MET Gala (Minsung)
content warning: you’ll probably cry
Masterlist
Inspired by: Secret Love Song, Pt II by Little Mix
word count: 1615
HAN POV
I woke up this morning and stretched with a yawn as I did every morning. I checked the clock which told me it was 11 am. I was excited because that meant Lee Know would be awake.
I smiled and tapped the wall behind me three times. "Good morning," the syllabized taps sang out to him.
He knocked back right away with three quick raps. I grinned and stared at his photo on my lock screen wishing he could be in the room with me, so I could cuddle into his warm embrace the way we did during our months off.
There were two more knocks against our shared wall.
"Love you," they told me.
My heart smiled at the reminder, and I tapped back twice.
Someday we wouldn't have to hide and pretend we weren't together. Someday we'd be able to share a room and a bed in a hotel without worrying that fans would find out and berate us online. When I imagined that world, I felt immensely happy. One day I hoped it would be real.
Two knocks hit against my door. I knew right away that they weren't Lee Know's gentle knuckles and soft tone.
I got out of bed and put my slippers on before allowing the stylist in.
"I've got breakfast," he announced with a cheerful attitude. I tried my best to appear grateful and sipped the coffee he'd gotten me. It wasn't what I would've ordered for myself, but I needed some sort of energy if I was to make it through a half day of being groomed and clothed by someone I didn't know.
I missed the days when we were just 8 kids sitting in Chan's room and experimenting with piercing each other's ears and dying shoelaces neon. Everything was so professional now. It was a bit exhausting...and I missed my friends.
The stylist told me his name was Gavin. He'd apparently fought for the chance to style me as my hair was his favorite. I laughed and told him he must be a STAY because that's what everyone's been telling me lately.
"What's a STAY?" he pondered.
"Never mind," I mumbled.
His fingers massaged some moose into my hair, and he finger-combed it to give it a messy rockstar look (as he called it). Real rockstars would laugh at the primping being put into obtaining their all-natural signature look.
When he finished, I began to eat the sausage biscuit he'd gotten me and watched from the desk as he steamed the wrinkles out of the satin suit I was to wear.
Three knocks hit against the wall. It was after noon now which meant Lee Know was saying "I miss you." I wanted him to be here with me more than anything.
I tapped back and the stylist looked in confusion but didn't say anything.
"Ready to get dressed?"
I shoved the rest of my food in my mouth and nodded. "Let me just brush my teeth."
A few minutes later, I was being stripped and asked to step into navy satin pants with a red stripe on the side.
"Yes!" Gavin cheered when I buttoned them. "They fit so well."
"Sure," I nodded with a laugh. I didn't see what the big deal was. They were just pants.
I was given a belt, a white button-up, and then a red blazer to put on. I laid them out on my bed. The red would look nice with my current hair color. Fans would like it. More importantly, Lee Know would, too.
I took a selfie and sent it to him before I finished getting dressed.
"Garden of Time's the theme? What if we went nude like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden," I texted him alongside the photo where he could see I was shirtless.
He hearted the photo right away as though he'd been waiting for my text. "Want to bite my apple?" he replied with a close-up of his bum. I snort-laughed and threw my hand over my mouth out of habit.
"Something funny?" Gavin asked.
I threw the shirt on and began doing the buttons. "Nope!"
He helped me add the finishing touches which included a black wool jacket over the entire ensemble.
"Time to line up," someone shouted from the hall.
I was already assigned to line up 2nd behind Chan. Lee Know would be 7th.
I saw him standing where the back of the line would be, and my heart raced excitedly. I had not seen him since yesterday but it felt like forever. I extended my hand to graze against his as I walked by. I didn't have to look to know he was smiling. I was too.
I got behind Chan, and we walked out one by one to the car that would take us to the event.
Chan went first and paparazzi flashed wildly. Fans shouted in shrill voices. I was grateful for my long hair because I could put on my headphones to drown out the overwhelming shouts and nobody would know that I was still plagued by anxiety. I reached for them in my pocket and put them in my ears.
Our manager motioned for me to walk and I stepped outside. I couldn't hear a thing but the beginning of "Want So Bad". I smiled softly as I walked and joined Chan in the car, eagerly awaiting Lee Know.
I sat in the back and turned the music off before saving a place for him beside me. When it was finally his turn, he walked tall and confidently, pausing to pose for fans. I envied his ability to do that so naturally.
I watched him closely and blushed when I realized our jackets were similar. I wonder if it'd been done on purpose.
Lee Know entered the car and his eyes found mine right away. He gave me a soft smile, and my hand reached to pull him towards me. He put an arm around me immediately, and I sunk into him. "Hey, pretty boy. I've missed you," he whispered.
He kissed my forehead, and I hummed against his shoulder, happy to be beside him once again.
"Missed you more. You look so pretty, baby," I complimented.
"So do you," he smiled and placed a soft kiss on my lips.
My heart felt full when he was near me.
"Are you two listening?" Chan asked.
"No," I told him honestly, earning a few chuckles from the others.
Chan sighed but repeated himself, "When we get there, keep your coats on for the first photo. We'll take pictures at the second spot without them. We'll go out in the same order as earlier. Okay?"
"Got it," Lee Know told him. He surprised me by pulling me into his lap. "You need to get out before me," he explained and switched seats with me. He patted my leg when he placed me back down and the car rolled to a stop.
His hand stroked mine where it sat on his leg and the door opened. I threw him one last glance and followed Chan out of the car. Cameras flashed and aggressive camera operators demanded different poses and facial expressions.
I clicked my phone in my pocket and drowned them out with my headphones again.
My eyes shined when Lee Know's voice started his verse. I glanced over at him. He was posing with a hand in his pocket attempting to seem casual and sexy...and succeeding at seeming casual and sexy.
He looked my way and winked. My heart pounded in my chest. We'd been together for years, but I still felt like a teenager with a crush whenever he looked at me.
My face turned red, and we were guided to the second area for photos. We handed our coats to our stylists, and I went to stand beside Chan again but found that Hyunjin had filled the spot. I glanced toward Lee Know and jumped into the empty space in front of him before anyone could direct me somewhere else.
He tapped my bum and grinned boyishly before turning on his professional self again. This time, I didn't need the headphones.
"Meow," Lee Know sang quietly. It had become an inside joke between us to see who could meow the loudest in public, but it was so unexpected that I nearly crumbled from laughing so hard. I'd never heard him do it at a red carpet before.
Chan narrowed his eyes at me, silently scolding me, and we were corralled to walk to our table for the evening.
Our stylists brought our coats somewhere else...I didn't really care where. My mind was too occupied by the way Lee Know blushed whenever I caught him staring.
I was, of course, seated away from him, and I looked around at the other attendees. It made me sad to see couples who got together out of infidelity or couples who didn't really love each other seated together and being paraded as some amazing love story. I wanted that. I deserved that.
I deserved to hold Lee Know's hand while we ate and cheers his champagne glass during the speeches and feel his knee lightly touch mine under the table just because he'd know it would drive me crazy to touch him.
My heart was always so full of him. My body always wanted his. My mind thought of nothing else.
I caught his gaze again and knocked twice on the table. "Love you," it told him.
"I love you too," he mouthed.