SH 2014: Every piece of you and me for EVERYONE
For: ALL DA SUHOMIES
From: ANONYMOUS until May 22, 2014
Title: Every piece of you and me
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s)/Focus: Suho/DO
Length: 5000+ words
Summary: EXO goes on an Asia tour. Kyungsoo gets stuck somewhere between Seoul and Joonmyun.
Notes: recipient-nim, i hope this is to your liking! and that it's warm and fluffy enough. um. :o to d, c, and m, thank you for the hand-holding and the cheerleading! couldn't have done it without you guys c:
It was the third time that day that Kyungsoo heard Joonmyun singing Leaving on a Jet Plane. Joonmyun's pronunciation was passable at best, but he was better than most of the other members. Jongdae's English was atrocious; Baekhyun's was fine, but then Baekhyun was a sound mimic. He wouldn't even dare talk about Kris' English and how everything he said sounded like some chant for a mating ritual. He's not even dissing people by saying these things; he just had high standards, that's all.
"One piece of luggage? Just one?" Joonmyun asked. He'd stopped singing just before the first chorus.
Kyungsoo looked up, blinked a few times, and waited for a smile to break across Joonmyun's features.
He never liked traveling. Change wasn't exactly a concept he was fond of, and while there was always the heat of eleven other bodies around him, keeping him warm, being expected to switch from Korean to Japanese to Chinese to Lord knew what language still made him uneasy, feel queasy. It normally took him at least two days to adjust to the new environment, but he knew very well that as soon as the Beijing concert was over, they'd be flown to Tokyo, and then to Malaysia, then Thailand. There was no time to breathe, no time to feel the earth beneath his feet.
He was out of his element.
"If you want to stuff your clothes in my luggage, that's fine," he finally replied, teasing, and gave Joonmyun a small smile. The tight corners of Joonmyun's lips eased into something warmer.
"You can have my lip balm, but only for the next two concerts."
"Three."
Joonmyun rolled his eyes. His lips betrayed him. "Fine, three."
Kyungsoo stood from where he was and kicked his luggage in Joonmyun's direction. "Then, be my guest."
[ beijing ]
They'd been here for far too many times to count. As soon as the plane landed, Kyungsoo heard a squeal of delight from Zitao, saw a smile lift the corners of Yixing's lips. Lu Han was looking out the window of the plane. Kris just looked to his side and past Lu Han, a soft yet small smile on his lips.
Joonmyun thrust his lip balm in Kyungsoo's chest. "As promised," he said. His lips were plump and shiny. If Kyungsoo pressed closer, he'd see they were chapped, but he kept a safe distance and applied some on his lips, slipped the lip balm into his own bag.
Wading through airport crowds had to be Kyungsoo's least favorite thing. The taller ones were assigned to certain people who needed guarding - Kris with Yixing and Lu Han, because half the time Yixing was too out of it to even know where the exit was even if this was supposed to be home, Chanyeol with Baekhyun and Jongdae, Jongin with Minseok and Zitao because he was the only one who could tolerate Zitao's endless chatting about the great Beijing skies and air and the food, especially the food. Sehun had his hands would tightly around Kyungsoo and Joonmyun's wrists, and he was mumbling fucking ow every time somebody tried to grab him by his shirt.
Kyungsoo gulped hard and took a deep breath before taking a step forward. Joonmyun looked at him, extended a hand in his direction, and whispered, "Let's do this?"
Kyungsoo nodded, took Joonmyun's hand without hesitation.
Joonmyun's hands were hardly bigger than Kyungsoo's but somehow the warmth of his fingers and the way Joonmyun traced patterns on the back of his hand were comforting enough to make the whole trip from inside the airport to the van waiting just beyond the doors more manageable. The glass doors shut behind them with a faint sound, and Joonmyun dropped their intertwined hands to his side, pulled away with an easy smile.
"Better?" Joonmyun asked. Kyungsoo could still feel traces of the patterns Joonmyun had drawn on his hand. It burned.
"Much better," he said. He gestured for Joonmyun to get in the van. The grin tugging at the corners of his lips was begging to be hidden.
Rooming assignment was the same as always - he was rooming with Baekhyun, but everyone knew Baekhyun spent half of his stay in Kris and Yixing's room just so he could mess up Kris' hair and laugh at Kris with Yixing on his side. Joonmyun knocked on their hotel room door, peeked in the door and asked, "Can I come in?"
"I was planning to take a nap but eh." Kyungsoo chuckled when Joonmyun frowned visibly. "Come in, come in."
Time spent with Joonmyun in a hotel room usually meant having to listen to Joonmyun go on about their tight schedule and somehow trying to ease the lines on Joonmyun's forehead, but today they just sat beside each other, Joonmyun's eyes fixed on the space in front of them. Kyungsoo bumped his shoulder into Joonmyun's as if asking, what's up?, and Joonmyun just sank deeper into the cushions, let himself slide down and into the sheets.
"I want to go to New York and not think about work," Joonmyun mumbled. "And just take time to take everything in, you know? No worrying about time or anything."
Joonmyun had mentioned this before, wanting to travel around the world, but showed particular interest in going to New York, eyes glimmering with the excitement of a six-year-old kid visiting an amusement park for the very first time. One time, he printed out all these articles about New York and pinned them to the cork board on the wall just beside his bed. He'd printed out 2017, too, stuck it to a picture of New York Kibum had sent him a few years back. "2017 will be the year," Joonmyun had said, determination in the way he smiled and nodded. To Kyungsoo, he said, "You're coming with me, right?"
"Take me with you, hyung," Kyungsoo mumbled now. He turned to his side, moved closer until his nose bumped into Joonmyun's skin. Joonmyun lifted his arm, rested it on Kyungsoo's figure. His small hand was warm on Kyungsoo's side. "Let's run away and never come back."
"Someone needs a good tickle attack," Joonmyun chimed all too eagerly. Kyungsoo gulped hard.
Tickles were Joonmyun's way of saying I won't let you get away with being sad. Gonna brush away that frown on your lips and make you giggle like there's no tomorrow. He articulated himself better with words, but somehow Joonmyun's little gestures always got to Kyungsoo better - the shy, sidetracked smile, the hand on the small of Kyungsoo's back. Joonmyun resting his chin on Kyungsoo's shoulder and Kyungsoo freezing. Kyungsoo yielding. Joonmyun giving and giving and not asking for anything in return.
"I'm happy now. See?" Kyungsoo flashed his brightest smile at Joonmyun. Joonmyun snorted. He could probably try better.
"Practice is in an hour," Joonmyun mumbled. Kyungsoo felt a hand curl around the base of his nape, and the next thing he knew his cheek was pressed close to Joonmyun's chest.
Joonmyun was warm. Sunny. A blanket of familiarity. Kyungsoo moved closer and closed his eyes. Sixty minutes until he had to step back into the cold.
The crowd in Beijing had always been engaging, but today they were more upbeat, sang loudly as EXO performed on stage. The intro for Don't Go was playing in the background. Kyungsoo kept his grip on his microphone tight; he was up first.
Singing as one big group always meant having fewer lines and waiting for his turn longer than the usual, but it also meant being able to witness Lu Han trying to hold back a sob or Yixing bawling his eyes out on the first note of Don't Go, Baekhyun's eyes watery come the chorus, Jondgae's smile almost faltering but his voice soaring above the cheers and the backing track and his own emotions. Joonmyun always had a hard time keeping it together, and halfway through the song, when the fans switched the penlights from white to a warm yellow, Joonmyun burst into tears, his ugly sobs getting caught in his own microphone.
Consoling set up was like this: Jongin burying his face in the crook of Joonmyun's shoulder, Jongdae's hand around Joonmyun's wrist, Chanyeol conveniently nearby, ready to take someone, anyone in his arms to at least muffle sound of collective crying on stage.
When Jongin finally broke down and fell into Chanyeol's arms and Jongdae had to address a sobbing Sehun, Kyungsoo slipped right beside Joonmyun and extended a hand in Joonmyun's direction.
Joonmyun looked up at him, eyes glimmering. His eyeliner had already run a bit; his cheeks were red and his nose was red and Joonmyun was still smiling despite the furrowed eyebrows and the tears running down his face. "Hey hyung, let's do this?" Kyungsoo whispered, looking at Joonmyun, a small smile on his lips.
Joonmyun laughed, the first Kyungsoo had heard since the start of this encore song. Joonmyun nodded, laced their fingers together. He could feel Joonmyun's pulse and Joonmyun's cold fingers. The touch was electric. The thrumming in Kyungsoo's ears grew louder until he could hear nothing but the sound of his own heartbeat and Joonmyun's soft sobs beside him.
[ tokyo ]
Airport security was much better in Japan. The fans, too; they were much tamer, gave them more room to breathe, so much that Kyungsoo could actually dance in the airport if he wanted to (Baekhyun wanted him to; he simply wouldn't do Baekhyun the favor of making a fool of himself). He settled for bobbing his head to the music he was listening to, earphones a snug fit in his ears.
Joonmyun stole an earbud halfway through Cho Yongpil's Bounce and slung an arm around Kyungsoo's shoulder. The air in Japan was cold enough for two bodies pressed this close to each other; Kyungsoo was thankful for both the temperature and Joonmyun's warm hand.
The management decided to let them go around to do their own thing before heading to the stadium for the rehearsals. Kris had disappeared with Baekhyun, Chanyeol, Sehun, and Zitao to grab a bite somewhere; Yixing, Lu Han, Minseok, and Jongdae headed to a game arcade under Lu Han's request to please, please, please, let's just be kids for once. Joonmyun stayed behind to talk to the manager for a while, noting down the schedule for the next few days in his phone. Kyungsoo took out his battery pack from his bag and whispered in Joonmyun's ear, saying, "Hyung, your phone's gonna die and so are you."
A coffee shop was the best place they could spend the next few hours in, but Joonmyun dragged him to a garden near the dome - near enough that they could run to the dome with only five minutes left until call time, but far enough for them to distance themselves from work for a while. "I'm sorry you're always stuck with me," Joonmyun said, an apologetic smile on his lips, and Kyungsoo simply shrugged, whispering, "It's not really a choice you can make."
They stayed near the grove where the colors of the leaves were the best, soft pinks mixing with oranges and yellows and the omnipresent greens. Kyungsoo looked around him and fished for his phone in his pocket, but Joonmyun cut him off with a particularly loud 'click!' and the sound of light laughter.
"You look like you walked straight out of a drama," Joonmyun said, voice breathy from laughing. There was a lilt somewhere at the end; five years into being with EXO and Kyungsoo still hadn't quite memorized the highs and lows of Joonmyun's voice, mostly because Joonmyun rarely ever sang in front of them - as in sing, complete with hand gestures and his weird singing face and the closed eyes and the soft, honeyed tone spilling from his lips - more out of choice than by chance. Joonmyun, years after training with SM, was still unsure of himself, unsettled with his voice, and sometimes Kyungsoo wondered if Joonmyun could actually hear himself whenever he said, I can't sing.
"Is this one of your lines in that new drama of yours?" Kyungsoo asked, smiling a little. A small sound of amusement escaped Joonmyun's lips.
Joonmyun shrugged, looked at the photo he'd just taken, and took another picture of Kyungsoo. "I like this better," Joonmyun said. "You look better in this."
Kyungsoo glanced at the photo, narrowed his eyes at Joonmyun as soon as he saw the silly grin on his lips that Joonmyun managed to capture. He hit Joonmyun on the arm once, twice, thrice, each hit harder than the previous, fingers lingering on Joonmyun's fingertips before he let his hands fall to his sides.
(Later, Kyungsoo would remember that it was a line from his own drama, one he'd sought help on from Joonmyun because delivering lines opposite Chanyeol without actually punching his face was just as difficult with Joonmyun smiling back at him, eyes soft and warm like his fingers wound around Kyungsoo's wrist.)
It seemed Joonmyun never learned his lesson and hadn't packed a handkerchief with him for the encore performance yet again.
He looked like a clown this time, weird patterns on his cheeks from where his make-up had run. Chanyeol was laughing instead of rubbing circles on the back of a sobbing Jongin in his arms, and Sehun laughed so hard he fell flat on his butt before he could even offer Joonmyun consoling words. Kyungsoo walked up to Joonmyun and stuck two pieces of tissue paper to Joonmyun's cheeks and gestured for the crowd to cheer as Joonmyun looked up at him and ran after him across the stage.
Joonmyun caught Kyungsoo, circled his arms around Kyungsoo's waist and pulled him down to the floor, back to chest, limbs entangled.
Baekhyun shot them a quick glance and just kept singing, covering for the two. The sound of clicks grew louder; flashes of light blinded Kyungsoo's eyes. And yet-
Joonmyun with his lips warm on the exposed skin of his shoulder was oddly comforting;
Joonmyun poking his tummy with his fingers was hardly as annoying as it could be, as it normally was;
Joonmyun whispering, "You're gonna pay for this," in his ear in a low, low voice made his heart skip a beat;
He didn't mind any of these things, not at all.
With a tiny jerk, Kyungsoo took a deep breath and tried to pry Joonmyun's fingers from his waist one by one. "Later," he mumbled, and Joonmyun let go with a loud exhale. He could feel the upward tug of Joonmyun's lips on his skin.
"You better keep your promise, Kyungsoo. You better."
Twelve midnight and Joonmyun bumped his bony ass into Kyungsoo's sleeping figure, whispering, "Move."
Baekhyun decided to spend the night in Jongdae's room, too lazy to go back to their room after playing with the remote controlled plane Jongdae managed to find when he went out with Minseok and the others. "Go away," Kyungsoo just mumbled, then threw the covers over his head.
Joonmyun snakes his arms around Kyungsoo's waist and said, "Part two."
Kyungsoo had forgotten this part of the deal - he'd already made amends earlier by offering Joonmyun the most comfortable seat in the van and letting Joonmyun fall asleep on his shoulder (complete with drooling perks and hand-holding and a lullaby), and he thought those were enough, but Joonmyun and not-home never went well together. In the comforts of Seoul and the noise of the city below, Joonmyun was relenting, always forgiving. He was forgetful of things other than their schedule, their lyrics, and movie references he made all too frequently when they were in variety shows. Away from home, Joonmyun was demanding, needy to the point of being clingy, too warm and intrusive and had no concept of private space. Joonmyun rested his chin on Kyungsoo's shoulder and laughed lightly, hot air blowing into the back of Kyungsoo's ear.
Kyungsoo shivered. He was just getting used to the cold; why did Joonmyun suddenly have to be so warm.
"You mean part three, right?" Kyungsoo asked. Slowly, he turned around. Their foreheads bumped. It was much warmer with two people under one blanket, with Joonmyun's face merely a few centimeters from his, with Joonmyun blowing warm air on his skin.
Joonmyun shrugged. "Four or five or six; who's counting?"
I am, Kyungsoo wanted to say, because he was very particular with space and logic and the number of steps it took for him and Joonmyun to meet halfway. Joonmyun traced a finger along Kyungsoo's jaw and let his hand fall on Kyungsoo's collarbones. Kyungsoo closed his eyes. He waited for - something, that moment where Joonmyun would push for a part seven and Kyungsoo would unwillingly (so willingly) say he could even go for an eighth part. Instead, Joonmyun just moved closer until their noses bumped.
Their lips still hadn't touched. Kyungsoo counted until he found slumber again - nine, ten, eleven.
[ malaysia, thailand ]
Somewhere between slipping on stage and switching planes, Joonmyun developed a habit of sliding his arm around Kyungsoo waist. It started with the airport ruckus, then moving from one van to another, then during songs where they weren't supposed to do anything but sing and jump and basically engage the fans, put up a show. Joonmyun's hand had come from a comforting presence on his shoulder to ridiculously warm and electric on the small of his back, a touch of something Kyungsoo couldn't quite place whenever they intertwined their fingers. He never complained, though, didn't even try to brush Joonmyun away. He'd always been honest with himself, and he knew better than to get rid of a constant source of warmth through the changing weather.
And then there were nights when Joonmyun would slip into his bed unannounced and just press their bodies together until they both fell asleep. "You're just the right height for me," Joonmyun reasoned out one time, and Kyungsoo said bullshit faster than he could write his name.
But ultimately there was the pressing truth that they were D.O. and Suho, idols people of all ages looked up to, two people who had to conform to the dictates of society despite the fans' insatiable thirst for more than just the casual conversation or touch between two members. There were rules to be followed. Kyungsoo was a man of rules. His heart was a rebel.
"Hey," Joonmyun called out to him. He looked over his shoulder and there Joonmyun was, sticking out his fallen boarding pass and offering him a smile. "Are you okay?" Joonmyun asked, lips stretched to a smile but a hint of concern in the undertone of his voice.
Kyungsoo snatched the boarding pass from Joonmyun returned the smile with the gratitude he could muster. We're good, we're okay, his mind said; his heart chimed, but we could be more. "I'm good," he replied, instead, and waited for Joonmyun to start walking again before moving forward.
[ manila ]
Manila was sort of a breath of fresh air for them. It wasn't cold, neither was it hot, but Kyungsoo was sweating hard enough for him to reconsider his choice of clothing. He'd meant to take off his blazer and fold it so he could carry it; Joonmyun helped him take it off and folded it for him, instead.
There was a weird sort of dynamic going on between them, and Kyungsoo had been trying really, really hard to look for a pattern, some semblance of logic, but to no avail - there was no telling whether Joonmyun would push or pull or do something else whenever Kyungsoo pushed too hard, no telling if the smile on Joonmyun's lips or his hands snaking up Kyungsoo's back meant more than Hello, Do Kyungsoo. Fancy seeing you around these parts of my world. Joonmyun was predictably unpredictable, and Kyungsoo was confused. He hated being confused. He hated even more the knowledge that he couldn't do anything about it.
"We'll be flying out tomorrow afternoon," Joonmyun announced. To Kyungsoo, he said, "Wanna go out around?"
Kyungsoo shrugged but made sure to smile. Joonmyun's smile wavered briefly, but trust Joonmyun to recover faster than he could greet someone in Chinese. "Maybe we can sleep in," Joonmyun whispered, footsteps falling in sync with Kyungsoo's as they headed to the van, shuffled to the back, bodies pressed so close together that Kyungsoo could hardly breathe.
Kyungsoo could still recall the lyrics of a song they'd sung the first time they went to the Philippines - going on a journey hand-in-hand, never being alone, rising from the ashes despite going through so many challenges. It was a lot like the story of EXO's career - despite the bullshit being thrown at them, they all managed to pull through, arms locked together or right hands all in the center as they chanted before the start of the concert, "We are one!"
They'd pushed Don't Go up and made room in the setlist for that song. Joonmyun liked it enough for Leaving on a Jet Plane to be bumped off the top spot of his favorites list, enough for him to sing it the whole trip from the airport to the hotel and then to the dome. Jongdae had caught on, humming the song at first, then towards the chorus Baekhyun joined him. Then Lu Han harmonized with them. Then Kris started to sing and everyone fell silent and Minseok had said, "You know, you really should sing more."
"Just not in English," Kyungsoo chimed. Chanyeol stifled a laugh. Sehun was having a harder time keeping it together. "Try a ballad? Kim Dongryul?"
Kris took Kyungsoo in his arms. Behind him, Joonmyun said, "Kris, you should really feel honored."
Kyungsoo just chuckled.
Choreography normally put Kyungsoo and Joonmyun on the same side of the stage, but Joonmyun had been keen on moving around more these days, slipping an arm around other people's shoulders. Joonmyun would hook an arm around Chanyeol's own as they walked down the center, would grab Jongdae's wrist and swing their arms as they looked at each other while singing. He'd curl his fingers on the base of Jongin's nape and look up at him and while singing, and Kyungsoo would gulp hard, pretend he didn't see anything, keep his eyes fixed on the sea of fans even if he could still see Joonmyun (staring) from the corner of his eye.
Halfway through the last song, Joonmyun slid right beside him, bumped his shoulder into Kyungsoo's. The contact was electric. The smile on Joonmyun's lips held a lot of promise and answers and questions. Part three, a small voice at the back of Kyungsoo's mind said. It wasn't his; it must have been Joonmyun's.
Joonmyun extended a hand in his direction for the final bow, and he took it without hesitation. There was nothing wrong with yielding from time to time, nothing wrong with holding onto Joonmyun's hand long after they'd bowed to the crowd. There wasn't anything wrong with the loud, thundering pulse in Joonmyun's hand, either, his cold fingers wrapped around Kyungsoo's hand, the way his hand shook.
Kyungsoo had long given up on asking for a change in the rooming assignments, so finding Joonmyun's luggage in his room came as a surprise. "Figured it would be easier since I put my night cream and stuff in your luggage," Joonmyun reasoned out, then proceeded to open Kyungsoo's bag, cracking the code like Kyungsoo had the most predictable password in the world.
"How did you-"
"I watch you more than you think." Joonmyun's hands hadn't stopped wading through Kyungsoo's things. Joonmyun took them out one by one, folding the articles of clothing that had just been tossed into the luggage. He let out a faint aha! when he finally found the pouch he'd put in Kyungsoo's things earlier. Kyungsoo took a step forward, close enough that when Joonmyun stood up, he fit in the small space between the bags and Kyungsoo.
"What are you doing?"
"No, hyung. What are you doing?"
"What are you-" Joonmyun laughed a little and shook his head, tried to look for an opening as he moved from the left to the right, but Kyungsoo had his arms on either side of him. "Kyungsoo, what do you need?" Joonmyun asked this time, an ounce of patience dissipating in the undertone of his voice. The corners of his lips were tugged down.
Without make up and stage lights, Joonmyun actually looked worn out, much less enthusiastic about moving from one place to another with only the omnipresence of eleven other bodies and airports reminding him of home. He still had that glimmer in his eyes, but the enthusiasm of a sixteen-year-old kid had waned, and all Kyungsoo could see was fatigue-exhaustion-confusion, a need for a simple, one-word answer that Kyungsoo could very well give.
"You can't just barge into my room and expect me to make room for you, hyung. You can't just hijack my suitcase and expect me to not mind you ransacking-"
"I returned your things in order-"
"- my life," Kyungsoo continued. "Can't just climb onto my bed and look as if you want to kiss me and not actually do it. Hyung, you've got to tell me what you want to do because I can't figure you out even if you're already being too obvious."
"Am I?" Joonmyun asked, then looked up to meet Kyungsoo in the eye. "Obvious, I mean."
"Well-" Obvious enough that Kyungsoo knew Joonmyun was looking at him despite Joonmyun holding someone else's hand, obvious enough that Kyungsoo could tell that Joonmyun wanted to say something to him, anything, whenever he hovered but didn't stay long enough to walk up to Kyungsoo for a chat. "Yes," Kyungsoo said, then gulped hard. His throat was dry. Joonmyun's lips were dry. He still hadn't returned Joonmyun's chapstick. There were other ways to share.
"If you wanted a kiss, all you had to do was to ask," Kyungsoo finished, mumbling. Joonmyun hadn't averted his gaze. Joonmyun hadn't stopped looking at the tip of his nose or his lips or his collarbones. Joonmyun's hands were limp in his sides.
"Can I kiss you, then?"
Kyungsoo took a deep breath, then nodded.
Joonmyun slowly traced the length of Kyungsoo's jaw, fingers stopping on his collarbone. This was familiar, Kyungsoo thought, even the way Joonmyun leaned forward until their foreheads bumped and the way Joonmyun leaned in again, stopping just before their lips brushed against each other. Joonmyun was smiling, maybe even chuckling, and Kyungsoo just closed his eyes.
"This is what I want."
There weren't fireworks or sparkles, nor was there music, but there was the warm press of Joonmyun's lips on his. Kyungsoo tilted his head, finding a more comfortable angle, and his breath hitched when Joonmyun began licking at the seams of his lips. Joonmyun dipped his tongue inside tentatively, testing the waters, and only when Kyungsoo parted his lips did he suck on Kyungsoo's upper lip, then the bottom lip, then licked a strip along the cavern of Kyungsoo's mouth. Kyungsoo could feel Joonmyun's cheekbones on his skin, the light upward tug. It was too hard not to give in. Joonmyun made him weak in all the right places.
"I get it," Kyungsoo said when they'd parted. Joonmyun was still kissing the corners of his mouth.
"Finally," Joonmyun replied. He slid a hand behind Kyungsoo's nape and pulled him forward for another round.
[ seoul ]
There was nothing better than the scent of Incheon air in the morning. The welcoming crowd was considerably tamer, more manageable, and Joonmyun had mentioned something about the perks of early flights and really good airplane food. Kris had found himself a morning song, music from a Japanese animation he'd been growing increasingly fond of recently. Something about shouting I love you at the top of his lungs. Chanyeol had placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "It's too early to belt out, Kris. Please."
"You should watch Prince of Tennis," Kyungsoo mentioned as they walked past the airport's doors. The van was going to be a bit late, Joonmyun had said, grumbled. Kris was visibly pleased at Kyungsoo's suggestion.
"Do you have the episodes?"
"All of them," Joonmyun chimed beside Kyungsoo. He slid his arms around Kyungsoo's waist and pulled him close. "You can borrow his collection. We're watching Junjou Romantica next."
Kris furrowed his eyebrows, lips forming some sort of shape Kyungsoo couldn't quite figure out. Joonmyun's soft giggles sounded perfect right behind him, muffled just lightly in his hair. He cocked his head to the left so Joonmyun could rest his chin on Kyungsoo's shoulder. Kyungsoo was getting better at this arrangement; Joonmyun wasn't doing so bad, himself.
Jongdae gasped. "But isn't that the-"
"Best anime ever," Kyungsoo finished.
Joonmyun erupted into a peal of laughter and Kyungsoo laughed in accord. Never mind that ten other people were looking at them silly and it was much too early be laughing, or that the cold Incheon air was going to strike any minute now and color Kyungsoo's nose pink; Joonmyun's shrill laughter was a nice morning melody, and the warm press of Joonmyun's chest on Kyungsoo's back was enough to get him through the morning cold.
"The best, really? Isn't that supposed to be Prince of Tennis?"
Kyungsoo looked at Joonmyun for a few good seconds before brushing their noses together. There was still a sliver of laughter left on the corners of his lips.
"Change isn't so bad."
From: ANONYMOUS until May 22, 2014
Title: Every piece of you and me
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s)/Focus: Suho/DO
Length: 5000+ words
Summary: EXO goes on an Asia tour. Kyungsoo gets stuck somewhere between Seoul and Joonmyun.
Notes: recipient-nim, i hope this is to your liking! and that it's warm and fluffy enough. um. :o to d, c, and m, thank you for the hand-holding and the cheerleading! couldn't have done it without you guys c:
It was the third time that day that Kyungsoo heard Joonmyun singing Leaving on a Jet Plane. Joonmyun's pronunciation was passable at best, but he was better than most of the other members. Jongdae's English was atrocious; Baekhyun's was fine, but then Baekhyun was a sound mimic. He wouldn't even dare talk about Kris' English and how everything he said sounded like some chant for a mating ritual. He's not even dissing people by saying these things; he just had high standards, that's all.
"One piece of luggage? Just one?" Joonmyun asked. He'd stopped singing just before the first chorus.
Kyungsoo looked up, blinked a few times, and waited for a smile to break across Joonmyun's features.
He never liked traveling. Change wasn't exactly a concept he was fond of, and while there was always the heat of eleven other bodies around him, keeping him warm, being expected to switch from Korean to Japanese to Chinese to Lord knew what language still made him uneasy, feel queasy. It normally took him at least two days to adjust to the new environment, but he knew very well that as soon as the Beijing concert was over, they'd be flown to Tokyo, and then to Malaysia, then Thailand. There was no time to breathe, no time to feel the earth beneath his feet.
He was out of his element.
"If you want to stuff your clothes in my luggage, that's fine," he finally replied, teasing, and gave Joonmyun a small smile. The tight corners of Joonmyun's lips eased into something warmer.
"You can have my lip balm, but only for the next two concerts."
"Three."
Joonmyun rolled his eyes. His lips betrayed him. "Fine, three."
Kyungsoo stood from where he was and kicked his luggage in Joonmyun's direction. "Then, be my guest."
[ beijing ]
They'd been here for far too many times to count. As soon as the plane landed, Kyungsoo heard a squeal of delight from Zitao, saw a smile lift the corners of Yixing's lips. Lu Han was looking out the window of the plane. Kris just looked to his side and past Lu Han, a soft yet small smile on his lips.
Joonmyun thrust his lip balm in Kyungsoo's chest. "As promised," he said. His lips were plump and shiny. If Kyungsoo pressed closer, he'd see they were chapped, but he kept a safe distance and applied some on his lips, slipped the lip balm into his own bag.
Wading through airport crowds had to be Kyungsoo's least favorite thing. The taller ones were assigned to certain people who needed guarding - Kris with Yixing and Lu Han, because half the time Yixing was too out of it to even know where the exit was even if this was supposed to be home, Chanyeol with Baekhyun and Jongdae, Jongin with Minseok and Zitao because he was the only one who could tolerate Zitao's endless chatting about the great Beijing skies and air and the food, especially the food. Sehun had his hands would tightly around Kyungsoo and Joonmyun's wrists, and he was mumbling fucking ow every time somebody tried to grab him by his shirt.
Kyungsoo gulped hard and took a deep breath before taking a step forward. Joonmyun looked at him, extended a hand in his direction, and whispered, "Let's do this?"
Kyungsoo nodded, took Joonmyun's hand without hesitation.
Joonmyun's hands were hardly bigger than Kyungsoo's but somehow the warmth of his fingers and the way Joonmyun traced patterns on the back of his hand were comforting enough to make the whole trip from inside the airport to the van waiting just beyond the doors more manageable. The glass doors shut behind them with a faint sound, and Joonmyun dropped their intertwined hands to his side, pulled away with an easy smile.
"Better?" Joonmyun asked. Kyungsoo could still feel traces of the patterns Joonmyun had drawn on his hand. It burned.
"Much better," he said. He gestured for Joonmyun to get in the van. The grin tugging at the corners of his lips was begging to be hidden.
Rooming assignment was the same as always - he was rooming with Baekhyun, but everyone knew Baekhyun spent half of his stay in Kris and Yixing's room just so he could mess up Kris' hair and laugh at Kris with Yixing on his side. Joonmyun knocked on their hotel room door, peeked in the door and asked, "Can I come in?"
"I was planning to take a nap but eh." Kyungsoo chuckled when Joonmyun frowned visibly. "Come in, come in."
Time spent with Joonmyun in a hotel room usually meant having to listen to Joonmyun go on about their tight schedule and somehow trying to ease the lines on Joonmyun's forehead, but today they just sat beside each other, Joonmyun's eyes fixed on the space in front of them. Kyungsoo bumped his shoulder into Joonmyun's as if asking, what's up?, and Joonmyun just sank deeper into the cushions, let himself slide down and into the sheets.
"I want to go to New York and not think about work," Joonmyun mumbled. "And just take time to take everything in, you know? No worrying about time or anything."
Joonmyun had mentioned this before, wanting to travel around the world, but showed particular interest in going to New York, eyes glimmering with the excitement of a six-year-old kid visiting an amusement park for the very first time. One time, he printed out all these articles about New York and pinned them to the cork board on the wall just beside his bed. He'd printed out 2017, too, stuck it to a picture of New York Kibum had sent him a few years back. "2017 will be the year," Joonmyun had said, determination in the way he smiled and nodded. To Kyungsoo, he said, "You're coming with me, right?"
"Take me with you, hyung," Kyungsoo mumbled now. He turned to his side, moved closer until his nose bumped into Joonmyun's skin. Joonmyun lifted his arm, rested it on Kyungsoo's figure. His small hand was warm on Kyungsoo's side. "Let's run away and never come back."
"Someone needs a good tickle attack," Joonmyun chimed all too eagerly. Kyungsoo gulped hard.
Tickles were Joonmyun's way of saying I won't let you get away with being sad. Gonna brush away that frown on your lips and make you giggle like there's no tomorrow. He articulated himself better with words, but somehow Joonmyun's little gestures always got to Kyungsoo better - the shy, sidetracked smile, the hand on the small of Kyungsoo's back. Joonmyun resting his chin on Kyungsoo's shoulder and Kyungsoo freezing. Kyungsoo yielding. Joonmyun giving and giving and not asking for anything in return.
"I'm happy now. See?" Kyungsoo flashed his brightest smile at Joonmyun. Joonmyun snorted. He could probably try better.
"Practice is in an hour," Joonmyun mumbled. Kyungsoo felt a hand curl around the base of his nape, and the next thing he knew his cheek was pressed close to Joonmyun's chest.
Joonmyun was warm. Sunny. A blanket of familiarity. Kyungsoo moved closer and closed his eyes. Sixty minutes until he had to step back into the cold.
The crowd in Beijing had always been engaging, but today they were more upbeat, sang loudly as EXO performed on stage. The intro for Don't Go was playing in the background. Kyungsoo kept his grip on his microphone tight; he was up first.
Singing as one big group always meant having fewer lines and waiting for his turn longer than the usual, but it also meant being able to witness Lu Han trying to hold back a sob or Yixing bawling his eyes out on the first note of Don't Go, Baekhyun's eyes watery come the chorus, Jondgae's smile almost faltering but his voice soaring above the cheers and the backing track and his own emotions. Joonmyun always had a hard time keeping it together, and halfway through the song, when the fans switched the penlights from white to a warm yellow, Joonmyun burst into tears, his ugly sobs getting caught in his own microphone.
Consoling set up was like this: Jongin burying his face in the crook of Joonmyun's shoulder, Jongdae's hand around Joonmyun's wrist, Chanyeol conveniently nearby, ready to take someone, anyone in his arms to at least muffle sound of collective crying on stage.
When Jongin finally broke down and fell into Chanyeol's arms and Jongdae had to address a sobbing Sehun, Kyungsoo slipped right beside Joonmyun and extended a hand in Joonmyun's direction.
Joonmyun looked up at him, eyes glimmering. His eyeliner had already run a bit; his cheeks were red and his nose was red and Joonmyun was still smiling despite the furrowed eyebrows and the tears running down his face. "Hey hyung, let's do this?" Kyungsoo whispered, looking at Joonmyun, a small smile on his lips.
Joonmyun laughed, the first Kyungsoo had heard since the start of this encore song. Joonmyun nodded, laced their fingers together. He could feel Joonmyun's pulse and Joonmyun's cold fingers. The touch was electric. The thrumming in Kyungsoo's ears grew louder until he could hear nothing but the sound of his own heartbeat and Joonmyun's soft sobs beside him.
[ tokyo ]
Airport security was much better in Japan. The fans, too; they were much tamer, gave them more room to breathe, so much that Kyungsoo could actually dance in the airport if he wanted to (Baekhyun wanted him to; he simply wouldn't do Baekhyun the favor of making a fool of himself). He settled for bobbing his head to the music he was listening to, earphones a snug fit in his ears.
Joonmyun stole an earbud halfway through Cho Yongpil's Bounce and slung an arm around Kyungsoo's shoulder. The air in Japan was cold enough for two bodies pressed this close to each other; Kyungsoo was thankful for both the temperature and Joonmyun's warm hand.
The management decided to let them go around to do their own thing before heading to the stadium for the rehearsals. Kris had disappeared with Baekhyun, Chanyeol, Sehun, and Zitao to grab a bite somewhere; Yixing, Lu Han, Minseok, and Jongdae headed to a game arcade under Lu Han's request to please, please, please, let's just be kids for once. Joonmyun stayed behind to talk to the manager for a while, noting down the schedule for the next few days in his phone. Kyungsoo took out his battery pack from his bag and whispered in Joonmyun's ear, saying, "Hyung, your phone's gonna die and so are you."
A coffee shop was the best place they could spend the next few hours in, but Joonmyun dragged him to a garden near the dome - near enough that they could run to the dome with only five minutes left until call time, but far enough for them to distance themselves from work for a while. "I'm sorry you're always stuck with me," Joonmyun said, an apologetic smile on his lips, and Kyungsoo simply shrugged, whispering, "It's not really a choice you can make."
They stayed near the grove where the colors of the leaves were the best, soft pinks mixing with oranges and yellows and the omnipresent greens. Kyungsoo looked around him and fished for his phone in his pocket, but Joonmyun cut him off with a particularly loud 'click!' and the sound of light laughter.
"You look like you walked straight out of a drama," Joonmyun said, voice breathy from laughing. There was a lilt somewhere at the end; five years into being with EXO and Kyungsoo still hadn't quite memorized the highs and lows of Joonmyun's voice, mostly because Joonmyun rarely ever sang in front of them - as in sing, complete with hand gestures and his weird singing face and the closed eyes and the soft, honeyed tone spilling from his lips - more out of choice than by chance. Joonmyun, years after training with SM, was still unsure of himself, unsettled with his voice, and sometimes Kyungsoo wondered if Joonmyun could actually hear himself whenever he said, I can't sing.
"Is this one of your lines in that new drama of yours?" Kyungsoo asked, smiling a little. A small sound of amusement escaped Joonmyun's lips.
Joonmyun shrugged, looked at the photo he'd just taken, and took another picture of Kyungsoo. "I like this better," Joonmyun said. "You look better in this."
Kyungsoo glanced at the photo, narrowed his eyes at Joonmyun as soon as he saw the silly grin on his lips that Joonmyun managed to capture. He hit Joonmyun on the arm once, twice, thrice, each hit harder than the previous, fingers lingering on Joonmyun's fingertips before he let his hands fall to his sides.
(Later, Kyungsoo would remember that it was a line from his own drama, one he'd sought help on from Joonmyun because delivering lines opposite Chanyeol without actually punching his face was just as difficult with Joonmyun smiling back at him, eyes soft and warm like his fingers wound around Kyungsoo's wrist.)
It seemed Joonmyun never learned his lesson and hadn't packed a handkerchief with him for the encore performance yet again.
He looked like a clown this time, weird patterns on his cheeks from where his make-up had run. Chanyeol was laughing instead of rubbing circles on the back of a sobbing Jongin in his arms, and Sehun laughed so hard he fell flat on his butt before he could even offer Joonmyun consoling words. Kyungsoo walked up to Joonmyun and stuck two pieces of tissue paper to Joonmyun's cheeks and gestured for the crowd to cheer as Joonmyun looked up at him and ran after him across the stage.
Joonmyun caught Kyungsoo, circled his arms around Kyungsoo's waist and pulled him down to the floor, back to chest, limbs entangled.
Baekhyun shot them a quick glance and just kept singing, covering for the two. The sound of clicks grew louder; flashes of light blinded Kyungsoo's eyes. And yet-
Joonmyun with his lips warm on the exposed skin of his shoulder was oddly comforting;
Joonmyun poking his tummy with his fingers was hardly as annoying as it could be, as it normally was;
Joonmyun whispering, "You're gonna pay for this," in his ear in a low, low voice made his heart skip a beat;
He didn't mind any of these things, not at all.
With a tiny jerk, Kyungsoo took a deep breath and tried to pry Joonmyun's fingers from his waist one by one. "Later," he mumbled, and Joonmyun let go with a loud exhale. He could feel the upward tug of Joonmyun's lips on his skin.
"You better keep your promise, Kyungsoo. You better."
Twelve midnight and Joonmyun bumped his bony ass into Kyungsoo's sleeping figure, whispering, "Move."
Baekhyun decided to spend the night in Jongdae's room, too lazy to go back to their room after playing with the remote controlled plane Jongdae managed to find when he went out with Minseok and the others. "Go away," Kyungsoo just mumbled, then threw the covers over his head.
Joonmyun snakes his arms around Kyungsoo's waist and said, "Part two."
Kyungsoo had forgotten this part of the deal - he'd already made amends earlier by offering Joonmyun the most comfortable seat in the van and letting Joonmyun fall asleep on his shoulder (complete with drooling perks and hand-holding and a lullaby), and he thought those were enough, but Joonmyun and not-home never went well together. In the comforts of Seoul and the noise of the city below, Joonmyun was relenting, always forgiving. He was forgetful of things other than their schedule, their lyrics, and movie references he made all too frequently when they were in variety shows. Away from home, Joonmyun was demanding, needy to the point of being clingy, too warm and intrusive and had no concept of private space. Joonmyun rested his chin on Kyungsoo's shoulder and laughed lightly, hot air blowing into the back of Kyungsoo's ear.
Kyungsoo shivered. He was just getting used to the cold; why did Joonmyun suddenly have to be so warm.
"You mean part three, right?" Kyungsoo asked. Slowly, he turned around. Their foreheads bumped. It was much warmer with two people under one blanket, with Joonmyun's face merely a few centimeters from his, with Joonmyun blowing warm air on his skin.
Joonmyun shrugged. "Four or five or six; who's counting?"
I am, Kyungsoo wanted to say, because he was very particular with space and logic and the number of steps it took for him and Joonmyun to meet halfway. Joonmyun traced a finger along Kyungsoo's jaw and let his hand fall on Kyungsoo's collarbones. Kyungsoo closed his eyes. He waited for - something, that moment where Joonmyun would push for a part seven and Kyungsoo would unwillingly (so willingly) say he could even go for an eighth part. Instead, Joonmyun just moved closer until their noses bumped.
Their lips still hadn't touched. Kyungsoo counted until he found slumber again - nine, ten, eleven.
[ malaysia, thailand ]
Somewhere between slipping on stage and switching planes, Joonmyun developed a habit of sliding his arm around Kyungsoo waist. It started with the airport ruckus, then moving from one van to another, then during songs where they weren't supposed to do anything but sing and jump and basically engage the fans, put up a show. Joonmyun's hand had come from a comforting presence on his shoulder to ridiculously warm and electric on the small of his back, a touch of something Kyungsoo couldn't quite place whenever they intertwined their fingers. He never complained, though, didn't even try to brush Joonmyun away. He'd always been honest with himself, and he knew better than to get rid of a constant source of warmth through the changing weather.
And then there were nights when Joonmyun would slip into his bed unannounced and just press their bodies together until they both fell asleep. "You're just the right height for me," Joonmyun reasoned out one time, and Kyungsoo said bullshit faster than he could write his name.
But ultimately there was the pressing truth that they were D.O. and Suho, idols people of all ages looked up to, two people who had to conform to the dictates of society despite the fans' insatiable thirst for more than just the casual conversation or touch between two members. There were rules to be followed. Kyungsoo was a man of rules. His heart was a rebel.
"Hey," Joonmyun called out to him. He looked over his shoulder and there Joonmyun was, sticking out his fallen boarding pass and offering him a smile. "Are you okay?" Joonmyun asked, lips stretched to a smile but a hint of concern in the undertone of his voice.
Kyungsoo snatched the boarding pass from Joonmyun returned the smile with the gratitude he could muster. We're good, we're okay, his mind said; his heart chimed, but we could be more. "I'm good," he replied, instead, and waited for Joonmyun to start walking again before moving forward.
[ manila ]
Manila was sort of a breath of fresh air for them. It wasn't cold, neither was it hot, but Kyungsoo was sweating hard enough for him to reconsider his choice of clothing. He'd meant to take off his blazer and fold it so he could carry it; Joonmyun helped him take it off and folded it for him, instead.
There was a weird sort of dynamic going on between them, and Kyungsoo had been trying really, really hard to look for a pattern, some semblance of logic, but to no avail - there was no telling whether Joonmyun would push or pull or do something else whenever Kyungsoo pushed too hard, no telling if the smile on Joonmyun's lips or his hands snaking up Kyungsoo's back meant more than Hello, Do Kyungsoo. Fancy seeing you around these parts of my world. Joonmyun was predictably unpredictable, and Kyungsoo was confused. He hated being confused. He hated even more the knowledge that he couldn't do anything about it.
"We'll be flying out tomorrow afternoon," Joonmyun announced. To Kyungsoo, he said, "Wanna go out around?"
Kyungsoo shrugged but made sure to smile. Joonmyun's smile wavered briefly, but trust Joonmyun to recover faster than he could greet someone in Chinese. "Maybe we can sleep in," Joonmyun whispered, footsteps falling in sync with Kyungsoo's as they headed to the van, shuffled to the back, bodies pressed so close together that Kyungsoo could hardly breathe.
Kyungsoo could still recall the lyrics of a song they'd sung the first time they went to the Philippines - going on a journey hand-in-hand, never being alone, rising from the ashes despite going through so many challenges. It was a lot like the story of EXO's career - despite the bullshit being thrown at them, they all managed to pull through, arms locked together or right hands all in the center as they chanted before the start of the concert, "We are one!"
They'd pushed Don't Go up and made room in the setlist for that song. Joonmyun liked it enough for Leaving on a Jet Plane to be bumped off the top spot of his favorites list, enough for him to sing it the whole trip from the airport to the hotel and then to the dome. Jongdae had caught on, humming the song at first, then towards the chorus Baekhyun joined him. Then Lu Han harmonized with them. Then Kris started to sing and everyone fell silent and Minseok had said, "You know, you really should sing more."
"Just not in English," Kyungsoo chimed. Chanyeol stifled a laugh. Sehun was having a harder time keeping it together. "Try a ballad? Kim Dongryul?"
Kris took Kyungsoo in his arms. Behind him, Joonmyun said, "Kris, you should really feel honored."
Kyungsoo just chuckled.
Choreography normally put Kyungsoo and Joonmyun on the same side of the stage, but Joonmyun had been keen on moving around more these days, slipping an arm around other people's shoulders. Joonmyun would hook an arm around Chanyeol's own as they walked down the center, would grab Jongdae's wrist and swing their arms as they looked at each other while singing. He'd curl his fingers on the base of Jongin's nape and look up at him and while singing, and Kyungsoo would gulp hard, pretend he didn't see anything, keep his eyes fixed on the sea of fans even if he could still see Joonmyun (staring) from the corner of his eye.
Halfway through the last song, Joonmyun slid right beside him, bumped his shoulder into Kyungsoo's. The contact was electric. The smile on Joonmyun's lips held a lot of promise and answers and questions. Part three, a small voice at the back of Kyungsoo's mind said. It wasn't his; it must have been Joonmyun's.
Joonmyun extended a hand in his direction for the final bow, and he took it without hesitation. There was nothing wrong with yielding from time to time, nothing wrong with holding onto Joonmyun's hand long after they'd bowed to the crowd. There wasn't anything wrong with the loud, thundering pulse in Joonmyun's hand, either, his cold fingers wrapped around Kyungsoo's hand, the way his hand shook.
Kyungsoo had long given up on asking for a change in the rooming assignments, so finding Joonmyun's luggage in his room came as a surprise. "Figured it would be easier since I put my night cream and stuff in your luggage," Joonmyun reasoned out, then proceeded to open Kyungsoo's bag, cracking the code like Kyungsoo had the most predictable password in the world.
"How did you-"
"I watch you more than you think." Joonmyun's hands hadn't stopped wading through Kyungsoo's things. Joonmyun took them out one by one, folding the articles of clothing that had just been tossed into the luggage. He let out a faint aha! when he finally found the pouch he'd put in Kyungsoo's things earlier. Kyungsoo took a step forward, close enough that when Joonmyun stood up, he fit in the small space between the bags and Kyungsoo.
"What are you doing?"
"No, hyung. What are you doing?"
"What are you-" Joonmyun laughed a little and shook his head, tried to look for an opening as he moved from the left to the right, but Kyungsoo had his arms on either side of him. "Kyungsoo, what do you need?" Joonmyun asked this time, an ounce of patience dissipating in the undertone of his voice. The corners of his lips were tugged down.
Without make up and stage lights, Joonmyun actually looked worn out, much less enthusiastic about moving from one place to another with only the omnipresence of eleven other bodies and airports reminding him of home. He still had that glimmer in his eyes, but the enthusiasm of a sixteen-year-old kid had waned, and all Kyungsoo could see was fatigue-exhaustion-confusion, a need for a simple, one-word answer that Kyungsoo could very well give.
"You can't just barge into my room and expect me to make room for you, hyung. You can't just hijack my suitcase and expect me to not mind you ransacking-"
"I returned your things in order-"
"- my life," Kyungsoo continued. "Can't just climb onto my bed and look as if you want to kiss me and not actually do it. Hyung, you've got to tell me what you want to do because I can't figure you out even if you're already being too obvious."
"Am I?" Joonmyun asked, then looked up to meet Kyungsoo in the eye. "Obvious, I mean."
"Well-" Obvious enough that Kyungsoo knew Joonmyun was looking at him despite Joonmyun holding someone else's hand, obvious enough that Kyungsoo could tell that Joonmyun wanted to say something to him, anything, whenever he hovered but didn't stay long enough to walk up to Kyungsoo for a chat. "Yes," Kyungsoo said, then gulped hard. His throat was dry. Joonmyun's lips were dry. He still hadn't returned Joonmyun's chapstick. There were other ways to share.
"If you wanted a kiss, all you had to do was to ask," Kyungsoo finished, mumbling. Joonmyun hadn't averted his gaze. Joonmyun hadn't stopped looking at the tip of his nose or his lips or his collarbones. Joonmyun's hands were limp in his sides.
"Can I kiss you, then?"
Kyungsoo took a deep breath, then nodded.
Joonmyun slowly traced the length of Kyungsoo's jaw, fingers stopping on his collarbone. This was familiar, Kyungsoo thought, even the way Joonmyun leaned forward until their foreheads bumped and the way Joonmyun leaned in again, stopping just before their lips brushed against each other. Joonmyun was smiling, maybe even chuckling, and Kyungsoo just closed his eyes.
"This is what I want."
There weren't fireworks or sparkles, nor was there music, but there was the warm press of Joonmyun's lips on his. Kyungsoo tilted his head, finding a more comfortable angle, and his breath hitched when Joonmyun began licking at the seams of his lips. Joonmyun dipped his tongue inside tentatively, testing the waters, and only when Kyungsoo parted his lips did he suck on Kyungsoo's upper lip, then the bottom lip, then licked a strip along the cavern of Kyungsoo's mouth. Kyungsoo could feel Joonmyun's cheekbones on his skin, the light upward tug. It was too hard not to give in. Joonmyun made him weak in all the right places.
"I get it," Kyungsoo said when they'd parted. Joonmyun was still kissing the corners of his mouth.
"Finally," Joonmyun replied. He slid a hand behind Kyungsoo's nape and pulled him forward for another round.
[ seoul ]
There was nothing better than the scent of Incheon air in the morning. The welcoming crowd was considerably tamer, more manageable, and Joonmyun had mentioned something about the perks of early flights and really good airplane food. Kris had found himself a morning song, music from a Japanese animation he'd been growing increasingly fond of recently. Something about shouting I love you at the top of his lungs. Chanyeol had placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "It's too early to belt out, Kris. Please."
"You should watch Prince of Tennis," Kyungsoo mentioned as they walked past the airport's doors. The van was going to be a bit late, Joonmyun had said, grumbled. Kris was visibly pleased at Kyungsoo's suggestion.
"Do you have the episodes?"
"All of them," Joonmyun chimed beside Kyungsoo. He slid his arms around Kyungsoo's waist and pulled him close. "You can borrow his collection. We're watching Junjou Romantica next."
Kris furrowed his eyebrows, lips forming some sort of shape Kyungsoo couldn't quite figure out. Joonmyun's soft giggles sounded perfect right behind him, muffled just lightly in his hair. He cocked his head to the left so Joonmyun could rest his chin on Kyungsoo's shoulder. Kyungsoo was getting better at this arrangement; Joonmyun wasn't doing so bad, himself.
Jongdae gasped. "But isn't that the-"
"Best anime ever," Kyungsoo finished.
Joonmyun erupted into a peal of laughter and Kyungsoo laughed in accord. Never mind that ten other people were looking at them silly and it was much too early be laughing, or that the cold Incheon air was going to strike any minute now and color Kyungsoo's nose pink; Joonmyun's shrill laughter was a nice morning melody, and the warm press of Joonmyun's chest on Kyungsoo's back was enough to get him through the morning cold.
"The best, really? Isn't that supposed to be Prince of Tennis?"
Kyungsoo looked at Joonmyun for a few good seconds before brushing their noses together. There was still a sliver of laughter left on the corners of his lips.
"Change isn't so bad."