Chapter Text
Jeongin, 24th May
Sleep had been elusive last night, the adrenaline from a successful heist keeping him wired well into the early hours. He and Seungmin had spent a few hours together navigating the Infinite online system, and when Seungmin finally turned in, Jeongin lingered, chatting with Themis for a while.
Lately, he’d been pulling back from Themis, not cutting off conversation, but trying not to let himself get too emotionally entangled. Even if he hadn’t made that choice, Jeongin doubted he could have flirted with Themis right now. The possibly-almost-maybe kiss with Seungmin had left him tangled in confusion, and the thought of slipping into his usual playful banter with Themis felt uncomfortably like a betrayal.
When Themis eventually logged off too, Jeongin was left alone, restlessly scrolling through Infinite data until late into the night.
Thus, it didn’t surprise him when he finally awoke to find it late in the morning. Jeongin lay in bed staring at the ceiling for a while, considering going back to sleep again and aiming for an afternoon wake up time just to annoy Chan, but eventually he groaned and rolled out of bed.
After getting ready he headed into the kitchen and was instantly pleased to find Seungmin seated at the table drinking a coffee with Jeongin’s laptop in front of him. It was sort of their laptop now, with how much it got passed back and forth. Seungmin looked up as he walked in and smiled slow and familiar. It was a smile he’d only seen directed towards himself, which made him feel special.
Jeongin’s heart gave a traitorous flutter, and he ducked his head toward the fridge before he could do something stupid, like smile back too wide or stare too long. Thankfully there were leftovers he could scavenge for breakfast, he kept his head in the fridge for a second longer than needed, pulling himself together.
“Good morning.” Seungmin said as Jeongin crossed to the microwave and set it running.
“It’s only morning on a technicality.” Jeongin said self-deprecatingly, turning to shrug at Seungmin across the room.
“That’s okay, I woke up like an hour ago. I think Felix is still asleep.” Seungmin reassured, turning the laptop away so he could give Jeongin his full attention. This never failed to make his heart skip a beat, the way Seungmin looked at him like he was the most important person in the world. It had started the day he’d arrived at base, Jeongin had been amazed when Seungmin had ignored the rest of the table and listened to Jeongin chatter away, no one ever had that amount of time for him normally. It wasn’t that Chan, Jisung or Hyunjin didn’t care, they were always just so busy, or didn’t understand the intricacies of what he wanted to talk about. Seungmin had time, he listened and cared, Jeongin treasured it.
“Are you up for more digging then?” Jeongin asked, leaning against the counter in a way he hoped looked nonchalant but he wasn’t sure he was pulling off. Seungmin’s eyes lingered on his arms, Jeongin almost looked down at himself to check there wasn’t toothpaste on him. His t-shirt today was old and a bit small, but the fabric was soft from wear and he loved it. He wondered if Seungmin’s lingering eyes meant he liked it too or if it just looked ridiculous.
“Yes, sounds good.” Seungmin said, his eyes coming back up to Jeongin’s face. The microwave pinged so he turned to retrieve his plate, then sat down next to Seungmin at the table, leaning to peer at the laptop screen. It was the list of 15 groups they’d discussed a few days prior, Jeongin knew it was eating at Seungmin so he mentally reminded himself to spend some time on them today, trying to unravel any connections. He should show them to Chan too, he thought, he’d be more likely to recognise things than Jeongin who took little interest in the gangs daily running.
He ate quickly, watching as Seungmin typed with his usual rapid rhythm. He could appreciate him more like this, when he was focused on his screen and not noticing Jeongin looking. His jawline drew Jeongin’s eyes, especially as he swallowed a swig of coffee and his throat muscles worked. His hair was getting longer, falling into his eyes which he swept away with an irritated huff.
“Hyunjin can cut it for you, he does mine.” Jeongin said, after Seungmin swept his hair away a second time.
“I think he’d be more likely to cut my throat than my hair.” Seungmin quipped, not looking away from his screen. “We can’t all be as charming as you, winning people over so quickly.”
“I’m charming?”
“Jeongin, you and Felix are the most universally liked people I’ve ever met.” Seungmin said, rolling his eyes with a smile.
“That hardly counts when I only know like 5 people.” Jeongin muttered, unable to help himself.
“You could walk into any room anywhere in the country and have them all eating out of the palm of your hand in minutes.” Seungmin still wasn’t looking at him, meaning Jeongin could study his expression carefully. He appeared genuine, which made Jeongin’s stomach feel like it was writhing into knots.
Jeongin scoffed, shaking his head as he stood to wash his bowl, leaving it to dry on the rack.
“I’m not that likeable.”
“Is this about your online boyfriend? He sounds like an idiot.” Seungmin’s voice was sharper, harder. Jeongin had tried not to bring his online life up much, but Seungmin appeared stuck on it, constantly probing for more details.
“He’s not my boyfriend.” Jeongin said quickly, face growing warm. “He’s not an idiot either, it’s just not the right time I guess. His need for privacy is greater than his want for…”
“For you?” Seungmin asked, incredulous.
“I guess.” Jeongin stared at his slippers, biting his lip, until Seungmin stood and walked into the kitchen to stand in front of him.
“He’s an idiot . You’re…” Seungmin trailed off, making Jeongin look up at him, he was struggling for the right words. “You’re everything.” He said eventually, looking Jeongin in the eye intently for a second before turning to scoop his laptop from the table and heading out into the hallway, not giving Jeongin a second to react, to process.
He stared after him, mouth slightly open. Everything? What did that mean?
Shaking his head, Jeongin followed him out and found him waiting next to his bedroom door, seeking permission before entering. Jeongin was thankful he’d already made his bed and tidied this morning, so he nodded at Seungmin to go ahead.
He liked how comfortable Seungmin already was in his space, he watched as Seungmin climbed readily onto his bed and placed the laptop on his legs. They decided to divide and conquer as they parsed through the Infinite data, there was so much of it, but all they needed was one nugget, one interesting tidbit that they could leverage. Time passed, both focused intently on their task, making small comments now and then.
After over an hour Jeongin turned from his screen, his eyes beginning to ache, he turned to Seungmin to see, oh.
Seungmin was wearing glasses, black-framed, utterly unfair glasses. Jeongin was done for . He looked too good, effortlessly good. Like a scene from a dream Jeongin could’ve sworn he hadn’t allowed himself to have. His fingers twitched in his lap with the urge to reach out, to just brush the hair that was already falling back into his eyes.
Seungmin was oblivious to his observation, reading something on his screen, his mouth moving slightly as he went. Jeongin paused there too, pink lips mouthing words, a flash of white teeth every now and then. His gaze continued, that jaw, that neck, those shoulders.
All things he had studied in the past and now he could appreciate them all the more. On his bed. He wanted him in his bed. He thought Seungmin might feel the same, but he wasn’t sure he had the courage to find out. He’d never flirted with someone before, never kissed someone. He was terrified he had read the signals wrong.
He had googled it the other day, what it means if someone glances at your mouth. The online consensus was that it might mean they wanted to kiss you, so why hadn’t he? Maybe he changed his mind, or did Jeongin move away too quickly, should he have lingered longer? His googling had also suggested lip reading or having something stuck in your teeth, so he couldn’t be sure. He wished there was a rule book, or a video game style drop down menu to choose from.
“You okay?” Seungmin’s voice broke through his musing, and Jeongin was horrified to realise he had spaced out staring directly at him, lost in his own head. His face flushed red as he ducked away, nodding.
“Yes.” It came out a little squeaky, god he was so embarrassing. There was no way Seungmin would ever want him. “Sorry, I just zoned out for a second.”
“Come take a break, it’s been a while.” Seungmin said gently, patting the bed beside him with a soft look.
It hadn’t been a while really, not by their standards of sitting in front of screens all day, but Jeongin nodded anyway. He sat, careful not to sit too close, though part of him ached to close the space, to lean until their shoulders touched, just to see if Seungmin would lean back. He prayed his blush would subside soon. Seungmin didn’t seem to notice, continuing to read the document on his screen with intense focus.
Seungmin leaned towards him, one hand braced on the bed behind Jeongin for balance. The smell of his cologne was faint but warm, the scent of comfort and late nights. His breath ghosted against Jeongin’s neck as he… reached for the laptop charger at the end of the bed. Then, he retreated back to sitting, plugging in without looking directly at Jeongin.
Goosebumps arrived. Full-body, involuntary, traitorous.
Jeongin went very still, cursing himself for his heart picking up, for thinking Seungmin might…
Their arms brushed as Seungmin readjusted, then he glanced sideways. “Are you cold?” Seungmin asked, brow furrowed.
Jeongin opened his mouth to deny it, but then Seungmin continued,
“Do you want me to warm you up?” He motioned to the zip of his hoodie, offering up the garment.
It was innocent. Absolutely innocent. Just an awkward turn of phrase, and yet Jeongin’s brain short-circuited.
“N-no, I’m good!” he stammered, voice an octave too high, face flushed all the way to his ears. Seungmin shrugged, he adjusted the laptop so the screen faced towards Jeongin and shuffled slightly closer, pressing their thighs and arms together like he hadn’t believed him but didn’t want to call him out on it either. Seungmin zoned straight back into the documents on screen, it was mortifying to be this affected while Seungmin sat pressed up against him oblivious.
Jeongin meant to look at the screen too, to help, but instead he found himself watching Seungmin’s hands as they navigated the keyboard and trackpad. He watched as he pushed his glasses up his nose after they slipped slightly, watched as he swept his hair back again, unconsciously now. He told himself to focus, but he couldn't . His pulse was too loud in his ears. Seungmin was too close. Jeongin sat perfectly still, not wanting to give himself away by moving closer or moving away, he finally started to calm down and began to read the screen on the laptop. Seungmin was going through order invoices, everything from guns to toilet roll was in the folder, so on they scrolled looking for anything interesting.
Eventually, Jeongin shifted to stretch out the leg he’d had tucked under him, grimacing slightly as a sharp pain pulsed through his thigh. He’d been sitting too still for too long, tense without realising it.
“Are you okay?” Seungmin murmured, adjusting to allow Jeongin the movement.
“Fine, I was just sitting weird.” Jeongin replied breezily, pretending to be engrossed in the screen.
Seungmin reached out instinctively, thoughtlessly and laid a hand on Jeongin’s thigh, his thumb beginning to rub slow, absent-minded circles over the fabric to ease the stiffness in his muscle. Jeongin went still once again, the heat of the casual touch burned straight through the denim of his jeans. Then suddenly, Seungmin froze. His gaze snapped to where his hand was, as if noticing it for the first time. His fingers stilled, then recoiled.
“Oh, sorry.” Seungmin said quickly, drawing his hand back like he’d touched something forbidden. His voice was coloured with something Jeongin couldn’t name, embarrassment maybe, or nerves.
“It’s fine, it was nice.” he blurted, instantly wanting to swallow the words back. Nice? That was the best he could come up with? That wasn’t even neutral; that was tragic. He let out a frustrated huff, embarrassed. Seungmin glanced up at the sound, brows knitting in concern.
Then, slowly , his hand returned. This time more deliberate. Not quite hesitant, but cautious, like he was checking Jeongin wouldn’t flinch. He didn’t.
Seungmin’s palm settled again on his thigh, firmer now, fingers splaying slightly. It wasn’t just comforting anymore. It felt almost… claiming.
Jeongin’s breath caught. And he didn’t dare move. Instead, he allowed himself to bask in it for a moment. He closed his eyes, leant his head back against the wall and allowed himself to pretend, just for a second. The warmth of their bodies pressed together, the weight of Seungmin’s hand meaning something more . A lovely fantasy, one he could easily get lost in.
Jeongin opened his eyes slowly, the fantasy still lingering around the edges of his thoughts, and found Seungmin watching him.
Not just looking . Watching. With that same soft, stunned reverence Jeongin knew all too well, because it was the way he looked at Seungmin when he thought he wouldn’t notice.
Their eyes locked. Jeongin’s breath hitched. Seungmin didn’t glance away. His hand stayed where it was, warm and steady on Jeongin’s thigh, squeezing ever so slightly.
Jeongin’s heart thudded hard once, then again, painfully loud in the quiet. He felt bare under that gaze. Exposed in a way he hadn’t prepared for.
“I…” he started, but no words followed.
Seungmin’s gaze dropped to his mouth, deliberately, then looked back up, questioning.
And for once, Jeongin didn’t misread it. He didn’t flinch or overthink or back down. He leaned in at the exact moment Seungmin did. There was no question of who kissed who, they simply met.
Like they’d been waiting for the same moment.
Like they had always known it would be each other.
It started slow and tentative, as though neither of them could quite believe it was real. Seungmin’s lips were warm and soft, his hand shifting to cup Jeongin’s jaw with aching tenderness. Jeongin melted into it, eyes fluttering shut, one of his hands fisting gently in the fabric of Seungmin’s hoodie like he needed something to hold onto to keep from floating away.
Then more, a deeper press, a shift forward. Seungmin tilted his head slightly, and Jeongin followed without thought, parting his lips just enough to feel the drag of Seungmin’s lower lip against his, slow and sweet and dizzying. So this was what it really felt like. Not neat or scripted or backlit by perfect music, but better. Real, beautiful in a way he hadn’t known existed. Jeongin’s heart felt like it might burst.
He chased the kiss when Seungmin started to pull back, unable to help the soft noise of protest that escaped his throat.
But Seungmin was already retreating, just enough to rest his forehead gently against Jeongin’s, both of them slightly breathless.
“I don’t want to go too fast,” he whispered, his thumb brushing against Jeongin’s cheekbone. “I really care about you, and I want to do this right.”
The words landed like a beam of bright sunlight in Jeongin’s chest. He blinked, stunned for a moment, then grinned wide and glowing.
“You care about me,” he repeated, like he needed to say it out loud to believe it. His hands tightened slightly where they rested against Seungmin’s arms. “You actually, oh my god. Me?”
Seungmin laughed quietly, still close, his nose brushing Jeongin’s. “You.”
Jeongin beamed, the kiss still tingling on his lips. He wanted to do it again. A thousand times.
But he didn’t. Not yet.
Instead, he leaned his head on Seungmin’s shoulder, and let himself feel it. All of it. The closeness, the quiet joy, the fact that he hadn’t imagined it. This was real.
It was hard to concentrate after that, Jeongin’s heart still hadn’t returned to its resting rate, but they somehow managed to get a bit more work done before giving up and heading to get lunch.
“Wait, I’m just going to grab my USB.” Jeongin said, motioning for Seungmin to continue without him. Of course, Seungmin ignored that entirely and opted to follow him instead.
The security room was quiet except for the soft hum of machines, Hyunjin having already headed into the kitchen for lunch. Jeongin stepped inside, still flushed from everything that had happened, his fingers brushing his lips like he couldn’t quite believe it had happened at all. Seungmin followed a few seconds later, less composed than usual, his hands in his hoodie pocket like he didn’t know what to do with them.
He could feel Seungmin hovering behind him as he sat down and woke his computer up so he could eject the thumb drive, a bunch of corrupted data a year ago had taught him a hard lesson in safe ejection. His screens flickered to life, showing some code he’d been working on the previous day. He felt Seungmin move closer, reading over his shoulder. It wasn’t anything impressive, really, just a silly hack he’d done to make Themis laugh, very much in his signature mischievous style. Seungmin gasped from behind him, causing Jeongin to whirl around in alarm.
"...That’s yours?" he said urgently, with a note of recognition in his voice. “You wrote that?”
Jeongin’s blood ran cold, had Seungmin come across his internet tomfoolery before? Had his mischief inadvertently caused Seungmin trouble?.
“I, uh, yeah?” he answered, turning halfway in his chair. “Why?”
There was a pause, long and fragile. Then Seungmin gave a half-laugh that didn’t reach his eyes. “Gelos.”
Jeongin stared at him, waiting.
Seungmin leaned against the desk, arms folded. “You’re Gelos.”
The silence stretched between them, Jeongin felt his palms start to sweat.
“Yes… that’s me.” Jeongin said quietly, searching Seungmin’s face for any clue of how he was feeling. He had been using the moniker for months now across various forums, signing many of his frivolous hacks.
“It makes so much sense, how did I not see it?” Seungmin was staring at him, amazed. “You… chaos and mischief…” Seungmin broke off with a barked laugh. Jeongin still wasn’t sure if he was angry or not.
“How did you come across me?” Jeongin asked eventually, unable to wait.
“Come across you? I made you. Gelos… that’s mine .” Seungmin sank down into the other computer chair, switching between staring at the screen and Jeongin.
Jeongin felt his face crumple into a frown, that didn’t help at all. Seungmin wasn’t making any sense, and he felt seconds away from a heart attack.
He couldn’t bear the idea of Seungmin breaking things off between them after… What, 30 minutes? He prayed to some unseen force that this wouldn’t be snatched away from him, not so soon. Let him enjoy being wanted just a little longer, please.
“I don’t understand.” Jeongin said, pleadingly. He grabbed Seungmin’s hands, squeezing them tight in supplication. “Are you mad at me?”
“You… We did team up, we are unstoppable together.” Seungmin replied, a wondrous smile appearing on his face.
Jeongin frowned, he recognised those words but he couldn’t place them. He bit his lip, flipping through his internet interactions quickly trying to find it. It wasn’t a forum post, it had been private, it had been…
“You’re…” Jeongin’s voice caught in his throat. He swallowed, the realisation dawning. “No… You’re Themis ?”
Jeongin’s brain tried to catch up, the memories colliding together. The chats, the teasing. The way Themis had always known how to make him feel seen. Safe. That same softness had always lived within Seungmin too. The projects they had worked on together, the recent secrecy, Seungmin had been trying to protect him from his own gang .
“Yeah, hi.” Seungmin’s voice had somehow grown even softer, his thumbs rubbing softly across the backs of Jeongin’s shaking hands. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.”
Jeongin sobbed, throwing himself out of his chair to hug Seungmin tightly.
“It’s you! It’s you!” He whimpered into Seungmin’s shoulder, feeling his arms tighten around his back. “You…” Jeongin drew back then, looking at Seungmin with new eyes. “You’re definitely not a gross old man in your 60s.”
Seungmin laughed, throwing his head back. It was a beautiful sight.
“You are like a virus with charm.” Seungmin teased, giving his hand a playful tug. “And you definitely would break into a bakery to steal the frosting, only now I know you’d do it with a lot of fire power and some scary back up.”
“I can’t believe it.” Jeongin breathed, the facts still clicking together, the truth still sinking in. “I’ve felt so conflicted as I’ve been crushing on you while still having feelings for… him… you. I thought I was pathetic, dreaming about two people who’d never want me back.”
“No… it’s always been you.” Seungmin said, smiling. “I can’t believe I’ve fallen for you twice.” Seungmin replied, finally letting go of Jeongin’s hands so he could stroke down his face, then run his fingers through his hair. Jeongin’s eyes closed involuntarily, leaning in to the affection. “I’ve been so jealous of your online boyfriend, was it me you were talking about?” He said suddenly, breaking the moment with a giggle.
“I told you he wasn’t my boyfriend!” Jeongin hissed, cheeks heating.
“Can he be? Can I be? Your boyfriend?” Seungmin asked softly, his gaze pure adoration. A shiver travelled up Jeongin’s spine.
“Yes please.” He whispered, then squeezed his eyes shut. Not smooth, so embarrassing.
He heard Seungmin giggle anyway, so he cracked one eye back open. The adoring gaze hadn’t faltered, this time Jeongin closed the gap, his hands clutching at the back of Seungmin’s neck as he pulled him closer. This kiss felt different, relief and desperation mixed together. Months of longing bottled in one moment. When they parted both were out of breath with pink cheeks.
Suddenly, Jeongin felt outraged.
“You said you’re a normal looking guy !” He hissed, smacking Seungmin gently on the shoulder. “With an average smile .” Seungmin looked baffled, nodding his agreement. “What? No! You’re literally… ugh!”
Jeongin dragged him back in again, he felt Seungmin smile into the kiss. Jeongin's hands, once tentative, now moved with purpose, tracing the line of Seungmin's jaw before sliding down to his neck, where his pulse fluttered beneath warm skin. His fingers mapped the contours of Seungmin's collarbones, the rise and fall of his chest, committing each detail to memory. Finally finishing where they had started, his hands clutched Seungmin’s broad shoulders. Jeongin could live in this moment forever, given the option.
“Sorry, I’m not doing a very good job at the going slow thing.” He apologised sheepishly as they parted, drawing a laugh from Seungmin.
“We’ve been something since December, really we’ve been going very slow.” Seungmin laughed, then grew serious. “I am sorry though, for how I made you feel by pushing you away. I thought you were a hobbyist hacker and I was in a gang and ethically I didn’t want to involve you in… all that.” Seungmin bit his lip, looking incredibly contrite.
Jeongin laughed brightly, all feelings of insecurity lifted from him in an instant.
“It makes so much sense.” He said, shaking his head. “I just can’t believe it. It’s you. It’s you… Oh, Felix is going to lose his mind.”
They both broke into giggles then, clutching at each other to stay upright. Seungmin’s stomach took the opportunity to remind them of the time, and they slumped still smiling before standing back up. Jeongin leant over to quickly eject the USB, then pocketed it, sending his computer back to sleep in a few clicks. He straightened and turned to find Seungmin standing near the door watching him, something possessive and proud in his expression. Jeongin stretched up to peck him on the lips one last time before squeezing past him and out the door, suppressing the urge to screech with excitement when he felt Seungmin follow him out and sling an arm around his waist. His boyfriend. The words felt surreal, yet perfectly right.