Work Text:
Jeongguk had been in the school's drama club for as long as he could remember. That is, a whole, miserable two years of his high school life. Senior year, and he regrets not choosing a different fine arts course. He had reached the point where he felt ready to quit the course and school all together.
Enter Min Yoongi.
It had been Jeongguk's third year, and as strange as another senior joining a different course in his last year had been, his teacher had insisted on the new artsy darling ("Look! At his hair! I can see he is of great creativity already!") to be lectured on the basics of drama. Min Yoongi's hair had really been a strange color, and he proved himself quite an easily learning student. A shy one, too. He had stuttered over his sentences when they first practiced in front of an audience. Their teacher had encouraged him further enthusiastically.
Little had she known that Yoongi presented words as if they were emotions when he was alone with Jeongguk. Etched in a corner of the library, or the backseats of the auditorium. His face bent over a paper, eyes scanning. Jeongguk watched him, and it had been like he could see the ink detach itself from the paper and flow into Yoongi's mind. The first time that they met afterschool to practice in the park and ended up peforming in front of pedestrians for money and fun.
All these first times, and somewhere along the way, Jeongguk started to imagine other firsts with Yoongi. If he held his hand now, or started to stroke his cheek to say he'd done great on that last bit, what would Yoongi's first reaction be? Would they become more skilled over time if they were to repeat it? Would Jeongguk reach for Yoongi's hands out of habit like the words that he learned tumbled from memory without even thinking?
All these first times happened in the span of almost half a year, february creeping upon them with fresh snow. Now, Jeongguk and Yoongi's drama teacher liked to create assignments based seasonally (she didn't even follow the school's official schedule), and so it was that one day she greeted them, exclaiming that love was in the air, and they shall delve in its warmth and feel it in their veins as they stand on stage.
In short, a valentines monologue.
It had come as a relief that they were given monologues taken from already existent works, since neither Yoongi nor Jeongguk knew their way around romantic writing too well. They had been given a memorization time of four days (which had been enough, considering the length of each of their assigned pieces had been three fourths of a page only). Them being the perfectionists they were, had it down half-time, giving them additional time to practice the performance before their teacher gave the class another two days.
So now, with valentines day peaking around the corner, Jeongguk keeps thinking about whomst ever he could spend it with. He knows he wants to do it with Yoongi; his first choice in anything he does. But how will Yoongi perceive it? He readjusts his round glasses and glances at his surroundings. Yoongi is next in line by the stage, waiting for the teacher to call him up. She just finishes giving advice to the previous student. Jeongguk shoots Yoongi a thumbs up, and Yoongi grins before stepping under the lights.
Being on stage looking at the audience is an entirely different feeling than being one amongst many in the audience. It appears less restricted, as if you are talking to the world. Usually, the lights above the seats are off, but they're on now for rehearsal and classes, so that the person on stage will see fifteen faces looking back at them in anticipation.
Yoongi's monologue features a young man describing his loved one to them. Many of the others talk to the world or themselves about how they feel about love. Yoongi's is undoubtedly a little trickier, and Jeongguk feels pride for him.
“Talk to me, or choose anyone in the audience! Pretend they are your lover, and speak your words to them! Act like you feel the love truly, be it! It may be better if you pick someone you are fond if, it will be easier to display affection.”
Jeongguk listens to her, wondering whom Yoongi will face. He doesn't know of any crushes or friends Yoongi has here.
He turns back to the stage, and finds Yoongi's dark eyes resting in his.
The lights form a halo around him, and his newly caramel hair is engulfed. Jeongguk sees him take a breath, feels himself take a deeper one, and Yoongi opens his mouth.
And Yoongi, he is a wonderful actor. More skilled than Jeongguk, if he dare say so himself.
The fluid, longing movements he makes, his body angling towards Jeongguk.
To find a kiss of yours
what would I give
A kiss that strayed from your lips
dead to love
My lips taste
the dirt of shadows
To gaze at your dark eyes
what would I give
Dawns of rainbow garnet
fanning open before God-
The stars blinded them
one morning in May
And to kiss your pure thighs
what would I give
Raw rose crystal
sediment of the sun
There's this ache in Yoongi's eyes, in his voice. He displays the behavior of someone so deeply in love effortlessly, Jeongguk is almost envious (not minding the obvious being that Yoongi is portraying a perfect imitation of Jeongguk's behavior towards him).
He doesn't know what makes his eyes widen, what finally makes him suck in air, and then freeze, absolutely still.
All these first times with Yoongi, he should have known better, sooner. That Yoongi isn't acting. He hasn't become the character. He is the character craving for the attention, the love. He's pouring his most inner feelings into someone else's words, because they may as well have been his own. His pronounciation, the pointed look in his eyes that isn't focused on turning Jeongguk into his loved one, but focusing on the person that's really sitting there, stone-still.
Jeongguk imagines that he feels the warmth too, and the words Yoongi is reciting play on repeat in his head. What would I give, Jeongguk thinks.
It's over so abruptly that Jeongguk doesn't have time to calm himself, can't quit the overthinking and thumping in his head, can't make himself reconsider before he trips out of his seat. Yoongi is glaring at him with wide eyes, and it's only a flash of a second later that Jeongguk is clinging to his body, cradling his waist tightly.
Warm, warm, warm, the love in his veins is hot.
Jeongguk's head is buried in Yoongi's shoulder, and he moves down to kiss his collarbone, moves away to kiss his cheek and hold his neck.
Yoongi is looking at him dazedly, clearly not expecting this outcome. His expression is still glazed in the same affection.
“Is that good? Am I okay? Are we...?” he whispers.
Jeongguk nods frantically to the beat of his heart. Yoongi shivers into a smile, stress oozing from his shoulders.
“Amazing! Above and beyond again, you two!” the teacher booms.
She's coming towards them, clapping.
“I haven't seen such a good portrayal of young love in a while.”
Jeongguk blushes, and he guesses you could say that the love in his cheeks flashes red.
It isn't until outside of the building, under the heavy weight of the backpack on his shoulder and the sheltering of a tree's thick branches that Jeongguk takes Yoongi's face into his hands and kisses him. For the first time. And Yoongi kisses him back for the first time, recognizes the lovestruck look on Jeongguk's face for the very first time.