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To give someone a segment of our orange - what an act of love it is!
It's like giving someone a fraction of our heart, if we really think about it. We peel this orange meticulously, until our nails become yellow, until the tip of our fingers hurt - and then we give a piece to a friend, or a lover. It's so intimate, and we don't even realize it. Can't wrap our heads around it.
In winter Yoongi and Jungkook's apartment smells like oranges all the time. They sit at the dining table watching TV and eating oranges. One, two, three oranges. Sometimes they even make juice.
Oranges mean winter, in their world. Oranges are the love language of winter.
The thing is, Jungkook's way of peeling oranges is messy and Yoongi can't stand it. He watches as Jungkook digs his fingers and nails into the peel and the juice spills and squirts, the orange crumbles noisily.
“I just can't do it, hyung!” Jungkook says, abandoning the orange on the table.
Yoongi, with his eyebrows furrowed in a frown, stops whatever he is doing just to lean on the table and take the orange in his hands. “Here. Let me do it.” His hands are pale, a bit rosy on the tip, with long bony fingers, and they are so delicate on Jungkook's skin or on the keys of his piano just as they are on this orange.
He uses them to peel the orange with attention and patience, like he's putting thought into the action. It takes some time, but the orange is peeled neatly - apart from the holes created by Jungkook's fingers. “For you.”
Jungkook takes the orange: “I want to share it with you. Half and half.” He smiles, feeling so silly.
Yoongi breaks the orange in two perfect halves and gives one to Jungkook. “For us.”
And that's how it started. Early into their relationship, when they had recently started living together, when they were still building their routine.
So now, Yoongi always smells like oranges in the winter. Jungkook fits his face on Yoongi's neck and feels the sweet scent. Yoongi caresses Jungkook's face and he smells it - strong and sweet, once again.
Jungkook thinks Yoongi is sharing his heart, or maybe it's his own heart that's being shared. Either way he doesn't want to learn how to peel an orange, because to learn to live without Yoongi is not something he wants to do.
Maybe it's not mature on his part, maybe it's a bit selfish - maybe Yoongi would love to see Jungkook peel his oranges, if this could make him happy. Or maybe he'll peel oranges until his hands will cramp and his finger will break, just for Jungkook, for them both.
It doesn't matter.
“I feel a bit sad these days.” Jungkook bites on his bread, feeling his head become heavy with thoughts.
“Is it foggy up there?” Yoongi says, pointing at Jungkook's head.
“It is. Just a little. Maybe it's just winter.” He shrugs.
Yoongi hums. “We should buy some oranges.”
Jungkook nods, and drinks his coffee. “We should.”
“Okay, baby,” Yoongi says and gets up from his seat at the table. “I'm going to work now and I'm buying oranges on the way home, mh?” He asks, kissing his cheek.
“Okay.” Jungkook smiles, and the piece of skin Yoongi just kissed burns. God, he feels so giddy.
“Okay.” Yoongi repeats. He kisses him again, and then: “Have a nice day at work,” he says.
Jungkook turns his head to face him: “You, too,” he says before kissing his lips.
Yoongis does buy oranges on the way home. Jungkook can smell them when he opens the door. It's finally winter, and the days will be less sad with their smell lingering on their skin.
“Had a nice day?” Yoongi asks while Jungkook is hanging his coat.
“Yes, I couldn't wait to come home,” Jungkook responds, looking at Yoongi. He fidgets with his fingers, feeling his cheeks heat up under his boyfriend's gaze. Yoongi's eyes are sharp like those of a cat, but when they rest on Jungkook they become so warm!
One day they're going to dig holes into his skin, with how much they burn.
In the kitchen, the oranges sit perfectly inside the basket on their dining table. Shiny and round. They're waiting for them.
Jungkook took a shower and slipped into his home clothes in a hurry, just to sit at the table with Yoongi.
Their first orange of the season, Jungkook thinks as Yoongi starts to peel one. His fingers gently break the orange in half. One of the halves is handed to Jungkook, and he takes it in silence, waiting for Yoongi to eat it.
This one is a bit sour, something that Jungkook likes. He doesn't like when oranges are too sweet, or extremely sour. He loves sweet with a hint of sour.
He asks himself, once again, who is dividing their heart for them both to eat it. Is it him? Is it Yoongi? After all, he's the one that made the proposal the first time. But Yoongi is the one that always hands the piece of orange - or heart - to him.
“Want some more?” Yoongi asks and Jungkook nods.
They eat four, until their stomachs start to feel a bit funny. The last one is particularly big, Yoongi has to pick it up with two hands.
“Let's go to bed, we can make dinner later,” Yoongi says after some time, taking his hand.
They get under the covers, facing each other with stupid smiles on their faces. “I love you,” they spell on their lips as they kiss, tasting oranges, smelling oranges.
They hug and fit their hands under each other's clothes, they sigh and whine and kiss and kiss… oh, they kiss!
Winter has come, and they keep their bodies bare and warm, with the promise of sharing a million more oranges, a hundred more winters.
And Jungkook never wants to learn - he doesn't need to.
twitter: mr_shakerqueer