EXO and Kim Jongin (I)
Title: EXO and kim jongin
Summary: The moment when each exo members goes through a period of falling in love or loving kim jongin.
Pairing: suho/kai (sukai)
Rating: G-PG (varies from story to story)
Notes: i think it’s pretty obvious from this soon to be eleven/twelve shot story that my bias is jongin. i am guilty of that crime but he’s precious so... :) happy super belated birthday kim joonmyeon <3 i love you and your sparkles but why did your birthday fall in the middle of my exams ;~;
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there are times when joonmyeon feels so tired and he feels so much regret in ever trying out for sm, in getting into exo because every day is a new day for new aches to settle in his muscles, in disappointing his parents who wanted him to do more than become an idol. it’s times like this when he feels that bone-deep weariness of leading eleven boys with a smile pasted on his face and a generated personality stuck to his body and mind. but sometimes, all it takes for him to realise that the regret and tiredness and aches are worth it is when he goes on stage and the fans are screaming for him, for them, for exo, when the members stay up to watch their counterparts in china doing their best, when the members spend quality time together and smile and laugh. but most importantly, when jongin tells him, “exo will be greater than we are now hyung,”
there are times when the weariness and depression goes beyond what the fans and members can do. there are times when joonmyeon curls up in bed, make up still on his face and feeling like an entire make up shop has been thrown onto his face as his body aches from the day’s strenuous schedules and wonders if he’s doing a good enough job being exo’s leader and guardian, if he’s doing a good enough job of helping the members through their own worries. it’s always at times like this when he hears the door to his room that he shares with sehun opening quietly, the soft shuffling of feet making their way over to his bed and a weight settles on his bed, a warm body shifting to fit himself around the leader. there’s a smile on the person’s face as he finally settles, gentle and soft, tangling their legs together and hands reaching out twine with joonmyeon’s. there’s silence, quiet, comforting silence and they breathe evenly. joonmyeon closes his eyes and hears his heart beat loudly in his ears and slowly, bit by bit, that weariness and depression slowly washes out. joonmyeon is glad to have him here, just lying with him as he works through his issues with no questions asked. by the end of it, he smiles, bright and wide, leans in and presses their foreheads together and says softly, “thanks jongin-ah,”
it’s a known fact that joonmyeon smiles. a lot. he smiles at chanyeol’s cheeky antics and bright, happy virus. he smiles at how sehun is really adorable especially when flustered because that’s when his lisp becomes more obvious. he smiles when kyungsoo takes the effort to cook for them despite how tired he is so they don’t forget what it’s like to have a homecooked meal. he smiles when baekhyun comes back after vocal practice, excited because he’s managed to hit that high note he’s been trying to achieve for a while now. but most of all, joonmyeon smiles the most at - for - jongin and his awkward shyness and the way he’s always blunt to the members but they know he cares in his own, shy way of his. he smiles at jongin’s drive to be perfect that puts everyone else to shame. joonmyeon forces himself to smile though, when jongin over strains himself and injures his knee and waist because the dancer feels like he isn’t enough and has something to prove. joonmyeon forces himself to smile when jongin tries to straighten up again, refusing medical help because he’s just that stubborn. it’s times like this when joonmyeon asserts his leaderly power and takes jongin by the arm and drags him off, mindful of the younger’s injury and pulls him into the dressing room, closing the door. he’ll sit with him, hold the younger close. “you’re perfect already jongin-ah. stop pushing yourself so hard,” joonmyeon will tell him, mindfully ignoring the warmth that trickles from his shoulder and pools in the hollow of his collarbones, gently smoothing down jongin’s hair but it tells him all he needs to know. that jongin was just looking for some sort of reassurance.
there are also times when joonmyeon plays favourites more obviously than normal because he feels such love for their second maknae swelling up his heart and sending butterflies tumbling in his stomach. he feels it especially during SMTown when their all backstage after the show, sweating with wide smiles threatening to split their faces, their voices loud amongst all buzz because everyone is coming down from the performance high.
joonmyeon is talking to wufan who has zitao attached to his arm, chattering a mile a minute in mandarin although wufan is ignoring him in favour of listening to joonmyeon. joonmyeon is laughing at something wufan did to zitao when he feels a tug on his sleeve. he turns and sees a bashful jongin holding a rose and throwing dirty looks at minseok and luhan who are snickering like naughty little children. “what---” he asks but jongin interrupts, blurting out a shy, “happy birthday hyung. it’s probably earlier because of the time difference but i just wanted to wish you before we got back and get caught up with schedules----”
joonmyeon laughs, ruffling his hair fondly. “you’re rambling jongin-ah,” he says, taking the rose from the blushing dancer and pulling him into a one armed hug. jongin hides his face in the leader’s shoulder. “don’t play favourites guardian-sshi,” wufan rumbles, a knowing smile on his face. joonmyeon gives zitao a pointed look. “look who’s talking,”
“kiss him!” jongdae shouts cheekily, draping himself over minseok who is beside himself with joy. jongin groans from where he has taken permanent residence hiding from the playful exo members. joonmyeon chuckles and tugs gently on jongin’s curly locks to get his attention. when he looks up, the leader leans in and presses a short, sweet kiss to the corner of the dancer’s mouth, amidst the loud whoops coming mostly from the three main culprits who had most probably made jongin play a game of kaibaibo and lost because the maknae dancer is terrible at that game.
later when they’re walking to the buses, less sweaty but still happy all the same, jongin tells joonmyeon shyly, “you’re my favourite hyung,” and he leans down, pressing a kiss to the leader’s cheek, fleeting like butterfly wings brushing across his skin before looking away, cheeks dusted a light pink. joonmyeon laughs softly, heart fluttering, tucking jongin to his side, arm holding onto the younger’s waist almost possessively and presses their cheeks together. “you’re my favourite dongsaeng,” just a they are blinded by a flash.
they look up, startled and they spot a gleeful jongdae, waving two polaroid pictures at them as luhan complains, “jonginnie! i thought i was your favourite hyung!”
everyone laughs and joonmyeon squeezes jongin, grinning cheekily at luhan. “you’ve been demoted lulu-hyung,”
And there are also times when jongin isn’t around and joonmyeon falls into one of those moods. all it takes to lift his spirits again and smile is just by opening his wallet, a picture of jongin’s lips pressed to his cheeks as he smiles brightly looking up at him.
joonmyeon supposes somewhere along the way six to seven years ago after meeting jongin, he’d slowly started falling in love with the second maknae. but really, no one needs to know especially not the boy in question and the members because as leader he’s not supposed to play favourites.
.end