gathering all my bb fic in one entry.
fruits [GDYB]
Jiyong can wear a lot of really ridiculous shit no problem. A lot of garments and accessories that most sane stylists would disregard with a shake of the head and a "no fucking way, get that thing out of here!", Jiyong wears it with confidence that magically makes it work, the outrageous colors blending neatly.
They can't stay in the store too long before the fans start gathering, and Youngbae glances around nervously. He sees Seunghyun look around awkwardly, as if he will break everything if he touches it, and Daesung and Seung-ri browsing style magazines at the far end of the store.
Jiyong arranges the pair of sunglasses just so and looks at Youngbae through the mirror. "Whatcha think?"
"Uh, sure," Youngbae mutters. He knows the minute the first camera phone is whipped out, the manager hyung will usher them out of the store.
"Tch," Jiyong snorts and picks up another pair.
TOP has wandered behind them, the top of his head sticking over theirs in the mirror. "Everything is so expensive," he says.
"Haggle the price down," Jiyong says nonchalantly. "We can hook them up for a discount."
"With what?" Seunghyun asks.
"I don't know. Tickets."
"We're not stars here."
"Yet."
Jiyong grabs a cap and tilts it just so. He frowns at the mirror and drops the hat on Youngbae's head. "You speak Japanese, right?"
"I don't.." Youngbae barely gets to disagree before Jiyong has ushered the shop clerk before him, a friendly slightly older lady looking at him helpfully.
"Discount," Seungri says in his year. "What's that in Japanese? Seuil?"
"Sale is English," Seunghyun corrects him.
"Do it," Jiyong prods him.
"Gomennasai," Youngbae manages and he bows just the slightest.
The shop clerk looks confused.
"Lame," Jiyong says just as a flash from a digital camera hits them, and Youngbae thanks his luck as they have the file out of the shop and quickly into their car.
When they're driving back the hotel, he nudges Jiyong. "Sorry."
"Whatever," Jiyong replies. "They didn't look that good, anyway."
"Way overpriced," Daesung says from the front seat.
"Way," Seungri agrees.
Youngbae looks at Jiyong and knows that the glasses really did look good on him, but he supposes it doesn't matter now.
"Hey," Jiyong tells him. "Cool hat."
"Thanks," Youngbae says, and Jiyong flashes him a grin.
*
It's only just before bed that he realizes where the hat he's wearing came from.
"We should return it," he tells Jiyong guiltily.
"We'll pay them double when we're rich," Jiyong says with a shrug.
"Really?"
Jiyong grins. "Nah. Overpriced piece of shit, though I suppose you can't put a price on style."
"Still," Youngbae says.
"Looks nice on you, though," Jiyong says, and Youngbae recognizes the change in his tone. Subtle, but there. "Better than on me."
"I guess," he manages to say before Jiyong kisses him, a hand on the back of his neck so that the cap tilts just so and blush spreads on Youngbae realizes that even this, this has to be done in style.
----
fly sky high [top/ds - of the same realm as the last one]
It starts at the airport. Seunghyun really appreciates Daesung; they're very close, and friendly, and that's always cool, but it doesn't mean Daesung can get all weird on him.
"Fuck off," he tells Daesung. "I'm not a dainty girl. Can carry my own bags."
"Then maybe you shouldn't have packed lead," Daesung says and picks up the bag that falls off TOP's shoulder as soon as he swings it there.
"Just this once," he says and isn't sure why. It's a small favor, but it doesn't *feel* small.
It feels like a beginning.
*
Daesung blows on his neck at the store, when Jiyong is prodding Youngbae to haggle in Japanese or some shit like that, and Seunghyun doesn't have time to be disturbed. Pretty soon they're in the car and Daesung's laughing and he's laughing, though he's not sure why, and Daesung is almost pressed against him, with certain bones and angles rubbing awkwardly against him and this is really not on.
"Why did you do that?" he asks later in the car.
"Your hair's so dull these days," Daesung says nonchalantly and goes back to showing Seungri a picture from his cell phone.
*
Daesung and him share a hotel room; out of habit, he guesses. He's tired but not tired enough to fall asleep, so he listens to his iPod and flips through a million Japanese channels, all programming dull.
"Gym?" he hears Daesung say through the music, coming from the bathroom in slacks and a wifebeater.
"Uhh," Seunghyun says, pulling at his hoodie strings. "No."
"Sauna?" Daesung suggests.
"They have a sauna?" TOP asks, and before he realizes it, he's said yes.
*
It's not the sauna that's awkward - it's the after part. They're there in bathrobes and slippers and beverages, and even though the manager's nagging about going to bed, it's going to be a while 'til they do.
"So .." Seunghyun begins just to fucking get around this big damn silence between all of the sudden.
"I think you're really cool," Daesung says, casually, but with enough weight for him to figure out that it actually isn't. Daesung sounds happy. Like he ever sounds anything else.
"Oh," TOP says.
"More than cool, really, it's kind of like .. I really like you. Or something like that."
"Right," Seunghyun says, and his heart rate picks up exactly when it shouldn't.
"It's okay if you ..I mean, we can just be friends," Daesung finishes quickly and TOP is pretty sure this is the moment, this is the time, he's supposed to do and say and just move and he think he might not even be able to breathe.
He's never been good at this. Never. Ever.
"Shit," he says.
Daesung stands up. "Yeah, I'm sorry, I'll just -- bunk with Ri tonight or something."
"No, it's," Seunghyun begins, and doesn't know how to finish and this is just, and he doesn't really know the words, except those stupid fucking cliché ones he hears Seungri mumble into his phone to some girl, or Jiyong's all-too-loud whispers into Youngbae's ear and this just fucking blows and he just. "Sure. I mean. Yeah. Me too. Really."
"Oh," Daesung says.
This is probably the point where he ought to do something but he'd probably mess it up so instead he opts for more talking.
"Wow, can you believe Youngbae nicked that cap from the store?" he asks with a grin, and is just about to sigh in relief as Daesung's lips meet his.
And that's the real beginning, right there.
----
painkillers [seungri]
It kind of hurts but he's not going to complain. He's not there for the end of the concert and TOP's not in the next performance and Youngbae has had a strange cough for days they will joke about but simultanously worry over. Especially Jiyong, takes everything to himself, like he needs to whip up potions for all of their ailments.
The doctors said, "stress" and "just relax more" and the manager agreed with a stiff nod, "take it easy for now" but it's easy for them, when fame doesn't feel like a motherfucking wheel that disappears the moment you stop running in it.
"Geez, magnae," TOP says from the hospital bed, "what's with the rat metaphor?"
"Hamster," Daesung says.
"Okay," TOP replies. "It's going to be okay."
"It's leadernim," Seungri says, and he's smiling in earnest for once. "The rat metaphor."
Jiyong glares at him but does nothing. Maybe TOP is right; maybe it will be fine.
----
in the buff [top/?]
He could probably not do this. But the members have him cornered and Jiyong's got this look that says this is a problem.
"This is a problem," Jiyong says. Youngbae nods as if it's the gravest thing on this planet.
Daesung just smiles.
"I think it's absurd," Seungri says. "You're just being stupid about this. It's your natural state. Why do you have such a problem with it?"
"Because," TOP tries to explain, "it's nudity. It's not.. I'm not comfortable."
"If you're not comfortable being naked, how are you ever going to be comfortable with being ..naked?!" Seungri argues.
There's a silence, and Jiyong shoves at Seungri's head. "Idiot. But he's right. You have to be able to get naked one day."
"With people looking," Daesung continues.
"But not you guys!" TOP exclaims. "Why do I have to do it in front of you guys?"
Jiyong sighs. "If not us, who then? Manager hyung wouldn't appreciate it if you flashed him."
"We're a good crowd," Seungri agrees. "We won't laugh at you."
"Sure," Jiyong says, but when TOP's eyes widen with shock, he smiles again. "Kidding! Okay, now let's just get this over with."
"If you can't do it in front of us, how can you ever do it in front of a girl?" Daesung argues.
"Or just a person you like," Youngbae continues, and everybody ignores the implication there.
"Nobody else has a problem getting naked," Jiyong says. "Why is it such a problem for you?"
"I have a complex," TOP says.
"Complex schomplex. This'll help you get over it," Seungri says.
"But ..here?" TOP asks, looking at the dressing room, all too bright with lights shining at them beside the million mirrors.
"The faster you get it done, the better," Jiyong says with a shrug. "Now come on. We have a show to do in half an hour."
"You guys are bullies," TOP mutters as he takes off his coat and his hoodie uncertainly. It feels naked enough being in a t-shirt.
"I'm sorry, did I say we have a show to do in a century?" Jiyong says sarcastically. "Hurry it the hell up."
"Fuck off," TOP says but starts working at getting his jeans off.
"Is that my t-shirt?" Daesung asks.
"You said I could borrow," TOP replies defensively.
"You better wash it, too, it's all sweaty now."
"Stop looking!"
Jiyong raises an eye brow. "It's kind of the point here that we do look, Seunghyun."
"You're a dongsaeng, stop using that patronizing tone," TOP says menacingly, only not really because he's already down to his boxers.
"We're very proud of you, hyung," Seungri says with a smile. "Now those, too."
"No," TOP says.
"If we have to, we will tear them off," Daesung says. Jiyong nods calmly.
So TOP braces himself, and slides down his last remaining garment, just as there's a brief knock on the door and Kangin enters along with a female show assistant, saying, "Hey guys, you oughta re-do the soundcheck, just in case---"
*
TOP messes up more dance steps than usual during that night's performance.
---
Mmm I need to get my BB groove back.