let's marvin gaye (and get it on) ; johnten collection

II. Baby Hamster

"Can someone pass me the lettuce?"

Ten's words are muffled by the large portion of rice tucked into his left cheek, chopsticks in one hand, steaming piece of meat clasped in between them, and using the other to point to the bowl of freshly washed lettuce across the hard wooden floor. Johnny - who's closer - stretches his long arm over and grasps the rim of the silverware.

Never one to miss a beat to joke, he acquires."Say please."

Ten side-eyes him over the bodies to his left, not threatening or dangerously, but playfully, narrowing his sight as he drags his tone. "Please, hyung."

Hyung... Johnny thinks as he passes the bowl with a fond, satisfied smile. He's never known why, but the inclination of honorifics coming from Ten - in any form, request, affection, annoyance - has always been endearing to him, and the warmth that spreads over his chest is an example of the case. It's no secret that Johnny thinks Ten is quite possibly the cutest, most adorable organism to ever wander the face of the earth, he finds himself professing it if ever under the influence of alcohol, or even if just drunk on a damn good day. It's no secret that everyone else in the group probably views Ten as winsome, darling boy, capable of combatting the cuteness of Sicheng or a younger member, and he, right now, does no favor towards shedding the image.

He's eating well, Johnny sees, Ten's mouth stuffed full of a mixture of every element of tonight's dinner as he tries to best to chew and converse without being rude. He's eating really well, and quite clearly has been.

Compare Ten almost a year ago to Ten sitting there today. Ten, the Ten that debuted first back in the April of spring, sharp, cut-throat features as strong as his gaze. He shed weight continuously, with constant performances, strewn in the mad concoction of diets, group and self-practices, no sleep and impregnable stress. The Ten now finds himself with less of a demanding schedule, more of chilled practice where he could easily sit for an hour and do nothing (while the management's focus is mainly on the promoting members, there's less time to keep checking up on the inactive ones) and with a less controlling diet, the options for consumption much wider, the results were clearly documented by his thicker, more sumptuous cheeks.

(Johnny's sure there is other evidence on other parts of his body, but since his schedule is often too busy nowadays, he hasn't really found the time to check.)

It's a challenge to stop himself from pinching or kiss them - the tinted, pink, full cheeks. Ten would probably hate it if he did now, so exposed and in the sights of the other members, who would probably despise the broad display of affection too. He has to sit on his hand that isn't feeding himself, the temptation and drive to gently grip Ten's hamster face intensely strong (if only the same amount of ambition could be converted to other things, such as actually getting out of bed in the morning instead of having to coerced with kisses and promises of luxurious time dedicated to cuddling together later).

Johnny realizes there's probably something wrong with him.

He's nervous.

Johnny is nervous. About Ten's cheeks. A (supposedly) grown man is getting nervous, heart thumping, mouth drying, sweat beading... over a little guy's face.

(Johnny questions if this is some weird adult puberty he's going through or if he's just hit a brand new low.)

Ten offered to do the dishes and along the way, decided Johnny would love to help out. Quite forcefully, he was dragged to the kitchen, and thus, stands with his hands enveloped in warm water while Ten dances around, tea towel in one hand and semi-dry dish in the other.