Work Text
(Hatching Chick )
There really isn’t a reason as to why Guanlin should be heading to the practice rooms today because his company told him he wouldn’t go back to his training schedule until much, much later, when they’ve updated his daily agenda. Which was supposed to be around next month.
But he couldn’t help it; sure, he’s been stopping by from time to time in the past, but they were hurried and on special occasions only since he had other schedules to do.
When he was still with Wanna One.
Ouch, Guanlin definitely didn’t anticipate the sad twinge of his heart at the thought. Bittersweet, but he doesn’t regret a single moment he was with them for more than a year and five months.
His thoughts come skidding to a stop when he collides with the glass door of Practice Room 1, his head and the door rebound off of each other with a bang! but fortunately, it’s not loud enough to alert the trainees inside the room.
The Taiwanese laughs at himself, despite the slight throbbing pain, as reaches a hand to gingerly touch his forehead.
That hasn’t happened in a long time, not since my first day as a trainee.
He doesn’t have much time reminiscing about the past yet again as he hears muffled laughter behind him. He spins around, and he’s suddenly even more embarrassed to see who it was.
“Wooseok hyung!”
Said person makes a show of wiping an invisible tear from his eye as he straightens up, and grins at the younger. “I wasn’t expecting to see you for at least another week, and here you are, smacking yourself onto doors left and right!”
Guanlin just smiles sheepishly.
“Well, don’t just stand there, come here and give your favorite hyung a hug!” the older invites, gangly limbs stretched out wide.
The Taiwanese shakes his head, but bounds over anyway. He lets out a small laugh as Wooseok lifts him off the ground and swings him around a bit, clearly overjoyed to see him.
Eventually, he lets the other boy down and slings an arm around his shoulders. “So, what brings you here today? Checking up on Oversized Baby Chick Number 2?”
Guanlin laughs, knowing immediately who the older was referring to. “Kind of? Manager hyung let me off after the meeting with the other trainers. He’s not in any of the practice rooms, though.”
Wooseok hums thoughtfully. “Well, I don’t think he has training for today, since he spent all night with Jinho hyung, watching him record his monthly song covers. He’s probably still asleep, I guess. Makes sense, since he does have that built-in Guanlin tracking device somewhere in him, because he comes over so quick to cling on to you as soon as he sees you.”
Guanlin scoffs and smacks at his senior playfully. “That’s because I always tell him when I’m coming to visit. He probably hasn’t seen my message, since he’s passed out in the dorms.”
The Wooseok pushes Guanlin to the direction of their dorms. “Well, what are you waiting for? Get on over there and give your sleeping beauty a kiss! It’s late anyway,” he says, eyes waggling teasingly.
The 19-year-old blushes and turns away from Wooseok, having embarrassed himself far too many times today. He bids a quick farewell and makes a run for the dorms.
Wooseok waves back, a knowing smile showing itself on his face.
As if on autopilot, Guanlin’s legs leads him to Seonho’s (and his) room in the dorms, hogging it all to himself until the other settles back in again.
He opens the door, and, without any proper warning, his heart melts at the sight before him.
A person shouldn’t look this adorable when they’re asleep, Guanlin reprimands in his head as he watches Seonho asleep on his study desk, cheeks smooshed on its smooth surface.
He doesn’t know whatever it was that Seonho did before he went to sleep, since he usually passes out on his bed no matter what time his practice ends. But he needs to transfer the younger onto his bed, before he complains about his neck hurting later.
The older ruffles the younger’s hair in an attempt to rouse him and make him sleep on his bed, but he’s only answered with—
Wait.
Did Seonho, his longtime friend and grown teen of 18 years, just purr in his sleep?
By this moment, so many questions are flying around Guanlin’s mind, he’s pretty sure he’s sprouting question marks out of his head.
Fortunately, the purring (???) ceased to give way to groans and Seonho is blearily looking at the confused boy by his side.
“Hyung, this is the third time this week you’ve been showing up in my dreams. You must miss me, huh?” Seonho says (at least that’s what Guanlin thinks he’s saying, there’s too many slurs in his speech that it almost doesn’t sound Korean).
“Not sure how far off your mind is right now, Seonho, but I’m actually here. But never mind that, let’s get you rest properly on a bed, alright?”
The younger just yawns, his nostrils flaring (adorably, in Guanlin vision). “Whatever you say, dream-Guanlin.”
The older smiles fondly and guides him to his bed without another word, and it isn’t until Seonho’s under the warmth of his blanket, that he speaks again. With less slur, this time.
“Hyuuuung, ruffle my hair again, it always feels nice when you do that for me,” he beckons, eyes shimmering hopefully, before the other can even attempt to leave.
Guanlin almost wanted to ask the half-awake boy what he meant by always, since he has never heard the other request for it, but he bites back the question.
He does what he’s ordered to do though, and runs his fingers against soft, unruly locks of hair.
Seonho exhales through his nose contentedly, a low, rumbling sound reaching the other’s ears.
He’s definitely purring… like a cat… Guanlin’s mind offers helplessly, heat rushing to his cheeks.
He absently wonders if rubbing his fingers against the other’s chin would make the purr louder but he quickly dismisses the thought.
A few moments later, when he’s certain Seonho’s drifted off to dreamland, he quietly excuses himself out of the room.
He heads off to the kitchen, where he greets some familiar faces along the way, so he can a glass of water and gather his thoughts together.
Leaning against the counter, he doesn’t necessarily mind the other’s antics, since Seonho has always been weird like that. It’s just his traitorous heart he has to scold for, since it can’t handle the amount of cuteness that has amplified when the younger acted like that earlier.
He really can’t let his tiny little crush (his mind has doubts on the tiny part, but it needs to shut up, as usual) of his go out of hand like it used to, since there was a valid reason. Valid reason being that he missed him so much from being so far away from him.
Well, now he gets to be around him all the time now, as if he suddenly had all the time in the world.
Guanlin groans, head cradled in his arms. He’s definitely done for now.
At least Seonho’s cat-like behavior won’t surface any time soon, since it was sleep-induced, right?
He really hopes so. His heart can’t handle another meltdown at this rate.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(Hatching Chick )
(Hatching Chick )
“Sooo, you went into his room, heard him do this ‘weird rumbling noise,’ and started stroking his hair until he fell asleep again?”
“You missed a few parts, but sure?”
“Oooh, kinky, you’re too young for that, ‘lin.”
Wooseok felt fluff and pain at the same time as a cushion was thrown at his face.
“Hyung!”
Guanlin groans and throws himself head first into the couch tucked in the corner of Wooseok’s studio. “I was stupid to think Wooseok hyung would give useful advice after all. Time to find a new favorite hyung, then,” the other grumbles, almost inaudible, against another pillow.
The older ignores his words if he heard them and starts to spin around in his swivel chair.
“Ah, young love, what a precious, yet mysterious moment in life…” Wooseok says dramatically, reciting lines that would probably go in a badly-directed romance drama.
“Slow down hyung, you’re only like three years older than me.”
“But I still get best hyung rights?”
Guanlin snickers. “Of course.”
The two were working on this special collaboration album the company decided on recently. The keyword being ‘were’, since Wooseok wouldn’t stop butting in on the recent events of Guanlin’s life. Turns out, the older was just as doting on him as much as Guanlin directed his admiration on the other.
“Well, since the long-distance thing isn’t in the way anymore, don’t you think it’s time to– you know-,” the older gestures his hands around for emphasis, “confess or something?”
“That’s easier said than done. Do you know how many times I was close to confessing but then I chickened out? Too many to count, is how much, ugh.”
And, as if his body was agreeing on all of Guanlin’s failures, his stomach started growling.
“Looks like it’s time for lunch!” Wooseok chuckles as the younger immediately gets up, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
They part ways outside the studio, the older saying he had to check up on the rest of his hyungs back at the dorms.
Guanlin walks towards the company’s cafeteria leisurely, pondering if all the food hasn’t disappeared yet. As he enters the room, he finds out that no one else is around, and the clock there read 1:09 pm. Late, but not too late, he surmises.
He instinctively reaches up a certain cupboard and takes out a cup of ramyun out of it. After pouring in some hot water, he slides open a drawer takes out some chopsticks. With utensils in one hand and piping hot ramyun in the other, he sits at his favorite spot, the corner seat of the second table.
It’s these moments that Guanlin notices that even after a year or so, nothing much has changed here, and he appreciates that.
He’s almost done with the soup when the door swings open, and one very tired but newly-bathed Seonho barges in.
The other tries to play it cool, casually swirling soup inside the cup. He can’t hide the small flush of his cheeks, sadly. “Hey there. Didn’t know you had practice at this time,” he says nonchalantly, trying to focus on anything but that one drop of water threatening to fall from the younger’s hair.
“I don’t, but since I ‘slacked off’ yesterday, I had extra dance practice today,” Seonho huffs, like it wasn’t his fault he slept like a rock.
“To be fair, you did sleep until 11am so…”
“Ugh, not you too hyung,” he groans, sitting next to him. Guanlin’s heart starts leaping, and wills the rest of his body to not follow suit.
“Just stating facts,” he says teasingly as he shrugs.
Tired of using his towel, Seonho starts to shake his head dry, sending sprays of water around his vicinity. “Oops, sorry about that,” he says sheepishly.
“You’re such a kid,” Guanlin sighs, but reaches for the younger’s towel. As if on cue, Seonho wordlessly turns around and lets the older’s towel-clad fingers ruffle his head dry.
The younger has his eyes closed, humming contentedly. Not purring, Guanlin unconsciously notes.
Once the other is satisfied that Seonho’s hair is fluffy enough that hamsters can sleep in it, he pulls the towel off. The younger doesn’t turn around, but leans back on Guanlin’s right shoulder. The older is sure his face is permanently red, but he’s grateful the other won’t be able to see it.
“Hyung.”
Guanlin hums in question.
“I’m hungry.”
“Then go eat something.”
“I’m too lazy to make anything.”
He makes a show of humming in thought.
“Then perish,” the older deadpans.
“Hyuuuuuuung,” Seonho whines. “Make me something,” he says, and Guanlin can almost hear his pout when he says it.
“No way. I’m not your mom.”
“Please? You get to borrow as many manga as you want.”
“No,” Guanlin firmly says, but he can slowly feel himself giving in any minute now.
“Come onnnnnnnnn,” Seonho flails his arms around like those dancing mascots in carwashes.
“Don’t wannaaaaaaaaa,” he mimics the younger, draping his towel over his head and covering his line of sight in protest.
“Fine, then. Guess you’re not leaving until you make spicy ramyun for me,” Seonho harrumphs. He charges at the other and wraps his gangly arms around his torso like a koala. He chants something along the lines of “Feed me, feed me,” while swaying the other’s body back and forth, his forehead resting on Guanlin’s shoulder. The towel is still strewn haphazardly around his head.
Seonho’s hold on him is firm, but it’s soft and gentle at the same time. The older could feel he would be able to break free at the slightest movement (not like he would dare, obviously). Where Seonho’s hands come to rest around his waist and shoulder start to grow warm, and the older would start to feel tingles, tiny sparks of electricity.
Guanlin’s heart squeezes at the action, and he feels light-headed. He can hear sirens blaring in his ears and he’s sure to combust at any moment.
Error404. Guanlin.exe has stopped working.
Damn, he really has it bad for Seonho.
Before he does something stupid that he might regret, he snaps out of his trance, although he’s still a bit red in the face.
“Ugh, fine, you oversized child. Now stop whining and get off me,” he says as he ruffles Seonho’s hair.
Guanlin gives himself a pat on the back for not stuttering.
“Really?! Yay! I knew you’d come around soon enough hyung-nim,” Seonho beams at him as he lets go and removes himself from the older’s personal space.
The older hums as he gets up. “More like you’d disturb everyone in the building from your whining. I am sacrificing my life for thousands.” When he reaches the ramyun cupboard, he reaches all the way back, which was usually reserved for the younger’s midnight snack raids.
Seonho laughs, “You’re so dramatic hyung.” He leisurely swings his legs back and forth, resting his arms on the table, then his head on top.
As Guanlin waits for the ramyun to cook, he can’t help but steal a few glances from the younger. Seonho is relaxed, a smile on his face and his eyes closed. The smile is small, but it’s enough for the corners of his mouth to curl up cutely like it always does.
Guanlin wants to do nothing but to touch said corners and squish his cheeks as the younger smiles up at him.
He blushes and shakes his head at the thought.
But his mind betrays him.
Someday, the small voice in his head says.
After the spicy ramyun is done, he sets it in front of Seonho and jokingly places the chopsticks on top of the younger’s head. He gets a small groan of complaint, but it gets swallowed from the sounds of delight from finally getting to eat.
He finishes his food just as quick as it was cooked, but he stops from time to time to complain to Guanlin about the new trainees, his vocal lessons, and the past dramas he has been in. All the while, his cheeks puff slightly as he talks.
The older hums and nods when prompted, smiling in endearment. He’s glad to enjoy the small moments he still has with his best friend like this. Catching up on what they missed out on, laughing at the same old jokes only they would understand.
Nothing much has really changed here, and Guanlin is happy for that.