Chapter Text
Yoongi felt like he was having deja vu. Somehow he was finding himself once again standing in the corner of an exhibit hall with a cup that was once again not filled with alcohol like he wanted it to be. Though this time, it wasn’t that he couldn’t have it, but instead that he didn’t trust himself to go through with his plan if he had it.
Not that he even had a plan at this point.
“Stop looking around with that scary ass face, hyung, you’re intimidating the rookies,” a voice said from next to him. Jungkook fixed him with a disapproving look just like last time, dressed in almost the exact same simple black tuxedo.
Even what he was saying was essentially the same as that night. It was uncanny. Yoongi would have laughed at the absurdity of the situation if he had any air left in his chest to do so.
“Don’t worry,” he replied without looking up. “I’m sure no one’s noticed me.”
Jungkook sighed. “Just because no one knew you were going to show up doesn’t mean no one can recognize you, you know,” he pointed out with an eye roll. “Literally every artist in here is whispering about it. No one thought you would show up.”
“Well I knew you would,” another voice said from behind Jungkook. Seokjin appeared suddenly, slinging an arm around the younger manager’s shoulder and causing him to turn bright red. “I had a hunch. And I’m always right about this kinda stuff, aren’t I, Kookie?”
“What are you even saying…” Jungkook scoffed, but he wasn’t fooling anyone; his face looked downright soft as he looked at Seokjin’s overconfident grin. Yoongi took a long sip of his cider, once again tempted to exchange it for something stronger.
“And what kinda stuff are you always right about?” he asked in a flat tone, no doubt in his mind that Seokjin would tell him either way.
Seokjin let out a heart laugh. “I’m glad you asked, my dear Yoongles! The thing I am always 100% correct about is matters of the heart! And the unknown, mysterious forces of love are telling me that there will be a daring and passionate confession on the horizon tonight!!”
“Unknown, mysterious forces… or Jimin,” Yoongi replied without missing a beat.
“Bzzt, wrong again! It was actually none other than Jungkook who told me,” Seokjin shot back with a knowing smirk in Jungkook’s direction.
Yoongi’s eyebrow raised at that. “Jungkook? So you two are on a phone call basis now?”
“Yes, we are,” Seokjin said proudly. “I’ve finally broken down his defenses, and little Kook here calls me quite often these days.”
The young manager looked flustered, but he didn’t deny it. “It-it’s just so I can get updates on what’s happening with Jimin and Tae…” he mumbled, looking at the floor.
“That is true, you only talk about the others, but you never ask about me!” Seokjin complained loudly. “I want you to call me ‘hyung’ and ask me about my day…”
If Jungkook’s face turned any redder, he’d look like a lobster. “A-absolutely not.”
Yoongi took another sip of his drink. Interesting…
Before Seokjin could say something else ridiculous, the crowd started to rush to the front doors loudly. The three turned their attention to the front doors, and as expected, saw Taehyung trying to guide Jimin through the crowd. The taller man immediately wrapped an arm around his lover’s waist, shielding Jimin from the flash of cameras effortlessly as he frantically looked around. Yoongi noted that Jimin didn’t seem to be as resistant to Taehyung’s affections anymore. In fact, he was practically leaning into the artist, allowing himself to be protected. Yoongi nodded to himself silently; he was relieved that it looked like those two wouldn’t be an issue anymore. Taehyung deserved to be happy from now on.
“Hey, guys, over here!” Seokjin called loudly, waving his long arms. Taehyung and Jimin hurried over, losing the reporters in the crowd. “Man, that never gets old for me. Our little Tae Tae’s a celebrity!”
Taehyung looked bashful, but Jimin rolled his eyes. “It’s only this bad when we go to art shows,” he remarked with a sigh. “Tae’s lucky he doesn’t get attacked by hordes of paparazzi every day, or we would’ve long broken up by now.”
“Babe!”
Yoongi stared at his cider once more. It still wasn’t too late to add something. Yoongi was two steps from actually going to the open bar when Taehyung’s next words stopped him dead in his tracks.
“By the way, where’s Hobi? You guys haven’t seen him yet?” the painter asked curiously, looking around. “It’s almost time for the doors to open for the public.”
“We’ve been here with Yoongi-hyung this whole time,” Jungkook replied.
“You don’t think he saw Yoongi and ran away, do you?” Seokjin asked dramatically, placing a hand over his chest. “And then Yoongi will have to go out and chase him in the rain and they’ll have a tender moment with water dripping down their-”
“He texted me saying he arrived like an hour ago,” Jimin said, completely ignoring Seokjin’s nonsensical story while looking at his phone.
“Jimin, is that any way to treat your boss?”
Taehyung looked at his phone as well. “He could be chatting with one of the rookies near their artwork, Hobi had gotten super close to everyone while helping me organize the event,” he said. “I’ll text the group chat we made.”
“Not you too, Tae Tae.”
“It might just be quicker to just split up and look for him,” Jungkook suggested. “Tae-hyung, you and Jimin can go ask the rookies. Seokjin and I will look around the front entrance. Yoongi, you go and check the back rooms.”
Everyone nodded and set off.
“Seriously, is no one listening to me?! You guys- Kookie, ow! Don’t pull so hard!”
Yoongi walked down the back hallway towards a slightly ajar light with light leaking from it knowing what he would find before he even got there. The artist stood in the doorway to a storage room, watching silently as the brown-haired man before him moved box after box from the floor to the storage shelves so as to avoid a small puddle forming in the corner. His fluffy hair was tucked a bit behind his ears and his suit jacket was abandoned on a random chair. His white button up sleeves were rolled back to his forearms, exposing that beautiful sun-kissed tan skin that made Yoongi shudder slightly whenever it was pressed against his own. And really, the scene before him wasn’t the least bit surprising.
Because where else would someone as nosy, stupid, helpful, caring, and kind-hearted as Hoseok be?
“Alright, that should do it,” Hoseok murmured to himself softly, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. He stretched his arms a bit, cracking his back and pulling a bit of his shirt out of his pants as he spoke to himself. Yoongi’s grip tightened on his cup. “Better get back before the others start wondering where I am…”
Hoseok turned around and stopped dead in his tracks when his eyes landed on the other man in the doorway. Yoongi cringed inwardly at the flash of hurt he witnessed in Hoseok’s face before the brown-haired teacher masterfully schooled his features into a neat and composed expression, complete with that trademark smile of his. If he had given anyone else a look like that, Yoongi had no doubt that they would’ve been fooled. Hell, he had almost been fooled himself. But now the artist knew better.
“Yoongi! What a pleasant surprise.” Lies. “Did Tae-Tae finally manage to convince you to take part in the exhibit? He didn’t tell me…”
Yoongi didn’t say anything back. He just studied the face in front of him. It hadn’t even been that long since the two of them had seen each other, but Yoongi found himself staring at Hoseok almost hungrily. He wanted to move closer. He wanted to feel that tan supple skin. He wanted to caress that unruly curly hair. He wanted to hear his name whispered from those heart-shaped lips. Had he always been so desperate before..?
Hoseok shifted on his feet nervously in the silence. The dancer in him was always on the move, even at a time like this. Yoongi almost smiled. “Shouldn’t we, uh, head back now? Everyone might be wondering where we are.”
“They’re all looking for you now,” Yoongi replied. Hoseok blinked. Yoongi decided to try again, taking half a step closer. “That’s why I’m here. For you.”
Hoseok actually scoffed at that, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms defensively. “What? To look for little old me? I don’t think you have any reason to do that, though?”
Yoongi winced at those words. “Hoseok, I-”
“Why are you here, Yoongi?” Hoseok breathed out in a shaky voice.
He was staring pointedly at the floor, arms tightly pressed to his body, as if they were the only thing holding him together. His friendly mask, his last defense, was gone completely now. For the first time since they met, Yoongi could see everything. He could see the fear and hurt he had caused clearly, the uncertainty and insecurities dimming the light in those usually blindingly bright eyes. Yoongi felt sick to his stomach. How could he have fucked up so badly? Did he even deserve to make things right?
“I…” Yoongi started speaking and stopped. He took a deep breath. “I can’t sleep well anymore. I don’t want to eat breakfast, either. Lately the sunlight coming in through the windows is super annoying, too.”
He peeked up at Hoseok hopefully, but the hurt on the other man’s face only grew. Hoseok heaved a truly defeated sigh, rubbing his eyes. “I’m sorry that my sleeping in your bed all those nights or making you get up to eat breakfast or opening the blinds caused you this much discomfort,” Hoseok said in a monotone. Yoongi’s heart sank. “I know you’re too polite to say it, so allow me to end things between us here.”
“Wait-”
“Don’t worry, I won’t act any differently to you in front of the others. I won’t make things uncomfortable.”
Hoseok made a move to walk past Yoongi into the hallway. Yoongi panicked. Hoseok wasn’t getting what he was trying to say at all. Just as the brown-haired man brushed past him, Yoongi shot out a hand to stop him. Hoseok looked at him in confusion.
“Hoseok, wait,” Yoongi begged.
Hoseok tried and failed to smile. Seeing it almost broke Yoongi’s heart. “Is there something else to say?” he asked shakily.
Yoongi looked down at where his hand was clamped around Hoseok’s wrist as he grappled for the right words to express how he was feeling. He was so used to Hoseok just understanding what he meant all the time. But he had taken that for granted. This time, he needed to be the one to reach out. Yoongi took a breath to steady himself, and then looked Hoseok in his eyes. Those dazzlingly bright eyes that resembled the sun so much that it almost hurt to directly into them.
“I can’t sleep well anymore because when I get in my bed I can smell you on my sheets and you’re not there so I just miss you more,” Yoongi began in a quiet, almost timid voice. Hoseok’s eyes widened. “I don’t want to eat breakfast because the eggs and toast you make me are so good that everything else in the morning tastes like crap. And the sunlight coming through the windows is annoying because… because the sun reminds me of you and when I see it, I just want to touch you.”
At this point Yoongi’s hand traveled downwards to grab onto Hoseok’s and lace their fingers together. Yoongi looked at their intertwined hands together with a fond smile, but when he looked up at Hoseok’s face it was wet with tears. He quickly reached with his other hand to gently wipe the tears away.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” he asked in a panic. He kept fucking this up, didn’t he-
Hoseok just shook his head. “I just can’t believe this is happening,” he said with a wet laugh. “It feels like one of those wish fulfillment dreams, you know? I mean how could the guy I like actually end up liking me back?”
“How could I resist you?” Yoongi replied with a kiss to Hoseok’s hand. “You were pretty damn persistent, you know.”
That earned him a smack. “Ass,” Hoseok muttered.
“I really am, aren’t I,” Yoongi agreed with a bit of a sad smile. “I’m sorry.”
They both knew what he was actually apologizing about. Hoseok stroked Yoongi’s hair in that soothing way that caused all the tension to magically leave his body. God, Yoongi had missed that touch.
“I haven’t forgiven you just yet,” Hoseok said suddenly. Yoongi’s eyes flew open in concern, but then he noticed the brown-haired man’s mischievous smile.
“Oh?” Yoongi said with a smile of his own. “And just what can I do to make you forgive me?”
Hoseok pretended to think about it. “Wellllll, I can think of a few things…”
Yoongi backed the slightly taller man into the storage room and against the wall, caging him in with his body. Their faces were a mere inches apart, breath lightly fanning each other’s faces. Yoongi shot out a tongue and licked a small stripe up Hoseok’s shuddering neck, ending at his ear and then taking a small sucking nibble at it. Hoseok’s entire body spasmed, but Yoongi had a strong grip on his waist, which he pulled close to him so close that they were practically rubbing against each other.
“Was this what you had in mind?” Yoongi whispered against Hoseok’s neck. He was so tempted to suck a hickey right above the collar so that everyone could see. He had no idea he was capable of being so possessive. Then again, he was discovering a lot about himself thanks to a certain brown-haired teacher.
“Truthfully, no,” Hoseok admitted with a breathy chuckle. “But I like your idea much better.”
Just as Yoongi’s lips were about to finally capture Hoseok’s in a long-anticipated kiss, a loud and obnoxious voice in the doorway said, “Me too, my dear Yoongles. You’re such an animal.”
The two froze. Yoongi leaned against Hoseok's chest, all the pent up sexual energy leaving his body in a frustrated groan. The artist turned to look around, and sure enough, there was Seokjin, leaning against the doorframe unashamedly with a bright-red Jungkook half hiding behind his back and peeking at them through his fingers.
“I told you we should go and give them some privacy,” Jungkook whined as he avoided Yoongi’s death glare.
“And miss the show? Absolutely not.” Seokjin looked at Jungkook like he was the insane one in this situation. “By the way, you two should be ashamed of yourselves. Our ancestors did not sacrifice themselves just for two men to go back in the closet, literally!”
Meanwhile Hoseok wiggled from under Yoongi’s hold, but the shorter man didn’t let him get far. Yoongi firmly held onto Hoseok’s hand, much to the brown-haired man’s embarrassment. Yoongi smiled quietly to himself; it was fun to see the usually overly confident Hoseok act so shy and embarrassed in front of their friends. He was going to have fun with this later.
“Jin-hyung, did you find them?!” another voice yelled down the hallway, and suddenly Taehyung and Jimin came into view, breathing heavily. Taehyung immediately zeroed in on them holding hands and let out a huge gasp. “Wait no, did we miss everything?! Why are you guys holding hands already??”
“Looks like we’re too late, babe,” Jimin said, but he didn’t look all that disappointed as he shot a thumbs up towards Hoseok who returned it shyly.
“What about the big confession scene with all your adoring friends cheering you on as witnesses? Hyung?”
Yoongi shuddered at the thought. “I’m not you.”
“Not everyone likes such public confessions, Tae-hyung,” Jungkook pointed out.
“Technically, he did confess at an art exhibit though…”
“I, for one, love public confessions at art exhibits, for anyone taking notes,” Seokjin interjected, looking only at Jungkook. “Kookie, did you get that?"
“Don’t say my name! Also don’t call me that!”
“Well at least I didn’t make some corny ass art piece worshipping my boyfriend,” Yoongi pointed out.
“Make fun of me all you want,” Taehyung replied confidently. “But Jimin loved it right, baby?”
“...”
“...right?”
“I mean, I do… but does it have to be in the house still, honey? It’s embarrassing when people come over.”
Yoongi decided it was time to ignore their friends. He turned to Hoseok, who was now looking at him curiously. “What is it?” he prompted.
“So you actually didn’t display anything at the exhibit this time?” Hoseok asked hesitantly, as if he wasn’t sure if it was his place to ask. That frustrated Yoongi, but he let it slide for now. They could work on things like that together in the future.
“No, I’m still a little afraid to tell Taehyung,” Yoongi answered truthfully to the silent question on Hoseok’s lips, which prompted a fuzzy feeling to bloom in his chest. It felt better to say out loud than he had thought. “I think it’ll be easier to say when I at least have a completed piece to show him, but…”
Hoseok furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “You do, though?”
“Huh?” Yoongi blinked. “No, the sculpture in my studio isn’t finished.”
“It’s not? What’s missing?”
“Well, a face for one…”
“But, it doesn’t have to have a face, does it?”
Yoongi stopped at that. In all his research while preparing to switch over to sculpting, he had hardly seen any finished pieces without some sort of head or facial expression, so he had never thought of the possibility of just not including one. But still… “Doesn’t it look odd without a face?” Yoongi voiced his insecurities about his work quietly. He didn’t even realize that he tightened his grip on Hoseok’s hand when he said that.
Hoseok simply smiled at him. “Not at all,” he assured. “I think it’s fun to imagine what expression your creation could be making. Besides I’m sure you noticed with me, but facial expressions don’t always accurately portray what the person is thinking.”
Huh. With just a few words, Yoongi instantly felt lighter than he had in months. It was like the answer had been staring him in the face this whole time. And looking at Hoseok’s face, Yoongi figured that was exactly the case here.
“Hey, Tae,” Yoongi said suddenly. The others stopped bickering to look up.
“Yeah, what’s up, hyung?” Taehyung asked.
“After this exhibit, do you think you could get me this space for another show? I’ve got a piece I’d like to debut,” Yoongi said matter-of-factly, but everyone else’s reaction was loud as hell.
“You’re going to do a show? You?” Jimin asked incredulously.
“I haven’t seen a new piece from you in months!” Jungkook practically shouted.
“This is going to be fun,” Seokjin said with that knowing smile of his.
“Okay, sure,” Taehyung said in surprise, but he was smiling. “How many displays should I prepare? What’s the amount of wall space you’ll be needing?”
“Oh, I won’t be needing wall space,” Yoongi said casually, to everyone’s immense confusion. “You’ll see.”
“But wait, why here?” Hoseok asked with a confused tilt of his head. “You could just rent a space in Daegu, it’s much closer.”
“I have a reason,” Yoongi replied. He pulled Hoseok in by his waist. “My boyfriend lives here, after all.”
Hoseok didn’t reply, but his blushing cheeks were enough of an answer.
“Oh my god, and you said I’m corny?”
“Shut the fuck up.”