Chapter Text
“Hey,”
Namjoon called as he grabbed Seokjin's arm. Seokjin stopped walking and quickly glanced at the others walking back to the cabin before turning to Namjoon.
“Uh, do you want to go to the lake?”
Namjoon scratched the back of his neck as he asked nervously, his voice was quiet and unsure.
“What? Now?”
Seokjin tried to look at him in the eyes, but Namjoon kept looking to their feet, clearly avoiding an eye contact.
“I mean... look. The stars are beautiful up here, unlike in the city. And I'm in the mood to lie down and watch them. So...do you like to join me? I mean, if you said no I can't go too, so, if you're not tired yet...”
Namjoon murmured, feeling extremely uncomfortable speaking. Seokjin tilted his head to look at the sky. It was true. The stars were beautiful. And his heart warmed when he realized he didn't once look up the sky since they arrived here, but Namjoon noticed it before anyone of them did.
“Yeah, I want to join you.”
Seokjin smiled, and Namjoon finally looked at his eyes, smiling. Namjoon lead their way to the lake dock. It was so dark there, almost only the dim light of moon was lightening their surroundings. But neither of them cared.
“Are you alright?”
Namjoon asked as they lied down on the wooden dock.
“Yeah.”
Seokjin couldn't hold his grin as he found it amusing that they automatically switch to their sleeping position. When they walk, it was always Namjoon's arm around Seokjin's waist but when they are lying down, Seokjin goes behind so Namjoon can put his arm at the front.
They both fell silent as they stared at the stars. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Like a tiny diamond dust were spread all over the dark sky.
Seokjin was struggling to find a subject to talk with Namjoon. They've been friends for a year now, but they never been alone like this before. Obviously because Seokjin was avoiding this kind of situation.
“I know you for a year now but I just realized that I don't know much about you.”
Namjoon broke the silence. Apparently, he was thinking the same thing. Seokjin glanced at Namjoon for a second. Namjoon had his right arm under his head, still looking at the sky.
“There's not much to tell.”
Seokjin looked away. But at the same time, he caught a glimpse of Namjoon's head turning to him.
“Come on, hyung. Tell me. Anything.”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Because... you seem to know a lot about me. The way you complimented me in the letter... and it itches me that I don't know anything about you.”
Namjoon shifted his body to look at Seokjin more properly.
“Please introduce yourself.”
Namjoon said as if Seokjin was a transfer student and Namjoon was a teacher asking him to introduce himself to the class. Seokjin laughed and started playing with Namjoon's fingers without realizing, bending and pinching them as he thought of what to say.
“Umm... my name is Kim Seokjin.”
Seokjin laughed after he said that. That was a stupid way to start because Namjoon already knows his name. But it felt natural to say his name first when someone told him to introduce himself.
“Hi, Kim Seokjin.”
Namjoon laughed beside him.
“I don't know what to say! You know my name, age, and I know you already know my birthday too because we celebrated it last year. My blood type is O, if you must know.”
“Yeah, my bad. Let's start this over again. Um, what is your favorite movies?”
“But I don't know your favorite movies too.”
Seokjin looked at Namjoon but when their eyes met, he quickly looked away. Namjoon was staring at his face way too close. He clearly doesn't have a concept of personal spaces. And the way he looked at him... made Seokjin's body instantly heat up. And now his heart is pounding fast, he could hear his pulse in his ears.
“I have a lot of favorite movies. But ‘Love Actually’ and ‘Leon’ are my ultimate favorites.”
Namjoon smiled, but not that Seokjin saw it. But he could tell he was smiling.
“I don't have favorite movies. I equally liked the movies I have watched, but if I should pick one maybe I'll choose ‘Matrix’.”
Seokjin said as he blankly stared at their hands, his hands still playing Namjoon's fingers.
“I think I already know your favorite song, so we skip that. How about favorite anime character?”
“It's not actually an anime, but I like Super Mario a lot.”
Seokjin laughed.
“Well in that case, mine is not an anime character too. I like Ryan from Kakao a lot. Favorite color?”
“Definitely Pink.”
“Mine is pink too!”
This time, Namjoon laughed too.
“I'm not sure if you know him but there was this guy in our highschool whom always wore pink shirt.”
Seokjin's hand paused from playing Namjoon's fingers at that very moment. He swallowed as he felt his own body turn as white as a sheet.
“People were making fun of him. Because he wears pink everyday and his shirt was kind of dorky. But I actually liked that guy. I think he knew people were making fun of him but he didn't care. He was always walking down the hallway with his head held up high, proudly showing off his powerpuff girls shirt. I envied his confidence so much. Not in a sarcastic way. I really hoped I was as confident as him.”
Namjoon laughed and covered his blushed cheeks. Seokjin gulped as he slowly turned his head to Namjoon. Namjoon was looking at the sky again.
“Have you... talked to him?”
Seokjin asked hesitantly.
“Not really. I was just looking at him from the distance. You might think I'm a weirdo but I was always looking for him in the hallway. I don't know why but that guy was like a lucky charm to me. When I saw him in the morning, I knew something good will happen on that day.”
Seokjin's heart warmed when he noticed Namjoon doesn't realized that his lucky charm is lying next to him.
Seokjin was that ‘Pink guy’ everyone talked about in their highschool. Just like Namjoon said, he knew all the students were making fun of him. Not just because of his pink fashion. Bacause of his nerdy glasses, and his Super Mario backpack. But he didn't care if everyone was laughing. Well, everyone except for one person.
“No, you have talked to him. Not directly, but... you protected him when some idiots made fun of him in front of the class.”
“I did?”
“Yeah. You shouted, ‘mind your effing business, a-hole. At least he has a character unlike you mother-fword.’.”
“I'm sure I didn't say it like your PG-13 version.”
Seokjin and Namjoon laughed together, but Seokjin stopped laughing when he realized Namjoon had already stopped and looking at him.
“You know that guy too?”
“Well... yeah.”
Seokjin hesitated to tell that it was him. Because he had changed a lot now. He doesn't wear pink anymore. Occasionally yes, but not all the time. And he threw away his nerdy glasses and Super Mario backpack when he graduated highschool.
It's all because he witnessed that one person laughing at him. He didn't feel anything when everyone laughed at him, but that one person mattered. And when he saw his friends laughing as they pass his letter to each other, it crashed Seokjin's heart. And Seokjin decided to change after that.
But Namjoon did remember him. He didn't remember his face, obviously, but maybe because Seokjin changed a lot. Or maybe because all of his attention was focused on his pink shirt like everyone elses.
Lucky charm. Namjoon said he was his lucky charm. Seokjin grinned and looked down at their hands again. He was again touching Namjoon's hand without realizing.
“I wonder what that guy's doing right now.”
Namjoon muttered. And Seokjin quietly laughed beside him. He is lying on the dock and looking at the stars with you, idiot. Seokjin thought, but never said.
“I'm sure he is very happy right now.”
That's the only hint Seokjin gave.
“I thought you wanted to know about me? Your interest seem to switched to the ‘Pink guy’.”
Seokjin laughed.
“Oh, shit. I didn't mean it that way!”
Namjoon quickly sat up and turned to look down at Seokjin. He was clearly panicking.
“I'm joking, Namjoon-ah. Wait, you have a lot of dirt on your back.”
Seokjin sat up too, and brushed off the dirt on Namjoon's back. Namjoon did the same to Seokjin.
“I really want to take a shower now. It's been two days since we're cuffed.”
Seokjin huffed. He thought about diving into the lake but it was pitch black down there.
“Do you want to take a shower?“
Namjoon asked nervously.
“Huh? With you?”
“Yeah. With me.”
Seokjin frowned doubtfully but Namjoon was looking straight into his eyes, his expression serious.
“We can take a shower with our shirt on. And even our boxers on too. It doesn't sounds that bad, right?”
“Well...yeah. I think we can do that.”
Seokjin thought he could. Until they are standing inside the bathroom, looking at each other. Namjoon pulled down his shorts and waited for Seokjin to do the same. He wanted to tell him to look away, but it was weird. So Seokjin took a deep breath and pulled down his pants too. Ignoring Namjoon's gaze.
“Front or back?”
“Huh?”
Namjoon suddenly asked, and Seokjin looked at him with confused look on his face.
“Do you want to wash up first? Or later? Because it's hard to move our hands at the same time.”
“Uh, first.”
“Okay. I'll go behind.”
The water hot and steamy, they slipped into the spray. Seokjin reached for the bottle of shampoo as soon as his hair had drenched. He tried really hard not to think of the body slightly touching his back and begin to wash himself as quickly as possible. He slid his hand under his shirt as he washed his upper body, but it was hard to reach his back.
“Here, let me help you.”
Namjoon took the soap from his hand and slid his hand under Seokjin's shirt. Seokjin went still as he felt Namjoon's hand moving behind him.
“Y-you don't have to be super neat about it. Give me the soap back.”
Seokjin said under the spray water, but Namjoon didn't stop.
“You have a very smooth skin.”
Namjoon muttered behind him. And Seokjin's could hear his pulse fast in his ear.
“N-namjoon, seriously,”
Seokjin trailed when Namjoon's left hand grabbed his waist, pulling him closer. And he could tell that the heat he felt behind him was different from the heat of the hot water.
“Hyung, stop moving. I can't do it properly.”
“You don't have to do it properly. I can do it by myself.”
“Fine.”
Namjoon finally gave back the soap. Seokjin washed up in record time and went behind Namjoon. Namjoon started washing his head with both hands, pulling Seokjin's hand along his.
“I washed my head with only my right hand, Namjoonie. My hand is getting numb.”
“You didn't have to. That's why we took turns.”
Seokjin stared at Namjoon's back as Namjoon washed his hair. Namjoon's shirt was drenched enough to hug the tone muscles of his body. Seokjin licked his lips as his mouth went dry. It was somehow erotic than being shirtless.
“Hey, hyung. Can you wash my back?”
Namjoon pulled his shirt over his head. Scratch what he said earlier. He was more erotic without the shirt.
Namjoon gave the soap to Seokjin, his drenched shirt hung down his left wrist, just above the cuff. Seokjin didn't complain.The unfamiliar touch of Namjoon's hard body was new to Seokjin. Seokjin's heart was seriously going to explode. He didn't know Namjoon's skin was so smooth. Maybe smoother than his.
“We might catch a cold with our wet shirt on. Or without it. I hope you thought about that before you suggested this.”
Seokjin said, hoping to distract himself from Namjoon's body.
“I didn't.”
Namjoon laughed.
“Then hurry up and wash up. I'm getting cold back here.”
“Sorry.”
Namjoon took the soap from Seokjin's hand and wash the rest of his body.
“Are you done?”
“Yeah.”
After turning off the shower, Namjoon wring his shirt dry. Seokjin wanted to do the same but he wasn't confident about his own body, so he just wring the hem of his shirt.
“I'm going to catch a cold. And it's your fault, Namjoon-ah.”
“It's alright. I'll warm you.”
Namjoon grinned playfully. Putting a towel around their waist, Seokjin took a new pair of boxers and pajama bottom from his bag. He grinned when saw the pink powerpuff girls shirt inside his bag. He forgot that he brought it for pajamas. But he didn't have the chance to wear it because he is stuck with the same shirt.
Namjoon was also getting his clothes beside him, digging inside his bag. But when he shoved the shorts he was wearing earlier inside his bag, something fell from the pocket.
“Hey, Joon-ah. I think you drop something.”
Seokjin bent over to grab it, but he froze when he saw the silver wire. The wire seemed sharp and strong enough to use it to unlock their cuffs.
“Where did you get this?”
Seokjin asked angrily.
“Get what?”
Namjoon turned to look at the object Seokjin was holding. And when he saw it, his expression quickly turned to panic. Seokjin didn't miss any second of it.
“I, uh, found it o-outside.”
Namjoon stuttered and tried to grab the wire from Seokjin's hand. But Seokjin pulled his arm away.
“You do realize that we can unlock our cuffs with this, right? And you didn't tell me?”
“No, hyung! I just found it couple of hours ago when we were in the woods!”
“So you could have told me when we were at the lake but you suggested to take a shower together instead? When were you planning to tell me, huh?”
Seokjin felt betrayed. Namjoon knew how hard to be handcuffed together. He knew lying down on the dock with cuffs is not easy. He knew Seokjin was uncomfortable about the idea of taking a shower together. And Namjoon was able to take their handcuffs throughout those times, yet he didn't say anything.
“I'm sorry, hyung! I was being selfish. I wanted to know about you more. I wanted to talk with you. I thought if I unlocked our cuffs you wouldn't talk to me again!”
Namjoon shouted as he tried to get closer to Seokjin again. But Seokjin kept moving away.
Seokjin shoved the wire inside the keyhole and move it around. And after a few frustrating seconds past, he succeeded on picking the lock.
“I won't ever talk to you again now that I know you were hiding this from me!”
Seokjin threw the wire to Namjoon and grabbed his bag from the floor. And before Namjoon could stop him, he burst out of the room.