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“Taehyung-ah we're gonna be late!”
Seokjin grabs his cap left on their couch and starts to put on his running shoes. Looking up, Taehyung was trying to tame a lone cow lick, eyes puffed and still bloated from yesterday's late night ramen. He flicks his curly bangs from his eyes and shoots a glance at his boyfriend. Silky smooth complexion, lips plump and moist. Seokjin woke up at an ungodly 4.30 am to wash up and remembered to put on lip balm. His swollen eyelids narrow shut. He couldn’t even get his eyes to open properly to brush his teeth.
“We ate the same ramen yesterday why am I the only one who's bloated?” Taehyung huffs at himself, lamenting how unfair it was that his boyfriend has perfectly smooth skin right after waking up while he has to suffer oily T-zones even after washing his face.
His boyfriend blinks once, having heard the complaint, pokes his own cheek with a finger. "I am too, though?" He lowers his cap to cover his eyes and puts on his face mask. "Hurry up, we should leave now and come back before the whole neighborhood even wakes up. I’ve got our stuff with me so come on."
“You call that bloated?” he grumbles to himself. If he could actually open his eyes big enough to roll them he would have. Taehyung grabs his cap and sweeps his bangs back before pushing his messy hair down with the cap enough to cover his eyes. He puts his mask on as well, footsteps sluggish as he half sleep walks to the door where Seokjin has his arms crossed watching him.
“What?” Taehyung slips on his sandals, blindly grabbing their keys and getting ready to leave.
“You look like you’re gonna drop on the streets and fall asleep, even though you’re the one who asked me out on a date.”
“The date invitation is sincere. The waking up part is a whole different story. Who the hell goes on dates at 5 am in the morning. It’s crazy.” Eyes still nearly shut close from remnants of sleep and bloating, he crowds into his boyfriend’s personal space. “At least I brushed my teeth.”
Seokjin cocks an eyebrow at him, the corner of his lips curling upwards, struggling to remain neutral. “Yeah that’s us. Normal people brush their teeth Taehyung-ah. I’m not going anywhere with you if you don’t."
“Then can I go back to sleep? We can like, do this at midnight, you know? Not this… ungodly hour.”
Seokjin sandwiches his boyfriend’s face between his palms and squeezes his cheeks. “No.” He’s still so handsome, unshowered and with his face squished like how he squishes Yeontan. “You asked me out now you need to take responsibility.” He pecks his puckered lips and slides his hands down to his arms, taking his hands and leading them to their bicycles parked outside. “You’re such a baby.”
“Your baby.”
-
In the quiet before dawn, not even the birds have started their morning calls yet, cool air hanging heavily on their dewy bloated skin. He shudders at the gust of wind and feels a tinge of regret that they’re doing this at the end of winter. To be more precise, they had no choice but to do it at the end of winter. Quickly brushing the thought away, he stuffs his hands into his coat pockets where he kept his hot packs. Once his hands are warm and toasty, he unlocks his bicycle and mounts it. He’s thankful that his sweatpants are thick and he can’t feel the coldness of the rubber seat.
Taehyung is fumbling with his lock, hands looking pale from the cold.
“Babe, do you want to grab another jacket before we go?”
“Nope it’s fine. I’ll be warmer when we start cycling. I wanna enjoy the weather.”
Seokjin eyes him for a moment, wondering if they should go back after all. It’s dark, cold, his boyfriend isn’t even fully awake yet and he wonders if his hot packs will be enough. But Taehyung just offers him an eye smile saying ‘it’s fine’. He knows that if they don’t do this today, they might never have time again, once their vacation ends. They have 3 days left, to spend time alone together before they’ll be pulled back to reality and face the whirlwind of their chaotic schedules. The thought is enough to propel him forward and start pedaling. His boyfriend follows suit, limbs kicking into gear to slowly warm their bodies up.
"Hyung-ah. I love this kind of weather. I mean, I hate waking up early but the cold just snapped me awake."
“You’re the real ice prince.” Seokjin tells him amusedly, feeling grateful that he remembered to stuff the hot packs in his pocket.
“I’m the ice cold prince, you’re the ice handsome prince.”
To anyone else, it might have sounded like a joke, but Seokjin can hear the sincerity in his voice. He has always praised Seokjin whenever it crossed his mind, which is pretty frequently. Though hearing it ten, fifty, or a hundred times still feels like the first. He loves it, but he doesn’t get used to it. His cheeks tinge red. “No, I’m worldwide handsome. What are you even talking about? Geez.”
The 30 minute cycle by the winding dirt path from their home to the nearest park was filled with comfortable silence. It’s been 7 whole years since they went cycling together, just the both of them, and they were only trainees then. They wished to travel further, to head to the beach and date out in the open for once. However they’ve been warned against it, time and time again, that they absolutely cannot get caught while BTS is at the height of their popularity. Despite being confined to the private neighborhood park for their date, Seokjin is still grateful that most of all, he gets to spend everyday with his other half. In this line of work where a single mistake would be amplified to unbelievable lengths in the public eye and potentially cause their downfall, there was far too much to risk. As long as he can be by Taehyung’s side, he will be patient.
It’s Monday, before dawn the park is dark, quiet and empty as their neighborhood residences are still deep in slumber, not waking up for work for another 2 hours at least. They leave their bicycles by a bench, strolling by the still garden lake, his arm looped around Taehyung’s. The greenery and flower beds illuminated by faint post lights scattered around the park, and it’s a little scary, even. But his mind is calm, reassured by the man beside him.
“The other day I went fishing with Yoongi. At a fishing port and the beach is so beautiful, I’ve never seen such beautiful sand and clear water here before. I kept thinking of you, wanna bring you there and have a romantic beach date with you.”
He feels Taehyung’s hands slip through his and he instantly intertwines their fingers.
“What do you want to do on a beach date?” Taehyung half whispers.
“I wanna draw our names in the sand. Make a huge heart and then we’ll stand in the middle of it and kiss,” Seokjin says. “How about you?”
Taehyung hums thoughtfully. “I wanna take photos of you and us together. I’ll bring my polaroid, we can take half naked photos of you by the beach.”
Chuckling, Seokjin turns to face him. “You already have a lot of those!”
“No, I don’t have any by the beach yet,” He let go of Seokjin’s hand to loop his arms around his neck.
Seokjin is vaguely aware that he still shouldn’t let his guard down this much, that this is still considered a public place even though some of their neighbours already know about them and they’ve been sworn to secrecy. The risk is still there, no matter if it’s still before dawn and he’s pretty sure no one’s up yet and even if they are nobody comes to the park on a Monday. But privacy like this with his other half is really rare, PDA kept to a minimum and intimate moments fizzled down to exhaustion after a whole day’s schedule that he finds himself thinking, ‘to hell with it’, as his hands go around Taehyung’s tiny waist, gripping at his jacket on the small of his back. Both their masks have been tucked under their chins, making it easier to draw him close and bring their foreheads together.
“Taehyung-ah, what are you gonna do with my nudes?” Seokjin asks him in a hush.
Eyes gleaming with mirth, Taehyung tells him “Open up my own gallery one day under Vante. Hang all your nude photos. My art.”
He thinks he’s got his expressions under control by now, but the fact that he feels his face grow hot proves otherwise. “I thought you didn’t like to share me?” Faking an annoyed expression, Seokjin pulls his boyfriend closer.
Fingers playing with the short hairs at his nape, he grins at the sight of Seokjin’s blush visible even in the dark. “It’s not sharing, I’m showing off what’s mine.” His boyfriend decides he’s had enough, and kisses him to shut him up. It’s far too easy to lose himself in Seokjin, he thinks. Effortless. Has always been for all these years. It takes more effort to pull away and taunt him with more praises, but his boyfriend doesn’t allow it. He dives in again and again, gripping him tighter and impossibly closer, as if suddenly frantic to savour the moment. The barest hint of sunlight is barely beginning to peek at the skyline but he feels a familiar warmth beginning to pool in the pits of his belly, signaling trouble brewing down south if Seokjin doesn’t stop kissing him like he’s the best thing he’s ever had in his life. Then he feels cold hands slipping under his jacket and shirt, knowing that it’s purely out of habit.
Giggling into his kisses, he finally musters enough strength to slide his hands down and push at his boyfriend’s firm chest. “Yah! And people call me the exhibitionist. If they could see you right now... If I can’t cycle back you’re gonna need to carry me home.”
“Then I’m just gonna have to leave you here.”
Taehyung throws a playful punch at his abs, an excuse to feel it flex then loops his arm around Seokjin’s. Shifting his body slightly so he can rest his head on those broad shoulders. They stay for a while more, watching the sky gradually light up with a soft orange glow.
-
Back at home, he beelines straight to Yeontan, still sound asleep and snuffling gently. He looks fondly till the furball stirs awake, it’s eyes peeking open to look straight into Taehyung’s deep eyes. He carefully scoops Tannie into his arms, cooing at him and heading to their bedroom. His boyfriend’s started a shower so he happily annoys Tannie to full consciousness. Tannie squirms and rolls onto his back, asking for belly rubs.
Seokjin emerges from his hot shower, warm and steamy, towel threatening to slip from his slim hips. He’s doing it on purpose, Taehyung thinks. So he stares as his boyfriend as he puts on underwear and a tiny pair of shorts.
“Hyung-ah.”
Seokjin grunts.
“Tannie said he wants a baby brother.”
This finally catches his boyfriend’s full attention. “He did? Is he lonely?”
“He’s not but he’s sleeping more recently. And getting fatter. So he wants a friend to play with.”
Seokjin grabs his fluffiest worn pastel pink hoodie and slips it on. He settles on the bed beside Tannie and joins in rubbing his belly, scratching behind his ears. “Can we name his baby brother Kimchi?”
Eyes widening at his boyfriend, he giggles, “So that means you’re okay with it?”
“I don’t see why not but you gotta ask your dad too. Our vacation is gonna end soon and we’ll be super busy again.” Seokjin shifts and lays down on his pillow while Tannie follows him and licks at his chin. Taehyung lays down as well, forming a barricade around Tannie with both of their bodies. Excitedly circling in his warm enclosure, Tannie licks Taehyung too.
“Tannie, you’re a good boy aren’t you. You’ll take care of Kimchi won’t you.” Tannie looks at him expectantly, head tilted adorably and tongue hanging. A yip. Taehyung circles his snout and rubs under his chin. He teases his boyfriend by rubbing under his chin as well and pinches his cheeks. And Seokjin allows him. Seokjin strokes Tannie gently to calm him down, tugging on him to hug him to his chest. Not wanting to leave even a tiny gap, Taehyung wiggles closer and wraps his arms around both of them. The wall clock reads 7.16 am. His eyelids are starting to get heavy again.
Feeling warm sandwiched by his dads, Tannie wriggles out of Seokjin’s hold and jumps off the bed. He heads to the living room to drink water and then returns to curl on the corner of the bed.
They’ve nearly succumbed back to sleep, until Seokjin flicks his forehead. “Aren’t you gonna shower? Or even change?”
Taehyung, peeved at the disruption, sticks his chin out in defiance. “No.” He slings his leg over his boyfriend’s bare ones, and tsks. “I didn’t sweat so I don’t need to.” But he reluctantly removes his legs and arms from around his boyfriend’s form to roll over the side of the bed, careful not to dislodge Tannie and peels off his long sleeved shirt and sweatpants. He changes into his Celine t-shirt and a matching pair of tiny shorts before climbing back into bed and curling up around Seokjin. Relishing the feel of their bare skin touching, he pushes his nose into his boyfriend’s hair and inhales. He feels Seokjin’s hands slipping under his shirt, absorbing his warmth. Sleep claims the both of them again, sending them into dreamland with the promises of a future together.
Perfection.
END