Personal brand of Milky Way
Fandom: U-KISS
Pairing: Elvin
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Fluff, Romance
Summary: Eli doesn't know if he should like Kevin the way he does.
3,723 words
SUN, burning desires
Eli is sometimes asked during interviews what is the one thing that he hates the most. Then the host with too much powder on her face and too many fake eyelashes sits back and watches him, expecting an answer that could awaken laughs or amusement, but Eli always finds himself stuck at these types of questions.
He hates forgetting his sunglasses at home whenever he goes out and it’s too damn sunny; he is bothered when he is woken up in the early hours of the morning to go to practice, or vocal lessons, or Japanese classes; he feels a deep loathing whenever it’s his turn to cook in the dorm, because it’s something he has never been capable of doing and ends up with judgmental stares and vile remarks from his band mates; he can’t even state how bad it is to get out of the shower and find there are no more towels; he hates his slow Korean -he likes to call it ‘under construction’- and the fact that he always has to ask people to repeat themselves. In fact, by now, he has already gotten used to others speaking to him carefully, like he is mentally retarded.
Eli definitely hates many things, because this new environment is just so different from his home and the language barrier makes even the simplest tasks worse than one could imagine and their mentality sometimes doesn’t joint with his, which is frustrating.
But Eli knows what he doesn’t hate.
He doesn’t hate Kevin. Saying that he hates Kevin is like stating he can live without air - simply impossible. Kevin has a sweet way of looking at him, a gaze that Eli hasn’t noticed being addressed to the others (he has been staring). Kevin asks him if he has slept well when he wakes up in the morning and personally comes to his room to say ‘Goodnight’ -with a smile, always with a smile- before they go to bed. He randomly embraces him from behind when he feels like it, because he enjoys the closure and warmth, and always sits next to him during photoshoots, during dinner, during everything.
Eli remembers Kevin as being the first to come and talk to him when they were first grouped together and things haven’t changed since then. He remembers the lingering comfort in his palm after Kevin shook his hand and still likes, even nowadays, touching his delicate and slim fingers, when they secretly intertwine them under tables, while no one is watching.
Today, Eli doesn’t know what to think about his relationship with Kevin. He often gets confused by his radiant smiles and soft caresses and wants some answers, but doesn’t know how to obtain them.
MERCURY, communication
Eli once heard that communication is the key. It was maybe during a movie, or he probably read it in a book. No, he doesn’t read books. It was definitely during a movie. So he tries to diminish his doubts by talking to Kevin, even if his instincts tell him it may not be the best idea.
His attempts at wanting to know Kevin better fail each time, though, because the younger always gives unclear, impossible-to-decipher answers that leave Eli even more perplexed than before.
He asks Kevin if he ever wants to get married, but he replies he hasn’t really given much thought to it. He asks if he has someone he likes and Kevin says he sort of does, but it wouldn’t work anyway. When Eli asks why, the only answer he receives is ‘We’re too similar.’ They talk over ice-cream, over tea and during video-games and whenever Eli says something funny, Kevin laughs with his head tilted back and leans onto him, which gives the older goose bumps.
Kevin sometimes falls asleep with his temple on Eli’s shoulder for extended periods of time, which makes him turn numb, but he enjoys the intimacy and wouldn’t dare to shrug it off.
VENUS, attraction
Kevin begins responding to Eli’s attempts, slowly, but satisfactory.
He accepts all of Eli’s more and more often invitations to lunch, even if they can’t always spend too much time and have to quickly return to rehearsal, before their manager has another one of his daily outbursts. They always take the subway to their favorite café and Kevin leans onto Eli the entire ride, while they usually walk on their way back, sharing two earplugs to one iPhone. Sometimes -though Eli wishes it happened more frequently- Kevin holds him by the arm tightly, while he keeps his hands in his pockets. It kind of makes them look like a couple, but they don’t really care.
The wind starts blowing impossibly fast and oftentimes Kevin can’t keep his hands off Eli’s forehead, to arrange disheveled strands of hair, messed up by the current. At that, Eli can’t do much but smile gratefully and squeeze his hand, after which they continue heading towards the studio, much slower this time, to gain time.
One time Kevin decides to cross-dress as a female celebrity for a program and the finished result looks more than amazing. He wears a wig with curly, brown locks and applies so much mascara he can’t even be recognized. He looks dazzling, as he walks past Eli slightly shaking his hips, while his slender figure turns heads filled with envy.
Before going on set he winks jokingly at Eli and mimics blowing a kiss, which makes the older laugh nervously. After the filming is over he returns to his changing cabin where Eli is waiting for him with a cup of steaming coffee and, as Kevin takes it graciously in his hands, he kisses him on the cheek as a sign of appreciation, leaving behind a trail of pink, sparkling lip gloss.
By now all feeling of confusion have been dissolved into thin air.
Eli has fallen in love with Kevin.
EARTH, stability, seriousness
Kevin’s eyes are glued to the mirror. The fixed stare reminds Eli of an eagle watching its prey. He leans forwards, then executes a perfectly-balanced jump backward, as his arms remain steady the entire time. He moves his body graciously, making all the moves fall into place and connecting one step to the next like he had been born to do this. He is positioned in the middle and soon after the routine begins, everyone stops to watch him, as he fluidly glides across the floor with such accuracy, it makes the choreographer tear with joy.
The man tells Eli he should learn from Kevin, because his moves are still too rigid to be presented to the public and advises the two of them to remain alone after program, to coordinate together.
They do and Kevin comes dangerously close to Eli, as he grabs one of his hands and starts guiding him. Eli’s palms become sweaty, which determines the younger to ask if he was feeling alright, so the only thing he can do to shake the awkwardness away is to nod reassuringly and focus on the movements.
They end up on the floor quickly after, laughing until their stomachs hurt and trying to recover their breath and these are the moments Eli cherishes the most.
Whenever they go to the gym Kevin works out the most, because, as he claims, he enjoys putting effort into being as appealing as possible for his fans. Of course Eli knows that’s not the truth and that he is struggling so much because he is tired of hearing how weak and fragile he appears wherever they go. He wants to go over him and tell him how abnormally perfect he is and how erotic his curves are, but that would make things too goddamn complicated, so he keeps his mouth shut instead and watches him from afar.
MARS, action
As they get ready to film a new reality TV show, the makeup concept makes things harder for Eli.
They’re supposed to facade as some sort of seductive vampires but, like many other things Eli wasn’t skilled at, he has trouble with the smoky eyeshadows and those irritating, fluffy brushes. In the backstage room everyone finishes before him and leaves, while he is left cursing and wondering where the hell are the makeup artists. Kevin enters one minute later and, noticing Eli’s desperate trial, he decides to give a hand.
He sits on the chair next to Eli and takes the brush from his hand, then grabs his chin with three fingers and begins correcting the mistakes. Being only one inch away from his face, Eli takes time to notice his perfectly shaped lips, flawless, pale skin and small, pointy nose and feels an instant urge to smack him to a wall and take his clothes off. The breath he feels on his lips, alluring smell and penetrating gaze doesn’t ease the situation and, before he realizes it, Eli closes the distance between them and kisses him on the lips.
They stay like that for a while, not really moving their mouths but not pulling away, either, so Eli takes it as a positive sign and cups his face in his hands, not believing the wonderful, vanilla-like taste Kevin has to offer and the softness of his lips. He applies more pressure and the younger does the same, before breaking the kiss in shock, panting. He looks at Eli with unsure, wide eyes and gets up, leaving the room in a dash.
Eli’s heart is beating at supersonic speed.
JUPITER, expansion
Following Kevin’s success as a female and mostly because of an unanimous agreement from his members, it’s no surprise when he is picked to showcase another girly performance, this time in a public shopping center, to help with the new song promotion.
Kevin agrees because he can’t just not accept and dresses up as dainty is possible, this time without the wig and makeup, thank God and sets out to accomplish his task. For most of the song he uses a chair as some sort of sex-object, throwing his legs above it and dancing around it like there’s no tomorrow, leaving those watching him in awe and gaining more than enough spotlight. Eli watches him intensely from the side, because he can’t do anything else and also because they haven’t spoken to each other ever since the incident in the back room at their last photoshoot. Kevin walks away each time he tries to approach him and apologize and, if they absolutely have to talk, he never looks him in the eye. It’s painful and discouraging and Eli thinks he should do something fast, before their relationship turns even more amiss.
So after Kevin’s short display of eroticism Eli walks over to him without thinking and hugs him in front of everybody gathered to stare, trying to put his entire apology into a tender, affectionate showing of guilt. Kevin doesn’t push him, on the contrary; he smiles brightly and hugs him back without hesitation and Eli can only hope it isn’t because of the cameras.
Eli’s euphoria after that doesn’t last long, though, because an hour later they all find themselves in the subway, trying to successfully complete another part of the mission, which somehow ends up with Kevin and Kibum hugging and whispering sweet nothings to each other, as they are trying to convey what a real couple should do. Eli is sitting right beside him and can only watch the two of them being so close they could practically kiss, as he undergoes an agonizing joint in his heart.
Back at the dorm he tries approaching Kevin once more and almost thinks he triumphed, when the younger turns away from him hastily, whispering a faded ‘Night’ on the way to his room.
Things don’t change much next morning, when Kevin avoids sitting next to him and eats his breakfast quietly in a corner.
SATURN, responsibility, rejection
The company decides undertaking a cookery program, to help with their rise in popularity and image. All said and done, until they are told they must form pairs of two and choose one another through voting. Eli choosing Kevin the first chance he gets is not unexpected, but what truly staggers him is the mutual agreement coming from his band mate, who picks Eli with a smile on his face. He later finds out -after many broadcastings- that it was their manager who asked Kevin to choose him, because apparently they looked ‘good’ together on camera.
And so they start filming week after week, trying to convey as much laughter and as many carefree attitudes as possible, under the constant pressure of the cameraman to not be afraid of touchy-feely actions. Kevin takes this serious and begins caressing, cuddling, holding Eli with every chance he gets, until their PD jokingly calls them ‘a married couple’ and suggests they should be on a dating program.
The staff, however, finds a very appealing promoting opportunity in his humor and asks for more and more closeness between them with each passing episode. Eli feels both happy and bitter at their new decision - happy because he can now freely hold Kevin and try repairing their broken (and once surreal) connection; bitter since at the end of day, Kevin returns to his withdrawn, reserved self and doesn’t address a word to him, like everything they do on the set is imaginary.
Maybe it really is.
Kevin smiles at him whenever they lock eyes and offers shy strokes, which makes Eli want to just take him away and run. He asks for touching and hand-holding whenever they go out and simply refuses to complete an assignment if Eli is not there. He glues to him like a limpet, which makes the older feel a sudden rush of affection towards him. He presses his body to Eli’s and holds him by the waist gently with every occasion he has and leans his head on his shoulder oftentimes, making Eli turn hard.
Kevin knows how to toy with him, Eli thinks, because after filming is done he succumbs into a pit of indifference and doesn’t come out of his protective shell until next time.
URANUS, revolution, inspiration
One day Kevin comes down with food poisoning and has to spend the entire week in bed. Their manager doesn’t have time to look after him, as he is busy with their overseas activities, so he tells his members to take good care of him. When that happens, Alexander has to emcee a music show, Kibum is busy with his older brother, Dongho has baseball practice, Soohyun skipped his past vocal classes and now has to go all of a sudden and Kiseop mumbles an incoherent excuse and flees out the door.
So in the end it’s Eli who has to watch after him alone and he can’t really say he minds, because that would mean spending time together.
He walks into Kevin’s room -Kevin’s hot, dark, messy room- and sits beside him, on the edge of the bed, with a bowl of steamy soup in one hand and a spoon in the other. He motions for him to eat, as he holds out the pieces of carrot and potato near his mouth and Kevin takes it all in, hesitant at first, but more and more eager as minutes pass. He murmurs an almost inaudible ‘Thanks’ at the end and shoots Eli a small beam.
Eli’s heart starts racing at the sight of that smile, which hasn’t been addressed to him in weeks.
He comes to visit him several times a day, not because Kevin would need it, but because he is yearning with the desire of wanting his company so badly, he can’t control himself. Kevin seems too weak and tired of playing ignoring games, so he just accepts his company as it is, not demanding to find out Eli’s intentions, but not really caring anymore if he does either.
Eli grasps Kevin’s hand into his own and is afraid he might have taken it too far, but the younger doesn’t say anything and plays along with it, caressing the back of his hand with his thumb. They talk and laugh for hours, this time with zero awkwardness, because now it’s just the two of them, just like they fit best.
NEPTUNE, transcendence
They slowly resume their affectionate gestures without mentioning the kiss again, although Eli would often like to take it further. But because of losing any atom of interaction with Kevin again he doesn’t dare do anything that might reveal his true feelings.
That is, unless Kevin beats him to it and takes the first step.
Their staff decide to change teams in the middle of their show, because apparently Kibum is viewed as the black hole and needs new motivation to make edible food, which somehow aftermaths with Eli paired up with Soohyun, while Kiseop is Kevin’s new partner. Kevin doesn’t seem too affected by it, though, because he continues displaying his little actions of fondness with Kiseop, the same way he did with Eli. The older can’t help but feel jealous, since he is pretty damn convinced he should be the one allowed to hold Kevin like that and stares intensely at them each time they walk in front of his eyes holding hands.
Kevin seems to guess his thoughts, though, because right after filming finishes he goes over to Eli and holds out a piece of meat for him to eat, while smiling seductively. Eli immediately takes it in his mouth, munches on it and can’t refrain himself from thinking that Kiseop’s fingers also touched that food, but he is happy to taste it because Kevin was the one to feed it to him. After he swallows he is asked if he liked it and he nods approvingly, causing the younger to grin delighted -Eli can’t help but think he has the most beautiful smile in the world- and continues feeding him bits and pieces, while they isolate themselves from the world in the changing room.
One late evening after musical practice Kevin arrives at the dorm exhausted and crashes on the couch, right above Eli, who is awaken with a startle. They can’t see each other’s faces in the dark, but lay in that position for a while, feeling the hot breath on their lips and enjoying the warmth their bodies emit. Kevin then lets out a nervous laugh and gets up, wishing he didn’t have to at the same time and makes himself comfortable beside Eli. He turns on the TV, despite being notably tired and leans his head on Eli’s shoulder, as they start watching some mushy, reality program.
They fall asleep cuddled together and Eli is the one who has to carry him to his room in the early hours of the morning, but as he is about to leave, his wrist is grabbed by a sleepy, weak Kevin, who asks him to stay and sleep with him, because he is cold and doesn’t want to be left alone. Eli doesn’t give a second thought to it and climbs in bed with him, holding him protectively as he lets fatigue rush over him.
He wakes up alone the next morning and wonders if everything was a dream, but doesn’t dare to ask Kevin about it because he is afraid the younger might laugh at him.
He goes into the kitchen feeling unusually hungry and occupies his usual place near Kevin and, as they start eating breakfast, he feels a pair of slim fingers shyly intertwining with his own.
Maybe it hadn’t been a dream, after all.
PLUTO, transformation, regeneration
Their members start joking about how they’re acting more and more like a newlywed couple, making witty remarks about their ongoing ‘skinship’ and permanent closeness. Eli panics and believes he might be too obvious, but Kevin laughs, blushes and tell him not to worry about it, leaving the older confused.
One day Kevin decides to make pancakes because, as he sustains, he has been craving for some since he can’t remember when and asks Eli to help him. They take advantage of the fact that they’re alone in the dorm and take over the kitchen, while listening to loud, banging music that seems to bring down the walls any minute. Eli makes all sorts of excuses to reach over utensils that are near Kevin, making sure to close the distance between them each time, while the younger keeps asking for spoons and bowls just to make contact with Eli’s hand. At some point he starts laughing uncontrollably and points at Eli’s mouth, then comes near him and wipes off with his thumb the cream at the corner of his lips. Eli watches him licking it off his finger, feeling more turned on than he should.
During practices Kevin stares into his eyes the entire time in the huge mirror that covers the wall, which determines Eli to lose his concentration and make a thousand mistakes. He can’t help but think Kevin might be flirting with him, but never brings it up. They also look into each other’s gaze while they brush their teeth in the morning, like un unspoken game of ‘who looks away first, loses.’
Kevin finds more and more excuses to refuse Soohyun’s invitations for a movie and declines Kiseop’s request to go shopping, under the pretext that he is busy and wants to brush over his Japanese. But then he always -Eli knows it’s not a coincidence- remains home alone with him and persists with his little schemes of attachment, and somehow -Eli doesn’t exactly recall how- they end up kissing and making out on the couch, between tender whispers and delicate touches, as the light outside becomes more and more dim with every passing minute.
They take it to Kevin’s room when it’s about for the others to return, locking the door behind them and then crashing lazily on the bed. They take off their clothes and spread them carelessly around, while exploring their bodies with the tip of their fingers. There are tongues twirled around and kisses placed everywhere and the room becomes more and more hot as they start moving at a faster pace.
MOON, feelings, energy, personal needs
Sometimes Eli thinks he is the luckiest person in the world for having someone like Kevin by his side.
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Note: The happenings in the 'Jupiter' segment actually took place in 'All about U-KISS', episode 5. You can find it on Rocketboxx, as well as YT.
Note2: I had to mess up the chronological order of the events to pull the story off.
Pairing: Elvin
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Fluff, Romance
Summary: Eli doesn't know if he should like Kevin the way he does.
3,723 words
SUN, burning desires
Eli is sometimes asked during interviews what is the one thing that he hates the most. Then the host with too much powder on her face and too many fake eyelashes sits back and watches him, expecting an answer that could awaken laughs or amusement, but Eli always finds himself stuck at these types of questions.
He hates forgetting his sunglasses at home whenever he goes out and it’s too damn sunny; he is bothered when he is woken up in the early hours of the morning to go to practice, or vocal lessons, or Japanese classes; he feels a deep loathing whenever it’s his turn to cook in the dorm, because it’s something he has never been capable of doing and ends up with judgmental stares and vile remarks from his band mates; he can’t even state how bad it is to get out of the shower and find there are no more towels; he hates his slow Korean -he likes to call it ‘under construction’- and the fact that he always has to ask people to repeat themselves. In fact, by now, he has already gotten used to others speaking to him carefully, like he is mentally retarded.
Eli definitely hates many things, because this new environment is just so different from his home and the language barrier makes even the simplest tasks worse than one could imagine and their mentality sometimes doesn’t joint with his, which is frustrating.
But Eli knows what he doesn’t hate.
He doesn’t hate Kevin. Saying that he hates Kevin is like stating he can live without air - simply impossible. Kevin has a sweet way of looking at him, a gaze that Eli hasn’t noticed being addressed to the others (he has been staring). Kevin asks him if he has slept well when he wakes up in the morning and personally comes to his room to say ‘Goodnight’ -with a smile, always with a smile- before they go to bed. He randomly embraces him from behind when he feels like it, because he enjoys the closure and warmth, and always sits next to him during photoshoots, during dinner, during everything.
Eli remembers Kevin as being the first to come and talk to him when they were first grouped together and things haven’t changed since then. He remembers the lingering comfort in his palm after Kevin shook his hand and still likes, even nowadays, touching his delicate and slim fingers, when they secretly intertwine them under tables, while no one is watching.
Today, Eli doesn’t know what to think about his relationship with Kevin. He often gets confused by his radiant smiles and soft caresses and wants some answers, but doesn’t know how to obtain them.
MERCURY, communication
Eli once heard that communication is the key. It was maybe during a movie, or he probably read it in a book. No, he doesn’t read books. It was definitely during a movie. So he tries to diminish his doubts by talking to Kevin, even if his instincts tell him it may not be the best idea.
His attempts at wanting to know Kevin better fail each time, though, because the younger always gives unclear, impossible-to-decipher answers that leave Eli even more perplexed than before.
He asks Kevin if he ever wants to get married, but he replies he hasn’t really given much thought to it. He asks if he has someone he likes and Kevin says he sort of does, but it wouldn’t work anyway. When Eli asks why, the only answer he receives is ‘We’re too similar.’ They talk over ice-cream, over tea and during video-games and whenever Eli says something funny, Kevin laughs with his head tilted back and leans onto him, which gives the older goose bumps.
Kevin sometimes falls asleep with his temple on Eli’s shoulder for extended periods of time, which makes him turn numb, but he enjoys the intimacy and wouldn’t dare to shrug it off.
VENUS, attraction
Kevin begins responding to Eli’s attempts, slowly, but satisfactory.
He accepts all of Eli’s more and more often invitations to lunch, even if they can’t always spend too much time and have to quickly return to rehearsal, before their manager has another one of his daily outbursts. They always take the subway to their favorite café and Kevin leans onto Eli the entire ride, while they usually walk on their way back, sharing two earplugs to one iPhone. Sometimes -though Eli wishes it happened more frequently- Kevin holds him by the arm tightly, while he keeps his hands in his pockets. It kind of makes them look like a couple, but they don’t really care.
The wind starts blowing impossibly fast and oftentimes Kevin can’t keep his hands off Eli’s forehead, to arrange disheveled strands of hair, messed up by the current. At that, Eli can’t do much but smile gratefully and squeeze his hand, after which they continue heading towards the studio, much slower this time, to gain time.
One time Kevin decides to cross-dress as a female celebrity for a program and the finished result looks more than amazing. He wears a wig with curly, brown locks and applies so much mascara he can’t even be recognized. He looks dazzling, as he walks past Eli slightly shaking his hips, while his slender figure turns heads filled with envy.
Before going on set he winks jokingly at Eli and mimics blowing a kiss, which makes the older laugh nervously. After the filming is over he returns to his changing cabin where Eli is waiting for him with a cup of steaming coffee and, as Kevin takes it graciously in his hands, he kisses him on the cheek as a sign of appreciation, leaving behind a trail of pink, sparkling lip gloss.
By now all feeling of confusion have been dissolved into thin air.
Eli has fallen in love with Kevin.
EARTH, stability, seriousness
Kevin’s eyes are glued to the mirror. The fixed stare reminds Eli of an eagle watching its prey. He leans forwards, then executes a perfectly-balanced jump backward, as his arms remain steady the entire time. He moves his body graciously, making all the moves fall into place and connecting one step to the next like he had been born to do this. He is positioned in the middle and soon after the routine begins, everyone stops to watch him, as he fluidly glides across the floor with such accuracy, it makes the choreographer tear with joy.
The man tells Eli he should learn from Kevin, because his moves are still too rigid to be presented to the public and advises the two of them to remain alone after program, to coordinate together.
They do and Kevin comes dangerously close to Eli, as he grabs one of his hands and starts guiding him. Eli’s palms become sweaty, which determines the younger to ask if he was feeling alright, so the only thing he can do to shake the awkwardness away is to nod reassuringly and focus on the movements.
They end up on the floor quickly after, laughing until their stomachs hurt and trying to recover their breath and these are the moments Eli cherishes the most.
Whenever they go to the gym Kevin works out the most, because, as he claims, he enjoys putting effort into being as appealing as possible for his fans. Of course Eli knows that’s not the truth and that he is struggling so much because he is tired of hearing how weak and fragile he appears wherever they go. He wants to go over him and tell him how abnormally perfect he is and how erotic his curves are, but that would make things too goddamn complicated, so he keeps his mouth shut instead and watches him from afar.
MARS, action
As they get ready to film a new reality TV show, the makeup concept makes things harder for Eli.
They’re supposed to facade as some sort of seductive vampires but, like many other things Eli wasn’t skilled at, he has trouble with the smoky eyeshadows and those irritating, fluffy brushes. In the backstage room everyone finishes before him and leaves, while he is left cursing and wondering where the hell are the makeup artists. Kevin enters one minute later and, noticing Eli’s desperate trial, he decides to give a hand.
He sits on the chair next to Eli and takes the brush from his hand, then grabs his chin with three fingers and begins correcting the mistakes. Being only one inch away from his face, Eli takes time to notice his perfectly shaped lips, flawless, pale skin and small, pointy nose and feels an instant urge to smack him to a wall and take his clothes off. The breath he feels on his lips, alluring smell and penetrating gaze doesn’t ease the situation and, before he realizes it, Eli closes the distance between them and kisses him on the lips.
They stay like that for a while, not really moving their mouths but not pulling away, either, so Eli takes it as a positive sign and cups his face in his hands, not believing the wonderful, vanilla-like taste Kevin has to offer and the softness of his lips. He applies more pressure and the younger does the same, before breaking the kiss in shock, panting. He looks at Eli with unsure, wide eyes and gets up, leaving the room in a dash.
Eli’s heart is beating at supersonic speed.
JUPITER, expansion
Following Kevin’s success as a female and mostly because of an unanimous agreement from his members, it’s no surprise when he is picked to showcase another girly performance, this time in a public shopping center, to help with the new song promotion.
Kevin agrees because he can’t just not accept and dresses up as dainty is possible, this time without the wig and makeup, thank God and sets out to accomplish his task. For most of the song he uses a chair as some sort of sex-object, throwing his legs above it and dancing around it like there’s no tomorrow, leaving those watching him in awe and gaining more than enough spotlight. Eli watches him intensely from the side, because he can’t do anything else and also because they haven’t spoken to each other ever since the incident in the back room at their last photoshoot. Kevin walks away each time he tries to approach him and apologize and, if they absolutely have to talk, he never looks him in the eye. It’s painful and discouraging and Eli thinks he should do something fast, before their relationship turns even more amiss.
So after Kevin’s short display of eroticism Eli walks over to him without thinking and hugs him in front of everybody gathered to stare, trying to put his entire apology into a tender, affectionate showing of guilt. Kevin doesn’t push him, on the contrary; he smiles brightly and hugs him back without hesitation and Eli can only hope it isn’t because of the cameras.
Eli’s euphoria after that doesn’t last long, though, because an hour later they all find themselves in the subway, trying to successfully complete another part of the mission, which somehow ends up with Kevin and Kibum hugging and whispering sweet nothings to each other, as they are trying to convey what a real couple should do. Eli is sitting right beside him and can only watch the two of them being so close they could practically kiss, as he undergoes an agonizing joint in his heart.
Back at the dorm he tries approaching Kevin once more and almost thinks he triumphed, when the younger turns away from him hastily, whispering a faded ‘Night’ on the way to his room.
Things don’t change much next morning, when Kevin avoids sitting next to him and eats his breakfast quietly in a corner.
SATURN, responsibility, rejection
The company decides undertaking a cookery program, to help with their rise in popularity and image. All said and done, until they are told they must form pairs of two and choose one another through voting. Eli choosing Kevin the first chance he gets is not unexpected, but what truly staggers him is the mutual agreement coming from his band mate, who picks Eli with a smile on his face. He later finds out -after many broadcastings- that it was their manager who asked Kevin to choose him, because apparently they looked ‘good’ together on camera.
And so they start filming week after week, trying to convey as much laughter and as many carefree attitudes as possible, under the constant pressure of the cameraman to not be afraid of touchy-feely actions. Kevin takes this serious and begins caressing, cuddling, holding Eli with every chance he gets, until their PD jokingly calls them ‘a married couple’ and suggests they should be on a dating program.
The staff, however, finds a very appealing promoting opportunity in his humor and asks for more and more closeness between them with each passing episode. Eli feels both happy and bitter at their new decision - happy because he can now freely hold Kevin and try repairing their broken (and once surreal) connection; bitter since at the end of day, Kevin returns to his withdrawn, reserved self and doesn’t address a word to him, like everything they do on the set is imaginary.
Maybe it really is.
Kevin smiles at him whenever they lock eyes and offers shy strokes, which makes Eli want to just take him away and run. He asks for touching and hand-holding whenever they go out and simply refuses to complete an assignment if Eli is not there. He glues to him like a limpet, which makes the older feel a sudden rush of affection towards him. He presses his body to Eli’s and holds him by the waist gently with every occasion he has and leans his head on his shoulder oftentimes, making Eli turn hard.
Kevin knows how to toy with him, Eli thinks, because after filming is done he succumbs into a pit of indifference and doesn’t come out of his protective shell until next time.
URANUS, revolution, inspiration
One day Kevin comes down with food poisoning and has to spend the entire week in bed. Their manager doesn’t have time to look after him, as he is busy with their overseas activities, so he tells his members to take good care of him. When that happens, Alexander has to emcee a music show, Kibum is busy with his older brother, Dongho has baseball practice, Soohyun skipped his past vocal classes and now has to go all of a sudden and Kiseop mumbles an incoherent excuse and flees out the door.
So in the end it’s Eli who has to watch after him alone and he can’t really say he minds, because that would mean spending time together.
He walks into Kevin’s room -Kevin’s hot, dark, messy room- and sits beside him, on the edge of the bed, with a bowl of steamy soup in one hand and a spoon in the other. He motions for him to eat, as he holds out the pieces of carrot and potato near his mouth and Kevin takes it all in, hesitant at first, but more and more eager as minutes pass. He murmurs an almost inaudible ‘Thanks’ at the end and shoots Eli a small beam.
Eli’s heart starts racing at the sight of that smile, which hasn’t been addressed to him in weeks.
He comes to visit him several times a day, not because Kevin would need it, but because he is yearning with the desire of wanting his company so badly, he can’t control himself. Kevin seems too weak and tired of playing ignoring games, so he just accepts his company as it is, not demanding to find out Eli’s intentions, but not really caring anymore if he does either.
Eli grasps Kevin’s hand into his own and is afraid he might have taken it too far, but the younger doesn’t say anything and plays along with it, caressing the back of his hand with his thumb. They talk and laugh for hours, this time with zero awkwardness, because now it’s just the two of them, just like they fit best.
NEPTUNE, transcendence
They slowly resume their affectionate gestures without mentioning the kiss again, although Eli would often like to take it further. But because of losing any atom of interaction with Kevin again he doesn’t dare do anything that might reveal his true feelings.
That is, unless Kevin beats him to it and takes the first step.
Their staff decide to change teams in the middle of their show, because apparently Kibum is viewed as the black hole and needs new motivation to make edible food, which somehow aftermaths with Eli paired up with Soohyun, while Kiseop is Kevin’s new partner. Kevin doesn’t seem too affected by it, though, because he continues displaying his little actions of fondness with Kiseop, the same way he did with Eli. The older can’t help but feel jealous, since he is pretty damn convinced he should be the one allowed to hold Kevin like that and stares intensely at them each time they walk in front of his eyes holding hands.
Kevin seems to guess his thoughts, though, because right after filming finishes he goes over to Eli and holds out a piece of meat for him to eat, while smiling seductively. Eli immediately takes it in his mouth, munches on it and can’t refrain himself from thinking that Kiseop’s fingers also touched that food, but he is happy to taste it because Kevin was the one to feed it to him. After he swallows he is asked if he liked it and he nods approvingly, causing the younger to grin delighted -Eli can’t help but think he has the most beautiful smile in the world- and continues feeding him bits and pieces, while they isolate themselves from the world in the changing room.
One late evening after musical practice Kevin arrives at the dorm exhausted and crashes on the couch, right above Eli, who is awaken with a startle. They can’t see each other’s faces in the dark, but lay in that position for a while, feeling the hot breath on their lips and enjoying the warmth their bodies emit. Kevin then lets out a nervous laugh and gets up, wishing he didn’t have to at the same time and makes himself comfortable beside Eli. He turns on the TV, despite being notably tired and leans his head on Eli’s shoulder, as they start watching some mushy, reality program.
They fall asleep cuddled together and Eli is the one who has to carry him to his room in the early hours of the morning, but as he is about to leave, his wrist is grabbed by a sleepy, weak Kevin, who asks him to stay and sleep with him, because he is cold and doesn’t want to be left alone. Eli doesn’t give a second thought to it and climbs in bed with him, holding him protectively as he lets fatigue rush over him.
He wakes up alone the next morning and wonders if everything was a dream, but doesn’t dare to ask Kevin about it because he is afraid the younger might laugh at him.
He goes into the kitchen feeling unusually hungry and occupies his usual place near Kevin and, as they start eating breakfast, he feels a pair of slim fingers shyly intertwining with his own.
Maybe it hadn’t been a dream, after all.
PLUTO, transformation, regeneration
Their members start joking about how they’re acting more and more like a newlywed couple, making witty remarks about their ongoing ‘skinship’ and permanent closeness. Eli panics and believes he might be too obvious, but Kevin laughs, blushes and tell him not to worry about it, leaving the older confused.
One day Kevin decides to make pancakes because, as he sustains, he has been craving for some since he can’t remember when and asks Eli to help him. They take advantage of the fact that they’re alone in the dorm and take over the kitchen, while listening to loud, banging music that seems to bring down the walls any minute. Eli makes all sorts of excuses to reach over utensils that are near Kevin, making sure to close the distance between them each time, while the younger keeps asking for spoons and bowls just to make contact with Eli’s hand. At some point he starts laughing uncontrollably and points at Eli’s mouth, then comes near him and wipes off with his thumb the cream at the corner of his lips. Eli watches him licking it off his finger, feeling more turned on than he should.
During practices Kevin stares into his eyes the entire time in the huge mirror that covers the wall, which determines Eli to lose his concentration and make a thousand mistakes. He can’t help but think Kevin might be flirting with him, but never brings it up. They also look into each other’s gaze while they brush their teeth in the morning, like un unspoken game of ‘who looks away first, loses.’
Kevin finds more and more excuses to refuse Soohyun’s invitations for a movie and declines Kiseop’s request to go shopping, under the pretext that he is busy and wants to brush over his Japanese. But then he always -Eli knows it’s not a coincidence- remains home alone with him and persists with his little schemes of attachment, and somehow -Eli doesn’t exactly recall how- they end up kissing and making out on the couch, between tender whispers and delicate touches, as the light outside becomes more and more dim with every passing minute.
They take it to Kevin’s room when it’s about for the others to return, locking the door behind them and then crashing lazily on the bed. They take off their clothes and spread them carelessly around, while exploring their bodies with the tip of their fingers. There are tongues twirled around and kisses placed everywhere and the room becomes more and more hot as they start moving at a faster pace.
MOON, feelings, energy, personal needs
Sometimes Eli thinks he is the luckiest person in the world for having someone like Kevin by his side.
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Note: The happenings in the 'Jupiter' segment actually took place in 'All about U-KISS', episode 5. You can find it on Rocketboxx, as well as YT.
Note2: I had to mess up the chronological order of the events to pull the story off.