Chapter Text
That Seungmin has a crush on Changbin is an established fact.
There’s no doubt about it, and Hyunjin is keenly aware. The entire friend-group is aware. In fact, he’s pretty sure there are satellites out by the space shuttle that are aware.
When they were younger it was almost cute. It was puppy-love, Seungmin going out of his way to get Changbin’s attention by teasing him, needling him, provoking him. Hyunjin noticed, snorted, and moved on with his day. Everyone in their university had a crush on Changbin, it was hardly a trait that set Seungmin apart. Hyunjin figured Seungmin would get over it once the lack of reciprocation became apparent, and they would all reminisce about it and make fun of him in the future.
Unfortunately, instead of moving on, Seungmin has gotten worse. Much worse. They are college graduates now; fully-fledged adults with jobs, and Seungmin has promoted his crush to a fully-fledged infatuation.
“I want to go in Changbin’s car,” says Seungmin now, marching himself quickly to the white Hyundai and snagging the front passenger seat.
Hyunjin stares at him, feeling a familiar stir of pity and second-hand embarrassment. It’s so painful to watch. It induces a visceral kind of internal cringe in Hyunjin that keeps getting harder to conceal. Seungmin will trail Changbin constantly, try to get his attention (positive or negative, doesn’t seem to matter) in any way that he can. He seems unashamed and unapologetic about his preference for their hyung, despite the fact that Changbin doesn’t return his feelings, and Hyunjin’s embarrassment on his behalf grows day by day.
“Okay, so... how are we going to divide up the rest?” Changbin asks. If Seungmin hadn’t pulled that little stunt, Hyunjin is certain that Changbin would have asked him to sit in the front passenger seat, maybe even asked Hyunjin to hold his hand or feed him snacks during the drive.
“I don’t care which car I go in,” Hyunjin states firmly, making sure the whole group can hear him.
“Well, I want Channie to be my co-pilot,” Minho says, grabbing Chan by his skinny wrist and tugging him towards the black car. He’s the other driver, and he’s also been in a years-long courtship with their oblivious group leader, so that’s to be expected. “Sungie, Jeonginnie, come. Yongbokkie, make sure they behave.”
The couple scrambles after them, and so Felix smiles brightly and starts walking towards Changbin’s car. Hyunjin follows. “That was easy,” Changbin comments, grinning. “I thought we’d have to play five rounds of rock-paper-scissors before we made a decision.”
Hyunjin doesn’t say anything and sits himself behind the driver’s seat, pushing his sunglasses in and settling in to look out of the window.
“Hyung,” Seungmin says. When Hyunjin checks, the puppy is smiling dopily at Changbin as Changbin inputs the address of their shared house in the car’s touch-screen. “I’ll give you the directions.”
That’s what a GPS is for, Seungmin, Hyunjin thinks, rolling his eyes where no one can see. It’s not that he doesn’t like Seungmin, to be clear, he just... this Changbin thing gets so cringey that it’s irritating sometimes, is all. He doesn’t enjoy the feeling of embarrassment by proxy.
“Thanks, Minnie.” Changbin winks at him, offhand, and Seungmin positively beams. His gaze sparkles, cheeks blooming pink, and Hyunjin wishes he could call him out on it. More than that, he wishes he could take Seungmin aside, put his hands on Seungmin’s shoulders, and tell him the truth. Someone has to; this has gone on for an embarrassingly long time. You need to move on, Seungmin.
He indulges himself in the fantasy as they pull out of the Lotte rental parking lot and into the main road to drive around Jeju.
He doesn’t want to hurt Seungmin’s feelings, but in his imagination he gives the kid the reality check that Seungmin is sorely lacking. In his imagination, Hyunjin leans in, so that Seungmin’s pretty eyes are level with his own, and he makes sure he has captured the entirety of Seungmin’s attention. When Seungmin is absorbed in something his jaw hangs open, face lax, and he mouth-breathes like a dog. Maybe there would be a touch of blank confusion in his gaze, but Hyunjin would make sure he heard him. His tone would be soft, sweet; meant to ease Seungmin into the truth.
Listen, Hyunjin would say. I’m so sorry to tell you this, but Changbin likes me, not you.
*
Similarly to how it’s common knowledge that Seungmin likes Changbin, Changbin has made it no secret that he’s into Hyunjin.
The degree of that devotion remains to be seen, because Changbin is a natural flirt and he has chemistry with everyone, but he pays special attention to Hyunjin and that’s just undeniable. If Seungmin doesn’t get in the way to divert Changbin’s focus, Changbin naturally gravitates towards Hyunjin like a sunflower to the sun. The day they met, Changbin called him ‘the most beautiful creature he’s ever seen’, and he has written odes to Hyunjin’s face, his lips, his body. Not only that; he is the biggest cheerleader for Hyunjin’s art, he always chooses Hyunjin’s side in any argument, and he always claims that he’d date and marry him. He jumped at the chance to split rent with him and move in together last year.
Changbin’s years-long pursuit of Hyunjin is well-known among their friend group, and he hasn’t faltered from his alleged goal in all this time. When it all started, Hyunjin noticed that Changbin courted him with more vigor the less encouragement he got (so long as he didn’t get any indication that Hyunjin was displeased), and since then Hyunjin has made a conscious effort to keep any joy he gets out of the chase to himself. That way, Changbin won’t stop trying to get him. There’s no guarantee that Changbin is being serious, anyway. And certainly no guarantee that he’d keep Hyunjin if he actually caught him.
“My beautiful Hyunjin, the sunlight makes your eyes shine like tapioca pearls in milk tea,” Changbin says, sighing wistfully as soon as Hyunjin takes off his sunglasses.
Hyunjin bursts into laughter at the stupid compliment. Changbin must have been watching him through the rearview mirror.
“They are darker than the black pork we’re going to have for dinner tonight,” Changbin goes on, and Hyunjin laughs harder. “They are like squid ink—" but he’s interrupted by a pointed snort.
Seungmin is shaking his head in disapproval from the passenger seat.
“What?” Changbin asks.
“You’re unbelievable,” Seungmin mutters, crossing his arms over his chest. “Aren’t you a rap producer? That’s the best you can come up with?”
Hyunjin feels his jaw clench; here Seungmin goes again, making a moment between Hyunjin and Changbin about himself. It’s so pathetic, truly.
“How about... your eyes are dark and shiny like seaweed in soup?” Felix joins in, grinning.
“Like muscle clams in cooking oil,” Changbin proposes, glancing at Hyunjin in the rear-view mirror again.
“No, no, none of that has proper depth,” Seungmin says impatiently. “His eyes are like a night sky, and what shines are the stars within.”
Hyunjin blinks, surprised at Seungmin’s lyricism. For an accountant, the man sure has unexpected flair.
“Anyway, can we be done describing Hyunjin’s eyes now?” Seungmin adds, punching Changbin in the arm. “Pay attention to the road.”
“I am!”
“No, you’re looking at the rear-view mirror too much so you can look at Hyunjin.”
“That’s—no, I just checked on him for a moment—”
“Turn left at the next intersection,” Seungmin snaps, punching Changbin again. Changbin makes an angry noise but doesn’t punch him back, which is undoubtedly what Seungmin was aiming for.
Hyunjin feels a little bit bad. Clearly, Seungmin is jealous, and he has a reason to be. Changbin likes Hyunjin a lot, and loudly.
The issue comes up again just an hour later when they are dropping their bags off at the shared house before heading out to dinner. Bag drop-off means bedroom assignments have to be made.
“Hyunjin-ah!”
Hyunjin feels the corner of his mouth start to curl up in a smile. He knew it.
“Yes?”
“Sleep with me?” Changbin begs, unrepentant about the innuendo. “I’ll make it worth your while, I promise! We can cuddle all night, and I’ll whisper sweet nothings in your ear...”
“We’re already roommates, hyung,” Hyunjin snorts, affecting an indulgent tone. He checks, and sees Seungmin is listening. “You really want to be with me all the time? Isn’t that a bit greedy?”
“We have separate bedrooms at the apartment, come on. It’s not the same,” Changbin sidles up to him, his sweet face all excited, and Hyunjin looks down at him and feels a warmth that travels all the way up his spine. “It’ll be so fun, you can show me your skincare routine, make fun of my bedhead in the morning—"
“Hyung.”
A pale hand grabs the sleeve of Changbin’s shirt, and Hyunjin’s smile drops.
Seungmin took a fold of fabric between his thumb and index finger, and he’s tugging at it like a toddler demanding attention. “I want to room with you, hyung.”
Hyunjin feels his face heat on Seungmin’s behalf. Seriously? he wants to ask him. Aren’t you embarrassed to say that out loud in front of everyone? Aren’t you ashamed of how desperate you sound?
“Ah, that’s too bad, Seungmin—” Hyunjin starts, voice shaky, but he gets interrupted.
“You guys could take the bedroom with the air-mattress,” Jeongin suggests. “Three people will have to share one room anyway.”
“That works,” Seungmin says right away.
What?
Hyunjin’s stomach flips. He looks at Changbin, to see if he’s disappointed—but Changbin is smiling. What a flake. “Perfect. As long as I get to room with my wife, I’m happy.”
“Happy wife, happy life,” Minho sing-songs.
“Whatever,” Hyunjin says, because he can’t show that he cares—he doesn’t, really. It’s just that Seungmin’s determination to embarrass himself in front of everyone to get what he wants makes Hyunjin feel that hot burn of secondary humiliation, like always. The burn is unpleasant. Burns sting and bother people.
*
They drive to the dinner restaurant in the same cars, having established how the group is going to divide up for the entirety of their week-long vacation. Hyunjin sits behind Changbin’s driver’s seat again, and he pointedly turns down his entreating attempts at conversation, and then pretends not to see the little fight Seungmin provokes Changbin into. It’s about who is better at math. It’s stupid; Seungmin is an accountant and Changbin is a music producer, of course Changbin’s high school prodigal skills aren’t being exercised anymore. The fight results in a childish chase around the restaurant parking lot immediately after they arrive, and it ends with Seungmin cackling gleefully, clearly letting himself get caught on purpose and going slack in Changbin’s grip.
Hyunjin shoves past them, ignoring them in favor of walking into the restaurant with Felix. He knows how these physical scuffles go. It’s the other side of Seungmin’s infatuation; he loves provoking Changbin to physical violence, loves it when Changbin grabs him, when he manhandles him, punches him, even... it turns him on, Hyunjin is sure of it. He has observed enough of Seungmin’s body language when Changbin wrestles him into submission, and once he even saw Seungmin’s fly tenting a little.
“Ah, they didn’t get our reservation,” Chan says, frowning anxiously as he returns from talking to the hostess. “They have space for eight people, but we’ll have to sit separately, is that okay?”
“It’s fine,” Jisung says.
“Don’t worry about it,” Felix tells him.
“It’ll have to be in four pairs,” Chan says. “I’m so sorry guys, I must have messed something up when I called—”
Minho claps a hand on his ass and squeezes, which cuts him off. “It wasn’t your fault, let’s just go sit. Come on.”
He steers Chan towards a table by his ass, and then there were six. Hyunjin braces himself for the ask that’s coming.
“Okay, we’ll sit together I guess,” Jeongin says, snorting when Jisung coos at being picked, like they haven’t been dating for years.
Hyunjin knows Changbin is going to beg him to sit together; just like he begged him to room together. And this time, there is no table for three, so Seungmin can’t insert himself into their moment. Knowing Changbin, he’ll offer to hand-feed Hyunjin the pork if Hyunjin grills it for the both of them. Here we go... he thinks, seconds ticking by.
But the entreating cry of “Hyunjin-ah!” never comes.
When he checks, he sees something unexpected. Changbin isn’t even looking in his direction; he’s smiling at Seungmin and nodding. “Sure, let’s go,” he says, shoving Seungmin into the bowels of the restaurant by the neck. It makes Seungmin stumble, but he’s grinning ear to ear, and he’s all flushed and into it.
“Hyunjinnie, wanna sit with me?” Felix asks. He sounds gentle, like Hyunjin needs careful handling right now.
Hyunjin is fine, obviously.
“Of course I do, Lixie!” he says. “Let’s hand-feed each other and take pictures.”
*
Before bed-time, they converge in the large living room for some games.
There’s a communal age regression that happens when they all get together for trips like these; suddenly no one is in their late twenties anymore, and instead they are all brand new adults who met at university together. Drinking games are common among the group, but after the eight-way-make-out of 2024 they have become more judicious with their use of ‘truth or dare’ and ‘spin the bottle’.
Tonight is a modified board-game that Jisung is very passionate about and which he has personally added the drinking penalties to. Hyunjin doesn’t understand the rules even without the alcoholic component, so he gets trashed pretty quickly. He sat down on the smaller couch, and Changbin quickly joined him, and then Seungmin quickly sat on the floor between Changbin’s legs like he’s actually a dog. Changbin indulged this without protest, petting Seungmin’s head and holding the back of his neck once in a while.
Hyunjin is losing this board game.
“It’s not your turn,” Jisung tells Seungmin.
“He’s cheating again,” Chan laughs, because he finds Seungmin endearing. Everyone does; even Hyunjin, really. He feels more pity than anger towards him. Most of the time.
“I thought I could buy the corn if Felix was selling it.”
“Yeah, when it’s your turn,” Jeongin says. “It’s Changbin-hyung’s turn, right now.”
“Hm?” Changbin slurs. He, too, has been indulging in the soju moreso than in play.
“Stop staring at Hyunjin and focus,” Seungmin snaps. “Do you want to buy corn or sell hay?”
“Or drink?” Jisung interjects.
“Hang on, I can sell hay?” Changbin puts a hand on Hyunjin’s thigh as he leans towards the board and squints at it. He’s pink, his body warm. “M’confused...”
“You’d be less confused if you looked away from Hyunjin for five seconds,” Minho says, smirking.
“Yeah, I saw you mooning over him while I explained the instructions!” Jisung whines.
“Changbin, look away from Hyunjin for five seconds? Impossible,” Chan snorts.
Hyunjin smiles down at his lap, letting some of his hair hide his face. It’s flattering, when they all gang up on Changbin like this and point it out, but he doesn’t want Changbin to see that he’s pleased about it.
“I’m just thinking about holding my beautiful wife in my arms when we share a bed tonight,” Changbin sighs. “Can’t wait.”
“Simp,” Felix says.
“Why are you getting the bed?” Seungmin says.
No way. “I’m not sleeping on an inflatable mattress,” Hyunjin warns him.
“No, I know—” Seungmin turns to look up at Changbin. From where he’s sitting, his face angled up like that, he looks—Hyunjin feels a pulse of confusing warmth down by his groin. “Why is Changbin-hyung getting the bed? Why can’t Hyunjin and I share?” he says to Changbin.
He’s clearly gunning for another fight. Maybe a headlock, or a slap. He’s so obvious.
“The paper-human has to sleep in the inflatable bed!” Changbin complains, frowning angrily. Seungmin is about to get his wish. “Otherwise I’m going to wake up on the floor!”
“That’s not true!” Seungmin retorts, scowling. “You just want to sleep with Hyunjin!”
“Of course I want to sleep with Hyunjin!” Changbin cries. “That’s my wife!”
“Tch, this is ridiculous—”
“Seungmin, you asked to join them,” Jisung points out. “It’s Hyunjin and Changbin, who did you think was going to share the bed?”
Seungmin scowls. He looks up at Hyunjin from under his lashes, his floppy fringe in the way and a slight flush dusting his cheeks. The scowl melts away as their gazes lock, and something entreating takes its place. Like Seungmin is about to ask him to switch sides and tell Changbin that actually, Hyunjin does want to share the bed with Seungmin instead of with him. Changbin would do it if Hyunjin said so, of that he’s sure.
Seungmin’s eyes are glassy from the drink. He looks like a sad, lost little puppy with that expression, he really does. He’s pouting, lips pursed upside down in that way he does. His mouth looks so sweet. Kissable. Has Changbin ever thought that?
Hyunjin gets up, the room taking a moment to catch up to his choice.
“I’m going to sleep,” he declares. “Lixie can take all of my remaining corn.”
“You were eliminated two rounds ago, Hyunjinnie,” Felix tells him genially.
“Perfect.” He starts to make his way towards the stairs, heart in his throat for some reason, waiting to see... will this be like the room selection or like the restaurant? Is no one going to stop him from going up alone?
“Wait!”
Changbin’s loud, bold voice makes him smile. His shoulders slump in relief.
“Wait for me, wifey, I’ll come with you!”
Sorry, Seungmin, he thinks, and slows his steps until he feels the bulk of Changbin collide with his back in a hug.
*
Seungmin follows them just minutes later.
All three of them end up in the room, and when push comes to shove Seungmin takes his place on the inflatable mattress by the foot of the bed with bitter, annoyed grumbling, but no more fighting.
“Like a good puppy,” Changbin says happily, when Seungmin lies down there. Seungmin pretends to growl at him.
Hyunjin slides under the covers and Changbin scurries to follow him. They are all a little bit drunker than they meant to be, with the hike scheduled for tomorrow, but regret will come later. The soju in his veins makes Hyunjin feel unmoored, floating. He’s sweaty and overheated, but Changbin giggles when their feet touch, and then he wriggles closer to Hyunjin and puts a hand on his arm.
“Finally!” Changbin says, breath warm and tasting sweet. Hyunjin can’t pull away, even though he should. Changbin will start to think he doesn’t need to reach for him anymore if he keeps this up, but he just... can’t, tonight. He has to make an exception.
“You’ve been dreaming of this moment ever since you were a little boy, haven’t you?” Hyunjin teases.
“Yeah,” Changbin says readily. “Yeah, I’ve... ever since we met, Hyunjin-ah. I’ve dreamed of having you in my bed since that day.”
Hyunjin presses half his face down into the pillow, biting his lip hard to keep his smile under control. Hopefully it’s dark enough that Changbin won’t see.
“Why have him in your bed, specifically? Why not imagine yourself in his bed?”
Seungmin. Even now, having to insert himself into this conversation.
“I’d be happy to be in his bed,” Changbin agrees without missing a beat. He’s still touching Hyunjin’s arm, and he squeezes it lightly. “Any situation in which there’s a bed and he’s in it with me.”
There’s a distinct scoff, and then a rustle as Seungmin turns over in the squeaky air mattress.
“Careful, hyung,” Hyunjin whispers, but not so low that Seungmin won’t hear. Maybe he wants Seungmin to hear. “One of these days I’m going to take you seriously.”
He feels Changbin exhale, tastes it again.
“I’ve been serious about this since day fucking one, baby,” Changbin whispers back.
Hyunjin shivers. He wonders, drunk and crazy, whether they’d be kissing right now if Seungmin wasn’t also in the room. Maybe tonight would have been the tipping moment, the big change. Maybe the reason he can’t bring himself to give chase is that he’s finally ready to believe that Changbin will continue to want Hyunjin once he has him.
And then he wonders what Seungmin must be thinking.
Because if anything, this is making it clear that at the end of the day, Hyunjin is who Changbin wants. It’d be uncouth, even mean, to feel smug about it, but that’s just reality; Changbin likes Hyunjin, and the sooner Seungmin makes his peace with that the better. Seungmin is so gorgeous, so smart; he’ll find someone else right away. If he’d just give up on winning over Changbin’s affection, Hyunjin is certain a lucky person would quickly step in to be whatever Seungmin needs.
What Seungmin needs is clear. Seungmin obviously wants to be manhandled, and so many people would be happy to do that to him. He’s a flimsy, lanky little thing, easy to toss around. Hyunjin can only imagine how easy it would be to pin Seungmin down. To grab his wrists and keep him in place, making him whimper. The way Seungmin shudders when Changbin puts him in a chokehold, body going limp like he’s been inactivated, tells Hyunjin that he’s into choking for sure. He would moan or sigh, helpless, if someone were to hold him by the neck. Hyunjin’s hands are big enough to wrap around his throat. He could do it and squeeze, light, gentle, just enough force to make Seungmin’s eyes roll back in his head. Hyunjin could even get Changbin to hold Seungmin down so that he was pinned from multiple points, and that way Hyunjin could play at edging him until Seungmin became a mindless, desperate, writhing mess for him—
Wait.
Wait, what?
*
After his confusing, drunken dreams that weren’t really dreams, Hyunjin wakes up with a surprisingly mild hangover and the prospect of a hike. It’s summer, and it takes the group longer than it should to make it out of the house because everyone needs extra caffeine—even sweet Felix, who hates coffee, seems to contemplate taking a sip of Minho’s mug.
Hyunjin has done the Geumoreum hike before, as have Minho and Changbin, but the rest of the group hadn’t so they are doing it again. This means starting out their day with packing snacks into their backpacks and putting on their sporting gear and hiking shoes.
Hyunjin glances at Seungmin as they lace up by the entrance of the house. Seungmin is not athletic. He’s slim because of his constitution, but he doesn’t work out, and he’s wearing jean shorts for the day. His shoes look brand new.
“Did you break into these at all?” Hyunjin asks him, motioning to his feet with his chin.
Seungmin’s response is to pull off the label with the price tag.
“Ah.” Hyunjin feels a twinge of worry. He’s had blisters on his feet before from dancing, and they hurt pretty horribly. “Be careful, okay? Let me know if your feet start to hurt.”
Seungmin blinks, that blank, puppy-ish look on his face. “Thank you Hyunjin. Will do.”
Hyunjin nods at him, and gets up to head to the cars. He’s never thought of Seungmin as his competition, because they were never vying for Changbin’s attention on an even playing field, but sometimes he wonders if Seungmin thinks of him in the reverse. Does a small part of Seungmin hate him? Hyunjin knows he’s the center of Changbin’s attention. Does Seungmin think of him as an obstacle he must overcome, or get rid of? He never treats Hyunjin like he wishes Hyunjin wasn’t there, but their friendship is very much one that formed as a result of the others’ proximity. They have rarely hung out one-to-one, and nowadays the only context in which that happens is if Seungmin came over to the apartment to see Changbin and miscalculated the timing of Changbin's return from the gym, or the studio.
Hyunjin is still lost in thought about Seungmin’s sad little crush (a common recurring fixation, if he’s honest) when they arrive at the beginning of the trail, but things change once they actually start hiking.
It’s not a strenuous hike. Hyunjin has the lung capacity and stamina to take the lead in the group along with Chan, as do Minho and Felix who follow right behind them. Jeongin is very fit too but he’s busy taking care of Jisung, who was the most hungover this morning and has a clumsy gait in flat, normal terrain. Changbin’s muscles are all gorgeous, bulging vanity, and he’s not a cardio endurance trainer, so he’s at the back. Seungmin starts trailing behind everyone almost immediately.
Thirty minutes in, Seungmin and Changbin are lagging significantly.
“Here, hyung,” Hyunjin says to Chan, letting him pass ahead of him. He lets Minho and Felix through too, taking repeated glances backwards, but he doesn’t get to the rear of the group in time before—
“Carry me,” Seungmin is saying, shoving Changbin’s shoulder.
“What?”
“My feet hurt. Carry me.”
Changbin stops walking, and Seungmin uses the excuse to bump into his back and then immediately drapes himself over it.
“Are you okay?” Hyunjin asks, squinting suspiciously at Seungmin’s feet. He could be faking just to get Changbin to carry him; Hyunjin certainly wouldn’t put it past him.
“New shoes, like you said,” Seungmin mumbles, still all over Changbin’s back. He bends a knee to lift up his leg and try to climb him, for a moment just looking like he’s trying to hump him instead, until Changbin relents.
“Fine, fine, here.” He kneels slightly so that Seungmin can hop on, and Seungmin can’t disguise his smile as he tucks his face into Changbin’s broad shoulder. “Hold on to me, okay?”
Hyunjin stares at them, feeling a trail of sweat run down the middle of his back. Changbin is so focused on Seungmin that he didn’t even acknowledge Hyunjin, just now. He starts to walk, grunting lightly with the effort of carrying Seungmin but at a steady pace, and still doesn’t say anything to Hyunjin.
Briefly, the idea of claiming that his old knee injury is acting up seizes him. He dismisses the notion with a heave of self-disgust, because that would make him no better than Seungmin, and he situates himself at the rear of the group to tail them.
He sees Seungmin whispering in Changbin’s ear on and off. He can’t hear what’s being said, but at one point it makes Changbin laugh. Whatever it is, Seungmin is not antagonizing his savior right now. The innate brat in him must recognize that he’s won something by getting Changbin to do this, and he needs to make the most of the victory.
When the others start singing a pop song to pass the time, Hyunjin doesn’t join in, but Seungmin does. He wriggles happily on Changbin’s back and belts out notes with that beautiful voice of his—the voice that had 3RACHA trying to convince him to go professional back in university. Hyunjin can’t help but listen and appreciate the clear, fluting diction Seungmin has, the force of his high notes as his well-rested lungs weave harmonies with Chan and Jisung up ahead. He could have become a world-famous artist by now, if he’d let them sign him. He’s the secret feature on a famous song already, he’s so insanely talented. When he’s singing, Hyunjin forgets that he’s an irritating little brat with a cringey obsession with Changbin.
It starts to get really hot closer to the peak, with the morning sun beating down on them, and the singing eventually dies down. Silence descends on the group as the trail gets steeper, and their pace slows down further. They should have started hiking earlier.
Hyunjin has to watch his own footing, so he doesn’t check on the pair in front of him for a while. When he remembers to, he sees that Seungmin’s head is tipped forward and lolling in such a way that—did he fall asleep?
“Changbin-hyung,” he calls. “How are you holding up?”
It takes Changbin a few seconds to respond.
“Fine,” Changbin grunts, and even that one word sounds strained. He’s moving slow, and definitely exhausted.
Hyunjin’s mounting annoyance towards Seungmin, combined with the anger at his causing Changbin direct discomfort, boils over.
He walks up to them and grabs Seungmin by the nape, like he’s seen Changbin do countless times. Seungmin wakes with a jolt, eyes flying open and gasping.
“H-h—oh. Hyunjin.” He wipes some errant drool from his chin, blinking rapidly. “S-sorry—"
“Can you try walking again?” Hyunjin snaps. “Give hyung a break?”
Seungmin looks down at Changbin, whose face is puffy and red. “Oh. Yes, I. I’m so sorry.” He slides off right away, and Changbin groans with relief, but Hyunjin sees Seungmin wince as his own feet take his weight again. Changbin misses it; he’s stretching his back, so it was not a performative wince for his sake.
He leans down, looking—and sees blood on the back of Seungmin’s shoe.
Shit.
This whole time, he’s been thinking the puppy was faking. But it looks like both of his ankles got rubbed raw by the shoes to the point of bleeding.
“Seungmin,” he says, before Seungmin starts walking again. “Get on my back, now.”
Seungmin looks confused, head tipped to the side. “What?”
“I’ll carry you,” Hyunjin says, impatient. “We’re close to the top. Come on.”
“...Oh. Thank you so much.”
No joke, no quip, no tease. Well, Seungmin reserves most of his teasing for Changbin; him and Hyunjin don’t have that kind of relationship.
“Here.” Hyunjin squats for him to get on, and Seungmin hops up and locks his legs around his waist. He’s light, but it’s still a major adjustment. Hyunjin can’t believe Changbin carried him uphill this whole time. If it weren’t for the significant change in Hyunjin’s workout routine since Changbin moved in (and all the muscle he’s packed on), he wouldn’t be able to do this for more than a couple of minutes.
“Are you sure?” Seungmin mumbles in his ear. His breath tickles, and Hyunjin shivers. “I can do it myself. It’s not that bad.”
“It’s fine,” Hyunjin says, and starts walking.
“Wow, Hyunjin, you’re so cool!” Jisung calls from somewhere ahead, sounding breathless.
“My wife is the coolest!” Changbin says, fanning himself with his hand.
Hyunjin grunts and keeps moving, sweat dripping down his body. He hopes Seungmin doesn’t mind, because there’s more coming. The warmth of him at his back is plastering his shirt between them, and soon his arms are slick with it, trails down his neck, drops trickling from his temples down his face.
Seungmin breathes so deeply that for a moment Hyunjin thinks he fell asleep again, but when he glances at him he can see out of the corner of his eye that Seungmin is awake.
“You okay?” he mutters, taking a wide step over a small stream. His balance is off because of Seungmin, but they make it.
“Yeah.” Seungmin squeezes the arms he’d wrapped around Hyunjin’s neck briefly. “Thank you, Hyunjin. Really.”
“Hm.” He should say something about the fact that Seungmin is going to be drenched, probably. “Uh, sorry about the sweat.”
Seungmin takes another one of those deep breaths. “It’s okay,” he says lightly, and hooks his chin on Hyunjin’s clavicle.
“Good thing we decided not to do Hallasan, huh?” Changbin says. He’s been walking behind Hyunjin after they switched the puppy from one back to the other.
Hyunjin snorts. He hiked Hallasan in his late teens, and his feet hurt for days after the nine-hour trek.
“Almost there!” Chan calls from the front. “Hyunjin, do you want me to take Seungmin?”
Hyunjin’s grip on the back of Seungmin’s thighs tightens instinctively. “No!” he shouts, so that Chan will hear. “M’good!”
Seungmin squirms a little bit behind him, and the fly of his jeans digs into Hyunjin’s spine for the rest of the walk. Thankfully, Chan was right, and they arrive at the top of the volcanic cone shortly after.
*
They stay in and cook in the shared house that evening. Everyone is tired from the hike, despite some people taking afternoon naps—Hyunjin was tempted, but Felix asked him to come help buy ingredients, so he went with him to the nearby supermarket. Minho and Chan do most of the actual cooking, while Seungmin is on the couch with his legs propped up. Changbin is finishing up an afternoon workout, and Jisung and Jeongin absconded to their room to sleep or, knowing those two, not sleep.
“Hey,” Hyunjin says, sitting next to Seungmin while Felix goes to help out in the kitchen.
“Hey.” Seungmin gives him a once over. “You’re not tired from carrying me?”
Hyunjin shrugs. He’s a bit sore, but it’s not too bad. Even if things are worse tomorrow, he didn’t think it was such a big deal. “I’m fine. How are your heels doing?”
He peers down at said heels, but Seungmin bandaged them after cleaning them.
“Fine. I’m sure they’ll feel better soon.” He wriggles his toes as if to demonstrate that he can still move them, and then Hyunjin is struck by a thought.
Seungmin’s feet are out.
He was definitely telling the truth about being hurt on the hike, even if it was his fault for bringing brand new shoes, but this... this is the kind of nefarious Hyunjin has learned to sniff from a mile away. It’s worse than that, it’s—desperate.
“Want me to bring you your socks?” Hyunjin offers, already suspecting what the answer will be.
“Hm, that’s okay,” says Seungmin. He looks so casual about it, so innocent.
I know what you are, Hyunjin thinks. His overactive imagination crafts another scene for him, again. In it, he suddenly straddles Seungmin’s narrow hips and sits on top of him, right here on the couch, scaring and arousing him at once as he towers over him. He imagines grabbing him by the hair, holding his head in place with a tight grip on that floppy fringe, and staring him dead in the face. I know what you’re doing, he’d say. It’s not going to work.
I don’t know what you’re taking about—
Don’t play dumb puppy with me, Hyunjin would murmur, bringing his face even closer. You can do that with hyung, not with me, baby.
Seungmin might shiver, helplessly turned on by being pinned down, even if it was by Hyunjin and not Changbin. Is he so discerning? It’s not like he doesn’t bait Chan sometimes, or Minho—
“Hyung!”
Changbin came down, and Seungmin perks up and sits up straight right away. Hyunjin watches him follow Changbin across the room with wide eyes, and he can’t even blame him this time—Changbin must have just showered, because his hair is drying in the loosely curled poofy pattern Hyunjin loves. He’s a tiny bit sunburnt because of his refusal to reapply sunscreen until the last minute, and his nose and cheeks are reddened. His shoulders seem particularly massive in the tank top he’s wearing, and he put on the grey sweatpants that made Hyunjin drool into his broth a couple of weeks ago. He looks delectable.
“How is the puppy doing?” he asks, already looking at Seungmin. He doesn’t say anything to Hyunjin, and goes directly to sit on Seungmin’s other side. “Still in pain?”
Seungmin shrugs, with that downturned pout that makes Hyunjin want to—punch something. “A bit. It’s not too bad.”
Changbin glances at his feet, then does a double-take. “Oh.”
Hyunjin scowls, but Seungmin hasn’t won the battle yet. Is it even a battle, if it’s puny little David versus Goliath, the giant that has always held Changbin’s affections? Unless... the point of that fable was that the less powerful guy won, wasn’t it?
When did Hyunjin start thinking of this as a competition Seungmin could ever win?
“I put bandages on,” Seungmin says, tone neutral, and wriggles his toes again like he did for Hyunjin.
Changbin is still staring. “I see,” he says.
Hyunjin wants to scoff, or shake his head, or roll his eyes, all the things Seungmin does when Changbin pays too much attention to him. But he still refuses to stoop to that, so he... stoops to the next lowest thing.
“Mh,” he sighs, folding his legs up so that his socked feet are on the couch at his side, and he can press into his arches with his thumbs. It feels good, pushing into the stiff tendons after the hike.
“Hyunjinnie?” Changbin quickly shifts to look at him. “Everything okay, wifey?”
“Yeah. Just sore, you know.” Hyunjin shrugs. He blinks, like he just realized. “Do you want to do it?” he asks Changbin.
Changbin’s jaw drops. Hyunjin has never let him massage his feet before—even when they hurt badly, back when he was with his first dance company and practicing at an unhealthy pace. His art took off shortly after they started living together, so there hasn’t been as much of an opportunity.
“To do... what?” Changbin asks in a croak.
“Help me,” Hyunjin says, lifting a demonstrably flexible leg up to show off the way his hand is kneading into his sole. His white ankle socks are thin, not concealing much. “Like this.”
“I.” Changbin coughs. “You—yes. Yes I do, of course, I...”
Immediately, Seungmin is forgotten and Changbin rushes to Hyunjin’s side, his face slack with shock and the markings from the sun on it appearing all the more red.
Hyunjin turns his back on Seungmin to settle his feet in Changbin’s lap, letting him do whatever he wants to them, and he hears a faint: “Hm.”
He looks over his shoulder at Seungmin. “What?”
Seungmin shakes his head. “Nothing. Just... touché.”
The idea that this is an evenly matched fight irks Hyunjin, though. He doesn’t want Seungmin to get confused and believe he has a shot at dethroning Hyunjin from his position as Changbin’s favorite person.
In this version of David and Goliath, the giant is good and worthy of love and idolatry. And at the end of the story, he wins.