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“Sprite or Coke?” Jungkook asks, stopping the shopping cart in which his boyfriend is currently sitting in like a child.
Jimin doesn’t look up from the cereal box in his hands, too busy trying to solve the spot the differences game in the back of the box.
“Coke” Jimin says, frowning “This game is really difficult.”
Jungkook opens the refrigerator to pick up the Coke, smiling to himself.
“Want some help, buddy?” he asks, placing the bottle in the cart, by Jimin’s knees.
“Nah. I think I got this.”
“I believe in you” Jungkook chuckles.
A middle-aged couple rounds the isle, their eyes zeroing on Jimin instantly. Jungkook isn’t sure what is it that makes them frown in disapproval; if it’s Jimin’s pink hair, the shiny long earrings on his ears, the skin tight ripped jeans, the gloss on his lips or the fact that he’s sitting inside the cart despite being a grown ass man.
Oh well, it’s Jungkook’s fault for bringing a fairy to a small town, where it’s hard to be inconspicuous.
Jungkook offers the couple a tight-lipped smile and pushes the cart forward, going to the dairy section of the grocery store. They spend the most time there, because Jungkook has to spend half an hour convincing Jimin that they can’t just buy a carton of ice cream of each flavor so Jimin can taste them all.
“But we can” Jimin insists, pouting “You have money. If you don’t have enough I can always use magic to duplicate it.”
“Shh!” Jungkook looks around, afraid someone may have overheard them, but fortunately there’s no one around.
“Sorry” Jimin’s eyes grow big when he realizes his mistake. They’re not supposed to speak of magic – or of committing crimes such as passing on fake notes – in public. Jungkook waves his oversight away.
“It’s not about money. It’s about health. Too much sugar isn’t good for the body” Jungkook counters, picking up some cheese while they were there.
“It’s not good for your body” Jimin mutters “Mine will be fine.”
“You don’t know that.”
“We could test it out” Jimin’s pout dissolves into a playful smile.
“No way” Jungkook says, trying to sound stern, but Jimin is making that face, the one that says come-on-you’ll-love-it and the side of Jungkook that’s curious and a bit childish itches to give in “That’s a terrible idea.”
“Let’s make a deal” Jimin suggests “You buy me my ice cream. If nothing changes, then you’ll do the laundry and the dishes for a month. And if my blood sugar does change, then I will do the laundry and the dishes for a month.”
“That’s not a deal, it’s a bet” Jungkook says. He’s tempted, though; he’s not fond of domestic chores, despite having gotten used to do them.
“Whatever” Jimin, shrugged, holding out his hand “You in?”
Jungkook looks at Jimin’s small hand, thinking. Honestly, it’s not just a waste of money, it’s an invitation to disaster. Fairies are like humans in many aspects, at least as far as Jungkook can tell. They needed food and they slept and they cried and they bled. The amount of ice cream Jimin wanted to eat would surely make a human ill, but what if fairies weren’t the same? What if they could eat whatever they wanted, no consequences?
Jungkook takes Jimin’s hand.
“I’m in.”
So that’s how Jungkook ends up stacking over twenty cartons of ice cream into Jimin’s lap, who is so giddy he doesn’t even care about the water stains on his jeans when he gets off the cart.
Jungkook doesn’t pay with money, but with a credit card. The clerk raises his eyebrows when Jungkook gives him the card.
“Igor Ivanov?”
Jungkook opens a huge, innocent smile.
“Yes?”
The clerk eyes him warily.
“How long have you been in the country?”
“Do you work for immigration? If not, swipe the card and kindly return it to me” Jungkook replies, infusing just the right amount of righteous anger into his voice.
It’s not that he’s an illegal immigrant. It’s just that’s not his credit card.
The clerk is obviously miffed by his words, but swipes the card and returns it to Jungkook, looking almost disappointed, as if he expected the card to be declined or something. Joke’s on him, of course. Igor Ivanov’s widow had given Jungkook that credit card as a thanks after Jungkook had helped her with the loss of her husband.
All Jungkook did was give a little push.
They swing by the pharmacy so Jungkook can buy one those portable blood sugar-measuring machine things to watch the effects of the ice cream on Jimin’s blood. Jimin finally solves the spot the differences game when Jungkook is parking the car at the curb in front of the small house they’re renting. Jungkook listens to him absentmindedly, more focused on checking to see if he’ll need to refuel the car soon than in the details of the game – that is, until Jimin drops off a bomb. A D bomb.
“I wish we could get a doggie” Jimin sighs, wistful.
“We can’t get a pet” Jungkook says, finally turning off the engine and undoing the seat belt “We need to be ready to run at all times. We can’t afford to get attached to anything. Besides, dogs are loud and not really suited to stay indoors all the time. Having one would just increase our exposition and – ”
“I know” Jimin cuts him off, undoing his own seat beat “I know all that.”
Jungkook loves Jimin. And he hates not being able to give him the things he wants. The life he deserves.
“I’m sorry” Jungkook reaches out to squeeze Jimin’s shoulder “I really am.”
“I know” Jimin smiles ruefully, climbing outside with the cereal box held tight to his chest.
They carry the groceries inside the house in silence. The house they’re renting was old before Jungkook was born, the decorations and furniture appearing to have never been changed in the last twenty years or so. The only modern appliances were the portable cameras Jungkook had hidden throughout the house and Jungkook’s own laptop. Which was just as well – the less modern equipment connected to the internet the better, the harder to track them or tap them.
Jungkook can tell Jimin’s mood is still morose, so he lines up the cartons of ice cream in the counter and picks up a spoon in the drawer.
“How about a raise in the stakes” he proposes in his best salesman voice “Double or nothing.”
The sullen look in Jimin’s eyes disappears, a shimmer of defiance and joy taking its place. It’s like watching rainclouds parting to let the sun shine through.
“Double or nothing” Jimin takes the spoon from him and goes about the first carton. Jungkook opens the box with the sugar measuring machine and reads over the instructions.
The first carton is finished within minutes and Jimin offers his finger for Jungkook to prick and test the blood sugar. Jungkook does it, but he doesn’t like the action – Jimin doesn’t complain or even acknowledge the pain, but Jungkook knows it hurts when his finger is pricked. The wound is healed within minutes, though, so Jungkook doesn’t feel too bad for too long. They chat about the benefits of knowing how to find a stream in the middle of a forest and of speaking fluent Spanish, about how the ending of Dexter was ridiculous and which color should Jimin change his hair to next. The clock marks the hours that pass, but neither of them pay attention. They’re too lost in their bubble of domestic bliss to care.
“This is so unfair!” Jungkook complains when Jimin finishes the last carton. His blood sugar didn’t change by one gram since the first carton.
“You’re only saying that because you lost and now you gotta wash my underwear for two months” Jimin claps, swinging his hips in a little victory dance.
“I can’t believe fairies can just eat all they want” Jungkook shakes his head, collecting the cartons to throw them into the trash can.
Jimin giggles, rolling his shoulders back and spreading out his wings. Jimin’s wings weren’t made of flesh and blood, but of light and color. They were shaped like an angel’s wings, with different colors dancing across the surface. Looking at them was like looking into a kaleidoscope, amazing and hypnotic.
“It’s a good fairy thing” Jimin says “Tell me a good human thing I don’t know.”
A good human thing? Jungkook thinks it over as he slides closer to Jimin, cupping Jimin’s face in his hands. Jimin has such a beautiful face, with luminous eyes, soft cheeks and sweet lips.
“Humans can hold the whole world in their hands” he says at last.
Jimin’s eyes widen.
“Can they?”
Jungkook nods.
“I’m doing it right now.”
Jimin’s lips form a small O. Jungkook leans forward and kisses him.