lovestrippedbare | 𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕘𝕚𝕔𝕠

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yoongi

𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕘𝕚𝕔𝕠

There are times, Jungkook thinks, when unexpected changes in plan work out for the best. Giving up on the idea of Busan during winter break wasn't the easiest choice at the time — Jungkook had expected it to be the highlight of their winter, and giving into the pressure of Yeongwook's blackmailing hurt on multiple levels. But distance seemed safest. Planning, biding their time, having Jungkook carefully siphon a portion of his allowance over to Yoongi for safekeeping, every passing day made the trip feel more viable again, until the two of them suddenly realized that Yoongi's birthday would be an easy occasion to leave for, and that was that.

They've picked up memories along the way. The first night Jungkook had Yoongi stay over. The first dinner together with his mother, with her offering countless thanks for helping her youngest with his studies. A trip out to a nameless beach, all seven of them together, huddled and bracing against the last of the winter winds.

Getting to March isn't as difficult as Jungkook expected it to be, and now that they're here, the wait has made everything all the sweeter.

He takes countless pictures with his camera — of their seats together on the train, of the little box meals they buy from the lady with the cart. Of the ramyeon they buy an hour later, when it's clear that the box meals are more packaging than substance.

Of Yoongi, staring out the window of the train car, a soft smile on his face.

At first, Jungkook struggled with the idea of spending much of Yoongi's birthday on the train, but the trip to Busan takes several hours at best, which would have required missing class on Friday. Seeing Yoongi's peaceful expression on the train helps to set a little of that regret to rest, as does the stifled laughter they share as they stumble down the hall to their room in the hotel.

"Hotel Elysee," Jungkook says with a flourish as he waits for Yoongi to swipe their room key. "Is that, like, French?"

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"If you're down, I'd come down to pick you up," Jungkook says, the statement slightly more solemn than most. He's familiar with the darker days that Yoongi has, days when no amount of smiling and babble seems capable of pulling him out of his mood. But days like that are also days when Jungkook finds himself sobering quickly, tempering his energy until they're matched a little more closely — until he's able to slip with Yoongi between the covers and hold him until the storm passes. Jungkook knows that Yoongi probably laments such moments, at least in part — the last thing Yoongi ever wants to do is dampen Jungkook's days — but Jungkook finds that he'd much rather stay by Yoongi's side and do whatever he can to make the time better.

"And, ahh, I don't think you ever have to be approached more carefully," Jungkook adds, his tone perking up slightly again as he wrinkles his nose and faces forward once more. "You're not like an untrained dog. It's just times when you need more quiet, that's all. Everyone's got times like that, though. Even Taehyung isn't up and running all of the time."

It's been easier, these last few months. Having Jungkook at his side has buoyed Yoongi's moods, and he finds he's slightly less susceptible to the shadows that sometimes overcome him. It comes from being able to talk to someone, he thinks. He can tell Jungkook when things are starting to shift and fend it off before it gets bad. It doesn't hurt that he's happier now than he's been in years. But when the moods do come over him and he can't help the darkness in his head, it helps to have Jungkook there to hold him. The warmth of his body pressed against Yoongi's, the security of arms wrapped around him, it helps, when Yoongi was so sure nothing could. As much as he doesn't like feeling like he's dragging Jungkook down with him, he knows he recovers faster for sharing it.

"True," he allows. Even Taehyung has his stormier moments, though it seems to Yoongi like even those carry more energy in their own way than Yoongi's. It helps a little to think that's the case, though, that it isn't just him. He hesitates a moment, turning it all over in his head, and pulls Jungkook just a fraction closer. "But even then... when I need quiet, I... it helps. That you're there."

It can't be easy for Yoongi to admit to wanting or needing the help. He's always seemed reticent, within their group, to rely on others; sometimes even opening up and admitting to his moods seems like it's too much. So Jungkook feels his chest warm when Yoongi mentions that it's better when Jungkook's there, that it helps to have him around — if there's anything that makes Jungkook sure of their relationship, it's things like this, where he knows and can see that both of them are made happier for having the other around.

Glancing quickly to either side, Jungkook then leans in to press a quick peck to Yoongi's cheek, his expression warm, if a little more solemn.

"I'm glad," Jungkook admits, his cheeks warming a touch. "You know, even if I don't always need quiet in the same way, I... I really like it when it's just us and nothing else. When I get to listen to your breathing. Even if you don't say anything, it's nice. Being with you like that."

Yoongi glances over, a little surprised, and all he wants is to stop and curl up close against Jungkook, to wrap him tight in his arms. They protect each other, he thinks. They shield each other. And it helps to think, just for a moment, that this is the case, that he can be for Jungkook even a fraction of the relief that Jungkook is to him. It's a relief to look up and see that they're not much further from the hotel now, because he just wants to hold his boyfriend and kiss him and tell him how much he loves him, and it's fucking stupid that he can't yet, because his heart is too full not to. Jungkook is happy to be with him even in moments when Yoongi can barely stand himself.

"Good," he says, soft. "I like it, too. It feels... safe." It seems like such a small word when there's no good reason he should feel any other way, but it's true and it's important to him. He doesn't always feel safe alone, and he doesn't feel safe sharing these things with most people. But with Jungkook, he's secure. He's home.

"Yeah!" Jungkook exclaims, pleased that both of them seem to be thinking along the same lines. Safe is the perfect way to describe how he feels around Yoongi — no fear of judgment, no worries about whether or not the love will wax or wane. Yoongi loves Jungkook for who he is in his entirety, all the good parts and bad, and while Jungkook wants to strive to be a better person for Yoongi, he knows that he doesn't have to be. That Yoongi appreciates him for the entirety of who he is.

"It feels safe. When we're together... I can always be myself. I don't have to try and be someone else," Jungkook reasons with a small nod. "I mean, I want to be a better person for you, but that's different than when I'm thinking about how I should be around mom, or around the teachers. Because sometimes with them, I know I'm trying to be someone else. Someone I wouldn't even care to be if it weren't for what I know they want, you know?"

Jungkook glances forward, eyes fixed on the roof of a building that he thinks might be their hotel. "And then, when I have my arms around you, it's also safe just 'cause. 'Cause I have you right there, and nothing else can touch us."

It hits hard, thinking of Jungkook striving to be some perfect son, a watered down version of the boy Yoongi loves. And he gets it. In its own, awful way, that's love, too. It's the same thing as Yoongi working hard late into the night, studying so he can get good grades in the vain hope that his father will show him a shred of affection. He recognizes the pointlessness of it and still he keeps doing it because he can't help hoping. Jungkook keeps trying because he loves his mother. Yoongi can't fault him for that, but he regrets that it feels necessary to either of them.

And yet that's all the more reason this is special. They don't have to pretend. He can be entirely himself, no matter how awful that sometimes is; Jungkook loves him even when he's clouded over, the color leeched from his world. Loves him exactly as he is. It's the most powerful thing Yoongi's ever known.

"Nothing," he agrees quietly. "And you never have to be anyone else for me. Never." Different and better are two different things, though; he gets that. He wants that himself, wants to be the best possible version of himself for Jungkook. He won't always succeed, but he wants to try. "It's like... sanctuary. From everything and everyone else."

"Ah, I like thinking about it that way. A sanctuary," Jungkook murmurs softly, drifting away in thought. Jungkook doesn't expect that he'll always be able to act just as he likes, doing exactly what he wants — that's not how society works, after all. Most of life is about the give and take, refraining just enough to make sure that the collective gets along. Progress requires compromise.

But it's nice to have a place where none of that has to be. A place where he knows he's accepted in his entirety, loved for exactly who he is, good and bad alike. And being able to provide that kind of safe space for Yoongi means just as much to Jungkook as having that space for himself. He smiles, giving Yoongi's hand another squeeze as they make their way towards the hotel, feeling happiness surrounding his chest with warmth.

"There's gotta be something I do that gets on your nerves, though," Jungkook says, his tone lightening as he steps closer and nudges Yoongi's waist gently with an elbow. "I know I'm great and all, but no one's completely perfect."

Yoongi arches an eyebrow, curious now. If he stops and really thinks about it, he can come up with something. No matter how much he loves people, there's always something irritating even about the ones he likes, and Jungkook isn't an exception. It's easy to romanticize so much about him, but he's still just a person. Still, rather than sending his thoughts in that direction, the question only makes Yoongi wonder.

"Of course you aren't," he says. "I wouldn't want you to be. Perfect is boring and everyone looks bad next to it. But that means I get on your nerves, too. What is it?" On one hand, he doesn't like to think of himself as annoying, but it's not like there's anyone in the world who isn't. And besides, he'd rather know, especially if it's something he can work on, than wonder. His mind is likely to fill in the blank with every little thing about himself well before he guesses the actual thing that bothers Jungkook, when it's probably nothing big at all.

"Ah, that's not fair — I asked you first," Jungkook complains, though he sets his mind thinking about Yoongi's question, knowing that it's not something he'll be able to easily dodge. He doesn't really have much ground to do so, considering how he's pushing Yoongi for more clarity all the same. It'd be easy to pick something trivial, but that feels like a cop-out when what Jungkook really wants is that full answer from Yoongi — wants to know what he needs to do better in their relationship, or even more broadly as a friend.

So he stares at Yoongi for an extended moment, his brow furrowed in thought.

"When you sleep, sometimes you tuck your hands between your legs, which deprives me of being able to hold your hand when we nap together," Jungkook says first, tilting his head. "Also, you're definitely a blanket hog, and you're so cute when you're hogging the blanket that I don't even want to fight for my share, which means I'm chilly during the night." However true those are, both feel like cop-out answers, so Jungkook presses on, his voice quieting down for the next explanation. "Also, you're way too hard on yourself. I think you... almost always blame yourself, or see ways where you haven't done enough, when things around you go wrong. And even when someone tries to set the record straight, sometimes you stubbornly hold onto that self-blame."

At first, Yoongi thinks he's getting off easy — little things that, while annoying, aren't defining or deliberate. It's hard, because then he doesn't know how to fix those things, but they're not things that say anything specific about him.

That, though, does. For a moment, Yoongi is left reeling, not because the words are in any way cruel, but because they feel so fundamentally true and false at the same time. If he blames himself so harshly, it's because it's deserved. Faced with it put like this, though, he can't say it isn't true that he does blame himself often. It's not like it's something he does on purpose either; if he could stop being so lacking, if he knew how, he would. There's something brutal in being seen like this — a kind of grace, too, in being recognized, in having someone who knows him so intimately. It's almost a relief even as it's surprisingly painful.

"Only when it's my fault," he protests, but it sounds weak to him, like it might just be more of what Jungkook is pointing out. He shrugs, voice quiet as he continues. "Isn't it better if I own when I fuck up than if I pretend it's okay?"

Jungkook shakes his head minutely. "You never have a problem with admitting when you've done something wrong. You definitely own up to it when you fuck up," Jungkook says, giving Yoongi's hand a squeeze. He wonders now if he should have let this topic of conversation die out after all, wonders if it was a mistake to bring it up on a weekend meant for getting away entirely from all the stresses at home. But now that he's started down this path, it feels inevitable that he has to carry it through. "But you blame yourself for stuff more than you should. You blame yourself even when it isn't your fault, not really. It's like..."

Briefly, Jungkook breaks gazes, glancing instead at their feet as they continue to walk down the street. They keep time with one another without even thinking about it — Yoongi taking longer strides than usual, Jungkook slowing himself down. He wishes it were easier to obtain that same balance in all aspects of their life.

That it were easier to buoy Yoongi up when he feels low.

"It's like you think that you're not enough. But you are. You're more than enough." Jungkook glances up. "You're everything, to me."

Before Yoongi knows what's happening, there are tears in his eyes and he has to look away, trying to blink them back. It's embarrassing, to be on the verge of crying out here in front of everyone, even if part of him is grateful at the same time for Jungkook's words. Grateful that there's at least one person who thinks he's enough. Because he doesn't. How is he supposed to when it's so clear how much he lacks? When he's not even enough for his own father to love? He failed his mother when she needed him most, and now he seems to fail his father every single day. How could he ever be enough?

But then there's Jungkook, who loves him anyway, who doesn't care about Yoongi's flaws, who accepts them. And he doesn't know how he found this or what he did to deserve it, but he's so thankful for it, his fingers tightening in Jungkook's shirt at his waist. As much as part of him wants to deny that any of this is true, he can't, not least when he has to reach up with his free hand to wipe away tears. He hates how easily he cries.

"You're everything to me, too," he says, voice rough and low as he lets himself steal a glance at Jungkook, abashed by his own reaction. "I just — I don't know. I don't... It doesn't feel like enough. Except when I'm with you or the others. I just... I'm not." His little circle of friends, his brothers, they never ask more of him than he can give. Even when he fears that he'll disappoint them, they never make him feel that way. That, he knows, is entirely on him.

Though the question comes quickly to mind, Jungkook knows that Yoongi's struggles aren't the kind to be answered with a simple 'Why?' It can't be easy for Yoongi to articulate why it is that he feels like he's coming short. Maybe there are some more obvious answers that Jungkook can assume — that the distance that Yoongi's father puts between them makes Yoongi feel like he's not enough to keep his father around, that Yoongi wasn't able to do more for his mother when the fire ravaged their house. No matter how much logic someone can approach Yoongi with for either of those situations, it won't be enough to combat the feeling that's lodged deep in Yoongi's chest.

And maybe Jungkook understands that more than he'd like to admit, with all the years and countless hours he's spent wondering why his stepfather treats him with such disdain. Whether or not there will ever come a day when Jungkook can do something that his stepfather is proud of, something that makes his stepfather acknowledge Jungkook as family, if perhaps never quite his son.

"I don't think you're lacking," Jungkook says firmly, reaching a hand out to gently brush against Yoongi's cheek. "You're a good student, you work hard. You're handsome, you're reliable and don't back down on what you commit to. And... what's the most important, you've got a good heart. If it doesn't feel like enough for life sometimes, that's because life's shitty. Not because you are."

Yoongi hesitates, trying to make himself believe that. He wants to so badly, but it's hard when he's faced with his own weakness even now, eyes shining with tears out on a public street. It's bad enough he cries so readily when they're alone, but he should be stronger than to do this here and now. Still, at least some of what Jungkook says he knows to be true, and it makes it a little easier to credit the rest as more than just bias. "I try," he says, gaze lowered in embarrassment. If there's one person who's not going to judge him, it's Jungkook, but it's much harder not to judge himself. He tries so hard and still it seems to amount to so little.

He wants badly just to stop and let Jungkook hold him until the feeling passes, but the last thing he wants is to call attention to them or to himself right now. Instead he reaches blindly for Jungkook's hand. "I don't always feel like I have a good heart," he admits. He gets so jealous sometimes or so angry. He tries to tell himself what counts is that he doesn't lash out because of those feelings, but it's hard not to think he shouldn't have them in the first place. "But I try. Just... sometimes trying doesn't feel like enough. Fuck, sorry, this is exactly what you were talking about and I'm..." He shakes his head, jaw set.

Jungkook quickly scopes out the area around them, finding a small alley between two buildings and tugging urgently on Yoongi's sleeve to pull him there, away from any prying eyes. It's far enough into the middle of the day that most folks seem to be focused on finding a place to eat lunch and less interested in passersby, which is enough for Jungkook to wrap his hand around the back of Yoongi's neck and draw him closer, until they're pressed forehead to forehead and sharing breath. He lingers there only for a second before pulling Yoongi in closer still, Jungkook's arm draped over Yoongi's shoulders, fully folding him into Jungkook's embrace.

"Isn't a good heart all about trying? All about the person you're trying to be?" Jungkook points out, leaning in to press a kiss to Yoongi's cheek, then his forehead. "Yeah, sometimes you might still hurt people, but good people make mistakes. Good people hurt other people without meaning to. Accidents happen. But what matters is who you want to be, what matters is why you do the things you do." Jungkook pulls a hand up until he's able to spread his fingers across Yoongi's chest, over where Yoongi's heart must be beating.

"I wouldn't have fallen so hard for you if you didn't have a good heart," Jungkook murmurs. "No matter how handsome you are."

Yoongi takes a deep, shaky breath, fingers twisting in the shirt at Jungkook's waist, his head reeling. It's impossible not to feel like a complete idiot, taking a wonderful day and ruining it like this, making a fuss over nothing. Jungkook brought it up because he asked him, because he wanted to know, and it's not like he wishes he hadn't. It's important to know these things. He just can't help feeling he's done exactly what Jungkook said he doesn't like.

He wants to believe it. Sometimes, he can. Some days, he knows how smart he is and how hard he works, how hard he tries, and he knows that he deserves better than he's been given. Other days, everything clouds over and he doesn't know how to see through the fog. It leaves him feeling hurt and vulnerable, and it would be so easy just to shut down right now and push it all aside. If it were anyone else, he would probably try. But it's not like Jungkook wouldn't just see through it, and Yoongi doesn't want to push him away, not for anything, not even his wounded pride.

His heart must be flying under Jungkook's touch, fluttering hummingbird quick, as his arms slip more tightly around Jungkook's waist, his head bowed. He could argue, explain all the ways he's not a good person, but the fact remains, he is trying. That has to be worth something. And when Jungkook sounds like this, plaintive and sweet and sure all at once, it's hard not to believe him, if only for a moment. "Not as good as yours," he says softly, but it's a compliment to Jungkook, not an insult to himself. He shakes his head. "I love you so much."

Maybe people will be able to spot him in this alley — maybe Jungkook doesn't care. In moments like these, when his entire being feels suffused with a sharp protectiveness over Yoongi, Jungkook thinks that there isn't anything that he'd let stand in his way. He leans forward, pressing a soft kiss to Yoongi's lips, lingering and making the most of their time. They're in Busan; there can't be that much that anyone can do to them, can't be much that would ever make its way back to Seoul. Kissing another boy isn't a crime, even if marriage isn't accepted yet, even if society doesn't find it tasteful. But that's fine.

Jungkook doesn't need their acceptance to keep going.

"Not as good as mine, but better," he replies, tone equally soft as Jungkook ducks his head just enough to keep his gaze locked with Yoongi's. It isn't hard to see that there's a bit of shame there in Yoongi's expression — it's possible that he wants to hide, never one to enjoy putting his emotions out there in the open. But as much as Jungkook doesn't want to make Yoongi uneasy, he also doesn't want to simply let Yoongi be, to let him retreat into that shame without trying to cast a light over the shadows. Jungkook nudges himself close, comforted by the weight of Yoongi's arms around his waist. "I never watched anyone this carefully until you, you know. I learned how to love this much from being with you."

They shouldn't kiss out here where someone might see them, but Yoongi doesn't care. He leans his head after Jungkook's when he finally draws back, chasing after the last hint of the kiss. The physical contact, the closeness, gives him a sense of comfort as potent as Jungkook's words. He trusts Jungkook and he believes him when he says these things, but touch seems infallible to him; the love in Jungkook's kiss, the tenderness in his embrace, it's solid and real and beyond question or doubt. He's so lucky, so loved. Somewhere, somehow, in some other life, he must have done something wonderful.

"Yeah?" He closes his eyes, fingers curling gently in Jungkook's shirt. "You've taught me a lot, too, you know. Teaching me right now. I don't know how you're so patient with me, but thank you. Really, thank you." It's something he suspects that, ultimately, he'll have to do alone, but learning how to live with the voice that haunts him, the self-hatred and the doubt and the fear, it's a lot easier with someone at his side who's the antithesis of all that cruelty, whose favored role in life seems to be Min Yoongi's personal cheerleader.

It doesn't feel like a burden, Jungkook thinks, to watch over Yoongi in the way that he does. Part of it is because Jungkook's grown into the habit of looking after the people he loves most — to check up on them, to see how they're faring emotionally, because even if Jungkook doesn't know how to solve a problem, he'd rather know that it's there. But part of it also stems from feeling like he operates on the same level as Yoongi, that there's something kindred between them that ties them together. Even on tough days, Jungkook would rather spend that time with Yoongi, feeling their halves come together to make a cohesive whole.

Maybe patience still plays a role, but Jungkook shakes his head at Yoongi's thanks. "I'm exactly where I want to be when I'm by your side," Jungkook insists, tilting his head until he's able to press another kiss to Yoongi's forehead, fingers gently brushing his hair out of the way. "If anything, I should thank you for letting me stay by your side. Even when it isn't easy."

He ducks his head with a small grin, fingers nudging at Yoongi's cheek. "But this weekend should be super easy, right? Our first vacation away together."

Yoongi nearly protests. Of course he wants Jungkook by his side. He always does. He bites it back, though. However much he loves Jungkook, it isn't always easy. There are times when it's tempting for him just to curl up by himself and turn his back on everything, when he wishes he could shut out everyone else, times when that actually feels safer. But bit by bit, he's learning otherwise, finding safety in Jungkook instead, the same way he has with the others, with Jin, with Hoseok. Opening up to each of them has come very slowly, and he's still not always very good at it, but he's learning. And with Jungkook, he feels safer than anywhere else.

He touches Yoongi so gently, it makes his stomach twist with a kind of longing. For a few moments, standing here like this, letting himself be comforted, he feels like the younger of them. It's supposed to be his job to take care of Jungkook, but Jungkook is so good at taking care of him in return. "Very easy," he agrees, trying to shake off the faint embarrassment lingering over his reaction. It's just so hard to think of feeling insufficient without feeling it, the familiar ache seeping into his bones and spreading over him like entangling vines. He refuses, though, to let that color their trip. "Our first of many. So many places for us to go."

Turning his head, he brushes a kiss against Jungkook's palm. "I'm okay."

There's a twinge of regret that remains in Jungkook's chest over having brought up this topic, however truthful. And his own curiosity still remains, wondering what parts of him are grating to Yoongi, or at least harder for the other boy to cope with — what parts Jungkook should work on changing, or at least reevaluating, if the two of them are to get along even more than they do. But the moment feels fragile enough as it is, so Jungkook refrains from backtracking, focused instead on running his fingers through Yoongi's hair, carding through the strands soothingly, watching as Yoongi's expression relaxes. Jungkook's cheeks warm when he feels the soft press of Yoongi's lips against his palm, a soft sigh slipping between his teeth.

It's hard to describe how much he loves Yoongi, Jungkook thinks to himself. How desperately he wants to see life make space for Yoongi's success — to pave a way towards the kind of happiness that Yoongi deserves.

"I would be so happy to travel all over the world with you," Jungkook murmurs, his lips curved in a lopsided grin. "To experience everything together. We'll make it happen, bit by bit."

There's still tension in Yoongi's body, pulling tight at his shoulders, and he has to focus to try and rid himself of it. He takes slow, steady breaths, gaze traveling slowly over the lines of Jungkook's face, the sweet tug of his smile, the warmth in his eyes. It's so fucking easy to feel small and unimportant and stupid, but when Jungkook holds him close, it's almost as easy to feel special and loved, even inspiring. Jungkook's always been good at that. Even when they first met, when he was just a wide-eyed kid trailing after Yoongi, it made him feel like he mattered to someone. Now he can imagine Jungkook following him around the world and he wants it so badly, he knows he'll do whatever it takes to make it happen. They deserve that, a lifetime of love and adventure.

"We will," he says. "Everywhere. Anywhere you want to go, we'll go." Saying it, Yoongi realizes he's thinking of it all wrong. He follows Jungkook as eagerly as he ever followed Yoongi; wherever they wind up, it'll be hand in hand. "Vienna, Athens, Rome, New York, everywhere." His smile tugs at his mouth and he nudges his nose against Jungkook's. "I like watching you see things. Experience things." They should move and he knows it, but even knowing they aren't far from the hotel now isn't enough to keep him from leaning in to kiss Jungkook, hands curling in his shirt and holding him close.

Jungkook lets out a small noise of surprise and contentment alike when Yoongi leans in and presses a kiss to his lips, tensing for only a moment before he melts against the contact, deepening the kiss and looping his arms over Yoongi's shoulders. The risk of such a move doesn't feel as prominent under the weight of so much love; surely, Jungkook thinks, if anyone were to happen across them now, they would see the tenderness with which they hold one another, the happiness that blooms over their cheeks in a soft flush. Surely, Jungkook thinks, if people saw them know — they'd know that this is love, and who would want to get in the way of that?

Perhaps it's a naive thought, but no one interrupts them. Jungkook's hand smooths over the side of Yoongi's neck, fingertips gentle and exploring as Jungkook pulls back minutely, keeping his forehead pressed against Yoongi's.

"We'll go anywhere you want to go, too," Jungkook insists. "You were just so cute with the stingrays in the aquarium that I'm now determined to find everything in the world that excites you. Like a scavenger hunt."

Maybe Yoongi should be more worried about the possible consequences of kissing in public, but he can't bring himself to care right now. No one's going to tell their parents, and what a stranger thinks only matters if it turns out to be the kind of stranger who might lash out at them. Besides, it's not like they're in the middle of the street. Hiding off to the side isn't all that dangerous, and kissing Jungkook is comforting. His breath is warm against Yoongi's skin, his fingers tracing gently, and all Yoongi wants is to keep holding him.

He grins, a little sheepish at being called cute again. He's really never thought of himself that way, but it gets harder and harder to protest when Jungkook says it. "They're really cool," he says, a token effort. "And you wouldn't have to look far. I get pretty excited about you." He's only halfway teasing, almost smirking as he brushes a softer kiss against Jungkook's lips. It's still true. It's easier to get excited about things with Jungkook around, and Yoongi isn't sure if it's just because he's less self-conscious around his boyfriend or that Jungkook distracts him from the things in his head that might otherwise detract from experiences. Either way, he appreciates it. There's so much in the world for them to see and he's eager for it, all the adventures still ahead of them. "Wanna get you back to the hotel."

"Tch," Jungkook clucks his tongue, giving Yoongi a slight side-eye. "You charmer." There's a whole lot of truth to what Yoongi says, Jungkook knows. Modest though Jungkook may be about his skills and abilities, the two of them have been together for long enough that Jungkook knows that Yoongi brightens in Jungkook's company. Even if Jungkook weren't so observant himself, the other hyungs have told him so time and time again, and they have no reason to lie or exaggerate the amount of influence Jungkook has on Yoongi.

Maybe once, Jungkook would have denied it for the sheer reason of not wanting to carry his hopes too high, back before they realized that they had been crushing on each other all along. But now Jungkook revels in the knowledge that there are certain types of happiness that he's uniquely equipped to bring to Yoongi.

"I wanna get back to the hotel, too," he murmurs, gaze dropping for a moment before Jungkook grazes his fingers delicately against Yoongi's side, not quite nudging his shirt out of the way, but teasing the possibility nonetheless. It hasn't been all that long since they gave each other blowjobs in the aquarium, but the hotel holds a different sort of promise — the privacy needed to really take their time and revel in one another, in ways that exceed even what they've experienced alone in Yoongi's home. There, the possibility of Yoongi's father returning always lingered.

Here, it's just them.

"Come on, before we end up settling in this alley instead."

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