Chapter Text
Namjoon is on his seat, a focused expression and his glasses on his face. There's a book on his right hand, and another person's hand on his left.
He's honestly never been more thankful for making it to his flight.
Namjoon is a frequent traveller. One would think that he's always prepared when he goes on trips, be it inside or outside of Korea, and that he never forgets anything. As a surprise to most, that's not the case. He forgets objects of varying importance, from bottles of his favorite shampoo, to souvenirs he bought for his family and friends, and in worse cases, he forgets the essentials such as his phone, wallet, or passport.
What he lost today, and fortunately was able to retrieve, was his wallet. It contains his money, both in won and dollars, his credit card, a few IDs, and various other cards and slips of paper. He was passing time at a cafe in the airport then accidentally left his wallet there as he went to his terminal, only noticing that it was gone when it was almost time to board the plane. He ran as fast as he could to fetch his wallet, and thanks to that he is here now.
Sitting next to a man who Namjoon has already grown a liking to.
Namjoon is a people person, both in the sense that he fancies spending time with people and that these people also like having him around. It's no surprise that he enjoyed speaking with Yoongi, but what amazes him is how much he enjoyed doing so. And to his relief, he could see that Yoongi was also having fun, as they discussed topics of varying scopes and depth. And oh god, his smile when he was talking about his dog . Namjoon isn't an avid believer of love at first sight but he thinks that at that moment, he fell a little bit in love with his smile (Or is it really just a little bit?)
They've only known each other for a few hours but Namjoon can tell that they click so well, and maybe they'll keep in touch afterwards. It could also be possible, though he thinks it's a stretch, that Namjoon might finally not be single for long anymore. But like what Yoongi told him, he'll just let it happen if it happens.
Namjoon suddenly hears a groan to his side then whips his head to its source, now watching Yoongi slowly wake up from his nap. "Good morning, hyung."
"Hm...?" Yoongi murmurs as he adjusts his vision to the light, eyes widening when his gaze lands on Namjoon and their interlocked fingers, a faint blush creeping its way on his face. "Oh, uh, right. Good morning." He mutters, voice deep and tired, then lets out a yawn. "How long was I out for?" He asks as his eyes stay on their hands, giving Namjoon's a light squeeze.
Namjoon fetches his phone from his pocket and opens the lock screen to check the time. "Around two hours."
"Just two?" Yoongi whines as he slumps further into his seat. "I was hoping that I'd sleep for the whole flight, or even five or six at least."
Namjoon catches sight of the flight attendants walking through the aisles with their carts. "You woke up in time for dinner though." Namjoon chuckles as Yoongi pouts.
"I told you I don't eat on flights... And I'm not really hungry." As if on cue, Yoongi's stomach rumbles, causing his head to bow in embarrassment.
"I ordered some bibimbap and noodles. Their bibimbap is okay but their noodles are good. You can have half or even just a quarter." Namjoon offers to him, receiving a harmless glare from Yoongi.
"No thank you." He rejects, pulling out his phone to show that he's now busy, not wanting any room for argument.
But this doesn't stop Namjoon as he insists. "Not even just a bite?"
The two sit there in silence as Yoongi doesn't respond, trying to ignore his question, while Namjoon continues to wait for a response as he stares at him with eyes softly pleading.
Yoongi eventually puts his phone down and sighs. "Do you really want me to throw up on you?"
"We have sickness bags, there's no need for that." Namjoon responds with a serious look, but shortly after, his face softens. "Are you sure you won't eat anything? An empty stomach isn't a good feeling. But if you're sure, then I won't push anymore."
Yoongi looks back at him with an unreadable expression, most likely thinking. Namjoon patiently waits for him until moments later when he responds. "Fine, we'll see." A little grin appears on Namjoon's face in triumph.
"Can I go to the bathroom first though?" Yoongi asks as he shifts in his seat, sitting upright.
"Of course, sure." Namjoon moves his legs, making room to pass through for Yoongi, who doesn't move an inch. "Hyung?"
"Uh." Yoongi hesitates, something seeming to be on his mind and Namjoon wonders if there's something wrong. Should I get out of my seat so he can pass through better? Or Is he feeling too nervous to stand up? Before he could ask, Yoongi sheepishly faces Namjoon. "I kinda need you to..."
"To?" Namjoon tilts his head in confusion.
"Our hands..." Yoongi's gaze falls on their fingers still interlocked, Namjoon following suit.
"Oh." He realizes then a soft blush makes its way up to Namjoon's face as he releases his hold on Yoongi. "Sorry. You can go."
Yoongi stays for a few seconds while staring at his now empty hand. He mumbles an 'It's okay' then stands up and walks to the bathroom.
As soon as he's out of sight, Namjoon covers his face with his open book. Ah, that was so embarrassing... He clenches and unclenches his hand. I got used to it and didn't realize . They've been holding hands for over two hours and even while Yoongi was asleep. Namjoon kept himself busy during this time, doing everything with his unoccupied right hand (and thankfully his dominant one), such as browsing through his phone, feeding himself some snacks, and flipping through his book. Not once did he let go of Yoongi, not wanting to disturb him and wake him up. He also liked the soft feeling of it if he were to be more honest. At this point, it already felt like it was part of his own body, hence the strangeness of having to let go.
He snaps out of his thoughts when a flight attendant arrives and gives Namjoon his food, a big bowl of bibimbap plus a smaller container with noodles. He opens the plastic coverings, the aroma of the food reaching his nostrils.
He begins to set aside some food for Yoongi when the said man arrives from the bathroom, Namjoon once again moving his legs to let him reach his seat. He then clears out the smaller container and puts in little portions for Yoongi. He places it on his tray table along with a pair of chopsticks.
"If I throw up on you, it's your fault and you should've seen it coming." Yoongi says as he breaks apart his chopsticks, causing Namjoon to laugh.
"Let's eat." Namjoon breaks apart his own chopsticks then digs in. Yoongi delays but eventually puts some of the bibimbap in his mouth. "How is it?"
Yoongi chews, cheeks slightly puffed out despite the small amount of food inside. "Hm, it's not bad, but considering this is airplane food, it's good enough."
"Want some more?"
"No." Yoongi answers almost immediately. "But... thanks."
Namjoon watches Yoongi take another small piece then he decides to not push it any further. He knows he's being insistent but it's because somehow, the black-haired man beside him gives Namjoon the urge to protect and take care of said man, he's really grown a liking to him. Then again, that's always been one of his instincts, but it commonly happens with cute little animals, like kittens and puppies. Is it weird that I somehow see a cat in him?
He glances at Yoongi who is currently licking sauce off his thumb that he accidentally spilled, tongue peeking out.
He pauses. Yeah, Namjoo n. He answers himself. That probably is weird . He shakes his head then returns to his food.
They fall into a comfortable silence as the two of them eat, Namjoon fully concentrating on his meal while Yoongi's attention is more on his phone, nibbling on his food every now and then.
Namjoon was chewing on a mouthful of noodles when someone taps his shoulder.
" Excuse me . " A woman from a seat across the aisle catches his attention in English. Namjoon tilts his head at her instead of verbally responding since his mouth is currently occupied. " I think your boyfriend dropped his earphones ." She extends her hand and in it is a pair of white earphones— Wait, whose? My what?
Namjoon tries to figure out who she's referring to as he catches a glimpse of Yoongi, who is looking at the general direction of the woman as he was watching the two of them. His mind then registers what she means then he starts choking on his food in shock, worrying both the woman and Yoongi.
"N-Namjoon?" Yoongi asks as Namjoon lets out continuous coughs. "What happened, are you okay?" He panics and starts hitting Namjoon's back, trying to help him stop choking. Yoongi then gets a bottle of water and brings it towards Namjoon.
Namjoon takes it and puts it to his mouth, the water unclogging his throat of the food. He takes a moment to recover as Yoongi is rubbing circles on his back.
"Thanks, hyung." He coughs once more then takes a deep breath. "Sorry, I suddenly choked." He swallows down more water then clears his throat and faces the woman.
" Are you okay? " She asks with concern on her face.
" Yes, no worries. I just... " He awkwardly laughs. " swallowed my food wrong accidentally. But oh right, the earphones, let me ask him. "
"So hyung, are they yours?" Namjoon asks as he turns back to him.
Yoongi raises his eyebrow at him. "What?"
"The earphones." Namjoon leans on his seat to give him a clearer view of the woman holding the earphones. Yoongi widens his eyes then checks his hoodie and pants pockets, and even rummages through his bag, but he ends up finding nothing.
"Yeah, I think they're mine... I must've dropped it when I went to the bathroom."
Namjoon turns towards the woman. " Yes, they're his. Thank you so much. " He receives the earphones then passes it to Yoongi, who stuffs it in his pocket and utters a small 'Thank you' to the woman, the both of them receiving a smile from her in return.
"Your English is so clear." Yoongi suddenly comments and catches Namjoon off guard. "I'm not that good with it so I was worried that I was gonna get seated next to an English-speaker, which doesn't seem to be entirely wrong, but I was so relieved that you could speak Korean."
Oh? Does that mean he didn't hear what she said? Would it be weird to bring it up? He contemplates it then decides that it's not a big deal and there's no need to mention it.
"I was glad to find out you were Korean too, beats the homesickness." Namjoon chuckles and Yoongi nods in agreement. "I could get by and hold conversations with my level of English though, but I wouldn't call myself very fluent. I only studied it by watching a TV show after all."
Yoongi furrows his eyebrows and stares at Namjoon like he was crazy. "You learned through a TV show?"
"Yeah, Friends. I loved it and watched it over and over again, then picked up English through that."
"I watched that too but I'm not good with English..." Yoongi mumbles and Namjoon shyly chuckles.
"Everyone has different methods of learning, watching Friends just happened to be mine. Plus I was young so I guess that helped."
Just like before, the two shift through different topics as they continue to converse. Namjoon explains how exactly he learned the language with the show, Yoongi begins to diss the education system and how many grow to dislike learning, and they both nerd out to Friends as well as other TV shows and movies, local and foreign, that they've watched, giving each other recommendations by the end of it.
They go on for a while, seemingly unable to run out of things to talk about. At one point they decide to watch a movie together, with Yoongi constantly trying to stop Namjoon from giving him spoilers, where some are prevented but some slip through. In the middle of the movie, the plane starts to shake. It's lighter than the previous time but it's enough to cause Yoongi to panic, and to which Namjoon does the protocol. He holds his hand, tells him soothing words, and makes him focus on his breathing and the movie they're watching.
This happens a few more times, the trip back home really isn't as smooth as they hoped but fortunately nothing too severe. They eventually finish the movie and switch to a crab documentary that Namjoon has saved on his phone, the plane continuing to shake every now and then.
All the while, they never let go, fingers interlocked. Yoongi gives some tight squeezes during shakes and Namjoon gently rubs the back of his hand to comfort him. Namjoon enthusiastically tells Yoongi crab facts as they go through the documentary, successfully distracting him and entertaining him at times.
"That was actually really good, better than the movie if I were to be honest." Yoongi stretches in his seat and lets out a yawn after the movie ends. "We killed a lot of time but I think I'll be sleeping off the next few hours."
"I'm glad you had fun. Feel free to sleep, hyung, we'll be back in Korea in no time." Namjoon says then he yawns himself. "I might actually do the same."
And so they do. Yoongi dozes off first as Namjoon is still busying himself with his phone. Yoongi ends up leaning on his shoulder and Namjoon smiles at his sleeping face, mouth slightly open. "Good night, hyung." He puts his phone in his pocket and finally decides to go to dreamland as well.
The two sleep cozily for the rest of the flight, Yoongi leaning on Namjoon's shoulder, Namjoon leaning on Yoongi's head, and hands intertwined with one another, basking in the comfort and warmth.
Namjoon slowly wakes up to the voice broadcasted throughout the plane, it looks like he's awake just in time for landing. He checks the time on his phone, it's a few minutes past 6pm. Peeking through the window, he sees the dark sky above and the many lights below as they fly towards Incheon Airport.
They're finally back home.
He feels the head leaning on his shoulder shift slightly. He smiles as he watches Yoongi still sleeping soundly, and hopes that he stays like that until they reach the ground. He knows the landing will make him anxious so it's best that he sleeps through it. "We're almost there, hyung." He whispers to him, knowing that he wouldn't hear it.
Not too long after, the plane starts to tilt forward, signalling their descent. Namjoon gently rubs the back of Yoongi's thumb as if comforting him, a habit he ended up forming within the 12 or so hours of being together. He's glad the long flight is about to end and he'll arrive at his apartment in around an hour but he can't help but be sad that he and Yoongi will part soon. He feels like a kid again who's about to go home from school and will leave his friends. But the kids meet once more the next day or the next week, he's sure he'll meet Yoongi again sometime. Ah, that reminds me... I should ask for his number.
The plane eventually lands, the speakers broadcast the final reminders, passengers start gathering their belongings, and Yoongi is still sleeping like a baby while leaning on Namjoon. Hesitantly, he lightly shakes Yoongi's arm, causing the sleeping man to groan. "Hyung, we've landed, it's time to get up."
"Five minutes..." Yoongi furrows his eyebrows as he tiredly mumbles and buries his face in Namjoon's shoulder.
He'd let him sleep more if he could, but the passengers in their row and the rows nearby are exiting and if they don't stand up soon, they'll be the only ones left. "I'd happily give you five minutes but we need to go." He releases the hold on Yoongi's hand then gives his arm another shake.
Yoongi's eyes open slightly, squinting as he adjusts to the brightness. He quickly realizes what's going on then sits up straight. "We've arrived?"
"Yep, minutes ago." Namjoon answers as he grabs his bag from under the seat, Yoongi also doing the same for his own. "Do you have anything in the compartment?"
Yoongi rubs his eyes then shakes his head. "This is all I brought in here. We can go."
Namjoon walks towards the exit of the plane but then comes to a halt when he hears Yoongi.
"Namjoon!" He calls out to him, earning a confused look from Namjoon. "Your wallet... You left it on your seat."
His eyes widen as he feels around his pants pockets and indeed does not feel his wallet anywhere. He takes it back from Yoongi and lets out a shy laugh. "Thanks, hyung, you're a life-saver." He curses at himself and his wallet under his breath. This same wallet is what almost made him miss this flight and it was about to be lost again, but thankfully, it was another close call.
The two exit the plane, giving little bows to the flight attendants that they pass by on the way out. They converse in some small talk on the way to the baggage reclaim area, mostly about how it's great to be back in Korea and that they'll definitely eat a good and hearty home-cooked Korean meal as soon as they can.
They reach the conveyor belt where a few bags are already placed on it. A comfortable silence is between them as they wait for their luggage to arrive, with occasional yawns from Yoongi. Eventually, Namjoon spots his bag, a suitcase with a night-themed design, dark blue all over with stars, clouds, and a crescent moon. There's also many stickers on the sides, most of which are from his travels. He approaches the conveyor belt and grabs it then returns to Yoongi's side.
"Nice suitcase." Yoongi comments. "It looks so obvious that you travel a lot, I only have one sticker on mine and it's Holly."
"Thanks, I've been using this for years now, and it's still pretty sturdy." He grips onto the handle of his suitcase as he turns it around to inspect it, the stickers all over it making him remember past travels. "You have stickers of your dog?"
Yoongi laughs then pauses. "Wait, I see it. Let me get it so I can show you." He walks to the conveyor belt and grabs his suitcase then comes back to Namjoon. "Here." He shows the front to him, and on it is a sticker, the size a bit smaller than a palm, of Yoongi's brown dog wearing a pair of sunglasses. "I got this made. My suitcase is black and generic-looking so I put this on to easily find it."
"That's so cute." Namjoon laughs. "Maybe I should have one made for Monie too, it'll be like he's with me whenever I travel."
The two end up getting absorbed into talking about their dogs again, still standing near the baggage reclaim area with their suitcases in hand and being oblivious to the time. Though a large part of it is Namjoon watching Yoongi talk about Holly, endearment plastered on both of their faces.
Their conversation is interrupted when the phone on Yoongi's hand rings, which he promptly picks up. "Hello? Yeah I just got my luggage." Namjoon checks his own phone while Yoongi is on the call and notices the texts and missed calls. Ah, sorry... He apologizes in his mind as he types up replies, and shortly after it sinks in that he really has to part with Yoongi already.
"Gotta go?" Namjoon asks Yoongi as soon as he drops the call.
"Yeah, they've been waiting for a while."
"Sorry for holding you up. I gotta go too, my friend's apparently been here for an hour." Namjoon chuckles sheepishly.
"It's okay, we both made people wait." Yoongi gives him a soft smile then the two fall into silence, standing while facing each other, both waiting for the other to say something or to leave first. Namjoon doesn't know about Yoongi but personally, he doesn't want to go, he wants to stay and spend some time more. He really has grown to like him, maybe a bit too much.
Before the silence becomes awkward, Yoongi finally speaks up. "Thanks for the great time, Namjoon, and for helping me especially."
"I'm happy to help and I had a very great time too." Namjoon was about to reluctantly say goodbye but then he remembers. "Ah, hyung!"
"Hm?" Yoongi raises his eyebrows as Namjoon slightly hesitates.
What's gotten me shy all of a sudden? Namjoon lowers his head and frowns at himself, then takes a deep breath and looks at Yoongi. "Do you wanna exchange numbers? Uhm, so we can maybe meet up again, and, our dogs can have a little playdate, or something?" He stutters out then looks at Yoongi as he waits for a response and notices a faint blush on his cheeks.
After a few seconds, Yoongi responds with a little giggle. "Sure, we can exchange numbers." He hands Namjoon his phone who starts typing on it. "Holly would love a playdate."
"I'm looking forward to it then. I'm sending a text to my number, just save it to your contacts." Namjoon grins as he presses send then gives Yoongi back his phone. "I guess this is goodbye for now?"
"For now. We really gotta get going, I've been holding up my family for too long now and your friend might be pissed by now." Yoongi says lightheartedly but Namjoon sighs.
"Yeah, I'm sure he is. Where are you headed?"
"They're inside a cafe near exit 7."
"Ah, I'm going the other way." Namjoon extends the handle of his suitcase then grips on it. "See you?"
"Yeah, see you, Namjoon." Yoongi does the same for his suitcase then the two of them pause and smile at each other one last time before finally turning to opposite directions. Their feet step on the airport floor and the wheels on their suitcases turn, the distance between them growing and the smiles on their faces not leaving.
Neither Namjoon nor Yoongi would've thought that the airplane ride home would be one of the highlights of their vacations.