dripping honey

Namjoon remembers it perfectly like it’s a real-life projection. A week when he bled out his love. Almost a year ago. Something tipping them towards each other more than ever.

In fact, every moment he spent with Jungkook feels as vivid as watching the butterfly that comes in through the window gently hovering over the pretty blue and pink flowers on his balcony. 

“Hyung! Look! It worked! A butterfly!” Jungkook says with so much glee that Namjoon would almost think he’d never seen one. 

“It did work.” Namjoon smiles looking at the pretty orange blutterfly hovering around the plants Jungkook had bought for him to extend his plant collection. 

Soon enouch, his eyes are drawn somewhere else. They’re drawn to Jungkook as they often are. 

The barely-there sun touching his skin is making him look warm and soft. Namjoon almost reaches out to touch him, to caress his cheeks and feel for himself some of that warmth. 

Jungkook’s big eyes turn to him. Caught, Namjoon looks back at the flowers. Heart fluttering faster than the wings of the butterfly. 

“I bought honey and some fruits from the market for you. I know you really enjoy your mangoes sweet these days.” Jungkook says casually, eyes still glued to the butterfly fluttering around. 

Namjoon feels warmth spreading through him. 

“Thank you.” And he does reach out, touches Jungkook on his bare shoulder, the touch sending electricity up his spine. Namjoon recoils. Yeah should’ve thought that one through.

Jungkook smiles. It reaches his eyes first. It always does.

Namjoon goes to his bathroom, takes a long warm shower, the water hitting his back and easing the muscles there. Inside his wardrobe, there is their Halloween costumes.

“Almost midnight and you didn’t put your costume on yet Hyung!” Jungkook pouts.

It’s Halloween, and Jungkook and him are making a two-people-party. Jungkook could be anywhere else, but here he is with his galaxy costume. Simply because Namjoon isn’t really comfortable with too many people and would rather stay home.

Namjoon had suggested the costume to Jungkok, tried to smoothly say it would match his eyes. And it really does. 

Jungkook hand-painted the galaxy in a black bodysuit, he also did a solar system in a headpiece, put on some purple and blue eyeshadow to match. Namjoon is easily loosing his mind with how pretty he looks.

Namjoon wants to reach out and touch, still, he’s afraid he might run out of air, get sucked in, there’s no oxygen in space, only the unknown. Maybe he should put on his costume.

“I’ll go!” Namjoon smiles fondly, and goes to his room. Jungkook has laid down his costume nicely on the bed for him. 

It’s an astronaut costume. There’s even a helmet. Namjoon doesn’t know how Jungkook found that, but he did. 

Namjoon puts it on as he tries to ignore the butterflies flying around in his stomach at the thought that their fantasies compliment each other. 

“Ready and launch!” Namjoon jokes as he enters the living room. 

Jungkook giggles and smiles, hopping out to him out of glee. Namjoon feels floaty to make him smile like that. Maybe he should press that gravity button. It must be in his costume somewhere. 

“I would believe you’re an astronaut!” Jungkook smiles as he fixes a cord on his costume that Namjoon didn’t notice wasn’t attached. 

They’re very close like this, and Namjoon takes advantage of being with his helmet on and looks at the soft slope of Jungkook’s nose, his pretty pouty lips, the mole underneath them, his eyelashes fluttering when he blinks. Namjoon is enraptured. 

“Now take off your helmet so we can eat!” Jungkook smiles sweetly, not stepping back. “I made us space food, with lots of edible glitter and food coloring.” Jungkook points to the little stars and planets on the tray. “Don’t worry there’s real food too.” Jungkook scrunches his nose, and Namjoon takes off his helmet with shaky hands, he’s really vibrating out of his skin with love.

Then, it occurs to him, all the parties and nice things Jungkook must’ve been invited to.

“Hm, sure you don’t wanna go to a party?”

“No.” Jungkook answers immediately, a pretty smile on his lips. 

The weather is good outside. Namjoon takes fruit from the basket and sits on his balcony. There are so many memories everywhere.

“Is that the honey I bought?” Namjoon smiles with the spoon in his mouth, it’s so good he’s been eating it plain. But Jungkook has chastised him for it. So Namjoon really wishes he could produce a piece of fruit from thin air right now. He can’t though. “Hyung! You’re eating it like that again!” 

Namjoon looks up from his chair to see a pouty Jungkook, with his eyebrows furrowed, his arms crossed and all. He’s so very cute Namjoon holds back the coo that threatens to spill out from him. 

“Not my fault, it literally tastes like caramel,” Namjoon says with really no intention of it actually being an excuse. 

“Fine. Let me try it. If I think it’s bad you’re not having it anymore, and if it’s good you can have it.” Namjoon chuckles but quickly reigns himself in. Jungkook is serious about this, the pout unmoving and in place. 

“Alright.” Namjoon takes a bit in the spoon, but something in his brain goes the other way, and he presses the honey on Jungkook’s soft cheek, faster than Jungkook can react. 

“Hyung!” Jungkook protests mouth agape. “I can’t believe you just did that.” 

Namjoon is about to apologize when he catches the smile on Jungkook’s lips, he’s quick though, and soon the honey is being smeared on him. Namjoon screams running from him. 

“Come here!” Jungkook giggles fill the room, the entire house, his entire being.

At night, in his bed, there are memories there too.

“Hyung.” Jungkook’s soft voice pulls Namjoon from his slumber, he pokes his head out of the covers to look at the younger one standing at his door. 

“Hm? What’s wrong?” Namjoon’s voice is raspy from the almost sleep state he was.

Jungkook has his long baby blue sweater on again, the one that goes to the middle of his thighs, almost reaching his knees, the sleeves covering his hands. He looks small like that. Namjoon wants to pull him under the covers and hold him close.

“Nothing. Can I just sit here for a bit?”

“Yeah.” Namjoon sits up and stifles a yawn.

“Oh, you’re tired. I can just-“

“It’s okay. I almost didn’t see you today.” Jungkook looks at him with those big eyes sitting at the edge of his bed and nods. 

“Yeah. You were busy. I really liked the paintings.” 

“You saw them?” Namjoon’s heart rate picks up. 

He’s a painter, mostly abstract art, modern, he expresses himself like that. His career has been growing and he’s been able to sell more paintings this year than in his entire life combined.

Still, to an attentive and knowing look, his paintings aren’t that abstract. There are way too many galaxy resemblances, too many baby blues and on the last ones, honey, dripping honey.  

“What is your inspiration lately?” Jungkook asks his eyes on his fingers. Namjoon holds on to the covers not to reach out and hold his hands himself.

There are two answers to that question, he can say the truth. You’re the inspiration. It’s always been you. Or he can say the other one, that is no less true, but reveals less, the one that makes this remain the same, unchanging as it has been for the past year. He chooses that one. 

“Life, things around me.” 

“That’s nice.” Jungkook smiles. A small smile. “I think I want that birthday wish you owe me now.” Namjoon freezes at that. “I want the baby blue painting. It’s my favorite color. It’ll look nice in my bedroom. Can I have it?”

“If you want it, it’s yours.” At that, Jungkook smiles so big Namjoon falls back into the sheets to hide his imminent blush.

Namjoon wakes up and he can’t really fight the smile reaching his lips at the date on the calendar. 

It’s the 5th of November again.

Namjoon waits in the sun and doesn’t even care. His eyes focused on the sliding doors. And soon enough there he is. 

Jungkook is fast. Faster and stronger than Namjoon will ever be, he runs to him and Namjoon knew it would happen, still, he can’t help when they stumble and fall on the grass, bags forgotten. 

“I missed you.” Jungkook cries into his neck as if they hadn’t seen each other in months. It’s been just one weekend. Jungkook had a trip for a college assignment. It’s still their day, Jungkook made sure to catch the earliest train to be here when it was still their anniversary.

Namjoon can’t lie though, it does feel like more. He misses Jungkook every second they’re not together.

“I missed you too. Happy 5th of November baby.”

“Happy 5th of November,” Jungkook repeats the words back to him, his face tear-streaked, but with the prettiest smile on his lips.

“I bought more honey,” Jungkook says in a conspiracy tone, even though it’s only the two of them in the room. Namjoon laughs. 

“You’re addicted to it Jungkook-ah.” Namjoon tsks, Jungkook finished the little jar the other day after tasting what Namjoon had smudged on his cheek. 

“Yeah, I’ll have to do more time at the gym.” Jungkook sighs and Namjoon hums. That’s not necessary, Jungkook is ripped. he could eat four hundred jars of honey and he wouldn’t stop being ripped. 

“I want some!” Namjoon calls out when he hears the shuffle of the bags in the kitchen, knowing Jungkook is getting a spoon of it for himself. 

Soon, the couch dips next to him, and Namjoon smiles. He notices Jungkook only has one spoon in his hand.

“We’ll share. So we don’t each that much.” Jungkook explains, his socked feet tucked underneath Namjoon’s thigh like he normally does. Only this time it spreads warmth through him. They’re used to sharing water bottles, and whatnot. But this is a bit much. “You want it first?”

“N-no. You can have it.” Namjoon will not admit he wants to taste Jungkook along with the honey. Jungkook simply nods and puts the spoon in his mouth. Namjoon can’t take his eyes away from his lips. 

When the spoon comes out, the honey is shining a bit. Namjoon swallows around the lump in his throat. Okay. This is not a big deal. Jungkook doesn’t think it is.

He takes the spoon being offered to him in a bit of a haze, Jungkook’s eyes fixed on it, Namjoon takes a deep breath before he sticks it in his mouth. He does his best to seem cool about it like it’s not setting him on fire inside out. The honey melts on his tongue.

“Hm, so good,” Namjoon comments before he can stop himself. It’s okay though, he’s talking about the honey.

“Yeah?” Jungkook asks, and his voice sounds airy. Namjoon looks at him, his eyes are so dark, pupils big and there’s something else there that makes Namjoon shiver. “I want to taste it again.” 

Logically Jungkook should get up and take another spoonful. But what he does is lean in, halfway only, waiting. 

Namjoon has a hard time processing what’s happening. But it’s there, being offered to him, the one thing he wants. So he takes it. Simple like that, as most things are with them.

Jungkook’s lips are soft like he thought they’d be. They’re sweet from the honey, his tongue sweeter. Namjoon smiles into the kiss. He’s definitely floating, being pulled into the lovely galaxy that is Jungkook.

“Hyung. I really like it.” Jungkook breathes out, his cheeks the prettiest shade of pink like his lips. 

“The honey?”

“Yeah. Tastes better like this.” Namjoon laughs and kisses the mole underneath Jungkook’s lips, loving the way he gasps at the action. “I like you a lot Hyung.”

Namjoon feels limitless, feels like anything is possible because Jungkook, sweet Jungkook, who’s been his roommate for almost a year, who he’s been in love with since the first week likes him back. 

“I really like you too.” Jungkooks eyes sparkle at that, because of course they do, his smile reaching them first. 

Namjoon caresses his cheek, marveling at the softness of his skin. It’s better than what he imagined. 

“What do you like in me?” Namjoon smiles fondly at the question. 

“I love everything about you.” Jungkook’s eyes get even bigger if that’s possible, but Namjoon doesn’t want to take the words back because they’re true. 

“I-I love everything about you too,” Jungkook says it so shyly, so prettily that Namjoon can’t resist as he kisses him again.

Namjoon wants to mark this moment to remember it forever. 

“It’s the 5th of November,” Namjoon says pulling back but still caressing Jungkook’s cheek with his thumb gently. 

“Our first day.” Jungkook hums, his pretty eyes closed as he leans further into Namjoon’s touch. 

“Our first day.”