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Jihoon hums at his phone screen with a small smile as he scans over the picture of himself, sitting with legs splayed out, oversized clothes drowning his small frame, and long pieces of silky hair falling in his face.
Hmm… I kinda like this one. He thinks to himself as he contemplates posting it to Weverse to revel in the fans’ chaotic reactions as always.
As he weighs his very difficult decision, he hears Soonyoung tread over from where he was turning off the speaker to join him on the floor of the practice room.
Soonyoung’s eyes follow Jihoon’s gaze to the phone screen and the man erupts with a soft chuckle.
“You look so adorable in that picture. Like a little lion cub.”
The younger keeps his gaze lowered as cheeks rise with color at his boyfriend cooing over him. Jihoon hates how easily the older can get him flustered with his words, effect strong as ever, even after all these years.
The blushing doesn’t go unnoticed by Soonyoung, who’s pretty much attuned to every little thing Jihoon does at this point, and the older lets out a sound, something akin to a squeal and groan altogether, as he pinches Jihoon’s cheeks relentlessly.
“Jihoonieee… how are you always this cute without even trying?” The taller whines, “C’mere, baby.”
And before the smaller man can protest, he lets out a surprised yelp as he’s being pulled onto a lap, now face-to-face with a grinning Soonyoung who looks all too endeared at the moment.
“Can’t you at least give me a warning before you do that?” Jihoon slaps his chest lightly, feigning distaste.
“Hm, nope.” Soonyoung placates him with a chaste peck to the lips, followed by a few peppered kisses on his cheeks and a tightening of arms around Jihoon’s waist.
After the older seems satisfied with his shower of affection, he leans back, eyes lazily tracing over the smaller’s glowing face.
A few moments go by, and Jihoon’s had enough of the staring by now so he states as such. “Stop staring, you weirdo.”
Soonyoung’s lips curl up into a soft smile, and he brings a hand up to gently tuck a stray strand of hair behind Jihoon’s reddening ear.
“Can’t help it, you’re too pretty. What’s a man to do?”
Jihoon mockingly heaves a sigh at the cheesy flirting, but smiles bright anyway. Soonyoung was always so great at making him feel loved, adored, and perfect. He was always so unapologetically… Soonyoung. And Jihoon loves him just as much, just as fiercely, though he doesn’t voice it as often. Suddenly, in the moment, he feels the need to reciprocate at least a fragment of the endless compliments Soonyoung gives him.
“You are too. So pretty, and handsome, and cool. I have such a perfect boyfriend, I’m so lucky.” He giggles, leaning down to peck Soonyoung on the nose, bemused by the growing redness of the older’s neck and shocked face.
He feels the hands settled at his waist loosen slightly in the midst of, what Jihoon assumes, is Soonyoung’s internal panic. There seems to be no incoming response from the older for the next few breaths as his mind tries to process Jihoon’s unanticipated words.
The smaller laughs fondly, pleased to reaffirm the effect they have on one another is, indeed, mutual. He curls up into Soonyoung’s lap a bit more, head leaning into the older’s chest and tucked under his chin. He can hear Soonyoung’s racing heartbeat like this, and it’s so, so, endearing.
The warm contact against his chest seems to perk Soonyoung up again, and he wraps his arms around the smaller’s torso with a soft sigh, cradling him into his chest so securely, almost as if he were trying to mold them together into one.
“You’ve been getting bolder with your words, lately. Been reading that book about words of affirmation that I saw you buy last year?” Soonyoung asks, half-joking as he runs his fingers softly through Jihoon’s fluffed up hair.
“No,” Jihoon mumbles into the taller’s chest, “Why couldn’t it just be because I wanted to?”
Soonyoung coos, running a hand down his back to rest on the younger’s hip and giving it a squeeze. “Of course, baby. It just took me by surprise, I loved it, though,” he chuckles, “Can’t believe my Jihoonie thinks so highly of me.”
The younger rolls his eyes, lamenting. “See, this is why I don’t usually say these things. It all just goes to your already big head, anyway.”
Soonyoung laughs melodically, unphased by his boyfriend’s sharp sarcasm and heavily endeared by the conversation, and Jihoon feels as if everything is right in the world.
“Hm, does it?” He teases, more-so a rhetorical remark if anything. Jihoon feels a kiss being pressed onto the crown of his head, lips lingering for a second.
“You should post the picture on Weverse.” The older says, jostling Jihoon in his lap a bit.
“Should I?”
Soonyoung lets out a noise of eager agreement. “You look so pretty in it, I love this longer hair on you. I mean, you’re always pretty, but it makes you look extra pretty. And cute. My very cute, very pretty, little lion cub.”
Jihoon keens under the praises, smiling into Soonyoung’s chest as warmth spreads like wildfire within his own.
“Okay, I’ll post later then.” He says.
Soonyoung kisses his cheek and hums, pleased with the response.
They stay like that for a while, breathing in each other, Jihoon soaking up the warmth of his boyfriend, eyes falling shut in the calming embrace of strong arms and a sturdy chest.
Moments later, the older voice pipes up abruptly, voice booming in excitement. “Oh my god, Jihoonie, you know what I just realized?!”
Jihoon groans softly at the loud burst of noise. The comfortable silence and the rhythmic rising and falling of Soonyoung’s chest was swiftly drawing him into slumber; he was almost certain the older had fallen asleep as well.
“What?” He mumbles.
“Jihoonie, you’re a lion now… and I’m a tiger! Oh my god, we’re so perfect for each other — it’s meant to be!” Soonyoung tightens his grip around the smaller and shakes him back and forth, practically vibrating in his childish excitement. Jihoon feels alarmingly dizzy from being — quite literally— shaken from his sleep, yet somehow there’s a sentiment of fondness above it all.
“Hey, Jihoon. Jihoon-ah. Jihooooon.” Soonyoung sing-songs.
He can already sense what’s about to come before it does so he snaps his head up to retort. “Soonyoung, no—“
“ Horanghae.”
Jihoon groans, dropping his face into the taller’s chest in exasperation. He pauses for a moment, then draws his head up to glance at Soonyoung.
Met with the older’s awaiting and inquisitive eyes, Jihoon forgoes all embarrassment and — in lieu of a reprimand — leans forward to land a quick peck onto Soonyoung’s lips, grumbling back, “Horanghae, you dumb tiger.”
The dazzling smile that he receives in return makes his suffering, decidedly, worth it all.