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This is where Namjoon feels the most at home: with live music playing loud enough that the bass thrums deep in his chest and in his blood, surrounded by a community that welcomes him, making a difference.
“Hyung,” Jungkook calls. Namjoon can barely hear him over one of the people onstage belting a high note. He watches the shape of Jungkook’s lips as he speaks instead. “Hyung, is this good for the display? I tried to show one of everything.”
Pride might be where Namjoon feels alive, where his heart sings and he feels like he finally belongs, but this is all new to Jungkook. He’d promised Jungkook months ago that he’d bring him to his first pride event this summer, and the day is finally here. Jungkook had shown up at Namjoon’s apartment hours in advance, trying and failing to conceal his excitement. He’d been a whirlwind of nervous energy until Namjoon had sat him down and told him their plan for the day, and then he’d offered to do Namjoon’s makeup and then it had been time to leave.
Having Jungkook around is good because he always offers to do the heavy lifting, eager to help Namjoon whenever possible—maybe to make up for Namjoon offering to show him the ropes of his first pride. But the best part is that it reminds Namjoon that, even after years of attending Pride, the thrill of acceptance never gets old, and every year is better than the last one.
“That’s perfect,” Namjoon says. He smiles at Jungkook and ruffles his hair. For the past three years, Namjoon has handed out free pins and mini flags at his booth at pride. It feels like a small contribution, but he loves watching people’s faces light up the way Jungkook’s does every time something clicks for him, from the music to the colorful informational booths to the groups of people scattered about preparing for the march itself. They’ll be joining later with their friends, but until Namjoon runs out of supplies, they’re manning his booth.
“How long will it take for us to run out of flags and pins?” Jungkook asks. “Do we have enough?”
“Not long. We have enough though, don’t worry. Are you excited?” Namjoon asks, even though he already knows the answer.
“Of course!” Jungkook beams. “How is Yoongi feeling?”
Out of their friend group, Jungkook and Yoongi are the only ones who, before today, had never been to a pride event. Namjoon is excited for Jungkook, but he’s practically vibrating out of his own skin thinking about Yoongi, looking forward to Yoongi’s experience at Pride more than he’d looked forward to his own first Pride.
“He’s excited,” Namjoon says simply, and his blush as he speaks gives his feelings away. Jungkook grins but doesn’t comment on it, which might be for the best. “He and Taehyung and Jimin will be stopping by soon.”
It’s no secret that Yoongi is very special to Namjoon, and their friends tease them relentlessly for this, even though they’ve never explicitly labeled what they have. But after years of not-so secretive touches and an obvious connection that none of their friends quite match, it’s become an unspoken agreement that their relationship is special.
If Namjoon had to describe it, he would say that Yoongi is his Person, and he doesn’t really care what people call their relationship as long as they respect it. Yoongi is someone Namjoon plans on spending the rest of his life with, and getting to experience things like this with him proves to Namjoon just how special and important their bond is.
Taehyung and Jimin are accompanying Yoongi to the event, planning on exploring some of the booths and then participating in the march later on. Yoongi hadn’t been able to make it early enough to stay with Namjoon, but Namjoon knows that he’ll have even more fun with Taehyung and Jimin, and they’ll be able to spend time together later. Namjoon had promised Yoongi that he’d join them as soon as he ran out of pins and flags.
“Namjoonie! Jungkookie, did you run out of pins yet?”
Namjoon rolls his eyes. Seokjin and Hoseok, two of his dearest friends, have arrived at his booth. Even though they’d only met a year ago, they had gone from strangers to best friends in mere months after meeting at Pride. Back then they had also been handing out pins, and the fierce competition between their booth and Namjoon’s had sparked two of the greatest friendships of his life.
“Not yet. We have extra just for you,” Jungkook says. He fishes a handful of pins out of a bag they’d set aside. He gives a few to each of them—aromantic and bisexual pins for Hoseok and demisexual and non-binary pin for Seokjin.
Hoseok looks like a proud father as he pulls Jungkook into a one-armed hug from across the booth. “Thanks, Kookie. How have things been holding up here?”
“We just finished setting up,” Namjoon says. “How about your booth? Any trouble?”
This year, Hoseok and Seokjin are manning a booth dedicated to sharing information about the asexual and aromantic spectrums, in part a tribute to their friend group. Coincidentally, all seven of them identify on these spectrums in some way, and have always been dedicated to protecting each other from aphobia.
Eventually, this commitment had expanded to involve aspec communities as a whole, leading to the idea of creating a booth specifically for it at Pride, especially with it being Jungkook and Yoongi’s first time attending. It’s touching, and Namjoon doesn’t mind not having to worry about competition this year.
“Nope,” Seokjin says proudly. Hoseok winces almost imperceptibly. “Nothing we care about.”
“It’s rewarding to see how excited other aspecs are to see a place just for them,” Hoseok adds. He unclasps his pins and begins attaching them to his shirt. “Hey, have you seen Jimin and Taehyung and Yoongi yet? They were looking for you.”
Namjoon had met Jimin and Taehyung in university, when he’d tutored them for a project they’d been working on together for an elective. He’d then convinced them to join the LGBTQ+ alliance group he’d been a part of, and they’d met Yoongi from there.
“No. Jimin texted me and asked where our booth is, though.” Namjoon glances at his phone. There aren’t any new texts from Jimin, and it’s past the time when he said they’d visit. It’s nothing to be concerned over, but Namjoon still worries.
Seokjin barks a laugh. “Cute. They can take care of themselves, you know.”
Namjoon rolls his eyes and busies himself with reorganizing the overflow stock of flags stored behind the table. Seokjin teases, but he knows what he’s talking about.
Jungkook nudges Namjoon’s shoulder. “Wait, hyung, look, they’re heading our way now.”
Namjoon’s cheeks burn. Seokjin winks and tugs Hoseok away, making room in front of the booth. Namjoon stands up after taking a deep breath and smoothing the front of his shirt, nerves swarming in the pit of his stomach.
When Taehyung, Jimin, and Yoongi arrive at the booth, Yoongi is trailing behind, lost in the sights around him. Taehyung goes straight to talking with Jungkook, Jimin watching him, amused, and it isn’t until Yoongi is right in front of Namjoon that it clicks.
“How are you, hyung?” Namjoon asks softly. His hands twitch against the pin he’d chosen for Yoongi. “Is it everything you’d hoped for?”
Yoongi is just as Namjoon had pictured him to be: bright-eyed and just a bit disoriented in the best of ways. The atmosphere of Pride itself is palpable, and Yoongi’s emotions roll off him in waves, and Namjoon is overwhelmed with how connected he feels to Yoongi in this moment—how connected he feels to life and pride and everything he’d wished for when he was younger. “Everything and more,” Yoongi says.
“I saved this for you,” Namjoon says. He gives the biromantic pin to Yoongi, hands shaking with the weight of the moment.
Even though he’d told Yoongi that he would be saving him one, Yoongi still looks surprised. “Thank you,” he says, voice thick with his honesty. “Thank you so much, Namjoon-ah.”
The way Yoongi is looking at Namjoon is too intense for him to bear. He sorts through his supplies and randomly picks a few different mini flags and shoves them in Jimin’s hands. “Do you want to… maybe…” Namjoon trails off, his original confidence tapering off.
Jimin looks amused as he accepts the flags. “Sure. Come on, Taehyungie.”
“You can take a break, Jungkook,” Namjoon says. He tries not to look pleading as he speaks. “Just for a few minutes.”
Jungkook winks—not subtle at all—and follows Jimin and Taehyung away to another nearby booth. Namjoon watches them go, unsure of what to say now even though he’d planned on this moment all morning.
“Is there a reason you wanted us to be alone?” Yoongi says, almost instantly picking up on Namjoon’s discomfort. “It’s okay, whatever it is.”
“I just wanted to talk without them listening,” Namjoon says. The words feel sticky in his throat. “I…”
Yoongi looks so beautiful like this—in an atmosphere where he can thrive, no matter the criticism he’s faced in the past and the hardship he’s endured in his ongoing journey to accepting himself. “I’m proud of you,” Namjoon says, and he knows that Yoongi will pick up on the weight behind his words. “Thank you for letting me be a part of this. I’m lucky that I get to experience this with you.”
Yoongi smiles, and he looks down fondly at the pin in his hands, and Namjoon’s heart flutters. “I’m lucky that I’ve had you to support me.” He gestures vaguely around him, at the booths and the people surrounding them. “I love it. It feels good. It makes me realize that I’m still a long way away from where I want to be, but I’m grateful that I get to be a part of this moment and take a stand with other people who might be feeling the same way I am.”
Both of them are silent for a long moment. Namjoon muses over Yoongi’s words. He can’t help but see himself in Yoongi even though he has been the one to protect Namjoon more often than not. The battle towards acceptance is endless, and it’s a path that Namjoon wants to take alongside Yoongi.
“I want to celebrate today with you,” Yoongi says, quieter now. “I’m here because of you.”
Is this really true? Namjoon would argue that it’s actually Yoongi who has made it possible for Namjoon to be here. He hadn’t known Yoongi when he’d attended his first Pride, but he’s a very different person today than he was back then. He’s able to make a difference to other aspecs today because of Yoongi.
“I should go catch up with Taehyung and Jimin,” Yoongi says. He leans over the booth and hesitates. “But first…”
Namjoon closes the distance between them and kisses Yoongi softly, still wearing a smile as he does so. They never kiss in public, but here it feels like coming home, and Namjoon soaks up every second of it. When he pulls away, Yoongi’s eyes flutter open slowly. “I’ll see you soon,” Namjoon promises. To himself, he promises that he’ll never miss another moment like this again. With Yoongi, Namjoon longs for forever “I’m happy for you. Please enjoy yourself.”
Yoongi pecks Namjoon’s cheek one last time like he can’t help himself, and he smiles sheepishly after, and Namjoon’s heart skips a beat. He loves Yoongi more than he could ever put into words, and this experience truly does mean the world to him—to both of them.
To Namjoon, this feels like the true spirit of Pride: being able to celebrate who you are, and your progress and hopes and dreams, with the people who love you, and being able to share significant experiences with others to have an impact on them.