All of us headed out for dinner together as their live performance ended in the early evening, my heart feeling so full whenever I saw Jinyoung's happy flushed face and twinkling eyes.
JB and Youngjae led the way to the restaurant while Yugyeom happily hooked his arms onto Jinyoung and I, standing between us as we walked the few blocks to the restaurant.
Jinyoung leaned forward and glanced at me, looking slightly annoyed with the huge pillar between us.
Yugyeom chatted away happily about the performance and how energised he still felt, oblivious to the death glares Jinyoung shot.Yugyeom released us and rushed into the restaurant when we arrived, Jinyoung glancing at me apologetically and explaining as we walked in.
"He's young and clueless"
"It's fine. He's just excited? Plus I'm the extra member today" I laughed, reaching over to squeeze Jinyoung's shoulder lightly.
I left my arm around his shoulders, letting him lead the way as they were obviously familiar with the owner there.
We were led to a small room at the back of the restaurant, Jinyoung and I taking the seats at the door facing the others who had already settled in.
"I hope you don't mind that we've already ordered" JB smiled, hesitating slightly before adding "and that dinner is on me".
"I er..." I started, wanting to object when I felt Jinyoung squeeze my thigh.
"Sure, thank you" I nodded, squeezing Jinyoung's hand. It's not that I wanted to flaunt but that I didn't like feeling like I owe anyone anything...
There was less tension in the room as compared to our first dinner, the guys treating me as a regular person unlike the first time.
I left my arm wrapped around the back of Jinyoung's chair, leaning my head on his occasionally with the comfortable warm feeling surrounding us, their laughter and jokes about their past performances and hiccups entertaining all of us.
~
Jinyoung's alarm rang early on Saturday, the two of us groaning and rolling closer to one another to try and block out the noise.
"Nyoung" I mumbled, burying my face in his neck to feel warmer.
Jinyoung squirmed lightly in my arms, patting me lightly so that I would release him. He stretched as he sat up in bed, his hair sticking out adorably while his sleepy eyes faced me.
"You could stay in bed and come after you know" he smiled, bending back to press a kiss on my cheek.
"After that kiss? Oh no. I'll follow you everywhere so that I'll get kisses all day long"
"Nonsense" Jinyoung giggled, covering his mouth.
"If I admit it will I get your lips on mine next?" I asked, sitting up to face him. His eyes shone so happily they twinkled, my mind unable to comprehend how I got so lucky with him here with me.
"Hmm" Jinyoung hummed, tapping his chin while pretending to consider my words. I saw a spark of mischief in his eyes and braced myself, my hands ready to trap him underneath me.
Jinyoung leaned close to me, his lips hovering near mine, his shallow breaths fanning against my lips. My heart pounded as he inched closer and closer, my palms starting to sweat and I clutched onto the bedsheet for some support.
I held my breath and closed my eyes, his proximity too much for me to handle still and waited for his lips to touch mine.
"Mmm. Later then"
I snapped my eyes open to see him dashing off, his giggling echoing on the bathroom tiles as I got up and chased him down.
~
I took the free time to settle some work while waiting for Jinyoung, hiding back in the van after getting looks for lingering outside the dressing room.
Woo Jin approached the van after a few hours, knocking before he entered.
"They bought lunch for us too" he gestured, his voice low as I was still on a call. I nodded and led the way back to the dressing room, talking as quickly as I could and ending the call before entering the room again.
I stood there shell shocked for a moment at his shirt, his translucent striped shirt underneath his blazer that hung shut by a flimsy chain. Jinyoung looked at me curiously, tilting his head slightly when our eyes met, puzzled by my gaze. Does he not see how sexy he is?
"Lunch?" he asked, giving me a smile.I nodded and took the box from him, following him to the sofa where he sat next to me.
Jinyoung looked incredibly happy while eating, chatting to me excitedly about his funny experiences on stage, my laughter only making him more excited as his gestures became wider while he continued chatting.
His blazer shifted with each move he made, letting me get a glimpse of his full chest each time, the whole conversation turning me on that I had to bite the back of my hand to control myself.
I packed the trays when we were done, throwing it into the bin while Jinyoung went to brush his teeth, settling back down on the sofa after.
Jinyoung came back into the room shortly and I noticed the others looking at Jinyoung's chest too, my eyes darkening at the thought of everyone looking at my boy like he was a piece of meat.
Jinyoung smiled and plopped himself down next to me, his blazer shifting and opening that his nipple could be seen.
I felt my heart leap out of my mouth, the overprotectiveness making me see red. I looked around the room for something, anything when I spotted my pinky ring on my finger.
"Put this on"
My hoarse voice came out in barely a whisper, my eyes staring into Jinyoung's, noticing his pink cheeks as he adjusted his attire.
"I didn't know it would be so loose... the coordinator..." he mumbled, staring at his hands in his lap.
I grabbed his hand in mine and slipped the ring onto his little finger, Jinyoung looking up at me in shock.
"I will put a ring on your next finger the next time"
I ran a hand through my hair and sighed, trying to calm myself down while looking around the bustling room, the two of us seemingly in a bubble from the rest.
"You know I'm yours" he whispered softly, reaching over to play with my fingers.
"I know. I just want the work to know too?" I replied, giving him a small smile and squeezing his hand before adding "I love you. Thank you".
"I love you too" he replied softly, squeezing my hand back.
~
"Here" Jinyoung's manager smiled, handing over a mask.
I thanked him and wore it, following him as he expertly wove through the crowds, moving from the backstage area and moved past the side curtains. He turned to ensure that I was still behind him, the crowd oddly dodging me instead as we walked.
We moved into the VIP area where the band manager usually sat to record and watch their performance, some of the fans turning to look at us while we stood there. I enjoyed how hyped up the crowd was, their chanting before the performance making my smile widen in anticipation.
The cheers were deafening when the group came on stage and I felt my palms sweat in anticipation, opening my eyes wide to not miss a thing. I held on tight to the barrier, watching and imprinting into my brain Jinyoung's every move. His mesmerisingly sharp dance moves made my mouth salivate, his blazer doing nothing for his shirt as he moved to the song, his voice like honey to my ears.
I sat there for as long as I could, the fans' cheering and chanting riling me up that I rushed backstage to watch the end of the performance instead, the anticipation of Jinyoung in my arms getting harder to resist.
They sounded better live than in the videos I watched, the echoes in the studio making everything feel more surreal. The fans chanter along and screamed when they sang their parts, my mind focused on the sole person who held my all as I stood just below the steps, feeling thoroughly proud of him.
Jinyoung's eyes met mine as he turned to the backstage area during some dance break, a shy smile creeping onto his lips as he stared into my eyes. The smile from him and the cheering from the fans made my ears ring, the goofy grin I had on leaving Jinyoung smiling despite him turning back to the crowd.
~
I cheered for them as the group stepped off the stage, Jinyoung giving my hand a small squeeze but releasing it all too quickly when some people came with cameras in tow.
I tugged my mask up quickly, Woo Jin acting as a shield as he stood between the cameras and me, the two of us shuffling our way to the dressing room.
The coordinators clapped for the group when they came back with the cameras following them to the door while the group bowed and thanked them back, clapping for them as well.
Jinyoung turned to me when everyone started packing up, trying but failing to take his stuff from me.
"Hey"
"Hey" I smiled, spotting the rest of the group coming over as well.
"You all were amazing" I added, smiling at them.
"Especially hyung right?" Yugyeom laughed, pushing Jinyoung towards me.
I laughed along with the group when I saw Jinyoung's annoyed face directed to Yugyeom and curled my arm around Jinyoung, tugging him back from attacking Yugyeom.
Yugyeom stuck his tongue out at Jinyoung and did a funny dance to taunt him, the coordinators laughing along at their banter.
"Okay okay. Let's head back early guys. The filming is earlier tomorrow" JB clapped, ushering us out of the door towards their manager and Woo Jin.
We hopped into the car where Woo Jin was waiting, giving the others a wave as we left for our apartment block.
"You really were amazing"
"Stop" Jinyoung frowned, pouting slightly.
"It's true though"
"The more you say it the more it sounds like a lie" he shrugged, turning to look out the window.
I tugged Jinyoung towards me and held me to my chest, pressing kisses to his head, his forehead, his cheeks, his eyes, his nose, his lips on repeat until he burst out laughing.
"You are amazing. And I'll keep saying it until you get it" I smiled, holding his cheeks in my palms.
"I love you" he replied, his eyes shining with laughter as he placed his hands over mine. I could swear my heart stopped beating then.
"I love you too" I breathed, cradling his head to my chest and spotting a smile spreading on his face as he pressed his palm to my chest, hearing and feeling it pound for him.
~
I turned the lights off and crawled into bed next to Jinyoung, his legs tangled with mine while his head rested against my chest, his warmth surrounding me like a safety blanket.
My phone buzzed then, Jinyoung lifting his head to look at me.
"Ignore it" I sighed, tapping on the side button to silence the call.
Jinyoung rested his head against my chest and got comfortable when my phone buzzed again.
"It sounds urgent" he prompted, tilting his head so that his chin was against my chest.
I sighed and untangled us, picking my phone up and rolling out of bed. I tapped on the screen to see two missed calls from the PR team, one of them sharing an image which I opened to see a blurry image of Jinyoung and me.
The shot taken while we were at a restaurant yesterday, Jinyoung's full side profile visible while my back faced the camera. I quickly locked my phone and pressed a kiss to Jinyoung's head.
"Sleep darling. I'll take this outside"
"Mmm. Don't be too long" he mumbled, already drifting off.I took the call in the kitchen, not wanting Jinyoung to hear anything.
"Who sent that?" I asked, not bothering with formalities.
"Same photographer that we stopped the last time. He's asking for money"
"Offer it to him"
"Sir, he's asking for ₩100,000 per photo"
"And?" I frowned, not understanding what she was getting at.
"There are at least 20"
"Tell him that he has to collect it in cash and in person tomorrow, 9am" I instructed her.
"Oh. Noted sir, I'll arrange it"
"Thank you" I added before hanging up.
I made a few more calls with the security team and Woo Jin, arranging for what had to be done before creeping back into the room.
Jinyoung stirred lightly and turned to face me, his warmth surrounding me as he rested his cheek against my chest. I held him tight in my arms, knowing that I would do everything in my power to keep him safe.
~
I woke up before Jinyoung did, fixing him a cup of coffee and earning an adorable sleepy eyed Jinyoung who sat up in bed when I entered the room.
He smiled a goofy smile, his smile dropping when he saw that I was dressed.
"You're going to work" his question sounding more like a statement.
"I'll be there for your show" I assured him, handing him his coffee and pressing a kiss to his cheek.
"Okay" he sighed after taking a sip.
"I promise Nyoung" I smiled, cupping his cheek in my hand so that he would look at me.
"Alright" he whispered back, his steady eyes staring back into mine.
~
The meeting was arranged at a restaurant near the studio, the private rooms next to the one I was in booked by me as well.
I sat with my back against the wall, waiting for my phone to buzz as Woo Jin sat outside pretending to be one of the customers.
I tapped my leg impatiently as time creeped so slowly to 9, each second painfully slow. I wanted to get back to Jinyoung as soon as I could but knew I had to settle this in person first.
My phone buzzed then, my screen showing that Woo Jin texted me just a word "here".
I crossed my legs and waited, the door opening to reveal a guy in his mid-forties, his eyes darting around the room before settling on me.
"Sit" I nodded, gesturing at the chair in front of me.
"I'm not going to linger" he replied, standing with his back to the door still.
Woo Jin opened the door and slid in then, leaning against the door handle and blocking the man from exiting.
His eyes shifted shakily from Woo Jin and me, his hands visibly trembling as he dragged the chair out to sit.
"Let me see the photos first"
"I've sent them"
"And I don't believe you"
He took the memory card and placed it on the table between us, staring at me expectantly.
"I have a copy of the file on my hard drive. It doesn't matter if you destroy this one" he threatened, sitting up straight in his chair.
I took a spare phone out and slotted the card in, keeping my face straight while I scrolled through the photos.
The photos he took were focused on Jinyoung, his side view barely visible as I had my arm around Jinyoung's shoulders the entire time.
There was only one good shot of Jinyoung, the same shot my PR team shared. Jinyoung's face was close to mine as he leaned over, his expression and pose showing how intimate we were.
"I have a copy of the files on my hard drive. It doesn't matter if you destroy this one" he threatened, sitting up straight in his chair.
"Mmm, I'll keep this then" I shrugged, keeping the spare phone in my pocket. I caught the twitch in his lips as I kept the phone, knowing that I would have to destroy it later.
"My money" he asked.
"You know, blackmailing me will get you nowhere" I replied.
The photographer looked confused, his eyes following my hand as I reached for my cup. I took a slow sip of my drink while staring at him, watching him squirm and turn to look at Woo Jin who stared down at him.
The photographer turned back to me and glanced around the room, slumping back in his seat when he knew that there was nothing he could do.
Woo Jin nodded and folded his arms, signalling to me that they were done.
"What I can offer you is this contract for a temp job and to keep your mouth shut. This cash here is a one-time payment for your services. My IT team has settled the photos on your drive along with the one on your cloud storage and I have your card here" I gestured at the phone in my pocket, watching his eyes flare in panic. Yup. It seems like that's all he has.
"If I find any trace of any photos leaking to anyone, I will bring you in myself for blackmailing and breaking the contract"
The head of my legal team came in with a contract and placed it on the table, handing him a pen with a raised brow while I checked my phone. Shit. I'm running late.
To: N-young
I'll be a bit late.
I'm sorry.
Wrapping things up here
"I'm not going to sign this" the photographer rebutted, standing up to tower over me.
"Sure, I'll see you in court with these photos and the texts then" I replied, standing up and pocketing my phone, wanting to go to Jinyoung already.
He sank back into his seat when he saw my phone, resignedly signing the document. He sat there seemingly stunned by the turn of events, staring blankly at the table still.
"It's been a pleasure doing business with you" I nodded and left the room as I heard his phone chime, knowing that he received the money transfer. I gave him half of what he asked for despite my team's objections, knowing that there's no price I wouldn't give to keep Jinyoung safe.
Woo Jin rushed out with me, following quickly as we left the restaurant and hopped into the car.
"His computer tried to rip any photos from the spare phone into his hard drive" Woo Jin reported as we drove off.
"Destroy it, both" I instructed, handing Woo Jin the memory card and phone.
"Did he call?" I asked Woo Jin, knowing he would get what I meant.
"No sir"
I heaved a sigh and leaned back into the seat, willing for traffic to move faster.
"He'll get it" Woo Jin added, glancing at me.
"He's not to hear any of it" I frowned, turning to look at Woo Jin.
"Understood sir, I'll pick you both up later" Woo Jin nodded.
"Thank you"
I checked my phone again to see the texts to Jinyoung and sighed, hoping that I was on time. I hopped out of the car and rushed to the backstage area, catching their manager as he stood backstage watching them.
"Hyung, did I miss anything?" I asked, trying to catch my breath.
"No. They're up next" he smiled, clapping my back in a greeting.
I took my phone out and snapped a photo of them standing in one row while waiting to step on stage. Jinyoung looked so focused on the stage and timing, his eyes staring down on the stage while waiting.
He kept his eyes down on the stage floor during the dance break, not looking backstage despite my staring.
I left to wait in the dressing room when their manager tapped me, realising that the cameras were coming to film them again.
I greeted the coordinators as I entered, realising that they were fully packed and ready to leave.
"They'll be filming a live now, you all can head back first. Thank you for your hard work" their manager bowed, coming in after me.
"Thank you for your hard work" I greeted them as well with a bow, watching them filter out.
The usually bustling dressing room was quiet now that it was just the two of us, their manager moving to set up a little corner on the sofa for the filming before waiting for them.
I stood as the door swung open, clapping for the group as they entered.
"Hyung!" Yugyeom called out happily, JB and Youngjae giving me a wave while Jinyoung stood there frozen with shock.
He blinked slowly at me as I approached him, his lips slightly parted as he looked up at me.
"I'm sorry I'm late. I dropped you a text but I don't think you saw it? I got here on time though" I rambled slightly, cupping his face in my hands.
"You came" he whispered, his eyes scanning my face.
"Yeah, I promised"
Jinyoung's face broke into a goofy grin, his arms tugging me in for a hug, burying his face in my neck. I hugged Jinyoung back and stroked his head lightly, cupping his head nearer to me, confused by his huge reaction.
"Are you alright Nyoung?" I asked softly, stroking his head still.
"Yeah. I just... thank you for coming" he sighed, tightening his grip on me further.
"I wouldn't miss it. I'm sorry I was late and didn't get to talk to you before you went on stage" I whispered, wanting to see his face.
"No, it's fine" Jinyoung smiled, raising his head to show me his happy eyes.
"Well. Thank you for wearing something less translucent this time" I laughed, earning a shove from him.
~
I sat behind the camera and watched the group record their live, Jinyoung looking so serious that I had to make faces at him.
Jinyoung tried but failed to control his laughter, throwing his head back while his body shook, his hand completely forgotten as he covered his eyes with his forearm instead.
The group laughed along and chatted about something before ending the live, nudging Jinyoung again as they went to change out of their stage clothes.
"That was mean" Jinyoung pouted despite his smiling eyes.
"Ey. I like that I can make you laugh like that. Plus you're handsome even when you do"
"Flirt"
"Yes whenever I'm with you"
Jinyoung laughed and headed to change, scrunching his nod adorably when he caught me staring at him leave. Youngjae came skipping back first, settling into the sofa next to me and chatting about random stuff while waiting for the others. JB came and joined us after a bit, his arm naturally wrapping Youngjae to him as Youngjae leaned back.
"You know he was in such a crappy mood when he thought you weren't coming"
"Youngjae" JB warned, tightening his grip on Youngjae.
Youngjae poured in response, turning away to avoid JB's eyes before adding "I'm just being honest".
I smiled and looked towards the doors, wondering what happened to Jinyoung before that he felt that way, knowing that I wouldn't miss another performance if I could.
~
We headed to a nearby restaurant that I picked for dinner, Woo Jin having cleared the area before us. We wore our masks despite that, entering into one of the private rooms at the back of the restaurant.
I left my arm around Jinyoung's chair and shoulders, loving how he leaned against my chest whenever he could, the smell of him surrounding me.
We ordered some alcohol to celebrate the end of the week, all of us hanging out and chatting while playing some drinking games, Jinyoung's small expressions becoming more pronounced with each glass.
I held Jinyoung closer to me, leaving my arm around his waist when I saw that the tips of his ears were red, knowing that he was going to be drunk soon if we didn't stop.
"I'll treat you all this time?" I asked, not wanting it to be weird like the last time. There was long pause before JB replied with a "sure", the tension thick in the room as JB looked at Jinyoung.
"Thank you boss" Yugyeom laughed, doing a mock bow and salute, breaking into our line of vision and cutting the awkwardness just like that.
"He's useful at times huh" I smiled, hugging Jinyoung closer to me as we walked out of the restaurant.
A/N: I'm sorry!!! I know this is so so so so so so so late. When I thought my work team couldn't get any smaller, it did... we're a team of 4 instead of 9 now. Regardless, I'll try my best. Thank you for reading, commenting and voting!!!
Some sexy Jinyoung for all.