fic: conciliation prize
conciliation prize
PG. Jinyoung/Jackson, but basically gen. 779 words. AO3 mirror.
Jackson always asks the hard-hitting questions.
"It's not a stupid question!" Jackson shouts at Jaebum, indignant.
"Yeah, it’s a really stupid question," Jaebum shoots back, massaging his temples. The chopsticks in his hand wave wildly, coming dangerously close to stabbing Youngjae in the eye. "Garlic."
They're playing rounds of mock interviews over celebratory BBQ after their Japan showcase, a few discreet soju bottles passing around under the table. It's on the company's tab, so they're allowed to be a little reckless. Jinyoung had first come up with the game predebut as a means of testing Jackson, Mark, and Kunpimook's Korean on long trips and late nights, asking rapid fire questions about first loves, ideal types, artists they'd most like to collaborate with. It expanded into something of a round robin competition to include all of them when the debate over ideal types almost came to blows. The prizes were always little things, but just significant enough that everyone would take them seriously: jumping to the front of the shower line, being relieved of your chores for the day, calling shotgun on a long car ride. This time, the stakes weren't nearly as high - an extra piece of meat for every good answer, a spoonful of garlic to be swallowed raw for every bad one. There was a special rule in effect for Mark, who got an extra shot of soju to give or take for every answer over ten words.
Evidently, Jaebum was now interpreting the garlic punishment to include stupid questions as well.
"No way," Jackson says, clapping a hand over his mouth when Kunpimook waves a clump of garlic in front of him. He continues, muffled but undeterred. "And it's not a stupid question! You never know what they could ask during an interview! And then you'll be sorry you ignored me."
"I'm never sorry I ignore you," Jaebum mutters, but the moment's passed. Youngjae's thinking about it already.
To be fair to Jackson, it isn't completely out of the realm of possibility. If you had to choose one of the members to date, who would it be? An easy, seemingly innocuous question, the old-fashioned cousin to the now trendy which member would you trust your sister with? Jinyoung runs his tongue over the back of his teeth as he thinks.
"Probably Jaebum-hyung," Youngjae pipes up. Jaebum looks pleased, then cross, then like he has indigestion, like he's mad anyone's taking Jackson seriously but glad someone said his name. There are some questions, no matter how damning, that you always want your name to come up for. "He's reliable and looks cool when he sings."
Jackson looks put out. "What does singing have to do with dating?"
"Shut up, Jackson," Jaebum says mildly, and feeds Youngjae a piece of samgyupsal off his plate.
Jackson sticks his tongue out at Jaebum. Then he gestures at Yugyeom, next after Youngjae.
"Um, Jinyoung-hyung?" Yugyeom asks around the chopsticks in his mouth, making a face. "He already takes care of me."
Kunpimook is nodding before Jackson even gets to him. "Yeah, same. Jinyoung-hyung."
Jinyoung thought he might get at least one of the maknaes, but not both. It pleases him more than he'd like to let on. He beams at them both, reaching across the table over the grill to high five them.
"You guys are boring," Jackson says. "The question is who you'd date, not who you want as your replacement mom."
"Hey," Kunpimook says, offended. "My mom's much prettier than Jinyoung-hyung."
"Whatever," Jackson says, turning to Mark next to him. He holds his chopsticks like a microphone, shoves his fist under Mark's chin. "I'm counting on you here, buddy."
Mark looks up from where he's been steadily demolishing a plate of meat. "Jackson, ugh," he says around a mouthful, pushing the fist away. "Let's not. I hate this kind of stuff. They'd just cut my answer out anyway."
"They wouldn't if you'd actually say something for once," Jackson says, bottom lip verging on a full-on pout.
Mark shrugs in response, and blows his cheeks out at him.
This is too much for Jackson, who sits back, dejected. His shoulder knocks into Jinyoung's and his hand comes up instinctively to clutch at Jinyoung's sleeve. Jackson is the most endearing when subdued, as if his body knows only how to combat rejection with cloying physical affection.
Their manager comes over to collect empty soju bottles and to tell them they're heading out in fifteen. They chorus their thanks, Jackson's a sulky mumble against Jinyoung's shoulder.
It inspires Jinyoung into saying something. "Cheer up," he says, pitched low so only Jackson hears. He presses a lettuce wrap against Jackson's mouth, which opens around his fingers, obligingly. "I was going to say you."
- LOL BYE WHERE DID THIS EVEN COME FROM sorry nothing ever happens in any of my fic u__u in my defense, this was supposed to be part of a longer Jinyoung/Jackson fic, until it didn't fit anymore.
- Okay but for real I've always wanted to write Jinyoung/Jackson. Their endless gay chicken is so inspiring. One day.
PG. Jinyoung/Jackson, but basically gen. 779 words. AO3 mirror.
Jackson always asks the hard-hitting questions.
"It's not a stupid question!" Jackson shouts at Jaebum, indignant.
"Yeah, it’s a really stupid question," Jaebum shoots back, massaging his temples. The chopsticks in his hand wave wildly, coming dangerously close to stabbing Youngjae in the eye. "Garlic."
They're playing rounds of mock interviews over celebratory BBQ after their Japan showcase, a few discreet soju bottles passing around under the table. It's on the company's tab, so they're allowed to be a little reckless. Jinyoung had first come up with the game predebut as a means of testing Jackson, Mark, and Kunpimook's Korean on long trips and late nights, asking rapid fire questions about first loves, ideal types, artists they'd most like to collaborate with. It expanded into something of a round robin competition to include all of them when the debate over ideal types almost came to blows. The prizes were always little things, but just significant enough that everyone would take them seriously: jumping to the front of the shower line, being relieved of your chores for the day, calling shotgun on a long car ride. This time, the stakes weren't nearly as high - an extra piece of meat for every good answer, a spoonful of garlic to be swallowed raw for every bad one. There was a special rule in effect for Mark, who got an extra shot of soju to give or take for every answer over ten words.
Evidently, Jaebum was now interpreting the garlic punishment to include stupid questions as well.
"No way," Jackson says, clapping a hand over his mouth when Kunpimook waves a clump of garlic in front of him. He continues, muffled but undeterred. "And it's not a stupid question! You never know what they could ask during an interview! And then you'll be sorry you ignored me."
"I'm never sorry I ignore you," Jaebum mutters, but the moment's passed. Youngjae's thinking about it already.
To be fair to Jackson, it isn't completely out of the realm of possibility. If you had to choose one of the members to date, who would it be? An easy, seemingly innocuous question, the old-fashioned cousin to the now trendy which member would you trust your sister with? Jinyoung runs his tongue over the back of his teeth as he thinks.
"Probably Jaebum-hyung," Youngjae pipes up. Jaebum looks pleased, then cross, then like he has indigestion, like he's mad anyone's taking Jackson seriously but glad someone said his name. There are some questions, no matter how damning, that you always want your name to come up for. "He's reliable and looks cool when he sings."
Jackson looks put out. "What does singing have to do with dating?"
"Shut up, Jackson," Jaebum says mildly, and feeds Youngjae a piece of samgyupsal off his plate.
Jackson sticks his tongue out at Jaebum. Then he gestures at Yugyeom, next after Youngjae.
"Um, Jinyoung-hyung?" Yugyeom asks around the chopsticks in his mouth, making a face. "He already takes care of me."
Kunpimook is nodding before Jackson even gets to him. "Yeah, same. Jinyoung-hyung."
Jinyoung thought he might get at least one of the maknaes, but not both. It pleases him more than he'd like to let on. He beams at them both, reaching across the table over the grill to high five them.
"You guys are boring," Jackson says. "The question is who you'd date, not who you want as your replacement mom."
"Hey," Kunpimook says, offended. "My mom's much prettier than Jinyoung-hyung."
"Whatever," Jackson says, turning to Mark next to him. He holds his chopsticks like a microphone, shoves his fist under Mark's chin. "I'm counting on you here, buddy."
Mark looks up from where he's been steadily demolishing a plate of meat. "Jackson, ugh," he says around a mouthful, pushing the fist away. "Let's not. I hate this kind of stuff. They'd just cut my answer out anyway."
"They wouldn't if you'd actually say something for once," Jackson says, bottom lip verging on a full-on pout.
Mark shrugs in response, and blows his cheeks out at him.
This is too much for Jackson, who sits back, dejected. His shoulder knocks into Jinyoung's and his hand comes up instinctively to clutch at Jinyoung's sleeve. Jackson is the most endearing when subdued, as if his body knows only how to combat rejection with cloying physical affection.
Their manager comes over to collect empty soju bottles and to tell them they're heading out in fifteen. They chorus their thanks, Jackson's a sulky mumble against Jinyoung's shoulder.
It inspires Jinyoung into saying something. "Cheer up," he says, pitched low so only Jackson hears. He presses a lettuce wrap against Jackson's mouth, which opens around his fingers, obligingly. "I was going to say you."
- LOL BYE WHERE DID THIS EVEN COME FROM sorry nothing ever happens in any of my fic u__u in my defense, this was supposed to be part of a longer Jinyoung/Jackson fic, until it didn't fit anymore.
- Okay but for real I've always wanted to write Jinyoung/Jackson. Their endless gay chicken is so inspiring. One day.