He will not buy Yugyeom. Bambam convinces himself as he weaves through the curious crowd in front of the small stage. He pats his pockets, feeling for the wad of cash shoved down just a few minutes earlier. No, he definitely won’t.

To be completely truthful, Bambam has been against the date auction idea in general, hosted by the high school’s dance club, apparently in dire need of funds. Held in the middle of the day, the highest bidder only actually buys half a day with the member on stage. It’s a con, he swears. And even with all the talk about it, he doesn’t even know if Yugyeom is a choice. Not to mention, there are just so many people gathered around, it’s starting to draw more attention to the runway than Bambam would like.

It’s supposed to be small. It’s supposed to fail. Bambam is supposed to come and steal Yugyeom away, all while joking about Jinyoung’s poor management and sketchy club financials together with his best friend.

Yugyeom is not supposed to be standing on the stage even if that’s what Jinyoung said would happen.

Bambam grumbles unhappily and plops down on one of the cheap plastic chairs set up in the quad as he watches his best friend walk down the runway, hands in his pockets and a sheepish grin hidden under an old-fashioned leather hat. A horrible choice, really. Jaebum really should have known better. Him and his insane love for vintage, automobiles, aircraft, and Jinyoung...

Bambam pouts unconsciously at the thought of the crafty club treasurer, almost definitely the one who tricked Yugyeom into the current situation.

“‘Sup!”

Bambam’s eyes widen as he whips his head to hiss at the guy who has just sat down to his right. “Mark! Shhh!”

“You think Yugyeom can hear me? Don’t be silly, Bambam.” Mark leans back in his chair and glances sideways at Bambam. “So do you wanna tell me why you’re sitting here pining like a-”

“Not. Pining.”

“Like a beached whale, Bam, you look funny.” As if that were possible for someone as glamorous as Bambam. “You think a girl is gonna bid for him? Yugyeommie’s first girlfriend and no time for his friends anymore?”

Bambam rolls his eyes at Mark’s dramatic hand gestures and pointedly ignores his question. “And why’re you here? Where’s Jackson and the crew?”

“Prepping. I’m here to bid.”

Bambam raises an eyebrow at this but he gets cut off before he even gets to ask who Mark is bidding for. Someone just bid for Yugyeom.

“Aw, hell no.”

Just a few seconds ago, Bambam had promised not to bid. Though, a few seconds ago, Yugyeom hadn’t even been an option. But Bambam is not a man to be bothered with the trivial details of the past, no-

“$10!” A voice calls out from right next to him.

“What the actual .”

Bambam likes to think that he doesn’t look like the beached whale Mark pictures, but there’s no denying the fact that his mouth is hanging wide open.

“You’re bidding for him?”

The smug look on Mark’s face annoys him so much that Bambam is torn between leaving and smacking his older friend with the wad of bills now clutched in his hand.

Someone else shouts out, “$20!”

“$30!” It’s Mark, again.

“What the hell!” Bambam hisses.

“$30? Do we have a higher bid?” The auctioneer calls out, searching the crowd.

Glancing once at Mark’s teasing smirk and then back up to the stage where Yugyeom stands, shifting his weight awkwardly from one long leg to another, Bambam groans. “$35!” He’s sitting a ways from the runway but somehow, Yugyeom’s head snaps up at the sound of his voice and a pair of warm brown eyes meet his. Bambam’s forced smile gets a dumb grin in reply. He’s so ed.

“$35? Do we have a higher bid?” The auctioneer calls out, again. “Going once, twice, and sold!”

As he moves to pay, Bambam doesn’t miss the way Mark lets out high-pitched giggles that make the boy wonder if Mark saw the total amount of cash he had been holding. He has a suspicion the elder might’ve bid even higher if he hadn’t noticed how many extra hours Bambam had spent working overtime shifts in the past week. But of course, that was totally unrelated.

♊

A totally not sketch transaction and thirty minutes of arguing later, Bambam emerges victorious with the rest of Yugyeom’s day officially his—according to a ripped half slip of binder paper. He supposes the only well organized part of this whole thing is their new personal chauffeur for the afternoon, Jackson, who he knows better than to ask why he’s taking the job. Obviously, Jinyoung forced the poor soul -probably blackmail. Unfortunately, Yugyeom lacks such an insight.

“I thought you were working the next auctioneer shift?”

It has to be illegal, the way he slightly tilts his head with innocent question in his eyes, and it’s probably the only reason Jackson would attempt to cover a grimace pulling at the corners of his mouth with a laugh. But if Bambam didn’t know any better, he thinks it looks more like a smirk than a grimace.

“Just put on your seatbelt.”

“Whatever.” Bambam turns to look up at Yugyeom, who has finally changed out of the old school hip hop-esque black leather into a baggy pink sweatshirt and soft blue jeans. Totally boyfriend material. Not that that matters to Bambam. The signature cross earing twinkles as the sunlight bounces off in different directions as the younger fumbles with the seatbelt and Bambam smiles.

“Let’s go somewhere new.” He finds himself smiling stupidly as Yugyeom looks up from where he has somehow managed to force his belt buckle into the wrong one by brute force. “Not the usual cafe and shopping date?”

“N-no,” Bambam shoots a glare at the back of Jackson’s head, slightly shaking with what he assumes is stifled laughter. Date. It’s really too easy for Yugyeom to say that. “The amusement park.” A real date, or else it wouldn’t be worth the price, right?

Yugyeom grins at him and jerks his head at their driver, “Cost is covered?”

“Yeah,” Bambam responds easily, watching his best friend lean back comfortably, the blue and green flashing across the window turning into gray and browns as Jackson enters the highway. The two settle into their usual conversation, tidbits about how the club is doing, small complaints about homework, jokes about their friends, etc. In fact, if someone had been watching, they would have seen two friends going to hang out, not a bidder and bachelor going on a romantic auctioned date. For some reason, that thought makes Bambam feel both more at ease but also incredibly annoyed.

He mentally shoves it away. “Hey, Gyeommie, anything specific you wanna do there?”

“There’s roller coasters and games, right? That sounds pretty fun.”

Jackson haphazardly tosses a flyer back at the two with his free hand, “It’s listed. You can keep it.”

Bambam sasses back a remark that he doesn’t need a map, but he takes it anyways and skims through the graphics. Three roller coasters and a multitude of other rides plus a food and games court. “You had lunch, right? Let’s go on this roller coaster first and we can work our way around.”

Yugyeom hums in agreement, “Sure, anything you want.”

“Don’t be a dip, Gyeommie. Look at the map.”

He laughs and leans in, face only a little too close to the map spread across Bambam’s lap. “That sounds pretty good. Let’s hit the game and food area around five?”

“Yeah, sure.” Yugyeom is still looking at the map, his torso practically pressed against Bambam’s leg and Bambam swears he’s done nothing to deserve such torture. Really, it’s not like he was a bad person in his past life or anything, maybe just slightly abnormal. Passive-aggressively letting out a heavy sigh, he pokes Yugyeom’s cheek, “Yo Gyeommie, head off my crotch, please.”

Yugyeom ignores him.

“Gyeommie.”

Bambam smirks slightly, “Get off or I’m going to tell Jaebum you threw his favorite hat away.”

Yugyeom’s head jerks up. “You wouldn’t,” he gasps in horror.

“Try me.”

Yugyeom narrows his eyes slightly but he pouts and pushes himself up, leaning back against the seat. Usually it’s Jinyoung throwing shade and being passive-aggressive while Bambam is sassy, not the other way around, and Yugyeom knows that very well. “How did you even know that I did it?”

“Are you kidding me?” Bambam scoffs, but seeing his friend’s earnest expression, his tone softens. “Gyeommie. You literally left sand in it from when you were at the beach.”

“Oh, right, .” He frowns.

Bambam laughs and then winks slyly at him, “Chill, man. I dumped it out.”

“I’m not even surprised.” The two slip back into their normal talk and Bambam’s slightly tense tone from before disappears. Yugyeom chalks it up to stress or maybe the fact that Jinyoung blackmailed the poor guy’s best friend into being a bachelor for a date auction. He thought Bambam would have found it hilarious and maybe even have asked to join himself, but he had just grumbled, something about a stupid conman.

♊

It gets better as they near the highway exit, where they can already see the tall drop tower circled by a large wooden roller coaster track. The closer they get to the flashing lights and bright colors, the more Bambam relaxes. It’s slight, but he sinks into the seat just a little more, with a small smile growing on his lips. Yugyeom doubts the older boy remembers, but he can still see that scene. It was April, several years ago. The springtime had breathed a sense of romanticism into the Thai boy who had been staring out of Yugyeom’s bedroom window, pencil tossed onto the pile of homework on the desk, and all of a sudden asked if he wanted to go to Disneyland, the authentic kind in the U.S., of course.

The place they’re going isn’t Disneyland, but it’s close enough. Bambam can’t help but grin at the sight when Jackson drops them off in front of the main entrance with prepaid tickets clutched tightly in Bambam’s hands. “Do you think they have cotton candy?” He just about squeals.

Yugyeom laughs. “I’m pretty sure Jinyoung would never cover food costs for us. Do you have extra money?”

Surprisingly, there’s a wad of bills being waved in front of his face, held by Bambam. Yugyeom raises his eyebrows. Bambam is the one in their group who always complains that his fashion taste is too expensive and that he needs to marry rich. The last time Yugyeom saw Bambam carry this much money around was probably when they went shopping in Seoul together. “I was expecting you to say no, but this works, I guess.” He jokes and pats his pocket, “I have my wallet, too, just in case.”

“Don’t be stupid. I’m paying.” Bambam grabs Yugyeom by the wrist and pulls him toward the entrance. When they get to the security check, Yugyeom giggles off to the side while the guard has Bambam remove all his accessories. Their eyes meet and Bambam smirks. A studded backpack, watch, necklace, bracelets, clips, belt and more clink onto the table endlessly before the guard finally gives up, rubbing his forehead in exasperation and asking Bambam, “Nevermind, sir. Can you please re-attach all your items over there?”

Smoothly taking the bin offered to him, Bambam carefully sweeps his accessories in and saunters over to where Yugyeom is waiting. When the guard is out of earshot, Bambam breaks out laughing. “Oh my god, did you see the poor guy’s face?”

“He’s probably hoping he doesn’t get fired.” Yugyeom grins as Bambam buckles his belt, “Do you need help with that?”

Bambam fake scoffs, “Don’t be a dip. Can you put everything else in the backpack?”

“Why’d you wear them if you’re just going to put them away?” Yugyeom complies anyways, making sure to be gentle with the items.

“Fashion, my dear Gyeommie, is expensive.”

Yugyeom looks at him questioning, but Bambam simply takes off his earrings, too. When the last metal cuff link is stowed away, he takes the backpack from Yugyeom and pulls out the map.

“The wooden roller coaster first, yeah?”

Bambam nods, “Go straight until you see the patio area, then turn right, and…” His voice trails off as he looks up and a familiar smirk appears on his face. “Last one there loses!”

“Hey!” Yugyeom yells as Bambam slings the backpack over his shoulder and takes off. Grinding his teeth, he sprints after him. The bastard knows the directions, like hell he could lose to Yugyeom. It’s not even a fair game. Never is a fair game with him, Yugyeom knows.

But that doesn’t mean he can’t try. Competitive streak blazing, he pumps his arms to swerve around the crowds of vacationers toward the moving tuft of ombre red hair until they’re side by side. “Hey.”

“Goddamnit, Yugyeom. Stop being fast.” Bambam says, but he grins wider.

“Not my fault I’m naturally talented.” Yugyeom grins back only to see the world tilting at an unnatural angle. Tilting, tilting, he immediately rolls when he hits the ground and gets up to hear Bambam laugh, getting further away.

Not even surprised, Yugyeom dusts off his clothes and starts running again. This time, he stays a few meters to the right of Bambam to avoid getting tripped again. As they run, he marvels that it’s so easy to follow Bambam even through the throngs of people, with not only his hair but also his style and aura seeming to set him apart from the others. He glances sideways. Bambam has his eyes half-lidded and a wide grin stretches across his face as wind dances through his hair and warm sunlight envelopes his body. Yugyeom smiles inadvertently; it’s at times like these when Bambam’s childhood self comes out, hopeful, free, and a bit wild. It’s his favorite side of Bambam, if he has to choose.

Still caught up in his thoughts, Yugyeom almost crashes into an ice-cream stand, but veers left at the last moment. He frowns slightly; forget choices, he still has a race to win.

Running closer to Bambam, Yugyeom pants slightly, “Directions. Where?”

“Straight. Then left. Turn at the coffee shop.”

“Thanks.” Yugyeom speeds up past Bambam, past the couple posing for a picture, past the carnival-themed games, and past the little corner shops selling desserts until he reaches the coffee shop. Skidding to a stop, he pauses for a split second and then runs to the right instead. Hoping he hasn’t chosen the path to the park exit, Yugyeom looks around as he runs. A roller coaster should be easy to spot, but there are tall pirate ship-styled rides and large indoor bumper car arena and bowling areas blocking his view. Not that it matters, really.

If he’s made the right choice, he’ll know soon. Yugyeom nears the end of the path as a large sign comes into view. The Grumpy Grizzly, he reads.

“Yes!” He comes to a stop at the ride entrance next to the grizzly-shaped ride warnings board. Rubbing his eyes and rereading the sign, he whoops, “Take that-”

“Take what?” Someone steps out from behind the warnings board.

He sighs, “Are you actually serious? Goddamnit, Bambam.”

The Thai boy grins without a trace of remorse, “Good job for turning right though.”

Resigning to his fate, Yugyeom just smiles, “Thanks. Want me to carry your bag?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Yugyeom shoulders the backpack as they get in line together. By now, the sun is directly overhead and both boys are sweating from their run. As they inch forward toward the boarding area, Yugyeom turns to Bambam, curious, “So how did you beat me there?”

Bambam grins as they walk, dabbing at the sweat on his face with his shirt collar, “Shortcut. I told you the long way just ‘cuz.”

“You never play fair,” Yugyeom fake grumbles but ends up cracking a smile anyways. Carefully setting Bambam’s backpack in a cubby, he quickly joins his friend in the roller coaster car.

“I know.” Bambam beams at him as they buckle their seatbelts.

Yugyeom smiles fondly, shaking his head as if saying, “How do I put up with you?” But seeing Bambam smiling and laughing at him while the roller coaster starts, Yugyeom knows how. It really isn’t fair.

♊

Who cares about playing fair? In retrospect, Bambam really would have given Jinyoung any amount of money to rig the auction if necessary and he would have cheated and lied his way through anything just to see Yugyeom smile this brightly. As the roller coaster slowly climbs up to the top hill, the click clack of the wood and metal causing Yugyeom’s grasp on the seat to tighten, Bambam feels like everything is finally falling into place.

“You don’t have to act cool, y’know.” Laughing softly, he pokes Yugyeom’s hand, “Relax, Gyeommie.”

Yugyeom tilts his head toward him and raises his eyebrows as if pained, “Acting? I’m always cool.” Seeing Bambam’s ‘are you serious expression,’ he adds on quickly, “I’m just excited.”

Bambam watches in amusement as his friend tries to convince him. “It’ll be exciting. And cool. And fun.”

“Whatever. Get ready to scream.” Bambam grins wide as the familiar feeling of anticipation twists around in his stomach while the drop comes into view. He really does love roller coasters.

“Alright,” says Yugyeom next to him, almost breathlessly. His eyes are trained on the incoming drop and he seems elated, his hands lightly resting on the restraints as he leans forward. Bambam knows that regardless of any anxiety, Yugyeom will love this. After all, they share the same taste for thrill.

He leans forward, too. The car slowly goes click, clack, click, whoosh- zooming down the drop. “Whooo!” Bambam has thrown his hands in the air, wind blasting in his face, “Alright!”

Yugyeom soon follows his example. “Whoooo!” He screams as the wind rushes by him and closes his eyes in exhilaration. “This. Is amazing!” He attempts to shout sideways, cracking an eye open to look at Bambam.

“I know. Right!” Bambam shouts back, the anticipation in his stomach transforming into a light, giddy feeling. As the roller coaster twists and turns them through various loops and hills, Bambam grins stupidly at Yugyeom’s whoops and obvious excitement, the same light feeling clenching happily around his heart. It’ll be enough, he hopes as he joins Yugyeom in whooping. This day will be enough to fulfill whatever feeling has been eating away at him for the past few months and after this day, he’ll be happy knowing that he can bring this smile to Yugyeom’s face as his best friend. At least, that’s what he hopes.

♊

By the time they walk out the exit of their third roller coaster, the sun is falling closer to the skyline, beginning to set, casting warm orange across the sky. With a skip in his step, Bambam tugs on Yugyeom’s shirt sleeve, “Gyeommie, let’s go to the food and games area. I’m hungryy.”

“Alright,” Yugyeom grins. As they walk by several carnival-themed games like the strongman game, he winks at Bambam, “Wanna have a go at it?”

“Don’t be annoying,” smirks Bambam. “If we’re playing anything here, it’s something where I can beat you. Like that dart game.”

“I’ll have you know I’m pretty good at darts.” Yugyeom an eyebrow, a self-assured victory grin already working its way onto his face.

Bambam rolls his eyes, “Please. You better take that back now while you still can.”

“Alright, let’s go then.” Yugyeom rolls up his sleeves, looking Bambam in the eye.

“Whoever wins gets to pay for food.” Bambam returns his gaze.

“Oh?” Yugyeom laughs, “You’re on.”

They walk up to the game manager, who briefly explains the rules on scoring and how to win before Yugyeom steps up to play. Confident as always, he adopts a natural athletic stance and aims the first dart. Pop! Blue balloon, so two points. As he watches Yugyeom shoot some more, Bambam hides a smile. It’ll be his win.

When he switches out with Yugyeom, Bambam says, “Nice aim, too bad you kept aiming for the smaller five-point balloons. Plus, shadows aren’t balloons, you know.”

Yugyeom shrugs with a goofy smile, “Go big or go home, am I right?”

Bambam smirks at him, “Just watch.”

Making sure to slightly lean over the allowed line for an advantage in distance, Bambam aligns his first dart. Pop! That’s two points. Pop! Four more. He hears a fond tsking noise from behind him. Not like Yugyeom cares if he cheats though, not really. Slightly biting his lower lip, Bambam aims for some more three’s and four’s, outscoring Yugyeom by twenty points and getting a small teddy bear as a prize from the game manager afterwards.

Grinning triumphantly, he teases Yugyeom, “What did I say? Didn’t I say I would win?”

“Yes, your majesty, you did.” Yugyeom jokes, “I’m going to order the most expensive food they have.”

“Don’t be stupid,” says Bambam with a smile. He knows Yugyeom is conscious of Bambam’s poor financials. In fact, he’s noticed every time Bambam skipped lunch or breakfast and offered to eat with him since. The tiny Thai boy and his unproportionately tall Korean friend. It was weird to other people, and some less sensitive kids had teased Yugyeom for being friends for Bambam, but the younger boy had just brushed them off. “Stupid idiot,” Bambam mutters.

“Huh? Did you say something?”

“I said you were too tall.”

Yugyeom just looks at him funny and bursts out laughing, “Weirdo.”

“I prefer ‘fabulous.’”

“Of course you do.”

“Shut up.” As they walk, Bambam runs his fingers through the fur of the teddy bear, admiring its softness. It feels weird to him, not being used to receiving or giving gifts other than the weird Secret Santas arranged by Jinyoung, let alone the romantic category of flowers, chocolates, and teddy bears. No, that would have to be Mark and Jackson, with Jackson’s inclination toward overly romantic gifts and Mark’s love for anything Jackson gets him. Personally, Bambam likes it, but he’s not sure what to do with it, so he goes with the wonderfully unromantic choice of shoving it in Yugyeom’s face.

“Do you want it?” He blurts out.

“The bear? You won it though.”

“It’s a gift. For you.” Bambam pauses and then retracts his arm quickly, “Wait, actually, gimme a second.” Aren’t teddy bears are romantic gifts? Then it would be inappropriate to gift it to Yugyeom. His thoughts muddled, Bambam frowns. “Nevermind, I’ll keep it.”

“That was quick,” Yugyeom jokes, pulling out chairs for them to sit down at a restaurant table outside.

“Shut up.” Bambam retorts, “I like it.”

“True. I’d give it back to you anyways. It suits you.”

He’s leaning forward across the table in a suave manner, chin resting on his knuckles, and his toned muscles obvious against his shirt. The slowly fading sunlight highlights his gorgeous facial features and he gazes directly at Bambam, who in a breath at the sudden sight. “Wh- What do you mean?”

“It suits you. It’s a bit small, soft, and cute, like you. Makes people like it and want to take good care of it or like hug it to sleep, you feel?”

A hot blush spreading across his face, Bambam covers his mouth with one hand and looks to the side. Cute. Makes people like it. Hug. To sleep. “Bull. I don’t see the resemblance.”

Yugyeom simply leans back, arms still resting on the table. He smiles fondly and Bambam can hear his heart go ba-dum. “Nevermind then. I’m gonna go to the bathroom but first, let me pay for the food.”

“Why?” Bambam frowns.

“Bammie, you gotta let a man keep his honor.”

“Don’t be stupid, let’s split it.”

If Yugyeom notices Bambam’s confused mental state, he makes no acknowledgement of it, striding away easily. Bambam sees Yugyeom leave and a waitress arrive in his peripheral vision but his mind has gone fuzzy. What did that mean? “His honor”? Did he mean the way men are traditionally supposed to pay for dates? Then this would be an actual date. But an actual date would mean romance. Also, Bambam feels a bit of annoyance prick him. He isn’t one of those girls with soft bangs and a thin waist that Yugyeom used to crush on. No, he’s a guy and he has his own pride, too, thank you very much.

He’s probably overanalyzing but his mind keeps wandering. Yugyeom had called him “Bammie.” As he recalls the nickname, Yugyeom’s face comes into Bambam’s mind, smiling at him fondly with crinkles at the corners. He can hear Yugyeom’s voice, too, light but warm, a gentle, comforting sound. “Bammie,” he hears his own mind construct the voice. Again and again, gentle and warm, with some strong emotion behind it. His heart clenches tightly, almost as if longing.

He’s ed, completely and utterly screwed, Bambam realizes. And it’s all Yugyeom’s fault.

Why? Eyes wide, as if unbelieving, he whispers, “I’m head over heels for him.”

“Sorry?”

His head snaps up to see the waitress by their table. Quickly scrambling to respond, he says, “I’m mixing up my hats and socks, I apologize.”

The waitress stares worriedly at him for a while before leaving him behind to think while she refills a different order. The seat in front of him still empty, Bambam cradles his head in his hand, several memories rushing back to him: eavesdropping when a girl was confessing to Yugyeom, scheduling private dance practices with him for “fun,” Jinyoung hinting that he should bid at the auction, Jaebum giving him vague relationship advice, Youngjae offering his place to cry for any reason, Jackson suddenly agreeing to act chauffeur, and even Mark showing up to bid, too. It had been obvious from the beginning, the meaning of that tight feeling in his chest, to everyone but him.

♊

When Yugyeom returns to their little table, Bambam is already surrounded by food, evidently taking advantage of the younger boy’s wallet. Sometimes Yugyeom questions his extravagant spending. But then again, Yugyeom has brought more than enough and Bambam has already reassured him of the elder’s ability to pay. The cashier seems a bit impatient, considering he’s still missing payment, so Yugyeom quickly walks up to the counter and with a sheepish “sorry,” he opens up his wallet to take out the cash. “What the .”

“Excuse me, sir?” The unhappy cashier glares at him.

“S-sorry.” Yugyeom feels his face flush with embarrassment as he tells the poor man to keep his change, walking back while hastily shoving his wallet in his jean pocket. He makes it his early New Year’s Resolution to strangle both Mark and Jinyoung, since the little surprise he had just hidden away could not have been from anyone else. “Good luck!” It reads, in pink cursive with hearts drawn on an old picture of him and Bambam. His friends really are too nosy.

“So what took you so long?” Bambam grins at him devilishly. Not like Yugyeom’s going to tell him that he made sure to fix his clothes and check himself out in the mirror before he came back.

“Took a dump.”

“Eww,” Bambam scrunches up his face. “Didn’t need to know that, bro.”

Yugyeom simply shrugs. “You asked.”

Bambam laughs and they fall into comfortable banter.

♊

Bambam is eating the last of their fries, religiously keeping his gaze glued to the food because he needs a clear head for the remainder of the day. The sun is just a sliver of orange-tinted purple away from setting and he’s suddenly motivated to turn back time. He can do something with this date. After all, Bambam isn’t a man of the uncertain future either.

It’s a bit too late to get more food, so the seductive lollipop idea will have to wait. But when you’re a devilish Bambam with a goal, you don’t let that get in the way.

“Hey Gyeommie,” He powers through without looking up, “Wanna find a photo booth?”

A hand sneaks into his vision and steals the last of the fries, earning a smack from the boy, who is still waiting for an answer. No more food left, Bambam reluctantly looks up at Yugyeom. The younger is grinning as if he has just told a really good joke -which is never really the case because they are all too often too ual or the poor boy simply forgets his punchline in his excitement, but it’s not like Bambam doesn’t still laugh everytime.

“Yeah, let’s go. First one there gets to pick the frame decorations!” Yugyeom laughs as he runs to throw the trash away, knocking over his chair.

It’s so ridiculous, Bambam notes as he apologizes to the cashier and picks up the chair. He doesn’t even know where the nearest one is, so he grabs his bag and takes off after the still laughing boy.

As expected, he gets there a few meters behind Yugyeom, panting hard. Now his hair is ruined. This is not going well.

However, the diva has no time to fix his hair when Yugyeom pulls him into the photo booth by the hand, and he starts to think that maybe this is a good idea after all. But just as quickly, the warmth slips away while Yugyeom is busy trying to use the machine. Unlike the photo booths Bambam has seen before, this one has only the countdown on the screen so he can’t make sure he has the optimal angle for the picture.

“Which frame do you want?” The taller boy shuffles to the left to let Bambam take a look and the warmth is back at his side again, so comforting that the Thai boy has to resist the urge to move even closer. His cheeks are heating up, which isn’t good, since he’s still thinking of a plan to string together other cute activities like riding the ferris wheel and maybe watching fireworks to maybe, just maybe, leave some sort of mark on Yugyeom’s feelings. After all, the friendzone is never crossed by swooning in place.

“The chic one with gold stripes.” He points, then turns to preoccupy himself with the array of accessories. His cheeks are still warm and tingly. He should’ve known all along; Yugyeom’s the only one that could ever make him so happy but still leave him wanting more. He’d never be scared to be too cute with a girlfriend or boyfriend, and this skinship between him and Yugyeom has probably already passed the shy touches of his past relationships, but at the same time, it’s just so easy. He wants more than Yugyeom probably can give.

♊

“3...2...1,” The machine sings out and they strike a pose and again, and again. Being shorter, Bambam is on Yugyeom’s right and a little bit in front so he doesn’t see how Yugyeom poses, but he supposes it’ll be funny soon enough when he finds that the clumsy boy has blinked like usual.

Curious, he pokes around the dispense slot but the machine simply beeps and spits out a ticket with the number 47 on it. The screen reads, “Come back in one hour! :)” and Bambam revises his views on artificial intelligence then and there. It’s as if the whole world wants to foil his plans. The smiley face really does look demonic, if he’s allowed to be just a bit dramatic, staring him face on with a grin forever stuck on the screen, laughing at his misfortune.

He rolls his eyes and moves to leave when Yugyeom tugs on his sleeve. “Sorry.”

Seeing Yugyeom’s tense grimace, Bambam features soften, his frown turning into an encouraging smile. “Hey, it’s alright. We can come back in an hour. Let’s go on the ferris wheel for now, okay? I bet the nighttime view is really nice.”

The taller boy immediately perks up. “Really? I heard a lot of people take photos on the ride. We can see the lake next to it, right?”

“Not too sure. We’ll just have to find out, won’t we?” Bambam grins and Yugyeom grins, too. As they walk silently in toward the large structure, moonlight and colored lamps lighting their path, Bambam notes that there’s much less people at the amusement park now. In fact, most of the ones left are couples, a man and a woman sharing a hot chocolate in a warmly-lit coffee shop and another pair taking pictures next to a themed store. He’s not sure if Yugyeom notices, but he wonders what they look like to others. Probably just friends.

As they get in line, he lets his mind wander to a different subject. Looking up at the slowly moving ferris wheel carts, he imagines him and Yugyeom in their own, sitting side by side. The cart slowly moves up and jerks a little, causing Bambam to shift forward a bit. Yugyeom puts his hand on Bambam’s and asks him if he’s alright. Blushing, Bambam says he’s fine, but their hands stay touching-

“Here you two go. One on the left and one on the right, please.”

Bambam frowns. Well, there goes his fantasy. As he climbs into the cart and settles down on the left, Yugyeom follows behind and closes the cart door.

“Excited?” Yugyeom grins, pulling out his phone to take a few pictures as they start moving up.

“Yeah,” he replies. As he watches Yugyeom squint and reposition his phone for better views of the shimmering lake next to the ride, Bambam wonders what would happen if the ride broke down at the top. In his vivid imagination, he hears himself swearing and Yugyeom laughing as they both stick their heads out the side to check what the operaters are doing. Eventually, they resume taking pictures and chatting under the moonlight as sirens blare in the distance. Then, as the clock strikes midnight, Yugyeom leans forward and takes Bambam’s hands in his own. He starts to talk about something serious, his eyes focused on Bambam, when the ride restarts, the jerking motion sending Bambam lunging forward and-

He frowns again. Why couldn’t he go find some nice gay novels or something? All the hetero relationships made the female out to be so weak and passive. For all Bambam knows, it’d be more like them if Yugyeom had started worrying instead of appearing suave and cool, and Bambam would have just said YOLO instead of letting himself act like some damsel in distress about to be saved by a prince.

He sighs and pulls out his own phone, too, deciding to stop daydreaming for now. “It’s really beautiful,” he remarks, positioning his phone camera to capture the moon’s reflection, glittering like diamonds atop the smooth lake surface.

Yugyeom hums in agreement as their cart nears the top of the ride, “Wanna take a picture together?”

“Yeah, sure,” Bambam agrees quickly. His heart beating slightly faster, he purses his lips once at his phone to check his face before tucking it away. Could be a good chance to get a momento from the day, but-

“How are we taking this?” He furrowed his brows.

Yugyeom laughs nervously, “We can do like a selfie? With like one of us in the foreground and yeah.”

“Ah, okay.” Bambam had hoped for a cute photo of Yugyeom resting his head on Bambam’s shoulder or him kissing Yugyeom’s cheek, but he supposes this will suffice. As Yugyeom turns around and brings up his phone, Bambam crosses his legs and leans forward, pursing his lips at the camera -how to be y 101.

Tap. Snap. “Woah, I’m way too close to the camera.” Yugyeom leans back at an unnatural angle, grinning as he snaps a few more.

“Oh, please. Everyone knows you like the attention.” Yugyeom pouts and Bambam laughs. “Make sure the lake is in the background.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

Bambam smirks at that, but as the ride keeps moving, he can’t help but still feel a bit empty inside. Yugyeom is still taking some more photos, this time of the amusement park, and seeing him smile and look at his phone off to the side suddenly sends a tiny wave of frustration through Bambam. First, the photo booth and now this. Why is it that whenever he actually tries to do something romantic, it fails?

The ride gets closer and closer to the top and as it moves, Bambam wishes for the ride to stop. He wishes for the power to go out. He wishes for fireworks to light up the night sky. More than that, he just wishes he had more time. He wishes the day wouldn’t end, that he wouldn’t have to go back to being just best friends. And when they reach the top, he holds his breath in fleeting hope, but the ride keeps going.

And it doesn’t stop.

♊

Yugyeom frowns as he tracks Bambam’s movements in the corner of his eye. As they round off the top of the ride, Bambam shifts from tapping his foot slightly with a slightly anticipating look on his face to sort of deflating, his shoulder dropping just a fraction of an inch as he stops tapping and just gazes out the window. He doesn’t understand what’s happened, but if he has to guess, maybe it has something to do with the pictures? Yugyeom racks his brain for an answer and decides Bambam must want a different sort of photo.

Tentatively smiling at Bambam, Yugyeom asks, “Hey, can I take some photos of you?”

“Can’t resist my beautiful appearance?” Bambam sasses back and Yugyeom takes it as a green light to go ahead.

“Turn your head to the left...yeah, like that. Look y.”

Bambam winks at the camera, “Don’t I always?”

“Of course,” Yugyeom replies automatically. Bambam just smirks and runs his tongue across his lower lip as Yugyeom obediently takes several shots, but even with Bambam’s obvious confidence, Yugyeom can’t help but be bothered with his words. “Don’t I always?” It’s such a Bambam thing to say, but there’s something about how he says it that Yugyeom can’t quite pinpoint. Something that makes him want to suddenly hug Bambam and ask him if he’s alright.

But he knows Bambam wouldn’t like that. So instead, he opts for taking some more photos. “Okay. Arm on the window ledge, look outside off into the distance.”

“These better turn out great.”

“Yes, your majesty.” Yugyeom grins at the small smile that appears on Bambam’s face. “Now turn back this way and do whatever. Look happy.”

There’s a weird expression that flits across the other’s face, but it’s quickly and expertly replaced by a wide smile. The uncomfortably tight feeling returns and Yugyeom bites his lip unhappily. Tap. Snap. “Alright, done.”

“Do you want me to take any for you?”

“I’m good.”

“Well, .” Yugyeom half grins as Bambam pulls out his phone and takes a quick photo. He’s pretty sure he just blinked but he always does, so he lets it slide as the ride jerks to an end.

“Have a nice night.” The operator thanks them monotonously as the two exit the ferris wheel.

They shuffle awkwardly to a spot of light under a tall lamppost. Yugyeom has his hands awkwardly stuffed in his pockets and Bambam is blowing on his hands to keep them warm. Yugyeom offers Bambam his jacket but he just looks at him and declares it unfashionable.

“So what do you want to do now?” Yugyeom asks, changing the subject.

Bambam purses his lips and looks to the side, “Pretty sure most rides are closing right about now. And as seductive as I am, I doubt they’re gonna let us on.”

Yugyeom snorts and Bambam continues, “Jinyoung said this date thing ends at nine, right? It’s like eight thirty right now, and there’s not that much to do…” He lets his sentence trail off with an attempt at a smile.

Yugyeom frowns. Somehow, during the course of their time from the photobooth to now, he has done something wrong, he’s sure. Bambam’s supposed to be happy. Jinyoung had said it would go great. But now he’s here and even though things have been going great, the growing feeling of discomfort from before has turned into the worry that Bambam is not satisfied.

Unsure of what to do, he hands Bambam the ticket from the photo booth, “There’s still half an hour. Can you go grab the pictures and I’ll buy us some drinks before we go? We can meet up back here.”

Bambam beams at him, “Sure.”

Hoping he hasn’t made a bad decision, Yugyeom checks that he still has his wallet and heads off toward the food court, calling out behind him, “Don’t look at the picture until tomorrow!”

♊

“Tomorrow,” Bambam echoes. Tomorrow seems much too close. He doesn’t want to go back to just being friends. He doesn’t want to lose this chance, but the day won’t last forever.

As he walks, Bambam tries to roll back his shoulders, set his chin up higher, and sway his hips with his usual runway flair, but he finds that he just can’t do it. Screw Yugyeom and all of Bambam’s feelings. Screw emotions in general.

He’s not sure what tomorrow will be like. He knows he’s going to have to answer all his friends’ messages and that will be a pain in the . But he doesn’t know if anything will change between him and Yugyeom. And he’s not sure what he wants either. He definitely doesn’t want any awkwardness or miscommunication between them. But at the same time, he wants things to develop, he wants Yugyeom to somehow understand, and he wants Yugyeom. He wants him so much it hurts.

“!” Bambam kicks a pebble on the ground in frustration, sending it flying into the darkness. He receives several glares but curses the people under his breath and keeps walking. A stray tear wells up, and he blinks it away.

It really isn’t fair, what Yugyeom does to him. He just has to smile, call him pet names, take photos of him, and be the clumsy but lovable man he is, and Bambam’s whipped. He groans as he nears the photo booth, taking out the ticket roughly. Does he even have a chance? “He said I’m cute. I wanna be y, though.” Bambam whines quietly as he jams the ticket into the slot and waits for the photobooth strips to come out.

He knows he’s attractive and they’re friends, so Yugyeom can’t hate his personality. And the day had been going pretty well, with the roller coasters and dart game. But would he be taking it too far if he confessed? There might not be any going back if he does.

Sighing deeply, he pulls out the photos. Yugyeom had said to wait until tomorrow, but that, waiting is difficult. He unfolds the photos and stares for a second before bursting out laughing, the tension easing from his shoulders.

“Are you kidding me?” He clutches his stomach as the original shock fades and amusement takes over. “This is too cute.”

He traces the red heart Yugyeom had sneakily used to decorate their photos instead of the gold stripes he had suggested. So this is what he hadn’t wanted Bambam to see, how adorable. Bambam hums as he pockets the photos. Maybe there is something, not necessarily hope, but something.

As he walks back, Bambam is lighter on his feet, though he slows as the taller boy comes into view. He’s noticed before but Yugyeom’s long legs and lean build are perfectly accentuated by his silhouette, standing there waiting for him.

Patting his jacket pocket, Bambam looks up at the younger boy’s face awash with the soft light of the lampposts. “I got it.”

“Ah, okay.” Yugyeom pauses. “Here’s your drink.”

Taking the Cola, Bambam shifts a bit in place. “So, what now?”

He can’t see well in the mix of bright light and shifting shadows, but Yugyeom doesn’t move either. “This place closes in fifteen minutes.”

“I know.”

“Should we-”

“Do you wanna-”

They pause and Bambam laughs awkwardly. “You first.” He can’t help the pout pulling at his lips when he knows that Yugyeom is right in suggesting it is time to leave. But he wants to do something, anything. That heart has to mean something.

Bambam looks up at Yugyeom, waiting, and waiting.

Yugyeom shifts his weight back and forth, memories flooding into his mind: Jinyoung telling him to be a bachelor for the date auction, Jaebum giving him ‘the talk,’ Mark telling him to compliment Bambam more, Jackson ruffling his hair and telling him stories of how he and Mark got together, and Youngjae wishing him luck. Then there’s Bambam smiling at the dance exhibition, Bambam laughing at his stupid jokes, Bambam.

And as he finally looks, really looks, at Bambam, a growing sense of urgency begins to spring up. Bambam is slightly leaning to the side, his right hand rubbing his left arm unconsciously, yet he still looks gorgeous. Biting his lip at Yugyeom’s silence, Bambam starts, “Or should I-”

Yugyeom his lips nervously and steels himself. It’s now or never. “Wait.”

Swiftly bringing his glass up to his mouth, Yugyeom takes a large gulp of the fizzy liquid and sets it down on the counter. In one short stride, he has Bambam’s body pressed against his own as he wraps his arms around the shorter boy.

“Gyeommie?” Bambam manages to whisper, tentatively looping his arms around Yugyeom’s neck.

“Shh.” Yugyeom tugs him closer and Bambam rests his head against Yugyeom’s chest, closing his eyes. Breathing slowly, he lets himself be enveloped in the familiar warmth. He hears Yugyeom chuckle lightly above him and then there’s a hand on his head, lightly his hair.

“What are you doing?” Bambam murmurs.

“Preparing.”

He smiles fondly, “For what?”

“For this.” Bambam feels Yugyeom’s hand softly cupping the back of his head and then a pair of soft lips press against his forehead.

♊

From above, Yugyeom looks down fondly, his heart swelling as he traces small circles on the nape of Bambam’s neck. But when the elder doesn’t move, eyes still closed, Yugyeom bites his lip as the tendril of worry sneaks into his mind. “Bammie?”

“Yes?”

He sighs with relief at the familiar voice.

“Can we do this again?”

Yugyeom looks down hopefully, with a hint of anxiousness. He searches Bambam’s face as the elder looks down at the ground, seemingly in thought. Then, the Thai boy he’s been in love with for the past year looks up at him and grins the same devilish grin Yugyeom fell in love with in the first place.

“Did you mean this?” Grabbing Yugyeom’s neck, Bambam pulls him down and kisses him on the lips.