Chapter Text
Taeyong and Johnny had always been the best of friends.
They knew each other's likes, dislikes, and deepest thoughts - right down to the core. They had seen each other laugh, sob, and scream; They had witnessed each other's failures and celebrated with one another. Their friendship was a beautiful balance of give and take that was always filled with reciprocity, trust, and comfort.
Taeyong was the Yin to Johnny's Yang, in a sense that Johnny always knew how to help Taeyong to take some of the burden of being a group leader off his shoulders, and Taeyong always knew the perfect token of appreciation for Johnny in return.
Their friendship had always come easily and remained that way- so easy that it came second only to breathing. Maybe it was the fact that he and Johnny were the same age and shared similar interests.. Or maybe it was because Johnny wasn't the kind of person who felt the need to hide his problems from Taeyong, and Taeyong wasn't the kind of person who could let him go unheard, even if Johnny didn't outwardly offer to share them.
Perhaps this comfort found through transparency is what made being such close friends simple. Johnny was reliable, responsible, and always quick to listen. Taeyong could trust him. They were comfortable around each other.
However, something changed between them for the first time ever in the spring of 2020. It all began with that damn jacket photoshoot; a task which they had completed together plenty of times before. But that time was an exception.
Taeyong felt something for Johnny for the first time in their entire friendship that he wasn't entirely sure he knew how to deal with.
-
"What time is the jacket shoot again? Day after next, right?"
"Yeah - We have to be there at 5 AM."
Johnny groaned dramatically in response, spooning through his soup bowl for pieces of beef. Taeyong snorted across from him as he pried open the lid to the soup he ordered and added a bowl of rice to it.
This particular restaurant they had ordered from was well known for Johnny's favorite dish, "gukbap", and the savory smell of it alone made Taeyong exclaim excitedly upon opening the delivery package. Both of them had ordered the same dish with different flavor profiles and had agreed to share. Once Taeyong was finished mixing rice into the steaming hot soup, he pushed the big plastic bowl in the middle of the dorm's kitchen table for sharing. Johnny watched him unpack the food with tired eyes, chewing a particularly large chunk of beef he had dug out.
"What, not excited?" Taeyong inquired sarcastically. Johnny rolled his eyes playfully in response, temporarily switching eating hands to reach up and rake his light brown locks out of his eyes.
"No, I just have a hair appointment tomorrow and I have yet to decide what I want my hair to look like.. so it's stressing me out a little. I mean, the stylists always have great suggestions, but you know I'm funny about things like that. I do have a few ideas saved though." Johnny sighed in response, going back to cooling off the broth he scooped up. "Do you wanna help me pick a hair color? I think I'm gonna keep my haircut the same, so just keep that in mind."
Taeyong nodded in response, his mouth full of food.
They sat in silence briefly while Johnny scrolled through Pinterest to find some photos he had pinned. Nothing but the sounds of late night in the city filled the quiet space between them; that, and the noise coming from Donghyuck's room, which had to be the sound of his computer games, given the hour. Hyuck was respectful with the game volume coming from his room when he played at night; it was just more that Taeyong had noticed just how quiet it was in the dorm. He looked down and woke his phone, and a picture of his beloved dog Ruby greeted him- it was 11:47 PM.
"It's unlike you to be unsure about what to do with your hair color right up until the appointment," Taeyong teased lightly after swallowing, nodding towards the phone in Johnny's hand. After years of knowing him, Taeyong knew Johnny was a 'planning' kind of person. Johnny shrugged and furrowed his brows a bit, his mouth now full. "Show me," Taeyong added, "I can make the decision for you."
Johnny slid his phone over the tabletop, swiping through a few photos slowly, without explanation of thought behind them. Taeyong's interest was piqued when he swiped past a photo of a beautiful cabernet red shade, and a surprised noise came up in his throat. "Johnny with red red hair.. that's something new!" he exclaimed, pointing at the screen, "Go back go back!!"
Johnny scrolled back, humming in agreement. "I've had shades of red before, but this one is a lot more intense. I think something intense would match the concept well, since it's more of a serious and cool vibe, y'know?" Johnny took a bite of an unknown side dish sitting on the table between them and averted his eyes from Taeyong. "I just wanted to ask your opinion since I couldn't decide, and you're the group leader after all, so I figured you would be able to give me unbiased feedback," he chuckled, prodding a joke at their friendship - coworker dynamic.
"Serious and Cool," Taeyong said aloud in English, really forcing the accent, and Johnny laughed lightly.
"I like this a lot, you should do this color," Taeyong added, "I think it would suit you very well." He reached over to the bowl Johnny had been eating out of mid-sentence, and before he could get a spoonful, Johnny was already turning around his own spoon to face Taeyong's direction. "Wanna try?," he asked with his eyebrows slightly raised, inviting Taeyong to take the bite he was about to consume.
Taeyong was used to sharing food with people just fine, but Johnny didn't offer food from his own utensils often. Taeyong made an "ahh" noise, letting his mouth hang open like a baby bird asking for food. Johnny brought the spoon closer to him, a curious look in his eye that Taeyong couldn't place as he leaned forward and closed his mouth around the long spoon's end. Taeyong could feel his ears burn a bit, Johnny's heavier-than-usual gaze tangible as he cleaned off the spoon, lips dragging the metal to ensure he didn't drop anything. "Why is he staring at me like that? It's kind of weird," Taeyong thought to himself. Maybe he's just exhausted. It was a long day, after all.
The flavor of the soup was deep, yet light, and slightly spicy. Johnny withdrew his spoon, breaking his gaze and quickly moving to grab another spoonful of the soup in the middle of the table after. "What do you think?," he asked, one cheek now stuffed full of soupy rice.
He's acting like that wasn't full of tension all of a sudden. Taeyong hummed and furrowed his brows a little in delight, deciding to act like it never happened. "That is really good.."
As the two of them finished their meal in partial silence, occasionally talking about happenings of their day. Taeyong couldn't help but feel his gut twist a little, thinking about the way Johnny had stared unusually hard while he hand-fed him.
He chalked it up to both of them being exhausted.
About two weeks had passed, and before they knew it, the group of men were already at the studio being dressed up for their second jacket shoot.
Taeyong, who sat shirtless in the styling chair, watched the stylist mold his pink locks into her vision, while the person on his side drew elaborate art on his arm in black ink. Taeyong was in awe of their design so far, chatting with them about their artwork and their experience here and there. He lifted his gaze and inspected himself in the mirror as they worked, scouring his bare chest for imperfections. As usual, nothing was found amiss.
Across the room, Taeyong could see Johnny in the opposite corner through the mirror, his torso also bared. Another artist was penning designs on his chest, and they seemed to be chatting about the type of art Johnny wanted on himself. God, he looks so handsome, Taeyong thought. Johnny's golden skin contrasted beautifully against his garnet hair, his bangs just barely brushing his high cheekbone. The slightest bit of lipstick and filled-in brows really highlighted his natural beauty.
Taeyong couldn't make out the designs on his body from this distance, and he wouldn't try just yet, since he could always catch him later in the day. But he let his gaze wander across the expanse of Johnny's upper chest anyway, the conversation between the stylists around him turning into background noise. He felt himself salivate slightly at the blur of Johnny's newest tattoo in the distance- a branch he had gotten a few weeks prior. Taeyong remembered the detail of it vividly when Johnny shed his shirt to show him for the first time, just days after its application. The way the botanical design was delicately laid beneath his collarbone was gorgeous, and, to Taeyong's own surprise, enticing.
He swallowed hard, remembering the way Johnny looked that day. Something in the pit of his stomach flipped as he let his eyes wander farther down Johnny's torso, raking over his chiseled body.
What the hell is wrong with me? Taeyong thought, willing himself to rip his eyes away from the man's body. Snap out of it.
After momentarily eyeing the huge birthmark on his hip, Taeyong was forced to flit his eyes back to his own reflection after Johnny glanced his way.
Not much later, the members started gathering in the enormous studio area to wait for the team's instructions for shooting. Taeyong waltzed into the ever-familiar studio, arm adorned in black ink. He felt pretty stylish like this - his body was a canvas, and it was pleasing to the eye. He made a mental note about planning to get more of his own (permanent) tattoos down the line.
A shiver ran down his spine when the air from the studio hit his bare chest, clad in only what could definitely be considered a harness, silver chains attached to its leather, and a leather vest jacket that matched. The cool silver felt extra heavy against his skin now. He folded his arms across himself, pressing the leather jacket into his breast to try to conserve some warmth.
He felt a nervous twinge in his chest, thinking about how to confidently but sexily present himself for these concept photos. But, he was sure the photos would come out to exceed his expectations no matter what, since their photography team was highly skilled. He noticed today's set appeared to be rather plain compared to the sets they were on previously, which meant the members would be the sole focus of the photos. He mumbled a quick pep talk, ending it by shaking out the nervous energy through his hands and making odd, anxious noises to himself.
From across the room, he spotted Johnny, who was sitting in a chair facing away from the backdrop in a robe, looking at him directly. Taeyong guessed he must've caught a glimpse of his expulsion of nervous energy. Johnny beckoned from afar, and Taeyong could make out the shape of his large hand, the pinky finger sticking out of its silhouette. "Taeyong~," he cooed, "Come here!"
Taeyong gave a nod of acknowledgement, but his breath was caught in his throat. He began preparing mentally to deal with that weird feeling he experienced with Johnny from earlier- only worse this time because he would be up close, able to see the details of Johnny's body and the faux tattoos. After mentally chastising himself for ogling his best friend, he made his way over reluctantly, arms folded around his body, like he was protecting himself.
"Wow, don't you look good.. Are you cold or something?" Johnny giggled playfully. Taeyong felt his ears grow hot. Good thing it was a little dark in the studio today.
"Thank you thank you.. so do you. What kind of stuff did they draw on you?" Taeyong forced out, plopping down with a sigh in the chair next to Johnny. Johnny opened his black robe slowly with a goofy, scandalous expression to expose his smooth, broad chest. Taeyong burst into laughter, Johnny then tapping an index finger on his skin next to a drawing on his sternum that read "Chicago". Taeyong forced his eyes to remain on the black ink, determined to concentrate on the conversation.
"I actually like them all a lot, but this one in particular is really cool since it's like, personal to me," Johnny explained, looking proud. "The artist who drew on me today was super cool, and he said he kind of wanted to give it a personal flair. I felt pretty special after seeing it."
Taeyong oooh'ed and ahhh'ed at the designs, trying desperately to ignore how... sexy he looked in this lighting. The members always joked about Johnny's sex appeal, but actually feeling the effect of it was terrifying for Taeyong. He felt the blood rush to his hands when the older let go of the hem of his robe and let it fall open, his entire front exposed down to the lower waistline. He almost wanted to get up and run when Johnny turned his body towards him to inspect his arm.
"They did a really amazing job with the body art. Like, I feel twice as cool with this kind of art on my body, you know? It's something that was tailored to fit each of us. It kind of makes me want more tattoos.. And I don't know if you saw it, but Jaehyun's neck tattoo is insane. I'm sure the fans will be drooling over it online when these photos drop," Johnny chuckled to himself, gesturing vaguely to where Jaehyun was having photos taken. "I think they captured the look for this song really well with this concept in particular, don't you think?" Taeyong hummed in agreement, struggling to keep his focus on the conversation. Taeyong noticed Johnny appeared to be eyeing the makeup on his face carefully while he was lost in his own head.
Johnny leaned in ever so slightly, a soft yet serious (and almost a little lustful) look on his face and mumbled, "You look beautiful, Taeyong. Don't be so anxious. I know how you get." His plush lips curled into a slight smirk, and Taeyong felt the skin on his neck and chest burn hot, the obvious blush screaming just underneath his foundation. He folded his arms to cover the blush growing on his chest, and chuckled half-heartedly, breaking eye contact with Johnny in fear of making things too awkward. Why am I looking at his lips anyway?!
"Thank you, Johnny. I think it will turn out well no matter what because the photography staff are really good at what they do," Taeyong sighed, looking down at the floor briefly. He knew Johnny could tell his nerves were up.
"The photos will turn out well because you're sexy, just be confident and be yourself. This style is kinda up your alley, right? Just embrace it," Johnny reassured, that same familiar glint in his eye from the dinner they shared weeks ago reappearing. "If shy little Doie can do it, you certainly can," he added with a snicker, giving Taeyong a playful smack on the arm that wasn't adorned with art.
"You think this style is up my alley!?" Taeyong blurted, almost nervously. "I feel like I'm wearing BDSM getup in plain sight," he giggled, shoulders shrugging up, his lithe body closing in on itself like a bivalve.
"It does kind of look that way," Johnny mentioned quietly with a chuckle, almost in a way so that they didn't attract the attention of others nearby. "The contrast is what's funny. Our cute Taeyong with pink hair and baby soft skin wearing chains and leather.. " Johnny and Taeyong shared a laugh for a moment and then calmed down before Johnny spoke again. "It is rather cute, actually. Only you could wear something like this in public and get away with it, though." Johnny's eyes suddenly scanned over Taeyong, whose arms had now relaxed and fallen to his side in the seat. His gaze felt heavy on his body, and Taeyong almost instinctively relaxed and let his chest become exposed more as a reaction. It was almost like Taeyong wanted him to stare hungrily.
He felt his blush flare up again, and hoped lightning would strike him at any moment.
"Thank you. I guess I have a lot to live up to, now that you said that," Taeyong breathed sheepishly, and Johnny reached over to pinch his nipple playfully, which he often did to irritate Taeyong. Taeyong yelped, leaning away to try and avoid the attack, but Johnny's arms were too long to avoid it at this distance. "Fucking quit!!," Taeyong cursed, swatting his hand away. Johnny laughed heartily at his own mischief, and Taeyong could feel heat curl in his stomach, his nipple left burning from the contact.
Seconds later, Taeyong was called by the staff to have his photograph taken. He scrambled to get up just as Johnny leaned in to tauntingly poke his exposed waist, just missing it by a hair. (He knew Taeyong was very ticklish and often used it against him.)
Johnny, who was still laughing, gave the younger a playful slap on the ass when he started off towards the set. The fire in Taeyong's stomach hadn't had a chance to be quelled even in the slightest, and the ass slap certainly wasn't going to help. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty about it, even if Johnny was being particularly provoking today. "Go get 'em, tiger!," Johnny called out after him.
That night at the dorm, Taeyong found himself at the door of the shared 95-line member bathroom, face to face with Johnny. Both of them with a towel in hand, they argued over who should go first, since the rest of the bathrooms in the dorm were occupied by members, or were simply too dirty for their liking.
"Taeyong, you're covered in ink on one side of your arm, you should go first.. you can't even lay down or sit in a comfortable chair like this. Leader first, also," Johnny pointed out.
"No, you go first. I always say my members are like my children, remember? Babies get the clean bath water first and then mom gets whatever water is left, y'know? That old bath time rule or something", Taeyong chuckled, urging Johnny to go ahead. Johnny rolled his eyes, but then it suddenly looked like an idea dawned on him.
"Why don't we just go in together? Save water and time?"
Taeyong froze at the offer. He's bathed with members before, but since he's had a weird feeling of magnetism to Johnny lately, he almost had a visceral reaction to the offer. "What?"
"I mean you don't gotta if you don't wanna but if we're gonna keep having this argument, neither of us are gonna get clean at this point," Johnny shrugged, giving Taeyong a once-over briefly. "You know.. we are best friends.. And you've already seen my asscheeks at LEAST three times by now, so it's not like it would be that weird for me."
Taeyong snickered, recalling a distant memory. "Ten really took that joke about pantsing you too far that one time.. it was funny as hell though," he murmured, realizing he was avoiding the question. His insides were too busy doing jumping jacks just thinking about showering with Johnny for his brain to conjure up an answer.
"Well? I'm not gonna try to convince you to do it, I was just saying it wouldn't be weird," Johnny pressed, raising his eyebrows and raising his hands, palms forward defensively. "For me, at least. I don't wanna make you uncomfortable."
Taeyong rubbed the back of his neck in thought. "No, no.. it’s not uncomfortable to me either," he assured. After another second or two passed, the leader spoke up again. "Okay, but don't make fun of me! And don't try to fuckin' tickle me.. I don't want to slip on the tile again like that one time.. that shit hurt."
Johnny snorted and rolled his eyes. "Well maybe if somebody hadn't been running in the bath house..," he teased, and Taeyong returned his eye roll. "I told you I was running because you were chasing me!"
"I only threatened to tickle you and you ran off!" Johnny exclaimed defensively.
The two walked into the bathroom curiously, scanning briefly to ensure it was clean. The dorm aunts always worked so hard to keep the place clean, and because they only came once a week to deep clean, Taeyong regularly chastised the members to help keep the shared living spaces tidy. Not that it always worked, but he had to try.. for the auntie's sake. Even Taeyong himself had seen some disturbing shit in their bathrooms.
After they both decided it looked fine, the two began to settle in, Taeyong moving to locate their bath products in the cabinet in the far corner. When turned around to place the products in the shower caddy, he met eyes with Johnny, who had just begun to undress. "My bad," Taeyong blurted, averting his eyes. "Do you want me to turn around so you can undress?" Johnny chuckled in response. "Taeyong, we have literally been changing in front of each other for years.. and like I said earlier, we've been to hot springs and bath houses together, this is nothing new. Silly."
"Well yeah, that's true, but the context is different when it's in the bathr-"
"What's up with you today?" Johnny interrupted, and Taeyong looked up to meet eyes with him. He was looking a little worried this time, and not in a playful way. "You seem nervous, is everything okay?"
"Y-yeah.." Taeyong stuttered as he removed his shirt. "I'm fine. I was just nervous about the, uh, photos today, as you already know. Just a little on-edge.”
Taeyong watched Johnny as he approached the shower control panel and flicked it on to medium heat instinctively- which he knew was Taeyong's preferred setting per a conversation from when they first moved into the dorm. The rainfall shower head came to life from above, and Johnny stepped back out of the spacious stall to let it warm up, shedding the remainder of his clothes comfortably. Taeyong nervously played with the waistband of his pink boxer briefs, watching Johnny's body language carefully without staring too long.
"Don't worry, I won't look," Johnny assures the younger one, shaking the hairspray out of his red locks with his fingers, his eyes cast downward.
This is a terrible idea, is all Taeyong could think as he shimmied off his underwear in the far corner while Johnny made an obvious effort to keep his eyes averted.
Taeyong kept his own eyes from wandering downwards of mutual respect, but now that Johnny was completely nude in front of him, the faux and real tattoos worked together to make quite a lethal effect. God, did he look gorgeous.
Johnny's hair was a little tousled now, affected by the humidity and his own handiwork, letting it fall in his eyes as he grabbed his clothes to toss them near the bathroom entrance. When he returned to his spot near the glass shower door, he gestured with both hands to the stall’s opening. "Leader first?"
Taeyong padded over to the shower, hugging himself instinctively. "Thank you~," he muttered in a singsong manner as he passed by his friend.
It was awkward.. and so terribly quiet.
Yes, the shower was huge. Yes, it had shelves opposite on each side so they could use each side separately to lather up and not even have to touch or make eye contact. Did it make it any less awkward for Taeyong right now? Absolutely not.
Taeyong immediately veered to the right after walking in, facing away from Johnny. He looked down at the grayscale pebble flooring, wondering what the hell he was doing and why it was so horribly embarrassing to be bare in front of Johnny, of all people. He tried to keep to his side of the shower stall as long as he could, scrubbing every inch of his body with his sandalwood-scented body soap to keep from bumping into Johnny under the singular square of running water from above. He even did a hair mask to try and pass more time. He hoped Johnny would finish up quickly and excuse himself, even. Taeyong turned to check if he was facing him and tried his best not to stare once he caught sight of him.. but it was already proving to be a difficult task.
Johnny, however, was standing underneath the water, facing the pebbled shower wall. His forehead was resting against it gently, letting the flow of hot water run over his back.
Taeyong was absolutely mesmerized, watching the soap on his shoulders trickle down his muscular back, running past the small of it and down onto his-
"Sorry, forgot I was hogging the water. Just feels nice on my back," Johnny sighed, his face full of contentment. His cheeks were slightly flushed from the heat and the humidity in the air, a few sopping wet dark red locks clinging to the side of his face. He looked stunning, almost like a painting.
Taeyong felt that familiar heat from earlier curl behind his navel again, desperately willing it to not reach his dick, for fear of utter shame and embarrassment. Fuck, Taeyong internally cursed.
"It's okay.. I-I was doing a hair mask anyway," the pink-haired one half-lied in response. He used this hair mask yesterday already. All the members pretty much knew he always did hair color masks the day before filming or photos because they often borrowed products from him for the same reason.
If Johnny picked up on the lie, he didn't react.
Taeyong took a few quiet deep breaths to relax before approaching the water.
Johnny scooted over slightly to give his friend room under the running shower head. Taeyong slowly walked up next to him, finally rinsing off the ridiculous lather that resulted from his several minutes of accidental anxiety-induced deep-exfoliation. He closed his eyes and lifted his head towards the ceiling, feeling the tension in his muscles dissipate when the hot water engulfed him. He let out a sigh of relief that was much too close to a moan by accident.
Johnny let out a pleased chuckle next to him. "You look cute like that.”
He turned and looked up at Johnny, and that familiar glint in his eye.. that heavy gaze from a few weeks ago was back, peeking out from beneath half-lidded eyes. The taller man’s flushed cheeks rounded as his lips curled into a brief but darling smile.
At that moment, Taeyong knew exactly what his problem was today.
He wanted Johnny. He really wanted him. Or rather, he needed Johnny. The idea of it, even in its ambiguity, was absolutely tantalizing. But it was more than just carnal, a new pang of shyness spreading under his skin.
What do I even do with that?
Fuck... fuck fuck fuck fuck.. Taeyong's inner voice was clawing at his insides, the sheer realization of his own neediness hitting him like a brick. He was thankful his blush was masked by the heat of the water this time.
"Don't stare at me!" Taeyong whined, hugging himself and turning away to hide. In the haze of all his internal conflict, Taeyong felt numb all over. He felt blood rush to his face and hands, but he wasn't sure whether his dick was responding accordingly or not at this point. Frankly, he didn't want to have to look to check if it was. He just silently hoped Johnny didn't notice anything, willing his body to be calm.
Moments later, Taeyong felt strong arms wrap around his waist, and slightly calloused palms grazed by his navel on their way up his ribcage. Johnny was now leaning in from behind, his mouth inches away from Taeyong's ear. He could feel warm breath fan down his neck, causing Taeyong to gasp softly. He stood there frozen, in shock at their proximity. The heat in his stomach turned into an ache, and he swallowed a hoarse gasp when he realized Johnny's front was completely pressed into his back.
"Or what?" Johnny murmured, a note of playfulness in his voice. Taeyong could practically hear a feline smile blooming over Johnny’s lips just by his tone alone.
Taeyong could feel Johnny’s dick against the back of his hip. He swallowed hard, cursing at himself internally now that he realized his own dick was definitely, at the least, semi-hard. His heart was racing in his chest, blood pounding in his ears. He couldn't think straight long enough to properly answer.
This was the kind of thing Johnny did to people he danced with at the club- not that Taeyong had been watching him. He would hold his dance partner close, leaving no room for misunderstandings, and then use his height to his advantage, encroaching upon the space between their shoulder and ear. Taeyong remembers now that once, while drunk off two Slutty Shirleys, he wished it was him having his personal space invaded by Johnny. At least that one time.
And now it was him.
Johnny let out a curious noise next to Taeyong's ear when he didn't reply, which sent a shudder down his spine.
"W-what?," Taeyong replied, barely a whimper. What's making him so bold suddenly?
"Is this okay?" Johnny whispered, obviously asking for permission to keep the intimate contact. There was a hint of something in his voice that made it sound like he was hoping Taeyong would be okay with being like this.
Suddenly, Taeyong’s insides felt like they were being wrung out by the butterflies that bloomed in his stomach. He had never felt like this with Johnny before.
"Y-Yeah," Taeyong breathed in response. For a moment, all he could hear was the soft fall of water above them.
"I said,” Johnny started, more insistent and taunting this time. “What are you gonna do if I stare?” He ended gently, his lips grazing the rim of Taeyong's ear.
Taeyong nearly yelped in response, but managed to hold it in because he was.. kind of.. enjoying this, and the last thing he wanted to do was accidentally scare Johnny into letting go of him.
He was sure Johnny could feel goosebumps rise on his skin. Taeyong couldn't even think of a reply, his mouth hanging open dumbly.
"You know," Johnny began again, his voice much raspier now as it lowered in tone, "I can read you like an open book, Taeyong. The way you look at me.. when you think I won't notice.. isn't lost on me at all."
Taeyong could feel the flames of embarrassment licking up his chest. He nearly fell limp when Johnny loosened his grip around his waist to let his hands wander, petting confidently over Taeyong’s torso.
Taeyong let out a barely audible sigh, letting himself indulge in the way Johnny's veined, wide hands moved across his waist and chest. His mind started to feel fuzzy, his vision now blurring slightly.
"That's what I thought," Johnny teased, Taeyong now unable to reach new heights of embarrassment; He was too lost in whatever Johnny was doing with his hands. "Is this okay? You can tell me to fuck off anytime, you know."
Taeyong could only hum in satisfaction, finally relaxing enough to lean into Johnny's chest comfortably, placing his palms on the top of Johnny's hands as he mindlessly trailed them over his body.
“N-no," he finally managed to breathe out. “I mean, I don't want you to f-”, Taeyong was cut off when a large hand grazed over his nipple. He strained to hold in a moan at the contact.
“O-oh.." He hesitated, leading Johnny's hand away from the sensitive area.
“I don't want you to fuck off.”
He felt a low chuckle emanate from the chest behind him.
Taeyong couldn't remember the last time he had been touched, especially like this. He would shower with Johnny every day if it meant he got this kind of attention from him.
After a minute or two of his confident caressing, Johnny interrupted the silence.
"Your turn to touch," Johnny murmured. "You know, so we're even..?" Taeyong craned his neck to look up at Johnny over his shoulder. Johnny greeted him with a knowing grin.
“I know you want to. Don't try to lie to me, you're an awful liar.” Johnny's pupils were blown wide, eyes still half-lidded. He tilted his head back under the running water and raised a hand to push his hair off his face.
"But you know, uh, only if you wanna", he smirked, but he looked at Taeyong expectantly- like he hoped he wouldn't decline. The glimpse of vulnerability made Taeyong want to him even more carnally than before.
Taeyong felt a little bolder now, knowing his feelings were obviously being reciprocated.
He shouldn't have been surprised, really. He always knew him and Johnny were almost too comfortable doing anything together. But in his memories, he never remembered feeling this way: the ache in his stomach, the yearning to be close, the too-long gazes they shared.. This was definitely more than platonic- and neither of them had to mention it for it to be understood.
Perhaps Johnny had been feeling the way Taeyong had for a while now. He was the more confident of the two, so it wouldn't have shown so obviously. Not in the way Taeyong’s feelings had today, at least.
"Johnny..." Taeyong started.
"Yes?" Johnny watched his face carefully, as if he were searching for something in his expression.
Taeyong lowered his gaze to the floor again, ears flushing redder than the rest of his face now. He cursed at himself mentally, dreading the words he was about to say. “I.. I can't.. turn around." He hoped Johnny would pick up on what he was implying without having to state the obvious.
"Oh, is that so?” Johnny said playfully, in an attempt to antagonize Taeyong. It definitely worked.
“You don't have to hide from me," Johnny uttered gently, as if his words alone might injure Taeyong. “There is nothing about you that would put me off, Taeyong.” At his words, Taeyong felt relief come over him- not enough to quell his nerves totally, but enough to let the warmth of excitement replace the warmth from embarrassment.
”I won't look if you don't want me to, like I always promise anyway. And if you're afraid for me to see you like this, I understand. I know what I just did now was rather sudden.. but.. I want you to know that in the moment, it felt right to do. And that I'm not oblivious to how you feel about me. But I’m sorry if I’m putting you in an uncomfortable position all of a sudden,” Johnny spoke gently and slowly, clearly choosing his words carefully.
Taeyong blinked, eyes cast down toward the floor as he took in Johnny’s words. He always loved his best friend's vulnerability and earnestness.
"But, if it makes you feel any more comfortable, I'm not exactly soft either," Johnny chuckled, alluding to the obvious fact that his dick was pressed to Taeyong's hip. He had to hold his breath to keep from thinking about the feeling of it for too long.. But maybe Johnny wanted him to think about it.
"No, no, don’t be sorry," Taeyong managed to choke out. He felt suddenly emboldened by Johnny's honesty. "I.. kind of...,"
".. Like it?" Johnny finished, his grip around Taeyong’s waist tightening again. He felt Johnny inhale at his neck, causing his heart to flutter in his chest.
“Yeah.. I do like it," he confirmed, feeling his body deflate a little now that the awkward air had officially broken around them.
"Yeah, thought so," Johnny murmured, a satisfied hum coming from his chest. Taeyong could sense a smile growing on Johnny’s face.
"Why don't we rinse off and get out of here, though?" Taeyong murmured his suggestion as if it were a secret between the two of them. He hoped in the back of his mind that their physical contact didn't end after their shower.
"Ah yeah, it is a little dangerous for us to be soaped up in the shower with our bodies pressed together, isn't it?", Johnny agreed, playfulness in his tone. He knew it would fluster Taeyong to state the obvious.
Taeyong froze at his words, suddenly fearing that the members might hear their conversation in passing. "Don't say that so loud!" Taeyong hissed quietly, and Johnny suppressed a laugh as Taeyong swatted at one of Johnny's arms. The sound of his stifled laughter actually made Taeyong's heart twinge.. Johnny was back to being cute- one of Taeyong's favorite attributes of his.
"And don't say it like that... you're making it sound like we're filming pornography in here!" Taeyong scolded again in a hushed whisper. "We've already been in here long enough for the members to think we're doing just that already."
"We could totally do that," Johnny suggested, lifting an eyebrow. An evil smile played on his plush lips. Taeyong groaned, exasperated, in reply. He was sure his face could have rivaled the color of a cherry tomato by now.
"But it's still your turn."
The taller man suddenly spun Taeyong by his wide shoulders so he was facing him. Taeyong protested, with a shy whine, but Johnny ignored his lower half respectfully. Johnny limited his heavy gaze to Taeyong’s declaté as he guided his hands towards his own chest.
Johnny's pecs were firm beneath his palms, and his golden skin was glistening under the hazy bathroom lighting. He encouraged Taeyong to feel the expanse of his sturdy torso, guiding his soft palms lower to brush over his abs.
Taeyong's eyes screwed shut in disbelief after feeling a soft trail of body hair beneath his fingers, just past the dip of Johnny's navel.
"Fuck-” Taeyong groaned, and then quickly winced as if he were in pain.
"Don't worry, they'll edit that out in the photos. I forgot to shave this mo-”
"Jesus Christ-," Taeyong blurted out breathlessly, interrupting Johnny. Taeyong's chest was now heaving, his entire body so suddenly wracked with want. "Why are you making this about work all of a sudden!" He groaned, feeling completely antagonized. Johnny simply chuckled in response. In a way, Johnny's nonchalance about all this was turning him on even more.
He dared not look at Johnny's cock, which had to be only a few inches away from his hand (much less accidentally touch it). The thought, however, made him shiver. The taut, muscular skin of Johnny's waist leading down into his prominent hip bone, and then a narrow path of dark hair that lived just above his-
Johnny's smug, stifled laughter caused the muscle of his abdomen to flex slightly under his palm, completely interrupting Taeyong’s train of thought.
"Well, are you enjoying it?," Johnny prodded, looking over Taeyong's expression. "You certainly look like you are, at least."
Taeyong felt his cheeks grow hot immediately. “I’m not answering that.”
“Either you had 2 shots of soju before getting in here, you need a blood pressure regulating medication, orrrrr.. you're really enjoying yourself.”
"Do you have to embarrass me constantly? Is that like a top tier on your pyramid of needs?" Taeyong retorted, tracing the outline of Johnny's abs mindlessly with his eyes closed.
"It’s actually fourth from the top, beneath caffeine, food, and aegyo. I would like to embarrass you a little more, actually. Quota's gone up. Pandemic changed the demand for it recently." Johnny laughed again when Taeyong slapped his chest, clearly resisting a laugh. "God, you are so irritating.."
"You like it."
And yes, Taeyong did like it. He wanted Johnny to irritate him more. His inherent silliness made him even more magnetic, so much so that Taeyong didn't feel the need to reply sarcastically this time.
For a few moments, with his eyes still closed, Taeyong stood there with his hands resting on Johnny's body, just feeling the rise and fall of his chest. After a little, he felt the absence of water from above them.
No longer covered in the remnants of soap, Johnny must've decided that they should, in fact, exit the shower. "Hey," Johnny prodded gently, hating to disturb Taeyong's moment of peace. "Let's get out, the members will definitely get suspicious soon."
Taeyong grimaced at words that caused the bubble they were in to pop altogether. Taeyong opened his eyes again to peer at Johnny, and he looked absolutely sinful. Soaking wet and skin slightly flushed, Johnny flashed a quick smile down at Taeyong, his lips pressed together. "Come on."
Johnny always knew what Taeyong needed. And right now, Taeyong, who was in an obvious, horny mental fog, needed to get the fuck out of the bathroom before he slipped and injured himself yet again.