The compass that guides - Ateez spanking stories

thoughts for days: 2023 [feat. xikers] (hongjoong & minjae)

Written for day 8 of Spanktember 2023. The prompt is "Crossover".

This is a sequel/companion fic to the previous chapter, thoughts for days: 2019. 

Also, Ateez are literally the Best. Sunbaenims. Ever. Like, there is no competition they are in a whole separate tier all by themselves.

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Minjae was very clearly distracted, that afternoon, although Hongjoong didn't notice it just at first.

His junior had been excited when he arrived, greeting Hongjoong with a mixture of deference and nervousness. After chatting with him for a moment, to try to soothe at least some of the nerves, Hongjoong had sent him around to the recording room.

It was only there under the bright lights, and perhaps because Minjae didn't realise how well one could see through the observation window and thus let slip his shields a little, that Hongjoong noticed the pinched, worried look around his eyes. It was an expression that he knew well, having seen it on his own face in the mirror too many times to count.

"Ready to start, Minjae-yah?"

Minjae nodded, giving him a thumbs up and a closed-mouth smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Whenever you are, sunbaenim."

He adjusted the headphones on his ears, his head bopping slightly as Hongjoong pressed play. He started wonderfully, with lots of energy, but as his verse went on Hongjoong could hear him losing energy. By the end, he was lagging almost half a beat behind.

Hongjoong leaned closer to the mic, pressing the button that would allow him to talk into Minjae's headphones.

"You fell a bit behind there, yeah? Let's go again, and try to not lose energy this time."

Minjae bowed and mumbled an apology, adjusting the headphones once again.

Hongjoong started the track. As he listened to Minjae starting his verse again, this time staying on the beat like he'd had a metronome for breakfast, a vague memory plucked at the back of his mind.

...now you sound like you're reading the morning newspaper. Put some pizzazz into it, for goodness' sake!

Wincing, Hongjoong stopped the track.

"Ah, Minjae-yah...it's honestly not sounding good. You're on beat now, but there's no life in it. Let's try again. Just do it like you've practiced."

"Sorry, sunbaenim," Minjae said. He pursed his lips determinedly, putting a hand on the mic stand as he peered intently at his note sheet on the stand next to him.

To Hongjoong's relief, it went a little better this time and they managed to record about two or three.

But then, while he told Minjae to take a breather for a few seconds while he rearranged some small things, Minjae seemed to receive a message. He glanced at his phone distractedly at first, and then looked again, unlocking his phone and beginning to type furiously. He put his phone back in his pocket after apparently sending the message, crossing his arms over his chest. The look of worry on his face was even worse now, as was his fidgeting.

Hongjoong wondered, quite suddenly, if this was how he looked all those years ago when he'd messed up that one recording with Eden so badly.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Minjae nodded, stepping closer to the mic again. He was very much not ready, as was evident from the fact that he once again went into robot mode on the next run, and then, inexplicably started forgetting his lyrics. Hongjoong wasn't quite sure how it was possible to forget lyrics when you had a lyric sheet right in front of you, but Minjae kept stumbling over his words, glancing anxiously at the paper.