Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

It was already dark out. 

Seokjin rarely worked this late, but he’d been toiling away on a PowerPoint that was due at the end of his shift, and he wasn’t quite done yet. He felt like he’d read it over a million times, combing over all of the tedious detail, until his eyes were screaming from dryness. But he had one more slide to do, one more paragraph to write, and he was determined to finish before he logged out.

At least he worked from home now, where he could wear his hoodies and sweatpants all day if he wanted to, work at his own pace with little to no interruption, and enjoy the glow of lamps instead of horrendously bright fluorescent lighting.

Taehyung was working late, too, doing a last-minute fitting for a customer. He was now the manager at the Blue & Grey store at the mall, having been promoted to Jimin’s job after Jimin had defected to a huge department store just before the pandemic hit. 

Things had been dicey for a while after that, forcing both of the Blue & Grey locations to close for a few months. During that time, Taehyung collected unemployment benefits and spent his days holed up in Seokjin’s old apartment playing video games and singing on YouTube, since he and Joe couldn’t do live shows anymore.

Once people had started going to weddings again and needed nice suits, Blue & Grey had re-opened, and Taehyung returned to his job. When Seokjin’s lease on his efficiency expired, he moved into Jimin’s apartment, and a few months later, Jimin moved out to live with Yoongi.

They used to joke that Taehyung had basically become Jimin, taking over his job and apartment.

They missed Seokjin’s old place sometimes, just for the cozy nostalgia factor, but Jimin’s two-bedroom apartment was perfect for them. Seokjin had space for his office in Jimin’s old bedroom, where Taehyung also had a little makeshift studio for recording music and doing videos.

It had been three years to the day since they’d first cuddled in Seokjin’s apartment. Three years since their first kiss. 

When Taehyung got home, they planned to venture out into the winter cold and celebrate. The downtown Christmas market they’d gone to just over three years before hadn’t been held in 2020 or 2021, but it was finally open again this year, and they thought it would be fun to revisit it for their third anniversary of being a couple.

After that…well, Seokjin had a surprise planned. Nothing too huge. Just something a little unexpected for Taehyung.

But first, he had to get this blasted PowerPoint done. 

He sighed, staring at his screen.

Playing through his headphones was the mellowest Christmas jazz music, all soft piano and muted horns. For the past few hours it had been getting him into the cozy holiday spirit while also aiding his focus on work, allowing him to zero in on the task at hand and not get distracted. But he’d been listening for so long that it had lulled him into a state of semi-drowsiness. 

He was so close to finishing, surely he could just close his eyes for a few minutes…

Pausing, fingers on his keyboard, he let his head tilt to the side while his eyelids slid shut. His hands felt so chilly…he slid them into the front pocket of his hoodie and leaned back more comfortably.

He wasn’t sure how long he dozed off, but the start of a new song – maybe the very next song, maybe several songs later – woke him up. When he opened his eyes, Taehyung was sitting on the edge of his desk, a fond smile on his face, leaning over as if he were about to remove his headphones.

Startled at first, Seokjin jerked backwards. Then he smiled, mirroring Taehyung’s fond expression. He tugged his headphones off and set them aside.

“Hey.”

“Hey. Still not done?”

“Almost. I rested my eyes for a bit and dozed off.”

Seokjin let out a weary huff of air. He was mentally exhausted from work, but seeing Taehyung sitting there rejuvenated him somewhat. He looked so handsome with his fluffy dark hair and twinkling eyes, still framed by tortoiseshell glasses. He wore a chunky knit beige cardigan over an ivory button-down shirt that revealed a sliver of his chest, just on the classy side of sexy. 

Already, Seokjin wanted to slide a hand past the collar of that shirt…push it back…kiss that smooth skin…but he resisted. 

Patience was paramount tonight if he wanted to pull off his surprise.

Instead, he grabbed Taehyung’s hand and gave it a squeeze, massaging fingers that were summer-warm.

Taehyung frowned.

“Jinnie, your hand is freezing.”

He sandwiched Seokjin’s hand between both of his and rubbed it vigorously.

“Do we need to turn the heat up in here? It’s been so cold out lately.”

Seokjin shivered reflexively. 

“It has been a little chilly,” he said. He hated to complain, but he also hated not being able to feel his fingers.

Still frowning, Taehyung climbed onto Seokjin’s lap, straddling him, making his office chair squeak, and wrapped him in a hug, scratching his back lightly with his fingers as if the friction could warm him up.

Being enveloped in Taehyung was Seokjin’s favorite thing. It always made him feel safe. He curled into the embrace, sliding his free arm around Taehyung’s middle.

“Mmm, you’re nice and warm,” he hummed.

“And you’re like an icicle. You sure you’re gonna be okay at the thing tonight? We’ll have to bundle you up.”

“Maybe we can put some of those hand warmer thingies in my pockets.”

“Or…maybe we could just stay home, and I could warm you up.”

Taehyung snuck a kiss onto Seokjin’s cheek and pulled back to look at him. Without warning, he grabbed Seokjin’s hood and flung it up over his head, giggling soft and low as it flopped down over his eyes.

Seokjin shrugged out a laugh. He was used to Taehyung’s silliness by this point, but there was enough unpredictability to it that it never got stale or irritating. Well, maybe the slightest bit irritating, but only when Seokjin was having a supremely bad day. On those days, Taehyung had learned to give him space and let him ease out of his funk in his own time.

This wasn’t one of those days. Taehyung’s sweetness and playfulness were perking him up.

Seokjin snapped his head back in an attempt to knock the hood off, but it barely moved. 

“Sorry,” Taehyung said, the smile in his voice indicating that he wasn’t sorry at all. 

He pushed the hood back for Seokjin, then gave him a loving kiss on the lips. 

Seokjin melted into it. 

“Your hair is getting long,” Taehyung said, leaning back so he could study Seokjin’s face. He brushed his bangs out of his eyes.

“Yeah, I need a haircut.”

“Mmm, how you gonna get it cut? A fade? A fringe? Ooh, or…choppy bangs?” Taehyung grinned.

“You’d probably like that, wouldn’t you,” Seokjin laughed. “So you could tease me about it.”

Taehyung gasped, looking hurt. “What? No way. I loved your choppy bangs. I’ll never forget when I first saw you. Back before you knew I existed. You were the cutest thing. The cutest boy ever. The most handsome. The most sexy. You made my heart skip a beat.”

Seokjin laughed, resting his forehead on Taehyung’s shoulder.

“Oh, Tae. That story gets more ridiculous every time you tell it. There’s no way my choppy bangs made your heart skip a beat. And I was like the opposite of sexy back then. Still am, pretty much.”

Large hands cupped Seokjin’s head…strong fingers massaged his scalp. 

It felt good. Seokjin made a happy noise, slouching forward even further.

“Nonsense,” Taehyung said. “You know why I liked your choppy bangs so much?” 

Seokjin snorted. “Why?”

“Because they showed off your sexy eyebrows.”

Seokjin shook his head, still unable to take too many compliments in a row, even from his lover.

“Right,” he said.

Taehyung brought Seokjin’s head up and started kissing the line of his brow. 

It was a battle they engaged in often, Taehyung trying to convince Seokjin that he was, in essence, perfect, and Seokjin struggling to counter him at every turn. He knew Taehyung loved him wholeheartedly – he’d collected enough evidence to be sure of that – but there was still that tiny part of him that couldn’t comprehend the sheer depth and breadth of that love, especially when it came to physical attraction.

He squeezed his eyes shut, frustrated.

“I’ll never get over how you find the most mundane things about me to be sexy. Like my eyebrows. Or my thighs.”

“That’s because there’s nothing mundane about you, hon. Every part of you is sexy.”

Seokjin tried to shake his head, but Taehyung was still clutching it firmly, holding it in place, his kisses moving up into his hair and back down to his cheek.

“Now that I find really hard to believe. Like, there’s no way my nose hairs are sexy.”

“Of course they are.”

Taehyung’s lips traveled to his nose, kissing softly around his nostrils. 

Seokjin freaked out a little. Taehyung’s kisses, though light, were tickling him, and as much as he loved Taehyung, he didn’t want his tongue actually wiggling around in his nose.

“Hey!” he cried, trying to stop him. He bopped Taehyung’s back with a balled-up fist.

Taehyung’s tongue poked out, threatening to prod exactly where Seokjin didn’t want it to go.

He flailed, but there was no way he could escape with Taehyung straddling him and gripping his head. 

“Tae, don’t you dare…Tae…that’s disgusting!”

Taehyung let out a somewhat maniacal laugh and licked the tip of Seokjin’s nose, thankfully avoiding any nose hairs. He loosened his hold on Seokjin’s head and stroked his hair, still laughing. 

“Oh my god,” Seokjin cried, rubbing his nose on Taehyung’s sweater to dry it off. “So childish.”

“Really?” Taehyung tilted his head, raising a brow above his glasses. “Does this seem childish to you?”

It was like flipping a switch. The frivolity of the moment vanished instantly, and Taehyung turned smoldering and serious, pressing his lips against Seokjin’s while running a hand down over his crotch. 

All Seokjin could do was writhe beneath him, releasing a shocked cry that was muffled by Taehyung’s mouth. 

Smiling against his lips, Taehyung kissed him slowly and deeply…sublimely and unpredictably…the course of it winding and flowing like an improvised jazz solo.

Seokjin would have been fine with it going on forever…Taehyung’s kisses were even better than his hugs.

Yeah, never mind the hugs…these kisses were his favorite thing.

He almost let the headiness of it sweep him away, but he forced himself back to earth, managing to tear his lips from Taehyung’s so he could speak. He gently pushed Taehyung’s hand away from his crotch.

“It’s actually very childish,” he scolded, “considering I’m not even done with work yet.”

Taehyung was undeterred. His lips skimmed along Seokjin’s jaw. 

“Aren’t you almost done? I can wait for you in bed.”

Seokjin felt a tongue flick against his earlobe. He let out a tremulous breath. 

Even when he was barely trying, Taehyung was too good at persuading him, and tonight he was trying his damnedest. Seokjin stood only the smallest chance against Taehyung’s powers of seduction when they were in full effect.

“What about the Christmas market?” he said, rubbing Taehyung’s back chastely, trying to steer them back to the less-charged atmosphere of earlier. “Our anniversary? Don’t you want to do our gifts for each other?”

That was one thing they had planned to do at the Christmas market – buy something for each other. Nothing too fancy or expensive – they had agreed on that. Maybe an ornament, or a small article of clothing. After thinking about it all week, Seokjin had decided to find a new scarf for Taehyung, since his old one was starting to look a bit ragged.

“Yeah, I do,” Taehyung murmured, his lips bumping baby-soft across Seokjin’s face, first one side, then the other. Once he started showering Seokjin’s face with kisses, there was no stopping him sometimes. “But there’s no rush. No one we need to meet. We can go whenever we want.” 

Seokjin chuckled. “You know if we get into that bed, we’ll never get out of it.”

“I hate it when that happens,” Taehyung said, smiling, though his eyes still burned with lustful embers. “Maybe we could just stay right here then.”

He leaned in and devoured Seokjin’s lips again, his tongue cajoling, his body clinging, hands exploring, making his desires absolutely clear.

Seokjin relented for a while, after all this time still weak for Taehyung’s kisses and touches and everything about him. He slipped his arms around his waist and kissed him back eagerly, relishing the taste of him, the feel of his sumptuous lips, that wonderful mouth he could never get enough of. 

He thought about giving in right then and there. Who cared about his surprise? To hell with it. Maybe he could do it some other time. Maybe his gift to Taehyung could just be this, giving him exactly what he wanted when he wanted it, indulging him, forgetting his own selfish wishes and surrendering himself to Taehyung’s irresistible sorcery.

It wasn’t like he’d be losing anything, really. He was going to get sexy times either way. 

But it wasn’t just about that. He had been truly excited to surprise Taehyung, the way that Taehyung surprised him all the time. To do something he knew Taehyung would love. Oh sure, Taehyung would love it if they did it right there in Seokjin’s squeaky office chair, no doubt about that. But Seokjin just couldn’t let go of his idea. The tiny bit of control that he hoped would lead to an amazing night for the both of them.

He dragged his lips off of Taehyung’s and planted them firmly on his cheek instead. Where his arms encircled him, he gave him a loving squeeze.

“As much as I hate to say it,” he muttered, “I’m seriously exhausted from work. And I’m famished. I only had a yogurt for lunch.”

He felt Taehyung slump against him in disappointment, but only for a moment, before he hugged him back. 

“All right,” he sighed. “We’d better get you some food. I don’t want you fainting from starvation. Not on our anniversary.”

Seokjin laughed. “Ah. But fainting on any other day is fine?”

Taehyung pulled back so he could look at Seokjin. He gave his cheek a little pinch.

“You know what I meant.” 

“I know.”

They nudged noses and kissed again.

“We’re continuing this later, though,” Taehyung announced.

“Okay. As long as I’m not too tired. I’ve been so achy lately.”

Seokjin didn’t really feel as tired and achy as he claimed, but he had to make Taehyung think he did, so that his surprise later would be more effective. 

“Well, you are thirty now,” Taehyung said, patting Seokjin’s hair.

Seokjin sighed. “Yeah, and I feel at least sixty.”

Taehyung lifted his brows above his glasses.

“Mmm,” he said, deepening his already deep voice. “My sexy older man.” He dipped his head into Seokjin’s neck and placed a series of slippery kisses there.

Another one of Seokjin’s weaknesses – Taehyung doing anything to his neck. He tilted his head back in spite of himself, letting out an airy moan.

“Ugh…” he said. “It’s going to be one of those nights, isn’t it…”

Taehyung kept mouthing at his neck, his hands grasping at his hair and shoulders.

“Mm-hmm…”

Falling under Taehyung’s spell again, Seokjin luxuriated for a while, his fingers idly stroking Taehyung’s back, slipping under the hem of his cardigan while his neck was being feasted upon.

Dangit. Taehyung kept distracting him. He had to stop it before it went too far.

“This is nice,” he whispered hoarsely. “But…my legs…”

He shifted them a bit where they rested under Taehyung’s bottom.

With a low chuckle, Taehyung climbed off of him. 

“Oh, all right. Geez. Have I been pushing you too hard at the gym?” He gave Seokjin’s hair one last ruffle.

They’d been working out nearly every morning in the fitness room of their apartment building, Taehyung acting as Seokjin’s personal trainer since he had never committed to a regular workout in the past and had no idea what he was doing. It really did make him sore some days, but it was also helping him return to svelteness after he’d gained some weight over the last few years.

“Maybe a little,” Seokjin said, tiptoeing over that fine line between truth and exaggeration. He groaned stiffly and sat up, stretching his legs. “Between that and getting older, I just feel so worn out. It sucks.”

“Aww. Well, try to conserve your energy tonight, so you won’t be too tired later.” Taehyung wagged his eyebrows and smiled. “I’m gonna spruce up a bit before we go.” 

With that he sauntered out of the room.

“I’ll try!” Seokjin called out. 

He stood up and stretched some more, pointing his fingers at the ceiling and bending to the left, then the right. He smiled as he did so, glad that Taehyung seemed to be buying his ruse. He hoped he could keep it up.

He sat back down to finish his work.

***

Roughly half an hour later, they stood by the closet, donning their outerwear.

Seokjin had slipped into the long wool coat that Taehyung had gifted him two birthdays ago – double-breasted in a rich dark brown, which complemented the camel-colored coat that Taehyung still wore. Even at the discounted price Taehyung had paid, Seokjin was sure it was the most expensive article of clothing he would ever own.

“Make sure you bundle up,” Taehyung said, sliding his maroon beanie onto his head.

Seokjin had unearthed his hat and gloves from the bin in the closet where they kept their winter stuff, but he couldn’t find his scarf. Maybe he had left it in the car? But he couldn’t remember wearing it the last time he had driven somewhere; it had been warmer then.

“I guess I’ll have to go without it,” he mumbled. He turned to Taehyung and shrugged.

Taehyung tucked a couple of hot packs into Seokjin’s pockets, leaning in a little closer than necessary to do so. 

“Without what?” he asked, his beautiful face so near.

Seokjin caught a whiff of a musky, citrusy, woodsy aroma that he only knew as “Taehyung’s winter smell”; his coat had absorbed such a wild mix of different colognes over the years that it had acquired a strangely unique scent all its own. It reminded him of Christmas, and snow, and warm hugs.

“My scarf. I don’t know where it is.”

Taehyung stuck out his lower lip. “Oh no. You’ll freeze, hon. You should have put a turtleneck and some long underwear on.”

Seokjin was just wearing a tee-shirt with a flimsy sweater over it underneath his coat. Probably not the wisest choice, he was now realizing. He’d tried to change speedily out of his loungey work clothes and hadn’t really been thinking.

“I could change quick,” he said, but Taehyung was already working on a solution.

“Here.” He looped his slightly shabby but well-loved plaid scarf around Seokjin’s neck. “Happy Anniversary.”

“Tae…”

Seokjin made faint sounds of protest, shaking his head as Taehyung tied the scarf in an elegant knot. He felt weird wearing it. He’d only ever seen it on Taehyung.

“But…what about you? You need to be warm, too.”

“I’ll be fine. This cardigan is thick, and it has a collar.”

“So…you’re giving me your scarf? Like…permanently?”

“Why not? You need it more than I do. Maybe you can get me a new one at the market. They probably have some really nice ones.”

Seokjin sighed and shook his head again, perturbed.

“You stinker, that’s exactly what I was going to get you. Now it won’t be a surprise.”

Taehyung smiled and shrugged. “It’s okay if it’s not a surprise. Or…you can just get me something else.”

“Tae, but…you know I suck at buying gifts!” Seokjin whined, the tone of his voice rising. He didn’t mean to be so dramatic, but he still had trouble controlling it. “I was so proud of myself for coming up with the scarf idea. Now I have to start all over again!” He stamped his foot, slipping into mini-temper-tantrum mode.

Taehyung smiled indulgently, looking unbothered. He was surely used to Seokjin’s dramatics by now.

“Jinnie, it’s okay,” he said calmly, patting his arm. “You don’t suck at buying gifts. I’ve loved everything you’ve ever given me.”

“Hmph. That’s B.S. and you know it.”

“No, it’s not.”

“It is! What about that time I got you that gift certificate to the rock-climbing place because you said you wanted to try rock-climbing, and then when you opened it, you looked at it like it was a tax form or something? You were totally disappointed.”

“I was not.”

“Were too!”

“I wasn’t disappointed at all!” Taehyung insisted. “I was just confused. I couldn’t remember saying I wanted to do that. To be honest, I still can’t remember it. I don’t know why I would have said that. I hate heights.” 

He laughed, continuing to act nonchalant about the whole thing, but Seokjin wasn’t appeased.

“How about the time I got you the wallet? That you still haven’t used?”

“Jinnie,” Taehyung sighed. “I’m saving it for when my current wallet falls apart. It’s not that I don’t like it. I’m just trying not to be wasteful since we’ve been on such a tight budget…”

Seokjin rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on. Wallets last forever. If you really liked it, you’d be using it.” He pouted, holding his arms across his middle, feeling defensive. “See? I’m terrible at it.”

“Jinnie…” Taehyung wrapped his arms around Seokjin’s scarf-bound neck and looked him in the eye. “Please don’t be upset. I’m sorry I haven’t used the wallet yet. And I’m sorry I never went rock-climbing. I’m still so thankful for everything you’ve given me. Really. It’s the thought that counts, and you have the loveliest thoughts.”

Seokjin made a face, even though Taehyung’s embrace and warm gaze and sweet words were softening him up.

Taehyung kissed the edge of his mouth where it puffed out from the face he was making. 

“It’ll be fine,” he reassured him. “Just get something in the moment. Something that speaks to you.”

Seokjin exhaled sulkily but he tried to play along. “Something that calls out, ‘hey, buy me, buy me’?”

Taehyung nodded. “Exactly. The perfect item will appear in front of you and say, ‘hey, Jinnie, Tae wants me, please buy me for him.’ I’ll send it by telepathy.”

Seokjin closed his eyes, finally letting himself smile. Taehyung made him fond beyond belief sometimes.

“So…you’re going to telepathically speak to an inanimate object and tell it to communicate with me?”

Taehyung blinked at him, his face absolutely straight. 

“Yes.”

Seokjin smirked. “Okayyy. Well…this’ll be interesting.”

In the aftermath of his hissy fit, his face was tingling with embarrassment. He started to turn towards the door, ready to be done with the conversation, but Taehyung wouldn’t let him. He held him fast, pulling him closer. 

“Jinnie.”

“What.”

Seokjin looked into Taehyung’s eyes, only a few inches from his. They were full of love as always. 

Taehyung’s long lashes fluttered as he glanced down at Seokjin’s mouth. He licked his lips before capturing Seokjin’s in a wonderfully long kiss.

Seokjin knew what Taehyung’s kiss meant. It meant, “Even when you act like this, even when you’re silly and dramatic and throw temper tantrums, I still love you.”

What on earth had he done to deserve such patience and acceptance? Such steady love? He kissed Taehyung back gratefully, smiling as they pulled apart from one another. 

“All right,” he said, feeling better. “Let’s go.”

***

Much as it had been the first time they went, the Christmas market was crowded, but not so packed that they couldn’t stroll around comfortably. It was colder this time for sure, but with Taehyung’s scarf tied snugly around him, and the hot packs in his pockets, Seokjin could bear it. He just wished he could grab Taehyung every so often and huddle in his arms for a bit.

Amid the din of chatter and the distant sound of carolers singing, they ate German sausages with sauerkraut, Seokjin inhaling his quickly, while Taehyung interspersed his with bites of potato pancake. Taehyung smiled as he chewed, clearly enjoying his food, and Seokjin beamed as he watched him, utterly content, enjoying their time outdoors despite the chill.

Once they had filled their stomachs a bit, they decided to split up and look for each other’s gifts, then meet back at the Glühwein stall. They gave each other high-fives, their gloved hands making a soft but satisfying thud as they smacked into each other, before Taehyung turned and disappeared into the crowd, seeming to know exactly what he was going for.

Seokjin sighed and looked around aimlessly. He had half an hour to find a gift for Taehyung. He decided he might as well get a scarf, even though Taehyung already knew about it, but maybe he could find something else, too. Maybe something would speak to him, as Taehyung had so cutely suggested.

He combed through a few of the stalls that had winterwear, finally coming to one that sold goods made from alpaca wool. The scarves on display were just the kind Seokjin thought Taehyung would like - soft and rich-looking, almost like cashmere, but much less expensive. He found one in a plaid pattern of brown, tan, cream, and maroon, with a hint of forest green, that he hoped would look good with Taehyung’s coat. He wasn’t sure, but he didn’t have time to dwell on it – he would just have to go with his gut. 

While he paid for the scarf, he spied something white and fluffy out of the corner of his eye. He turned and looked into the soft black eyes of a little polar bear, on all fours, made of the softest looking alpaca fur. There was something oddly familiar about it, and then he thought of his old workplace, the Winter Bear Bookstore, which he hadn’t thought of in a long time, and the logo of a white bear flashed into his mind. 

It made him feel nostalgic. He took off his glove to pet the long, silky white fur. As he regarded the bear’s face, it reminded him a little of Taehyung, too –  his soft black eyes, his low hums and growls that were very bear-like sometimes, his softness when he snuggled, the way his hair stuck up fuzzily when he woke up in the morning. While it didn’t exactly say “buy me for Tae”, Seokjin felt compelled to purchase it, thinking maybe Taehyung would at least find it cute. 

He handed the polar bear to the cashier and asked if he could buy it, too, and just like that, he was done with his shopping for Taehyung. He’d spent a little more than he had planned on, but at least one weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Now he just needed to keep up his “I’m so tired and sore” shtick until bedtime so he could pull off his final gift.

Swinging his handled paper bag, he walked to the Glühwein stall and found Taehyung already there, perusing a display case of holiday goodies. 

“Hey,” Seokjin said, approaching. 

“Hey. Come look at this.” Taehyung motioned him over. 

Seokjin noticed that he had a paper bag of his own in his hand, smaller than Seokjin’s, and it piqued his curiosity. He thought it was probably an ornament, since Taehyung had been steadily adding to his collection ever since he’d gotten him the milk and cookies ornament the last time they were here. But what kind of ornament, he couldn’t guess, and that was the fun part.

He leaned over next to Taehyung and peered into the refrigerated case. Taehyung pointed out a cute little gingerbread house, complete with gumdrops, peppermints, and two tiny gingerbread men flanking the doorway.

“They have kits for these. Don’t you think Jimin and Yoongi would have fun with that?”

Seokjin chuckled. “I’m sure they would. Should we get them one?”

“Yeah. I think they’d like that. And then a bottle of the Glühwein.”

They’d been invited to Jimin and Yoongi’s place for a Christmas party in a couple of weeks, and Taehyung had been talking about wanting to bring gifts to the party.

“Can we get us a bottle of the Glühwein, too?” Seokjin asked.

Taehyung pondered a moment. 

“How about two of them? One for tonight and one for Christmas.” 

“Ooh, splurging.” Seokjin smiled, lifting his brows. “I like it.” 

Taehyung grinned. In the glow of the white lights, with his hair sticking out somewhat messily from his beanie and his cheeks radiant, Taehyung looked so adorable that Seokjin had to fight the urge to kiss him.

They shared a look, and Seokjin knew that the urge-to-kiss feeling was mutual. But it would have to wait.

He could do something else, though. He reached up with his gloved finger and pushed a little lock of Taehyung’s hair to the side. 

Taehyung’s eyes glistened at him for a moment before he glanced down almost shyly. He pushed his glasses up and gave Seokjin’s coat pocket a little tug.

“You staying warm, hon?” he asked quietly, eyes drifting back upwards.

Seokjin nodded. “Are you?”

Taehyung nodded back, and they gazed at each other in such a way that anyone watching them would know, without a doubt, that they were in love.

“Let’s get some Glühwein and go home,” Taehyung suggested, and Seokjin sensed that he was eager for them to escape the crowd and be alone.

Seokjin was eager, too.

They made all of their purchases, including the lovely red commemorative mugs of Glühwein this time instead of paper cups, and took a selfie of themselves toasting each other with their drinks, just as they had three years prior.

But instead of lingering around the market as they had before, they sipped their warm wine and journeyed back to the parking lot, past the carolers singing “White Christmas”, Taehyung latching onto Seokjin’s pinky finger and holding it for a little bit, inconspicuously, the way he often did when they were in public. 

In the car, they downed the rest of their drinks, both of them smacking their lips and going “ahhh” to be silly, and Seokjin held the empty mugs while Taehyung drove them home. 

Seokjin sang along with the Christmas music playing through the car speakers, in the merriest of moods, and Taehyung did a marvelous bit of multi-tasking — singing, laughing, and driving while also reaching his gloved hand over, pushing the hem of Seokjin’s coat aside so he could massage his thigh through his jeans.

“Don’t get too saucy,” Seokjin admonished, wiggling his leg since his hands were full and he couldn’t properly shoo Taehyung off. “We still have to open our gifts for each other. Besides, I might be all jolly right now, but I’m still tired and achy. Especially after trekking all over the market looking for your gift.”

Taehyung laughed, giving Seokjin’s leg a final powerful rub before removing his hand.

“Oooh, I can’t wait to see it,” he said. “Did something speak to you, like I said it would?”

“Maybe,” Seokjin said coyly. “But wouldn’t you know that without having to ask me, Mr. Telepathy?”

Taehyung just smiled, looking pleased with himself. 

***

Back at the apartment, Seokjin made a show of arching his back and complaining while they took off their coats, only overplaying it slightly since he really did feel a little drained after their outing. He put the gingerbread kit in the freezer so it would keep until they gave it to Jimin and Yoongi and offered to heat up some of the Glühwein.

Concerned but not overly so, being used to Seokjin’s frequent lamenting about his so-called “failing body”, Taehyung just made sympathetic noises and went to put some music on. He’d gotten into collecting vinyl records over the last six months, and his latest acquisition was a vintage Christmas album that he’d been saving so he could play it that very night. 

As the nostalgic sounds floated through the apartment, Seokjin reveled in the sentimental feeling and watched the Glühwein warm up on the stove, stirring it every so often. Once it was hot, but not hot enough to burn their tongues, he poured it messily into the mugs he had just rinsed out, cursing when some of it spilled over onto the counter. 

“Everything all right?” 

Taehyung was immediately by his side, hand on the small of his back.

Seokjin giggled at himself. “Yeah. I’m just sloppy as usual.”

With a fond chuckle, Taehyung handed him a towel and rubbed his back while he cleaned up the mess.

“Where are those cookies we got from the neighbors?” he asked after a moment.

They’d gotten a tin of thin spiced ginger cookies from the young couple next door, which was funny since the young couple were the ones who had just moved in, not Taehyung and Seokjin. Apparently they wanted to make new friends. 

Seokjin nodded towards the top of the fridge. “Up there.”

“Ah,” Taehyung said, giving Seokjin’s back a little scratch before stepping away to grab the tin. “I’m still a little hungry. I bet these cookies will go nicely with the wine.”

“I bet you’re right.” 

Seokjin gathered up the mugs with a couple of cloth napkins and made his way towards the living room. 

“We really need to have them over for dinner or something sometime,” he said, referring to the young couple.

“We should.” Taehyung gave him a funny smile. 

“What?”

“Oh, just…you’re not usually the one suggesting we invite people over. Especially strangers.”

Seokjin shrugged. “Well. I don’t know. It’s kind of fun hosting a get-together with you. You’re a good host. And you know how to calm me down when I get stressed out.”

Taehyung set the tin of cookies on the coffee table and took one of the mugs from Seokjin, settling down on the sofa. He glimmered at him over his drink before taking a sip.

“What would we make?” he asked.

Seokjin nestled into the sofa. 

“Maybe galbi-jjim?”

“Ooh, that’s always good.”

Seokjin had made that for Taehyung a few times, following his mother’s recipe. She’d cooked it for them the first time Seokjin had brought Taehyung home to meet the family, and Taehyung had raved about it.

Taehyung took a cookie out of the tin and nibbled on it. 

“Mmm, these are yummy. Gingersnappy.”

Seokjin smiled, enjoying the sight of Taehyung’s lips pouting and his cute cheeks puffing out as he ate. It was another one of his favorite things.

“Isn’t it funny,” he said, tearing his eyes from Taehyung and glancing around the room. “We’re celebrating our anniversary, but it feels like Christmas already. The tree, the music, the wine…giving gifts. And then with our birthdays in December, too…it’s always so much to cram into a short period of time.”

Taehyung smiled. “It makes the rest of the year seem a bit empty, doesn’t it?”

Seokjin snickered. “It does.” He paused for a beat. “Huh. I thought you were going to say something cheesy like, ‘But every day is Christmas with you, Jinnie’.”

Taehyung leaned forward and gave Seokjin’s leg a swat. 

“Well!” Seokjin laughed. “It’s something you would say, isn’t it?”

“That’s it,” Taehyung said, scowling endearingly over his mug of wine. “I’m taking all of your gifts back.”

“Awww,” Seokjin said, making his lower lip protrude and his eyes as puppy dog as possible. “I’m sorry. You know I secretly love your cheesiness.” He set his mug down and crawled across the sofa to Taehyung, throwing his arms around his middle and resting his head against his abdomen. “I may not always believe the sweet things you say, but I’ve learned to accept them. For the most part.”

Taehyung rubbed his back.

“I’ll keep saying them until you believe them then. Cheesy or not.”

Seokjin gave Taehyung a squeeze and let out a cozy sigh.

“I could fall asleep right here,” he muttered, nuzzling against Taehyung’s cardigan.

Taehyung’s hand drifted up into his hair, playing absently with the strands.

“We’d better open our gifts then, before you doze off.”

“Good idea.”

With a sigh, Seokjin sat back up. He squinted at Taehyung.

“Wait…just a bit ago…did you say ‘gifts’, plural?”

Taehyung smiled.

“You got me more than one?” Seokjin asked.

Taehyung nodded, looking a little chagrined, and jumped up to grab their bags from the market. 

“Can I open yours first, though?” he asked. 

He sat back down on the sofa, facing Seokjin, and placed Seokjin’s bag in front of himself, rubbing his hands together theatrically.

“So impatient,” Seokjin chuckled. He leaned an elbow on the back of the sofa and rested his head in his hand, observing Taehyung with a degree of nervousness.

“I hope it’s not a scarf,” Taehyung said, moving his eyebrows up and down comically, causing Seokjin to laugh again.

He unwrapped the tissue paper encasing the first item, which was, of course, the scarf.

“Ooh, Jinnie,” he crooned, dropping his jokey act. “This is actually so pretty. Oh, it’s so nice and soft.” He rubbed it against his cheek. “I bet it’s warm, too. It looks so luxurious. But I think you spent too much, hon. Especially since there’s something else in here.” 

He peeked into the bag for just a moment before returning his gaze to the scarf. He unfolded it all the way, examining the little fringes at the end, and coiled it loosely around his neck. 

“What do you think?”

“Gorgeous as ever,” Seokjin said warmly.

Taehyung smiled his most winning smile, his cheeks suffused with a hint of pink, either from the wine or from Seokjin’s compliment, perhaps both. It was rare for Taehyung’s golden skin to get even a bit rosy like that, and it always made Seokjin a little giddy to see it.

Taehyung set the paper bag to the side for the moment so he could crawl over and give Seokjin a quick peck on the lips.

“Thank you, Jinnie. I love it.”

“Do you think it’ll go with your coat?”

“For sure. You did a good job with the colors.”

Seokjin squirmed happily, relieved that he hadn’t totally messed up. Fashion wasn’t necessarily his forte, though he had learned a few things from Taehyung over the years. He was thrilled when he could get something right.

“The other gift, I’m not too sure about,” he said, trying to keep Taehyung’s expectations low. “If it spoke to me, I’m not exactly sure what it said.”

Taehyung raised a curious brow above his glasses and lifted the polar bear out of the bag, letting the tissue paper fall away.

“Oh, wow,” he said softly. He wasn’t one to get overly effusive about gifts, but Seokjin could tell he liked it, from the way he smiled almost affectionately at it and stroked its fur.

“He’s so cute,” he continued. “I can cuddle him to sleep the next time you go away.” He hugged it to his chest, his eyes huge and angelic as he gazed at Seokjin.

Seokjin laughed a little, trying to ignore the way his heart was twitching. If Taehyung being sexily seductive was irresistible, then Taehyung being innocently adorable was ten times moreso. He fidgeted with his own pant leg in order to keep from jumping on him. 

“I really doubt I’m traveling anytime soon, you know. The Chicago trip was just a one-time training thing.”

Taehyung pushed his pink lips out into the most lamentable pout. 

“I know. But…I’ll have this little guy just in case. It was horribly lonely without you.”

Seokjin pouted back at him, still resisting the impulse to tackle.

“I missed you, too.”

“I didn’t know what to do with myself.” Taehyung set the polar bear in his lap, hands brushing the wispy fur. He smiled crookedly. “That’s why I bought that record player. It didn’t distract me totally but it was all I could think of to do. Find a new passion. Till my true passion came back.”

Seokjin laughed, almost to himself, his eyes fluttering shut. It was quite the grandiose assertion, even for Taehyung. How could he be anyone’s ‘true passion’? He was the most painfully average, woefully boring person. Nothing to get excited about. 

He was about to protest, or deflect and make a joke, but he stopped himself. This wasn’t about him and his insecurities. It was about Taehyung showing his love. He knew Taehyung was being utterly sincere. He needed to acknowledge and appreciate that, and simply…love him back as much as he could. 

Just minutes before, he had said he was getting better at accepting Taehyung’s high-flown declarations. Now he needed to prove it. 

“You’re sweet,” he said softly, instead of making a fuss. He blew Taehyung a kiss.

Taehyung pretended to catch it, as he usually did, and placed it on his lips.

“Now for your gift,” he said, leaning over to retrieve his bag. He set it in front of Seokin and leaned back, an enigmatic smile on his face.

Seokjin stared at it a moment, his head a bit muddled as he tried to imagine what it could be. Well, no need to wait any longer. He reached into the bag and pulled out a plain square box, with a slip of tape keeping it shut. He ripped off the tape and opened the box, dipping a hand into the white tissue paper inside.

“Careful,” Taehyung said suddenly. “It’s fragile.”

Adopting a little more caution, Seokjin lifted the paper-covered object out of the box and unwrapped it, revealing a delicate red rose with a single green leaf. It had a vintage look about it, even though it was obviously new. 

“Wow,” Seokjin breathed, running a finger over the edges. “Is this glass?”

“Yeah. From that stall where they do the glass-making demos.”

“It’s beautiful.” Seokjin held it up by its golden string and let it catch the light. “Thank you, sweetie.”

He placed it gently back in the box, nestled in the tissue paper, and set it aside so he could crawl over to Taehyung again and give him a proper kiss.

“It’s a symbol of love,” Taehyung said just before Seokjin’s lips mashed into his. “And…passion.” The last words were mumbled against Seokjin’s mouth.

Taehyung was too cute. Seokjin kissed him again. And again. He knocked the polar bear off of Taehyung’s lap, the poor plushie falling to the floor, and pushed Taehyung down onto the sofa.

Taehyung laughed in surprise as his head conveniently landed on one of their cushy throw pillows. He kissed back keenly, wrapping his arms and legs around Seokjin.

“Mmm,” he murmured. “I didn’t know you’d like it so much.”

“I do like it,” Seokjin said, savoring Taehyung’s lips a moment before moving down his jawline. “But…I’ve been wanting to do this…ever since the market. Actually…ever since I woke up…and saw you sitting on my desk.”

That reminded him…Taehyung’s shirt. His neck. His lovely chest.

The neck and chest that were currently buried under a scarf.

Seokjin looked around for the end of the scarf, and Taehyung helped him, both of them laughing softly as Seokjin unwound it, revealing more and more of that gorgeous skin he wanted to get at.

“Ah, there,” he whispered, once the scarf was fully unwound and tossed aside.

He nudged his nose against Taehyung’s shirt collar, brushing it aside, and slid his tongue across the warm, smooth skin, the beautiful collarbones. He kissed and licked and nuzzled like he often loved to do, like this little area of Taehyung’s body was the only thing in the world.

As he did so, Taehyung lifted his chin, tilting his head back, letting out a soft grunt. His fingers scrabbled over Seokjin’s back, pulling up his sweater and tee-shirt, probing for bare skin. 

“Ahh, Jinnie…but…why did you stop me earlier? You stopped me twice. Maybe three times. And then…in the car…when I touched your leg…you told me not to do it…”

Oh, shit. 

Seokjin had totally forgotten about his surprise, his deception that he’d been maintaining all night, at least until he very enthusiastically pounced on Taehyung just now. Had he completely ruined it?

He halted his ravishing of Taehyung’s chest and kissed back up to his chin. 

“Um,” he said, “because we had plans. And…gifts to open. And…I was tired.”

Taehyung chuckled. “You don’t seem so tired right now.”

He rolled his hips up into Seokjin, bumping their bulges together to prove his point.

Seokjin groaned at the feel of it, realizing he was definitely a little aroused, and buried his face in Taehyung’s neck, unable to keep lying to him while looking him in the eye.

“Well…maybe the sugar in the wine gave me some energy,” he said feebly. “I’m sure it’ll all hit me in a minute. I was so worn out after the market.”

Taehyung laughed again, strong hands rubbing up the bare skin of his back before pulling his sweater down.

“Believe it or not, I’m going to be the one to stop it this time,” he said, kissing Seokjin’s hair. “I still have one more gift for you.”

“Oh god, that’s right.” Seokjin looked up. “But…wasn’t that box the only thing in the bag?”

Taehyung’s smile was as bright as a thousand candles.

“Check the tree,” he said.

A little apprehensive, Seokjin climbed off of Taehyung and made his way over to their Christmas tree. Taehyung followed, watching with lively interest as he adjusted his shirt and cardigan.

They’d decorated the tree together the Saturday after Thanksgiving, singing along with Taehyung’s Christmas playlist, glad to be up and about after they’d just stuffed themselves with leftovers from Taehyung’s parents’ house, where they had celebrated the holiday. It was the third time they had put up a Christmas tree, so Seokjin knew all of their ornaments well.

He studied it, trying to keep the anxious smile from his face, wondering what on earth Taehyung had done now, what kind of silliness he was going to spring on him. Then he spotted them – a pair of small knitted mittens, bright red like the rose ornament, with a simple white snowflake stitched onto each one. They were linked together by a short rope of yarn, which also served as their hook for hanging on the branch.

A little confused, Seokjin touched them and asked, “Is it these?”

Taehyung nodded, biting his lip, an unmistakable sparkle in his eye. Clearly there was more to this gift than first appeared.

“You should…take a look at them,” he said. 

Seokjin laughed, the uncertainty of the situation making him way too nervous. 

“Oh, are there little lumps of coal in there?” he asked playfully. “Or wait — little tiny hand warmers?”

Taehyung just kept smiling and waiting.

Seokjin didn’t know why his heart was beating so fast all of a sudden. He took the mittens down from their perch and rubbed his thumb over each one, feeling for something inside.

One mitten definitely had something in it.

He poked his finger inside and felt a small metal object. Circular.

His whole body grew a sudden rash of goosebumps.

He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but…

Oh god, he was so jittery. He gave Taehyung a look.

“Tae…please tell me you didn’t…”

“Didn’t what?” 

Taehyung pretended to be truly curious, but his shining eyes and protruding cheekbones made it all too obvious that he was bluffing. He clearly knew what was inside the mitten.

Seokjin fished it out, his heart still thudding like mad. 

It was a ring, all right — silvery and beautiful, with a matte strip around the middle and shiny beveled edges. 

Classy and quietly lovely, just like Taehyung. 

He stared at it, dumbfounded, trying to keep a straight face. Was it really what he thought it was? Of course they had joked about getting married several times over the last three years, but it was never a real discussion, just something they would banter about. 

Trying to make sense of the precious object in his hand, Seokjin noticed some words engraved on the inside. He brought the ring closer to his eyes and read the flowing script: I love you…in other words. 

Hmm? he wondered. Oh. 

In other words…I love you.

Seokjin burst out with a flustered laugh, covering his mouth with his hand. 

It was their song. At least, it had become that over the years.

Taehyung sang it at almost every gig, and when he did, he fixed his eyes on Seokjin during the “I love you” part. All of the songs Taehyung sang felt like little messages to Seokjin, but that one in particular had a special significance to it. Taehyung had even developed a habit of giving Seokjin moon-and-star related gifts, like a silvery moon tray to keep his keys in, and a moon-and-stars mobile that he had hung above his desk.

During the time when Taehyung couldn’t do live shows, he had still found times to sing it to him, randomly, while they were making dinner, or when they were dressing in the morning. He’d sometimes grab Seokjin and dance with him, crooning sweetly into his ear. 

Thinking about all of that in the few seconds that he examined the ring, Seokjin felt his eyes well up.

“Can I see that?” Taehyung asked innocently, still pretending that he didn’t know what was going on. 

He took the ring from Seokjin’s slightly trembling hand.

“Oh god,” Seokjin said, his voice trembling, too. “Is this…is this really what I think it is?”

He raised a hand and dabbed gently at his eyes with his knuckles, but it was in vain, because as Taehyung knelt down in front of him, more tears emerged. 

Until then he hadn’t realized how much he wanted this. The idea of it had fluttered through his mind occasionally, but it just always felt like a silly, faraway dream, some wispy and ephemeral fairy tale, not something that could actually happen in real life. 

He’d envisioned maybe asking Taehyung someday, if he ever got the guts. Maybe just casually, without any fanfare, since that was his way. But he had thought maybe they should be together a little while longer first. 

Well, it seemed Taehyung had beaten him to it.

“Yes, it is,” Taehyung said, letting his full smile break out, laughing low in his throat like he was unable to contain his joy any longer. “Did I surprise you?”

“Um…yes. What the hell, Tae.”

Taehyung laughed again and took Seokjin’s hand, running his thumb over his knuckles.

“I know we’ve never had a super serious talk about it,” he said, glancing down at the carpet and back up again. “And maybe it’s not really what you want, but…you know me. I’m a romantic. I like to do things the old-fashioned way.” 

Taehyung’s eyes got incredibly soft, and his hand seemed a bit fidgety as it squeezed Seokjin’s. 

“You’re absolutely everything to me, Jinnie.” 

Seokjin squeezed his damp eyes shut and smiled. He couldn’t seem to form any words, so he just gripped Taehyung’s hand firmly where it held his and gave it a little shake. 

Taehyung brought Seokjin’s hand to his lips and kissed it sweetly, resting it against his cheek for a moment. It was wet. Apparently Taehyung was crying, too.

“I’m doing this because,” he said in his wonderfully cozy voice, “I want to be with you…and only you…until the very end.” 

He grasped the ring between his thumb and forefinger and held it up towards Seokjin. The edges of it glimmered, reflecting the lights from the Christmas tree. 

They smiled at each other, both exhaling shakily. Taehyung’s eyes were huge and teary and full of love behind his tortoiseshell frames.

“My Jinnie flower…my everything…will you marry me?”

Seokjin sniffled at those words, the sweetness and purity behind them. The utter sincerity that they conveyed. That look on Taehyung’s face. Could this really be happening? He shook his head in pure disbelief.  

Taehyung’s face suddenly fell, his adoring expression dissolving into a heartbreaking frown, and Seokjin realized that he was mistaking Seokjin’s disbelief for a refusal.

“Oh my god, Tae,” he laughed, sinking to his knees and looking Taehyung square in the eyes. “Of course I’ll marry you, you little stinker.” He threw his arms around his shoulders. “I’m just in shock.”

“Oh…good,” Taehyung sighed out. “Good, good, good.”

He wrapped his arms around Seokjin’s waist, and they hugged each other like that, kneeling in front of the Christmas tree, while the scratchy record played on.

Seokjin was still in disbelief, but it was giving way to a feeling of bliss, washing over him like the gentlest waterfall. He clung to Taehyung, scrunching his shoulders into him, pulling back only to plant a loving kiss on his lips before nuzzling his face into his neck.

“Mmm, my Tae,” he murmured. “My sweetie. I can’t believe you did this. You’re absolutely crazy. I love you so much.” 

“I love you, too, Jinnie. So much.” 

They swayed to the music slowly, Taehyung humming the tune until the song ended.

An immense feeling of gratitude swept over Seokjin as they lingered there, still hugging. He knew he might never feel totally worthy and deserving of Taehyung’s love, but he was so happy to have it.

“Thank you,” he said faintly, pulling away just long enough to kiss Taehyung’s jaw before holding him close again, chin on his shoulder. 

“Thank you for loving me,” he muttered, “even with all my…many, many faults. For wanting to be with me. To marry me, what the heck…” 

He laughed again in sheer amazement. 

“Honestly,” he went on, still holding him, staring at the record player as it warbled on, “sometimes I think you’re kind of nuts for being with me, but…god, Tae…I’m so damn lucky. Insanely lucky. I know I probably don’t tell you this nearly enough, but…you’re wonderful, just wonderful. The absolute best. Like, even on your worst days, you still find ways to make me love you. It’s crazy. You’re selfless and loyal and loving. Always so good to me. Even after all this time. And…I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else. So…this makes me really happy. You make me really happy. Thank you.”

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, drinking in the moment, the dreamy music, the feel of Taehyung, solid and strong and warm in his arms.

Taehyung was silent but embraced him more tightly, clutching at him like he would never let go, stroking his back and taking his own deep breath. 

Seokjin could tell he was moved, and maybe a little overwhelmed. He hoped he was happy, too. 

After they held each other a while longer, during which Seokjin’s knees and back started to genuinely hurt from the odd position they were in, Taehyung pulled away and gave him a sweet kiss. 

“By the way,” he said, his joyfully misty eyes skimming Seokjin’s face. “I still have the ring, if you want it.”

Seokjin laughed, rubbing the teary residue from his own eyes. 

“I guess it’s customary to wear one’s engagement ring, eh?”

“Usually,” Taehyung shrugged. He smiled, holding it up between them again. He took Seokjin’s left hand and slid the ring onto his finger.

Seokjin looked down at it, still in awe of it even existing. It fit his finger perfectly. 

“Oh shoot,” he said softly. “I need to get you one, too, right?”

Taehyung got up, hand in Seokjin’s to pull him up with him.

Seokjin’s knees cracked faintly as he rose.

“Ahh!” he whined, a little more dramatically than he needed to.

Taehyung held onto his arms.

“You all right? Let’s sit,” he laughed. 

“You sure you want to marry someone who’s decrepit?” Seokjin asked, his movements stiff and halting as he made his way back to the couch.

Taehyung just smirked. “As long as it’s you, then yes.”

“Like I said…you’re nuts.”

Seokjin settled back onto the couch and heaved a sigh of relief, as if he’d just hiked up a hill and finally reached the top, instead of simply crossing the living room.

He looked over and saw Taehyung gazing at him with a mix of amusement, concern, and sympathy.

“It looks like my proposal wore you out again,” he chuckled.

“Completely.” Seokjin smiled and leaned against the back of the sofa. “Wore me out, knocked me for a loop, made my brain explode…you know, it’s a really good thing we both took tomorrow off. I’m going to need at least three days to recover.”

Taehyung grinned at him, his face effulgent. It made Seokjin want to pounce on him again. Instead, he crawled over and rested his head in his lap. Taehyung shifted his legs to accommodate him and stared down at him fondly, smoothing his bangs back from his forehead.

“Maybe we can go get my ring tomorrow,” Taehyung said. “It’s already done. Just gotta pay for it. It’s like yours but not engraved.” 

Seokjin’s nose itched. He raised a hand to rub the itch away, his face wrinkling up. 

Taehyung caught the hand before he could move it back down and ran his warm fingertips over the back of it. He gave the ring a little rub.

“It looks good on you.”

Seokjin smiled. It was his first time wearing a ring; he would have to get used to it. It felt a bit strange having this light but still very noticeable weight encircling his finger. 

“Can I engrave something on yours?” he asked.

“That depends. What would you say?”

“Hmm. How about ‘thank you, Jimin’?” 

Taehyung laughed. “I guess that fits.”

“We should tell him. That we’re engaged. Unless you’ve already told him.”

“Oh, he knew I planned on asking you tonight.”

Seokjin shook his head with a laugh. “You guys. You should text him that I said ‘no’ and see what he says.”

Taehyung gave Seokjin’s nose a little tweak.

“Don’t even joke about that,” he said. “I was so scared that that might actually happen.”

“Aww, Tae.” Seokjin looked up into Taehyung’s eyes. They gazed back at him adoringly. “You silly. I can’t imagine saying ‘no’ to you.”