lovestrippedbare | 𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕘𝕚𝕔𝕠

There's a part of Yoongi that wonders if they should stick around. They paid for the tickets, after all, and the aquarium is full of animals it would be fun to see up close. It's not like they have to run off over some lovesick need to be touching each other at all times. He looks down the sign, considering their options. "Otters are cute," he says, swinging Jungkook's hand between them as a little nod to the fact that otters like holding hands, too. "But..."

But even when it doesn't lead to sex, he loves cuddling. He loves lazing in bed with Jungkook, clothed or naked, lost in each other's eyes. He loves simply being together, talking idly or not at all, the way they can be comfortable in silence, the way they're still learning about each other, the soft circles Jungkook draws against his skin, the warmth of his back under Yoongi's palm. It's ridiculous, he tells himself. They came here to do things, to see Busan, and all he cares about is seeing Jungkook.

Is it that ridiculous? he counters to himself. In twenty years, what is he going to remember and value more, the sight of an otter or the way Jungkook looks as he wonders about the happiness of sharks? The value of the trip isn't so much in what they're doing as it is in that they're doing it together.

"But you're cuter?" Jungkook interjects, grinning broadly at having seized the opportunity to sneak in a compliment before Yoongi could, following the swing of Yoongi's hand and pivoting them towards the otters. "Let's make otters the last stop, then. And then we'll go somewhere that allows for proper cuddles."

It's hard not to feel a slight ache at the fact that the two of them can't be as open as they'd like with their affection. Jungkook's pretty sure that neither of them would have a problem with being affectionate publicly in theory — that if they were to hop on a plane and take off for America, to some of the areas Jin's mentioned where there's broad acceptance, the both of them probably wouldn't ever stop hanging off of each other and delivering pecks and kisses. They got a taste of that when they were in Jongno, and Jungkook can only wait for the day when more of Korea begins to reflect those beliefs and attitudes.

For now, though, they're still forced to choose between one and the other — experiencing the world at large, or experiencing one another. And maybe finding time with each other means that there's a little less of Busan that they'll get to explore, but Jungkook thinks that's a compromise he's willing to make.

"Yah," Yoongi sputters at the compliment, though, really, he's always pleased. Cute might make him roll his eyes at anyone else, but he likes that Jungkook thinks he's cute. It feels like a reminder that Jungkook sees parts of him others don't.

"Okay, otters," he agrees after a moment, letting Jungkook steer them in the right direction. "And then we're out of here." It's not that he doesn't want to see the animals. They're adorable and he's pretty sure they mate for life, and it's really sweet. It's just that, sometimes, it feels a little like torture to be around Jungkook all the time and not to be able to kiss him. Maybe this wouldn't be an appropriate place for very much in the way of public displays regardless, with all the kids around, but it's hard to be so close and know that getting any closer could mean danger.

"Looks like they're right up this way."

"Aigoo, my boyfriend doesn't know the half of how cute he is, aigoo look at him," Jungkook gushes quietly, raising a hand to briefly brush his knuckles against Yoongi's cheeks, marveling at the softness of his complexion. Whether Yoongi's naturally blessed with good skin, or if he's put in the time to perfect his skincare routine, Jungkook doesn't know, but he likes reaping the benefits nonetheless. His own skin never feels half as soft, and he's still young enough that he frequently breaks out here and there, though none of that seems to dissuade Yoongi from kissing him.

Reaching around Yoongi's waist and giving it a squeeze, Jungkook slips a hand into Yoongi's coat pocket, keeping the two of them linked as they make their way over to the otter exhibit, squinting as they step out into the daylight once more. Out in the open, the salty scent of the sea air wafts over them again, and Jungkook's smile widens as he takes a deep breath. It's a nice break from all the smoke and smog of Seoul.

"Ahh, they look like little stuffed animals," Jungkook murmurs softly as they start to approach the tank.

Yoongi is blushing by the time they step into the sunlight, regretting that the color in his cheeks might be more visible up here. "Next to you, how cute could I be?" he asks, but it's soothing to have Jungkook so close, his arm slung around Jungkook's shoulders as they walk. Most of the time, he wouldn't even want to be cute, but when Jungkook says it, it becomes appealing to know one more way Jungkook appreciates him.

"And next to them," he says, voice pitching a tiny bit higher in admiration as they approach the exhibit. "Ah, like little teddy bears or something. How cute." He scans the tank, looking for a pair holding hands. "They don't even look real." He kind of wishes there were babies in the tank, but it must be the wrong time of year, and anyway, anything cuter might kill him.

For those who don't know him well, it might come as a surprise to see someone like Yoongi getting excited over something cute. So often, Yoongi has a certain disaffected aura about him, but Jungkook knows better — he's seen Yoongi dote on puppies, the way his expression softens when he watches young children playing together. If anything, Jungkook believes that Yoongi has a tendency to gravitate towards things that are cute, guileless — examples of how he wishes more of society would be.

"You're definitely cuter than me," Jungkook murmurs with a small grin, lifting his hand to massage at the base of Yoongi's neck. "I think your voice just jumped an octave, Min-ah. Way cuter than me, and still cuter than the otters. Even if that one's really giving you a run for your money." He snickers at an otter far off to the side, with a series of little plastic buckets of varying sizes piled up on its tummy.

"I'm not gonna win this one, am I?" Yoongi asks, glancing wryly over at Jungkook. They're both fairly competitive people, and sometimes it's fun to needle back and forth, volleying dares and compliments alike. Sometimes, though, fun as it is, he knows when he's lost. And it's not like he wants to convince Jungkook he isn't cute, just that Jungkook is cuter. But then, they never see themselves that way, do they? Even if Jungkook is wrong. Even if there are as many moments when Yoongi finds him charmingly adorable as there are when he's taken by how ridiculously hot he finds him.

"But that's definitely cuter than me," he adds, spotting the otter in question. "Look at him, playing with those buckets. That's adorable." There's something so sweet about the otters, the way they play in the water, the way some just float serenely by. There's a certain peace to their display that appeals to Yoongi.

"You're definitely not gonna win this one," Jungkook confirms, pleased that Yoongi is already leaning towards a concession. There's no doubt that Yoongi isn't actually swayed or convinced — Jungkook doesn't think either of them can be, for an argument like this — but it's still fun to revel in the victory, shallow though it may be. As the both of them mosey along the edge of the exhibit, Jungkook lifts a hand to weave his fingers through Yoongi's hair, which somehow, in spite of all the bleaching and hair dye, always manages to feel better than his own.

He purses his lips, turning back to watch the otter, even as he continues to run his fingers through Yoongi's hair.

"That otter is adorable, it's true. But he also has the benefit of using props. Let's say we got you in a pair of swimming trunks, into water, floating on your back and stacking buckets. That'd up your cuteness factor, too," Jungkook points out, stifling a snicker.

"Yah, if you weren't blinded by the glare," Yoongi says wryly. "I'm so pale I'm almost reflective." Not that he minds his complexion any. He's not as interested in being outdoors now as he was when he was little, or even just a few years ago, and his pallor reflects that. Still, it suits him, he figures, the same way Jungkook looks even better with a tan or the way they look beside each other, dark against light.

Jungkook's fingers are gentle in his hair, and, for a moment, Yoongi closes his eyes and just enjoys it, the otters half-forgotten. "Stacking buckets seems pretty boring," he adds, "and you definitely look better shirtless than I do."

Though that doesn't have anything to do with cuteness, admittedly.

"You're so pale, and it's fucking beautiful," Jungkook murmurs in an undertone, gaze flicking to meet Yoongi's. Jungkook doesn't particularly like ascribing value or preference to different shades of complexion, but Yoongi's is striking for how rare it is, a pristine sort of pale that has to be kept carefully protected when the sun's out. It doesn't hurt that the complexion makes it so easy for Yoongi to pull off any hair color, any shades of clothing — giving Yoongi a freedom of expression that Jungkook envies. Jungkook would love to play with color, to be able to paint himself in all the colors he uses on his canvases, but it doesn't work half as well on him.

Which is fine. Maybe it's actually a blessing that Yoongi's the one with the flexibility. It's not like Jungkook spends half as much time looking at himself.

"Okay, so stacking buckets is boring when you've got opposable thumbs, but maybe we pick something for you that humans can't do that easily, then," Jungkook reasons. "Also, which one of us looks better shirtless is definitely debatable. Your belly is a lot cuter than mine."

Yoongi's not especially self-conscious about his appearance. At least, he doesn't think of himself as such. He's fairly confident that he's reasonably attractive. Jungkook, however, has a way of making him feel like he must be fucking gorgeous, and it makes Yoongi briefly shy. The soft, pleased smile turns wry in a moment, though, brow arching, and he smacks lightly at Jungkook's stomach. "Okay, well, if cute is the only goal, I guess I do win," he says. "Because yours is not cute." He lets the way his voice lowers fill in the rest. Cute might be a fitting descriptor for his stomach — flat enough, but not exactly fitted out with abs, not quite as defined as Jungkook's. He doesn't really care. He doesn't work out and his boyfriend is stunning; he wins on every front.

"You're cute," he amends after a moment. "Eh, he's still cuter than both of us. Look at his little paws." He curls his fingers, mimicking the otter, his other arm slipping back around Jungkook's waist.

There aren't very many aspects of his looks that Jungkook finds himself particularly proud of, but his abs might be the exception to the rule. As far as his face goes, his nose is a bit large, his teeth jut out in an overbite, and while Jungkook isn't short by any means, he's also not tall enough for it to be a particularly notable feature. But his abs do offer a point of pride — it's nice having some physical proof of all the time and effort he puts into training, into bettering himself.

"I like how smooth your belly is, though," Jungkook murmurs, reaching out with his hand and briefly brushing across Yoongi's abdomen, ruffling the fabric of his shirt. He leans in, lowering his voice to prevent anyone from eavesdropping. "Very kissable. Bite-able, too."

He pulls back only when Yoongi comments on the otter again, Jungkook pursing his lips as he surveys the animal. And, okay. The otter is cute. The paws are particularly cute. It'd probably be too much for him if the otter were actually dry and fluffy, like Jungkook's seen in pictures. "His hands are even smaller than Jimin hyung's," Jungkook remarks with a soft snicker.

For a moment, Yoongi's mind is alive with the memory of lips and teeth on his skin, neck and ears flushing at the thought of it. He has to look directly at the otters and not at Jungkook as he tries to push it away. Now isn't the time, appealing as the thought might be. If he lets himself think too much about such things when they're not alone, he'll only frustrate himself.

Still, it's nice. Even if Yoongi knows the physical appeal he holds for Jungkook, it feels good to hear it, bolstering his confidence even further. It's one thing to think he's attractive; it's another entirely else to be reminded other people agree, especially Jungkook — who, although clearly biased, is also the person whose opinion matters most.

"Itty bitty," he says, stifling a laugh. "Aw, cute. You know they hold hands so they won't lose each other?"

"Really?" Jungkook asks, blinking as he quickly scans the exhibit, trying to find a pair of otters. He's always thought of them as cute, but the idea that otters also have certain traits that bond them as pairs or groups only further endears them to Jungkook — especially since he has a heightened fondness for holding Yoongi's hand already. He does so now, giving Yoongi's hand a squeeze before tugging both of them down the line of the tank, leaning back and forth to try and squint between the rocks and around the path of flowing water.

And indeed, he manages to spot a pair of otters floating near the end of the exhibit, their hands clasped. One of them has its eyes closed, basking in a ray of sunshine, while the other blinks passively at the nearby humans. A couple of kids giggle behind the glass that lines the tank, one little girl smacking her hand against it, as though doing so might help her to catch the animals' attention.

"...okay, okay. Otters are especially cute when they're holding hands," Jungkook murmurs with a nod. "But which one's you and which one's me? You're the sleeping one, right?"

Yoongi snickers, dropping his head briefly against Jungkook's shoulder. "Oh, I'm definitely the sleeping one," he says. "'cause you're there to hold onto me, so it's okay." The otters won't lose each other, least of all in such a small enclosure, and he stays fixed onto Jungkook, giving his hand a soft squeeze. He always sleeps better when they're together, whether it's a lazy cat nap or a long night with Jungkook helping to chase away the thoughts that plague him and keep him awake other nights. Maybe it's silly, but Jungkook's right. They're the otters and the penguins and everything else. They're in love and they're everywhere. Even in a place that doesn't want them to be in love, he can see them reflected back in every surface, in every sweet thing.

He glances over at the kids near them, offering them a smile, too. "Careful," he warns, though his voice is far softer than it would be if he were to say the same thing to any of his friends. "You might scare them if you make loud noises, okay? Be gentle."

With a sudden laugh, Jungkook raises his chin, pleased at the way that Yoongi describes the time that they spend dozing off together. It's true that Jungkook tends to be the one who holds onto Yoongi — he likes being the big spoon, he likes being able to completely engulf Yoongi with his arms, sneaking gentle kisses to his forehead when Yoongi's breathing is heavy enough to indicate deep sleep. It might be a little naive to think that what the otters are doing is quite the same thing, but Jungkook also doesn't see how it'd hurt to attach some hypothetical emotions to the animals. Plenty of creatures in the world have varying means to keep track of one another, after all, but not very many hold hands. Maybe that means otters have a greater affection for one another, lending each other the most useful part of their bodies.

"I'll hold onto you for the rest of our lives," Jungkook declares softly, giving Yoongi's hand a squeeze.

He glances down at the girl shortly after, not having taken much notice until Yoongi speaks up. The girl gives a small pout, duly chastised even by Yoongi's gentle tone, and pulls her hand back from the glass. "But... oppa, how will I get the otters to look at me if I don't make noise? I wanna play with them."

Yoongi glances back at Jungkook, his heart suffused with warmth. It's ridiculous, how much just a little squeeze of the hand can mean, how soft words he's heard before can still fill him with love. They have their whole lives ahead of them, and, at a moment like this, it seems like such a vast expanse of happiness, Yoongi can hardly imagine it. Things have been hard since his mother died, and, while he knows he's never really going to get over that, these days, it's like the sun has come back into his sky.

He barely expects the girl to answer. Silly, he realizes, to assume she'd be as shy as the other children when she has no qualms drawing attention. She poses a good question, too. "You know, I don't know," he admits. "Is there another way you can get their attention? Maybe we could wave to them. That wouldn't scare them. They won't want to play if they're scared."

He's also pretty sure the otters can't play with kids even if it were something otters wanted to do, safely enclosed in their tank, the walls a little too high for children, but he doesn't want to crush her hopes entirely.

The girl gives Yoongi a heavily disgruntled look, and Jungkook can't help but laugh at the sight. He doesn't blame her for being skeptical of the idea to wave at the animals — there are so many humans that pass each exhibit by that Jungkook can only imagine that motion isn't something that fazes the creatures much at all. A wave doesn't have the same meaning to an otter as it does to a human. She'd probably have better luck if there were some way of offering a treat to the otters, maybe a piece of shellfish or some other toy, but Jungkook guesses that if the staff allowed one girl to do so, that others would quickly want to follow suit.

"Here, why don't we try something?" Jungkook suggests, breaking away from Yoongi for a moment. He nearly decides to pick up the girl altogether, then thinks better of it once he's actually by her side. Kids are small. Jungkook can't help but marvel at it every time he encounters one. They're small, and somehow both fragile and resilient all at once.

So he holds out a hand to her instead.

"Wanna let oppa pick you up? That way you can see the otters more, and maybe the otter will look at you once you're super tall, taller than all the other kids here," Jungkook suggests. The girl gives him a similar glare, but then begrudgingly nods, and Jungkook chuckles to himself before he picks her up and lifts her over his head, settling her down on his shoulders.

Whether or not the otters really care to look at her now, Jungkook can't say, but judging by the girl's squealing (which sounds more delighted than it does terrified), he thinks he's probably made a decent call regardless.

"Yah, you would have the better idea," Yoongi says, but he can't sound the least bit bothered when the girl is perched on Jungkook's shoulders, pleased with her new position up high. She looks so happy about it, and all Yoongi can do is lean against the glass, beaming at them both. It would be nice if they could convince a trainer to let her throw the otters some fish or something, but he's pretty sure that's not allowed. It's not like with the stingrays. This seems like the better alternative.

"Look at you," he adds, glancing up at the girl. "You're taller than both of us. They've got to be able to see you now. They're really cute, huh?"

He glances around after a moment to make sure the girl's parents aren't worried they're gonna run off with her or something, then returns his attention to the two of them. The girl is happy with herself, but Jungkook looks pretty damn pleased, too, and it's the cutest fucking thing Yoongi's seen all day. "Are the otters your favorite?"

When Yoongi praises the idea, Jungkook only beams even more broadly, pleased to have come up with an idea that seems to work all around. He can feel some movement up on his shoulders, and he wonders if the little girl is finally waving after all, taking Yoongi's suggestion now that she has a boost of height and confidence alike. It's not very often that Jungkook feels like he's the clever one in coming up with an idea, but sometimes it's a little easier when the main tool he's focused on using is his body. He has pretty decent spatial awareness, and little fear when it comes to pushing himself.

Now he's starting to realize how much of an asset that can be with kids, and though they're still far too young yet, Jungkook can't help but imagine how much better moments like these will be when it's their own child that they're caring for.

"Yeah! Um, there's these books I read, they're called the Harry Potter books, and there's a girl in them and her Patronus, um." The girl pauses, and Jungkook snickers silently, wishing he could see the expression on her face. "...her favorite animal's an otter. And maybe cats. But definitely otters. So I really like otters, too."

It is, Yoongi is pretty sure, the cutest fucking thing he's ever seen or heard. Maybe that's because the girl is perched on Jungkook's shoulders and that makes it so easy to think Someday... Maybe it's just her enthusiasm for both the books and the animals or the unguarded way she talks to them like it's never entered her mind that they're strangers and therefore maybe not safe to trust. If she were their daughter, he can't help thinking, he'd caution her against talking to strange boys or accepting shoulder rides from them. But she's not and he's glad she doesn't think twice about these things, because it means they get this moment.

"I know Harry Potter," he says, gently smacking Jungkook's side for laughing at her. He can't remember whose Patronus is what and he's not about to make a guess, because he doesn't want to look like the dumb adult in front of this cute kid, but it's nice to be able to say that and watch her face light up with surprise. "I haven't read them in a while, but they're really good, right? Is that your favorite character, the girl?"

He used to run around more as a kid, he thinks, but he's not sure he was ever so bold or self-assured with adults as she is, and he feels an odd burst of pride in her.

The fact that Yoongi smacks him only further goads Jungkook, who's never been more glad that a kid isn't able to see his face as he turns slightly towards his boyfriend and wrinkles his nose, stifling silent laughter. Nerd, he mouths, and it's a comment that's directed more at Yoongi than it is the little girl. Not that Jungkook is entirely oblivious to the world of Harry Potter — it is, after all, one of the defining series of their generation — but he definitely paid more attention to the films than he did the books, and he definitely never read the books with enough care to remember who had what Patronus. Except for Harry, Jungkook supposes. Because they kept on beating that point over the readers with a stick.

Truth be told, Jungkook likes kids who are nerds. They have all the qualities that Jungkook himself lacked as a kid, and that he's only become covetous of now that it's a little late to change course. Jungkook was always so focused on sports, on building friendships, that he now feels slow in a lot of other respects.

Hopefully, he'll be able to close some of that gap by university.

"Yeah, she's totally my favorite," the girl remarks with a nod, now thoroughly distracted from the otters and locking gazes with Yoongi. "I think the series should be named after her. She's a lot smarter than Harry Potter. Also she saves the day more than he does."

Yoongi arches an eyebrow at Jungkook, not even fazed. It's not the first time he's been called a nerd and it won't be the last, though it's more often for the fact that he loves classical music as much as he loves hip-hop than it is for his taste in books. He's usually too immersed in his music and his studies to read for fun anyway, but that wasn't the case when he was younger.

Somehow, he thinks, the hours got shorter as they grew older. He used to be able to play the piano and read and run around outside and still keep up with his schoolwork. Though, of course, his schoolwork also got harder.

He's now positive that otter-Patronus is Hermione, and he feels pretty confident in nodding along with the girl's assessment, even as he fights not to laugh. As if to compensate for his own amusement, he nudges Jungkook's ankle with his toe. "Oh, Hermione is definitely the smartest one," he agrees. "They would have been completely lost without her. I bet you're pretty smart, too, huh?"

It's tempting to lean over and give Yoongi a kiss on the cheek. Someday in the distant future, maybe they can have that — maybe once the world accepts the idea of couples like them being capable of parenting together, the public also won't mind if they share a sign of affection or two. But for now, Jungkook is content to simply bask in the dynamic the three of them share, with Yoongi being the more thoughtful half of their pair, and Jungkook the more physical and tactile.

He lets Yoongi handle the conversation, wondering what it'd be like to have a precocious kid like the girl on his shoulders. Jungkook would probably feel pretty quickly out of his depth — this girl wants to name the Harry Potter series after the bossy know-it-all, which can't be a very popular perspective. She probably reads all the time. Probably tries to learn as much as she can. (Though, at least for now, she's also still young enough that smacking a glass barrier seemed like a logical choice to get an animal's attention.)

"Oh, definitely not smart like Hermione. She's a genius," the girl explains, drawing out the word. "But I wanna be as smart as her, so I'm reading lots of books and I like going to school."

"Ah, you're better than me," Jungkook muses aloud. "This oppa didn't read enough books when he was your age. Now he's more like, uh. The other one, the red-haired kid."

"Ron," Yoongi says, "and if you call me a nerd again —" There's no threat he can make that is appropriate for a child's ears, if only, at the very least, because he shouldn't advocate violence, never mind the withholding of sex. They'd both know he doesn't mean it anyway, so he lets the implied threat hang in the air for a moment, his brow arching. It's impossible not to wonder what Jungkook is thinking, impossible not to guess he's considering the same things Yoongi is, imagining their future child.

Dealing with this adorable little girl, it doesn't matter to him that they're still too young. It's enough for him to be sure that, one day, they're going to be good at this. They won't be like their own fathers; they'll be kind and attentive, as firm as they are encouraging, showering their child with love.

"She's better than me, too," he adds after a moment, glancing up at the girl, at once sheepish and mischievous. "I don't always go to school when I should. But if you keep working hard like that, I bet you'll turn out to be a genius, too."

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