When it’s warm, Kyungsoo likes to read under the large oak tree in the park. It’s only a few blocks from their apartment and the shade provides a nice relief from the heat. Jongin joins him sometimes when he’s keen for a nap. Kyungsoo’s lap makes the perfect pillow and the soft breeze that sweeps through the leaves lulls Jongin to sleep. Kyungsoo never minds, Jongin is a nice companion and the long stretches of silence doesn’t bother him like it would most others. Kyungsoo always smile softly whenever Jongin tells him he’ll be joining.

It’s scorching today, heat rising off the pavement in waves. It’s the perfect day to stay inside. Unfortunately, the air conditioning in their shared apartment is broken and the dry heat outside is marginally better than the stuffiness of indoors.

Jongin sprawls himself out on the soft yellow blanket that Kyungsoo had laid out in the shade like he always does. On the days when he forgets it, Jongin has to listen to complaints about all the dirt and grass particles that have managed to stick themselves to Kyungsoo’s thighs. The moment they arrived Kyungsoo had tried to put his foot down about Jongin lying in his lap knowing that Jongin would plant himself there the second they got settled. He had cited that the heat from the sun was already bad enough and Jongin’s body heat would just make his legs all sweaty.

Jongin tosses and turns a few times, trying to find a comfortable spot on the hard ground and not more than five minutes later, he has his head nestled snugly in its usual spot--Kyungsoo grumbling something about coming out here for some peace and quiet and Jongin’s whining was only disturbing him. Jongin smiles covertly to himself, he always manages to get his way when it comes to Kyungsoo. A well timed pout can get him just about anything.

As a snack Kyungsoo brought a bowl of fresh strawberries. The crop must have been good--the fruits were ripe and juicy and the store was practically giving them away. Kyungsoo couldn’t resist.

The red of the berries is staining his lips. Kyungsoo has a habit of on them before he bites down. Jongin blinks hard a couple of times trying to rid his mind of indecent thoughts of his best friend, but it’s hard when Kyungsoo’s plump lips are stretched around the berry like that.

The nap he was trying to take has been forgotten as he watches the juice run down Kyungsoo’s chin. The latter wipes it away absentmindedly--too absorbed in his book to notice Jongin staring.

“Do you want one?” Kyungsoo offers.

Hoping he wasn’t caught, Jongin closes his eyes quickly, eliciting a chuckle from Kyungsoo.

“I know you’re awake,” he grins, popping another strawberry in his mouth, “I have plenty, it’s fine.”

“I can’t sleep,” Jongin admits, turning to lie on his back so he can gaze up at Kyungsoo unabashedly. “‘S too hot.”

“I gathered.”

Kyungsoo sets his book down and picks up another strawberry. His unoccupied hand moves to Jongin’s hair and he begins playing with the soft chestnut strands. Jongin opens his mouth and Kyungsoo takes the hint, feeding him the berry like he’s a baby bird.

Assuming it would be sweet, Jongin scrunches his face when the strawberry is unexpectedly sour, pouting when Kyungsoo laughs at him. Kyungsoo grabs another and dangles it teasingly over Jongin’s mouth, lifting and lowering it, pulling a short burst of giggles from the latter when he tries to bite up at it. And then, to tease Jongin further, he pops it in his own mouth with a hum of satisfaction.

Jongin huffs and crosses his arms. “You said you’d share.”

“You said you would nap and not bother me.” Kyungsoo flicks Jongin’s forehead playfully.

A comfortable silence takes over for a few moments. Jongin finally takes his eyes off of Kyungsoo, lifting them to lazily study their surroundings. The park is relatively empty, the heat keeping most people indoors, parked in front of their air conditioning. Other than them, there’s a group of teenagers tossing a frisbee a few yards away, and a woman with her dog jogging around the path. The buzzing symphonies of the late summer cicadas serve as their background music.

“Entertain me,” Jongin says suddenly, restless.

Kyungsoo’s hand finds Jongin’s hair again, the soft strands, “And how should I do that?”

After a moment of contemplation, Jongin decides. “Read to me.”

Kyungsoo huffs a laugh, “I’m nearly at the end, it won’t make any sense.”

“Fine, then feed me more strawberries.”

“I’m not your slave.”

Jongin decides it’s time for another pout to get him what he wants. It seems to work because Kyungsoo smiles and grabs a particularly juicy looking strawberry, leaning over and bringing it close to Jongin’s face. Jongin opens his mouth eagerly, but Kyungsoo only smiles again, this time rather coyly. He brings the berry lower and lower until he boops Jongin softly on the nose with it and then pulls away completely.

“Not a chance.” He laughs.

Jongin jumps up in an attempt to get revenge--Kyungsoo scrambling away with a yelp, nearly upending the bowl of remaining strawberries when Jongin gets him pinned down, his legs kicking every which way.

Caged between Jongin’s arms, Kyungsoo is giggling uncontrollably. Jongin loves when he really laughs like this, uninhibited, his face squishes up in pure joy. Jongin suppresses the urge to poke his round applecheeks. Kyungsoo wiggles a bit, managing to free the hand with the strawberry, and sticks it in his mouth. At the same time, he tries for good measure to smirk victoriously but the strawberry between his teeth prevents him from looking any sort of menacing.

Kyungsoo sinks his teeth into the berry causing the juice to run down the sides of his mouth and the top half of the strawberry to roll off his cheek. Jongin gasps in mock outrage and this sends Kyungsoo into another bout of laughter, shoulders shaking in amusement. Jongin can’t help but to stare.

He’s always known Kyungsoo to be attractive. It’s constantly there in the back of his mind. His thoughts may have strayed to Kyungsoo’s lips from time to time. But nothing had forced him to confront it head on quite like the present situation. It shouldn’t be such a surprise to him when it’s finally at the forefront of his mind, bringing to light the feelings that Jongin had tried his best to keep hidden. But he finally admits it to himself now: he wants to kiss his best friend.

Kyungsoo’s laughter finally quiets down, his chest heaving a little as he tries to regulate his breathing. His eyes still bright with laughter and Jongin is still staring. Kyungsoo’s brows knit together in confusion.

“...Jongin?”

He has unconsciously moved closer, making it so their faces are merely centimeters away from touching. Jongin finally comes to his senses when Kyungsoo’s breath hitches. He heaves himself off of Kyungsoo and scurries back, quick as lightning.

He sits back on his knees, his heart is pounding as he tries not to let the panic show on his face. He doesn’t want to do anything that would ruin their friendship. They live together and Jongin might die of starvation if Kyungsoo were to start avoiding him.

“Are you okay?” Kyungsoo asks, sitting up on his elbows, “Did I do something?”

His smile has dropped, replaced with worry. He swipes the back of his hand over his cheek, trying to remove the juice that dripped down as if the reason Jongin had left so quickly was because there was something on his face. Jongin doesn’t know what to say so he just stares at the frayed ends of Kyungsoo’s yellow blanket, hoping it might have the answers.

Jongin chances a quick peek up at Kyungsoo. His lips are still so red.

In the next second he’s leaning over and pressing a kiss to those red lips, the rational part of his mind nowhere in sight. Kyungsoo jolts slightly in surprise, and Jongin feels it. He retreats hastily before Kyungsoo can push him off. He hopes he hasn’t destroyed everything.

Jongin doesn’t even have time to contemplate throwing himself off the nearest cliff before Kyungsoo is pulling him down by the front of his shirt and melding their lips together once again.

It catches Jongin by surprise how quick Kyungsoo is to respond, his lips soft and pliant. Perhaps he isn’t the only one who’s been dreaming of this.

The kiss is sweet like the strawberries; like Kyungsoo, and Jongin can still taste the saccharin fruit on his tongue when Kyungsoo deepens it. Jongin’s heartbeat thrums in a staccato rhythm against his ribcage and he splays his hand against Kyungsoo’s broad chest to feel his beating similarly.

The heat from the sun is still beating down on them, only adding to the heat between them. Abruptly, Jongin seems to remember himself.

“We’re in the middle of the park!” he pants, breathless from the kiss and just the tiniest bit embarrassed. Kyungsoo’s hand has wandered to his side and is currently making its way up Jongin’s shirt. It’s making him want to dive back into another kiss, but the rational part of him has returned and Jongin knows this is not the place.

He swats Kyungsoo’s hand away weakly, looking around to make sure no one saw them.

Kyungsoo looks like he’s struggling with the same dilemma and he reluctantly removes his hand and sits up next to Jongin.

They smile at each other, breaking the awkward tension, and Jongin is overcome with another spurt of bravery. He dips down for another quick peck, now knowing that Kyungsoo won’t deny him.

“You taste like strawberries.” Jongin tells him when he pulls away.

Kyungsoo chuckles, looking behind him to check on his precious fruit. There’s still quite a few left in the bowl so he drags it closer, clearing his throat awkwardly.

“So,” he starts, but Jongin has already moved to place his head right back in Kyungsoo’s lap. It’s normal--familiar--and it seems to calm them both down.

Jongin smiles up at him, trying to put on his most charming smile.

“So,” he begins as an echo of Kyungsoo, “as my boyfriend, you should feed me the strawberries.”

“Boyfriend?” Kyungsoo an eyebrow.

“Um, I mean if that’s okay with you…” Jongin mumbles shyly, maybe that was a little too bold. It was only a few kisses after all.

But Kyungsoo grabs another strawberry and ducks down to give Jongin one more kiss. The latter can feel Kyungsoo smiling into it, the corners of his own lips quirking up.

“That’s okay with me.” Kyungsoo brings the strawberry down to brush it up against Jongin’s lips before pulling it away quickly and popping it in his own mouth. “But I’m still not going to feed you.”