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Yeonjun turned on his back and sighed. He threw an arm over his eyes and tried to block out the light that filtered in through the flimsy curtains in his room. No matter how long or how intensely he screwed his eyes shut, sleep just wouldn't come. He sighed again and reached for his phone on the nightstand. The screen read 2 a.m. He groaned and sat up. No matter how much he wanted to, there was no way he'd get any sleep tonight. Yeonjun threw off his blanket and shuddered at the sudden cold. If he couldn't sleep, he might as well do something instead of just laying around. But where was the fun in being awake, if he was the only one? He smiled to himself and crept to the door of his room, making sure that he was extra quiet. He slid out of the room and shuffled along the hallway, steadily closing in on his target.
As slowly as humanly possible he pushed down the doorhandle and cracked the door open the tiniest bit. The room was quiet and he could hear Beomgyu's steady breathing somewhere in the darkness. It felt like absolute ages until he finally reached Soobin's bed but when he was about to shake his shoulder, he saw a faint light coming from under the blanket. He frowned and pulled the blanket back. Soobin flinched violently when Yeonjun pulled the blanket away and tore the headphones out of his ears, looking at him with wide eyes, like a deer caught in headlights. Yeonjun grinned and Soobin slapped his shoulder a few times, quietly scowling at him. Yeonjun made a noise of complaint and Soobin quickly clamped a hand over his mouth. He pulled a face when he felt Yeonjun like his palm and withdrew his hand quickly.
“Ew, gross. Don't do that”, he whispered and glanced over at Beomgyu's bed to make sure they hadn't woken him up but his breathing was still even and he hadn't moved. Yeonjun grabbed Soobin's arm and pulled him out of bed to drag him outside into the hallway where they could talk without running the risk of waking Beomgyu.
“Why did you scare me like that?”, Soobin punctuated every word with a slap to Yeonjun's shoulder.
Yeonjun pouted and rubbed the sore spot: “I can't sleep and I don't want to be awake alone.”
“So you just figured you might as well wake me to be awake with you?”
“Well, I couldn't possibly wake the babies. They need their sleep, they're still growing.”
Soobin stared at him with a blank face: “And I don't?”
“I should hope you're done growing”, Yeonjun mumbled and received another slap. “Okay, if you don't stop doing that I'm going to have to start complaining very loudly and I don't think either of us wants that to happen. I wanted you to be awake with me, not bully me.”
Soobin buried his face in his hands and for a moment Yeonjun thought he was going to scream. But Soobin only took a deep breath and seemingly resigned to his fate: “You are the absolute worst.”
Yeonjun pecked his cheek: “And you're still going to stay up with me.”
Soobin refused to reply to that.
Yeonjun looked around: “But we can't do anything fun here without waking the kids. I think we should go out into the city and find something fun to do there.”
Soobin let his head fall back and closed his eyes: “I hate you.”
“No, you don't.”
“But I can't go back into my bedroom and get clothes, I don't want to wake Beomgyu. And I am not going into the city in my pyjamas.”
“Pretty sure the city would appreciate it”, Yeonjun quickly ducked out of the way to escape another slap. “Okay, sorry. Just take something from my closet.”
“Your clothes don't fit me.”
“I stole some of yours. You can have those.”
Yeonjun quickly made his way down the hallway and to his bedroom when he saw the way Soobin started to get very red in the face. If they were cartoon characters he would have probably had smoke come out of his ears by now. But that's what he got for deciding to entertain a very much sleep-deprived Yeonjun. Soobin came after him down the hallway and closed the door to Yeonjun's room behind himself as quietly as he could. He was amazed none of the others had woken up with how loud they must have been in the hallway. But then again, Huening-Kai slept like the dead and Taehyun was probably wearing earplugs for that very reason; not only did Kai sleep like the dead, he was also a snorer. Beomgyu on the other hand really should have heard them. His thought process was interrupted when a shirt hit him square in the face. He blinked a few times and pulled the shirt off his face. When he saw Yeonjun's happy face he sighed exasperatedly: “Why?”
“You were just standing there and I wanted you to do something. Now get dressed, I wanna get going.”
Soobin gave himself a moment to close his eyes and regret every single choice he had ever made that had led him to this moment and then pulled his sleep-shirt over his head. Yeonjun clapped excitedly because he was finally moving.
“Alright, great, we're dressed. Can we now please decide that this was too much effort and go back to bed?”, Soobin asked with a sigh.
“You don't have to come if you really don't want to”, Yeonjun stuck out his bottom lip in a pout that melted Soobin's heart.
“I couldn't leave you alone in your sleep-deprived state. That would be irresponsible.”
Yeonjun threw his arms around Soobin's neck and grinned at him: “You just don't want to admit that you love me and actually enjoy spending time with me.”
“Okay, why don't we go do whatever it takes to get you tired now?”, Soobin carefully removed Yeonjun's arms from his neck and took his hand instead. Yeonjun smiled brightly and dragged him out of the room and to the front door, he already knew exactly what he wanted to do. He impatiently tapped his foot against the hardwood flooring when Soobin took ages to put on his shoes and jacket.
“So, are you going to tell me what your plan is or am supposed to just trust that you're not going to get us in trouble”, Soobin huffed as he struggled to get into his shoes.
Yeonjun rolled his eyes: “Relax, I just want to go to the Night Market in Dongdaemun.”
Soobin's face visibly lit up but he quickly tried to school it back into a neutral expression. He really shouldn't be encouraging this and inspire Yeonjun to make 2 a.m. trips a habit, when they had an early practice in a few hours. He handed Yeonjun a black face mask and then put on one of his own: “We have to make sure that no one recognizes us.”
“I have bright pink hair and yours is blue and you are literally a giant.”
“Even more reason to really make an effort to keep a low profile”, Soobin put a hand on Yeonjun's lower back and pushed him out the door. He quickly grabbed his keys, phone and wallet, and then closed the door behind himself.
They took the subway to Dongdaemun. Soobin held on to one of the handles because they hadn't managed to find a seat and Yeonjun was holding on to Soobin. When they reached their stop Yeonjun practically shot out on the platform in his excitement to get to the Night Market. Soobin hurried after him and grabbed his hand so he wouldn't lose him. He sighed, a sleep-deprived Yeonjun was an exhausting Yeonjun but somehow his excitement about absolutely everything was also kind of endearing. Yeonjun barely let himself be held back, already dragging Soobin to the stairs that would take them out into the open again. Soobin inhaled the fresh air once they stepped outside, he hated the stale air inside the subways. Dongdaemun was brightly lit and people were bustling about despite the late hour. The lights around them made Yeonjun's eyes sparkle as he looked around to figure out where to go first and Soobin thought it was a pretty look on him. But then Yeonjun made his decision where they would head to first and Soobin was once again dragged somewhere without being asked for his opinion.
They ended up at the Traditional Flea Market section of the Night Market because Yeonjun had decided that modern shopping malls were boring and he wanted to stay outside in the cool night air. Soobin strongly suspected that in reality Yeonjun just knew that being outside in the cool air was going to keep him much more awake than the sleep-inducing warmth of the modern shopping complexes.
Yeonjun looked around excitedly. The market was so lively and there were so many people around that probably couldn't or didn't feel like sleeping either. He was glad that Soobin had decided to come with him and keep him company. It was going to be a lot more fun like this and on his own he probably wouldn't have gone at all. He spotted a stall that sold jewellery and bounced over. He went through a bunch of different necklaces and bracelets that all weren't what he was looking for and then moved on to the rings. He squealed in delight when he found two rings that came as a set and that he thought were perfect for him and Soobin. Yeonjun turned around and his heart sank for a moment until he managed to spot Soobin's stupidly tall figure in the crowd. He handed the lady that owned the stall the two rings and asked her to reserve them for him, before he turned around and made his way through the crowd. More than once did he have to dodge an elbow that was maliciously aimed at him by people who thought he wanted to snatch the item they had their eyes on. When he finally reached Soobin he was out of breath and a little dishevelled.
“Why didn't you follow me?”, he pouted, “I would have lost you in the crowd if you weren't a real-life giant.”
“You wouldn't have lost me if you hadn't just taken off somewhere without telling me where you were going”, Soobin responded and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I was looking for you all over.”
“Well, then you're just going to have to stay with me now and hold my hand. Come on, I found something I want to show you.”
Soobin stuttered for a moment: “Yeonjun, we can't hold hands! We're in public! What if someone recognizes us?”
Yeonjun rolled his eyes: “Please, who should recognizes us? With these masks we're practically invisible.”
“I know you're making fun of me.”
“Of course I am. You're making it too easy not to. Now take my hand and come on. Nobody will recognize us. There are so many people here, no one is even going to pay any attention to us.”
Soobin wanted to respond but all he managed to utter was a yelp when Yeonjun started dragging him through the crowd. He stumbled a little over his feet and nearly crashed into a woman that just happened to cross his way. He was barely able to yell an apology since Yeonjun was not slowing down. When they finally reached the stall it was Soobin's turn to be out of breath. He braced his hands on his knees and took a few deep breaths.
“You're stamina is terrible”, Yeonjun teased and put a pair of bright pink sunglasses on Soobin, “aw, you look cute.”
Soobin huffed: “I should be asleep right now, of course I'm not on top of my game.”
He took off the sunglasses because it was literally the middle of the night and he was not going to be the douchebag that wore sunglasses at night. He took a look at the glasses and rolled his eyes: “Pink and butterflies?”
“It suits your personality”, Yeonjun shrugged but Soobin knew he was just making fun of him again. He shook his head and put the sunglasses on Yeonjun instead, who only giggled happily and tried to look at himself in the mirror.
“I think I look cute”, he decided and for a second seriously thought about getting the sunglasses. But then he remembered that he was never going to find any occasion where those would be suitable so he decided against it. Then he remembered the rings he had meant to show Soobin.
“Excuse me, ajumma, could you show me the rings I asked you to reserve for me?”, he received the rings and presented them to Soobin with a bright smile. “What do you think? I think they're perfect for us.”
A light blush rose into Soobin's cheeks and he stammered: “They're p-pretty. But don't you think it'll come off the wrong way or people might talk if they see us wear the same rings?”
Yeonjun groaned: “You have got to stop being so responsible all the time. Sometimes you just gotta let loose and have some fun. No one will notice. And even if they do, who cares? The Seventeen members all wear the same ring and people think it's cute.”
“That's because they're all wearing it and it's a symbol of their connection to each other as a group. In our case it would only be us who wear the rings. And I have to be responsible because none of you guys will be and someone has to worry about our career and trying to make sure that we continue to have one.”
“Come on, it's just a bit of fun! If you really don't want to you don't have to wear it outside the dorm or the company building. If you only wear it when there aren't any cameras around, you can be sure no one will ever know.”
Soobin sighed heavily. He looked into Yeonjun's sparkly eyes and saw the excitement at the thought of the two of them having the same ring. He sighed again, he knew he was a goner the second Yeonjun had dragged him over to the stall to show him the rings.
“Alright, fine. We'll get the rings.”
Yeonjun cheered and turned to the stall owner once more to buy the rings and two or three other accessories he had found. He proudly handed Soobin his ring and the expectant look in his eyes convinced Soobin to quickly put it on. There wasn't any harm in wearing it while they were at the market.
They were about to take off and head to a different stall that had attracted Yeonjun's attention when Soobin noticed a group of girls that were putting their heads together and whispering among themselves and occasionally looked over at him and Yeonjun. Dread flooded Soobin's body and he instinctively knew that this was going to be bad news.
“Yeonjun, we should get away from here”, he said, grabbing his elbow.
“Why? I really want to check out that stall over there”, Yeonjun jutted out his bottom lip.
“Those girls over there keep looking at us and they keep whispering to each other. I think they might suspect who we are. We should really get away.”
Yeonjun put a finger to his chin and tapped it a few times before his face lit up: “I have an idea. We have to hide in the crowd and go a really complicated way. There's no way they'll be able to keep track of us in the crowd. When we lost them we can go back to the stall, I can buy what I want and then we'll get some food. They'll never find us.”
“You do realise this is not some sort of spy film, right?”
“Do you have a better idea?”
“Okay, but we better hurry because they're moving towards us.”
This time Yeonjun made sure not to take Soobin's hand, not wanting to take the risk if the girls had really recognized them, and instead settled for holding on to his elbow as they made their way through the crowd. They made sure to keep their heads down and move fast and in various complicated patterns so it was impossible to follow them through the crowd.
Eventually they came out where they had started with none of the girls in sight.
“Is it really super important that you still buy whatever you wanted to get? I really think we should just go home instead of taking more unnecessary risks.”
“It is of crucial importance that I buy that bag. I spotted it, I decided I need it in my life and now I can no longer live without it”, Yeonjun said with such an earnest Soobin almost believed him. He sighed in defeat and nodded for Yeonjun to go ahead, there wasn't really a point in trying to argue with him.
“Look, they have more fun sunglasses and hats here!”, Yeonjun called and waved him over.
Soobin immediately burst out laughing when Yeonjun turned around to him wearing heart-shaped sunglasses and a bright yellow strawhat with a red bow.
“What do you think? Too much?”, Yeonjun posed for him and puckered his lips.
Soobin laughed and tried to keep him away when Yeonjun came closer: “Just a tad. Although, on second thought that does fit you pretty well.”
Yeonjun pouted and took off the sunglasses: “I am not too much. I am always the perfect amount.”
“What does that even mean?”, Soobin asked and tried on one of the hats. He shook his head and put it back, he did not have a face for hats. He turned around when he heard Yeonjun squeal behind him.
“You have to get these!”, he all but shouted in Soobin's face and then shoved a headband with bunny ears against his chest, “Try them.”
Soobin stared at the headband in his hands and debated whether he should humour Yeonjun or tell him that he was crazy if he thought Soobin would ever wear something as atrocious as this. Being as soft for Yeonjun as he was, he settled for humouring him and put the headband on his head: “Why do they even have this? It's oddly specific.”
One of the bunny ears flopped down and over Soobin's eye. Yeonjun burst out laughing and tried to bend the ear back into position. Soobin huffed: “There's no way I'm buying this unless we find fox ears for you and we look ridiculous together.”
“I think you look cute”, Yeonjun patted his cheek and then started looking around for a headband with fox ears. He really wanted Soobin to get the bunny one. In the end, the best he could come up with was a headband with reddish cat ears but Soobin kindly let it pass. They paid for the headbands and the bag Yeonjun couldn't live without and then took off to find something to eat. Normally, they would be fast asleep at this time and wouldn't need the energy but since they were awake their stomachs had started to growl and they were desperate for something to eat.
When they had found something they both wanted, they huddled together at the food stall and ate. Since Yeonjun insisted on them sharing a meal, Soobin alternated between feeding Yeonjun and taking a bite himself. He smiled fondly every time Yeonjun beamed at him with full cheeks and his eyes crinkling up in happiness. He ended up buying a second dish nonetheless because Yeonjun's stomach was a bottomless pit and he was therefore insatiable. This time he fed him without Yeonjun even having to ask.
After they had their food and neither of them felt like they were starving anymore, they decided to head back home, the time was closing in on 4 a.m. and they had to at least try to still get some sleep. Both of them had gotten very tired during their little shopping trip and Yeonjun dragged his feet beside Soobin since he couldn't be bother to try and properly lift them with how tired he was. With how late it was, they were thankfully able to find two free seats. Soobin settled down by the window and Yeonjun sat down beside him, resting his head against Soobin's shoulder. From his reflection in the window he could see the way Yeonjun was trying to keep his eyes open. He put his arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer, for once shoving the worry that someone might recognise them to the back of his head. Yeonjun snuggled a little closer and sighed. Neither was really up for speaking anymore with how quickly the tiredness was seeping into their bones now. Everything felt like it took too much effort now.
When they got home, Yeonjun grabbed Soobin by his shirt and dragged him into his room, insisting that Soobin stayed with him for cuddles and so he wouldn't wake up Beomgyu when he tried to sneak into the room. Soobin was too tired to argue and his pyjamas were still in Yeonjun's room anyway after he had gotten dressed there, so he changed his clothes and settled into bed with Yeonjun. He put his arms around him and Yeonjun snuggled against him until he could lay his head on Soobin's chest.
“Thanks for coming with me tonight, that was really fun”, Yeonjun mumbled into his chest and Soobin gently ran his hand up and down his back.
“I had fun, too. I'm glad you made me do it.”
He couldn't see him in the dark but knowing Yeonjun, Soobin was 99.9% sure that he was happily smiling to himself right now. They whispered their good nights and soon enough both them were fast asleep.