Ship/Member: Seungcheol/Joshua Major Tags: N/A Additional Tags: idolverse, yoon jeonghan as omnipresent third in chlsu’s relationship Permission to remix: Yes
***
Southern California is known for its beautiful beaches. Joshua has always looked at home in the water, placid in the gentle push and pull of the waves. These are two separate facts in Seungcheol’s mind that only take root in each other once they’re finishing up the US leg of the Ode to You tour, married in the flex of Joshua’s back muscles as he dives into the open embrace of the Pacific.
Seungcheol watches him shove Chan’s head under the water even as he’s supposed to be focusing on rubbing sunscreen into Jeonghan’s back. Jeonghan makes a fussy, displeased noise when Seungcheol rubs up too high on his neck and gets some of the cream caught in the hairs growing at the base.
“Joshua really likes to swim, huh,” he says, in place of an apology.
Jeonghan hums. “Apparently kids here practically grow up in the water,” he says. “Shua was a lifeguard in high school.”
Seungcheol’s hand stills. Even in the dying light of late afternoon, the sand burns against the soles of his feet. “Oh. I didn’t know that.” I feel like I should’ve known that, he doesn’t say.
Jeonghan twists around to look at him then, neither pitying nor condemning. More like he’s looking straight through him, as if Seungcheol is no more opaque than a sheet of glass, in the way he does. In the distance, the familiar sound of Joshua’s laughter bubbles among the warbling waves, but it sounds different, somehow. Bigger. Freer.
“You could ask him about it,” says Jeonghan. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind telling you.”
Seungcheol looks away and at the horizon instead, watery line distorted by the slow descent of the sun. In the middle of splashing the other members, Joshua catches his eye and waves.
--
Joshua eases the door of Seungcheol and Jeonghan’s hotel room open just a crack, enough for his face to show but not much else. Seungcheol sits on the edge of the bed closest to the window and looks up when he hears the noise, hands pausing in the middle of toweling his hair dry.
Joshua’s hand rests on the door handle, ready to pull it closed again at the slightest indication. It’s the same Joshua, but he looks smaller than he did at the beach, even as he’s closer now. Seungcheol wonders if it’s always been like this, Joshua hovering at the edges of spaces he’s not sure he’s allowed to be in. More than he wants to swing the door wide open and pull him in, he wants Joshua to do it himself.
Between them lies Jeonghan, starfished out on the other bed. “What’s up,” he says, dropping his phone on his stomach and pushing himself up onto his elbows.
“I’m going for dinner with my family now,” says Joshua. “Everyone else already went out to explore the city, but there are extra seats at the table if either of you want to join.”
“Mmm, I’m tired,” says Jeonghan, falling back into the sheets. He picks his phone up again. “Gonna have an early night.”
“I’ll go,” Seungcheol says haltingly, eyes defaulting to Jeonghan in his confusion. Jeonghan loves Joshua’s mom almost as much as she loves him.
Jeonghan looks over at him, arching an eyebrow at him where Joshua can’t see behind the shield of his phone. Almost expectant. Seungcheol puzzles over the lines of his expression, familiar letters arranged in a message he can read but not comprehend—and then it clicks.
“I’ll go,” he repeats, gaze sliding from Jeonghan—who returns his attention to his phone, satisfied—to Joshua. The towel falls to the bed. “I’m ready to go whenever.”
When Joshua smiles, emotions both familiar and not mix together at the corner of his lips. Seungcheol doesn’t know how to read this smile, but he wants to learn. “Now’s good, then.”
“Say hi to your parents for me,” Jeonghan says absently. “Tell your mom I miss her.”
“She’ll be sad you’re not there,” says Joshua, but he’s still looking at Seungcheol.
“I’ll send you twenty billion selcas before I pass out, you can show them to her,” says Jeonghan. “Now get out and go have fun. Eat a lot.”
He gives Seungcheol a friendly smack on the ass as he walks by. Seungcheol slaps his arm back in retaliation, lightly.
“Let’s go,” he says. Joshua pushes the door open wider.
[FILL] we only grow when the light rises
Major Tags: N/A
Additional Tags: idolverse, yoon jeonghan as omnipresent third in chlsu’s relationship
Permission to remix: Yes
***
Southern California is known for its beautiful beaches. Joshua has always looked at home in the water, placid in the gentle push and pull of the waves. These are two separate facts in Seungcheol’s mind that only take root in each other once they’re finishing up the US leg of the Ode to You tour, married in the flex of Joshua’s back muscles as he dives into the open embrace of the Pacific.
Seungcheol watches him shove Chan’s head under the water even as he’s supposed to be focusing on rubbing sunscreen into Jeonghan’s back. Jeonghan makes a fussy, displeased noise when Seungcheol rubs up too high on his neck and gets some of the cream caught in the hairs growing at the base.
“Joshua really likes to swim, huh,” he says, in place of an apology.
Jeonghan hums. “Apparently kids here practically grow up in the water,” he says. “Shua was a lifeguard in high school.”
Seungcheol’s hand stills. Even in the dying light of late afternoon, the sand burns against the soles of his feet. “Oh. I didn’t know that.” I feel like I should’ve known that, he doesn’t say.
Jeonghan twists around to look at him then, neither pitying nor condemning. More like he’s looking straight through him, as if Seungcheol is no more opaque than a sheet of glass, in the way he does. In the distance, the familiar sound of Joshua’s laughter bubbles among the warbling waves, but it sounds different, somehow. Bigger. Freer.
“You could ask him about it,” says Jeonghan. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind telling you.”
Seungcheol looks away and at the horizon instead, watery line distorted by the slow descent of the sun. In the middle of splashing the other members, Joshua catches his eye and waves.
--
Joshua eases the door of Seungcheol and Jeonghan’s hotel room open just a crack, enough for his face to show but not much else. Seungcheol sits on the edge of the bed closest to the window and looks up when he hears the noise, hands pausing in the middle of toweling his hair dry.
Joshua’s hand rests on the door handle, ready to pull it closed again at the slightest indication. It’s the same Joshua, but he looks smaller than he did at the beach, even as he’s closer now. Seungcheol wonders if it’s always been like this, Joshua hovering at the edges of spaces he’s not sure he’s allowed to be in. More than he wants to swing the door wide open and pull him in, he wants Joshua to do it himself.
Between them lies Jeonghan, starfished out on the other bed. “What’s up,” he says, dropping his phone on his stomach and pushing himself up onto his elbows.
“I’m going for dinner with my family now,” says Joshua. “Everyone else already went out to explore the city, but there are extra seats at the table if either of you want to join.”
“Mmm, I’m tired,” says Jeonghan, falling back into the sheets. He picks his phone up again. “Gonna have an early night.”
“I’ll go,” Seungcheol says haltingly, eyes defaulting to Jeonghan in his confusion. Jeonghan loves Joshua’s mom almost as much as she loves him.
Jeonghan looks over at him, arching an eyebrow at him where Joshua can’t see behind the shield of his phone. Almost expectant. Seungcheol puzzles over the lines of his expression, familiar letters arranged in a message he can read but not comprehend—and then it clicks.
“I’ll go,” he repeats, gaze sliding from Jeonghan—who returns his attention to his phone, satisfied—to Joshua. The towel falls to the bed. “I’m ready to go whenever.”
When Joshua smiles, emotions both familiar and not mix together at the corner of his lips. Seungcheol doesn’t know how to read this smile, but he wants to learn. “Now’s good, then.”
“Say hi to your parents for me,” Jeonghan says absently. “Tell your mom I miss her.”
“She’ll be sad you’re not there,” says Joshua, but he’s still looking at Seungcheol.
“I’ll send you twenty billion selcas before I pass out, you can show them to her,” says Jeonghan. “Now get out and go have fun. Eat a lot.”
He gives Seungcheol a friendly smack on the ass as he walks by. Seungcheol slaps his arm back in retaliation, lightly.
“Let’s go,” he says. Joshua pushes the door open wider.