Chapter Text
The young couple walked through the busy aisles of the shop, around the corner of their flat. The crisp, October, air had bitten at their cheeks for the shot walk, leaving them rosy and hot.
Yoongi had been woken, early that morning, by a giggling boy, smothering him in kisses. He was trapped against the bed, a relentless tickle attack taking place until the elder gave in and agreed the younger could have pancakes for breakfast.
The man sighed as he pushed himself from his precious bed, mentally kicking himself for not stocking up on the specific brand of pancakes, the last time he was shopping. He felt his arm being tugged on, himself being dragged to the breakfast aisle by Jimin - rather forcefully.
"Jiminie," Yoongi sighed, just letting the over-excited little pull him by his wrist. "Slow down, I'm too tired."
"No!" Jimin exclaimed, rather loudly causing Yoongi to look around with a protective eye, considering they were in public. "The pancakes will run away! We need to hurry up, they know we want to eat them!"
"How are you this energetic in the morning?" Yoongi whined, pining for his warm bed where he would have happily spent the whole day.
"Hurry up!" imin cried, causing Yoongi to chuckle softly at him. He was so happy to see his little one being so comfortable in public. It was such a rarity to see the boy so calm - despite the hyperactivity.
"I'm coming," The elder laughed, watching his boyfriend in admiration. "I'm coming!"
The little one tore around the corner, giggling excitedly to himself. Yoongi just let him go, knowing he knew the shop well enough. He sighed, contently, and ran his hand down his face.
Despite being prematurely pulled out of his duvet cocoon, the man was over the moon seeing the love of his life so happy. After all, it was his birthday tomorrow, he deserved to be spoiled.
As Yoongi turned the corner, himself, he was pulled out of his train of thought by a small thud followed by a high-pitched whine. He had caught, out of the corner of his cat-like eyes, a man twice Jimin's size had walked backwards, knocking the boy over in the process.
"Oh shit," Yoongi sighed, knowing there would probably be tears. He rushed to the boy's side as the man turned to see what had happened.
The man looked back, his middle-aged features creasing into a frown, as he was met by a mop of blonde hair staring at the floor.
"Shit," He muttered, flattening out his work suit before kneeling down to the child's side. He didn't even notice the raven-haired man nearing him. "I am sorry, sweetheart. Are you okay?"
The little huffed, not looking up; suddenly weary of the new person in front of him, just hugging his knees to his chest. His joy had turned into anxiety in a matter of seconds. The way the small boy sat, making himself look like a tiny, blonde, ball - it was no wonder the man had mistaken him for a child.
"Don't touch him," Yoongi spoke up, his voice stern and protective as he knelt down by his boyfriend. "I'll handle this. He's not good around strangers."
The suited man nodded, empathetic to the understandable childish behaviour.
"I am so sorry," He told the brunette, sincerely with a fatherly voice, as the latter tried to get Jimin to stand. The younger just continued to sit, hugging himself sulkily. "Is this your little brother? I hope I didn't..."
"Brother?" Yoongi scoffed, shaking his head as he finally managed to pull the small boy to his feet. The suited man's eyes widened as the child he had knocked over was not a child at all, but rather a man in his early twenties.
"Oh... My apologies, Sir." The man quickly changed his tone, bowing his head apologetically, but Yoongi knew the damage had already been done. The mistake had yanked Jimin right out of his headspace.
"It's okay," Yoongi reassured the man as Jimin lowered his gaze to the ground, his cheeks now glowing with raging embarrassment. "No harm done, eh Chim?"
Yoongi had noticed, straight away, the bright stars leaving his boyfriend's eyes, and changed his tone appropriately.
"Right, hyung," Jimin nodded, sheepishly, becoming more and more flustered. He bowed his head, respectfully, to the man. "I'm sorry, Sir. That was, my fault."
The man just gave him warm smile while Yoongi nudged him with his elbow, silently telling him not to blame himself. "It's alright, kid."
The man nodded to Yoongi and exited the aisle as he had tried to before. Yoongi looked at Jimin, who had just gone back to the anxious mess he usually was in public.
Well, that was short-lived, Yoongi thought to himself as he grabbed the boy's hand and continued walking.
"Well, what happened to chasing down those pancakes?" He chuckled, rubbing his thumb over the smaller's knuckles. "If we don't go now, they may as well be in America by now."
"Drop it, hyung," Jimin sighed. He knew the elder was trying to calm him down and cheer him up but it wasn't working, he wasn't little anymore. Just humiliated. He could feel all the customers staring at him and it made his stomach churn. "I'm not in the mood, anymore."
Yoongi froze where he stood, still holding the younger's hand, pulling him to an abrupt stop. He looked at the younger with puppy eyes and an over-dramatic pout.
Jimin tried to stifle the giggle that the sight created, but couldn't stop his grin from swallowing his eyes. With a small, light blue, sweater paw - he covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing.
"Are you telling me I got out of bed for nothing?" Yoongi asked, his voice scolding the younger mockingly.
"Hyung, stop!" Jimin bit back his giggles as the man folded his arms over his chest, mimicking little Jiminie when he was acting bratty. "You look ridiculous."
"You dragged me all the way here, in the cold, for nothing?" Yoongi frowned, his pout getting bigger the more Jimin laughed. "Fine!"
"Fine?" Jimin scoffed, grabbing his boyfriend's hand, trying to stop him from looking like a stroppy two-year-old. Jimin was the little in this relationship, that was his job!
"We'll just go back to the flat and be bored..." Yoongi sighed, shaking his head from side to side. His acting skills were impeccable!
"Hyung..." Jimin whined but the elder cut him off.
"Ah, ah," He interrupted, holding his finger to the boy's pursed lips, holding back a chuckle as he furrowed his brows. "We will go home and be bored. But, first, I gotta go and get something."
"I was the one who wanted to come," Jimin's frown deepened. The embarrassment was now slowly leaving his memories, now that Yoongi had made him laugh. "What do you need?"
Yoongi chuckled, finally breaking character as he turned through the aisle.
"I need to get my baby boy a birthday cake!" He smiled at the younger and, instantly, the latter's eyes started to sparkle again.
"And pancakes?" The boy asked in an expecting whisper, his voice as light as a feather as his excitement was restored.
"If they're still there," Yoongi tsked, recalling the boy's nonsense from before, causing Jimin to shake his head and grab his hand tighter. "They have probably left the country by now."
"Come on! Come on!" The little squealed, fully happy again at the mention of his upcoming birthday. "Maybe if we can catch them, we can get some for Tae Tae and Kookie! And Uncle Jin and Uncle Joonie! And Uncwle Hobi!"
"Hey, slow down there, baby," Yoongi laughed, noticing the boy regressing further the more excited he got. "I don't have that much money!"
"We should get Uncle Hobi the golden sywup ones!" Jimin went on, happily rambling.
"Is that so?" Yoongi chuckled, throwing random things in his basket as he saw fit while being whisked towards the back of the shop.
"Yep!" Jimin nodded, so much that Yoongi actually worried about his neck. He placed his hand, firmly, on top of the boy's fluffy hair, stopping the harsh movement. "Golden sywup is golden! Hobi is golden 'cus the sun is golden. And he's the sun!"
"You're not wrong there," Yoongi said softly, tugging the boy's hand to guide him through the shop a bit more carefully. "This way, my love."
"Woah!" Jimin exclaimed as Yoongi pulled him down the cake aisle, his talkative jaw agape and his gleaming eyes wide.
"Go and choose one, then," Yoongi laughed, pushing the back of the boy's head, making him step forwards. The shelves, in front of him, we full of children's birthday cakes - all bright in colour and over-decorated in sickly-sweet icing. As the boy admired the cakes, Yoongi slipped a simple chocolate one into his basket, just so they had a cake to celebrate with if he didn't slip. However, that was seeming very unlikely.
One box caught Jimin's eye, immediately, and he fumbled, with his stubby fingers, to get it off the shelf. Yoongi stepped forwards to help him, with loving eyes.
"You want this one, baby?" Yoongi asked. It was a small celebration cake, made more for adults to share at a newborn's first birthday. There was no writing, just plain white fondant. What grabbed Jimin's attention, though, was the fact that several yellow, icing, stars coated the top of it. Stars were his absolute favourite! That was why it became Yoongi's number-one nickname for him.
"Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" Jimin bounced slightly, clapping his hands as Yoongi placed the box in his basket.
Over Jimin's shoulder, Yoongi saw an older woman staring at them with an odd look. Not a look of confusion, which would have been more understandable, but a look of disgust. Yoongi just narrowed his eyes at her before turning to Jimin, loudly fussing him. He was determined to spoil his precious boy rotten, no glare of prejudice was going to stop him. He mentally dared her to try something, she wouldn't have gotten far.
"Anything for you, my star!" Yoongi announced, pecking Jimin's cheek, causing the boy to fall into a fit of bashful giggles. "Now, let's pay and I'll see if Jinnie or Joonie will bring Tae and Koo over, hmm?"
The little nodded, statically, grabbing the elder's hand and dragging him over to the tills - almost forgetting the pancakes once again. The elder paid for all his items and the two left the shop, leaving the rude woman to scoff in bad judgement.