birds of paradise [cut scene]
cut from this WIP fic
jeonghan/joshua
idol!verse secret relationship
Joshua’s personal manager is one of the youngest among the members and has a babyface to match. When they were hiring for the position, company staff warned Joshua about Donghoon’s lack of experience, but Joshua said he didn’t mind. He liked the idea that his manager might be able to depend on him too. He didn’t have as many solo activities back then and he thought they could grow together, which is the sort of thing that only Joshua could say with unflinching sincerity.
“They should let me be your manager,” Jeonghan had said in the privacy of Joshua’s bedroom. He was lounging on the bed watching Joshua finish up his lengthy nighttime skincare routine in front of the mirror.
Joshua huffed. “No thanks.”
“Why not? I’d take good care of you.”
Joshua unscrewed a cream as he mulled it over. “It’s not that…”
“We’d be together all the time,” Jeonghan wheedled, but he was just playing devil’s advocate. “No one would think twice if we lived together.”
“I don’t know. I think I’d rather be a manager.”
“You’d rather be my manager?”
“No,” Joshua said, laughing softly, “I’d rather be a manager with you.”
Jeonghan sat up. “But if we’re both managers, we’d probably be assigned to different things.”
“It could be fun.” Joshua turned around to face him. The lamp on the vanity cast Joshua’s face in shadow, but Jeonghan could see the pretty sparkle in his eyes. “We can drink together and complain about work.”
It was all too easy to picture. The image made Jeonghan’s chest ache — he couldn’t tell whether it was a good or bad ache, just that it made him want to hold Joshua tight. He picked at a loose thread on Joshua’s covers. “With how our managers have it, we might not see each other for days.”
“Maybe,” Joshua said. “But when I’m having a hard time at work, I can think about how you’re probably doing the same thing and it won’t feel so lonely.”
Jeonghan looked up. Joshua was watching his hand on the bed, and his gaze followed the hand up to Jeonghan’s face as Jeonghan tucked his hair behind his ear.
“Is that weird? It sounds like I want us to have a hard time.”
Jeonghan laughed and tipped onto his side. For a second there he felt like he was going to start crying. He’s glad he didn’t — it would’ve ruined the mood. “It’s okay. I don’t want you to be happy without me either.”
