Appa (Seokmin x Reader)

12

Flashback

"Hyung."

Seokmin called Seungcheol.

It's past midnight and they just finished practicing. Everyone lied on the floor, feeling the exhaustion eat their bodies but Seokmin just sat near his leader and leaned his head on the wall.

"Neh?" Seungcheol responded as he tried to face Seokmin with his eyes closed.

"Can we talk later?"

The line got Seungcheol's eyes wide open. Seokmin's tone was serious that got him surprised. He look at the younger and nodded, in which Seokmin responded with a smile.

As they all got changed to go home, Seungcheol told the other members to go on first as he still have to report things to their Vice President but then he thought he need to talk to his dongsaeng first and cancelled his meeting with their Vice President.

Seungcheol went out of the restroom and saw Seokmin sitting inside the practice room while he was looking at his phone. He walked towards him quietly and peeked at the phone of the younger. He was in awe to see Seokmin staring at a picture of his kids. It was a sight Seungcheol never thought to see in him.

"Hey," he tapped the younger's shoulder, "problem?"

Seungcheol sat beside Seokmin who was scramming to keep his phone right away. As the atmosphere calmed, Seokmin decided then to open up.

"Hyung, I..." He became silent, not knowing how to say it directly to his hyung.

But as Seungcheol remembered what he saw few minutes ago, he then got a gist, "It's about your family, right?"

Seokmin looked straight at him, as if he was thankful that Seungcheol brought it up. "Uh, ye-yes hyung"

"Did something happen?" He know started to make the younger to say things comfortably.

Seokmin quickly shooked his head in response, "Hyung, no, actually... Uhh, how do I say this..."

"Yah, it's me." Seungcheol tried to ease him up, "Don't hesitate."

"Can you help me hyung?" He finally said it.

"With what?"

Seokmin took a deep breathe first, you can feel how nervous he is. "I want to ask daepyonim's blessing."

"Seokmin, just say everything." He patted the younger one.

"I want to ask him if me and Y/N can go on public already. I want the kids to feel free and normal, not like they're always hiding. I want Y/N to stop worrying. She deserved to be shown off, not to be hidden just because you know.. of me."

Seokmin's face sunk down. He knew the risks of his decision. It won't only affect him, but literally everyone in the group. Seungcheol noticed the sudden weakness of the younger's voice.

"Then do it."

"Hyung, you don't understand, You'll be at risk if-"

"If what? If you do this? Seokmin... Do you remember why we are all still together after all those years?" Seungcheol asked him, trying to enlighten him. Seokmin just stared and listen to him. "We promised that we'll be a family forever, right? And you know... Family comes first."

Seokmin kept his eyes to his hyung. " I know hyung, but this is different."

"But still, it's your family... Seokmin, Y/N is part of our family too. I know you're afraid of putting Seventeen at risk... But do you think we'll ever let that happen?" Seungcheol scoot closer to Seokmin, "We'll protect you, Y/N and the kids... We'll always protect each other."