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“Peace out!” Ten said before Johnny ended the camera recorder.
As the camera was turned off, the two were still wary about their words as there were still a few cameras around the house. The two lay silently on the red queen-sized bed until their camera-man bid them goodbye for this recording.
---
For April fools, Johnny devised a prank for him to pretend that he was going back home to Chicago, once the prank was approved by their manager, he started to plan it out.
Sitting on their couch after the night’s dinner, Johnny asked his members.
“Anyone wanna go to Chicago with me?” He asked which raised a couple of heads.
“Like, today?” Taeyong asked to which Johnny snickered. “What? Oh, April fool’s huh?”
“What are we going to do anyway?” Donghyuck asked.
“We’re going to pretend we’re in Chicago,” Johnny said. “I don’t have much planned yet but-”
“Hm, not interested,” Donghyuck said before walking away from the kitchen table.
“Doyoung?” Johnny called, one last ray of hope.
Doyoung sat quietly as he stared at Johnny, past memories of him being lost at target and being left in a parking lot. “Respectfully, no. Besides, we’ve been there already.”
---
Johnny dialed Ten as he lay on his bed, still thinking about a prank.
“Can you turn the volume down,” he pleaded to Donghyuck, who was playing a loud video game. “I can’t hear him.”
“I’ll turn your volume down,” Donghyuck responded to which he quickly apologized. Johnny understood as Donghyuck was in his gaming attitude which included him arguing with the least amount of logic.
“Hyung?” Ten answered.
“What took you so long?” Johnny teased. Normally, Ten would’ve answered right away.
“It’s almost like I had a damn schedule, you know?” Ten answered. “I didn’t but I just wanted to check how much you needed me.”
“Well, I need you, a lot,” Johnny said, almost immediately because if he didn’t, he knew that Ten would say something more than that. “I have a plan for April fool’s.”
“How does this concern me?” Ten replied.
“I have a plan but I need another person,” Johnny explained. “Do you have any suggestions on what I should do?”
For a moment or so, there were no responses on the other line.
“Turn it down, I can’t hear him,” Johnny said.
“I’m already wearing headphones,” Donghyuck replied.
“Oh,” Johnny said and put the call on loud-speak. “Ten?”
“What’s your plan anyway?”
“I’m gonna trick them into thinking I went home to Chicago-”
“Mhm, mhm. And you told me that you need what?”
“A person to pull the prank with me?”
“Yeah, got that, got that. And you asked me because?”
“Maybe you know someone that wants to do it with me? I don’t get what you’re saying here,” Johnny said, voice trailing off.
“Why don’t you ask the person that has been wanting to go since, what, eight years?” Ten said.
“Eight years? Kun? Kun wants to go?”
“Goddamn it, Johnny,” Ten said before ending the call.
“What?” Johnny exclaimed as he stared at his black screen.
“He obviously meant that he wanted you to invite him,” Donghyuck said without looking away from the screen.
“He could’ve just said that,” Johnny replied.
“I’m so frustrated right now but I can’t show you because I don’t want to lose,” Donghyuck said. “But just so you know, very disappointed, and angry.”
Johnny sighed as he pulled his covers over his head. His phone’s screen emitted a light that almost blinded him. With the floaters bothering his eyes, he searched for Ten’s number and he called him again.
Ten picked up immediately. “What now?”
“Do you want to go to Chicago with me?” Johnny asked, wary for some reason he couldn’t comprehend.
“I thought you’d never ask,” Ten said which made Johnny’s heart warm.
At the distance, Donghyuck commented “Weiner built like a tic-tac.”
---
“That’s all you planned?” Ten asked as Johnny told him what they were going to do for the filming. “No offense, but that seems so-so.”
“You tell me what to do then,” Johnny said, pouting at the lack of approval.
“I didn’t live in Chicago, how should I know?” Ten replied.
“Exactly, you haven’t been there. Just tell me what you want to see. It could be like a tour guide video.”
“I don’t know what I want,” Ten said, shying away from the opportunity Johnny gave him.
“But you said you’ve been wanting to go since like, eight years ago?” Johnny added.
“You’re asking so suddenly,” Ten said. “I forgot,” he added with a shrug. The truth was Ten didn’t even want to go anywhere in Chicago, he just wanted to visit Johnny’s house.
Johnny stared at his notebook as he swirled his pen on his hand. His plan was falling apart. “Just try and remember. Let’s try this out: how about we go back to our trainee days?”
Silence.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Johnny said, immediate regret blinding him and his ability to think. “I didn’t mean that to mean like that. I know that was off-limits but-”
“It’s okay,” Ten said, hiding the bitterness of their memories with a timid smile as he looked at the distance. “I’ll try and remember.”
Johnny bit his tongue because of his slip up, he didn’t mean to bring up the past, it was the one thing the two were careful to not talk about to that even Johnny couldn’t even think about it.
---
“Hey,” Ten said, trying to appear cool in front of the American boy who greeted him with a crooked smile and a shy hand. “I’m Ten,” he introduced.
“I’m Johnny,” the boy spoke. “Come, let me show you around.”
The two became pretty close fast, given that they were one of the few that could converse in english. Not only did they become good friends, every summer that Johnny visited to practice, the two tried to go a little bit deeper than the previous year.
-
Johnny never really thought of their relationship as a mere summer fling, for him it felt like a long distance relationship with no communication, or a relationship they both put on pause, either way, he knew they wouldn't last, not in their situation, not ever.
He sat on a swing next to Ten and he observed how his ice cream dripped from the edge of the cone and trickled down to his fingers.
“Hyung, your ice cream is melting,” Ten said, always so attentive even if he was swaying on the swing. “Oh- Don’t tell me you want me to lick it?” he teased.
“Yuck,” Johnny teased back with a grimace.
“I was just trying to make you laugh,” Ten admitted. “You look so defeated every time. You really changed after this year, huh?”
“People change,” Johnny replied. “You would too.”
“I don’t think I will,” Ten said. “I don’t get old. Personality wise, I don’t have any problems with it.”
“How about feelings? Emotionally?” Johnny asked which prompted Ten from swaying.
“Emotionally?” Ten repeated before he pondered for a while. “I’m still gonna like you years later, Johnny.”
“That’s scary,” Johnny replied.
“What do you mean-” Ten halted. “Are you saying that you don’t feel the same anymore?” he asked, wary of his choice of words.
Johnny wanted to say no, but did he really? The stress of debuting and being caught took a toll that all he could come up with was the greatest lie he ever told.
“I mean, it’s not like whatever this means a lot, right? It’s like a summer fling. It’s trendy and shit.”
“Yeah,” Ten replied, staring blankly at Johnny. “Summer fling,” he repeated, grasping the unfamiliar word that tugged his heart. “You know, it’s so meaningless, why don’t we just pretend this never existed at all?”
In a heartbeat, Johnny agreed. “Deal. This never happened. We’re just two dudes, eating ice cream, and playing in the park.”
“Two dudes eating ice cream, playing in the park,” Ten repeated through his silent sobs. “And nothing ever happened here at all.”
---
Johnny regretted going down through the rabbit hole to search for his memories yet all he remembered was pain.
“Have you thought of any?” he asked.
“Home,” Ten said. “You said you’d take me home.”
---
“Oh, Johnny. The things you do for content,” Ten said as he and Johnny roam around the now empty house, away from the camera and people.
Johnny had rented this whole place for the whole day and it would make sense for them to spend their night here.
“It’s an excuse for a vacation too,” Johnny said. It wasn’t a lie although for him, it felt like one. It has been months since the two saw each other, the last one being for their NCT 2020 promotions.
“Sure,” Ten said, laying on the sofa. “Do we have anything here except for some target dupes?”
“I said I rented the place, not a chef,” Johnny said, immediately going to the kitchen to check for anything.
As Johnny fumbled around the kitchen, Ten tried to organize the living room, cleaning up the cups they used for earlier.
“We got beef and chicken!” Johnny excitedly shouted.
“Woah- how are you going to cook them-”
“I meant noodle soup flavors. Pick one.”
---
Ten stood next to Johnny, who was holding a cooking utensil.
“Ah.” Johnny sounded out, prompting Ten to give him some of the leftover oreos from earlier.
It took them about half an hour to figure out how to turn the stove on and it was already dinner time.
“We could’ve eaten out by now,” Ten whined.
“What if someone recognized us and spoiled the prank?” Johnny asked.
“It’s not like it’s a new sight for them to see you with me-”
“Ah-”
“This is really annoying. I can’t reach you because your arm is in the way,” Ten complained. “There’s no space on the other side too.”
“Just sit on the counter,” Johnny said nonchalantly which took Ten atleast five seconds to comprehend.
Johnny gripped the wooden spoon tightly. He was careful to not look up because he wouldn’t know what would happen if he did. Would he kiss him? probably not. Hug him to death? more likely.
“Ah,” Ten prompted, causing Johnny to break his promise and look up. “We look like a couple,” Ten said.
Not backing down, Johnny replied. “Look?”
Ten rolled his eyes and continued to scroll on his phone.
This was something Johnny had wished for since before and he was glad that he could fulfill it synthetically, at the very least.
“I’m bored,” Ten said, on instinct, he reached for Johnny’s tattoo.
Johnny’s gaze immediately turned to Ten’s face, who was admiring his tattoo. It lingered there for a moment, and it didn’t go away after Ten met Johnny’s.
Suddenly, the atmosphere became thick. Faces suspended on air, inches away from each other’s lips.
At some point the two always knew that their summer fling lasted through the years and withstood the other seasons but autumn leaves wither and cherry blossoms bloom, they knew it was just a spark of the moment.
The lingering eye contact meant everything and nothing at the same time. Longing for a touch that was deprived from them eight goddamn years ago. Sadly, they knew better.
“Go take a shower, or something,” Johnny said after clearing his throat.
“I didn’t bring clothes,” Ten said. “I didn’t know we’re actually staying here.”
“I actually brought clothes,” Johnny replied. “I’m committed to this.”
“Hm,” Ten mumbled. “Character development we all needed.”
---
Johnny couldn’t help but admire Ten, hair wet from being fresh out of shower, wearing his favorite clothes, sitting in front of him.
Ten picked out the floating carrots and peas from his noodle soup when Johnny brought up the filming earlier.
“I wonder how the video went,” Johnny asked.
“Probably great,” Ten said.
“Cause you were there. Show-stopping as always,” Johnny said.
“Mm, I think they’ll like your ad libs. You said a couple lines out of script earlier,” Ten admitted. “I was taken aback but hey, when was I never?”
Johnny felt guilty. He and Ten were doing well until he brought up their past days. “I’m really sorry for that night,” he said.
“You made me cry for a lot of nights,” Ten said. “Pick one.”
“Every,” Johnny said. A small thought on the back of his head lingered. “Do you?”
“Do I what?”
“You know. Are you?” Johnny said in sections since he couldn’t say it outloud, something deeply lodged in him felt that it was unfair for him to ask. “Are you still the same?”
“You told me earlier that I proved you wrong. I’m still the same Ten, same habits, same feelings.”
---
The two lay in the bed as the night fell. In Johnny’s arms, Ten snuggled comfortably. The night allowed them to pretend how they always wanted to be, carefree and together.
Johnny drew circles on Ten’s shoulder as the latter draped his legs over Johnny, hugging and not letting him go in the process.
Their hours were counted yet they didn’t need to feel to talk to each other. Laying in total silence as they await the blazing sun to remind them that knowing better didn’t mean having the best.
Finally, Ten spoke. “Should we make a JCC episode for Valentines?”
“I don’t want to wait a year,” Johnny teased.
“I waited for you more than a year,” Ten said. “I'm sure you could do it,” he continued. “Plus, now you’ll have tons of time to plan things out.”
“This time, do you want me to actually take you home?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”