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Seokjin didn't realize how desperate he was for fresh air and freedom until he sets foot outside the apartment building. He smiles beneath the face mask and turns to look at Yoongi, waving at him to hurry up. He thinks he can see Yoongi smile in response, his eyes scrunching up momentarily. Yoongi catches up, his hands stuffed into his hoodie pockets, forming a pot belly that Seokjin can't help but think is adorable.
They opt to walk instead of taking any of their cars; the reporters are staked out in the garage, ready to pounce. Even out here on the street, there's a muddled group of journalists, checking their cameras and pacing, small groups chatting together.
Seokjin feels a little cheeky in the fresh air, a little mischievous, so as he and Yoongi pass by, he bows to them and waves. "You're working hard," he calls out.
"Yah, hyung!" Yoongi says, reaching out to take Seokjin's wrist and hurry him along.
Seokjin grins behind his mask and lets Yoongi tug him along. "'Bye guys."
There are a couple of reporters who narrow their eyes and peer closer, but Yoongi has them out of sigh before they can confirm anything.
"You're unbelievable," Yoongi says, but there's humor in his tone.
Seokjin laughs and twists his wrist, inching his fingers to grab onto Yoongi's. "They looked so bored, Yoongi."
Yoongi snickers. "They'll move on to a new story soon enough, hyung." Yoongi's thumb rubs over Seokjin's knuckles. "Sorry you've been stuck at home this week."
Seokjin's cheeks warm despite the chilly air and he shrugs. "It's been nice at home," he says.
Yoongi nods. They fall into silence, their shoulders brushing as they walk. Eventually Seokjin tires of the jostling and detangles his hand from Yoongi's. Yoongi pauses and looks at Seokjin, his brow furrowing, until Seokjin loops his arm around Yoongi's elbow and slides close to his side.
"Where are we heading?" Seokjin asks.
Yoongi blinks at him a couple times before clearing his throat and looking ahead again. "Anywhere you want to go," he says, bringing Seokjin's arm closer.
That sounds really good to Seokjin. He smiles, the warmth spreading from his cheeks to his chest, blooming like a flower and coursing down to the ends of his fingertips.
They go through several shops and even find Seokjin's pink cap. Yoongi shakes his head but still steals the hat from Seokjin's grip and heads to the register, insisting on paying. Seokjin smiles and makes his way outside the store, standing under the awning. He blinks at the darkened sky and notices small raindrops hitting the pavement. He wrinkles his nose and sighs.
"It's raining," he says sadly as soon as Yoongi joins him outside again.
"Do you want to call a taxi?" Yoongi asks, handing Seokjin the bag.
Seokjin swallows the lump of disappointment in his throat. He was hoping to prolong their excursion a little longer. He wants to spend more time with Yoongi, looking through shops and telling bad jokes, his arm looped around Yoongi's, close and intimate.
Yoongi must notice Seokjin's hesitation. He taps Seokjin's elbow and says, "Wait here. I think I saw umbrellas inside."
Seokjin grins behind his mask and watches Yoongi head back into the shop. This is nice, he thinks. It's really nice. Yoongi has this way about him, like he can see through Seokjin, to what Seokjin is too used to burying deep down. He sees down to Seokjin's desires, the ones he long ago thought he couldn't indulge, the ones Seokjin sacrificed for so long, he didn't realize their roots still lingered in his heart.
Seokjin watches the rain start to hit heavily, the pavement darkening and the street clearing of pedestrians. He's not used to this, but he want to be. He wants to get used to this, to Yoongi and dates ruined by the rain and long fingers linking with his. He's startled by the sudden depth of his desire. Before he can think too much about the odd, painfully sweet ache in the left side of his chest, Yoongi reappears with a large black umbrella.
"They only had big ones so I thought we could share," he says. His mouth is still covered by his mask but Seokjin thinks he can see Yoongi's smile anyway, his eyes scrunched up into crescents. Yoongi opens the umbrella and steps next to Seokjin, covering him. "Ready?"
Seokjin smiles at Yoongi and slips his hand into the crook of Yoongi's elbow again. "I'm ready," he says, the ache in his chest thumping with the beat of his heart.