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“Mingyu, try not to be so obvious.” Jeonghan’s breath is warm against Mingyu’s ear. He’s whispering because there are cameras everywhere, and he’s right, Mingyu needs to stop being so obvious. But it’s hard. It’s easy to stop skinship during interviews, easy to avoid Wonwoo whenever they’re being filmed.
But how is Mingyu supposed to hide the fondness in his eyes?
Mingyu tightens his hand, and looks away. The sun is setting now, the sky like pink cotton candy. There’s a chill in the air. They’ve finished a mini interview by one of Seoul’s beautiful gardens, and now they’re just wrapping up with a photoshoot. Most of them are already done. It’s Wonwoo’s turn right now.
Wonwoo’s eyes are like laser pointers, hard and unforgiving, as he poses in front of the camera. But then the photographer asks for a smile, and Mingyu watches Wonwoo’s lips turn upwards, and his eyes crinkle. Mingyu's heart does a double-flip. Wonwoo is one of the softest people he knows, no matter what kind of persona he keeps on stage.
Mingyu can feel himself smiling, so he turns his head away, as if he’s smiling at the pretty sunset. He’s aware of the cameras panning toward their direction for some “backstage” footage and Wonwoo doesn’t - Wonwoo doesn’t like the shipping. Mingyu reminds himself of this.
Mingyu breathes through his nose. It’s okay. He understands that. When Wonwoo first told him he didn’t like the fanservice, Mingyu had blinked twice. He’d felt his mouth move to say okay, but his head had went underwater. How was he supposed to tell Wonwoo that for him, it wasn't fanservice?. Mingyu didn’t try to touch Wonwoo because it would appease the fans - he did it because it was the most natural thing in the world. Mingyu didn’t try to smile at Wonwoo like he was his world - it was something his eyes and mouth did on their own accord. But Mingyu couldn't say any of that, so he just smiled and said, "yeah, man, it's kind of getting weird for me too." The matter had been settled, and Mingyu tried his best to keep his heart wrapped tightly under his own skin.
Mingyu's eyes stray involuntarily back to Wonwoo.
There’s a pause in the photoshoot as one of the staff adjusts Wonwoo’s pose, and Mingyu notices Wonwoo shiver. Now that the sun has set, the cold autumn breeze is starting to seep in, and Wonwoo’s always been the type to get easily cold. Probably because he’s so skinny. Mingyu frowns.
The outfit he’d been asked to wear wasn’t warm enough either. He wanted to tell the staff that Wonwoo should be bundled in multiple sweaters, but Mingyu supposed that wasn't very model-like. By the time Wonwoo is finally done his photoshoot, the sun has set completely, and the sky is a deep purple, almost indigo. The breeze has gotten stronger, and even Mingyu feels cold in the jacket he was given.
Wonwoo must be freezing.
Mingyu watches Wonwoo sit down carefully beside Joshua, all the way on the opposite side, even though there’s an open seat on the other side of Mingyu. Mingyu pretends it doesn’t hurt, tries to tell himself, it’s just because of the cameras, but his heart quivers anyway. They used to be glued together, and now there’s this weird, aching distance.
As the photoshoot progresses for Jeonghan, Mingyu tries his best not to look at Wonwoo, but he can’t help it. Wonwoo’s shivering like crazy, hands curled on his knees, and Mingyu wants nothing more than to offer him his jacket. Before, he would have been there in a heartbeat, teasing him before throwing the jacket in his face. All casual but loving.
Now he can’t. Because there’s cameras. And sure, there’s a chance they wouldn’t be filmed anyway, and they could ask to cut it out, but - but he doesn’t want to upset Wonwoo. Wonwoo doesn’t like it. Mingyu has to respect that.
The other members are starting to complain about the cold too. Seungkwan dramatically compares the weather to Antarctica, and everyone laughs at his English pronunciation of it. Seungcheol offers him his spare hoodie, but Vernon’s decided to wrap himself around Seungkwan to provide body heat, so the offer is declined.
Mingyu waits for Wonwoo to speak up, and say, hey, I could use that hoodie, but he doesn't. Of course he doesn’t. Wonwoo’s so fucking stubborn. He wishes one of the other members would notice how Wonwoo is nearly freezing to death, but Wonwoo’s so quiet and contained that he’s easy to miss.
Except for Mingyu of course. Mingyu notices everything about Wonwoo, from the way his hair flops cutely during dance routines and how Wonwoo’s real laugh is dorky and loud.
“Hey,” the photographer said, “We’re having some technical difficulties, so the shoot may take longer than expected. That okay with you guys?”
“Yes,” the members say in scattered unison, save for Wonwoo who looks like he might start to cry. But of course he won’t, because he’s supposed to be a bad boy, which Mingyu to this day finds hilarious. Concern etches its way onto Mingyu’s face, and he glances at Wonwoo. There’s no way that thin t-shirt is keeping him warm. What if Wonwoo catches a cold?
It’s not your job to worry about him. Hell, he’s your hyung, it’s supposed to be the other way round. Mingyu tries to tell himself this, but he worries anyway, because it’s Wonwoo and Mingyu has always been weak when it comes to him.
Another twenty minutes go by, and finally, finally, one of the staff decides that there’s enough camera footage to put away the cameras panned on them, and focus entirely on the photoshoot. The moment the camera is out of sight, Mingyu removes his jacket. He wants to walk over unnoticed, knowing Wonwoo’s easily embarrassed, but Mingyu’s so tall, a giant annoying beanpole in Wonwoo terminology, that everyone notices when he goes over to Wonwoo.
Oh, well. It’s not on camera and Wonwoo might end up dying at this rate. Wonwoo watches him too, an unreadable expression on his face.
“Hey,” Mingyu says, voice light.
“Hi.” Wonwoo frowns, eyeing the jacket in Mingyu’s hand.
“Do you know what this is for?” Mingyu holds up his jacket.
Wonwoo barely conceals a shiver. He furrows his brow. “For the photoshoot?”
“Nah,” Mingyu says. He leans in closer, and whispers into his ear, “It’s for cold Wonwoo-hyung’s.”
Wonwoo doesn’t have a chance to process the statement before Mingyu starts cloaking the jacket around Wonwoo’s arms. Wonwoo’s hands and arms are cold to touch, and Mingyu wishes he could have offered the jacket earlier. Wonwoo immediately curls into the warmth of the jacket, pulling the sleeves over his hands and he looks adorable. Mingyu’s significantly bigger than him and the jacket is oversized, and Mingyu’s heart is pounding out of control because he’s so in love and he can’t be. He can’t be.
Wonwoo stares down at the sleeves of his jacket, then back up at Mingyu. His eyes are soft. “Ah. I wasn’t really that cold.”
Mingyu stifles a laugh. “Oh, really? I guess I’ll just take this back then.” Mingyu jokingly reaches for his jacket, and Wonwoo tugs it tighter around him protectively, laughing as Mingyu playfully attempts to take it off.
There’s a pause in the banter. The air is calm and everything feels a bit lighter.
“How do you notice everything?” Wonwoo asks.
Mingyu’s heart stops. Because I’m in love with you. I’m so in love with you. He doesn’t say that. He smiles through his teeth, through the pain, and says, “Because I’m Mingyu, and I’m good at everything, including noticing things.” He says it boldly, and Wonwoo snorts, smacking him on the arm.
It’s quiet then, for a moment. There isn’t a chair next to Wonwoo, but Mingyu stands there anyway. It’s Jun’s turn for the photoshoot, the last one for the day, and Mingyu starts to get lost in his own daydreams when he feels pressure against his side. He looks down and Wonwoo has his head leaned against the side of Mingyu’s torso, eyes closed, and Mingyu’s heart swallows him whole.
He casually runs a hand through Wonwoo’s soft hair, petting him. He glances around but nobody seems to have noticed them, so he keeps his hand there, a steady pressure. Wonwoo shifts comfortably into the touch. Mingyu breathes out silently.
Maybe Wonwoo will never love him back. Maybe Mingyu will always have to live with this pining heart. But right now Wonwoo’s leaning against him like Mingyu’s the only person he trusts, cloaked in Mingyu’s jacket, safe and warm, and Mingyu lets that be enough.
It has to be enough.