#also needless to say that Bae was even colder in front of the cameras

[skzoologist]

I got another idea for a fic :]]

So one of the members (you choose who) are struggling. It could be they aren't feeling so good about themselves, or they are struggling with a dance move or anything that's just making them feel down they obvi try to hide that cuz they don't want the others to worry but Bae notices the small change in their behavior and comforts them :]]

(hope you don't mind me coming here randomly with fic ideas😅)

-🐿️

word count: ~1.7-1.8k

warnings: negative thinking, self-deprecative thoughts

genre: hurt/comfort

a/n: Hey-ho 🐿️ anon, hope you don't mind that I wrote this request of yours now, and not the other two you sent in earlier than this. I just think we all need a hug, so I wrote this one instead. Love your ideas, as always, and I hope you enjoy reading this!

Please let me know if I left a warning or anything out, I will add it in! Reblogs, likes and feedback are greatly appreciated!

!I don't condone anyone stealing my work and posting it anywhere without my permission, or feeding it to AI!

!This is just fiction, my interpretation of Stray Kids. By no means is this how they are and how they behave in real life!

‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

Bae woke up with a strange feeling in his chest. It gnawed away at his flesh and ribs, desperate to get out and do something. Albeit what, he did not know.

But it was concerning.

It had nothing to do with himself, Bae was sure about it. He felt well-rested -as rested as you could get with their schedules-, his body was in a fine condition. Even his unruly hair was in an acceptable condition in the morning, something that was rare. It just confused him.

If it wasn’t about his own condition, then what was his body warning him about, endlessly ringing that alarm bell in his head?

With furrowed eyebrows, he got ready for the day, fully clothed in some loose clothing, the one he always wore to dance practice. He wanted to go over some older choreos, lest his body forget them, something that would be unacceptable. 

No one else was up when Bae sneaked out of his room, an unsurprising fact. 

Much like his dear leader, he was a workaholic, leaving himself with the bare minimum of sleep in exchange for more work. Which was why he was usually the first one to check on Chan if he wasn’t in his bed -or god forbid, the couch in the dorm’s living room-, finding the man in his studio with dark circles and a hunched back, fatigue clinging to him desperately. It would lead to the younger patiently waiting there in silence, just until his hyung’s eyes finally closed. Even with Chan’s well-built form, Bae didn’t have a lot of problems moving him over to the couch, leaving only after a blanket was draped over the exhausted man.

But that day Chan was in his bed, thankfully, allowing Bae to go straight to their usual practice room, where he could let the music take over and move his body to its own whims, only for the others to find him still dancing, hours later. Sweat dripped from him in translucent rivers, long locks of hair sticking uncomfortably to heated skin. His chest heaved up and down, the lack of air only registering in his mind then.

Danceracha didn’t hesitate to start berating him, talking his ear off about resting more while his water bottle was pushed into his hands roughly. He let them talk without saying anything, hungrily drinking the clear liquid from the bottle in his grasp.

Bae’d already done this dance of theirs hundreds of times, the others always finding him working and practising with little to no rest in that same room, nearly every morning. He’d learned that letting them scold him was the best route to take, the one where their worries for him took on the smallest possible form.

“Hyung, you really gotta rest more, that’s also part of a healthy lifestyle!” - Felix angrily told him, nose slightly scrunched up in frustration. “Felix, you know that he doesn’t listen, just let it go.” - Minho replied in Bae’s stead, who just stood there silently. “But then what should we do?!” “Take away his access to the room.” “Minho hyung, I could kiss you.” “Please don’t.”

The two chased after each other, Felix offended at the disgusted face Minho made at his comment. There was a playfulness in all of it, slightly easing that gnawing sensation in Bae’s chest.

Yet, the moment he looked over at the only other silent person in the room, it strengthened, making his brows slightly furrow and lips dip down.

Hyunjin looked different. Not in his appearance, no, there was nothing wrong or off about that. Those long, dark strands were pulled back in that oh so familiar hairstyle, his usual clothes loose on his skin. No, it was the way his lips were in a small, permanent downwards arch, eyes duller than usual, as if the moon was blocking out the sun’s radiant shine.

It didn’t sit well with Bae.

In a blink it was gone, a smile in its place as Hyunjin waved at the taller member, playfully looking at him with a questioning hum. It felt as if it was all a hallucination, the unavoidable consequences of his own relentless dancing. The more he looked, the more he convinced himself of that.

Hyunjin seemed fine.

Soon the four of them started dancing, working on their new choreography. It went much like it usually did, everyone throwing in their ideas for certain parts and beats in the music, the others voicing their opinion about it. Minho called the final shots, being the one with the most knowledge in the area. None of them had any problems with it, it only felt natural.

Once they had it mostly done, it was time to rehearse a different choreography for their future tour, making small adjustments here and there. Their dynamic was impeccable, everyone stayed in their own bubble and performed the moves perfectly.

And yet, yet Bae couldn’t help but frequently glance at Hyunjin through the floor-to-ceiling mirror that stood unshakeable in front of them. It took him several repeats of the song, but he caught more and more small things that were off in the way Hyunjin moved and behaved. A small tremble of an arm, a misplaced foot by only a few inches, that same downturned smile appearing for the split of a second.

Nobody else seemed to have noticed, based on their lack of reaction, only Bae.

The moment Minho announced that they were done and the two youngest collapsed onto the floor, Bae didn’t hesitate to throw a look at the older’s way. At his slight head tilt and concerned eyes, Bae subtly pointed at Hyunjin and the door, making sure the other two weren’t looking. Understanding flashed through those dark eyes, a slight nod letting the otter know about it.

“Huh? Bae hyung and Jinnie hyung, aren’t you two coming?” - Felix asked, confused as he was gently being ushered out by Minho. “No, we’ll go later. See you, Lixie, Lino hyung.” - Bae answered in a lighthearted tone, hoping it would ease the younger’s concerns and maybe even erase them.

The aussie only mumbled an ‘Oh, okay’ and animatedly waved, leaving the room with only one of his hyungs. It left just the two artists there, alone, one still laying on the ground, the other sitting down next to him quietly.

It was silent.

Bae didn’t need to say anything, he knew Hyunjin realised he’d failed to hide something from him. So, he patiently waited there, until the boy would open up to him at his own pace. Only a phone was in Bae’s hands, the chat with Hyunjin’s manager open.

It didn’t matter what Hyunjin had scheduled for the rest of the day, Bae would take on the consequences for cancelling and rescheduling them. Knowing this fully well, the manager didn’t argue at all and just did as he was asked. Not wanting to keep him out of the loop, Bae sent a quick text to Chan as well, knowing how the man could get when it came to his members and their wellbeing.

“Hyung, am I not good enough?” - Hyunjin’s voice was quiet, heartbreakingly so.

Bae instantly locked and pocketed his phone, his attention solely on his younger member and the way his voice trembled. Gently, the older took the hand that laid closer to him and grasped it, caressing the skin with his thumb. Not a sound escaped him, knowing fully well that it wasn’t the end of what Hyunjin wanted to say.

“It’s just, am I worthless? Is my dancing not good or precise enough? Is my voice too nasally and bad? Am I ugly? Is all my work really not enough? All I keep seeing online are people saying how I’m not dancing as well as I used to, how I should’ve gotten less lines and let someone else, like Seungminnie, sing more, and just how I used to look better like this and that, or how others look better than me. Should I even be here, in this group? Do I even deserve it at this point?”

By the end, Hyunjin’s voice completely broke, just like the dam that held his tears back. The crystal droplets endlessly fell from his eyes, running over the expanse of pale skin and carving a way for themselves down to the floor. Quiet sounds escaped his throat and through his fingers, a hand placed there, although useless in muffling any voice. The other hand that was held moved away from its place, its new assignment to hide those sorrowful depths and block out anyone from witnessing them, from letting the heartbroken boy acknowledge the fact that someone was seeing his broken and curled up form.

As gently as he could, Bae scooted over and took the trembling boy in his hold, letting him weep into his clothes and skin. A hand was carding through those dark locks soothingly in an unheard rhythm, the other holding onto as many pieces as it could, mending them together. A low hum left his throat, one that made Hyunjin move into the crook of his neck, hiding from the world and his gaze.

“You’re more than enough, Jinnie. You are beautiful and handsome, pulling off looks others couldn’t even dare to think about. Your voice is soft, taking anyone who listens to it into a cosy headspace, as if they were bundled up in front of the fireplace amidst the harsh weather of winter. The dance style you have is unique, your moves captivating and flowing together perfectly. You’re talented and hardworking, someone who undeniably earned their place in this band and industry. Besides, we all love you too much to ever let you go, you’re stuck with us for a lifetime.” - Bae’s voice was low and quiet, as if the winds themselves learned how to whisper for Hyunjin’s sake.

The sobbing decreased with every sentence that left the older’s lips, only quiet sniffing left behind in their wake. A few trembles remained, but the boy was relaxed in the other’s arms, comfortably laying there, sheltered from the grim world.

“I love you. I’ll tell you again and again, no matter how many times I need to.” - the words felt immovable, firmly settling onto Hyunjin’s form, along with the small kiss that Bae left on the crown of his head.

They sat there for a while, none of them knowing, nor caring how much time had passed. Both were content in their position, lazily drinking in the other’s presence as only soft humming could be heard in the peaceful silence.

Everything would be fine.