lovestrippedbare | 𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕘𝕚𝕔𝕠

It's maybe too much spectacle for Yoongi's tastes, but he likes the sentiment behind such parades, at least. It's nice to imagine that, one day, things might change, even if it leaves him feeling more rueful about the current state of things than hopeful for the future. Maybe someday, though, it won't matter if anyone sees them -- not that they'd change their parents' minds, but that they'll get away from them soon enough that it won't matter what those people think.

"Maybe," he allows. It's doubtful any of their classmates would go. In fact, most of the people who show up to such a parade are likely to be the kind who wouldn't tell on them, who probably know how much some people still need to hide. He remembers what Seokjin said about Pride in America, how that was the first time he kissed a boy; maybe just being in that crowd grants people a certain kind of courage. "We could try next time one happens."

On its surface, a Pride parade is probably the opposite of what Yoongi would enjoy. Too loud, too colorful, too open — and Jungkook can't help but laugh when Yoongi agrees to go, because who would've thought it possible upon first meeting him? The image still feels a little mismatched now, but Jungkook likes that there's really only one set of circumstances that he can imagine Yoongi going — if it's hand in hand with Jungkook, both of them reveling in their love and showing it off to the world.

"We could try," Jungkook agrees, looking pleased with himself as he swings their arms with a little more vigor, turning them down another corner, reveling in the smell of the ocean. "But we have to go all the way. Glitter. Body paint. I guess we're probably not as crazy as the States yet, so no need to take off your shirt or anything... though I wouldn't say no, if you were suddenly feeling inspired."

"I think I'll save that for when we're alone, thanks," Yoongi says, smirking. "And you are not covering me in glitter again." Not that his protest matters any, he knows. If they go to such an event, he's going to get glitter all over himself anyway, if only because it will somehow end up all over Jungkook, whether intentionally or otherwise. He's doomed.

Still, it's worth at least a token protest. Just getting him to one of those things should be enough, he figures. He doesn't like the cacophony and the crowds; the only reason he'd volunteer to go is because Jungkook wants it and because, admittedly, he likes the idea of being surrounded by people who genuinely don't give a shit who he loves.

"You can pour glitter on Jimin instead."

Jungkook tilts his head. "I'll allow it," he says in agreement to the line Yoongi proposes for privacy. As much as he likes the idea of showing his boyfriend off to the world, he's also perfectly content to let some things remain entirely for his own eyes. Especially since he doesn't particularly want to entice other queer men — he's pretty sure the beauty of Yoongi's features will do that all on their own. No need to urge them further.

"But we gotta do the glitter. You know there's going to be so much of it," Jungkook whines playfully, tugging at Yoongi's hand a few times. "Wouldn't you rather the glitter be from me than only from other people? Total strangers? If strangers get to glitter bomb you, I should at least get a go. I promise to at least stay out of your hair."

He lifts his chin with a smirk. "Besides, if I only hit Jimin hyung, you know he'd just grab enough bombs to make sure everyone gets glittered. There's no escape."

Yoongi tips his head back, groaning dramatically, and sighs. He hates to admit it, but Jungkook has a point. If the glitter doesn't come from Jungkook, someone else will cover him in it, probably Jimin.

"It gets stuck everywhere," he grumbles. "I was picking it off for days after Jin's birthday." It's only a token protest, though. Much as he might pretend to grouse, he knows there's little he'll say no to if Jungkook is the one asking. Sometimes, though, it's fun to make him ask a little more first. He can't very well just give in when it comes to something like glitter. "It'll find its way into my hair on its own."

He considers his options, sighing again. "But I guess there's no getting out of it now, is there?"

"I think it was a lovely touch," Jungkook snickers, recalling Jin's birthday party fondly. Sure, he'd gotten some scolding from his hyungs — mostly Jin himself, who was inevitably tasked with cleaning it all up — but the additional sense of festivity was more than worth it. Right down to all of the glitter that continued to trail Jungkook around for days after, drawing more than a little consternation from teachers at school.

"You could probably wash more of it out if you had help," he points out, raising his brow suggestively. "Weren't we so much better at getting clean when it was the two of us? Little more water usage, but..."

Jungkook stares down at his cup, debating the merits of continuing to hold Yoongi's hand versus eating more of his ddeok before they go cold.

Yoongi laughs. The words bring back flashes of memory, soapy touches and kisses under the falling water, and he wonders briefly how big the shower is in their room.

"Are you trying to seduce me into wearing glitter?" he asks, grinning even as he shakes his head at the idea of it. His resistance is purely a token anyway. He knows better than to think he can say no to Jungkook for long, even if it means his father fussing over the inevitable trails of glitter through the house. At least he has plenty of time to think of a good excuse for it. "Because that might work."

Jungkook finally relents, breaking away for a moment so that he can scoop up enough mouthful of ddeok, because he knows that once the dish has lost its heat, there's a good chance that the cakes will harden, which is the last thing that he wants. Besides, there will be no shortage of hand-holding today. Jungkook's pretty sure that they've never had quite as much freedom as they do now, not even when wandering the streets of Jongno. Here, no one knows them, no one can even really try — and there's more freedom in that than Jungkook quite knows what to do with.

It's part of what makes him smile more widely now, trying his best not to smear the peppery red sauce around in the process.

"I would be happy to seduce you into doing all the things, Yoongi-ah. You're so bad at saying no to this face."

Yoongi's half-forgotten about the cup in his hand, but Jungkook eating the ddeok reminds him to do the same. It's still warm and spicy and delicious, and he's pleased with his choice to go to that particular stall. Still, he pulls a face at Jungkook's words, mostly because they're true.

"I could say no if I wanted to," he counters. "I just don't want to." He likes being able to do whatever will make Jungkook happy, and so often the requests or desires are entirely within his power. There's too much he can't control in life. At least he can do this.

That, and he really is incredibly bad at saying no to Jungkook. He's just not about to admit that.

Edited 2019-03-20 21:53 (UTC)

"Uh-huh," Jungkook says slowly, the exaggerated tone making it clear that he's far from convinced. Of course, the reverse could probably be said of Jungkook; he's not sure if there's any request from Yoongi that he would readily turn down. It hasn't been an issue so far, Yoongi being far too unreasonable to even push at Jungkook's limits, but Jungkook's pretty sure that he would roll with just about anything Yoongi asks of him.

Probably.

"You could say no if you wanted to, which is how I've managed to rope you into getting glitter bombed?" Jungkook repeats, the raise of his brow and smirk on his lips doing more than their share of teasing. "So where do you draw the line, Min Yoongi?"

"Ah, we'll see when we get to that, won't we?" Yoongi says lightly, if for no other reason than because he legitimately can't think of a thing he wouldn't give Jungkook if he really wanted it. From the ridiculous to the extreme, it doesn't matter; he's already given Jungkook his heart. He might as well give him everything else.

"And I didn't say yes to getting bombed," he protests. "Just to allowing a little glitter. It'll rub off you onto me anyway." He doesn't even know when Pride is — is it an annual thing or does it just happen from time to time? — but he's definitely not allowing himself to be coated in body paint and glitter. It's just an acceptable cost for making Jungkook happy if a little of that glitter gets on him, is all.

Jungkook hums his skepticism when Yoongi turns around and protests the scale of the glitter bath. It's pretty thin ground to stand on, and Jungkook's sure that Yoongi knows it. First, it's a sprinkle of glitter. Then a handful. Then, unleashing all of the stores that Jungkook's brought to celebrate. One will lead to the other, and Jungkook doubts that Yoongi will do much more than whine and pout about it.

He takes a couple of bounding steps ahead, far enough that he's able to turn around, casting a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure that he won't run into anything while walking backwards.

"What if I said that seeing you get bombed would really make my day?" Jungkook asks, skewering another piece of ddeok and tucking it into his cheek. "Week? Month?"

Yoongi rolls his eyes, then glances instinctively beyond Jungkook to make sure he's not in danger of running into anything or falling. "Then I would say you're ridiculous," he says. "And that you're lying, because you wouldn't be that happy at my expense."

That is, if Yoongi really minded all that much, anyway. As it is, he's already resigned himself to being coated in the stuff, however much he intends to grouse about it. Because it's true: if it would make Jungkook happy, he'd let anyone throw glitter on him. It just means that the expedition is one he doesn't want to share with anyone else. As fun as it might be to invite the others, he's not going to put up with their mockery on top of all that glitter.

"Wouldn't I?" Jungkook asks, chewing on his ddeok and swallowing cleanly. He's pretty sure that he's not the only one in their group that takes a bit of pleasure from watching Yoongi be a bit of a grump — not on his darkest days, when the thoughts continue to take him down step by step, but when the irritants are relatively harmless. When it's clear that they're not so bad so as to drive him away.

Jungkook thinks it can't be helped; grumpy Yoongi is just so cute.

"I don't know, I think I like seeing you pout a lot. Or seeing, I don't know, the contrast between you and your environment. Like a person wearing black in a sea of color." Jungkook tilts his head. "But I bet you'd secretly love it. Especially if we chose a color that matched your hair."

Yoongi pulls a face, pouting without meaning to. In a strange way, it's reassuring; he's always been somewhat surprised he hasn't managed to chase off any of his friends yet when he gets into a mood. But Jungkook never seems to mind if he's a little grouchy at times, and Yoongi's long stopped expecting to scare him off.

"There's no way I'd secretly love it," he says wryly, pointing his chopsticks at Jungkook for emphasis. "It's an annoyance. I'm only agreeing to it because I like making you happy." If glitter is what it takes, then fine, he'll wear the fucking glitter and brave the noise of the parade. In the end, it'll be worth it. Any time they can get out in the world together and still feel safe to be just themselves is enough for him.

The little curl of Yoongi's lips is enough that Jungkook has to stifle his laughter, hiding it by skewering a fishcake and chewing it with relish. If only Yoongi had the slightest idea how cute he can be. If only the rest of the world knew how gentle Yoongi is at heart — he'd lose that reputation he carries at school for being intimidating, standoffish.

Jungkook can't imagine Yoongi ever being mean to someone who shows him love and affection.

"If you do something because you like seeing how it makes another person happy, isn't that kind of an indirect way of liking the thing?" Jungkook asks, pursing his lips. "I know there's a part of you that loves color, Min Yoongi. Just look at all the colors of the rainbow your hair has gone through."

"Yah, semantics," Yoongi says, scowling briefly. It's hard to maintain a semblance of annoyance, though, when Jungkook is so pleased with himself. Besides, it's true. Even if Yoongi's color of choice tends to be black, there's a part of him that likes color, likes the contrast of bright and wild colors with his pale skin. He can pretend it's really a question of rebellion if he likes, but Jungkook knows him too well. He's seen the world in shades of grey too many times. Carrying a little bit of color on him, even if only in his hair, is his own small way of challenging that.

"Anyway, hair dye is not the same as glitter. It doesn't get into everything."

Jungkook distinctly recalls one time when his mother attempted dyeing hair at home, and the colors getting absolutely everywhere on her bed linens, but decides to hold his tongue on directing that particular quip at Yoongi. He might be fairly cheeky by nature, but a bit of grumpiness is all he really wanted to pull out of Yoongi — whether or not he wins the argument matters a whole lot less.

"Okay, okay," he says, slowing down and waiting for Yoongi to catch up, holding his arms out. "I guess, 'cause it's your birthday, that I should be letting you win the arguments today, right?"

He takes a couple of steps forward, looping his free arm loosely around Yoongi's waist, wrinkling his nose and puckering his lips at his boyfriend.

"Yes," Yoongi says, arching an eyebrow. "And because I'm right." He leans into Jungkook, though, a faint smile creeping across his face all the same. "But mostly because it's my birthday."

A clash here and there, a small argument now and then, that's to be expected, Yoongi figures. No couple is without their disagreements and, anyway, they're both smart, competitive people. That lends itself to disputes. It's really more of a surprise that they don't happen more often, though that's probably because they're both quick to give in to each other, no matter how much they like to win.

Jungkook was right. He can't say no to him. Not for long.

"I guess you can't be wrong on your birthday," Jungkook says, eyes wide and blinking innocently. Because there's no way that he's going to admit to Yoongi being right for sheer reason of being right, given that he's definitely been wrong on this front. Yoongi enjoys things more than he lets on, of that Jungkook is sure. And semantics or not, Yoongi probably seeks out a lot of things that he wouldn't otherwise, simply because he knows that Jungkook would take pleasure in them.

Truth be told, the things that they argue about usually come down to topics like these — about how much they care for one another, the things they put up with for one another. It's rarely anything that causes direct conflict, so much as hypothetical questions that are fun to bicker about and compete over.

"I don't know if I'll extend the concessions to the whole weekend, though. Might be too difficult," Jungkook admits, looping his arm around Yoongi's as they continue on their way.

"Yah, so rude to your elders," Yoongi says, shaking his head. His age has hardly mattered since they started dating, except in matters of teasing. What does he care how much younger Jungkook is? It hasn't stopped them from being perfect equals in this relationship, hasn't stopped them from being in love. Nothing else matters.

Still, it's fun sometimes to pretend, if only to needle Jungkook.

In spite of the teasing, though, he leans over to press a quick kiss to Jungkook's cheek. "You're lucky you're so cute."

"So much for practically being the same age," Jungkook pouts, pursing his lips, though he knows that Yoongi's words are mostly in jest. It's true that Jungkook's fairly irreverent much of the time, but he likes to think that he's been better about treating Yoongi with respect than many of the others. And if the walls have started to crumble since, it's only because they've been trying to stand on the same ground in this relationship, to be on equal footing.

It's not unlike how he is with both Jimin and Taehyung, who seem to care less for the niceties and more about being able to play without burden.

The pout vanishes in a second when Yoongi presses a kiss to Jungkook's cheek, causing him to puff out his chest. "I'm lucky because you're so handsome," he corrects, turning his head to nudge his nose against Yoongi's hair.

"Well, there's that, too," Yoongi says airily. "You're lucky for a lot of reasons." Even as he teases, he realizes it's not untrue. He still has his bad days, but they seem fewer and farther between lately; it's easier to combat them early on with Jungkook's help, easier to counter any complaints or misgivings with irrefutable facts. He's lucky to have that. And if everything Jungkook says about him on those days (and most others) is at all true, then they're both blessed with good fortune.

"I mean handsome, talented, very smart, incredibly modest..."

"...observant, thoughtful, compassionate," Jungkook adds, ticking each of the list off on his fingers. Yoongi might be speaking with some exaggeration, but Jungkook believes in each of the listed attributes, and deeply at that. There's no doubt in his mind that he's the lucky one in the relationship, though he tries every single day to become a better version of himself, to give Yoongi everything he deserves.

It'll take a while before he feels like he's gotten there, Jungkook's pretty sure. But he likes to think that he's making progress overall, becoming a more reliable person now that he has someone he wants so deeply to support.

"Good taste in music, fashion. Yah, what is there that isn't great about my boyfriend?"

Even now, with Jungkook listing off his best traits and the smell of ocean salt on the air, Yoongi could easily think of plenty of things that aren't great about him. The self-loathing, though, is more from habit than out of any sense of strong belief right now, and he tucks it all neatly away for the moment.

"Well, he's short," he offers instead, "but he makes up for it with his great taste in men." That those are in no way equivalent doesn't matter. "Ah," he adds, another thought occurring to him. "Romantic, too. Charming." As much as he's joking, he thinks there may be at least a glimmer of truth in it. He has, at least, managed to convince Jungkook that he's these things, which is good enough for him. There's no one else he needs to charm, after all. "Incredible in bed."

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