Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The breakroom was an awful shade of eggshell white. Bright fluorescent lights overhead only added to the dreary feeling of being trapped and held hostage. Of course that was the standard for a law office setting. The workspace needed to remain professional and that meant not an ounce of fun. As much as that would normally be the case, today was different. Vibrant shades of blue, red, and yellow balloons were bundled together at either ends of a makeshift banner. Each sheet of paper, that was clearly borrowed from their office supplies, had a single capitalized letter but when arranged together it read, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY YEOSANG” A store bought sheet cake with the same colors of frosting against the plain white background read the same and sat at one of the tables in the breakroom. The smell of freshly brewed coffee cut against the sickly sugary bomb that dropped when the man responsible for the decorations pried open the plastic box.

 “Oh my gosh! Hongjoong! How did you remember when no one else did?” Yeosang, the office receptionist, clasped his hands together by his lips. His mouth agape in awe at such a kind gesture. He always had this sort of airiness aura surrounding them. Lighthearted, kind, but still able to command a room when he walked in. It was refreshing to always see his face as the first one when you walked into the law firm. 

Hongjoong grinned. “No one deserves to feel forgotten on such an important day, right?” he responded. The firm’s head paralegal set the plastic lid on the empty table beside him. Kim Hongjoong was the total package of a man. Responsible, deligent, and not mention easy on the eyes. One would say his only flaw was that he wasn’t six feet tall but you win some and lose some, right? Dark brown eyes caught a glimpse of his favorite coworker, Jongho, realizing that even he forgot such an important day. The younger’s facial expressions said it all. 

When Jongho first started interning for the firm, it was obvious he had the biggest crush on Yeosang. At least to Hongjoong it was painfully obvious. Jongho always took Yeosang’s coffee order first, brought Yeosang his lunch first, spent any free moment he could talking to the blonde beauty at the front desk. After spending so much time together these past three months, this sort of knowledge should have been memorized. 

“Actually, Jongho helped me out.” Hongjoong chimed. Yeosang turned  on his heel to look at Jongho. The younger was once hunched over but now stood taller, tugging at the bottom of his suit coat. Yeosang gave him a warm smile. “Thank you Jongho. This is incredibly sweet of you.” Jongho’s cheeks tinted with the lightest shade of pink. He awkwardly cleared his throat and nodded. “Y-yeah! Of course! I blew the balloons after all.” his chest puffed out as Yeosang chuckled and left for a moment to fetch his phone. 

“I owe you my life.”

“Big time.”

A deep sigh filled the empty space of his personal office as Hongjoong sat on his leather chair. The room was a light shade of gray that went well with the accented oak desk and bookshelves. Each shelf lined with binders and folders of paperwork as far as his eyes could see. It was mundane and lacked luster but that was who Hongjoong was. Always keeping things organized and tidy. The custodians always wondered how there was never a spec of dust in the room at how well kept it was. Even the slice of cake that he sat down besides the white sheets of paper covered in black ink was a square of white frosting with  vanilla cake. (He didnt want food coloring to stain his pearly white teeth)

Time flew by faster than Hongjoong realized. He was buried nose deep into one of his books until the knock on his door drew his attention. “Hyuuuuuung. Earth to Hongjoong hyung,” the culprit of disturbing his peace, Jongho, called out. “Remember you need to go outside and see the world beyond these walls?” He teased. The younger already had his briefcase in hand. His lips parted to add more but Yeosang’s voice cut through the air. “Oh you’re asking Hongjoong hyung to join us tonight?” the secretary smiled. Jongho froze while Hongjong's brow perked in curiosity. “No? Ask me what?” His eyes shifted from Yeosang to Jongho. What else was he supposed to do for this poor kid now? “We were going to go out to eat at that one spot around the corner. You should join us.” Yeosang’s smile outshined everything in the gloomy office. 

Once again, leave it to Hongjoong to solve the issue and help Jongho’s love life. “Ah. I can’t. I’m sorry Yeosang. I have plans already.” Hongjoong apologized while wrapping his things up. Yeosang pouted. “Oh. That’s too bad. Your schedule is always packed, isnt it?” Hongjoong could only offer a nervous laugh. “Sorta. I’ll rain check? Deal?” he stood up now and bowed his head a bit. The paralegal’s smile was sincere and Yeosang accepted it wholeheartedly. “Deal. See you tomorrow hyung.” Yeosang winked before taking off. Hongjoong’s smile dropped when the blonde walked away. Dark eyes piercing through Jongho’s avoidant gaze. 

“I double owe you my entire life, hyung.” Jongho bowed at the hip a full 90 degrees. His nose perpendicular to the ground. Hongjoong grabbed his own briefcase and waltzed over to the younger still bowing. His rough palm pressed into the crown of his head. Fingers spread themselves far apart as he ruffled Jongho’s slick hair. “Double big time.” Hongjoong laughed as he let go and Jongho stood back up. The two of them met up with Yeosang outside the building, said their goodbyes for the day and went their separate ways. 

Hongjoong’s home wasn’t too far, only a fifteen minute bus ride and ten minute walk from the stop. (Seven minute walk if you walked as fast paced and with a bit of a sway as Kim Hongjoong). At the top of the hill stood his humble abode. A townhouse with the same gray paint that was in his office. The few potted marigolds at the front door brought in a great contrast but still remained simple in their black pots. Inside the home was as organized as his work space. Shoes all organized on the hidden shelves of the case, the floors polished and reflecting the lights above head, every pillow on the couch was facing the same direction and even the books he kept on the coffee table were stacked along the spine and by size. For it only being himself in the house, it was rather big. Of course there was the open floor plan of the kitchen/dining room/ living room, a powder room nearby the entrance of the house. Then upstairs there was the master bedroom, an on suite bathroom, followed by a guest bathroom down the hall. Lastly there was the study and his hobby room. 

As per Hongjoong’s nightly routine, he ate a simple dinner. He wasn’t the best chef but if you gave him a recipe he was sure he could follow it as best as he could. The man took a shower right after he ate. His gaze fixated on himself in the reflection as he took off the collared shirt. Fair skin was exposed and bounced off the lights of the bathroom. As prim and proper as the paralegal was, he was still human. His ears were heavily pierced from his youth. (At the prime age of 30, it felt like eons ago), a tattoo sat on the left side above his rib cage and another above the back of his right ankle. 

Now that he was clean from the day, it was time to spend the rest of his evening the only way he knew how to. Hongjoong looked at the mirror again with a towel hanging around his neck and shoulders. Bright orange hair damp and stuck to his skull like glue. The smell of the touch up dye he used the day before was still in his nose when he showered. His pajamas were simple, black silk top with the top two buttons left undone and the matching shorts that sat at his mid thigh. He hung the towel on its designated hook and opted to grab the lotion that sat on the counter. The man made his way into his hobby room and closed the door behind him, the white bottle still in hand. 

Click.

Hongjoong locked the door behind him. There was an eerie silence left in the house. Everything stood perfectly still that someone walking their dog at this hour would be able to hear a pin drop. A few minutes passed and suddenly there was sound again. The upbeat notes and fast tempo of music trickled through bottom gap of the door. While the rest of the house remained dark, light poured through that same gap. Above the distorted sounds of what could be assumed were singers, was a muffled, sharp and breathless whine. 

“Nggggh…”

Chapter Text

Most days it felt as if Hongjoong had his entire life planned together. The man set himself up with a rigorous schedule that he would follow depending on what was planned for the day. At 3:30am, his alarm blasted through the silent night. The screen of the device lit up the dark room. A recognizable face took up the entirety of it while the word “ALARM” was written across their forehead. “Rise and shine! You’re going to make today sparkle!” a cheerful voice chimed. “Rise and shine! You’re going to ma-” it repeated until there was a soft click to silence it. The screen returned to the simple homescreen wallpaper of the preset galaxy and moon. Hongjoong sat up for a second before slouching over himself. Rough palms dug themselves into his eyes and rubbed the sleep out of them. His hands fell back into his lap while he tried to remember what it was like to be awake and alive again. 

Before he could return to sleep, a sparkling chime rang through his room. His eyes jolted open while his hand swiped his phone. Hongjoong rushed at entering his phone passcode, “0403”, and roughly tapped the screen with such speed and exercised precision. The app he opened was dark at first but then lit up once again. On the other side was a person’s upper half showing. The stranger smiled at the camera. “Good morning,” he hummed. Hongjoong’s heart skipped several beats. “Good morning my radiant beauty. How did you sleep?” he asked with a smile. The other person chuckled, tilting their head slightly. “I haven’t slept yet. We just got done with practice. I was too excited to sleep.” Hongjoong’s brows met at the center of his face in frustration. The emotion was as clear as day at how disappointed he was.

“My star..”

“I know, I know. I promise I’ll go to sleep in a bit. I just wanted to talk to you before I go home." There was a moment of pause before the other person spoke up again. “How was your day? Do you have any plans?” they tilted their head in curiosity.

Hongjoong sighed heavily. His head dropped for a moment before picking it back up to look at his phone again. “You’re lucky I always want to talk to you.” he picked his head back up and chuckled in time for their little giggle to bless his ears. “I have a client meeting today. The one I told you about last time, remember?” the man recalled while the other nodded in agreement. “He finally agreed to being a witness in this upcoming murder trial so it should be smooth sailing from here on out.” he grinned as the other matched the smile. “That’s so great to hear. I hope everything goes well for you.” they hummed. Big sparkling eyes that held every star in them looked into Hongjoong’s very soul. “I have to go now but I will talk to you later. Have a good day Demmies.” the person waved at the camera while Hongjoong waved back. “My day will be the absolute greatest since we were able to talk right when I woke up. Have a good sleep. I love you so much my Diamond. My heart is breaking at the thought of not being able to see you today.” “You know our love can’t be broken, I’ll always be your shining diamond.” They blew a kiss.

The screen still flooded with white texts small enough to cover his Diamond’s torso but never his face. Each word scrolling as fast as the speed of sound until the screen turned entirely white. The smallest ‘THIS LIVE HAS ENDED’ appeared right at the center of his phone. Not that he noticed it. Hongjoong’s thumb pressed on the lock button. His lips curled into a smile while his torso fell back into the softness of his bed.

The phone was clutched close to his heart and the silence of the morning settled back in. At least until Hongjoong laughed in delight like a love struck teenager. The heels of his feet dug into the mattress while his shoulders alternated each hit. The man’s body twisted back and forth at every squeak of joy he let out. He was deepening his laugh lines but he didn’t care. His Diamond would love him any way he looked. The overwhelming feeling that consumed every inch of his body in the knowledge of the shared love needed to be expressed. Hongjoong pulled his phone back up to view and opened his photo app. His finger’s muscle memory kicked in as he opened the only photo album that mattered. Hundreds upon hundreds of the same person at various angles now in his view. The reflection of the phone morphed into hearts in his eyes. Hongjoong sighed dreamily before he locked his phone. If he had it his way, he would be in bed all day admiring his one true love. Sadly, he needed to get the rest of his morning routine started. 

The man yawned as he exited the elevator. Despite being overtaken with joy, it was still a morning coming to work and that was never fun. It was the repetitiveness of the job that got boring sometimes. For example, the moment he walked past the glass doors he would be greeted by Yeosang’s cheerful voice. In three…two…one. The glass door closed behind him but… Hongjoong’s brow rose at the lack of greeting when he entered the suite their law firm was located in. Where was Yeosang? He was always there before anyone else. Shared laughter spilled from behind him as the door accidentally hit Hongjoong’s heel. The tangerine head looked over his shoulder in surprise. 

Jongho had the biggest smile on his face. How could he not? It looked like he had Yeosang eating out of the palm of his hand. The two of them smiling at one another and, were they both holding coffee cups from the same place? The one that was outside Yeosang’s apartment? The youngest still held onto the door handle and looked at who dared burst their bubble of a world. “Oh sh-, I mean, shoot. Oh shoot. Sorry hyung.” Jongho apologized with a bit of a bow. Hongjoong shook his head and waved it off. “It’s alright. You just owe me lunch now.” he said while stepping to the side in to allow the other two to walk in comfortably. “Looks like you’re buying for the three of us then, huh?” Yeosang smiled while he set down his bag at the front desk. 

Clearly Hongjoong had missed something in the development of their relationship. Just yesterday Jongho couldn't look Yeosang in the eye and now they were giggling and eating lunch together? The elder looked at the man of the hour. His round cheeks were bright red when he realized that his hyung had caught on. “Ah, well, yeah. Yeosang hyung,” (Hyung? They were close enough for Jongho to call him hyung?) “and I made a bet at the bar last night. Whoever lost at darts buys lunch.” he finished explaining while Hongjoong nodded. “So I’m guessing you lost?” he concluded but Yeosang spoke up. “No, I did. But after a few drinks Jongho admitted that he didn’t help you set up yesterday and said he would make it up today." Were Yeosang’s cheeks just as pink as Jongho’s when he said that? “Jongho is surprisingly good. I felt like I got hustled.” Yeosang laughed behind his hand. 

“I wasn’t trying to hustle you.” Jongho huffed while crossing his arms over his chest. “The same way you weren’t trying to against that annoying guy?” another chuckle left the blonde that left the youngest exasperated. His arms falling to his sides but still mindful of his hot coffee. “Hey! That guy totally deserved it. He was being super loud and annoying.” Jongho turned his head with a bit of a hmph at the end of it. “Sounds like someone I know.” Hongjoong poorly cupped his hand to his lips and said in a loud whisper to Yeosang. The duo shared a laugh as Jongho dropped his guard again. “HEY!” he added a foot stomp for good measure. “The both of you laugh all you want but I didn’t hear you complain when I scored us these.” Jongho reached into his coat pocket (That Hongjoong just realized he was wearing yesterday's clothes) and pulled out four laminated ID’s with lanyards attached. The glare of the office lights blocked the design on the cards but the name printed on the black lanyard stood out from a mile away. 

Hongjoong’s heart thrummed erratically. The memory still fresh as if it happened yesterday. (It’s been two weeks) The man was at home on his day off. Lounging around in a simple black tshirt and gray shorts. The time was 11:37am when his shining star texted him. ‘I miss you so very much. I hope you can come Demmies!! 💕’ followed with a link to ship his very own lanyard that was sent personally to him from his Diamond. It was a memory he would keep etched into his heart until the day he died. Well, that and every other moment that involved his everything. Hongjoong’s pupils dilated at the mere idea of being at the same event as the love of his life. He still hadn’t picked an outfit either. And what gift was he going to bring them? God there was so much to plan and do with the event coming up this Saturday. Holy shit that was only two days away.

 “Do you know this group Hongjoong hyung?” Yeosang asked curiously. “Of course I do. Someone very important to me loves them so I love them too.” His smile was warm and charming, just the way his shining gem left him feeling. “Oh! That’s great! We have an extra pass. Would you want to come with us?” the blonde grinned. Jongho nodded in agreement. “Ah. Well. I had plans to-“ Jongho immediately interrupted. “Come on hyung. You never go out with us.” Before Hongjoong could protest further, Yeosang chimed in. “Remember how you owe me a rain check?” Hongjoong sighed so hard his body deflated and folded over himself in defeat. 

“So…we’ll see you at the convenience store across the street?” 

“Yeah.”

Chapter Text

Today should’ve been a bright and wonderful day. Should’ve. The world was dark this morning. Not a single ounce of light cascaded within the walls of his house as Hongjoong was wielding the sun instead. The bright, burning ball of gas was buried deep within his stomach and eroded the inner walls of his organs with anxiety. He paced around his house to burn the intense energy off. No one ever talks about important moments like these. There wasn’t a handbook for life and if there was one, then there definitely needed to be a chapter about this. “So your friends are meeting your lover” God. Even thinking it out loud sent another searing solar flare in his gut. His hand smoothed over his stomach. Fingers dug into the soft fabric of his shirt as if he could grasp on the pain. What if he attempted to ditch Jongho and Yeosang instead? Would that work? He had his own ticket personally sent from his Diamond anyhow. While he continued to debate the subject, the corner of his eye caught the square of light illuminating the darkness. The phone that sat on the coffee table chimed that magical sparkle. Hongjoong bolted for the saving grace blessed on him.

”I saw a bug the size of a coin today.”

“Oh no my star, are you okay? Do you need help? Should I go get rid of it for you?” 

“I put my brave face on and managed to get rid of it myself!” 

“Oh wow that is brave of you! Good job darling! :)” 

“Whatever is ailing you, you should face it head on. I believe in you! You’re stronger than you think you are! ^^”

He smiled to himself and nodded. Of course. Hongjoong needed to face this problem head on and his Diamond would continue to be the light that blazed his path. The man kissed the cold glass and mumbled to himself, “I’ll see you soon sweetheart.”

From a distance, Hongjoong could see the couple(?) standing together just as they said they would. Their appearances were both exactly how he imagined they would dress outside of work yet at the same time nowhere near it. Yeosang stood an inch taller than Jongho. His ivory hair reflected against the sun and parted in the middle. Two small sections framed his face, a select few strands fell at his bangs, while the rest was effortlessly tucked behind his ears. His outfit was simple but timeless all in one. An anagram tank top in black cotton was exposed while he layered it with a white camp-collar shirt on top. His pants were an off white linen that was baggy enough to hide his shape but fit him comfortably at the same time. To complete the look, Yeosang wore a pair of chunky gambetta sneakers in black. The outfit was a perfect mesh of black and white which captured his personality well. What you saw is what you got with him. Jongho on the other hand contrasted against Yeosang entirely. Granted, yes, he did match Yeosang’s black undershirt (his being a short sleeve instead of a full tank top) but the entire vibe of his outfit was dark where Yeosang was light. A dark denim shirt left unbuttoned and rolled at the wrist was the key difference between them. His pants were the same color of coal and fit him in the similar baggy style that Yeosang’s did. Hongjoong couldn’t tell what kind of sneakers he was wearing but for his own amusement he was mentally calling it a couple item with Yeosang. 

“Hey!” Hongjoong called out as he walked up to them. “Oh! Hyung! You made it!” Jongho called out with a grin. Hongjoong felt like he blended in but also stuck out like a sore thumb compared to them once they were side by side. His ginger hair softly faded, not enough to be pale but not the same vibrant color when he first dyed it, was styled down. Clearly he got the memo for the black undershirt and paired it with a navy bomber jacket. His jeans were a bright shade that went well with Yeosang’s lighter appearance. Off of his shoulder hung a small black camera bag of a professional quality. However what set him apart from the day-to-day suit and tie appearance was the reveal of the necklace he wore daily. The silver chain would occasionally peak through his collar and glisten under the fluorescent lights at work. Today it was sparkling more than ever and the subtle star pendant that dangled at the start of his exposed skin was beaming. 

“Woah hyung is that-” “Yup. My universe gave it to me as a present. I never take it off because it means so much to me.” Hongjoong grinned while Jongho, who was interrupted, only nodded. “When are we going to meet this lucky girl?” the youngest asked as his hyung smiled. “Maybe later. Should we get going?” He was eager to get inside. Yeosang had politely smiled when Hongjoong got closer, half listening to their conversation, but dark eyes still surveyed the area. “Not yet. We’re still waiting for Yeosang's friend.” Jongho said as the slightly taller nodded. “He said he was two bus stops away. Let me try looking for his location again.” Yeosang mumbled the last bit to himself while he fidgetted with his phone. 

“KANG YEOSANG!!!!”

A booming voice was heard above the bustling traffic from both the cars and people around them. All three men whipped their heads around at the source. Jongho unfortunately wasn't able to hide his emotions. The three of them had worked together for a few months. That was enough time that left Hongjoong feeling sure he would be able to clearly explain how the younger one was feeling. Mentally, the fake ginger narrated the following to himself:

Who did this random guy think he was? He wasn’t even that good looking anyways. His hair was as dark as night and too long for his taste (as if Yeosang didn’t have the same length of hair). The random dude’s outfit was black from head to toe and littered with dumb silver crosses all over it. Who even wore the same branded sunglasses when there was no sun outside? (as if Yeosang didn’t have a pair in his small bag). This guy was a total loser. Plus. It looked like someone then let him run wild at the AiScReam pop up and get one of each of the same stupid little purple cat guy. Seriously. Who would even go out in public like tha- 

“Wooyoung!” Yeosang’s deep voice interrupted the narration. Well, that and the way the stranger pushed past Hongjoong and Jongho to hug his childhood friend. Yeosang laughed at the affection and awkwardly patted Wooyoung’s back. “Can you let go of me?” His voice carried the bubbles of laughter with them as Wooyoung continued to nuzzle his cheek against his friend’s smooth skin. “Nope! Disney rules! You can’t let go until I do!” Wooyoung hummed. A full minute passed and that’s when he deemed it best to let go, though a hand still lingered on Yeosang’s, lacing their fingers together.

 “Jongho, Hongjoong hyung, this is my best friend Wooyoung.” Yeosang introduced him when given the opportunity to breathe again. “He’s probably the biggest fan I know.” he teased as Wooyoung nodded in agreement. “Of course. There’s no one bigger than me, well, except maybe NO1. Haha.” Jongho blinked. He had never been into any of this idol stuff and clearly was only interested because Yeosang was. “Ehn…oh…one? Or are you saying no one? Number one?” he asked. “Is that one of the members?”

“Oh my god Yeosang where did you find this guy,” Wooyoung loudly complained before turning his attention to Jongho. “NO1. They’re not part of the group. There’s only three dude how can you not have them memorized by now?” his brow perked as his arms crossed over his chest. Clearly unamused at the lack of studying. “They’re the biggest fansite in the entire fanbase. God what I would do to meet them. Somehow they are always at every event and get the absolute best pictures.” he paused the rambling to gasp. Fingers digging into his friend’s hand as he turned to face Yeosang. “You think they’re coming today?! God I might get my chance to ask my questions and-” Wooyoung stopped mid ramble due to the sudden finger pressed to his lips by Yeosang. “Let's go inside and see, shall we?” The blonde had mastered the ways of shutting up his friend years ago. When the two walked ahead, there was a silence that returned to the bubble that only Jongho and Hongjoong remained in. “Uh…did you get all that?” Jongho asked while looking at the elder. The tangerine head’s brow was sweating but not in the way that Jongho’s was earlier. He swallowed the dry lump in his throat, used the back of his hand to swipe at his forehead and smiled sheepishly. “Y-yeah. Wild. Let’s not keep them waiting, huh?”

Inside the venue was pretty standard. There were rows and rows of identical folded seats with cushions that were either too worn for comfort or newly replaced. The floor carpeted with a design no one cared to remember while the walls were a light wood. At the very front was a stage with the red curtain pulled back. A large white screen that was streaming music videos on repeat displayed and the matching music played at a comfortable volume along with it. The four of them found their seats in the middle of the third row facing center stage. Hongjoong’s heart skipped in delight that his Diamond had booked him the same seat as he always did. The eldest sat first, taking off the strap that hung off his shoulder and carefully set the bag on his lap. Wooyoung sat on Hongjoong’s right side with his own camera equipment now sprawled on his lap, while Yeosang sat on Wooyoung’s right side, followed by Jongho. 

A wandering eye glanced at Hongjoong’s camera. What kind of shitty little thing would this guy even ha- Wooyoung froze. On the man’s lap were two different cameras. One was a Panasonic Lumix ZS70 and the other a Sony a600 with an 85 mm lens. Who…who was this normal looking guy and why did he have such intense equipment? Upon a closer look, wasn’t that a press badge tied around the camera case? More importantly, why did it feel familiar? Wooyoung caught a glimpse of the small pink bunny dangling off of the Panasonic. He knew that charm. Everyone and anyone that had said they saw them claimed to see it before too. Hongjoong felt the eyes settling on him for too long. He glanced from the corner of his own and met Wooyoung’s.

 “Are you-” 

“No.” 

“But I-” 

“No.” 

“But they said that-”

“Stop asking me.”

Chapter Text

“No but seriously, who are you if-“

“I’m annoyed is what I am. Stop asking me.” 

“But it doesn’t make sense if-“

“I’m ignoring you now.”

Hongjoong huffed one final time. His lips drew into a thin line and his eyes shut. Thick brows met at the center of his face as he tried to keep his composure. Breathe in the positive and out the negative. He should’ve asked who this friend was when Yeosang said they were inviting bim. Should’ve. Would’ve. Could’ve. Either way, even if he did ask who the mystery person was, what then? It wasn’t like he could avoid them all together. He would never be able to live it down and everything he had built up until this point would have been ruined. Unfortunately he would need to deal with this annoying brat yapping in his ear for the next three hours. Hongjoong sighed. He didn’t need his eyes as the muscle memory kicked in while adjusting the two straps of the cameras around his neck.  The two expensive pieces of equipment softly clicked against one another when he sat up straight. Hongjoong took in another breath. 

Wait.

His head tilted back only the slightest bit. The sharp nose upturned as he took in another breath. He knew that smell. A subtle scent of fresh laundry artistfully blended  with a gentle summer rain. A combination curated to wash away any fear, any doubt, any sense of lost hope, and instead replaced with a love so pure it left you feeling anew. Free of any sin you could have conjured up in your life. The world around him silenced and everyone in the auditorium was gone. Only he remained sat, eager to greet the one that deserved the spotlight more than anyone else. 

Click. Click. Click.

The sound of 265mm black, slightly matte but still polished, leather shoes thudded their way across the backstage and onto the wings of the stage. Eyes that were once round, bright, and curious quickly sharpened. While Wooyoung parted his lips to ask another question, Hongjoong had snapped back into the world. In the blink of an eye his hands grabbed the Nikon, aimed it to where the sound was coming from and began his work. He was the first fluttering click to fill up the space. Others came twenty to thirty seconds later. By then it was already too late and the first of the three walked out into view. Shrills and calls of adoration bounced off the wooden walls. A glistening sparkle in his eye dulled instantly. Lips that were naturally curling upwards now sunk. Ugh. What a waste of storage. 

The first idol to appear from the three was Aquamarine. (A low voice cheered from behind Hongjoong and the others) He was handsome by text book standards. A type of guy you wouldn't mind introducing to your mother: church goer, used manners, gave you his jacket when it was cold despite being freezing. You know, basic and boring but still alright. Hongjoong could see the appeal but it never peaked his interest. (He was loyal to his Diamond and would never be a cheater after all.) If you looked at the group’s socials, however, you could see everyone else compliment his ‘puppy charm’ or on the other spectrum obsessing with his hands and their wishes to be choked by them. Eh. Not his cup of tea but who was he to yuck someone’s yum.

The finger hovering above the button hesitated for a moment when the tip of the next idol’s finger appeared from the wing. Oh. Wait. Upon closer inspection that would never be his Diamond’s nail. Diamond’s nail curved into an adorable crescent moon with the symmetrical arc where this one curved into a half circle drawn by a toddler. Hongjong's lips rolled into another thin line of disappointment. It was only Ruby. His face contorted into disgust as the pest beside him began to vibrate in his seat and foam at the mouth. Didn’t anyone have class anymore? Sure, he could see the appeal. Ruby was the youngest member this meant he was naturally cute. Even when his physique had gone from small and frail to what it was now. A strong, burly man capable of ripping a wooden log in half if he wanted to. Again, not his taste but clearly it was Wooyoung’s as his hands were trembling. It was almost pitiful to see the results of the photos taken from the camera held in that shaking grasp. Hongjoong almost had half a mind to give him some advice. Almost.

Okay everyone shut up. This is the best part. 

Once again the rapid fire of several photos taken was audible from Hongjoong’s seat. There. In all their perfection, peaking out from the wing of the stage, was the tip of his other half’s nose. The elongated bridge of their nose trailed at a perfect example of a 45 degree angle before curving against the bump and blending into his brow line. An exact, one-to-one replica of a nose that any sculptor in ancient times would have spent months crafting. His brows were symmetrical, micro-bladed only two days prior to the event as Hongjoong could tell there was a slight inflammation against the tail. The thickness of them defined with- oh, Hana, his love’s favorite makeup artist, used a different brow pencil. Instead of the Clio Kill Brow Auto Hard Brow Pencil (in 01 natural brown), she used the Innisfree Auto Eyebrow Pencil. An interesting choice but the reward paid off greatly as it distracted from his love’s inflamed brow. 

“Uh, hyung?”

In fact, it contrasted well with today’s hair style of choice. The exposed forehead that left room for the lights of the auditorium to reflect and make them shimmer. Their hair parted down the middle but the parting covered over with complex braiding threading over itself to their mid-crown. The rest of the jet black hair slicked back along the curvature of their skull down to the middle of their neck to where the ends flared out. Two extraordinarily symmetrical pieces of his hair framed the sides of his face. Accented outwards against their sharp cheek bones and fell gracefully against the smoothness of his cheeks. 

“Hongjoong hyung?”

Don’t even get him started on Hana’s signature move, a smokey eyeliner that blended the entire look together along with the cool toned pink of his lips. Those damn lips that he spent every single hour studying, memorizing. The creases in the bottom lip that was a bit more full than the top. How the top lip stretched adorably when he smiled.

“Earth to hyung.”

Oh. 

Oh holy shit. 

Oh Jesus fucking Christ.

The outfit?? This was it. This was the treat his Diamond was talking about the day before that would be special only for his Demmies. Hongjoong set his camera down and reached for the other in the blink of an eye. A different tone of shutters coming from the device as he took even more pictures of his Diamond.

“Hyung?”

It was obvious that there had been a charcoal gray cotton undershirt with the way the two straps hugged his exposed collarbones. The skin only saw the light of day anytime he moved to wave. The shirt on top had the same hue of gray with ribbed vertical lines in a darker shade. One sleeve made his Diamond look adorable as always the way it went past his palm and left only the tips of his fingers exposed. The other sleeve? Non-existent. As his Diamond lifted his arm to wave at the crowd, Hongjoong felt himself salivate in anticipation at the idea of being able to taste the silky skin. The only saving grace was the fabric that bundled from his hand to mid forearm. To complete the ensemble were those faded, acid washed jeans that would simply end up thrown away and never seeing the light of day again. They hid Diamond’s graceful legs but accented them at the same time. Hongjoong wasn’t sure if he should curse the costume designer or grovel at their feet for blessing him with such a view. 

“HYUNG”

Hearing Jongho’s voice snapped him out of his trance. The eldest looked over at the three pairs of eyes that were attempting to figure out what happened. In their perspective, he hadn’t said a word, blinked, or even breathed since Diamond appeared. A tint of pink dashed across his cheeks. “You good hyung?” Jongho asked with concern while Yeosang quickly added, “I’m guessing your friend likes Diamond?”

“Ah. Yeah. They got me to love Diamond almost as much as they do.” Hongjoong nervously scratched the back of his neck. “They never get to see them like this so I try to take as many pictures as I can so they can enjoy it.” which was a true statement. It was difficult for his Diamond to see how bright and shining he was without his help. “Ohhhhh, that makes sense. We won’t interrupt then, right? Jongho?” Yeosang elbowed his side while the younger one nodded in agreement. Hongjoong smiled, mouthed a thank you, and returned to the task at hand. The only one of the small group left with more questions than answers was Wooyoung. He had taken the moment to stop looking at Ruby when Yeosang and Jongho tried calling for the orange flavored sour candy. He swore he had known this Hongjoong guy…

But how?