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Geonhak has been trudging along behind Seoho on their “scouting” mission for too long and his legs are getting tired. When he agreed to go pick the picnic spot and set up he did not expect Seoho to spend fifteen minutes trying to read the wind and calculate the level of the ground in order to pick the perfect place.
“Anywhere is fine, just pick somewhere,” Geonhak complains to Seoho, who is currently crouched down touching the ground to study it. He’s wearing a white t-shirt, tucked into patchwork jeans that he is trying to make not touch the ground through his crouching, the cuffs pulled up high on his shins. Geonhak went with shorts instead, that he tucked a blue, short-sleeve blouse into.
“Be patient,” Seoho jeers. “It’ll be worth it in the end for the best spot.”
Geonhak grunts in return. “You’re not the one holding all of the stuff.”
Yes, Geonhak is the one carrying two baskets of picnic items as well as a blanket under his arm while all Seoho is carrying is a flimsy mat in one hand.
“This is intense work! I need mobility,” Seoho explains.
“What you need is to just pick somewhere,” Geonhak says angrily but Seoho just cackles, enjoying winding up Geonhak as usual.
“Hey, guys!”
Geonhak hears someone shout from a distance away and turns to see Keonhee waving his hands in the air. With the light-blue dungarees he has on he looks very much like an overgrown child. Smiling, Geonhak shifts his gaze to the left of Keonhee and sees Dongju standing there, mid laugh. As they walk closer Geonhak can see that Dongju is wearing a white sweater, a skirt, printed with blue flowers, that swishes against his shins, and high-top purple converse with frilled socks peaking out the top.
“And you’re not annoyed anymore, would you look at that,” Seoho says by his ear, making Geonhak jump. He shoots a glare at Seoho but is only met with a louder laugh.
Keonhee and Dongju catch up with them quickly and say proper hellos before Keonhee speaks up.
“You picked a spot, yet? Hwanwoong's on his way.”
Seoho perks up. “Yep, perfect spot over here.”
He points to a spot Geonhak recognises as the patch of grass Seoho inspected a good ten minutes ago.
“Ya, Lee Seoho!”
Seoho runs to the spot (away from Geonhak) before Geonhak can move a muscle. He hears a giggle beside him.
“What did he have you do?” Dongju questions. Geonhak knows better than accepting the question as pity as it is definitely out of amusement. He answers anyway.
“He had me following him around carrying all this,” Geonhak explains, lifting the baskets higher to indicate. “For about twenty minutes while he was being ridiculous.”
Dongju laughs loud. “Yeah, I believe that. I think your arms can take it, though.” He pokes Geonhak’s bicep once before patting it with both hands. Geonhak shoves him away lightly and continues over to the newly set picnic mat.
Dongju takes the blanket from Geonhak, giving one end of it to Keonhee and they place it on the ground. They only sit for a moment before Keonhee is on his feet again, screaming at who Geonhak hopes is Hwanwoong. He turns around to see and waves as Hwanwoong makes his way down the hill towards them. Hwanwoong’s wearing a white shirt tucked into pink denim shorts and Geonhak refrains from commenting that he looks like a marshmallow, although he firmly believes it would be a compliment.
When Hwanwoong reaches the picnic blanket he sits down between Geonhak and Seoho. Everything feels a little more complete now that there’s the five of them.
“I made cookies and you guys better appreciate them,” Hwanwoong says as he places a cake tin in the centre of the circle.
“What flavour are they?” Keonhee asks.
Hwanwoong pushes up the sleeves of his t-shirt to lift the lid off of the tin and show his prized work.
“Lemon,” Hwanwoong answers. Like Dongju’s lemon shoes. “I went through like four lemons for zest because you all eat so much.”
“I’ll take that as a challenge,” Geonhak snickers as he leans over to grab a cookie. It tastes of yellow and he immediately wants to take another.
“These are actually amazing,” Seoho says, sounding shocked, as he finishes the last of his cookie.
“Thanks for the confidence, Seoho,” Hwanwoong drones.
Seoho replies with a smile that makes his eyes disappear. “Always, buddy.”
“I’m going to go venture,” Keonhee declares a while later, standing up and brushing off his jeans. “Anyone coming?”
No one speaks up except for Seoho who makes a vague ‘it’s too far’ gesture from where he’s laying on the blanket.
“I see how it is.” Keonhee huffs. “Dongju!” He calls. “You’re in charge of the music while I’m gone. The playlist was perfectly created for picnic vibes so just leave it but if you must add things, for the love of God, just queue.”
Geonhak chuckles at how much it sounds like Keonhee is giving military orders. Keonhee hands Dongju his phone with a warning glare and Dongju salutes him, obviously also picking up on the military vibes.
Once Keonhee is gone, Dongju giggles and immediately opens the phone.
“You have his password?” Seoho asks, looking impressed.
“Yes. Bestie privileges,” Dongju says, making them laugh.
“I wasn’t involved at all when he gets mad,” Seoho states which Hwanwoong then concurs.
Geonhak watches as Dongju opens up the camera app and lifts up the phone, already taking dozens of photos of himself and Geonhak. Geonhak gives in after a while and throws a peace sign up for the camera before Dongju decides he’s caused enough chaos.
He puts the phone down, content to leave Keonhee’s “expertly crafted” playlist as it is.
“I love all the fashion today,” Hwanwoong hums, taking in their outfits. “You look so cute, Dongju.”
Dongju flips his hair. It was really long currently, falling down passed his shoulders. “I know.”
Geonhak snorted at his confidence, although it was not groundless.
“Your hair is nice long,” Geonhak says as he reaches to touch the ends.
Dongju sends him a bright smile. “Thank you! It can be a pain sometimes, though, when it’s in my face.”
As if to demonstrate, a breeze rushed by them and Dongju had to tuck his hair back in place behind his ear.
“I can plait it if you want,” Geonhak offers.
He gets three confused stares in his direction.
Seoho speaks up first, saying: “You know how to plait hair?”
“Yes I do know how, thank you very much,” Geonhak replies, a little offended.
“Please plait it!” Dongju screeches and throws his hands up. “I love getting my hair done.”
Geonhak nods and in a moment Dongju is moving to sit in front of him, leaning back against his chest. He starts brushing through Dongju’s hair delicately with his fingers.
“French or Dutch?” Geonhak asks while splitting Dongju’s hair in the middle.
Before any actual answer, Geonhak gets a chorus of ‘ooh’s from Seoho and Hwanwoong.
“So fancy fancy with your terms,” Hwanwoong laughs.
Geonhak rolls his eyes before leaning down to hear Dongju.
“Dutch are the ones that are, like, inside-out, right?”
Geonhak nods.
“Those then!” Dongju cheers. “Thank you, hairdresser-man.”
Geonhak starts on the plaits. It’s a struggle at first because despite the mild weather his hands are shaking, but soon he’s half-done one plait and he hasn’t panicked too much. Something to be proud of.
Dongju opens back up Keonhee’s phone and decides more photos are in order so Geonhak just sticks his tongue out for a few snaps while continuing to plait. Dongju suddenly shifts up.
“Wait. I don’t have any bobbins to keep it in,” He mutters, face falling into a pout.
“I have some!” Geonhak assures. He holds out his arm in front of Dongju to show the two beige bobbins around his wrist. He feels Dongju’s fingers trace over his wrist as he giggles.
“Yay,” Dongju sings as he sinks back against Geonhak.
Geonhak finishes the first plait and shifts to the right to start the next one. The second plaits are always quicker to do so he’s tying up the end by the start of the next song. Ghosting by TXT he recognises.
“I’m done, Ju.”
Dongju shoots up, grabbing Keonhee’s phone and opening up the camera to see himself. Geonhak lights up when he sees Dongju smile at the screen and turn his head back and forth to try to see.
“Here, I’ll take a photo,” Geonhak offers, taking the phone and snapping a photo of the back of Dongju’s head before showing him.
Dongju holds the phone carefully, zooming in on the plaits.
“They’re so pretty! Thank you thank you thank you!” Dongju cries as he pulls Geonhak into a hug. Geonhak plays with the ends of the plaits when he hugs back.
“Show us!” Seoho shouts.
Dongju turns so his back faces Seoho and Hwanwoong and shakes his head to make the plaits wiggle. Seoho and Hwanwoong applaud as if it’s a performance.
“Gorgeous!” They cheer through their giggles and Dongju turns back around, just as hyper and giggly.
“I found flowers!” Geonhak hears, making him turn to the side and watch as Keonhee strolls back towards them, hands grasped together in front of him.
When Keonhee reaches them, Geonhak can see that he’s carrying a bunch of little white flowers in his hands. He places them on the blanket carefully.
“There’s loads of them growing around. They’re so cute,” Keonhee explains. “Oh!” He adds. “You look so pretty, Ju!”
Keonhee is playing with one of the flowers in one hand when he gasps and looks at Dongju. “You should put them in your hair!”
Dongju’s mouth drops open and he turns to Geonhak. “Please,” he begs.
Geonhak rolls his eyes but smiles and gestures for Dongju to sit in front of him again.
Keonhee starts off helping him, but after getting too tired of the fiddly work once he had two flowers secured he gave up and collapsed onto the blanket. Geonhak is left alone to carefully lift up strands of Dongju’s plaits and slot in the stems of the flowers.
Although Geonhak doesn’t really mind delicate work, the results immediately make up for any annoyance caused. He switches between plaits each flower at a time to make sure there’s enough to cover it evenly, but even with some flowers left over, soon Dongju’s hair is full of them right down to the bobbins holding the plaits in place.
“There you go,” Geonhak announces, tapping Dongju’s shoulder. “All pretty.”
Dongju turns around to smile at him, wide enough that his dimples appear.
“Wait,” Geonhak says calmly. Dongju looks up at him, waiting, and Geonhak can feel like wind brush every hair on his arm like it was a storm, not a summer breeze.
Geonhak holds Dongju’s face carefully and delicately pulls two strands out of the plaits, one either side of his parting, the way Dongju does it himself when he ties back his hair.
“There,” he says, pulling his arms back by his side.
Dongju smiles again. Or did he not stop smiling?
“Can you take a picture?” Dongju asks him and Geonhak picks up his phone from the mat—his own phone this time rather than Keonhee’s as he was back and Geonhak would rather keep Dongju’s mischief a secret for now.
Once the photos are taken he shows them to Dongju, who has the same reaction as before of launching at Geonhak in a hug and attacking him with thanks, although softer now as he’s being careful of the flowers.
“So pretty!” Hwanwoong calls and the rest of them share similar compliments, which Dongju is reeling in, his dimples sinking so deep you’d see how someone might drown in them.
They spend most of the time in conversation, falling from topic to topic easily, but after a while, comfortable silence takes over. Hwanwoong takes out a book he brought, Geonhak is content to snack on the food they brought and scroll on his phone, and most of the others decide a nap is needed and lay down. Seoho and Keonhee have claimed Hwanwoong’s lap and Dongju curls up with his head on Geonhak’s. Dongju lays with his face tilted forwards, so his cheek is smushed against Geonhak’s thigh, but his plaits are protected.
Dongju falls asleep soon after, the weight on Geonhak’s lap a little heavier than before. As a necessity, Geonhak turns on the camera on his phone and takes a few pictures of the boy asleep on his lap.
“You two look so cute,” Keonhee coos, picking up his phone to take pictures of them. “I’m going to melt this is adorable.”
Geonhak shies away from looking at the camera and keeps looking at Dongju instead: that’s easier.
Seoho snorts. “You think you’ve melted? Geonhak is literally a puddle right now.”
Geonhak shoots him a glare.
“All that bite and the second Dongju wears a skirt you haven’t a single thought in that head that isn’t soft and gay,” Seoho adds.
Geonhak holds up the cookie he's eating. “I will throw this at you, Lee Seoho, no question.”
“You will not,” Hwanwoong cuts in. “My cookies were made to be consumed not used as projectiles, thank you very much. Also,” Hwanwoong hits Seoho on the arm, “leave him alone, he’s allowed be soft and gay.”
“Those are two great qualities!” Keonhee pipes in.
Geonhak laughs. His friends are stupid and he loves them so much.
It’s a short while later when Dongju stirs awake again, head rolling in Geonhak’s lap a moment before he sits up. Geonhak puts down his phone to give Dongju his attention, who smiles sleepily as he fiddles with the ends of his plaits.
“Thank you again,” Dongju says through a yawn he’s a beat late to cover with his hand.
Geonhak laughs. “Always.”
“Hey! Dongju’s awake now!” Geonhak hears Seoho shout from where the group ventured off a while ago. Dongju jolts and looks around, as if only now noticing that the others weren’t sat with them anymore.
Keonhee had travelled closer to the picnic mat so as to communicate with Geonhak and Dongju without screaming, which he does anyway.
“We’ve got a frisbee! Dongju you’re with Woong, Geonhak you’re with me and Seoho,” Keonhee explains.
Dongju jumps up, his energy taking over even if his eyes still looked soft and tired. Geonhak follows.
“You are going down,” Dongju taunts at Geonhak before he runs over to Hwanwoong on the far side of the makeshift frisbee grounds.
Hwanwoong is stood with his arms out, which Dongju runs right into. Geonhak watches Hwanwoong pick Dongju up and spin him around, Dongju’s skirt swirling in the air. Hwanwoong then almost falls when he puts Dongju back down.
Keonhee, who had been watching, too, asks, “Where’s our team cheer?” He glances between Geonhak and Seoho, waiting for an award-winning performance.
Geonhak holds up a fist, paired with a weak “whoop” at the same time as Seoho says, “I’m not picking either of you up.”
Keonhee stands proudly with his hands on his hips. “Fantastic, guys. Such enthusiasm.”
Geonhak fails to hold back a laugh. His friends are very stupid and maybe he is too.
They are also very bad at frisbee, apparently, judging by the frequency of Seoho’s ‘adventures’ into the trees to retrieve the frisbee. After a while of the game they call a draw and decide to finish up. Dongju walks the way over to Geonhak, looking as if he’s going for a handshake at the end of an intense sporting match, but instead, collapsing into a hug, leaving Geonhak to hold most of his weight.
“I am too tired for this,” Dongju whines.
“No wonder, you went straight from a nap to running around like crazy.” Geonhak pats Dongju’s head, careful of the flowers although there are less than half of them still remaining after playing.
“Carry me back?” Dongju asks, looking up at Geonhak.
Geonhak snorts. “Hey! I’m tired, too!”
Dongju pouts and starts poking Geonhak’s chest lightly. “You’re mean.”
Geonhak, tired of the poking, shoos away Dongju’s hands from his chest and takes them in his own instead.
“What do I have to do to make you carry me back?” Dongju blinks at him.
Geonhak stills, thoughts too full of Dongju and the sun on his back to register what he says. “A date? With me?”
Dongju’s eyes widen and Geonhak immediately panics. “Only if you want! We both know I’ll carry you back anyway.”
Dongju smiles brightly and breaks his hold of Geonhak’s hands, only to place his hand up for Geonhak to shake again. Geonhak takes it in his and shakes.
“Okay, sir, you have yourself a deal!” Dongju announces. “You drive a hard bargain.”
Geonhak grins and reddens. He doesn’t stop smiling as he carries Dongju back to their friends on the picnic mat, doing his best to ignore their glances and hoping that his flushed face can be written off as sunburn.