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After the last photo, they relaxed out of their final pose, hands sliding out of hair, the pair patting down on straying and wayward locks. They both slowly move on to check how the pictures looked and to choose which four to keep in the final print.
Kamden reached for the machine first, flicking through the pictures taken with a growing small and content smile on his face. His eyes creased upwards slightly with his grin, the images of themselves in various silly and cute poses reflecting in his eyes brightly.
He couldn’t help but think on how he has been able to hit cuter poses lately with greater ease, and he knows that it’s because of a mixture of much personal practice, consideration, and growing self-confidence. And after it all, he’s especially glad that he was able to find and have a friend like Jay to see him through it to the end, to this day. The thoughts make his heart feel warm, any remaining tension leaving his body. Upon relaxing fully, he releases a small sigh of satisfaction, continuing to review the pictures one by one.
Jay, upon fixing his hair after it got a little more messed up from Kamden’s hand on top of it, tried to peer over the taller boy’s shoulder to take a look at the photos himself. But with him firmly placed in front of the photo machine screen, he couldn’t see nearly as much. Finally stepping closer to get a better look, Jay slings his right arm over Kamden’s shoulders to lower his head, moving him a bit to the side so that he could settle next to the boy for a better view.
Even just through the simple contact, Jay can feel how relaxed the other is in this moment. He lets out a soft chuckle.
“So, how’s it looking? Any good?”
Kamden lets out a small huff of his own, smiling wider and leaning his shoulder more into Jay’s side, “They all look really good. I’m sure I’ve said this enough times by now, but your facial expressions really are amazing.”
Jay feels a smirk growing on his face, “Hmmph. That’s pretty high praise coming from the great reaction master himself. I’ll be sure to continue to not disappoint.”
He brings their faces closer to the screen as he swipes at it to look at the next photo, hearing another lighthearted laugh come from Kamden as he readjusts his feet to accommodate their proximity.
The next picture that comes on screen is the first they took, the pose being a reference to the Jelly Pop ending fairy they did together.
Despite the initial circumstances, Jay felt a special sort of happiness when they filmed that ending fairy next to each other— chests heaving after putting their all into the performance, surrounded by their fellow Jelly Pop members, there was thousands of cheers from the audience, and even more from those watching live across the world. It had dawned on him then, at that very moment— that it was this exact exhilarating feeling and experience that he wants to strive for for the rest of his life.
It had all felt like a dream, one that he never wanted to wake up from. The sentiment alone fills him with determination, reaffirming within himself that he will do his greatest to be able to relive it once again— with his feet back on the stage, mic in hand, and with the audience excitedly calling his name.
As Jay feels a slight tug at his right sleeve, he realizes with little fanfare or surprise that he wouldn’t mind if he was able to stand on that stage of his dreams, but with Kamden next to his side once again— not just as trainees fighting for a chance, but as proper idols with the promise of many more performances to come.
Even if their current state of affairs weren’t favorable to such a thought, he wouldn’t truly be a kpop trainee if he didn’t dream and chase after those dreams, now would he?
Another soft tug at his right sleeve brings him back to reality to see Kamden moving his own hand to the screen.
“We’re certainly keeping this one. It’s too good not to.” He proceeds to save the photo to the template.
Jay, looking at the picture once more, lets out another laugh. “Now I feel like we’ve switched places haha. Despite doing it a few times, squeezing your face always looks and feels so squishy.”
He turns his face to look in Kamden’s direction, bringing his left hand up to squish Kamden’s cheeks for the umpteenth time. “Are you really sure you’re not actually made out of tofu Na Doobin?” He asks with a chuckle.
Kamden does little to pull from the position, his jaw clenching for a fraction of a second before going lax in Jay’s hold, used to the action by now. His eyes are facing downward, naturally drawn towards trying to look at Jay’s watch wearing-wrist and hand cradling his face.
“I don’t know, my cheeks aren’t that soft are they? I kind of thought I had a pretty slim face but, well…” Kamden’s words trail off as he raises his eyes to look back at Jay positioned slightly above him, mouth shifting into a slight pout, “…are they really that soft?”
At the question and the sight before him, Jay can’t help but stop and stare at his friend’s face in his hold. Something slowly shifts in the atmosphere as he begins to take in the sight with more intent.
Kamden’s skin is soft and supple under his fingers, well taken care of and easily giving way when Jay gives it an experimental squeeze— the pressure light but doings it’s job of showing how much his fingers sink in all the same. At the action, Kamden’s bottom lip juts out a bit more, accentuating his pout and Jay swears his lips were pinker than he’s seen them just earlier today. As he begins to steadily travel his eyes up over Kamden’s face, from the bottom of his field of vision he sees Kamden’s tongue peek out quickly to moisten his lips. When he looks back at Kamden’s eyes, he is surprised to see that they were looking slightly downward themselves, pupils dilating as they stare at his own lips while Kamden’s cheeks stain a light, rosy pink.
Jay lets out a breath that he didn’t realize he was holding.
Their eyes finally meet once more after what feels like centuries. Kamden opens his mouth, Jay feeling a slight tremble in his jaw where it is still in his hold.
“…well?”
Jay’s head feels like it’s swimming, waves of something near intoxicating and tranquillizing washing over him. Kamden’s large, deep eyes reflecting the shining lights of the photo booth are staring back at him, expectant, but oh so very patient in its gaze.
Jay gets some inexplicable feeling in that moment that, if he asked him to, Kamden would wait for him forever.
It doesn’t matter for what, and for whatever reason— Kamden just would, with the absolute trust that Jay would come back to him.
His heart threatens to burst after such a thought. It’s soon brimming with a sense of absolute reassurance and yearning to return the feeling in kind, to make Kamden feel and understand to the fullest that he too would reach whatever height necessary to make the wait worth it all and more.
With this newfound feeling settling deep within his chest, Jay lifts Kamden’s chin just a little higher, deepening their gaze at each other. His thumb smooths over Kamden’s cheek, as soft as ever, the action proving therapeutic against Jay’s rising emotions at the many new realizations he’s come to in just the span of a few moments. He feels like his next question should come with the need to gather much more courage to ask, but it slides past his lips as easily as he breathes.
“Can I kiss you?”
Kamden’s eyes gleam as they curve with his smile.
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Jay returns with a bright smile of his own for a moment before he leans down, gently encouraging Kamden’s face near. Kamden pushes up to close the distance between them, their lips coming together easy and light. He traces his hands over Jay’s hips to encircle his arms around his waist, brushing against the soft material of his sweater to settle on the small of his back. Jay gives a satisfied hum against his lips as he shuts his eyes and finally lets go of Kamden’s face to bring both arms around his neck, their bodies flush as they lean into the kiss.
As their lips slot against each other, Kamden rises to his full height as he begins to feel more confident, maneuvering Jay to be between the photo machine and his own body, pressing into him even more. The feeling of being embraced from all sides while being kissed so passionately brings another small noise from Jay’s lips, Kamden swallowing up the sound with fervor.
When they finally break apart to catch their breath, their flushed faces still close to each other, Jay takes the moment to dazedly look at Kamden’s face once more.
Maybe it’s just the lighting, or their shift in positions, but now Kamden’s face seems sharper, more solid, and now holding a newfound sense of resolve and direction within his gaze— yet still managing to feel as patient and caring as ever.
Jay can’t help the smile that comes back to his face as he basks in the presence of the man before him. He leans forward with a new mission, this time to start pressing feather-light kisses against the corner of Kamden’s lips, his cheeks, his nose, anywhere he can reach— and where he can’t reach, Jay just pulls Kamden down to get better access.
Despite his earlier passion, the little touches and kisses causes Kamden to get flustered, his cheeks getting even more impossibly red. He pulls his face back a little in a weak attempt to escape the affection, but his arms remain firmly wrapped around Jay’s waist, even tightening its hold in spite of his embarrassment and floundering. Jay giggles at this and tightens his own arms around Kamden’s neck to reciprocate, continuing his onslaught.
Against Jay’s own giddy persistence, Kamden eventually gives up, breathless once again with his face and neck on fire. He instead opts to bury his head into Jay’s shoulder, nuzzling his face into the crook of his neck as a last ditch effort to hide from the tender kisses. Jay barks out a laugh at Kamden’s behavior before giving one final kiss against his temple, making it extra deep just to pull away from the kiss with a playful and comical “mwah!”
Despite his hiding, Jay can feel Kamden’s lips pull into a smile against his skin.
At that moment, the photo booth screen beeps, making the two jump in surprise at the unexpected noise. Kamden quickly raises his head to look at the screen as Jay twists in his hold, them remembering where they were and why they were there in the first place.
They both stare at the glaring LED screen as their pictures are hidden behind a pop-up window asking if they were done with their selection. Upon looking at the pictures once again and it settling in their minds where it got them, Jay and Kamden both break into loud, joyous laughter, leaning against each other once more to keep their balance.
“I-I nearly forgot that we didn’t even finish choosing which pictures we wanted!” Jay says as he wipes away some tears from his eyes, still huffing out humorously.
“I nearly forgot we even took pictures in the first place,” Kamden speaks softly with his head resting atop Jay’s. “But I’m glad we did. I don’t think I’ll forget this moment til the day I die.”
Jay chuckles again as he lightly slaps a hand good-naturedly against Kamden’s chest, “Don’t even joke about that. Now that I know just how much you wanted to perform with me again ‘before you die’, it’s gonna take a whole lot more to get rid of me before you kick the bucket.”
His breathing finally calming down after the kisses and the surprise, Jay turns around fully in Kamden’s hold to face the screen to properly start selecting photos to print as he leans his back into Kamden’s chest.
“Hahah, as if I’d let you go,” Kamden says as he rests his head back into the juncture of Jay’s neck. As he contentedly listens to Jay make various selections on the screen for a beat, Kamden steels himself before turning his head slightly into Jay’s neck to place a light kiss to the skin, making Jay release a small gasp in response.
“Ah, sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you all of a sudden. You okay?” Kamden raises his head to try and see Jay’s expression, only to see a slightly sheepish smile gracing his face and the blush begin to return high on his cheeks.
“Oh don’t worry about it, I just wasn’t expecting it. I still liked it—“ Jay turns to place a quick peck of his own on Kamden’s cheek, “—and besides, I was just a bit distracted. Take a look at these, do you think these are good to print?”
At the question, the two look back at the screen to see the selections. Four pictures are displayed on a simple black background, the first photo they took sitting proudly in the top left. The other three are looking just as good, with them instead in matching poses. One with their hands open next to their ears, as if listening, another with both of them doing Kamden’s usual lego heart, and the last being the most fun as they were just playing around with their hands splayed atop the other’s head.
Seeing these, Kamden just wants to frame all of the photos and keep them on him at all times.
“They’re perfect. Make sure to print two copies?”
Jay laughs at Kamden’s insistence, feeling the arms around his waist tighten just a little more. “Of course. I knew you’d like them.”
Jay presses the remaining prompts to print the pictures, Kamden finally letting his hold loosen as he reaches down for the final product when they finish printing while Jay gathers their things from the floor.
As Jay turns to see Kamden approaching him once more, shiny photos in hand and a bright promise in his eyes, he speaks, “Actually I’ve been thinking… I’m a little thirsty now, so before the day ends, do you want to get one more drink at a cafe or something?”
Kamden, upon accepting his bag from Jay’s hands and taking one last look at the pictures with a soft smile on his face, gazes back into Jay’s eyes with all the happiness he can muster. He slides the pictures into the plastic bag in Jay’s hold, and then takes his unoccupied hand into his own, smoothing his thumb over the back of it.
“As long as it’s with you, I’m down for anything.”