Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

With a sinking feeling, Namjoon perceived the exact mistake he had made the instant the mesmerizingly beautiful man stepped through the door of the restaurant. He had a trim figure, sharp eyes, and gorgeous, glossy black feathers cascading down his head and back as well as covering the wings that were tucked in politely close behind his torso. This man, with whom Namjoon had matched with on an app and therefore knew his name was Yoongi, was obviously a crow hybrid.

A crow hybrid.

Namjoon had never been at all good at concealing what he felt, so he was sure a cast of mortified embarrassment was plainly visible on his features as Yoongi scanned the room and his eyes lighted on Namjoon. He stood in the doorway, a vision in his shredded skinny jeans and dark boots and loose, blousy white shirt that left plenty of his neck and arms exposed, further highlighted by an array of delicate little bracelets and necklaces. Namjoon felt an additional pang of guilt: Yoongi had clearly made an effort to dress up for their date. He looked great: very stylish, very sexy. And it was all wasted, because Namjoon was a doofus.

Namjoon hunched into himself as Yoongi saw Namjoon looking at him, and saw a variety of expressions crossing the man’s face: confusion, disbelief, perhaps a flash of disappointment, and then it smoothed out into polite blankness. Then Yoongi was walking towards him with long confident strides of his long, slender legs, and Namjoon was still trapped under his gaze.

Yoongi got to the edge of the table and stopped, now looking down at him.

“You’re Namjoon?” he asked, his voice deep and a bit growly.

“Yes,” Namjoon replied. “You must be Yoongi?”

“I am,” Yoongi confirmed, pressing his lips together.

Then he sat down at the table, placing himself directly across from Namjoon. He looked down for a moment, spreading his big, pale hands - with the nails painted black! so cute! - out on the surface, and watched his own fingers tapping a little rhythm. Namjoon waited in silence. He assumed Yoongi had figured out Namjoon’s mistake nearly as quickly as Namjoon had. After a breath or two, Yoongi looked briefly at him, then back down, and then he clasped his hands together, like a CEO preparing to fire a middle manager.

“How did you manage to type crow when you meant to type cow?” Yoongi asked him, his voice quiet but unmistakably annoyed.

Because Namjoon, of course, was a cow hybrid. It was summer and he was feeling bored and restless and wanted to find somebody to go on dates with, and maybe a smooch a little if things went really well, so he’d signed up on a hybrid dating app. But, clearly, he’d mistyped the kind of hybrid he was. And so he’d matched with Yoongi and they’d set up a date and here they were. Namjoon supposed morosely that if he’d been a little bit more shallow, and used one of the apps that required you to post photos of yourself, this would have been avoided.

But he had screwed up, and so here they were: the cow and the crow.

"It's these big clumsy hooves," Namjoon replied sadly, holding up his hands.

They weren’t actually hooves, of course - but neither were they exactly hands. They were bigger and broader than human hands, with big, thick, tough nails. Smartphones were manufactured for the average sapient, who didn’t have long nails or claws or hooves or hoof-adjacent phalanges.

Namjoon heaved a dejected sigh, and looked at Yoongi as the other man turned his face up to meet his gaze again. Surprisingly, his somewhat stony face softened as his eyes flicked back and forth and he seemed to be assessing Namjoon somehow. What did Yoongi think of him? A big dumb cow himbo, looking far too large crammed into the bench of this booth, slightly sweaty from nerves despite being clad in only a tank top, denim shorts, and sneakers.

“Well,” Yoongi said in a kinder tone, licking his lips and straightening up in his seat, “we might as well make the best of it, now that we’re both here.”

“You’ll still go on a date with me?” Namjoon whisper-shouted in shock.

“Sure,” Yoongi said with a surprisingly gentle smile. “I already had the time set aside, and it’s always nice to met another hybrid, isn’t it?”

“Well, I mean, yeah, it is,” Namjoon stammered. 

He tried to tamp down his own mortification and get some semblance of a smile on his face. Yoongi’s own smile widened a little more in response. Cute!

“Can I get you boys something to drink?” the waitress who had appeared at that moment interjected.

“Just water for me,” Yoongi replied instantly, the bracelets on his wrists tinkling gently as he moved his hand to gesture to himself. 

“Water and an iced tea, please,” Namjoon asked.

“Black or green?”

“Oh!” Namjoon perked up. “Green please.”

Then she was gone, with the promise of taking their food orders when she returned with their beverages.

“So how do you usually spend your days?” Yoongi asked him brightly.

“I teach at the junior college,” Namjoon said, “so I have the summers mostly free.”

“Ah!” Yoongi said even more brightly. “What subject?”

“Literature,” Namjoon said, feeling a little shy.

“Oh!” Yoongi said with a cute little raise of his shoulders, sounding genuinely surprised and impressed as his eyes skittered over Namjoon’s chest and arms for some reason, “well, you- you, uh, must have to read a lot of essays, I guess.”

Namjoon laughed.

“Yes, yes, so many,” he agreed. “What about you? What do you do?”

“I’m a courier,” Yoongi informed him happily. “I specialize in deliveries out to the suburbs, since I can go, you know, as the crow flies and get there faster. ”

He delivered that with a slightly self-conscious chuckle, but Namjoon laughed along nonetheless. Their drinks arrived then, at which point Yoongi ordered a veggie burger and Namjoon a cold noodle salad. Yoongi easily restarted the conversation after that, quizzing Namjoon about how he ended up teaching literature.

Surprising himself, it didn’t take Namjoon too long to start feeling less nervous. Since this wasn’t really a date, and he wasn’t talking to another cow hybrid like he thought he was going to, he just let go of any expectations he had for the meal. This wasn’t going to end up in a hookup, or a relationship, or anything at all - he was just keeping Yoongi company for an hour or so as an apology for being, well, a bit careless. All he was hoping for was that Yoongi would end up thinking it wasn’t completely a waste of time.

So he tried to stay out of his own head, and not worry about whether Yoongi was having judgemental thoughts behind those dark, bewitching eyes, and just trade stories about college and their friends and their favorite foods and TV shows and music and so one. Before he knew it, and long, long, long before they’d run out of things to say, they’d finished their meals and the waitress had dropped off the check.

“I’ll pay,” Yoongi said smoothly, grabbing it before Namjoon had even fully registered the tab was being offered to them.

“Oh-” he said weakly, words failing him when Yoongi glanced up at him and winked.

Well, that was that, he thought to himself. At least Yoongi had been nice enough to eat with him. It had been a pleasant lunch, and now Namjoon would have to go back and keep looking for someone to spend the summer with.

“Here,” Yoongi said as he filled in the receipt, pushing his unlocked phone across the table at Namjoon.

“What?” Namjoon asked, baffled.

“Put in your number,” Yoongi said softly, keeping his head down as he concentrated very hard on signing the receipt, “we can, you know, message each other.”

Oh, Namjoon thought. Right.

So he grinned to himself and dutifully (though carefully and slowly) put his number in Yoongi’s phone. Then he sent a cow emoji to himself to make sure he hadn’t made any typos this time. He slid the phone back to Yoongi then, and was rewarded with the most pleased, pinkest-cheeked smile from him yet. 

Then, the bill had been paid, Yoongi collected his phone, and with the faintest rustling of jet-black feathers, he was gone. Namjoon exhaled and slumped into his seat. What a guy!

Even though Yoongi had, in fact, insisted on getting his number, Namjoon was still convinced that they wouldn’t actually end up texting each other. He was right, but for the wrong reasons - Yoongi turned out to favor voice messaging. He evidently used hands-free mode while he was flying from place-to-place to chat. Namjoon was on his way to the gym in the morning when he got the first one. He smiled at the sound of Yoongi’s voice, muffled over the phone but unmistakably the same deep rasp as before.

“Hey I saw this campaign slogan on a billboard and I thought it might be a haiku, and I thought - I know just the guy to ask! Does this work: Together we rise, stronger united, embracing change for a brighter tomorrow.”

Namjoon grinned to himself, and then grinned even more as Yoongi’s voice turned into an exaggerated “politician’s voice” as he read the quote. He was enjoying listening to him so much, in fact, that he forgot to count the syllables. Well, that just meant he had to listen to the whole message again.

“No, it has too many syllables,” Namjoon sent back.

“Ah, better luck next time,” was Yoongi’s breezy reply.

Yoongi kept trying, sending him all manner of advertising snippets or overheard conversations that he thought might be haiku. No matter how many times Namjoon cheerfully explained that it had to follow a five-seven-five syllable pattern, Yoongi kept trying with things that didn’t quite match. Namjoon felt a bit bemused by the whole thing, but it was actually kind of fun so he didn’t mind it.

“I heard a mom yell this at her kid: This is it young man! I have had it with you! We are leaving now! That’s one, isn’t it?”

“No, close though! Just needs one more syllable in the middle.”

And later:

“How about this one: All-you-can-eat tacos, Open seven days a week, Turn left at light?”

“No, the line breaks would be in the wrong place. But where has all you can eat tacos? I kind of want to go there.”

“Ah, they don’t have any vegetarian options,” was Yoongi’s casual reply.

Namjoon wondered briefly how Yoongi would have had the time to find that out as he flew past. 

Then, of course, after a few days of voice messages, the voice messages turned into phone calls, particularly at the end of the day when Yoongi had a route that ended up way out in the edges of the suburbs and he wanted virtual company on his flight back in. Nothing too long, usually fifteen minutes at most, but it gave Yoongi a chance to talk about the things he’d seen from overhead, and Namjoon about the list of books he was trying to get through reading so he’d have some fresh material for next year’s curriculum.

A bit past a week after their unplanned meeting at the diner, Namjoon found himself screwing up the courage to ask Yoongi to meet in person again. Surely, Yoongi wouldn’t be talking to him so much if he didn’t actually like him, right? He wasn’t mocking him, he was seeking out Namjoon’s company. And Namjoon enjoyed it. And he wanted more! So it was time he pulled himself together to see if Yoongi wanted more too. He made his move that very evening, once Yoongi called him like he usually did.

“Hey, there’s the street market this weekend, I was going to go browse it, uh, would you like to come with? If you have the day off?” Namjoon asked nervously. 

“Oh!” Yoongi said, sounding delighted. “Yeah! I like going to those things, but it’s kind of dull to be there by myself. Yeah yeah, I’m not scheduled for Saturday. I’d love to walk around with you.”

Namjoon grinned, his fear of rejection melting away, already picturing them walking together among the booths and chatting. He bet Yoongi would love to see all the variety of things on offer, and like making comments about all of it.

The next day, his vision became reality, and it was even better than he had pictured in his mind. Namjoon was fairly dressed down, wearing his favorite blue t-shirt and some tan shorts, with his comfiest, easiest sandals. He met up with Yoongi a few blocks away from the park where the market was set up, giving them a nice little walk together on the way there. He was relieved to see that Yoongi was casually dressed too, in plain sneakers, another pair of even more ripped jeans than before, and a shirt that had a Hawaiian-style purple floral print on it - topped off with a rather large bucket hat and enormous shades. His glossy wings were all smoothed down and pressed close to his back, like they had been before. He was adorable.

Yoongi smiled and waved as soon as he spotted Namjoon, and easily fell alongside next to him. Namjoon found himself agreeing even more with what Yoongi had said at their previous meeting - it was nice, really nice, to have Yoongi as a friend. They hadn’t known each other long, but Namjoon couldn't be more glad they had met. It didn’t even matter to him that they were different species. He was sure he’d feel the same no matter if Yoongi had been a cow instead of a crow, or a cat, or a human, or anything else under the sun.

Their first stop was at the food stalls, where Namjoon was determined to square things up with Yoongi by buying their snacks for the day. Fortunately Yoongi let him do so, accepting his fried veggie skewer and tornado potato with only a few minutes of argumentative grumbling before hand.

Then, they strolled through the aisles together, at first focusing on eating, but then getting more interested in the stalls. There were many more food and drink sellers, and then a row of vendors selling edible things to take home - bread and preserves and a whole “farmer’s market” section with fruits and vegetables.

“I might want to come back here at the end,” Yoongi said, his eyes intent on the rows of produce. “Some of those strawberries look very tempting.”

Namjoon nodded, making a note to himself to try to buy those for Yoongi too. They finished off the last bites of their snacks, threw out their sticks and napkins, and then turned down the next aisle of booths, which had more crafts and souvenir-type objects on offer than the first section of the market. He felt like his eyes were working overtime, darting back and forth between all the crowded and colorful contents of the booths, and Yoongi’s face as he watched him react to everything. Painted jugs and placards, tie-dyed shirts and scarves, leather belts and bags, all that and more.

After another aisle or two, they passed a booth selling jewelry - and Namjoon saw that Yoongi’s eyes definitely caught on some of the things there more than they had with most of the stuff they had passed. 

“Some of these look like the type you wear,” Namjoon said, trying to sound very casual as they paused their strolling in front of the booth. 

Yoongi hummed and stepped closer, leaning in to take a look at some of the racks. There had to be hundreds of bracelets there, mostly thin little chains with a few carefully-coordinated beads and charms on them. Namjoon saw Yoongi’s eyes flicker back and forth intensely, his fingers twitching unconsciously.

“We’re having a special,” the seller remarked brightly. “Two-for-one! You could mix them up, or buy coordinating ones for each of you!”

“Oh, that’s a nice idea,” Namjoon said gamely. “Yoongi, I don’t know what looks good on me, could you help me choose?”

Namjoon thought he saw a little blush creep up on Yoongi’s cheeks, even as he steadfastly looked only at the bracelets and not at Namjoon.

“Sure,” he said.

They spent a lovely ten or so minutes then browsing through all the options. 

“I think you should get one of the gold-toned chains,” Yoongi murmured, “it would look nice with that tan you have.”

Namjoon nodded - that made sense. Finally, they settled on a gold bracelet with a few little star-shaped charms for Namjoon, and a silver bracelet with a scattering of milky white glass beads for Yoongi. Then, Namjoon quickly maneuvered himself in front and made sure he was the one who paid, shooting a triumphant glance at Yoongi. 

“Ah, no,” he said, batting his hands on Namjoon’s arm with a whine in his voice and an even higher blush on his cheeks than before, “you should let me buy. You bought the snacks!”

Namjoon giggled, tremendously pleased with himself.

“And I’m buying these too,” he insisted.

Yoongi made another embarrassed noise but let it drop.

“Let me help you put it on,” he offered quietly once the transaction was complete.

Namjoon wordlessly held out his wrist and the bracelets. He admired Yoongi’s long, expert fingers, with their rather knobby knuckles, as he quickly got the bracelet latched on him, with just a few brushes of his fingertips against the skin of Namjoon’s wrist. 

“Thanks!” Namjoon said. 

Yoongi then held out his own arm, and Namjoon admired that as well - the pale, slender expanse of his forearm - while he got Yoongi’s bracelet latched on in turn. It joined the two others he was already wearing on that side, a pleasing accent to an already-lovely limb. It took Namjoon quite a bit longer to get it done compared to how fast Yoongi had been, but Yoongi merely waited patiently.

“Thank you,” Yoongi said in return, his eyes still locked on the bracelet, the tease of a smile playing around his lips. 

As they started walking again, Namjoon thought to himself, maybe I really do have a shot.

Chapter Text

Namjoon and Yoongi continued down the line of booths. Once they got further towards the middle of the fair, there were no more trees overhead, and the sun beat down on them mercilessly. Fortunately, Namjoon spotted a man a few dozen meters ahead setting up a mister, so he hurred over, anticipating the relief of a little application of water.

However, just as he got there, whoever was on the spigot end of the hose turned it on too soon, and too forcefully. The man trying to connect it to the mister, squawking in surprise at the sudden gush of water before he got it screwed in, lost his grip. The end of the hose flipped through the air, spraying in a huge arc across the path.

Namjoon, out of pure instinct, quickly stepped forward and took the full brunt of the upwardly-moving dousing squarely on his chest and face. Only a few drops landed on the arms of Yoongi behind him. He spluttered a little, shirt now sticking to his body, then quickly stomped on the hose to catch it before it whipped around again.

“TURN IT OFF!” the man hollered over this shoulder.

Then he darted over and grabbed the hose, the water already slowing down as Namjoon lifted up his foot for him.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” the man said once he’d straightened up.

“It’s really okay,” Namjoon said kindly, “I won’t melt!”

Really, it was so hot anyway, he honestly didn’t mind. But he didn’t want to be dripping everywhere, so he stepped between the booths, finding a spot where he could stand out of the way of traffic for a moment. Yoongi stepped silently after him.

“You okay?” Namjoon asked, quickly yanking the shirt off so that he could wring it out.

"Holy crow," Yoongi yelped.

Namjoon looked up at him in surprise, suddenly worried that something was wrong. But Yoongi was staring slack-jawed at Namjoon’s bare torso, now slightly glistening in the sun with drops of moisture. 

"Isn't the phrase 'Holy cow?'" Namjoon asked, crinkling his forehead in confusion.

"There's nothing holy about what you have going on there, cowboy," Yoongi muttered, gesturing at his body so wildly that his feathers rattled.

Namjoon was well aware that he was muscular and tanned and toned - he worked hard to stay fit, after all. Now, all of a sudden, he was aware that Yoongi was looking at him like he was an all-you-can-eat buffet. Maybe he hadn’t really thought about what Yoongi’s “type” was, assuming he wasn’t into big buff guys, regardless of species. But even as he felt himself blush, and ducked his head while he wrung out his shirt with a moist splattering sound, he once again thought: wow, I really do have a shot! He managed to get his face under control so that he wasn’t smirking by the time he’d wrestled his wet shirt back on.

They kept walking around further after that, long enough for Namjoon’s shirt to dry out (though it was a bit stretched out and wrinkled from the wringing), and long enough for them to get hungry and get another round of snacks. Then, finally, the day wound down, and most of the stalls had started packing up, so they made their way back out of the park and down the street to where they had left their cars.

Namjoon hatched an idea as they walked, even as they chatted amiably about some of the things they’d seen. He kept getting distracted by the way the bracelet he’d bought kept tinkling in a very cute way as Yoongi waved his hands around when he talked, though.

“This is your car,” Yoongi pointed out, when they’d finally made their slow way back all the way along the street back to the spot that they’d initially met earlier.

“I really enjoyed today,” Namjoon said quickly.

“I enjoyed it too,” Yoongi agreed, smiling very sweetly.

“When’s your next day off?” he followed up.

Yoongi shrugged his shoulders with a breathy little chuckle.

“What would you like to do?” he replied teasingly, but stepped just a little bit closer to Namjoon than he’d been before.

“Well, I was thinking of booking a frolic,” Namjoon suggested. “But I know that’s usually more-”

“Let’s do it,” Yoongi interrupted him.

“-popular with ungulate hybrids,” Namjoon went on anyway.

“I’d love to try one,” Yoongi insisted, his eyes bright and his cheeks a little pink. “I haven’t done one before, but they seem fun. I mean, I’ve done a few cliff’s-edge flockings, those were pretty thrilling.”

“Oh wow, okay,” Namjoon said, grinning despite himself. “We can always just, like, stop and leave if you end up not being into it.”

“‘K,” Yoongi said easily, shrugging his shoulders and ruffling his wings cutely. 

In general, hybrids more closely resembled humans than their sources of non-human DNA - human except for the horns, human except for the wings, human except for the tail, human except for the large furry ears, and so forth. However, the differences between base humans and hybrids weren’t just in looks. Hybrids always inherited some animal behaviors and instincts as well, even those who were based on domesticated animals like Namjoon. Some got very species-specific, but nearly all of them craved fresh air, sunlight, and plain outdoor experiences to a much higher degree than humans.

As a result, of course there was always a market to provide places for hybrids to express those sides of themselves - parks where they could run or fly around freely with no power lines in sight, special reserves where they were allowed to dig or scratch up tree bark or swim up and down a river or fly around rock formations or tall trees. Many species - and even plain humans to boot - could appreciate the simplest of all, which was called a frolic. This was simply access to a wild place - usually most open meadows - with no trails or structures beyond the outer fence. You could even book a large preserve and have a whole flock or herd of your friends frolic at once.

Or, you could bring just one special person.

They agreed on a date, and as soon as Namjoon got back to his appointment he booked a reservation. Then he threw himself face-down on his couch and kicked the air giddily.

“What about Summer means grilling, grilling means lots of meat, get your knives sharpened!” was the first thing Yoongi said when he called the next day. “That’s a haiku, right?”

“Very close!” Namjoon said. “Should have had one more syllable in the middle clause.”

“Augh!” Yoongi complained cheerfully. “That’s probably the closest one yet!”

“You’re still free on Friday, right?” Namjoon asked. “I got the reservation for one P.M.”

“Of course,” Yoongi said happily. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world. Hey, I’ll pick you up at your place, no reason for both of us to have to drive all the way out there, right?”

“Sure, sounds great,” Namjoon agreed.

“Great! See you then.”

So, on Friday, Yoongi picked him up as planned, and then they were in Yoongi’s car, driving out to the edge of town. This area had some parks set aside between the farmland and the ranches and the wineries, where the started to slope upwards into the hills and most of the trees had been left undisturbed.

“I haven’t been to this one before, but it has good reviews online,” Namjoon explained as Yoongi pulled off the highway at the direction of the cheerful voice of his GPS.

“Alright,” he said agreeably, continuing on the frontage road and looking for the sign.

Within minutes, they had found the right spot, pulled into the tree-lined gravel driveway, and parked just past the little log-cabin-styled kiosk at the entrance. Yoongi hopped out of his car, looking quite adorable in his big white wing-friendly t-shirt, plain black knit shorts, and mid-top sneakers. At least, Namjoon thought vaguely that maybe adorable was the right word. He was feeling a bit distracted by how much leg he could see. Long, delicate, creamy pale legs, with pinkish knees. He supposed he should have expected that, given that he’d been subjected to the delicate, creamy pale arms with pinkish elbows the first time he’d met Yoongi. Yoongi was even gleaming now, all of his non-feathered skin slightly shiny from the generous layer of sunscreen he’d slathered himself with.

Namjoon mentally shook himself, closing the car door on his side and so he could follow after Yoongi. He was dressed fairly similarly, though he was wearing a brightly-colored t-shirt with a sports team logo on it that fit him fairly closely, double-layer running shorts, and trail runners with probably more aggressive of a sole than he really needed.

“Ahhhh,” Yoongi said as he walked in front of him, stretching both his arms and his wings out to his sides. “I feel energized already! It smells great out here!”

Namjoon couldn’t help but agree, tilting his head up to take in the scents of the trees and shrubs and grasses and wildflowers that were being wafted around them by the gentle breeze. He could hear insects buzzing in the grass. And it was nice to see Yoongi with his wings extended so far - in the city, he kept them politely tucked in all the time unless he was actually flying a delivery route. It was rarely practical to do short glides or hops, or even stretch them out, in a crowded urban environment when you had a three-meter wingspan.

Within a few steps, sneakers crunching over the gravel parking lot, they had reached the main office, which was barely larger than the entrance kiosk. 

“Hello, welcome to Willow Springs Outdoor Park!” the attendant there greeted them cheerfully through the window. “Do you have a reservation?”

“Yes!” Namjoon answered quickly. “Namjoon, for one o’clock.”

“Ah yes, I see you here,” she noted, looking at her computer. “There’s no booking ahead of you so you can start your timeslot now, if you’d like.”

Namjoon exchanged a look with Yoongi, who gave him an easy shrug.

“Okay, sure!” Namjoon accepted.

“Great!” she chirped. “See you back here in two hours!”

Before Namjoon could think any further, Yoongi had grabbed his hand, and with a huge grin on his face he pulled him forward. Namjoon smiled back, and then they were both jogging past the kiosk, past the thick, tall line of arborvitae they had planted there as a privacy fence, and then they burst back out into the sun again.

A gorgeous meadow was spread out in front of them: at least four types of wild grasses and seven types of wildflower that Namjoon could distinguish at first glance. The gentle breeze was rippling over the field, wafting the scents of flowers and sun-warmed grass in his direction, and it smelled wonderful. Namjoon shook his head a little as he ran, enjoying the way his hair flopped around, getting himself loose.

They jogged across the field together, glancing over at each other every so often and grinning. Namjoon was so glad to see that Yoongi was genuinely enjoying it too, his smile wide and excited. They got to the other side of the open field and reached a little stand of trees. Just past that was a little stream.

“Ooh, I’m going to put my feet in the water,” Namjoon said excitedly. 

Yoongi stripped off his shoes and socks just as eagerly as Namjoon did, and they left them in a neat little row at the edge of the grass. They splashed through the stream, water-worn rocks smooth and cool against their feet. Namjoon felt all the stress of his everyday life melting away - there were no more classes to prepare for, or mail to sort, or dishes to wash. There was just the present, with the beautiful warm sun and the breeze and Yoongi’s pale feet splashing in the water as he smiled at him.

“What do you think of this park?” Namjoon asked him.

“It’s really nice!” Yoongi said agreeably, looking back the way they had come. “I want to see more of the wildflowers, though.”

Namjoon suddenly felt the urge to see the flowers too, so they walked back to where they had left their footwear. After a quick drying-off in the grass, they were once again shod. A particularly delicious gust of air swept over the field, bringing all the good smells of sun-warmed grasses and bee-kissed flowers towards them. Namjoon whooped and burst into a run. He heard Yoongi laughing behind him - and then suddenly, above him.

Namjoon glanced up as he kept running through the field, grasses brushing against his shins. Yoongi had leapt up into the air and had gained enough height to come swooping past him. 

“Yeeeehawwww!” Yoongi screeched joyfully, buzzing past Namjoon, his wings less than a meter above his head. 

Namjoon grinned as Yoongi zoomed by. He was an excellent and agile flier, a joy to watch, particularly here in the open air where he could carry out whatever maneuver he pleased. Namjoon heard him whoop again as he wheeled around ahead of him, banking back up into the sky and diving back down with an aerobatic twirl. Namjoon kept running through the grass, leaping every so often, thinking of nothing but the ground under his feet and the air against his face and his favorite person in the air above him.

Yoongi was headed straight back towards him. He got close enough for Namjoon to be able to perceive the grin on his face, when Yoongi pulled up and spread his wings out, braking himself in the air. Namjoon was startled enough to pause in his tracks, watching Yoongi wonderingly as he timed his motion perfectly, coming to a stop and dropping gently to the ground directly in front of Namjoon. By instinct, Namjoon had his hands out in front of him, and Yoongi just so happened to glide right between them, magically slotting himself in as the feathers of his wings ruffled in the air. Namjoon’s hands flew to his waist, guiding Yoongi ever closer, like they were performing an impromptu pas-de-deux. 

Namjoon’s eyes were fixed on Yoongi’s face, the excited sun-warmed glow on his cheeks, and the sparkle in his dark eyes as he looked right back at him. The last of Yoongi’s momentum carried him just a few more centimeters forward, his chest almost bumping into Namjoon’s.

And then he leaned in and kissed Namjoon. Namjoon automatically gripped his waist even more firmly, seizing Yoongi, seizing the moment, closing his eyes and kissing him back. His lips were felt just as perfect as they looked, soft against Namjoon’s own. A gentle lingering motion, and then Yoongi was pulling away and Namjoon opened his eyes again. Yoongi looked even glowier than before, face even happier, and then he bit his lip, turned away, and launched himself back into the air. Namjoon propelled himself forward as well, laughing with joy. He had kissed him! They were frolicing together on (and over) this field, on this lovely unmatched summer day, and Yoongi had kissed him. Namjoon knew he’d never forget this moment as long as he lived.

He ran faster, grass whipping against his legs, eyes up in the sky watching as Yoongi flapped away, wheeled up, and then dove down towards him again. Yoongi’s face was even more gleeful than before, and he waited even longer to stop since Namjoon was ready for him this time. Namjoon had his arms out and pulled Yoongi in by the waist again as his wings were braced behind him, and their lips met in another kiss even as the grass and flowers all around them were flattened by the downward blast of air pushed by Yoongi’s wings. 

Yoongi’s arms came around Namjoon’s neck, and the kiss was more intense though shorter, so short that Yoongi’s feet never quite reached the ground. Then he was off again. And Namjoon was off too, gleefully running after him.

The third landing was even more forceful than the third, the kiss-swoop turning into a tackle and knocking Namjoon’s sturdy form down onto the grass with Yoongi giggling above him.

“Sorry,” he said, not really sounding very sorry.

“S’fine, it didn’t hurt,” Namjoon replied, and leaned in and smooched him again.

They sat side by side for a moment, breathing a bit heavily, looking at each other and then all around them. Yoongi stood up first and reached his hand down to help Namjoon to his feet. 

“I still haven’t gotten much of a look at the flowers,” Yoongi said with a laugh, not letting go of Namjoon’s hand.

“Well, that one’s a poppy,” Namjoon said, pointing at a nearby red one with his other hand.

“Ah!” Yoongi said admiringly.

They started walking a bit aimlessly, tromping through the field, Namjoon still naming flowers, while they held hands.

“The yellow one is canola.”

“The tall orange ones are cosmos.”

“I’m pretty sure that little shrub is a wild rose.”

Yoongi beamed at all of them.

“Here’s some lavender - I don’t think it’s native,” Namjoon mused.

“Still smells nice,” Yoongi mused.

They walked further in companionable silence, finally finding themselves closer to one of the edges, and another one of the little groves of trees. Namjoon felt a touch restless again, already recovered from the earlier running.

“I want to see how far I can run around the perimeter of the field,” he suggested. “You up for more?”

“Absolutely,” Yoongi said. 

He stole one more kiss before he launched himself up into the air, though. He managed to get a little head start on their route, winging up again and gliding ahead of Namjoon. Finally he settled in to a steady pace, and the two of them were going side by side: Namjoon running at a solid clip and Yoongi keeping alongside him. They kept going in and out of the sunlight, sticking to the edge between the field and the trees. Namjoon thought he wouldn’t mind doing this forever, just going and going with Yoongi next to him.

But even Namjoon could get tired, and just about the time their two hours were up, he finally felt satisfied and worn out in a good way. He had pushed his muscles and his lungs enough to feel like he had really lived, and from the way Yoongi stretched out his wings and back luxuriously when he landed he thought Yoongi was probably feeling the same way. Neither of them hesitated to reach out and link their hands together as they walked back to the entry kiosk. 

“Thanks for coming with me,” Namjoon said, swinging their joined hands a little for emphasis.

“Of course,” Yoongi replied enthusiastically, “that was really fun. I’d love to do this again, preferably soon.”

Namjoon hummed in agreement. They waved their goodbyes to the attendant, and continued on through the parking lot, only reluctantly letting go of each other’s hands once they reached the car. Yoongi pressed the button on his remote to auto-start it, so the AC would start running, and then popped the trunk. He had a little cooler there with a few bottles of blissfully cold water, two of which Namjoon gratefully accepted. They stood there chugging the water, catching their breath and smiling at each other, buzzing with happiness and endorphins.

“Hey,” Yoongi finally said as he coolly tossed his two empty bottles into the trunk to be dealt with later. “Want to come back to my place now? We could, you know, hang out, maybe order some dinner.”

“I’m all sweaty,” Namjoon said, with an air of apology.

Yoongi grabbed another bottle of water and cracked it open.

“I have a really nice shower,” Yoongi murmured.

Well, then.

“That sounds great,” Namjoon said, feeling like he was blushing a little even under the remaining flush of all the running around.

“Cool,” Yoongi said, handing Namjoon one more bottle of water and then closing the cooler and the trunk. “Let’s get on the road then!”

The drive back was nearly silent, though the atmosphere inside the car (other than the blasting air conditioning) was heavy with anticipation. Once they were on the highway, Yoongi put his big hand on Namjoon’s thigh, squeezing every so often. Namjoon watched the scenery go by and was sure he had a silly smile on his face. He felt excited, yes - but also calm and quiet in a way, like the time rejoicing in the sun had soothed and fed something within him, and that spending that time with Yoongi had cemented something between the two of them.

By the time they were parking at Yoongi’s complex, the cold water and the air conditioning had done its work, and Namjoon felt dry and no longer overheated - though he felt slightly tacky and salty from the dried sweat. 

“Seems nice,” Namjoon commented as they rode up the elevator.

“Oh yes, it’s a pretty good place,” Yoongi said. “Very big balconies too, that’s why I chose it.”

Namjoon nodded - it made sense. He could picture Yoongi just launching himself from his balcony, taking to the air above the city. The door opened, they walked down the hallway, and Yoongi opened the door to his apartment. Namjoon walked through, looking back through the place to see if he could spot the illustrious balcony straight off. He got the impression of a somewhat-crowded place, filled with eclectic objects: brightly-colored jars and cups and bowls in the kitchen, striped and dotted chairs and a big couch in the living room, a crowded array of gorgeous art prints on the walls that he wanted to take a closer look at.

But then he paid no mind to any of that, because as the door closed behind them, Yoongi grabbed him by his shirt, slammed him against the wall, and started kissing him aggressively. Namjoon immediately got with the program, shifting and widending his legs so that Yoongi could press between them and get even closer, eagerly opening his lips and kissing Yoongi back. Yoongi hummed - almost a growl - and squeezed him into the wall, hands letting go of Namjoon’s shirt and roaming over his body. 

Namjoon’s shirt got pulled off a few moments into the makeout session, after which Yoongi took his own shirt off a bit more carefully - the specific clasps on the back to keep the shirt closed while still allowing for wings could be tricky for those not familiar with avian hybrid customs. Then they were back at it, heaving chests and bellies touching as Yoongi grabbed Namjoon by the neck and kissed him like he was a four-course meal.

“My bedroom is this way,” Yoongi finally whispered hoarsely, pulling back from the kiss and yanking Namjoon away from the wall. 

They kicked off their shoes and socks there, and Namjoon managed to get his shorts off as well, leaving them in the hallway as Yoongi led him into his room. It was just as gorgeous as the rest of the apartment, mostly taken up by a huge bed piled with pillows on all sides in shades of white and cream. Yoongi’s nest.

“Oh, but, I’m all sweaty,” Namjoon protested weakly, as Yoongi made like he was going to shove him directly into it.

“You said that before! I am too!” Yoongi argued, pressing more and more kisses against his lips as punctuation. “I’m just a guy like you, not some, I don’t know, glowing ethereal being or whatever you seem to think!”

Namjoon pulled his head back and looked at Yoongi in faux-shock.

“You’re not?” he whispered.

That got Yoongi to blush and smack Namjoon’s shoulder, and they both giggled. At least briefly, until Yoongi yanked his own shorts off impatiently, and then Namjoon was being pushed into the soft, cool nest, a welcoming embrace of white cotton. He caught himself, landing on his back, only caring for the vision above him: Yoongi, dark wings behind him and dark feathers on his head, lovely porcelain skin flushed and pink and begging to be caressed, arms and legs caging him in, dark eyes hungry.

“You- you look so predatory,” Namjoon murmured, unsure of how he suddenly felt so small with the other man looming over him.

“Pshaw,” Yoongi replied, though his eyes remained dark and lustful. “I’m an omnivore. I’ll eat anything.”

He trailed his fingers across Namjoon’s abs. 

“Meat…” he drawled, then traced his fingertips across a nipple, making Namjoon hiss, “dairy…”

Namjoon had to laugh at that even as he twitched from sensitivity, enjoying the twinkle in Yoongi’s eyes even as he raked his eyes up and down Namjoon’s body. Then Yoongi leaned in, moving his hand back down Namjoon’s body as he dove in and started sucking kisses on Namjoon’s neck.

“Fruit,” he muttered into Namjoon’s neck, and Namjoon could feel his smirk against him.

Yoongi was fully draped over him now, and Namjoon carefully moved his hands up onto Yoongi’s back, making sure he was staying where the smooth skin and small feathers were, not accidentally poking into his delicate wings. He could feel the Yoongi’s hard-on poking into his hip, through the two layers of their underwear. He had filled out rapidly as well, and he was sure that if he looked down he’d see himself tenting his own briefs. Yoongi felt so warm and lovely pressed against his front, his lips still pressing and nuzzling against his neck, making Namjoon a little dizzy.

Yoongi’s hand moved lower, teasing the side of the waistband of Namjoon’s underwear. Namjoon gasped, his hands clenching slightly on Yoongi’s sides. Then he fully moaned as Yoongi shifted his body to the side to give himself a better angle, and gently cupped Namjoon’s erection through the thin fabric.

“Vegetables,” Yoongi spoke inexorably against his neck, “and even nuts.”

At this conclusion, he ghosted his hand even lower, and ever-so-gently squeezed Namjoon’s balls with his precise fingers. Namjoon couldn’t help but arch his back and produce an extremely mortifying whimper, followed by a breathless laugh. Yoongi chuckled with him, still peppering his neck and jawline with kisses and moving his hand back up again.

“So, you know, for today, what would you like?” Namjoon stammered, focusing on the way Yoongi’s hand was gently caressing his chest now.

“I’m not actually going to eat you,” Yoongi teased him, then went back to kissing along his neck.

“Nooooo,” Namjoon huffed, squeezing Yoongi’s hips so they could grind together a little, “You know, would you prefer to top?”

Yoongi pulled back and lifted himself up on his arms so he could look Namjoon in the face.

“You’d let me?” he asked, sounding a touch surprised.

“Let you?” Namjoon scoffed. “I mean, yeah? Of course I would!”

He had, perhaps, imagined it already: lying on his back with his knees up, Yoongi above him - much like he was at the moment - with his wings spread out gorgeously like a luxurious canopy above them, as he pounded into Namjoon mercilessly. He had, perhaps, imagined it very vividly, and jerked himself off to the thought very enthusiastically.

But, on the other hand, he couldn’t help but notice Yoongi looked a little torn. He could understand the sentiment. Either way - any way - seemed entirely delightful and irresistible. Well, they’d just have to do this more than once, then. That was the only sensible solution.

“It’s your place though,” Namjoon said, moving his hands further onto Yoongi’s asscheeks, gripping them and massaging them as he continued pressing their bulges together. “I’d love it if you let me make you feel good.”

“Okay,” Yoongi said breathlessly, clearly just as eager for anything to happen.

He heaved himself up then and shucked off his underwear at lightning speed, then helped Namjoon with his. Namjoon grinned up at him as he lifted up his hips and Yoongi eagerly grabbed the waistband and slid them down, tossing them off just as carelessly as he had his own once he’d gotten them free of Namjoon’s legs. Namjoon’s erection sprang up, having been barely contained by the thin fabric of his underwear in the first place.

Then Yoongi’s hand was on Namjoon’s shaft, just a light grasp, and before Namjoon could even get out much of a moan Yoongi was pressed back against him, all hot squirmy skin. He pressed their lips back together and Namjoon put his hand on the back of Yoongi’s head - marveling at how soft the feathers there were - as he opened his mouth eagerly and let Yoongi’s tongue in. They made out like that, already sweaty, already messily smearing each other with precum as they ground together, spit-slicked lips eagerly working and kissing and demanding more.

Finally, Yoongi pushed himself up again, breaking the kiss. Namjoon looked up at him, feeling speechless with lust and fondness equally, taking in his pink cheeks and kiss-bitten lips. 

“I hope you don’t mind,” Yoongi said with a self-deprecating smirk, “but I prefer to open myself up. I’m just a little persnickety I guess.”

“Of course I don’t mind,” Namjoon agreed easily.

He figured this was also a polite way for Yoongi to decline Namjoon’s big hybrid hands - already proven to be slightly clumsy - in his most sensitive places. He didn’t mind. He just wanted Yoongi to feel good. It took a bit of maneuvering and careful placing of items, but soon enough Yoongi was back, hovering over Namjoon with his hips up in the air, one hand back and lubed up as he stretched himself. They were still able to kiss this way, and Namjoon was able to let his hands roam: on Yoongi’s sides and legs, and then down his front for some gentle tugs, making him gasp and twitch. 

“Okay,” Yoongi finally said, pulling out his fingers, sitting upright, and momentarily settling himself on Namjoon’s thighs while he steaded himself. “I’m ready.”

They rearranged themselves again then, Yoongi kneeling down in front of Namjoon, legs spread and wings mostly tucked but trembling with anticipation. Yoongi had already tossed a condom down on the bed before he got started on himself, so Namjoon put it on while Yoongi was shifting position. He got his knees right behind Yoongi’s legs, and caressed Yoongi’s hips while he raked his eyes over Yoongi’s body - the smooth line of his back between his wings, the curve of his delicate thighs meeting his perfectly cute ass -  for a moment of anticipation. 

Then, he lined himself up, the head of his cock easily catching on Yoongi’s pink hole. Yoongi hummed impatiently and pushed himself backwards, arching his back even more. Namjoon pushed in, exhaling loudly as Yoongi’s incredible heat sucked him in. He worked himself in with slow, careful nudges, gradually sinking deeper, spurred on by the way Yoongi’s little stuttering breaths got louder and moany-er as he went. 

And the way Yoongi’s wings twitched, stretching and flapping jerkily as Namjoon pressed more and more firmly against Yoongi’s sweet spot with each thrust. Finally Namjoon bottomed out, gripping Yoongi’s hips as he felt a little dizzy from the heat and the pleasurable squeezing. Yoongi gasped and his wings fluttered out, almost hitting Namjoon in the face.

“S-sorry,” Yoongi stuttered, hanging his head down and sounding overwhelmed already.

“No, don’t be,” Namjoon said, petting along his back between the base of his wings. “I’d love for you to be able to move around freely. Want to ride me instead?”

“Hahhh,” Yoongi said, half-moaning. “Yes please, I’d love to.”

So they once again rearranged themselves, Namjoon pulling out and flopping himself in the bottom of the nest, and Yoongi quickly turning around and positioning himself above Namjoon, straddling him. He seemed desperate to get Namjoon back inside of him, and Namjoon wasn’t going to argue with that. He held himself in place, his other hand resting gently on Yoongi’s thigh. And then the head of his cock was back inside, and as Namjoon groaned Yoongi sank all the way back down. 

Namjoon loved watching him do so, loved watching the sweet tension in his face, the way his wings spread out and trembled behind him. He was a vision, everything Namjoon could have hoped for and more: pink nipples and a perfect belly button serving as punctuation for the undulating silk of his chest and stomach, adorable pink cock bouncing just above Namjoon’s own taut belly. Namjoon kept himself braced, his hands placed gently next to Yoongi’s hipbones, merely along for the ride as Yoongi started to roll his hips and work up a rhythm. He wanted to do this over and over again, and learn everything that Yoongi liked, all the angles and movements to light up his body and get him to forget himself in bliss. But for now he was happy to let Yoongi take charge. No matter how his tight heat was squeezing Namjoon’s cock and sending waves of pleasure through his body, the important thing was for Yoongi to feel even better than Namjoon did.

Finally, paying attention to Yoongi’s moans and gasps and shivers, Namjoon started to work his hips slightly with each motion Yoongi made. And as they built up together that way, Namjoon complementing his movements and hitting inside Yoongi exactly like he wanted, Namjoon couldn’t take his eyes off of him. He was so beautiful, and Namjoon was so lucky, and he felt so wonderful around him. Namjoon almost couldn’t believe it somehow, that this delectable bird boy, with his sexy voice and kind eyes and soft skin and petal-pink lips and delicate wings, has come into his life. Yoongi’s wings fluttered and twitched even harder than before, spreading out over nearly the entire width of the bed now, fanning the air and transmitting Yoongi’s pleasure into the air itself, harmonizing with his ever-louder moans. 

Namjoon could feel himself getting closer to the edge too, his fingers gripping ever more firmly into Yoongi’s skin. Yoongi’s eyes squeezed shut and he threw his head back, mouth open as he panted and kept driving himself up and down on Namjoon’s cock, thrusting with his legs and pushing himself with his wings. Namjoon planted his feet and began pistoning into him with even more force than before, grunting with each thrust, eagerly pushing Yoongi to the finish.

And then, gloriously, Yoongi cried out, and clenched around him, and splattered hot cum over his stomach. Namjoon gasped, vision nearly going white as he took in the sight of Yoongi’s face in ecstasy, framed by his dark wings flared out behind him. He came immediately, grinding into Yoongi as hard as he could, burying himself deep inside, hips in the air. Yoongi’s cum trickled down his abs as Namjoon twitched and kept Yoongi pulled flush against him. Then he carefully lowered himself back down, both of them panting and nearly as dripping wet as they had been after the frolic earlier. 

Namjoon was suddenly desperate to kiss him. He kept one hand on Yoongi’s waist and used the other to hoist himself into a sitting position. Fortunately he was strong enough to keep Yoongi - a bit dazed and rather pliant for the moment - from being jostled too much as he shifted them around. Then he leaned in and kissed him, a few pecks that Yoongi happily accepted een as they still tried to catch their breath in between. Neither of them seemed to want to separate quite yet.

“See, we’re all sweaty,” Yoongi finally said after a few more short, sweet kisses - a little dreamily, his cheeks flushed, his dark feathers sticking down to his forehead. “How about a nice shower? Want to stay a bit?”

The last phrase was spoken a little shyly, as if Namjoon weren’t completely smitten, as if Namjoon didn’t want to just splay himself out in Yoongi’s nest and stay forever, as if Namjoon could still somehow stomach a future in which he couldn’t caress Yoongi’s skin and kiss his soft lips whenever he wanted, for now and tomorrow and all the days ahead even long after the summer ended. Namjoon smiled up at his beautiful crow boy.

“Now, see, that was a haiku,” he said breathlessly, looking at Yoongi’s perfect dark eyes.

Yoongi brightened up and started laughing uncontrollably, gravely peals that he was helpless to stop, crinkling up his face delightedly, eyes squished and pearly teeth and pink gums on display. Namjoon hissed a little, even as he chuckled along, and grabbed at the base of his mostly-softened cock as it slipped out of Yoongi from the force of his guffaws. Still laughing, Yoongi carefully lifted himself off and slumped to the side, allowing Namjoon to roll away and carefully get the condom off. 

“Trash can’s right over there,” Yoongi informed him through his giggles, pointing to the corner of the room.

By the time Namjoon had carefully disposed of it, Yoongi had managed to heave himself out of the nest, and, still naked, head to the bathroom. He had an extra-large avian-style shower, with the specially targeted showerhead so that it was easier for him to wash his bare skin and leave his feathered wings, back, and head mostly dry. He’d groom them later, Namjoon assumed. Namjoon showered right after him, and when he emerged, he discovered that Yoongi had left a pair of fresh black underpants out for him.

“Oh, good, I thought it looked like we wore the same size!” Yoongi said when he came out wearing them.

“Ah yeah, thanks,” Namjoon said, distracted by the fact that Yoongi was still walking around wearing nothing more than a pair of light blue boxers with little bears printed on them.

Somehow, due to the heat and their languid feeling from all of the day’s exertions - both outdoor and indoor - neither of them ended up putting any more clothes on than that. In fact, they found themselves sprawled out on Yoongi’s couch, eating popsicles, watching a baseball game on television. It was a bird hybrid couch, so the back was split up into padded posts, leaving plenty of room for wings to be slotted through. Namjoon was lying on his half of it sideways, head up against the arm. 

Yoongi got up to throw out their popsicle sticks, and came back with a little bag.

“I got this because I liked the design, but I don’t think the gold color looks good on my skin,” he said, a touch too casually. “Do you think you’d wear it?”

He pulled out a delicate little golden necklace with a feather-shaped charm.

“Oh!” Namjoon said, enamored. “That’s so pretty!”

“Can I put it on you?” Yoongi asked quietly, looking at Namjoon with those perfect dark eyes of his again.

“Yes,” Namjoon said, pushing himself upright.

“No no,” Yoongi said, stepping over quickly. “You stay there, I can put it on you.”

So Namjoon grinned, and lay back down, and contented himself with only lifting up his head so that Yoongi could close the necklace around his neck with his careful fingers. Namjoon was content to look at his face and the cute look of concentration on it while he did so. Once Yoongi had arranged the charm down onto his chest with a gentle fingertip, Namjoon was rewarded with a soft, sweet smooch.

Yoongi stood back up and looked at him, and as Namjoon stayed still on the couch, he couldn’t help but think there was a slight possessive gleam in Yoongi’s eyes. He felt a bit like he’d been collected as a bit of golden treasure for Yoongi’s hoard, in fact. Desired, claimed, and marked.

He liked it.

So then Namjoon shifted his posture ever so slightly, cocking his knee up and angling his hips a few degrees to the side, hoping he looked a little bit sexier and not like he had just flopped himself down in exhaustion. Yoongi bit his lip and looked very pleased, slightly flustered, and maybe even smug before he turned away to seat himself back down next to Namjoon, his own leg coming to rest against Namjoon’s feet.

Best typo ever.