The Truth About Leader Jaebum Part 5B (continued)
Practice was a disaster. Nobody was paying attention and everyone kept bumping into each other. Sweaty limbs touching others. The salty liquid flying around the room. It all but sent Jay into a cootie induced panic attack. He was seriously considering wearing a raincoat to all future practices.
“Okay guys, let’s take a break since you are all so hopeless today.” Jaebum was tired, hungry and irritated. He hurried to unpack his towel and wipe off any renegade sweat from his band mates.
“Hey guys I packed the food I made for dinner last night. Let’s have a snack and try to get a boost,” Taecyeon pulled out some Tupperware and the seven boys settled on the floor like a little picnic. Wooyoung and Chansung sat between Nichkhun and Taecyeon. Junsu sat on the other side of Taecyeon and Junho on his other side. Jay sat between his baby and his best friend, completing the circle.
For several minutes the snack time went by in silence until Jay decided he preferred the past chaos to this uncomfortable, eerie, quiet. “Okay boys and beasts, we are going to use this break time productively.” He scanned the face of his band members and knew he need to push his authority card. He stood, making himself just that little bit taller than the seated boys. “I want to hear apologies and I want to hear forgiveness because I’ll be damned if we end up looking like dicks during tomorrow’s performance because none of you know how to play nice. Understand?”
The room remain deathly quiet; adding to Jay’s irritableness. Jaebum has always been a fan of shock treatment. To show how serious he is; he ripped his shirt in two; like in countless performances.
“Arasso, Hulk. Don’t turn green on us.” Chansung was still a bit bitter about his morning wake-up call from his hyung. “I’ll start.” He may me the maknae, but he knew how to be mature - when the occasion called for it. Jay plopped back down with a pout. Now he felt like fail and he was ridiculously cold. What is with this air conditioner. God my nipples could cut diamonds! This is so embarrassing, I am supposed to be their leader. Jaebum then inconspicuously crossed his arms against his chest.
“Junsu-hyung. I am sorry if I hurt your feelings yesterday night. I do like you. I think you sing really well and have a cute smile.”
“Me too hyung!” Wooyoung piped up. “And you have pretty hair. We just got jealous, because…” He looked over to Junho and then to Chansung next to him, who nodded. “We love Junho . Like that.” He took a deep breath. “And since it is still new and we never said those words until I blurted it now, like a pabo, we were worried you guys may get to close.” Wooyoung was blushing too much to go on and began to fan himself, mostly due to the heated gaze Junho was sending him. Was he mad or turned on? Either way Wooyoung found it very hot. Chansung took that as a cue and continued.
“You guys are called the Jun brothers for more than just your names. But we know that it was stupid to not trust the both of you so we are very sorry to you both.”
The two boys went on their knees and bowed. They were obvious sorry and regretful and missing their baby Junho. Nichkhun with held a scoff. He felt the bow was overdoing it, but if it brought back Junsu’s happy humming during breaks, then Nichkhun guessed he could stomach the overkill.
Silence returned to the group and Jay fell over to his side, his head causing a loud ‘thud’ to ring through the practice room. “I said I wanted to hear forgiving too!” He came out as more of a whine than a command.
There were a few sniffles, then Junsu launched himself at the pair of apologetic men, sufficiently glomping them. “I forgive you guys. That was just so beautiful~!” Junsu was still a romantic.
“Junho.” Jaebum was still on his side in a silent protest. He wanted his boys to all get along, damn it!
Junho stood abruptly, causing Jay to look up. Junho then walked around the circle of men to the two in question and proceeded to give each man the sloppiest and most tongue filled kiss that he could. Oh the cootie horror! His poor tainted baby Junho, it was all over now. “Good enough for you Bummie-hyung?”
“Bb-bummie?” Taecyeon was not pleased. First he calls him baby and them he gets called Bummie? Jaebum scowled at his, not pleased after the blatant cootie-swapping display. Taecyeon dropped it, decided revenge should come in another form.
“Well, Bummie, your next.” Only a little bit of acid dripped from Taecyeon’s mouth and Nichkhun knew he was in for a show.
“Excuse me?” Jaebum shot up straight in his seat.
“Apologize.” He was completely serious.
“To whom?” he was in complete disbelief at his boyfriend’s behavior.
“Junsu, Junho, Wooyoung, Chansung, Nichkhun, oh and me.”
“Bwoh?” The indignation.
“You caused this fiasco. So apologizing should be a nice end to it all, no?”
“No.” Jay deadpanned.
“No?”
“No. This is all Khun’s fault!” Nichkhun had been leisurely sitting back through all the entertainment, until now. Some best friend Jay was.
“I think Appa is going to beat Noona and then show Umma a thing or two.” Junho whispered to his reconciled mates. Jaebum, Nichkhun and Taecyeon began to argue amongst themselves, standing now.
“Umma? I thought Jay was a single father?” Wooyoung sneaked an arm around Junho’s waist and sighed in contentment. Chansung had moved to Junho’s other side and rested his chin on the man’s shoulder.
“Nah, Taecyeon has been upgraded from awkward pubescent guy to Umma. See he cooks for us now too!” Junho picked up a piece of kimbap as proof and popped it onto his mouth, chewing gingerly.
“You did this to get back at Nichkhun.”
“I did not!”
“No? Are you sure you just don’t want your precious baby Junho to know that you are just as sneaky as Khun?”
“Baby?” Junsu finally spoke up, head tilted in the most adorable way - well to Nichkhun anyways.
“Like he was my own kid!” Jaebum was surprised and just a little turned on by Taecyeon’s jealousy, did he owe this to Nichkhun as well?
“Told you he was the appa.” Junho said mostly unconcerned with the fight and more concern with eating and feeding his boyfriends, smile never leaving his face.
“Besides, Nichkhun started this all by convincing Junsu to give vocal lessons and I was only trying to bring it full circle by being a good friend!” Wasn’t this already obvious?
“Jaebum, stop digging your grave and apologize.” Nichkhun all but sighed, thoroughly annoyed.
“Then you apologize first!” Jay exclaimed.
“How is making Junsu and Junho cry called being a friend?” Taecyeon was not backing down.
“I was trying to make Khun jealous so the pabo would finally confess his undying love for Junsu like he did for us! God talk about being ungrateful!” Jay flailed his arms in the air and accidently flashed his boyfriend his sculpted torso. Apparently horny Taecyeon plus angry Taecyeon equals ferocious Taecyeon. “You should have helped me -” Taecyeon pounced on Jay. Well it was more like his face pounced on Jaebum’s and there was a lot of slobber.
“Meep!” Was all the Junsu said. Nichkhun would have found it adorable or at least tried to explain himself if he wasn’t trying to save his friend from being mauled. Crazy or not, Jaebum was the only best friend he had.
Taecyeon finally let himself be pulled off when his lungs needed fresh air. Jay was still like a statue. Until is picked up a handful of kimbap and threw it at his boyfriend. “Cooties!” no one could tell if he was mad, joking, or had finally cracked. Everyone stayed still.
“You almost let us break up for some sort of feud?” Wooyoung tossed some food at the leader.
“I fixed it now didn’t I? And isn’t it for the best since it forced you guys to come out?”
“You are unbelievable.” Taecyeon was so deadpan about it, no one knew if he meant the kiss or Jay’s refusal to admit his part in the misunderstandings.
“You stay away from me, you molester!” Jay moved over to Nichkhun.
“You like me too?” Junsu could care less about the others right now. Finally Nichkhun loves him back!
“Jay is a liar?” Nichkhun was in shock, did Junsu really like him? Was this crazy situation actually happening?
“I am not!” Jaebum spoke from his hiding place behind the Thai man.
“Nichkhun Noona you are so mean to Junsu Noona!” Junho threw some food at Nichkhun. Junho was so serious that Chansung laughed at the cuteness of it.
“Don’t laugh at him for protecting my honor!” It was now Junsu’s turn to throw food and all hell broke loose. The practice room, once pristine, was plastered with food.
“Can we all just agree that Nichkhun started it?” Jaebum said panting on the floor, exhausted.
“Fine, but you made it worse.” Nichkhun agreed.
“Okay. Done.” Jaebum gave up arguing when his limbs collapsed on him.
“You know I am an evil genius not partially for my plotting abilities.”
“I knew it!” Jay was right about at least one conspiracy.
“I told you Nichkhun Noona was sneaky.” Junho was curled between his boyfriends sleepily.
“Please don’t encourage him. I am trying to wean him off conspiracies and cootie fears.”
“You are afraid of cooties?” Junsu always thought of their leader as fearless.
“Does that explain trying to maul his face?” Wooyoung questioned teasingly.
“Maybe, if I’m forgiven?” Taecyeon looked over to Jay and gave him his best ‘aren’t I as cute and Wooyoung and Junho’ aegyo.
“Just give me a warning next time. My face is still in shock and I think I swallowed a liter of your spit!” Taecyeon just gave a goofy proud smile in response to Jaebum’s fake glare. Taecyeon was actually a pretty good kisser - though that was his first kiss due to his phobia.
“Alright, Jaebum-hyung and Nichkhun are the ones at fault here, agreed?” Junsu piped up.
“Agreed!” The rest chorused.
“Okay, you guys can clean this up, while you think about what you’ve done.” Junsu was taking his role as second oldest seriously. The five “innocent” men packed their stuff to go out to eat since their snacks were all over the walls and floor and …ceiling?
“And when we get back I expect an apology and a proper love confession from you, Nichkhun Buck Horvejkul.” Jay snickered as the five paraded out of the room and he was left with his surely bestie.
The two shrugged and began to clean, starting with the ceiling and floor, but they were soon tired to they took a break and began to chat. Lying side by side, one of their rare best friend conversations began.
[This is where the section formerly known as part 5b teaser begins and wraps up this chapter].
“So what made you like Taec in the first place?” Nichkhun attempted to nudge Jay in the side as he lay next to the leader on their practice room floor but his tired muscles were of no use.
“Promise not to laugh?” Jay looked over at Khun, and the younger could see the worry on his leader’s face.
“Sure,” he said, genuinely.
“Promise not to use this against me in the future?” Jay knew Khun, as well as he did the cooties, there was a small part of him that still could not be trusted.
“We’ll see,” an evil smirk gracing his lips.
Jay looked up and over to Khun, scowling.
Nichkhun shrugged. “Well, I have to see how good this is first.”
Jaebum sighed. “The eyebrows.”
“What?” The shocked forced Nichkhun to sit up, as sore as he was.
Jay followed, easing his upper body of the floor. “You know when he waggles them.”
“You can’t be serious,” Nichkhun was fighting the giggles off.
“I mean don’t get me wrong. I love the tall, dark and handsome thing he has going on but there are plenty of guys that fall under that category. His eyebrows and that stupid toothy grin of his make him different.” Jay explained, completely serious, he even had a small smile creeping across his lips as thoughts of Taecyeon began to fill his head.
“I’ll say.” The shock had worn off and evil Khun had returned.
“I mean special,” Jay defended.
“Yeah, I know.” Khun began to lie back down on the floor, unable to support his body anymore not that he was calming down again.
“What I mean is that it is endearing and silly and” - he stopped.
“And?” Nichkhun looked up at Jaebum.
“And”, he sighed,” god I sound like a fucking girl!” He lamented.
“Jay, come on, and what?” He had now resorted to nudging Jay’s leg with his foot. “And what?” he was getting whiny too. He knew how Jay hated his whine.
“It just makes me smile. He makes me happy. I see him - even when he looks like an idiot - ever since day one; he just makes me feel good.” After a moment of silence and reflection; “Tell anyone that, ever, and I swear-”
“I know, I know, you’ll show me how they settle things Seattle style.” he cut Jay off.
“God, how did I end up with a best friend like you?” Jay lay back down next to Nichkhun.
“Karma”. Nichkhun absolutely believed in karma.
“Fuck me!” exclaimed an exasperated Jay; he guessed he would forever be stuck with Nichkhun, world dictator.
Nichkhun giggles, just to piss Jay off.
“So why Junsu? Angel /demon fetish much?” Jay felt that if this was bonding time, he wouldn’t be the only one to share; after all, sharing is caring.
“I guess so.” Nichkhun couldn’t say much else, since he himself was as clueless as Junsu often appeared.
“Fuck off. Really?” Jay flipped over on his stomach to get a better look at Nichkhun’s face and to kick his legs in the air; dating Taec had really made him into a girl. Shit.
“It’s his goodness. It makes me itch.” Khun turned onto his side, head in his hand, weighing heavily on his bent arm.
“Excuse me?” Jay, always the dutiful leader, looked over at the man, examining him for a rash. Khun slapped his tickling hands away.
“It’s like I have this allergic reaction to him. My mouth goes dry and my throat itches and no amount of scratching helps.” He flipped over onto his back once more and stared hard at the ceiling. Yeah, that would stop the blush creeping over his cheeks at the thought of Junsu in that little green couple outfit from idol army.
“So shouldn’t that mean you should stay away from him?” Jay was confused so he poked Khun’s increasingly reddening face.
“Normally, yes.” Again he slapped Jay’s hands away and pouted.
“Ah yes, our Khun is far from normal.” Jay decided to tuck his arms under his body as they seemed to be getting him into trouble as his cootiephobia left him.
“No person has ever had such an intense affect on me. All that sweet, innocent, goodness in him makes him shine in my eyes. It’s kind of addictive.” Khun tossed his arms up in the air, defeated.
“I’ll be sure to ask manager hyung to get you sunglasses and cough drops.” Jay said standing up; they really needed to finish cleaning the room before their manager hyung saw this mess. He held out a hand for Nichkhun to take.
“Ha ha ha, hyung.” Nichkhun said, deadpanned, accepting his hyung’s hand. Maybe Jay was getting better; then again, the elder was now wiping his hand on his shirt. “Yah! What the difference between my cooties and Taecyeon’s?”
“I told you already, I love him more than you. Jesus Khun for an evil genius you sure are slow on the uptake.” With that the boys were running around the practice room, not cleaning up the mess they left.