Chapter Text
Our secret moments in a crowded room, they got no idea about me and you
“Guess who’s trending again?” Woongki said as he barged into JL’s room unannounced. The mischievous gaze directed towards him already clued in the younger that he was Woongki’s target.
“Ano nanamang ginawa ko?” JL pouted. Woongki probably didn’t completely understand what he said but he continued on nonetheless, his smile getting bigger as he shoved his phone in front of his face. The phone shows a grainy video but JL recognizes what the scene being played is about. It was in KGMA, when they were on standby before going on stage. Despite the low quality and overall darkness, you can make out two figures, a little too close to each other and exchanging playful – flirty – banter. But what made JL’s cheeks turn a bright shade of red was when he read the caption, “BAKIT NANGHIHINGI NG KISS STEVEN KIM???”
“Are you blushing? What are you remembering, huh? Did they really catch you two on the act?”
JL’s blush deepened upon Woongki’s relentless teasing. “No, it’s not!” he retorted, tone defensive but his whole demeanor screamed guilty.
“Really? Then what really happened, huh?”
JL took a long time to answer, not knowing if telling the truth will help his case or just give Woongki ammunition to tease him more.
“Basta! He wasn’t asking for a kiss!”
“I won’t believe you unless you tell me the full story!”
JL sighed, knowing that there’s no winning against Woongki “Well…” he started, remembering his and Steven’s conversation when the video was taken, making him blush once again.
“I told Steven hyung that I was nervous so he said…”he trailed off again.
“What did he say?!” Woongki excitedly shook him.
“He said that maybe a kiss will calm me down.” JL answered in a small voice and immediately covered his face. Woongki let out a shrill scream matching it with hitting JL’s arm.
“So he wasn’t asking for a kiss but he was offering.” Woongki’s goading continued. Their noise, mostly Woongki, kept getting louder until a knock on the door made them stop for a bit.
“Hey, what’s all the noise about?” Steven said as he peaked into the room. His appearance jumpstarted Woongki’s teasing again. His gaze, full of mischief, went back and forth from JL to Steven.
“Nothing, hyung. JL just told me something very interesting” he said, getting up from his spot in JL’s bed. “Anyway, I’ll get going.” he said as he walked towards the door but before leaving, he looked back at the two of them and added, “Don’t want to hinder you from giving JL his cure for his nervousness.”
“Woongki hyung!” JL screamed, cheeks flaming hot and feeling betrayed. The only reply he got was Woongki’s fading laughter as he ran out the hallway. A few awkward seconds pass, neither JL or Steven knowing how to go from the teasing.
“So, what was he talking about, huh?” Steven asks despite his expression giving away that he already has an idea what Woongki was talking about. The teasing smirk present in his face.
“Ay nako, tigilan mo ko! Kakatapos lang ako asarin ni Woongki hyung, wag ka na dumagdag!” JL said, chucking one of his pillows in Steven’s direction. Steven caught it and just replied with a hearty laugh, as he always does when JL just explodes and uses his native tongue. Steven might not understand what he said but the expression on JL’s face gave him a pretty solid idea on what it was about.
JL easily got distracted by how Steven’s eyes became even smaller as he laughed, his nose scrunching a bit and his smile on full display. Napaka gwapo naman kasi.
“Hey, you okay?” Snapping out of his trance, JL plastered his faux annoyed face and rolled his eyes at Steven. And as usual, Steven just gave him a small chuckle as a reply.
After that small exchange, they just sat there, looking at each other, comfortable in the silence. They seem to be doing that a lot these days – staying in each other’s presence. Some days they’ll just find themselves sitting together without talking. Or they wouldn’t notice that their shoulders are touching or a hand unconsciously wraps around the other’s arm or back.
Sometimes JL thinks about how this small moments get interpreted by other people. He thinks about whether they see how natural it is to gravitate towards each other. He wonders if their fans also feel the static he feels whenever they touch. Do they also see the difference in their gaze whenever their eyes meet the others?
He was brought out of his musings when he felt a warm hand tuck his hair behind his ears. The gentle touch paired with the soft eyes directly looking at him. He wonders if the fans also see this.
“Do you still want to grab dinner? Or are you preparing for bed already?” Steven asks softly, as if afraid to break the fragile moment.
JL took some time to process the question, still reeling from the warmth of the moment they just had. And then he looked back at Steven, his eyes mirroring the same gentle care being directed towards him.
“I can join you for dinner. I know you’ve been craving Pancit Canton since this morning.” he replied, a small smile on his lips. Steven’s eyes sparkled at the thought of getting to eat his favorite meal these days. JL giggled at how Steven looks like a kid with his wide smile.
“Yeah, come on. Cook for me, please.” Steven stood up and readily offered his hand. JL willingly took it before even realizing that it was completely unnecessary to hold hands on the short trip to the kitchen.