unlike seungkwan and vernon who started to date openly, jihoon and soonyoung kept it a secret. it was hard, but it was convincing.
when they bicker, they give each other glimpses of their widest smiles, when nobody's looking. one time, though, jeonghan caught jihoon smiling. jihoon just reasoned that he found a meme funny.
they give each other hand squeezes under the dining table, while soonyoung uses his ability to talk to jihoon telepathically. soonyoung has to speak physically, though, because jihoon can't read minds. stupid smiles on their faces every dinner confuses the members who see it.
dates? ah, of course, the twelfth floor is their ideal date place. they'd never gone to an actual date outside the base, because the other members will start digging for information about whatever their relationship is.
"hey guys!" soonyoung enters the kitchen, where most of them had gathered to see what mingyu's cooking. "where's seungcheol?" soonyoung continued, before subtly slapping jihoon's ass, who leaned on the kitchen island. jihoon was startled.
fuck you. soonyoung reads, jihoon's thoughts weren't nice about that ass slap. but he was smiling. "ah, he went with chan and seokmin. jinha's getting discharged today." joshua replied.
jihoon, annoyed, calculates the exact time he could get back on soonyoung without anyone noticing. when that exact time came, jihoon slapped soonyoung's ass a little loud.
"ah!" soonyoung exclaims, looking back at jihoon, to express an oppressed laughter. jihoon snorts, resulting to the other members looking back at the two of them. "shrimpy, that's mean! you can't just slap my a-arm!"
jihoon was already laughing, meanwhile. "yeah, sure." soonyoung was trying not to laugh, as he pretended that he was 'hit by jihoon on the arm for no reason'.
"sure, jan." jeonghan fully turns around and crossed his arms. "what're you guys doing? you're laughing and laughing." this was the time that they realized that they fucked up. jeonghan sticking his nose into anybody's business was bad.
jihoon scoffed. "what's your deal?" his act was almost destroyed when soonyoung chortled.
"oh, okay then. i won't be interrupting.." jeonghan squinted at the two of them before turning around. "anytime soon."
in fear of being revealed to everyone, soonyoung grabbed jihoon somewhere else, where nobody stayed. the living room(a really bad choice).
when the two were all alone, jihoon and soonyoung threw in fits of laughter, hitting each other while falling to the ground. "contain yourself, shrimpy!" soonyoung exhaled, pointing to jihoon. his face was as red as a tomato.
jihoon, who was catching his breath, replied. "you slapped mine first! hypocrisy!" jihoon accused, throwing a pillow to his boyfriend's face. "fuck you, soonyoung."
"is that like, our thing?" soonyoung inquired. jihoon shook his head at soonyoung. "okay then, fuck you too, jihoonie."
jihoon blushed at the endearment, scoffing. "lame nickname."
"i call you nicknames all the time and you love it!" soonyoung snuggled closer to jihoon. jihoon laughed, nodding. "so, jihoon?"
"yep?" jihoon says, popping the p. he looks up at soonyoung.
"it's the first snow today. wanna go to the seoul tower?" soonyoung asked, fumbling with his fingers. asking out jihoon for their first date went really smooth, but he still can't help but to be nervous. "i-i...you know? those sappy things about being with your love in the seoul tower on the first day of snow."
"of course! i've always wanted to go there, and this is my first time!" jihoon stood up. "i think it'll be better with you. i'm gonna get ready." jihoon winked at soonyoung, and entered the elevator.
it's my first date! soonyoung thought, screaming on a pillow before standing up. "i'm going to make sure it's the most fucking beautiful night jihoon has ever experienced." and then, he heads to the elevator.
"hmm, seoul tower?" jeonghan emerged from the kitchen, who had just eavesdropped. "nice choice. be the couple, and i'll be dispatch." jeonghan smirked, using the fire exit stairs to go to his room.
joshua was busy writing a report for seventeen, when his phone rings and displays the name 'jeonghan'. he prepared himself mentally and emotionally for everything that will come out of jeonghan's mouth, as he answered the call.
"hell—"
"FUCKING HELL JOSHUJI, I'M STALKING SOONYOUNG AND JIHOON IN THE SEOUL TOWER AND I CONFIRMED THAT THEY'RE FUCKING DATING! I HAVE PICTURES!" joshua cringed at jeonghan's unnecessary loudness.
but, what's this? soonyoung and jihoon are dating?! "make sure you're not kidding. or is this a bait?"
"NO, I'M NOT AND IT'S FUCKING COLD HERE! IT'S SNOWING!" jeonghan yells. jeonghan follows it with an apology after hearing that tired sigh from joshua. "sorry."
"you don't have to yell." joshua pinched the bridge of his nose, twirling in the swivel chair. "so you called for just that? are you planning to call everyone just to inform them of your newfound tea?"
jeonghan chuckled on the other line. "nope. they saw me and threatened that they'll kill me if everyone else found out, but i told you. i'm risking my life for you once again, joshuji."
"they won't actually kill you, you know." joshua emphasized, but he remembers that once soonyoung tried to kill the ex-pledis mafia members. "maybe they can, but i doubt it. so, as i asked, why did you call me?"
"because i...." jeonghan trailed off. joshua felt his tone get serious. "i'm surrounded by families and couples, one being soonyoung and jihoon. i'm all alone here, so i called you. so i can trick myself that i'm not alone, because i'm talking to you."
"you feel lonely?" joshua stood up from his seat, walking to the elevator. "that's new. would you like me to keep talking on the phone?"
"yes, please." joshua could hear jeonghan smiling from his voice. "i didn't know that being surrounded by happy people would make me feel lonely—oh! soonyoung and jihoon just waved at me. i think they're going to kiss anytime soon."
it seemed like jeonghan really wanted company. then, why would he stay there? he can just go home and talk to the other seventeen members. "you're staying there despite feeling lonely? are you waiting for their kiss?"
"yeah, also that. for blackmail." jeonghan giggled, making joshua roll his eyes. but, that also made joshua smile a little.
"want me to come?" joshua entered the elevator, pressing '7' before the doors closed. jeonghan was silent on the other line.
ah, that was because jeonghan is busy smiling from ear to ear. responding with a flirty comment will destroy the whole mood. "can you come?"
"i'm not too busy," joshua said, thinking of the report he left unfinished. "i can come."
"i'll be waiting for you, then!" jeonghan exclaimed. "wait, i'll buy coffee. bye, joshuji!"
fuck, is this a date as well? "whatever." joshua muttered to himself, walking out of the elevator. he enters his room and searches for a proper outfit for winter.
joshua wore an extra jacket before wearing his parka, since he knew damn well that he's going to give up his parka for jeonghan.