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Yuma's limbs were spread out all over the couch, a comfortable stretch for his sore body. After a long dance practice session last night, he went for a few rounds of basketball with K, Jo and Fuma. Basketball with the members was always a lot of fun. But even though they played round after round, until they were exhausted, something had felt off. Like something or... someone had been missing.
Yuma huffed in annoyance forced his eyes shut. He wanted to relax. He was not going to think about that certain someone. Someone who would always wanna be on the opposite team from Yuma, teasing him by holding the ball over his head, constantly blocking him. Loud laughter while they raced towards the ball. But he always got Yumas waterbottle for him and draped his arm over Yumas shoulders after the game. Push and pull- Yuma always tended to love those kinds of friendships. Or... whatever else would best describe their relationship dynamic. Yuma didn't want to think about it too deeply, or he would grow to feel even more frustrated. Frustrated and... longing...? He missed it. The laughter, the teasing, the closeness, the... touches.
The door flung open and loud chattering disturbed Yumas thoughts. Yuma groaned and furrowed his brows.
„And then they still won, even though Taki fell over the fence!“ Maki exclaimed. Someone laughed loudly. The familiar laugh made Yuma open his eyes and immediatly sit up on the couch. Only now, the two members who came in seemed to notice him.
„Oh hey, Yuma! I just went to play foot volleyball with EJ, Taki and Harua and the funniest thing happened-“ But before Maki could tell the whole story again, Yuma was gone like the wind.
Maki scratched his head in confusion. „What the hell?“ He glanced at Nicholas besides him, who seemed to have frozen in place.
„What even happened between you two? You've been acting so weird around each other lately...“ Nicholas shrugged and glanced at the couch, where Yuma was just laying down merely seconds ago.
„Hey, um... I'm gonna head to my room. It was fun though, see you tomorrow!“ And then Nicholas too, was gone like the wind.
Maki crossed his arms.
„I think those two might need an intervention or something.“
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2 months later~
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„What is up with you Yuma? We've been over this part a million times! And you, Nicho? This is literally the most important part of the choreo- Fuma could get seriously hurt if you mess this up!“ K looked back and forth between the two members, as if he was expecting them to give him an answer.
Yuma only dropped his head in silence, while Nicho looked literally anywhere else. „Sorry, I'm just somewhere else with my thoughts today. I'm kinda out of it right now.“ he muttered.
K crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.
„Kinda out of it? Guys, look- we have three weeks left to get this right, so I really need you two to get it together or I will have to give your parts to someone else. And that would mean, changing the whole choreo, which would be a huge pain in the ass. I would be sleep deprived and forever hold a grudge against you two. You can't want that to happen, am I right?“ K impatiently tapped his foot on the floor. „Answer me.“
Yuma gulped and he swore the whole room went silent. He sneakily glanced at Nicholas besides him, whose gaze was fixed on floor.
He catched the moment Nicholas' adams apple moved, Yumas eyes fixated on the barely noticable movement. A tiny drop of sweat ran across Nicholas's neck and disappeared into his t-shirt.
Yumas eyes followed on their own. When he looked up again, he met his eyes. Yuma flinched.
„Anwer me, godammit! Are you two gonna pull yourselves together or do you want to face my eternal wrath?!“ K shouted and Yuma flinched again.
„Yes hyung, I'm gonna try my best to focus now!“ he quickly stammered.
„Yes K-hyung, I will concentrate!“ Nicholas said at the same time.
K sighed. „Let's take a five minute break first- I think we all need it.“
Yuma immediatly left Nicholas' side and sat down besides Harua, who was sitting against the wall that was furthest away from them.
Harua threw him a waterbottle. „What's up with you?“ Yuma shook his head, not wanting to talk about it.
But Harua didn't catch that. Or he deliberately ignored it.
„I never see you and Nicho together nowadays. You're acting so awkward with each other. What happened?“ Yuma took a deep breath. He really didn't want to talk about it.
And he didn't really know what to say, either. So he took a huge sip from his water bottle and hoped Harua would just drop it. ...But he didn't. He stared Yuma down.
Yuma stared back for a bit, without even so much as blinking... but suddenly felt really childish. So he stopped staring and dropped his head on his knees.
„I just feel weird around him. He's acting so distant. He never comes close anymore, he never adresses me, he doesn't even talk to me. He's even leaving the room, when I'm there!“ He paused.
„Sooo, have you tried talking to him about that?“ Harua asked, bumping Yumas shoulder with his own. Yuma grimaced and stayed silent. Harua paused in his movements.
„...Are you serious? You didn't ask?! And just copied him??? Without ever talking about it??? It's been months, Yuma!“ Yuma suddenly felt very embarrassed. He buried his head even deeper in his knees. „But... he didn't talk to me either. And he's the older one.“
Harua scoffed out a laugh. „I can't believe you two, seriously. We're all grown men here!“
Yuma didn't say another word for the rest of their dance practice.
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10 days later~
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Yuma finally stepped outside the company building. Today had been a hectic day. He had a last minute fitting for his stage outfits, because something had to be tailored after his first fitting.
The different fabrics had felt good on his skin but when he pointed out the tightness of one of the pants being difficult to dance in, the stylists tried a lot of different options but ended up feeling like they had to change the whole outfit. Of course, he appreciated the work they did but the pants still had to be somewhat functional to move in or else he wouldn't be able to give it his best at the peformance. After the fitting was finished, he took a singing lesson to work some more on his high notes, which he had a lot of this comeback. He practised over and over, even after his teacher left.
Now it was already dark outside and he had spent the entire day at work. He took a look at his phone. It was almost 9pm.
The driver seemed to be here already. Yuma looked around and spotted the car across from him.
He shivered a bit in his thin jacket. The air was getting colder and colder nowadays. It was almost winter after all. Yuma could see his breath in the air when he breathed out. He really should've bought a thicker jacket.
Suddenly someone approached him from behind and dropped a blanket on his shooulders. Yuma tensed up and turned around.
Nicholas stood behind him, instantly withdrawing with his hands in the air. „Sorry, you looked cold.“
Yuma didn't know what to say. Why did Nicholas suddenly look out for him again? He even bought Yumas favourite fluffy blanket from the dorm. That tought made his chest hurt. What was wrong with him? His chest did that a lot nowadays. Maybe he should see a doctor about that. Nicholas huffed, which made Yuma blink and look at him. While he was still debating what to say, Nicholas walked towards the car, which Yuma was supposed to take.
„Y-you're taking this car, too?“ Yuma asked, his voice croaking a bit.
Nicholas turned around and raised his eyebrow at him.
„Am I not even allowed to take the same car as you now? Were going the same way anyway! If you don't like it, feel free to catch a bus home!“ Yuma was a bit taken aback by that. He had assumed, Nicholas wouldn't like sharing a car with him, after he avoided him like the plague for about four months in total. But the way his eyes turned sharp and a shade darker, the way his frown seemed to change his whole face- he seemed really annoyed and also kinda... hurt. Yuma was beyond confused but he was also really cold, so he entered the car.
When he sat down, Nicholas had already put in his earphones and faced away from him, looking out the window.
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20 Minutes later~
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Yuma trailed behind Nicholas, who hasn't said a word to him the whole car ride. Yuma huffed. Well, that wasn't exactly something new. Nicholas had ignored him for months! He usually was all for push and pull dynamics in releationships but this was a lot of push and an alarming lack of pull! He had enough of this. Why was he being treated like this? Like he did something wrong?
Nicholas pulled open the door and aprubtly stopped in his tracks. That caused Yumas face to collide with Nicholas's back. His stupid broad back. His stupid muscular broad ba-
„This is an intervention.“ EJ said with a stern face.
Yuma peaked around Nicholas's stupid muscular broad back and shoulders to see all the members gathered on the couch.
There was a sign hung up on the wall behind them that read: 'Nekoz gotta be kozy again'.
„You misspelled a word on that sign.“ Yuma couldn't help himself.
Fuma groaned. „Yuma. Nicholas. Sit down.“
Yuma and Nicholas sighed and sat across the members on the stools they seemed to have carried over here from the kitchen.
All members looked at them with stern and concerned faces, even though someone had taken the time to blow up some party ballons, which now dangled around the ceiling and took away some of the seriousness the members radiated.
„So, we need to talk about this thing that's been going on between you two, because it's affecting the whole team.“ EJ looked at both of them and waited. No one spoke.
„What thing could you possibly be talking about?“ Yuma wanted to get out of this situation as fast as possible. He wanted to lay down on his bed and sleep until lunch time. He really wasn't vibing with this huge confrontation thing right now. He hated conflict and had no idea how to solve this by himself though...
„The whole You-two-not-talking-and-avoiding-even-touching-each-other-as-part-of-the-choreo-thing.“ K spoke up, while EJ and Fuma threw Yuma an annoyed glance.
„Honestly, this has been going on for so long! What even is your fight about?!“ Maki groaned, collapsing dramatically on the couch.
Taki nodded. „I've honestly missed hanging out with you two but you became so awkward with each other nowadays!“
Even Jo, who honestly liked to stay out of others business chimed in. „We just want to help you.“ Everyone agreed at that.
„That's right. You seem like you won't be able to solve this on your own, so we're here to help you.“ Harua spoke softly.
His voice sounded reassuring.
Way more reassuring than when he laughed at Yuma at dance practice.
But he seemed to mean it. They all did.
Yuma took a glance at Nicholas, who took a deep breath in, before he started.
„I honestly don't remember what started it. But we just grew distant very quickly. I always felt like I was too close, too much, too loud. So I just stopped approaching him.“
Yuma was beyond offended.
„What?! You stopped approaching me and started avoiding me- that's why we grew distant! I never even wanted...-“
Yuma bit down on his bottom lip, when he started feeling like he was about to tear up.
Nicholas just looked at him. Dark eyes pierced right through him, seemingly catching every single detail of his exterior.
Of this stance, his face, his eyes, his teeth in his lip.
„I-i never wanted us to become like this.“ Yuma choked out.
The room was silent. Nicholas paused, closed his eyes once an opened them again.
This time the look in his eyes was completely different. Confusion, sadness, desperation, hopefullness- Yuma swore he could see it all in his eyes.
„You always pulled away from me. You flinched when you heard my voice. You looked away when I laughed too hard. What else was I supposed to think? You don't like me! You don't wanna be near me! How could I have possibly read that wrong???“ Yuma was almost afraid he would soon taste blood with how hard he still bit his lip, to keep himself from crying.
He remembered it all. Nicholas pulling him in for a hug, squishing his cheek against his chest, pressing Yuma's face against his neck, where he smelled of the perfume he always wore. Then the recording happened. Where they had been standing next to each other, very closely. So close, he could feel Nicholas' breath when they sang the chorus together. Yuma had been panicking because his chest and stomach started to hurt.
Come to think of it- that's when his chest started hurting. After that day the dreams started. The dreams of them touching hands, cuddling, kissing, touching...
One time, Yuma had woken up from one of those dreams to Nicholas' sleepy voice, that sounded even deeper than usual, calling him.
Which made his chest hurt again. And it also made him hyper aware of Nicholas's voice.
Whenever he was nearby, with his stupid deep voice and his stupid cute laugh, that always sounded like he never had been allowed to laugh at home, Yuma's chest hurt.
Yumas cheeks and ear were super red, as he reached his conclusion.
He was so stupid.
„I- um. You- fuck.“ Yuma stumbled over his words and Nicholas raised an eyebrow at him, which was kinda hot- but nevermind.
„This is so embarrasing.“ Yuma whined.
Harua rolled his eyes. „Oh my god, just be a man and say it.“
Yuma shot Harua a glare. Then he tried to compose himself and organize his words.
„...You made my chest hurt, Nicholas.“
Oh my god. Well, that went wrong.
Nicholas scoffed out a laugh, while some of the rest of the members looked like they caught on quick. Oof, awkward.
„ 'I made your chest hurt?' How the hell- I made...- wait. Oh. OH?!“ Yuma whined again.
Nicholas was so stupid.
He was so stupid.
Maybe they were a match made in heaven.
„Yes. You made my chest hurt. And I really, really took a long time to figure out what that means, because it's been months now and I just realized what that meant- Because it really happened a lot over the course of the last few months-“
„When exactly?“ Nicholas chimed in.
„What?“
„When exactly did I 'make your chest hurt' ? Just curious.“ Yuma furrowed his brows and turned to look at Nicholas. Nicholas who now looked at him like he did back then, when he teased him on the basketball court, when he held the ball so high, Yuma could'nt reach it. So he got on his tip toes and stumbled right into Nicholas's arms. That look in his eyes he had, when he pulled Yuma into his lap when they were on their break from dance practice and Nicholas complained about Yuma being sweaty.
That look in his eyes when he handed Yuma his favorite blanket which he took with him everywhere so Yuma was never cold- ...Oh.
Maybe he felt the same. Maybe this could... work.
„Well, honestly everytime you got close, I heard your voice or I heard your stupid laugh for example...“
Yuma saw the exact moment that huge grin spread over Nicholas's face and felt his own mouth twitch into a shy smile.
Taki let out cough. „Guys, I think they got it figured out. I suggest we retreat.“
„Good call.“ Fuma agreed.
Yuma had forgotten they were even there. He watched as they got up to leave and winced when Harua winked at him and K gave them a thumbs up.
„Feel free to continue, we'll just be... anywhere else.“ EJ said, as he took his leave and closed the door behind him.
Nicholas chuckled. „Sooo, where were we? Oh right- you like everything about me so much, you got scared and ghosted me in real life?“
Yuma blushed and huffed.
„Well, yeah. But you avoided me too.“ He looked at Nicholas's eyes, as if searching for an answer for something he was too afraid to ask.
Nicholas smiled fondly at him and reached out to gently fondle his cheek.
„Because I figured something out too. I like being near you, I like your laugh, your dumb jokes, I like it when you frown at me, I like it when you call me stupid... and when I thought you were avoiding me because you didn't like me anymore, I was really hurt. And scared. So I avoided you too. Because I was afraid of getting even more hurt, if I someday mustered up the courage to tell you.“
Yuma leaned into Nicholas's hand, which still lingered on his cheek.
„...the courage to tell me what?“
Nicholas's thumb grazed over Yumas cheekbone.
„...That I like you. And that I really want to kiss you.“
Yuma smiled. His heart beat so loudly in his chest that his chest started to hurt again.
Only this time, it felt like a good hurt.
He leaned forward, into Nicholas's space and placed his finger under his chin to tilt his head up. Then he got closer, until all he saw was Nicholas.
He gently pressed his lips on top of Nicholas's.
Nicholas seemed to be taken aback for a moment but soon melted into the kiss.
The first kiss was gentle, the second passionate, the third desperate.
Soon, their clothes were scattered all over the floor, while they made their way to Yuma's room.
Completely out of breath, they collapsed on the bed.
Yuma looked at Nicholas's red face and his even redder lips, his messy hair, which Yuma had grabbed and pulled towards him multiple times in the last minutes.
Yuma giggled and ran another hand through Nicho's hair.
„You look like someone attacked you.“
Nicho grinned. „Well, someone definitely did.“ He licked his lip. „You look... hot.“
Yuma laughed.
„Wow, you have such a way with words.“
„I try.“
Nicholas laughed and pulled Yuma in for another kiss. Their lips moved in synch now, both full of passion and want but nervous to go further. Yuma sighed into the kiss and pulled away to catch his breath.
„Nicho, can I touch you?“ he asked, innocently running his hand over the others shoulders and chest.
„Of course, baby.“ Yuma shuddered at that, really liking how that new nickname sounded from Nicho's lips. He touched Nicho's muscular arms, his pecs and ran his fingers over his abs, all the way down to his pants. He fumbled with the button, which made Nicho laugh and bury his head in Yuma's shoulder. Yuma blushed but continued with the zipper, nervously sliding his hand into Nicho's underwear. He had imagined this in his dreams more times, than he would ever admit willingly but yet, this felt so different. So real, so them. He started pumping and massaging with his hand, enjoying making Nicho moan into his shoulder and neck, right next to his ear. „You sound so good Nicho, I love your voice.“ he whispered.
„Baby, more. Move faster“ Nicho whispered back and pulled Yuma closer, pressing his lower body against him. He ran his hands over Yumas back, until they reached and grabbed his ass. Then he started grinding into Yuma's hand and against his body. Yuma felt so good with the newfound friction against his growing hard on, he let out a loud moan and threw his head back. Nicho stilled for a moment, then he came in Yuma's hand, his whole body shuddering. „Mhm, that was so good. Thank you, baby. I've wanted to do this with you for so long...“ Nicho stroked a few stray hairs, that were stuck to Yuma's forehead, out of his face and placed kisses all over his nose, cheeks, forehead and chin. Yuma scrunched his nose and held up his hands like a shield from more kisses.
Nicho laughed. „You're like a cat.“
„Nicho. I'm glad you felt good but right now I want more than just kisses. Touch me too, please...?“ Yuma pleaded while grabbing Nichos face with both hands, to meet his eyes.
Nicho could'nt help but kiss him one more time. „Of course, baby. I'll take care of you.“
Nicho kissed his way down Yuma's neck, chest and navel. Then he opened Yuma's pants and pulled them down with his underwear, revealing Yuma's painful hard on. Yuma gasped when Nicho started kissing him there too, before he fully took him into his mouth. Yuma buried his hands in Nicho's hair and guided him the way he wanted, urging him to go faster, then slower, until he reached his high.
Nicho gasped for air and looked down at a satisfied Yuma, who couldn't seem to fight his tired eyes from closing. He smiled at the younger man.
„Nicho.“
„Yes, baby?“
„Can you stay here with me?“
„Of course, baby.“ Nicho pressed another kiss on Yuma's forehead.
Then he layed down besides him and pulled him into his arms, Yuma's face into his neck, tugging him as close as possible.
Yuma let out a yawn and snuggled into the most comfortable position, truly like a little cat. Nicho couldn't help but smile again. He was just so happy.
Months of not talking, avoiding each other, afraid of their feelings... but it was all worth it in the end.
He had to thank the members tomorrow. For practically forcing them to talk to each other and for giving them space after.
But wait... were him and Yuma together now?
Were they in a comitted relationship? Or was this a casual thing?
Why had Yuma fallen asleep so soon? Why couldn't they have talked about it first?
Oh god, now Nicho had to stay up and think about how to adress this and-
Yuma pressed his face against Nicho's chest and muttered something in his sleep.
Nicho was endeared.
And he figured they could just talk about this tomorrow.
They had learned talking about such things was important now.