Work Text:
Marriage is such a strong word. Definitely not something a 22-years-old Jihoon--who also happens to be a freshly debut idol--would use.
Love is one thing but marriage is on a whole different level.
It's not rocket science; Jihoon would only need to look at his own parents to understand that if love is the sparkling, new ship people would break their sacrificial champagne on her maiden voyage, then marriage is the whole journey filled with either calm sea or raging storms, fixed destination or wayward compass, long-lasting sail or abandoned captain.
Some people finish the voyage, but some sink. Fortunately, Jihoon's family still sails until now. But like any other young man who's been exposed to relationships, education, and media, Jihoon grasps the weight behind the concept of marriage, both the responsibility and the burden that comes with it. After all, it's not an easy job to navigate through mad weather; it needs full dedication, commitment, and a partner that will stay no matter how high the waves or harsh the wind.
Speaking of a partner, Jihoon has one; only a few months old since the brunette finally dared to admit his feelings under the disguise of a late dinner and work discussion.
Thankfully, the other felt the same, reflecting from the sheepish smile that graced Hyunsuk's face as he looked down and nodded--his feet nudged Jihoon's lightly and Jihoon couldn't help but poke back while his hand moved across the table to meet Hyunsuk's before lacing their fingers tight.
Like a missing puzzle, their hands fitted. The same when Hyunsuk's petite body--compared to Jihoon's--snuggled inside his arms two nights later when the eldest decided to sleep at his dorm. Hyunsuk fits in every aspect of Jihoon's life, even before as a friend and now, more as a lover. Suddenly, Jihoon forgets what's life before Hyunsuk and wishes for a life with Hyunsuk in the future.
Marriage, Jihoon thinks--
Before he shakes the thought away and focuses on the present.
"Jihoon-ah."
His partner calls; Jihoon turns and finds Hyunsuk, sporting an oversized white shirt and ripped jeans, moving toward him with two sunglasses in his hands. "Pink or purple?" He asks.
Jihoon thinks for a moment, eyeing the big, round pink sunglasses versus the small, round purple one.
True, purple is Hyunsuk's favorite color but there's something satisfying seeing Hyunsuk wears Jihoon's favorite. Almost like a mark. You know, besides the heavily concealed lovebites under two layers of foundation.
Today Treasure has their family photoshoot, after all. Finally, after countless times Jihoon begged the staff, they finally granted this hopeless romantic man's wish.
But knowing this, it still didn't stop Jihoon from ravaging Hyunsuk's neck last night. His hyungie is the prettiest when he screams, how can a young man with a healthy libido resist, honestly.
Anyway, back to the current moment, Jihoon decides with, "Pink. I like pink."
Hyunsuk replies with a cheeky smile. "Should've known."
The eldest walks away. Grabbing another accessory from a white shelf, he enters a small, opened changing room with a full-length mirror.
The other Treasure members are busy picking the goofiest headwear to bring for the next photo session. They did the formal pose, now it's time for the fun part. In the back, the cameras are rolling, capturing moments to be edited into a future TMAP episode. Jihoon makes sure to wink to the standing camera in one corner of the spacious waiting room crowded with a handful of the production crew and half of the members before he joins his hyung.
Apparently, Hyunsuk chooses to not only wear the pink sunglasses but also a wedding veil--translucent and white, tucked as a bandana as the fabric flows from his brown-streaked hair to his slim waist.
Perched from behind, Jihoon raises an eyebrow at the eldest through his reflection. "What's with the veil, hyung?"
"Pretty, isn't it?"
"The veil? Yeah. You? Well..."
Jihoon receives a playful elbow jab and a dirty look from a pouty Hyunsuk before the smaller man gets back to adjusting the veil around his head.
Jihoon chuckles. "Kidding, kidding."
The younger leader leans against the changing room wall, crossed-arm as he watches the other quietly. Who is he kidding; Hyunsuk looks pretty from head to toe with or without the veil. But white fabric does make his mind wander to Jihoon's earlier daydreams of steering a ship through rocky waves with Hyunsuk by his side.
Bet his hyungie would look great in a captain uniform too.
"How do I look?"
Jihoon blinks out of his thoughts; Hyunsuk is looking at him expectantly, waiting for a compliment. The younger would give one if only the veil is placed right in the middle and not so tilted to the right.
"Uh, it's a little crooked, hyung. Here, let me." Jihoon inches closer, looming over the smaller man as he lifts the bandana a little before tucking it to the correct position.
Hyunsuk's hair becomes quite messy in the process-- wild strays sticking out like needles so Jihoon takes time to straighten them one by one. It takes a couple of seconds before Jihoon notices Hyunsuk has fluttered his eyes close when the younger busies with his hair. Looking up close, Jihoon can count Hyunsuk's eyelashes or bop his cute little nose or steal a peck from those pink lips. Jihoon is about to do one of those three actions when Hyunsuk suddenly opens his eyes and shoots a sly smirk at the taller man. "What?"
"What what?"
"Why do you look at me like that?"
"Like what?"
"I dunno. Like you wanna kiss me," Hyunsuk guesses before grinning ear to ear.
Jihoon rolls his eyes, masking his slight embarrassment of being caught red-handed. He does the only thing he does best and that is playing it as a joke.
"In front of the public? Oh, wow, is my hyungie getting brave now?"
But Hyunsuk knows Jihoon like the back of his palm. So he challenges the jokester with an unconvinced look--one eyebrow raised high with a playful curl of lips.
It forces Jihoon to think on his feet. He chews his lips before blurting out, "It's 'cause you look like a bride, hyung."
Hyunsuk simply stares at Jihoon for a moment before caving in. He shrugs, "That's the idea. Being a bride who's looking for a groom."
Jihoon sighs quietly, feeling relieved Hyunsuk decided to move on. He mutters, "Wonder who the groom is."
"Hmm. He's taller than me. Younger than me. Changed his hair a lot but he's brunette now."
"Must be handsome."
"And annoying. Can't stop teasing me like his life depends on it," Hyunsuk tells, blowing his cheeks like a kid to show frustration, and Jihoon wonders if any camera would catch him if he bites that plump skin.
Maybe later.
Still tidying the veil over Hyunsuk's shoulder, Jihoon continues, "But you like him."
"I do. Unfortunately, I do," Hyunsuk giggles, followed by Jihoon's snorts.
"And he likes you too."
"I know. That's why I'm looking for him," Hyunsuk says with a smile, not cheeky or mocking, just small and soft and it makes Jihoon stops in his track, letting the veil envelops Hyunsuk's pretty face like a halo. Hyunsuk's eyes twinkle under the changing room light and Jihoon swears--on everything he got--he never sees anything more beautiful than this.
"Can he?" Jihoon murmurs; one hand caressing the skin under Hyunsuk's eyes. "Can he marry you?"
"Of course, he can," Hyunsuk answers without a beat and in an instant, Jihoon's daydreams are actualized before his eyes; a two-story house in the suburb where everytime he comes home, Hyunsuk is there, editing music on his laptop before running into Jihoon's arms.
All of a sudden, ship captain Jihoon isn't scared of the ocean and the unpredictable weather as long as Hyunsuk stands with him on the bridge.
"I mean, later," Hyunsuk then adds, "He can marry me later. It's too early now for both of them. But later, yeah. Definitely."
Hyunsuk flickers his gaze down, finding Jihoon's left hand to tuck his small fingers inside.
Jihoon grips them back before he hears,
"Tell him that I will wait for him, Jihoon-ah, so he waits for me too."
There's a hint of insecurity behind Hyunsuk's words and Jihoon understands; marriage is such a strong word for young men in love living in a society full of judgment that makes people forget that they're all just humans struggling together to find their place under the ticking clock of mortality.
But inside a cramped changing room-- as Hyunsuk holds Jihoon's hand and gaze, fragile as they are but Jihoon wants to believe that maybe, his place is with Hyunsuk; sharing twelve men's weight on their shoulders as a warm-up before a weight of their own family.
So Jihoon smiles back--gone is the jokester, leaving only sincerity and promise as he speaks, "Sure, I'll tell him to wait for you. He'll be an idiot not to."
His right hand never leaves Hyunsuk's cheeks but now, moves to grab the veil behind Hyunsuk's right ear and spreads it wide, enough to cover their faces from the prying eyes outside the opened changing room.
Jihoon dips his chin low as he admits, "And you're right earlier. I do wanna kiss you."
And Hyunsuk's eyes disappear behind a wide smile, gleeful as he murmurs, "Kiss your future bride, then."
And Jihoon obeys, pressing his lips tenderly on Hyunsuk's--feeling the softness and love condensed into milliseconds but can be stretched into a lifetime.
Soon, Jihoon reminds himself, soon they'll sail in the vast sea, discovering treasure chests and mysteries, until they grow old and weak and sleep on their last breath with the hope they meet again in another time and place.
But that is for later. Now they're still in the early twenties and have a photoshoot to finish so Jihoon breaks the kiss and steps away--
--just in time for a cough to pierce through the warm atmosphere they shared.
The leader turns to see Junkyu standing outside the door, wrinkling his face amused. "Sorry to interrupt the newlywed but the camera is ready."
Oh, Junkyu knows of them, Jihoon makes sure of that the day after he confessed through a two-hour chatting session.
Jihoon waves a dismissive hand at his best friend. "Yeah, yeah, be right there."
Junkyu replies with a lazy eye roll before leaving the scene. The waiting room is scarce for the members, meaning they already huddled in the studio, simply waiting for their leaders.
"Oh, I haven't picked an accessory," Jihoon murmurs as catches his plain self in the mirror.
Hyunsuk quickly gives the other sunglasses, the purple one, to him. "Here, you can use this."
After wearing them, Jihoon realizes that the glasses themselves are quite odd. The tiny round glasses make his eyes smaller. He looks like a knock-off John Lennon if he squints hard enough. But as he glances at Hyunsuk, who's waiting cutely outside the changing room with a veil, on his head and pink glasses on his face, sure, he could be a John Lennon if only Hyunsuk is his Yoko Ono.
Hyunsuk greets him with a giggle as Jihoon steps out. The jokester is back in action.
The eldest then asks, "Ready for our family photo?"
"Not even married yet but already have 10 kids. Yup, that's us. Let's go, hyungie," Jihoon gives an arm to Hyunsuk to which he gladly takes it.
Arm in arm, our two lovely young men join the rest of their family in the hope that someday, they have one of their own;
two captains reporting for duty and we'll make sure to give the loudest parting cheer when they sail.