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A sad sigh left Jongho's lips as he walked in on Mingi sitting in Yunho's lap – the two of them on his bed in the room that he shared with the rapper – as they discussed the dance for their song. He turned on his heel with a huff - thankfully, they hadn't noticed him - and walked right back out of the room as he decided he should go practice. Again. Just as he did every time his gaze fell upon Mingi being all cuddly with the members.
Once he got there, he took a mic in one hand while the other one held a paper full of the lyrics he would sing. Jongho quickly looked over the sheet to memorize the words, humming a little to warm up his throat.
The brunet decided that he won't play a melody this time so he could hear his vocals clearly - it would help him notice where he made mistakes; assuming, of course, if he was any less then perfect as he usually was. Jongho bounced his leg up and down to form a stable and comfortable rhythm for him to sing, and he brought the mic up to start - though, the image of Yungo and Mingi wouldn't leave his mind as if it was printed onto his eyelids.
He groaned and shook his head in an attempt to get the older boys out of his mind - he had no time nor energy to deal with that right now. Or ever, actually. The date for their debut was coming closer and closer and he grew more and more anxious with every passing day; it was no unusual thing for him - and all of them, if we're being honest - to go over something for the nth time despite already having prepared the songs and filmed the videos.
The leader was positive it would all go well and he always tried his best to calm the members as best as he could, but even he couldn't help the nervousness that surrounded such an important thing. Hongjoong was afraid they were overworking themselves and often had to shoo them out of the practice rooms or force them to have some food – especially Jongho and Yeosang – because they spent every passing second in practice, much to the members' annoyance.
Jongho had already perfected everything - and so had Yeosang - but the two kept spending an unhealthy amount of hours working. To them, it was obvious that they were hiding something, but the pair were too good at acting - thus no one questioned them. They wouldn't say anything anyway, so there was no use for any of the others to try.
Jongho was pretty sure that him and Yeosang were bothered by the same thing, and he could only be happy that it wasn't caused by the same person; it was enough that Mingi wouldn't let go of Yunho for even a second, and if the other boy had feelings towards the rapper as well, it would be too much for the maknae. Both Yunho and Yeosang were gorgeous, and he had no chance against them – Mingi wouldn't even take a glance at him if he had to choose.
Jongho never did ask the pink-haired male if his suspicions were correct. Though, he realized that he didn't have to – the longing, hurt looks that the older boy sent to San were enough to confirm everything. The maknae often witnessed the jealousy that fell upon Yeosang's face whenever San cuddled up with another member, but he couldn't do anything to help the older – he didn't know if the vocal returned the feelings, and he didn't quite fancy asking him as well.
Jongho was extremely grateful towards Hongjoong when the leader had assigned him to be Mingi's roommate. He had simply nodded at him, but inside he was squealing with happiness – he would get to spend more time with the rapper that he cherished so much. Though the excitement was accompanied by the fear of Mingi accidentally finding out about Jongho's feelings towards him - he had to be extra careful from now on.
The maknae was pretty skilled at hiding his emotions, and it took quite the long time for anyone to figure out that he felt something for Mingi. Just as he had been the first to notice who Yeosang liked, the older boy had also been the one to realize that Jongho had something going on with Mingi. The pink-haired male hadn't said anything directly, not wanting to make the younger uncomfortable; he'd only let the maknae know that he could always talk to him if he needed to – Yeosang was a good listener, and considering the fact that he was in the same position, he would be able to help Jongho a bit if necessary.
The youngest was happy that Yeosang didn't tell anyone - especially the leader. He couldn't lie that he feared Hongjoong's reaction – or rather, the fact that he'd try to set Jongho and Mingi up – and he needed more time before he would gather the courage to share his feelings with someone different from Yeosang. Plus, he didn't want to bother the leader with something that he hoped he could take care of himself.
Jongho wasn't sure when the platonic feelings towards Mingi had turned into romantic ones. He'd been so busy with preparing everything for the album that he didn't realize he had a crush on the boy until he caught himself staring at Mingi's lips, his mind full of things that he was sure were way past the friend line, and he'd rushed to avert his gaze from the older with flushing red cheeks.
Being roommates with Mingi only managed to increase that little crush, and Jongho was worrying that it was getting out of hand; he could barely contain himself from staring at him, and he was well aware that the jealousy printed on his face whenever he caught sight of the rapper cuddling up against someone that wasn't Jongho would get him caught. It didn't help that his cheeks flushed bright red whenever the older laced their fingers – which, surprisingly, happened very often – and the maknae was living in constant fear of someone besides Yeosang finding out his little secret.
That was the main reason he had turned to nonstop practicing. He got to spend less time with the members like that, and it helped him get his mind off of Mingi for at least a bit. The male was well aware that he couldn't keep going like this, but at this point, he didn't really have any other solution.
Maybe it was because he'd never genuinely liked someone that frightened him. Maybe it was that his feelings grew more and more every day with every little thing that the rapper did that stopped Jongho. Maybe it was the constant fear of rejection that prevented him from taking any actions – because Mingi and Yunho were inseparable and if he didn't know them personally, he would be completely sure the two were together.
The two boys had been friends for ages, and it was normal for them to be comfortable with each other – plus, both of them were very fond of skinship and when faced with the members who seemed to hold back a bit (of course, not counting San; the boy was a snuggle machine) the pair could only result in hugging each other.
It was understandable, yet Jongho couldn't help but be jealous. He knew that he could easily turn the tables around – if he asked Mingi to cuddle, the rapper would waste no time in complying and bringing the maknae in for a warm embrace. Though, Jongho just couldn't get himself to say those words out loud; whenever he tried, his mind wouldn't cooperate so he could only flee from the scene – thus never being able to see the sad look that appeared across Mingi's face.
Jongho knew that he couldn't go on like that forever; it was hurting him, and he saw that it also affected the members – all of them were worried about his well-being, because he was the maknae after all, and it took a lot of convincing to get them to leave him alone. Though that didn't help one bit – the only one who would stay back was usually Mingi since they shared a room, so it was normal of him to do that. The questions would start all over because the rapper was such a softie and he hated seeing his friends sad - and Jongho knew it. He hated lying to the older, but he was still too afraid, way too afraid, to tell the truth. Despite the fact that he owned the title of the strong maknae, he couldn't gain the strength to voice out his thoughts.
It was bearable, though. At least for a while, because once the members started getting more comfortable with each other, the cuddling didn't only occur between Yunho and Mingi – Wooyoung was also revealed to be a skinship lover, as well as the majority of the others. Their usual target was Yunho – the boy was like a human teddy bear, and there was something so soft in his hugs that it was no unusual thing to stumble across a pouting Mingi and a satisfied looking San or Wooyoung sitting in the tallest dancer's lap; no one could win against them - especially San - not ever. It made Jongho quite happy – when that happened, he could control his jealousy and even gain the courage to pat Mingi on the back and, when he had finally gotten confident enough, to tell him that the two of them could cuddle instead.
The gigantic smile that appeared on Mingi's face the first time Jongho had suggested that had made the maknae wonder just why didn't he do it sooner – the rapper seemed ecstatic upon finally getting to cuddle with him, the bright, gummy grin never leaving his face. It made Jongho's chest fill with adoration towards the older, and once more reminded the youngest just how deep he'd fallen for the rapper.
He didn't want to think who Mingi would choose between him and Yunho – as of now, Jongho had turned into the main target due to San and Wooyoung (and Hongjoong as of lately) not letting go of the tallest boy for even a second; the maknae wondered just how Yunho dealt with them at times – it probably got too much, especially after a tiring practice, but the older's heart was made of honey and filled with love, so he could never turn any of them down.
It was fine, really. It went on for a while after the debut, and Jongho was content with how close the group had grown to be with each other – even him, Seonghwa and Yeosang were breaking out of their shell – and the rhythm the eight of them set within the group was comforting and welcoming. They learned new things for each other fast, and one didn't need a lot of time to see how much love they held for each other; so yes, it was fine. And Jongho wouldn't have made a move to change anything if it wasn't for that one evening after their promotions ended that made them go back to how they used to be.
It had started as usual whenever they had a free day – they only had one performance earlier, so as soon as they were done, they piled into the car and were taken back to their dorm. It hadn't taken too long for them all to shower and change into more comfortable clothes, plop onto the couch or floor in front of the TV and start bickering which movie should they watch.
Yeosang was the last to arrive – he had been asleep when they arranged the order in which they were going to shower, thus having to settle with being last – and when he stumbled into the room, Jongho couldn't help but notice the minuscule clenching of his fists when the older's eyes fell upon something. The maknae frowned after he followed his gaze and was greeted with the sight of San sat comfortably in Wooyoung's lap as Yunho had an arm wrapped around the lavender boy's shoulders, the three of them waiting for Seonghwa to play the movie he'd chosen.
Jongho could sense that something was going to happen – Yeosang didn't make a move to join them, only staring at the three males with furrowed eyebrows before he scoffed and turned on his heel, rushing back to his room. The rest of the boys looked at the door with startled expressions – no one had any idea what could be wrong with the pink-haired male, and they shared concerned glances at each other before Hongjoong made an uncertain move to stand up.
"I've got it," Jongho then interrupted him, gaining himself a few raised eyebrows. "No, really. I know what's going on, and I'm not sure if he'd share it with any of you yet. Yes, Wooyoung hyung, maybe not even with you." The maknae ignored the questions that were shot his way as he stood up, letting go of Mingi's hand, and walked towards the room where the older boy had burst in.
He knocked gently, muttering an 'it's me, hyung' before Yeosang unlocked the door and let him in. Jongho locked it back and sat on the bed, patting the empty space next to him.
"You have to talk with him," he spoke up after the older had plopped down next to him, "this can't go on forever. You're hurting." Yeosang sniffed and squeezed his eyes in an attempt to stop the tears threatening to spill. "And what am I gonna say to him? That I've been crushing on him ever since we met and never said anything because he is constantly attached to another member?" the older spat out, avoiding Jongho's gaze.
The maknae sighed, wrapping an arm around Yeosang's shoulders. "Just to be clear, it's San, right?" he asked despite already knowing the answer. The older shot him an annoyed look before nodding. "Of course it's San. Who else but him? Have you seen him?" he rambled, but cut himself off. "But you have a thing for Mingi, so you can't see San the way I do."
Jongho felt his cheeks flush, but he ignored it as best as he could. "Look, hyung. I'm no professional or anything, but you have to take the chance. San is a sweetheart, and we all know it. Just – just please try. I don't like seeing you sad."
Yeosang exhaled quietly, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand before humming a sound of agreement. "Okay, okay. But if he turns me down, I want a tube of ice cream and a room for myself for at least a day," he smiled slightly as the maknae slapped his arm jokingly. "Sure, sure." Jongho chuckled. "Now go get him," he stood up, pulling the older with him and dragging him out of the room.
They were met with six glistening pairs of eyes once they walked into the living room, followed by a thick silence that was only interrupted from the movie that was playing. Jongho pursed his lips awkwardly, glancing at Yeosang and urging him to talk before plopping down next to Mingi again.
The pink-haired boy chuckled dryly, looking at his feet before mumbling out something with such a little voice that no one managed to understand him. Jongho gave him a thumbs up and a reassuring smile, mouthing a 'you can do it'
Yeosang nodded anxiously, gathering his thoughts before speaking up again. "San, ca-can we talk?" he questioned, looking everywhere but at the one that he was talking to. The green-haired male hummed in surprise but complied nonetheless, getting up from Wooyoung's lap and following Yeosang out of the room.
Jongho watched them with a smile, not noticing that the rest shifted their gazes towards him the second that the two walked out. He mumbled a shy 'what' before telling them to focus on the movie and snuggling into Mingi's side – thankfully, no one asked him what had happened and the six of them ended up falling asleep towards the end of the film, squished together in a mess of tangled limbs.
When Jongho woke up the next morning, he found himself laid in his bed with Mingi's arm wrapped around his waist. He looked around in confusion - as far as he remembered, the majority of them fell asleep on the couch yesterday and he didn't remember moving to his room.
He shrugged, shifting his position carefully and moving closer to Mingi who let a sleepy grunt and buried his face in Jongho's chest, humming contently as he did so. The maknae's lips stretched into a soft smile and he ran his fingers through Mingi's blue messy hair and closed his eyes, drifting off once more - only to be woken up from Wooyoung's screech merely half an hour later.
He groaned from the sudden noise, running his eyes to awake himself before he noticed that Mingi was staring up at him with a sleepy gaze.
"Morning," Jongho mumbled, lifting himself up to support his weight on his arms. The older removed the covers from their bodies, stretching his arms and yawning cutely. Jongho giggled as he watched him, standing up and making his way towards whenever he put his clothes last night. "Slept well?" he asked, grinning as he received the older's positive reply. "I always sleep well when I'm cuddling you," Mingi declared, also starting to change out of his pajamas. Jongho's cheeks flushed slightly - he was glad the rapper wasn't looking at him.
"Do you know how we got here?" he asked to change the topic. Mingi shot him a questioning look and Jongho pointed to the bed, go which the older muttered an understanding 'oh'. "Me and Seonghwa hyung took you all to your rooms when we woke up last night," he explained, running a comb through his messy hair to try to fix it as much as he could. "We would've been really sore if we slept on the couch the whole night."
Jongho nodded, opening the door before looking back at Mingi. "What do you want for breakfast?" he smiled, bringing his hand up to muffle a yawn. "Just some cereal is fine, thank you." Jongho mumbled an 'okay', skipping down the stairs towards the kitchen as he hummed a soft tune.
When he entered the room, he was met with San sat on the counter, legs wrapped around Yeosang's slim frame while the older was resting his head against the singer's chest. San had a playful smile present on his face and both of them had their eyes shut, enjoying the calming morning atmosphere while it lasted - or, said otherwise, while the rest hadn't barged into the room and San fell back into his usual cheerful mode.
Jongho grinned at them with a proud smile - it was obvious that whatever had happened last night was good. He tiptoed to the fridge with cautious steps, not wanting to disturb the pair. Though, he didn't need to - just as he went to grab the milk, Wooyoung stormed into the kitchen with dripping wet hair and a towel around his waist.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me but you told Jongho - no offense to you," he hurried to add, glancing at the maknae. "We've been friends for four years! You're supposed to tell me things like this!" he exclaimed, grabbing an apple and taking a bite angrily.
Oh, so that was why he screamed earlier, Jongho thought with a chuckle.
Yeosang sighed, removing his arms from around San's waist and turned towards his friend. "Look, Woo, I didn't tell anyone. Jongho figured it out on his own." Wooyoung raised his brow but didn't say anything; he just scoffed, munching on the apple and stomping towards his room.
Yeosang shook his head, shifting his gaze to Jongho who still had his arm stretched to grasp the milk. The older approached him, taking the blue box and closing the fridge before placing it on the table along with some cereal. "I'm sorry for that," he mumbled as he poured the cereal into a bowl. "He saw us earlier and screamed - he probably woke you and Mingi up. He's pissed that I didn't tell him I have a crush on San," Yeosang sighed, opening a drawer to take a spoon before handing it to San along with the bowl of cereal.
Jongho waved him off. "It's okay, don't worry. And congrats, you two," he added, grinning at them as he watched Yeosang look at San with a loving expression painted on his face.
The maknae took another bowl to prepare the breakfast for Mingi; just as he was done, the rapper stumbled into the room and his lips stretched into a soft smile as his gaze fell upon Jongho who handed him the bowl - just like Yeosang had done to San a short time ago. "Thanks," Mingi mumbled, shoving a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. "What is Wooyoung so mad for?" he asked, plopping down on a chair.
San happily told him the whole story, ignoring the flushed face that Yeosang had as he got to the part where Wooyoung had caught them kissing. Jongho leaned against the counter, looking at Mingi - who was gawking at San - as the older curiously took in every word.
Mingi was just so handsome. There were no words that could quite capture his visuals perfectly - he was unique, and Jongho could swear that he'd never seen someone like him with his charming smile, glistening eyes, and lanky, tall body. Mingi was like a gift from heaven, and Jongho couldn't understand how people resisted falling for him.
The maknae was broken out of his gaze as Yeosang nudged him with a smirk across his lips, wiggling his eyebrows at Jongho. The younger pouted, shoving him away as to not attract attention to them.
He was happy for the older. He really was. Though, he wouldn't be happy for himself.
After that one day, it had all kind of went downhill. Yeosang had proved to be quite the jealous one, and now that him and San were together, the younger rarely wanted to snuggle with someone different from his boyfriend - which meant that San and Mingi no longer argued over who would get to cuddle with Yunho; the rapper could easily plop down onto the dancer's lap with no objections (not counting, of course, Jongho's silent ones).
The maknae had put up with it for a while - he kept telling himself that he'd be fine, but he knew he was lying to himself; yet, despite having Yeosang urge him almost every day to confess to Mingi, Jongho was still too scared to do it. He was too afraid of receiving a rejection - plus, it was painfully obvious who Mingi preferred.
He wanted to be mad at Yunho for being the one to always win the rapper's attention, but he couldn't. The older hadn't done anything except being sweet towards everyone, never turning them down and always being there for each of them. He was a person with an amazing personality, and Jongho couldn't decide if he envied him or wanted to be like him; and in the end, he decided that it was a fair amount of both.
It hadn't been around a month after that with the maknae slowly distancing himself from the members until something actually happened, much to Yeosang's relief - he'd grown sick of seeing the younger boy with a gloomy expression all the time, and he knew that his behavior affected the rest as well.
The date for their first comeback was coming closer and closer, causing the stress and anxiety into the group to jump to extreme levels - all eight of them had worked hard, but there was that little voice in their heads that made them doubt it all and think that maybe, the fans wouldn't like the album. If it wasn't for San and Yunho always bringing the mood up and Hongjoong and Seonghwa praising them and keeping them in one piece, Jongho was certain that at least one of them would have had a breakdown.
It was a few days before the album was supposed to drop that finally, Jongho made a move. He didn't plan it, nor did he actually think about what he was doing. He just knew that he was tired from that painful feeling appearing in his chest whenever he saw Mingi being all cute with another member, and maybe he wanted to get Yeosang to stop nagging at him for still not saying anything. It was funny, really - their roles switched, and now the dancer was the one comforting the maknae when it all got too much to handle.
They'd gotten one day break to relax from filming the music video and were piled around the living room, most of them looking at their phones and observing atiny's reactions to the teasers so far. Yeosang was sitting on one of the chairs, flying his drone around as San was cuddled up into him, chests pressed against each other, legs wrapped around the older's waist and little snores escaping his soft lips - they were so extremely cute that it hurt.
Maybe it was that he was jealous of how perfect of a couple they were that drew the last straw. Jongho couldn't really decide. He was laying on the couch, lost in thoughts, with a book in hands that was long forgotten. The maknae shifted his gaze from the couple, his eyes immediately finding the one they desired to see - who was currently, as usual, sat next to Yunho.
Jongho sighed. There was nothing to lose - worst case scenario, he'd get turned down and Mingi would ask for someone to switch rooms with him. And, Jongho thought, that would be bearable. As long as the rapper would remain his friend, it would all be well. He simply couldn't hold his feelings in him anymore - it was exhausting and at times irritating to the point he had to shove his face into a pillow and simply scream to let it all out.
Jongho's book fell on the floor with a loud thud and seven pairs of eyes turned towards him with questioning expressions. He lifted himself swiftly, shoving his hands into the hoodie's pocket, and approached the rapper. "Hey - can we, can we talk for a second?" he mumbled, avoiding the older's gaze. Mingi was fast to stand up, taking hold of Jongho's wrist and dragging them towards their room.
"Is everything okay?" the boy asked once they made themselves comfortable, voice low and laced with worry. Jongho squeaked out a small 'yes', playing with the strings of his hoodie as he tried to gather his thoughts. Mingi looked at him with a puzzled expression but decided to just stay quiet and wait.
"You know," Jongho spoke after a while, "I'm no pro at this, so please bear with me." The rapped hummed, indicating that he was listening, and brushed a strand of hair out of the maknae's eyes.
"I'm gonna get straight to the point. I like you," he confessed, looking up to finally meet the elder's eyes. Mingi stopped his movements and stared back at him with an unreadable face before breaking into a huge gummy smile, not even a second after. "I like you too," he replied softly, gazing at the younger with a happy expression.
Jongho raised a brow in disbelief. "You do? But you're always hugging Yunho and rarely me. Especially since Yeosang asked San out," he pouted, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Mingi chuckled softly and ran a hand through his fluffy hair. "Yunho is my best friend. Of course I'd cuddle him. Plus I thought that I made you uncomfortable when I attempted any skinship - cause, you know, you always just kinda tensed."
The maknae shook his head in rejection. "That wasn't on purpose, I swear. I think I was just afraid I'd give away my feelings or something," he replied shyly, rubbing the nape I his neck. "I hoped you'd actually do it more," he added quietly, but loud enough for Mingi to catch it.
The older giggled cutely, squeezing Jonghos thigh reassuringly. "I'm glad to hear that," he murmured softly. A comfortable silence surrounded them, only being broken by their breathing as both of them acknowledged what was happening.
Mingi was the first to speak up. "So...do you wanna try out this boyfriend thing?" the rapper squeaked out, not quite meeting Jongho's gaze.
The younger was fast to nod, not able to believe that Mingi did return his feelings and that he didn't like Yunho - the older liked him, Jongho, and that seemed like such a foreign, impossible thing that all he could do was break into a wide smile and wrap his arms around Mingi's large frame, feeling the boy lace his own around Jongho's smaller body.
"So," Mingi broke the silence that was surrounding them once more, detaching himself from the younger. "Now that this is a thing, will you stop overworking yourself?" he questioned, smirking lightly. Jongho shoved him jokingly, nodding nonetheless and pushing them down into the mattress. "Cuddles?" he asked softly, looking at the older with hope. Mingi draped the cover on top of them and wrapped his hands around Jongho's body again, shifting around until both of them got comfortable. The maknae felt the rappers soft lips place a kiss on his forehead and he relaxes into the elders hold with a content sigh.
"Oh," Mingi spoke, "You don't even have to ask anymore."
They were woken up with a knock on the door as Hongjoong's head peeked in cautiously, calling them down for dinner. Offering him a 'we're coming in a second', the couple got up from the bed and Mingi laced their fingers, leading them out of the room.
Once they walked into the kitchen, they were greeted by Yeosang's cheer of 'finally' and the members' warm smiles. Jongho's cheeks heated up as he approached the table with Mingi trailing behind, and the eight of them attacked the food almost immediately.
A comfortable silence surrounded them for a while - at least until Yunho spoke up, mouth full with chicken. "So," he giggled, "does that mean my cuddle time with Mingi is no longer?"
The laughter that Yunho's words provoked caused Jongho to relax - nothing between them had changed, and everything would be fine. As long as he had those seven boys by his side, it would all be okay.