Work Text:
It had happened because of the lockdown. That was the only reason Jungkook had possibly found the courage to even start talking to the undeniably handsome man he had met in the hallway a couple of months ago.
They had bumped into each other for the first time early on in the lockdown. Jungkook had been coming downstairs to take his rubbish bin out, and he had nearly collided with the man going in the opposite direction, just coming back into the apartment building on the way back from a run. Meeting in the doorway, they had both immediately leapt 6 feet away from each other, staying corona safe, chuckled nervously and let out a small sorry, and then gone on their way.
That would have been the beginning and end of it, except they somehow kept running into each other. The next time it happened, they were again going in opposite directions in the entrance way. Jungkook was just making his daily check of the mailbox, a ritual he had enforced just to make sure he didn’t spend an entire pandemic without leaving the 4 walls of his apartment at least once a day. As he walked back into the main building with 2 pieces of junk mail in his hand, he saw the jogging man again, emerging from the stairwell.
The man glanced up and, surprisingly to Jungkook, his eyes above the face mask crinkled in what he assumes was a smile of recognition.
“Hi again. We’re on the same wavelength.” He pointed at the papers in Jungkook’s hand, and Jungkook looked down, understanding dawning before he waved them a little vaguely and replied.
“Right. Gotta stop the flyers piling up.”
“They build up fast. Personally, I’m just using this as my break to get out of the house.”
Finding this familiar motivation in common, Jungkook finally smiled at the other man, although it was mostly hidden by the mask he was also wearing.
“Right. Is jogging not also a way to get out the house?” Why did he say that? Why would you blurt out that you remember that random fact about someone you don’t know?
Before his thoughts spiralled too fast though, the other man had just chuckled, a musical sound.
“It is. That’s my morning escape, this is for the afternoon. Plus, if I’m lucky I might make some human contact in the corridors.” He gestured between himself and Jungkook pointedly.
Jungkook smiled again, still hidden, but his thoughts were still stuck on the social faux pas of remembering a man’s activity that he met so briefly a whole week ago. In fact at this point he didn’t recall seeing this man in the building once before, but it is a pretty large apartment block. Get back on track, he was talking about meeting in the corridors. “Right. I never see anyone.”
He stopped, and in the briefest of pauses that followed, he felt like he said the wrong thing. Had it really been only 3 weeks of working from home. He felt like he had already forgotten the basics of talking to another person.
“Well, maybe I’ll get the chance to see you again then. I’m Hoseok by the way. I’ll let you get back to your very important -” He glanced down playfully at the junk leaflet visible in Jungkook’s hand, “30% off gold jewellery sale.”
“I think I still get the last owner’s catalogue junk mail as well.” Jungkook hurriedly explained, not sure why he thought that was important to tell the other man, nor why as he hurried to press the elevator button, he completely forgot to tell the other man his own name. He berated himself for his already malfunctioning people skills as his lift carried him back up to the 11th floor.
There were multiple more instances where they ran into each other in the hallways. Fortunately, the next time Jungkook remembered to pass on his name, and somehow they even managed to coordinate a time where they might actually plan to meet up rather than letting it happen by chance.
It took until Hoseok asked for Jungkook’s number at the end of having a coffee out in the very small back terrace that Jungkook realised it had been a date of sorts. Jungkook didn’t dare to actually ask this until they had planned 3 more ‘meet-ups’, at which Hoseok had giggled adorably, leaning over his own knees and said with a small grin, “Are you asking me to ask you to be my official boyfriend?”
Their paths had fallen together in the most natural way, evidenced by the way Jungkook wasn’t even sure that Hoseok had been courting him. It turned out that the lockdown was a good way to meet neighbours in a building he had lived in for a year. Or more specifically: to meet one single neighbour multiple times, get that neighbour’s number and then try to come up with innovative dates that you can carry out in lockdown while still trying to be relatively safe.
It became easier as spring crept into summer and the weather outside became warmer. They had made plenty of picnics out in the secluded back terrace. Jungkook had impressed Hoseok with his lunch packing skills, and impressed him more by just how much he could eat in one sitting.
However, with the limitations on public areas, heading out for a romantic bike ride or coffee date was off limits, so they found they needed to be more imaginative. After a few strolls around the halls while they discussed any topic that came to mind, they even went on a giggly elevator ride up to floor 21. Hoseok was convinced the lift was always on that floor every time he needed to use it from the ground floor and that he needed to check if there was a secret 24/7 party going on that neither of them had received an invite to.
At once point Jungkook had even convinced Hoseok to get the latest popular game, Animal Crossing, for the switch. This suggestion had been a mistake at first, because he then didn’t see the other man for almost 3 weeks. When they finally did manage to have a virtual date visiting each other’s animated islands through their consoles, Hoseok showed off his already beautifully arranged island that made Jungkook feel the competitive spirit kick in. He started looking up youtube videos of other people showing off their islands for ideas, before he planned out and created a meticulously designed island with paths and creative buildings and far more recipes for items Hoseok hadn’t had the time to gather. Jungkook wasn’t allowed to see Hoseok’s island for a week until he bought his way in with a prized recipe for a giant moon lantern. Hoseok also wanted to show off the fact he’d managed to get the most prized villager in the game, a squirrel called Marshal who he claimed reminded him of his hyung.
They learnt a lot about each other fast, mostly through the fact that their dates consisted mostly of talking, and challenging each other to come up with more and more interesting things to do in a limited number of hallways with a limit of no loitering and the stipulation that they had to keep 6 feet apart from one another.
Then one day, in conversation, Hoseok mentioned that he would like to draw and paint more, but he never had time or really knew what he was doing. In that moment, Jungkook gets the idea for his next date plan.
Which is how he ends up here, looking at Hoseok’s last text asking him what to wear. He knows by now, of course, that Hoseok cares deeply for his clothes, so he doesn’t want him wearing anything very important to him or expensive. And he also starts digging through his closet to find an old sheet he knows he has somewhere that could even work as a painting apron, all so he won’t give away the surprise of his innovative date.
See, after the Animal Crossing competition Hoseok had mentioned how he liked to be creative. He liked dance, something he and Jungkook had already discussed, and he had greatly enjoyed using the pixel art in the game to paint a new flag and custom shirts and patterns. So Jungkook, had had a stroke of genius when he came up with this plan.
He replies to Hoseok with a text that just reads:
Just keep it casual. You don’t need to impress me. And bring an extra layer!
After a short pause he gets a quick double buzz through the phone and checks to see a pair of messages in reply. The first reads:
So you’re staying cryptic then. Sounds like I don’t even need to try at all.
The second is a picture, clearly quickly taken, as Hoseok looks into the mirror with a sly tongue out, posing in a baggy t-shirt and sweatpants. Jungkook takes a moment just to stare, because even when he’s trying to be cheeky and is obviously trying to prove a point, Hoseok is stunning. Honestly Jungkook still wonders how he ever caught the attention of such a beautiful, bright man at all. Then he remembers that said gorgeous man is still expecting an answer, so he sends another quick reply
Perfect!
Wait... what?
Now give me 20 minutes and then meet me by the elevators on your floor
He puts his phone in his pocket again and then grabs the big bag he has stood by the door, ready to go get his date night all set up.
He feels his phone vibrate once more in his pocket but he chooses to ignore it with a small crooked grin. Let him have his little bit of fun and mystery.
>>><<>><<>><<<
Exactly 20 minutes later, he catches the elevator again, this time stopping at Hoseok’s floor, just 4 levels above his own.
When the metal doors slide open, he sees an empty corridor, and then the dark hair of his boyfriend peeks around the edge of the door, eyes meeting Jungkook’s with a faint hint of suspicion.
True to form, he also very quickly looks up and down Jungkook’s own outfit, which is a similar pair of joggers to those in Hoseok’s selfie along with a loose sweatshirt. Only after checking this, does Hoseok’s face break out into his signature sunny smile and he steps out into full view of Jungkook to show that he didn’t change his outfit. Well, he might have added a jacket and definitely styled his hair a bit more but his styling is just another one of Hoseok’s charms.
“You know I really thought you might be pranking me when you said the dress code for our date was sweats.” He says and Jungkook can’t help but grin at the playful distrust in Hoseok’s tone.
“When would I ever do that to you hyung? Besides, it doesn’t matter when you literally look like a model in everything you ever put on.”
“Says you.” Hoseok grumbles, a weak defense, but Jungkook very quickly learned that Hoseok was always like that when Jungkook tried to compliment him. Which just meant Jungkook tried to compliment him as often as possible. This time it worked though, as Hoseok walks into the elevator and catches Jungkook in a hug, their mouths crashing together as if they hadn’t seen each other for a lunch break just hours earlier that day.
Yes, the whole point of finding innovative date ideas did start because they were meant to be getting to know each other while also staying virus-safe and not coming into contact with each other.
Well, he dares anyone else to be in a relationship with one Jung Hoseok for 4 and a half months and then let something like a pandemic stop him from kissing his boyfriend. It was a price he wasn’t willing to pay and so they had finally, after an agonising month of keeping apart after ‘getting together’, agreed that they were both effectively quarantining together anyway. Getting a little bit closer wasn’t going to put them at any further risk.
This time though, Hoseok pulls back from the kiss too quickly, ready to grill Jungkook for answers. “So, are you going to tell me where we’re going? Or is your plan to joyride the elevator today?”
Jungkook just leans forward, acting like he plans to kiss Hoseok again but at the last second dodges around him to press the Close Door button of the elevator. Hoseok watches suspiciously as he next selects the very highest floor.
“I said that as a joke but if your plan is actually to joyride the elevator I’m not sure how I feel about that.” Hoseok mumbles but he flashes a smile at Jungkook that says he trusts him in this. And Jungkook is very glad for that, as he had already gone back and forth over this decision multiple times, wondering whether this was a crazy idea or not. Whether Hoseok would like it. Whether the weather would stay fine. For that last one he had been checking the rain app hourly for the past 2 days, and at no point did it suggest that their warm dry summer spell was going to end any time in the next week. But still, it didn’t hurt to worry a little about it.
He hoped his nervousness didn’t show on his face though, as he smiles at his very breathtaking, very adorable boyfriend’s slightly concerned frown.
“You’ll just have to wait and see what I have ready for you.” He teases and Hoseok’s eyebrows quickly rise in surprise.
“O-oh, this is something that needs preparation?”
“You’ll see.” Jungkook replies with a quick squeeze around Hoseok’s middle, his nose finding his favourite place in the crook of Hoseok’s neck. He was either wearing a light fragrance or just smelled heavenly and Jungkook hadn’t yet worked up the courage to ask that. How do you explain to a new boyfriend that smelling good is high on his list of things he looks for in a partner.
Fortunately, the elevator soon comes to a stop at their destination, and without the interruption of anyone else trying to stop it at a different floor. The door pings open and Hoseok quickly steps out to look around the corridor and see-
“There’s nothing here…?” He does a quick spin just to check if anything might be displayed on the outside of the elevator bay. Jungkook says nothing, just follows him out after the inspection and gently takes Hoseok by the hand.
Leading him over to a door at the end of the corridor, marked ‘Maintenance Staff Only’ gets him a quickly cut off question and when he pulls a key from his pocket to open the lock Hoseok makes a noise of bewilderment.
“Did you get a new job I don’t know about?”
Jungkook giggles and answers when he gets the door opened “No, but I may have made a deal with the building caretaker.”
“Okay, just so long as we’re allowed to be here. You know I care about you Jungkookie, but I’m not sure I care for going to prison with you.” Hoseok says with a reprimanding squeeze of Jungkook’s arm.
Jungkook chuckles but determinedly leads him on again, up a small staircase to another door. He turns at the top, making sure he can see Hoseok’s face as he pushes the wide door outwards to reveal his surprise.
The door leads straight out into the early evening air of the roof. In the middle of summer, it is still pleasantly warm outside, and the sky is still light enough to show the setup Jungkook had prepared earlier.
He had worked earlier to set up a small artists studio, complete with 2 canvases, chairs and paint supplies. He’d planned it all, even down to the details of having a refreshment stand. Jungkook slowly takes Hoseok’s hand and leads him closer to see the supplies. Once they had reached the chairs and Hoseok sees the thoughtfully padded seats and blankets tucked underneath, just in case, then does he find something to say.
“Jungkook! This is...crazy. You did all this?”
“Well I wanted to do something special. I had a lot to live up to after the dance studio tour.”
“I didn’t create the dance studio, I just have the key! You put all this effort in, how am I supposed to one up you now?” Hoseok says, only half teasingly, but Jungkook laughs anyway.
“You gave me a whole free dance lesson. That was definitely effort on your part. Now come on, I know you want to give it a go.”
Wheedling Hoseok by gently tugging his fingers until he positions him in one of the chairs, Jungkook indulges himself with a gentle kiss on his boyfriend’s forehead before pulling away. Hoseok whines as Jungkook’s hand leaves his but he shuffles more comfortably into his chair.
“I never thought you’d set our date up so that we’re facing away from each other.”
“It was the easiest for the light set up, also sharing the paints.” Jungkook defends, as he takes his seat, but reaches across the paints to brush Hoseok’s arm. “But i still made sure you were close enough to me.”
“Oh really, I just thought this was your social distancing.”
“Wait, that’s better. Pretend I said that.” Jungkook pouts and Hoseok laughs before cooing.
“So now I’m meant to paint something, just like that.”
“Well, i figured you always think of something cute for your Animal Crossing paintings. I honestly thought you would like making something like that but for real. Besides, I thought you might use the scenery for inspiration.” Jungkook gestures at the view around them, the rooftop giving a stunning vista of the busy city below them. The bustle, lights and cars were all around them, but for Hoseok and Jungkook removed from it all high on this rooftop, this moment was just for them.
“What are you going to paint?” Hoseok asks Jungkook instead, who has already started to select a couple of paint colours.
“I thought I might make something for you.” Jungkook replies, suddenly closely inspecting the tubes of paint he is choosing between.
“Jungkookie? You’re too cute, you out-do yourself every day.” Hoseok coos, leaning over Jungkook’s paints and pulling his boyfriend closer so that their foreheads gently bump together. “I think you’re the sweetest person I’ve ever known. I have to make you something too.”
“No you don’t have to do that-” Jungkook is quick to protest but by that point Hoseok is already swept away in the process. Inspiration acquired, he begins picking colours just like Jungkook, looking for paintbrushes that will suit his purposes and they quickly settle down to make progress on their pieces.
It isn’t an intentional decision but due to being focused on their paintings, Jungkook and Hoseok fall quiet until it becomes almost a silent agreement not to look at the other’s piece. This also partly comes from the set up of the canvases facing away from each other. As such, conversation has been surprisingly scarce for a date but all around pleasant. After some time that they have both lost track of, Jungkook moves to flick on the switch of the lights he also brought up for when the evening got darker. Hoseok glances over at him and smiles, just to show he’s enjoying himself. His smile widens when he sees a smudge of paint on Jungkook’s cheek that has dried and obviously been there for some time.
“You’re adorable, you know? I’m pretty happy with how mine’s looking, how about you?” Hoseok prompts, pleased now that the initial idea he had wanted is working out, with a few improvisations made along the way. Jungkook nods and tilts his head in the endearing puppy like way Hoseok had fallen for from very early on.
“Yeah. It’s going to turn out nice, I think.”
“In that case... shall we have a sneak preview of each others?” Hoseok prompts further, now he’s remembered Jungkook’s painting is meant to be for him, he has an itch to know what the other man has been working on.
“Okay, but wait. Before you look, it’s not done. I’m just getting to the details.” Hoseok can’t help but be endeared by the nervousness in Jungkook’s voice, only making him more curious what Jungkook’s design was.
“Don’t worry, I’m not done either, I’m just too impatient to wait until the very end to look.” Hoseok teases and Jungkook laughs.
“Alright, okay. Sneak preview, let’s do it.”
They spin around to look at each other’s works finally and Hoseok feels his stomach drop. Jungkook’s piece is a beautiful and artistic rendition of a sunset seascape, bold pink and orange sky with a deep purple ocean. Hoseok is simultaneously awed and slightly shamed by his meagre effort in comparison.
At the same time, Jungkook turns around to Hoseok’s own art piece and an even wider smile breaks out over his face as he sees the colourful expression of his boyfriend perfectly captured in a way he couldn’t have replicated with pixels in a game. However, Hoseok is the first to speak out.
“Jeon Jungkook, you didn’t tell me you were a professional artist . This is so good. Really good! I’m amazed!”
“Hyung.” Jungkook may often laugh at Hoseok being unable to take a compliment, but he himself is really no better at it. Already looking down, he tries avoiding Hoseok’s gaze, mostly looking back over at the other painting. “I’m not professional at all, I just dabble. But I’m glad you like it.”
“Pfft, but you should be. You could sell this. Mine is-”
“I love yours, it’s so you. Is that tape in the middle?”
“Umm, yeah. It’s tape. I was trying something but I mean… look at it. It’s a mess.” Hoseok’s tone immediately changes and Jungkook can’t help but blink in alarm at the difference.
“I think it’s really great. I can’t wait to see what you do with it.” Jungkook continues on in such an earnest way that Hoseok is taken aback, caught idly wishing he could just toss his painting off the side of the rooftop and pretend it was caught in a gust of wind.
“But next to yours... yours is stunning. It’s like a picture perfect view out of a dream, I feel like I could step into a fairytale book and be looking at that sunset from a tropical beach, or the deck of a ship.”
“Thank you hyung. But I’m not comparing mine to yours. I’m just appreciating yours. It’s-”
“Chaotic?”
“I was going to say bright, colourful, energetic. Just like you, it makes me smile just by looking at it.”
Hoseok pauses for a moment, not expecting that and definitely not sure what to say to it. “But-”
“Stop arguing with me. I think your painting is wonderful.”
“Yeah, but it’s just doodling and splashes. It’s nothing like yours.”
“Hoseok hyung, the whole reason I planned this date like this was for you. Because I love your fun little doodles and colour splashes. And its perfect. Now come on, I want to see what your next step is. What’s under the tape?” Jungkook won’t budge and Hoseok begrudgingly turns back to his painting to look at it with a feeling of removing the rose-tinted glasses. “There’s nothing, I was just keeping it clear of all the other splashes. I wanted to outline it so it stays there when I take the tape off but I’m not sure how.”
Instead of a condescending reaction, as if Jungkook would ever give him one of those, Hoseok’s boyfriend responds with utmost interest and eagerly discusses the options with him.
“Oh, you mean like edging it, maybe you could use a sponge? What were you thinking.”
Hoseok sees exactly what he’s doing, drawing him in with his wholehearted sincerity.
And it works, as Hoseok draws from his enthusiasm to regain some of his own.
“Actually I was thinking of pouring it over, then there would be paint drips.” Hoseok gestures a little at the canvas, waggling his fingers in an imitation of his idea.
“Oh that’s cool! I would never have thought of that.”
“Sure you wouldn’t, Mr Art Prodigy.”
“Hyung, stop that.” Jungkook says, and now it’s his turn to pout a little, enough that Hoseok actually turns to look at him and his own mouth pulls down a little.
“Stop what? I’m just saying you’re good.”
“Yeah, and putting yourself down. I’m not going to listen to you doing that.” And just like he has been with everything else he said throughout the evening, Hoseok can tell that Jungkook is being absolutely sincere.
“Well, it’s just that you’re so good at painting. I thought… well I thought we’d be a bit more even, though you did have paints and canvases ready, so maybe that’s on me for just missing the obvious signs.”
“I’m fairly good at traditional painting, sure. It’s doesn’t mean you’re not good, hyung. We just have very different styles.”
“Okay, but if someone was looking for a painting to put on their walls, which one would it really be?” Hoseok bemoans, even as he goes ahead with his idea of dribbling the paint down the top of the painting, black making a striking contrast against the colourful rainbow of splatters on the whole canvas.
“I’d choose yours in an instant. I’m not just saying that.” Jungkook speaks quickly, cutting off Hoseok before he can protest further. “I love bold, statement art. And I’ve seen the art in your house too. Prints and cartoon styles, it’s your style in art, both looking at and creating.”
“...I guess.” Hoseok replies, finally looking at Jungkook with a small smile. “You may have a point.”
“I know I do. So why fuss over whether you can make ‘traditional’ art when you and I both prefer non-traditional art.”
“I mean, I found a boyfriend in Korea in the middle of a pandemic. Non-traditional is definitely my style.” Hoseok says with a smirk and Jungkook laughs before leaning over the paints between them to capture his lips in a kiss.
“Non-traditional in every way.” Jungkook agrees “And I wouldn’t choose anything else.”
“Although, if you’re saying you you wouldn’t pick it, I wouldn’t mind taking that picture for my apartment when you’re done with it.”
“Hyung.” Jungkook giggles into the space between their faces, “I was going to give it to you anyway. Just so long as you let me have yours.”
“Well, I don’t know, I’m starting to like it more.”
“Good. That’s what I wanted to hear.”
Jungkook’s efforts are worth it, as he sees Hoseok considerably brighten after that. He continues to sneakily ask Jungkook for tips and tricks but Jungkook actually prefers to see how Hoseok comes up with ideas himself. His painting started with colourful splatters randomly across the background, the black paint drips adding a whole different effect and when he removes the tape from the middle, he’s left with an empty space, shaped like a heart.
Jungkook wasn’t quite ready to ask him what had inspired that shape.
At the same time, Hoseok had continued to ooh and aah over the skill with which Jungkook added clouds to his painting, the reflection on the water, the colours and effects. It really was too much praise for Jungkook to know what to do with, but that was an effect Hoseok often left him with anyway.
It’s when Hoseok comes to fill the space left in the middle of his painting that Jungkook really falters.
“What do you think I should put there? Leave it like that?”
“It’s up to you. I like it, but it could use something else too, if you want to put something there.” Jungkook tries to stay impartial, which has frustrated Hoseok throughout his evening.
“Come on, I need your artistic eye.” He whines, leaning over again to give Jungkook’s shoulders a good squeeze. “Maybe you could fill it in for me?”
“No!” At this, Jungkook is ready to protest. “I won’t. I want to see your ideas, it’s your painting.”
“Hmm, okay fine. Just a suggestion.” Hoseok chuckles light heartedly. “No help from you.”
Jungkook is nearly finished with his painting, just adding some last bright highlights across the clouds and water of his painting. Hoseok sits back, tapping one of his paintbrushes against his lips while he contemplates his own painting, then looks to Jungkook’s focused side profile.
“What about writing something there?” He says into the quiet that had momentarily fallen. He pauses but they both smirk as Jungkook refuses to answer, letting Hoseok make the decision himself. “I can write what you said to me.”
Jungkook is intrigued at this, but the memory doesn’t come. “What did I say? When?”
“A month or so ago. You said something about me that stuck with me. About what I’ve done through this lockdown.”
Jungkook turns his eyes back to Hoseok at this, slight frown scrunching his brows as he thinks hard. The one thing he knows is he hasn’t said those three little words yet, even if they have been on his mind, so he’s totally unsure what Hoseok is hinting at. As he looks at Hoseok, the older man simply smiles triumphantly.
“A reminder then.” He says, before grabbing a handful more tubes of paint.
This time, Hoseok actively makes Jungkook turn back around, insisting that this time he has to wait and see.
After a couple of minutes, during which Hoseok bewilderingly seemed to change just about every colour in the box of paints, the man started to speak.
“You said it when we were talking about how weird lockdown has been, readjusting to everything. It was really sweet and it might be one of the nicest things someone’s said to me so maybe consider this a… a thank you.”
“I don’t know what I said, but you really don’t have to thank me. I’m sure I meant every word.” Jungkook tries to stop Hoseok flattering him, but the way he speaks makes the little butterflies dance around in his stomach.
Another agonising minute passes before Jungkook hears the paintbrush get set back down in the water.
“Okay, you can look.” Hoseok says softly.
Jungkook tries not to crack his neck as he spins so quickly, the curiosity getting to him for the last painful couple of minutes. There, in the centre of the heart in Hoseok’s painting, he had painstakingly used multiple colours to write his message.
I’M YOUR HOPE
“Oh.”
“Oh?”
“Oh that’s what I said. And it’s true. You made this so much better for me, Hoseok hyung. I can’t imagine where I would have been without you here.” Jungkook says softly, moving his eyes from the picture to Hoseok, who is looking at him vulnerably.
“Yeah?” Hoseok asks, and for a second Jungkook can’t imagine how he could be questioning it.
“Yeah. Without a doubt.”
“Well, the feeling is mutual. That’s why I wanted to remind you. I’m your hope, and if you ever need me, you know where I’ll be. Just a few floors away.”
Jungkook, feeling slightly overwhelmed, turns his smile into a smirk as he thinks of something better. “Oh really? Because I like it more when you’re a bit closer than that.” He reaches out, finally standing up to announce his painting is finished. There were some details he could still add or change but this feels much more important. He walks to Hoseok’s chair and pulls him up until their whole bodies are pressed together. Hoseok’s mood changes just as quickly to match the sparkling in Jungkook’s eye.
“Oh good, I like that much more too.” He gives an answering grin, suddenly very ready to move to the more private part of the evening.