Seungmin didn't have to take much time to know whose shoulders were under his fingers, but he still did. He did have to open the zipper of Lee Know's jacket to know it was his chest, but he still did.
He took his sweet time running his hands across hyung's body, but it wasn't exactly touching him that Seungmin took pleasure in. Seungmin could go days without touching Minho.
It was the knowledge of how weak and vulnerable Minho gets under his touch. The tough guy's ears treacherously turned red every time Seungmin shamelessly groped the well-build figure of his hyung, as if he had no respect for the elder.
And no harsh words Lee Know tried to send Seungmin's way fazed the latter after that. How could it, when he knew all those words were just to hide the fact that Minho, again, surrendered to the pleasure he didn't want to feel or admit.
And every time Seungmin walked away after making Minho blush, he touched his teeth with his tongue thinking, "guess who's the tough guy now".
Everyone knew that Lee Know was soft on the inside and that at times it was hard to contain his dependable nature, but only Seungmin couldn't live peacefully without making that soft vulnerability to come out.
Not a lot of things pissed Seungmin off but it was as if he made it his life mission to make hyung show his true colours. He knew that it wouldn't be easy, that he had to play around with the cat to make him come out, but that was his favourite game.
Life felt boring and pointless without playing with hyung. The thrill of not knowing whether he'd bite or surrender was what stimulated Seungmin's brain.
Even IN got concerned; he knew Seungmin all too well so only he could tell if Seungmin was getting too involved.
"You're obsessed," he'd say.
But Seungmin stubbornly believed that it was just his entertainment and it was Minho who they had to worry about.
However, IN was right. Seungmin didn't notice how getting under Minho's skin became the only thing he cared about, or thought about.
Guess who was vulnerable now.
When out of all the members it was Lee Know and Seungmin who had to do Kiss the Radio for a week, Lee Know rolled his eyes in annoyance. A whole week of waking up early in the morning and entertaining everyone with him? And what's with the stupid name?
When Seungmin said something about Lee Know's outfit not suiting his idol image, Lee Know was ready to pour Seungmin's iced americano on his grey pants even before they got to the station.
It was unbelievable how nice and cute the puppy behaved with the radio hosts, but the moment the two of them got into the car all alone, even Seungmin's tilt of a head made the veins pop up on Lee Know's muscular hands.
However, when Lee Know was finally on his own he couldn't help but replay in his head the scenes from the morning shows.
Like when Seungmin revealed shyly and with little detail why he cried so much when Minho got eliminated, or when he hid his face as the host started reading stays comments on how charming Seungmin was or when Seungmin grabbed Minho's hand underneath the table when the host mentioned Woojin.
Was it all fake? Lee Know couldn't help but wonder.
So when Lee Know lay down and closed his eyes after a long tiresome day, it was the big brown puppy eyes looking so innocently from beneath, that made him fall asleep.
One time while shooting a music video.
"Stop hugging me from behind," whispered Seungmin after yet another random Lee Know attack, "Don't act like you actually like me."
"Sometimes I think you should be taken care of," replied Minho just as quietly so only the two of them could hear each other, "but sometimes I think people should stay far away from you and you are a menace to society."
"Just kiss already," said Felix while passing them by.
He couldn't hear of course the words that were exchanged but he also couldn't ignore the palpable tension between the two. Felix was sensitive to other people's moods and connections and to him, it was more obvious than to others.
Lee Know's ears gradually became red. That thought didn't cross the mind of either of them ever. But it was as if Felix saw right through them, he didn't know how what he said would affect the future turn of events.
Lee Know has been sitting on a staircase for three hours now, mindlessly scrolling through the phone. He didn't notice how the only source of light in the hall became his screen and the lantern from the street, the light of which fell somewhere in the room through the big window.
However, the door in front of him still remained unopened.
Where the hell was he?
Seungmin went out for the first time in a while with his friends outside Skz. The week on the radio show was over and he couldn't understand whether he wanted to run as far away from hyung or drink away the bitter feeling that now he didn't have as much excuses to be alone with him. I.N. insisted that he'd go out and that he should have interest in other people beside...
The front door opened breaking the hours of silence Lee Know was sitting in. He instantly closed his phoned and put it away. The tall figure in slim fitted pants, that emphasized his waist, appeared slightly swaying from side to side. Seungmin turned and bend down to lock the door which took him unnecessarily long.
Seungmin turned around after he finally locking the door. He hit his back against the same door when he noticed hyung's darkened face which became apparent in the room.
Seungmin put his hand on his chest when he got scared to calm down his heart beat and then a hiccup escaped his mouth.
That caused a cackle from Lee Know, he found it endearing. It was amazing how this stray dog could go out all night God knows where and with God knows who and he still managed to look endearing.
When the shock came off, Seungmin thought to himself. Sitting in the dark...? Just when I pulled away, the cat came to me himself.
Seungmin knew that going up the stairs now would be like going straight into a hurricane, but there was no other way. He slowly passed Lee Know on the stairs.
Lee Know noted that Seungmin smelled like soju and other people, and that sparked devilish fire inside of him. Lee Know grabbed Seungmin's ankle when it was closest to him and pulled it towards himself. The already wobbly tall legs gave in and Seungmin fell down. The younger member managed to put his hands in front of him before the collision with the stairs managed to do some real damage.
Lee Know didn't care if the dog got hurt, he could help but want him to get hurt, as much as he was on the inside.
Seungmin understood that like no one else; somehow the alcohol made his mind clearer instead of foggier. He turned around still laying on the stairs, breathing heavy.
For the first time in a while Seungmin was tired of bickering with Lee Know.
And that made the latter more agitated. Why wasn't he fighting back?
Lee Know was about to grab him by his shirt, and then ... he didn't know what then. He wasn't the one who was drunk and yet barely any thoughts came in, only actions and emotions.
However, Seungmin got up and more confidently this time stepped on the stairs. Lee Know followed him, to his own bedroom. The air of confusion of who's chasing who was all over these two.
Was this another Seungmin's game or an honest awkward puppy mistake? With Seungmin he never knew. How could he willingly come into Lee Know's lair.
When Lee Know opened the door the younger member already spread his body across Lee Knows bed.
He tried to nudge him but the long strong leg hit him in the hip, Minho slapped it. No thoughts, just emotions and actions. It was just like the first year after debut all over again. He wanted to fight Seungmin so badly.
In the end, they were just two hedgehogs protecting themselves from the pains of the world, they were always cautious, especially of each other, but at the same time that was the reason they understood each other so well. And if only they let their guard down...
They'd see that no one was there to hurt them.
Lee Know with caution proceeded to remove Seunming's shoes, and then the jacket. The younger didn't kick him when he felt the fingers around his ankle. To Lee Know's surprise, he also didn't punch him in the face when he unzipped his jacket or ran his fingers down his shoulders to take it off.
The thrill of not knowing whether he'd bite or just ignore was sending Lee Know's heart and mind through the rough. It was another secret thing they had in common.
After that Lee Know just lay on the bed next to him, face up, fingers locked on his stomach. A heavy smell of soju and other people filled the room and was weighing on his chest.
Seungmin didn't give him the opportunity to be lost in thoughts for too long. He turned around, his eyes closed.
Just tossed in his sleep, Lee Know though.
Hyung turned to one side to face Seungmin, searching for answers in this calm face. Seungmin's eye flew open, and once again, without any visible signs, all Minho insides turned upside down.
Now the facial expression of the younger looked so sober as if he knew, as if he knew that lately his eyes were the very thing that Minho saw when he closed his eyes in this bed.
However, now these eyes, along with other body parts weren't in Minho's imagination, they were real and they were here. Saying something Minho was too afraid to understand, or just afraid he understood.