"So it's true??" 

"Maybe."

"Hyungggg." Bambam grunts and Youngjae mocks him. "Why can't you just tell me??"

"Because I don't think it matters. Nor is it any of your business."

"Are you kidding me?? Your love life is completely my business!" Bambam almost yells, taking the paintbrush from Youngjae's hand and throwing it into the seats of the theater. 

Youngjae looks to where the paint brush landed and then back to Bambam. "If you don't go pick up Cecil-"

"You're just as dumb for not telling me as you are with naming your fucking paint brushes." Bambam jumps off the stage and trudges over to get the paint brush.

"Your language child." Jinyoung comes out from behind the curtains and Youngjae jumps in shock.

"Jesus hyung are you always in the shadows just waiting?"

"Yes, waiting for you to admit you're dating Jaebum hyung." He sits down on the edge of the stage and sets his book down with his glasses on top. 

Bambam returns with the paint brush and makes a threatening action towards splattering paint all over Youngjae's work. "Tell us."

Youngjae looks horrified as Bambam inches closer to the painting and before he can destroy it, a voice calls from the entrance of the theater. "Your personal photographer has arrived."

Jackson smiles brightly with a black camera in his hand as he skips down the steps to reach the three of them.

His arrival made Bambam drop the paintbrush and Youngjae squeamishly grabbed it before Bambam could do any damage. "My savior."  

Jackson furrows his eyebrows when he sees the paintings and he points towards them. "Did you paint them?"

Youngjae hums in response and Jackson checks the name on the bottom corner. "Choi... Youngjae-" He perks up and almost jumps up. "Choi Youngjae!!"

"Ah yes that's me." Youngjae puts a finger to his ear and Jinyoung laughs. 

"Oh my god you're Jaebum's secret boyfriend we never knew about!"

"Did he tell you we were dating??" Youngjae asks in disbelief.

"Well- not exactly-" Jackson looks at him. "But I know love when I see it."

"Apparently they said they're not dating." Bambam rolls his eyes and motions Jackson to follow him up to the stage. "But we can press on that topic after we take pictures of the stage progression and costumes." He claps happily and leaves Jinyoung and Youngjae alone.

Youngjae continues working on his painting and Jinyoung looks at him contently. "If you ask about Jaebum and I again-"

"I was just going to ask how you're managing." Jinyoung's expression softens and Youngjae sighs while lowering the paintbrush and shrugging. 

"My parents want me to up the level of my business classes and drop pretty much my entire social life, but yet here I am, not being able to resist this stupid paintbrush." He fiddles with it and Jinyoung swiftly moves off the stage to go over and hug Youngjae. 

"Everything will be okay." Youngjae embraced the comfort and rested his head on Jinyoung's shoulder lazily. 

"I'm just so tired of all the pressure and expectations... I don't even want to be in a business major."

"I know.. I'm sorry." Jinyoung could feel Youngjae's frown and he only tightened the grip but released when someone cleared their throat from the stage.

"Sorry, I just came in here looking for Jackson.." Jaebum looked awkwardly between the two and Jinyoung glanced at Youngjae who had smiled at the older before going back to painting.

"Yeah he's with Bambam, I'll take you to him." Jinyoung stepped back up and watched as Jaebum looked at Youngjae with concern. "Let's go." He hurried him out of view and put his hand on Jaebum's shoulder. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Too much I think." Jaebum bit his lip.

"Youngjae didn't tell you?"

"We haven't been together that long.." Jaebum looks down and Jinyoung sighs again.

"He's just under a lot of pressure. I don't know when he would've told you all this but as his boyfriend I really hope you can help him." 

He stiffens at the nickname but nods quickly. "Of course- I really like Youngjae."

"And rightfully so." Jinyoung shows a soft yet twisted smile and his eyes lock with Jaebum's. "If you don't treat him right nobody will find your body."

Without another word they reach a room where Jackson and Bambam can be seen through the window and Jinyoung cracks his fingers. "I'm gonna go meet my partner in this stupid co-ed History and English major project but I'm sure you can find your way around, plus Jackson is just in there."

Jaebum blinks and nods slowly. "Yeah.. I'm uhm, actually gonna go back that way." He points back in the direction of which they came and Jinyoung furrows his eyebrows.

"But you wanted to see Jack-"

"I forgot my books, my notebooks- song books." He says awkwardly, clapping his hands together and flashing Jinyoung a quick smile. "Thank you though."

Jinyoung narrows his eyes, questionably looking at the older as he almost ran back to the stage. "Not dating my ass. Momma knows best." He then shook his head and exited the theater.

-

Youngjae finishes with the last stroke of his painting and exhales heavily as he scans every inch of it carefully. As he studies it he finds himself humming along lightly to a song he recently heard playing within the school, one he'd never heard before. 

"You like that song?" Jaebum startled the humming boy to a point where he dropped his paint brush again and pouted at it on the ground.

"I'm so sorry for how you've been treated today Cecil." 

Jaebum furrows his eyebrows but jumps down the stage and walks towards Youngjae who had set the brush down gently. "You name your-"

"I'm special." He takes a different brush and spins it in his fingers.

"What's that ones name?"

"Brian." 

"After that guy that's always in the music room?"

"Young K?"

"Yeah."

"No." Youngjae chuckles and shrugs. "The name just kinda came to me."

"I see." Jaebum nods and leans against a prop chair.

"About that song- yeah what's it called?"

"Home run."

Youngjae makes a small noise of confusion and Jaebum felt his heart ache at the adorableness of his face. "How did you know that? I've never heard it till today."

"I wrote and produced it." Now Jaebum chuckled and Youngjae's eyes widened.

"You did??"

"There's a lot you don't know about me Youngjae. A lot of very interesting things." He winked and Youngjae scrunched his nose in disgust.

"If you're talking about your dick and it's power or size I swear-"

Jaebum puts his hand on his heart and leans back with a horrified expression. "I was going to talk about my interesting way of making waffles in the morning."

"Oh yeah, okay sure." Youngjae rolls his eyes and Jaebum smiles.

"Maybe when we fall in love you'll know what it's like to wake up to those."

"You're so cocky today." Youngjae glances up at him , but refuses to show his blush when he looks back down and imagines waking up next to the beautiful human that is Im Jaebum.

"You are the one who said if we're still doing this in a year we'll be in love. I don't know Choi Youngjae, you are pretty intriguing. I'm thinking it'll take less than a year."

"Shut up." He whines, moving some hair from his face and picking up his paintings to move them onto the stage. 

Jaebum obeys and sits quietly, making Youngjae groan and hand him a painting. "If you're just gonna be quiet you can at least help me carry these up, boyfriend." He smirks at the name and Jaebum scoffs.

Bambam and Jackson soon enter back onto the stage and Bambam squeals at the art. "YOUNGJAE HYUNG THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL!"

Youngjae jumps and looks at his best friend. "You piece of shit, I'm so done with being scared today."

Jackson and Jaebum laugh as Bambam continues to attack Youngjae with hugs and endless thank you's.

"Bam get off the poor boy." Jackson ends up walking over and taking the hand of Bambam so he's off of Youngjae who was cursing repeatedly. 

Youngjae fixes his shirt and walks back over to Jaebum, resting his head on his arm and pouting cutely. "I'm tired now."

"Oh really? All that love make you pooped princess?"

Youngjae nods and flinches as Bambam screams again.

"I KNEW IT!"

"Bambam-" Jackson puts his hands on his shoulders. "Calm down."

"Yes Bambam-ah we're dating, okay? Chill with it. You're hurting his precious ears." Jaebum covers Youngjae's free ear with his hand and kisses his head. 

"You're so cute though I can't fucking breathe." Bambam gasps for air dramatically and falls to the ground, earning a giggle from Youngjae.

"Well while you sit there and die, I'm gonna take you home tired baby boy." Jaebum looks at Youngjae who blushes clearly at the nickname and hides his face in his sweater sleeves.

Jackson nods at the two and attempts to help Bambam up. "How about we all go out for dinner tomorrow night? To get to know each other better."

"Oh I don't know. That sounds-" Jaebum begins to speak but Youngjae cuts him off before he can reject.

"That sounds lovely! I'd love to meet Jaebum's friends."

"Fantastic! Ah it's gonna be so fun!!" Jackson claps excitedly and Jaebum chuckles nervously as they turn around and walk into the hallway outside the theater.

"What the hell-" Jaebum spins Youngjae around who yawns and rubs his eyes. "Why did you say yes??"

"Because we're dating? And I want to make it as believable as possible."

"You're impossible." 

"Ehhhhhhh." Youngjae shrugs and smiles.

"You can walk yourself home."

"Whatta good boyfriend."

"Sorry baby I just don't think I'll be able to resist you if I take you home." Jaebum suddenly puts his hands on Youngjae's cheeks and leans in, but pulls away when the people walk past and out of his sight.

"What-"

"People." Jaebum rolled his eyes and smirked. "Now bye bye Youngjae."

"Text me." Youngjae calls out as Jaebum had walked past him.

"But I told you only in case of an emergency." He stopped walking and glanced back at Youngjae who now winked.

"It is an emergency if I'm horny."

"Youngjae- there's nobody around."

"Oh I know." He then  walked away, leaving Jaebum to shake his head and bite his tongue.

"Fuck you Choi Youngjae."

-

A/N: I apologize that this took so long
I hope you're enjoying the book so far :)