in the room, surrounding the pair with cat calls and whistles but for those few seconds, Jonghyun was completely focused on the man he was embracing.

                It was simple and short, filled with just a hint of exhilarated passion as he held tight and felt Jongup stiffen in mute surprise, wide eyes staring up at him in complete shock, but he didn’t pull away.  Tentative hands rose to press against Jonghyun’s ribs as the younger male slid his fingers further into slightly crunchy hair, the form giving way under his pressure.

                With his heart racing in his chest, Jonghyun memorized the feel of Jongup’s lips on his and stepped back, barely breathing as he blinked at the shorter male.  Equally dazed, Jongup’s expression looked even more vacant than usual as he raised a hand slowly to his lips, tracing his fingertips against them carefully.

                “Thank you!” Jonghyun bowed stiffly before he pivoted in place and walked as fast as he could towards his grinning group while he felt his face grow hotter and hotter by the moment.  He nearly tripped when he heard Minsoo chuckle.

                “About damn time,” the leader smiled, giving a slow clap as he glanced between Jongup and Jonghyun knowingly, the former still standing in mute shock as the rest of his group crowded around him with loud cheers and enthusiastic hands.

                “Eh?” Jonghyun chirped, looking around with a niggling sense of suspicion growing in the back of his mind.

                “You didn’t honestly think I’d get us into this sort of competition just because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut did you?” Byunghyun grinned, leaning his arm against Chanhee’s shoulder while the taller male clapped giddily.  There was really no describing the flailing that Changhyun was doing with Daniel and all of it pointed to one simple conclusion.

                They had known all along.

                “You were kind of obvious,” Chanhee leaned in to tease, patting the taller boy’s shoulder with a loose hand and a chuckle.

                Jonghyun’s mouth fell open slightly and he didn’t know whether to feel betrayed, angry, or… grateful.  Never mind.  He definitely felt the first two but the latter bit was worming its way into prominence as he scowled at his group with a ferocious glare and then looked back at the BAP members.  It took him a moment to find Jongup amidst their tight knit circle and when he did, his expression softened with mild concern as he couldn’t quite tell how the older male was doing.

                At last, Himchan got Jongup’s attention enough as he whispered in his ear to point towards Jonghyun and the shy dancer flushed an interesting shade of red with a delightfully bashful smile.  With his head slightly ducked, he gave a tentative wave at Jonghyun and then hid his embarrassed face in Himchan’s shoulder.  Laughing at the response, Himchan looked up to meet Jonghyun’s confused expression with a sly wink and a very satisfied okay signal.

                “You’re welcome,” Minsoo whispered into Jonghyun’s ear with a hand on his shoulder as he chuckled in the back of his throat.

                Jonghyun whirled away and punched Minsoo in the arm hard enough to sting.  “.”

                “Ow!” their leader cringed, holding his arm with a bemused smile.  “I deserved that,” he nodded in agreement, still chuckling.

                “Of course I think the cards were kind of stacked against you,” Daniel nodded with a look back at the group.

                When Jonghyun’s look became suspicious, Chanhee filled in for him.  “Jongup already knew what his punishment would be and it’s no wonder he tried so hard since I wouldn’t want to have to clean the entire dorm if I lost either.”

                “You guys ,” Jonghyun grumbled with an irritated frown.

                “But you know you love us!” Changhyun cried, attaching himself to the taller dancer with an exuberant hug.

                Jonghyun peered down at the shorter male with a neutral expression, the moment briefly tense, before he rolled his eyes and relaxed.  “Maybe a little,” he admitted reluctantly.

                “Yes!  So does this mean we can set up another competition?” Byunghyun offered suggestively, being more daring than usual with the maknae held in place by Changhyun.

                “No,” Jonghyun retorted just to be contradictory.

                “Oh!  And this time we can do duets!” Chanhee beamed, flailing next to Daniel who hopped in place beside him excitedly.  Jonghyun’s glare did nothing to stifle their amusement and even Changhyun appeared hopeful of the idea if his grin was any indication.

                They quieted down just enough to see how Jonghyun would respond and he looked around the group with a skeptical expression.  When he managed to see past them to the BAP members who were getting ready to depart, a traitorous smile graced his lips and he met Jongup’s eyes once more, feeling a flush rush into his cheeks at the exchange.  The shorter boy beamed back and then ducked his head, waving once as he did so.

                “Maybe…” Jonghyun admitted at last, regretting it almost immediately when he was swamped by the other four in a group hug.  “Ack!” he groaned, feeling used and abused, but strangely victorious all the same.

                And if they did end up doing duets next time, did that mean he could actually dance with Jongup then?  Hmm…  A quiet smile dominated his features at the thought and he caught sight of the retreating group one last time, managing a final glimpse of Jongup before he was whisked away.  After all of this elaborate deception, it might be worth it after all for just that sort of chance.  Maybe indeed.