+ Drop It Like It's Hot [2PM]
Title: Drop It Like It's Hot
Rating: PG
Characters: Taec + everyone else. OT7-era.
Word Count: ~1900
Notes: Inspiration. Brofic, sort-of almost not quite Taecjay and maybe possibly not quite bordering on cracky.
Summary: "You know we have to do it," he says quietly, trying to overcome days' worth of immaturity, trying to ride the fine line between pragmatism and condescension. "Can we just try to have fun with it?"
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Taec is directly in the middle of trying to avoid Jay when he steps out of his room and quite literally runs into him in the hall.
"Uh," says Jay, taking a step back, pulling his cap down lower over his eyes. Taec notes vaguely that it's the blue one that says homeboy, the one Taec got him last year in Boston (because that's apparently where all the homeboys are). It's a bit big but Jay wears it anyway, seeming to like the way it fits over the tips of his ears. So no-one can see when they turn red, maybe. "Sup."
"Hey," Taec responds awkwardly. He has absolutely no idea what to do with his hands. He puts them in his pockets and then on his hips and then crosses them, but aside from that, neither of them budge.
The silence wears on, and Taec wonders if he should try to say anything else, if there is anything else to say, but then, like he has an inbuilt radar, Junsu emerges from the kitchen behind Jay and barges past him to slap Taec on the arm.
"Yah," Junsu says, "yah yah yah." More slapping.
"What?" Taec says, finally looking at him, and Jay takes the opportunity to escape, latching onto Junho's shoulders and jumping on him, ignoring his feeble protests and forcing him down the hallway.
"I need one of my drawers back," Junsu says loudly, holding up a giant package of newly-delivered clothing. "I've run out of room."
Taec stares, but Junsu is looking at him very seriously from under his fringe. "I only have two," Taec says slowly.
"I know." And then Junsu brightens. "Or I could have the bottom bunk!"
Taec manages to squeeze all of his underwear into one drawer just before Minjae hustles them out of the dorm.
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"You guys should talk about this," Khun says, shifting around, trying to get comfortable in the tiny amount of space he has been allotted between Taec and the door. He angles his body sideways and jabs his knee into the driver's seat in the process. Minjae grunts in pain but everyone ignores him. "You need to figure it out. It's making it hard on the rest of us."
"I'm trying," Taec points out. He motions to Jay sitting right up front, even though he could have had Chansung's spot on Taec's other side. "He's the one who keeps avoiding me."
"Yeah and pointing fingers is really mature."
Khun shakes his head and Taec would start making fun of how motherly Khun's being if he wasn't being scolded like a misbehaving pet. "We're dealing with it, okay?"
"You're obviously not." Khun frowns, and for a moment it seems like he's going to say something more, but then his lips press together tightly and Taec turns to see Jay watching them, eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Taec rolls his eyes and stuffs his earphones in, leaning on Chansung's shoulder and closing his eyes.
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Taec is sitting directly opposite Wooyoung, so when the radio host asks about any tensions in the group he immediately knows that Wooyoung is going to say something. Wooyoung seems to relish any opportunity to make his fellow members feel uncomfortable under the guise of good entertainment and Taec is used to watching for the certain evil gleam his eyes take on whenever he's planning something.
"Ohhh," Wooyoung says, like he's really thinking about it, and from the corner of his eye Taec can see Jay staring into space and completely unaware of what's about to happen. If they were actually on speaking terms he'd kick him under the table or something to try and warn him, but as it is-
"Usually Taec-hyung and Jaebum-hyung are close, but right now they're fighting."
Of course, the host pounces on this piece of information, immediately asking a million questions. Taec stares at Wooyoung, silently wondering why, but Wooyoung just stares back, kind of menacingly (or the best he can manage, since he face is particularly swollen today) and then Taec remembers-he ate the last piece of chicken at lunch, which he was specifically told to save for Wooyoung.
Taec shivers.
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Jay's version of damage control leaves a lot to be desired in that it pretty much consists of making animal noises into the microphone, so Taec eventually mans up and covers for them, inventing something about Jay stealing his underwear (believable, yet not too incriminating). Khun obviously feels sorry for him too, and contributes a story about his own underwear that distracts the host long enough for them all to move on.
Wooyoung proceeds to look particularly satisfied for the rest of the interview, and Taec really wants to deal with him personally, but as soon as they finish thanking almost everybody in the entire radio station they're shipped off to a studio for a photoshoot and Taec is convinced that Wooyoung is part ninja-not only does he somehow manage to sit as far away from Taec as possible in the van, but as soon as they arrive he disappears and Taec barely sees him through the whole shoot.
It doesn't help that Wooyoung seems to have enlisted the help of the other members, either. Taec knows for a fact that Khun was lying when he said Wooyoung was dead earlier, and right now he's pretty sure Junho's harbouring him in the disabled toilets and only pretending he's blocking the door because he's tired. (Taec thinks that as celebrities, they should really be much better at lying.)
"It's true, though," Junho insists, stretching exaggeratedly, yawning, "today's been really long."
Taec advances forward, arms extended outwards in a choking motion, and Junho drops all pretences, crossing his arms defensively but not moving aside.
"You're not even really angry at Wooyoungie, so I don't know why you're taking it out on him."
"Because-"
"We all know something's happening with you and Jay-hyung, and we all know that's why you're annoyed, so you should stop bringing us into it."
Taec deflates a little. Of course Junho is right. He spends far too much time contemplating philosophies and taking photos of pigeons not to be. (Briefly, Taec wonders when the younger members started disrespecting him so much. Probably when he got very drunk a couple of years ago and spent all night alternating between throwing up and warbling girl group songs.)
Taec turns and walks away without further argument, but when he 'accidentally' shoves Wooyoung over in their 'playful' group shot later, no-one says a word.
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Taec generally likes photoshoots because their erratic nature allows for quite a lot of nap time, but this time it's that very quality that works against him when, straight afterwards, they have to go to dance practice and he can barely keep his eyes open.
What makes it worse is that he's practicing for a special stage with Jay and Chansung. Jay, who is being stupidly awkward with him, and Chansung, who is incredibly emotionally sensitive but who is also probably the worst mediator in history (Taec knows this from experiences he'd rather not rehash).
They're going through the choreography for the fifth time when Taec screws up on the same move, and Jay, frustrated, requests a bathroom break. Taec takes the opportunity to gulp down an entire bottle of water. Chansung appears next to him and offers him another, towelling off his own hair.
"Thanks," Taec says, and rips the lid off the new bottle before he dumps it over his head.
Chansung just watches him, leaning against the wall, and Taec can see the expression on his face in their reflection of the mirror. He looks worried in a way that maknaes never should, and Taec feels guilty.
"It's fine," he says. Chansung nods, although he's very obviously unconvinced. "It is. This is just temporary, we'll fix it Chansung-ah."
"I feel like my parents are fighting," Chansung says wryly. "And before you ask, no, you're not the father."
Taec glares at him before springing forwards and pretending to slap him, which turns into a wrestling match that goes on for a while but stops almost guiltily as soon as Jay returns.
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They push through, and Taec finally gets it, and pretty soon Chansung is dismissed, but then their acrobatics instructor tells Taec and Jay to stay behind and practice their new move for the ending of 10 Points.
The new move they were given the other day. The move that freaked Jay out. The move that they tried to think wasn't all that bad until they actually tried it and Taec accidentally grabbed mini-Jay. The move that has caused all of this tension between them.
Taec gulps and looks at Jay. Jay stares at the ground. Taec decides that something must be done.
"You know we have to do it," he says quietly, trying to overcome days' worth of immaturity, trying to ride the fine line between pragmatism and condescension. "Can we just try to have fun with it?"
Jay lets out a laugh that sounds on its way to hysterical. "Fun? You're my homie, Taec, but there are lines." He frowns and rests back against the wall, looking so troubled Taec can't help but feel sorry for him.
He leans next to him, bending a knee to press his foot to the wall, considering. "Well," he says slowly, "pretend I'm a girl, if you think it'll help."
"You? A girl?" Jay tilts his head, looks at him for a few moments, and bursts out laughing-mocking, this time, and Taec wonders at the differences in opinion between his two bandmates. "Seriously, thanks for the thought, but you are way too huge for anyone to imagine you're a chick."
"Sooyoung's pretty tall. Or Sulli. Or Seohyun. Or-"
"Yeah," he interrupts, "but they do not have giant arms, abs, and a dick."
"As far as you know," Taec shoots back, and Jay punches him in the shoulder. Then something seems to occur to him because he pulls away suddenly, looking really suspicious, and Taec can just see the word 'conspiracy' flashing through his mind.
"Why have you been so calm about this, anyway?"
Taec blinks. "Um. Because I don't care?"
Jay narrows his eyes, stepping closer to flick Taec's ear. "What?"
"One," Taec says clearly, pressing himself flat to the wall, because Jay clearly doesn't realize how close they are night now, "we have no choice. Jinyoung-hyung seems to feel the need to torture us and we kind of have to bear it. Two, the fans'll dig it, and three, it's you." He shrugs, trying to explain his feelings in a way that won't freak Jay out. "You're my brother, and I love you. This isn't an issue for me."
Jay deflates. "Why do you always have to be so fucking practical?"
Taec grins. "We all complement each other." He places his hands on Jay's shoulders and slowly pushes him backwards. Jay finally notices their proximity and yanks himself away and Taec indicates to the middle of the studio. "Shall we?"
Jay pauses, then sighs. "Fine. But if I feel anything nasty-"
"I'll drop you straight away," Taec promises.
Jay seems more satisfied with his answer than Taec would have thought.
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