Zb1 Oneshots

The Ribbon That Ties Us (ChangShen)

Ricky was nervous. Hell, everyone was nervous. The artist battles were a difficult time for everyone. With the performance nearing, you could see people practicing endlessly, trying desperately to secure a spot in the top 18. And Ricky was no exception. 

When he was on screen, Ricky tried acting cold, distant, maybe even cocky. But, in reality, he's none of those things. He's sweet, caring, and has a beautiful personality. And even when he tries, he can't keep his "cool face" on. He always ends up cracking one way or another. 

This one wasn't a good one. And when I say that, I mean it wasn't because Gyuvin cracked a joke or Yujin was being "his little baby," as Gyuvin calls him. I mean that he was cracking under pressure. With Mnet already against him, he was sure he wouldn't make it past this round. He was sure that his hours of restless practice would get him nowhere. He was sure that he would fail. 

Ricky, lost deep in thought, jumped a little when Hao put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Ricky, you seem extra quiet today. Wanna talk about it?" Hao's soothing voice asked as he rubbed Ricky's shoulder. 

Ricky let out a deep sigh. He shook his head wordlessly and dazed off again. This action didn't go unnoticed by those close to him. Hao kept rubbing his shoulder, Seungeon looked worriedly at him, Gyuvin was racking his brain trying to think of something to cheer Ricky up, Yujin was unsure what to do, and Ollie just held Ricky's hand. 

Ricky kept taking painfully deep breaths as he tried to steady himself. He knew they'd be performing soon, so he needed to get himself together. 

His deep breaths weren't just noticed by Hao. And they weren't just noticed by the Yuehuaz. Rather, they were also noticed by another person who hadn't been close on camera with Ricky. Jay Chang. 

Jay wasn't too nervous. Of course he had pre-stage jitters, but he had mostly gotten used to them by now.  As someone who put tons of effort into performances, Jay also wanted his teammates to be well so they could all do well. So when Ricky was practicing until 4 a.m and was basically a limp cat, Jay would carry him to his room and wait for him to get done showering to ensure his health. And sometimes, when Ricky was too tired and not in the right state of mind, he'd even bathe with him. 

So, of course, with Mnet cutting all of this out, no one really knew how hard Ricky worked. Or how much Jay cared. And definitely not how close Jay and Ricky truly were. Hell, not even the other contestants knew. Jay knew Ricky was normally more reserved and respected that, and didn't really tell anyone about how close they were. And Ricky would practically never tell anyone unless him and Jay didn't make it. Then he would probably tell Hao. 

But, as they were very close, they knew a lot about each other. When Ricky couldn't fall asleep the days Jay managed to drag him to bed before 12 a.m. (Which was basically impossible), he'd go with Jay to the laundry room and talk. They'd tell each other random things. Like when Ricky saw Gyuvin fall down a single step. Or when Jay used to have a diary with everything he did that day in it. And once, Ricky felt like he needed to tell Jay something important. 

Well, technically two important things. So, one night, Ricky dragged a very comfy Jay over to a (surprisingly) empty laundry room. "What do you need, Ricat?" Jay asked, using one of his "masterfully made" nicknames. 

Ricky hesitated for a moment, thoughts swirling around his head endlessly. What if he abandons me? What if he thinks I'm a freak? What if- "Ricky? Are you with me?" Jay asked, cupping the younger's face within his hands. 

Ricky took a deep breath, barely whispering out, "Jay. There's something I need to tell you...." 

Jay looked at Ricky with caring eyes, ready to listen to whatever Ricky needed to say.