Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Don’t hesitate to show that you’re interested. People say one might feel attracted by the idea of chasing after you, but, the truth is, they shouldn’t have to.”

Hoseok hums, understanding, writing down the advice with the enthusiasm of a student who loves to go to school. It has been like that for years now; first thing in the morning, he pays Yoongi a visit and asks for his guidance. At first, Yoongi thought it wouldn’t be such a good idea. While Hoseok has always been the social one out of the two of them, dating or hooking up with some considerably pleasant people, Yoongi has dated two guys in his life, and, if he has to be honest, only one of them was worth it.

Which is why, right now, he doesn’t think he should be the one instructing Hoseok, but the opposite. Hoseok, however, begs to differ. He once told Yoongi that being experienced in love wasn’t all about loving someone, but watching from afar and comprehending what love actually meant. To simplify his thoughts, the fact that Yoongi wasn’t romantically involved with anyone should give him a brighter insight on the definition of relationships and the way they should work.

Because, according to Hoseok, that makes complete sense, and who is Yoongi to tell him otherwise?

“I’ve had my fair share of people thinking that ignoring someone would make them interested in me,” Hoseok comments, to what Yoongi nods, not quite surprised. Hoseok’s other friends aren’t exactly what he would call supportive or clever, if he may say.

“This is why you always come to me,” Yoongi points out, “Because I know better.”

Hoseok smiles widely, the kind of smile that puts the sun to shame with ease, and Yoongi tries his best not to let the slightly pink tips of his ears become evident. Every time Hoseok offers him such an enthusiastic smile and he realizes it’s all for him, and not anyone else, he feels rather flustered, and, every time, he convinced himself that it is only because he’s not used to such affection coming from anyone else.

“You know, Taehyung is throwing a party this weekend,” Hoseok announces, pretending to have suddenly remembered that, which is useless, because Yoongi knows him well enough to be aware that he was only waiting for his chance to talk about it, “You could come.”

“Need I remind you that I’m not a student?” Yoongi asks, crossing his arms over his chest. While Hoseok is happily majoring in Dance, which, in Yoongi’s opinions, fits him better than anything, Yoongi hasn’t managed to get into his dream college altogether. Not at all, in fact. When he left his hometown at the age of eighteen, he should have known things wouldn’t be half as effortless as they seemed to be in TV shows. He had to take all the part time jobs he could, and, in the end, there was no time left to study; which meant that, the moment his dearest best friend got accepted into college, Yoongi had to wait for a few weeks, procrastinating, before he got the guts to tell Hoseok he hadn’t made it.

Hoseok is a comprehensive person. Has always been, if Yoongi’s being honest. He had offered to give Yoongi private lessons and everything he could to get him into college the next year, but, truth is, Yoongi isn’t the most determined person in the world. After one fail, he decided it wouldn’t be worth it until he had the concrete chance, and, while he’s working his ass out, it just isn’t an option.

Hoseok’s college friends seem to like Yoongi quite a lot, though. Mainly the sophomore called Kim Taehyung. When Yoongi first met Taehyung, he could have easily mistaken him for the stereotyped arrogant brat from the movies who lures too many people and cares about himself only, wasn’t it for Taehyung’s carefree, amiable personality.

He had taken in Yoongi from the first moment, claiming that he could be their outside best friend — or something similar, not that Yoongi reserves his memory for such things — and that they could hang out together regularly.

Unfortunately, Yoongi isn’t the most outgoing of Hoseok’s friends, always enjoying the company of his notebooks filled with his own messy words rather than the outside noises.

“Taehyung doesn’t care that you’re not a student,” Hoseok argues gently, “You should come. We’d have a lot of fun together, you know?”

“Isn’t it fun to hang out like this, getting my advice to woo some people?”

“Hyung, come on.”

Yoongi sighs. He hates it when Hoseok talks like that; the whiny tone, the kind of thing he can hardly resist. Of course Hoseok knows how hard it is for him to look him in the eyes and say no, which is exactly why he uses that same strategy every time.

This time, though, he decides to put on a shield.

“Sorry, Seokseok,” He says, shrugging slightly, “I promised Jungkook I’d help him with the CD store this weekend.”

Hoseok’s puppy eyes dissolve into a grimace. Now, when Yoongi says only one of his two relationships was worth it, he’s referring to Jeon Jungkook. They dated over a year ago and broke up when they realized they were better off as friends. The next week, Jungkook showed up at Yoongi’s door in the middle of a rainstorm, crying and announcing that he felt like the worst person in the world because he had kissed someone at a party the night before. Although they had already broken up, he felt like he was betraying Yoongi’s trust by doing that after such a short while. To Yoongi, it was nothing, and he told Jungkook that as he cuddled his friend to sleep that night. To Hoseok, on the other hand, that only meant Jungkook was nothing more than a player.

“I don’t know why you’re still friends with him, I swear,” Hoseok says, tone way less friendly. Not that Yoongi isn’t used to the change in the mood whenever Jungkook’s name comes up. “He betrayed you.”

“No, he didn’t. We weren’t dating anymore. He could’ve slept with someone an hour after we broke up and it wouldn’t be betrayal.”

“If he actually liked you, he wouldn’t have done that.”

Yoongi sighs. He loves Hoseok, he does, sincerely, but, when it comes to Jungkook, he can’t bring himself to agree with him. He knows for a fact it didn’t trigger anything at all for him, which meant it shouldn’t be half as bad as it seems to be to Hoseok. The one time Yoongi invited both Hoseok and Jungkook to his apartment at the same time, he found himself regretting it in a matter of seconds, and, for the next four days, Hoseok wouldn’t even look at him.

During those four days, Yoongi noted the romantic advices and delivered them all to Hoseok when he gathered the courage to visit him. When Hoseok realized he had remembered him through the week, he got emotional and they made up.

Because that’s always the way things happen when it comes to them. Easily, simply. It could never be complicated as long as it’s with Hoseok.

“Just tell Taehyung I’ll come over some other time,” Yoongi says, grabbing the notebook from Hoseok’s hands at the sight of his distraction, and, when he sees Hoseok’s eyes widening, he frowns, curious. That’s a notebook with Yoongi’s advices only, isn’t it? Then, why would Hoseok look so scared by the idea of Yoongi reading it?

Except that, when he opens the book in the first page, he sees someone else’s handwriting, because Hoseok’s handwriting is nothing like that. That isn’t, of course, the part that surprises him the most. No, in fact, he would very much appreciate it if the most shocking part was the idea of someone else writing this book from the beginning.

The thing that surprises him is the introductory name of the book.

“A Special Guide on How to Win Min Yoongi’s Heart.”

“Well,” Yoongi drawls, looking up from the notebook and finding Hoseok’s mortified expression staring at him, “Is there something you’d like to tell me?”

“That,” Hoseok starts, looking down and sighing, “That belongs to someone else.”

“Well?”

“Kim Taehyung.”

“What? Kim Taehyung?”

Hoseok sighs and nods, “Yes. I was asking for your advice because he thought it would be easier to win someone over if the guidance came from the man himself.”

“Which means,” Yoongi starts, squinting in disbelief, “That, for the last years, I’ve been giving you advice on how Kim Taehyung could try to woo me?”

“When you say it like that—”

“Is this why he’s so friendly around me?” Yoongi asks, crossing his arms over his chest, trying his best not to look as annoyed as he feels, “You knew he felt that way about me and told me nothing?”

Hoseok’s lips pursed, “Taehyung asked me not to say anything. He said I should be careful so you wouldn’t realize the advice was for him, which is also why he hasn’t been following the steps directly. Because he thought you would realize it. So, he went slowly.”

“It’s been three years.”

“And you haven’t spared him a look,” Hoseok points out, “Have you?”

Yoongi stops, squinting harder. He knows for a fact this sounds way too insane to be completely true, but, right now, he doesn’t think Hoseok will tell him the truth. Even if Kim Taehyung is the one asking for all those advices, why using it on Yoongi? They have barely interacted in their reunions with the rest of their friends, and, although Taehyung has always been a ball of sunshine, people have said more than once that that’s simply who he is. Yoongi could never, ever have guessed it would be somehow related to winning him over.

“You should’ve told me.”

“I couldn’t break his trust.”

“You lied to me, you know,” Yoongi reminds him, “You said those were for you. I thought you were using them for yourself instead of bringing my advices to your friend so he can have a shot with me. Wouldn’t it be much easier to tell me?”

Hoseok’s nose scrunches, “How was I supposed to do that? ‘Hey, Yoongi-hyung, remember my friend Taehyung? He wants to be your boyfriend, so, can you please give me some tips on how he could steal your heart?’”

“Well, that certainly would’ve been something, at least.”

“Listen, hyung, I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you, okay?” Hoseok says, letting out a frustrated sigh — which feels unfair, because, if anyone has the right to be frustrated, it is Yoongi, “Now, at least, you know. Just, please, don’t reject him too harshly. He’s a nice guy and he doesn’t deserve someone being severe to him for something that’s my mistake only.”

“It isn’t your mistake only,” Yoongi argues, rubbing his face, “But, yeah, don’t worry, I wouldn’t be rude to him. I have to go, now.”

Hoseok frowns, “Wait, what? Where would you have to go?”

“Help Jungkook.”

“I thought that was in the weekend.”

Yoongi shrugs, “Well, the weekend just arrived.”

“Oh, come on—”

“Hoseok,” Yoongi cuts him, feeling the guilt sinking in his stomach at the sight of Hoseok’s bewildered eyes. It is already rare enough for him to call him by his name rather than a nickname, but, using such an annoyed tone, he definitely caught Hoseok by surprise, “I’m leaving now. I’ll call you later.”

***

While being around Hoseok feels like sunshine — bright, cheerful —, talking to Jungkook has always felt more like a gracious drizzle — slightly annoying, although enjoyable enough.

Jungkook is a nice, charming guy, and, yet, he has been shy from moment one. It took Yoongi plenty of shameless flirting until he got Jungkook to ask him out for the first time, and, even when they were together, despite how sweet Jungkook could be — and he could —, they weren’t the most intimate couple he has ever heard of.

At least, with time, Jungkook learned to share clothes with Yoongi as his friend, because, when they were boyfriends, that was out of question. He used to think that ‘what is his is his and what’s not his might also be his’. Yoongi chuckles at the memory, drawing Jungkook’s eyes back to him with some weirdness. Although Yoongi told Hoseok he would help Jungkook with the store, they both know Jungkook only works night shifts, and he wasn’t exactly pleased by the idea of having Yoongi over during the few hours of free time he gets in the afternoon. Happily, he didn’t let that interfere in offering Yoongi a coffee and asking him to wait in the couch as he brought it to him.

“What are you laughing about?”

“Just remembered something,” Yoongi says, not quite disconcerted as he notices Jungkook’s small shrug at that, “Sorry again for coming over now. I know you like to play your video games and watch your animes when you get the chance.”

Jungkook’s nose wrinkles and Yoongi leans forward with the evident threat of pinching the wrinkles away. Jungkook surges backwards and gently slaps his hand away, “Stop. It’s alright. I could use some human interaction, after all.”

“You could always use some human interaction,” Yoongi states, “All you do is work, go to gym, watch animes, play video games, eat and sleep.”

“I shower, too.”

“Good to know.”

“Oh, shut up,” Jungkook rolls his eyes, the ghost of a smile running through his lips, “You told me you had to find somewhere to be because of something that happened between you and Hoseok. So, did you finally figure it out?”

Yoongi frowns, “Figure what out?”

Jungkook stops, blinking and nodding, “Okay, not yet, then. What happened?”

“Remember how I told you that I always give Hoseok advice on how to treat someone if he falls in love someday?” Yoongi asks, waiting for Jungkook to nod as a response, “Today, he got distracted by something and I grabbed the notebook as a joke. Thing is, his eyes went this wide when I caught it, and I immediately got curious.”

“Oh, don’t tell me you invaded his privacy like that.”

“Those were my advices,” Yoongi argues, crossing his arms, “If anything, that notebook belongs more to me than to him. I mean, it doesn’t even belong to him in the first place.”

Jungkook squints, “Is that the part where you start making sense?”

“Hoseok has this friend. Kim Taehyung. They go to college together and we’ve met, like, a couple of times,” Yoongi begins, Jungkook’s curious gaze never leaving him, “He throws these parties and gets most of the popularity you can imagine a college student getting. Hoseok has been asking me to go to these parties with him for a while, and, as you know, I always decline it.”

“And I’m the one who needs human interaction.”

“The advices were all for him. To win my heart.”

Jungkook stops, his usually composed expression dissolving into surprise. Now, Yoongi isn’t one to get easily shocked either, but he can only imagine that would be a revelation to shake anything up. That makes him even more annoyed at Hoseok; the thought that he isn’t overreacting, that it might be an actual issue.

“That is what I call a plot twist.”

“Take this seriously, please?”

“What’s so wrong about it, anyway?” Jungkook asks, shoulders relaxing as the surprise fades away, “The guy likes you. He asked for Hoseok’s help to win your heart. So what? If you don’t feel the same, just reject him.”

Yoongi squints, “This isn’t about Taehyung.”

“What is it about, then?”

“Hoseok lied to me.”

Jungkook rolls his eyes, insolent, “It’s not that big of a deal, you know. He was just trying to help Taehyung, who, according to you, is his friend. Wouldn’t you do something as crazy as this to help me?”

Yoongi’s nose scrunches, “I doubt anyone would ask me to help them win my ex-boyfriend’s heart.”

“Oh, the dark times of our lives,” Jungkook smirks, tilting his head, “So, are you going to one of Taehyung’s parties?”

“Now, why would I do that?”

“Come on; don’t tell me you’re planning on avoiding the guy now that you know about his feelings for you,” Jungkook asks, leaning forward and smiling, “If you need someone to push you into the right direction, I’ll do it.”

Yoongi sighs, “And what is that supposed to mean?”

Jungkook grins.

***

One would think that, after dating Jungkook for over a year, Yoongi would’ve learned how to avoid his idiotic plans.

“Do you think I look weird with leather pants?”

Yoongi rolls his eyes. That was such a Jungkook thing to do — ask him if he looked weird with something that clearly looked beyond good. Yoongi still regrets telling him how hot he looked in leather a few months ago, when Jungkook first decided to attend a party thrown by his cousin, who, unlike Jungkook, was in college.

“I think you look weird regardless,” Yoongi lies, getting Jungkook to stick his tongue out as a response, “Are you sure this is a good idea? What if Taehyung decides to confess to me in front of everyone or something?”

“Then, I’ll be gladly entertained.”

“Screw you.”

“He’s not going to confess to you in front of everyone,” Jungkook affirms, more firmly than he should as someone who has never even met Taehyung, “If you told me the truth and he’s the popular guy, he won’t ruin his reputation like that. What if you say no?”

“I will.”

“Exactly. He won’t risk it. He might, though, want to talk to you alone, which is why we’re going.”

Yoongi sighs, “I still don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Come on, Yoongi. The poor guy needs an answer, as fast as possible,” Jungkook says, turning back to him and adjusting the collar of Yoongi’s shirt, “If you liked someone, wouldn’t you want them to be honest with you?”

“Well, realistically speaking, I’d want them to not reject me.”

“What if he falls harder for you? Deeply, profoundly, or whatever you want to call it. If he ends up falling head over heels for you, it will be even worse,” Jungkook affirms, “Trust me, a college guy with a broken heart can become a real pain in the ass.”

Yoongi grins, “Wouldn’t you know that.”

“Shut up and stop being ungrateful,” Jungkook requires, scrunching his nose at him, “I’m doing you a favor.”

Yoongi hums, trying to reach for Jungkook’s nose and pinch the wrinkles away again. As always, Jungkook moves away, gives him an offended glare and goes back to fixing his look in the mirror. Not that he needs any fixing. Aside from Hoseok, Jungkook is one of the most gorgeous man Yoongi has ever met, and no ridiculous piece of clothing could ever change that.

He tries not to reprimand his own mind too much for adding Hoseok to the equation.

“I’m driving tonight,” Jungkook announces, and, before Yoongi gets the chance to argue, he raises a finger as a sign that he is going to proceed, “Last time I let you drive us somewhere, we got lost for two hours. You had to call Hoseok and, when you told him that you were with me, he threatened to let us starve in the woods.”

Yoongi pouts, “We weren’t nowhere near the woods, though. It was an empty threat, and he helped us nonetheless.”

“I get it, Hoseok is perfect, Hoseok is ideal,” Jungkook rolls his eyes, grabbing the keys to his car and spinning them on his fingers, showing off, “Unfortunately, Hoseok isn’t here. I mean, not exactly unfortunately to me.”

“Kook.”

“I’m driving and that’s final,” Jungkook states, smiling innocently, “Shall we go?”

Yoongi sighs, nodding regardless of how unsure he is, “Yeah, let’s do this.”

Ten minutes later, Yoongi finds himself reasoning that, if he were in a car with Hoseok, they would be listening to some melodies, no lyrics in the air as they would talk about their weeks, despite being there for each other through each day of the week. Conversation with Hoseok slid off Yoongi’s tongue easily, effortlessly. It has always been natural, and, even when they didn’t have something to talk about, the silence around them would wrap them up with each other comfortably.

It makes him slightly mad to think about it. If it weren’t for Hoseok’s lies, he could have been in the car with him right now.

Not that he dislikes being in the car with Jungkook. He doesn’t. It’s just that, while he could have soft melodies and pleasant conversation, when Jungkook is driving, all he wants is to make sure he gets Yoongi to memorize the lyrics to his favorite songs. And his favorite songs are never delightful.

“Do you want to practice?”

Yoongi frowns, “Practice what, exactly?”

“You know,” Jungkook shrugs, “What you’re going to say. How you’re going to say it.”

“I’ve rejected people before, Kook.”

Jungkook chuckles, “I’m the living proof, of course I know that.”

“Shut up, it was a mutual breakup,” Yoongi reminds him, rolling his eyes, “But, seriously, do you think I need practice for this? Isn’t it just walking up to him and making it clear that it’s not going to happen?”

“Woah, you’re actually hopeless,” Jungkook says, smirking as much as possible as he keeps his eyes focused on the road, “This guy is friends with Hoseok, right? If they are used to hanging out together, it means you’ll have to see him again and again, even once tonight is over. You need to be as patient and soft as you can, you know? The kind of rejection that makes someone wonder whether they have been rejected or just slightly discarded.”

They fall into silence for a few moments, Yoongi’s mind slowly taking in Jungkook’s tip, and, a few moments later, when Jungkook’s smug expression gets too much to handle, Yoongi laughs, “You’re legitimately used to this whole rejection thing, aren’t you?”

“I’m this close to pushing you out of the car.”

“How am I supposed to say it, then?” Yoongi asks, finally, “’It’s not you, it’s me’?”

Jungkook’s brows furrow, “Not unless you’d like to be an asshole.”

“You’re not helping. Not at all.”

“Be nice. Kind. Reject him the way you’d like to get rejected,” Jungkook concludes, sighing heavily, “What would you do without me to give you some precious pieces of advice?”

Yoongi’s nose scrunches, “I’d have less headache.”

“Leave the car. While I am driving. I’d like to see if that attitude of yours can make you fly.”

***

Yoongi knew from the first moment that attending the party would have gotten him an earlier confrontation with his best friend.

When Hoseok told Yoongi he had managed to get accepted into college, Yoongi got scared. Hoseok has always been a social butterfly, a ball of sunshine and every other adjective capable of fitting someone that bright. Therefore, Yoongi found himself scared that he would lose his best friend to those people, that they wouldn’t be the same.

Gladly, though, there is enough space in Hoseok’s heart for everyone. Yoongi likes to think his spot is reserved and private, as special as he hopes to be.

The moment he walks in, he sees Hoseok and a bunch of college guys talking somewhere close to the stairs. The house is huge — according to Hoseok, Taehyung’s family inherited a satisfying amount of money a while ago, and they haven’t ceased spending so far. The house was their first purchase; then, Taehyung’s expensive car. Hoseok once said he had started to lose count of how many new things Taehyung showed up with in college.

“Let’s go this way,” Yoongi asks Jungkook, tugging at the side of his shirt, and Jungkook is fast to follow his eyes and comprehend. They try not to seem too offset, although it does feel harder than intended. While Jungkook is not a heavy drinker, Yoongi barely considers himself a drinker at all. He enjoys drinking in special occasions and similar things to that, but, generally, taking shots with groups of people just isn’t the right way to him. Which makes him even less sociable, considering the ridiculous extent of students drinking around them. It gets Yoongi thinking; if he isn’t a college student and still managed his way into the party so easily, could there by minors?

“Next time you criticize me for playing video games and watching animes all day, I’ll remind you of this,” Jungkook points out, pressing an accusing finger against Yoongi’s chest once they find a spot in the corner of the living that isn’t as crowded as the rest of it, “You must be feeling even more bothered than I am.”

Yoongi rolls his eyes, looking around as he tries finding the few people he knows, “Stop complaining, you probably like this kind of stuff a lot more than I do.”

“Stop stereotyping me.”

“There! I know him,” Yoongi warns, gesturing as cautiously as possible towards the man walking a few feet away from them. Looking as gorgeous as Yoongi remembers and sending people friendly smiles, one of Hoseok’s closest friends, Kim Seokjin, seemed as absent to Yoongi’s presence as possible. He is usually attached at the hip with Taehyung, which means that, if he’s around, so is Taehyung, “Come on, if I reach Seokjin, I might find Taehyung.”

Jungkook nods, brushing his bratty personality aside as he follows Yoongi once again, this time closer and closer to Seokjin. Although Yoongi knows most people mistake Seokjin easily with someone whose main quality is his beauty only — because he is, indeed, beautiful —, Hoseok told him that Seokjin doesn’t go to college with them because he got accepted to the dream college of their region. For all Yoongi knows about it, only the smartest managed to do that.

That is also the reason why Seokjin still easily intimidates Yoongi — regardless of his bright and sympathetic personality.

“Uh, hi,” Yoongi greets, speaking in a louder tone as he considers the loud music around them. Fortunately, Seokjin hears him immediately, face lightening up slightly at the sight of the shorter man.

“Hey, Yoongi. It’s been a while. I thought Hoseok said you wouldn’t come tonight.”

Yoongi nods, “Yeah, I wasn’t planning to, actually. I brought, um, my friend.”

He gestures towards Jungkook awkwardly, and Jungkook waves with his head and puts on a receptive expression, “Hi. I’m Jungkook.”

Clearly, the name rings a bell. One of Seokjin’s brows quirks up instantly, and Yoongi remembers telling the group about his exes once. If Seokjin has such a good memory, he must have realized that this Jungkook is the same Jungkook from the stories in the blink of an eye, and, unless Yoongi’s seeing things, he doesn’t look pleased.

“I’m Seokjin.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Mhm,” Seokjin turns his attention back to Yoongi, tilting his head to the side, “Someone couldn’t stop talking about you today. I’m glad you at least showed up, that should make him less talkative.”

Oh. Yoongi pauses for a moment, comprehending. Of course, that, as Seokjin’s best friend, Taehyung would talk to him about his crushes. Which, right now, included Yoongi. Which is exactly why they are at this party right now.

“Yeah, by the way—”

“Min Yoongi!”

He freezes the moment Kim Taehyung’s ever so deep voice invades his ears, louder than the music, louder than anything, because, suddenly, it hits Yoongi that the idea of rejecting one of Hoseok’s friends and having to deal with it — more specifically, dealing with Hoseok’s reaction — later on won’t be half as uncomplicated as he planned beforehand.

“Hey,” Yoongi says, pressing his lips into a smile, “I like the hair.”

Taehyung used to be blonde. At least, until a few weeks ago. Now, though, he seems brighter due the intense tone of red of his hair. It’s the same color Hoseok dyed his hair a few months ago, which is, according to Yoongi’s mind, a very reasonable excuse to bring Hoseok into the equation once again.

“Thanks, I like yours too,” Taehyung replies, jokingly, because Yoongi’s hair is still the same from last time they met. His humor has always been like that, natural, carefree, and, yet, right now, Yoongi can’t bring himself to get his mind off the idea that he is only trying to entertain Yoongi to get him to like him. ‘Amuse them with the kind of humor you wouldn’t be embarrassed to use in front of other people’, Yoongi had told and watched Hoseok write that down just a few weeks ago.

“This is getting awkward,” Jungkook announces, loud and clear, and Yoongi is about to ask him what he’s doing when Jungkook elbows his way towards Seokjin, hooking an arm around his shoulder and receiving several confused gazes in response. Unbothered, Jungkook gestures with his head and directs his words to Seokjin, “How about we give them some privacy? You can tell me what it’s like to be in college, since, according to Yoongi, I’m never gonna make it.”

The little brat. Always managing to fluster Yoongi in front of other people.

It seems to work, though, because Seokjin walks away with him without thinking too much, and Yoongi finds himself alone with Taehyung. Well, Taehyung and every other person casually bumping against them.

“Who was that?” Taehyung asks, a fake nonchalant tone on his voice, and, if Yoongi didn’t know about the ‘guide on how to how win Min Yoongi’s heart’, he could’ve sworn there was a hint of interest in the way he asks.

“Jeon Jungkook. My ex-boyfriend.”

Taehyung’s eyes go a little wide, “Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh. So, um,” Yoongi starts, stuffing his hands into his pockets — something he does whenever he finds that, if things get too awkward, he might start gesturing around, and that would make everything beyond awkward, “I wanted to talk to you.”

“Okay,” Taehyung says, crossing his arms and smiling, “Shoot it.”

“I know about the guide.”

Taehyung frowns, apparently confused, and Yoongi wonders if he’s acting dumb to get the subject to go away or if he truly doesn’t relate the word ‘guide’ to the book, “What guide?”

“You know what guide,” Yoongi says, which causes Taehyung to frown harder, and he sighs at that, “A Special Guide on How to Win Min Yoongi’s Heart.”

That’s when Taehyung’s eyes widen and his chip drops. Yoongi feels immediately thrice as nervous as he felt a few moments ago; he isn’t at all prepared to reject someone, at least not someone so close to his best friend. Perhaps he should run away, grab Jungkook and disappear from the face of the Earth until no one remembers his name.

Which would be useless, because Hoseok would never forget — and would get extremely annoyed to hear that Yoongi ran away with Jungkook.

“So,” Taehyung starts, sounding less apprehensive than Yoongi feels, “Hoseok told you?”

“Not exactly.”

“I mean, it was about time you figured it out.”

Yoongi blinks, “Why, exactly?”

Taehyung frowns, “Uh, it was obvious? No one can be around you for so long and manage to hide such a huge amount of feelings. If Hoseok hadn’t showed you the notebook, one of these days, I would.”

That surprises Yoongi, probably more than it should. He knows Taehyung is one of the cool kids, the ones brave enough to confess or talk openly about their feelings, but the way he’s talking, so casually, so calmly, only makes things harder for Yoongi — because it can only mean that he is confident that having Yoongi read the book will change something

Yoongi remembers Jungkook’s words from earlier. Reject Taehyung the way he’d to be rejected. He breathes in, perhaps a bit too deep, and proceeds before he loses his courage, “So, um. I can’t say I’m not surprised that someone like you is into someone like me, but, if you put all that effort into getting closer to me, I suppose a date wouldn’t hurt.”

Then, he goes on that date, ruins everything and Taehyung falls out of love. It’s the perfect plan, despite just coming up with it.

He doesn’t expect the way Taehyung’s brows furrow in confusion, “What?”

“What do you mean ‘what’? I’m saying I’d like to go on a date with you and, you know, give you a chance.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Taehyung starts, blinking as he looks at him with wide eyes, “What did Hoseok tell you?”

Yoongi’s nose wrinkles in bewilderment, but he answers regardless, “I grabbed the book from him and read the introduction you wrote. You know, ‘A Special Guide on How to Win Min Yoongi’s heart’. Then, Hoseok admitted that he was only getting my help to help you and that you were actually crushing on me for a while.”

That makes him stop, inhaling, and Yoongi hopes he didn’t cause a conflict between Taehyung and Hoseok. He wouldn’t like it at all in case Taehyung got mad at his best friend — it isn’t his fault that Taehyung didn’t have the guts to walk up to Yoongi and ask him on a date himself.

“You know what?” Taehyung says, letting out a heavy breath, “Thank you, then. Go on that date with me. I’ll show you I practiced hard with all your tips.”

When Yoongi opens his mouth to respond, he feels arms wrapping around his shoulder and bringing him closer. He immediately recognizes Hoseok’s melodic, familiar laugh on his ears, and, suddenly, the annoyance from earlier gets washed away by his voice. Suddenly, Yoongi isn’t resentful anymore.

“You lied to me, hyung,” Hoseok complains, whiny, looking between Yoongi and Taehyung and smiling, “This hyung told me he wouldn’t come. Now I’m worried because I know he’s a terrible driver and he came here by himself. How am I supposed to take you back home safely and leave your car, huh?”

“He didn’t come by himself,” Taehyung corrects before Yoongi gets the chance, smirking discreetly at Hoseok, “Jungkook drove him here. Didn’t he, hyung?”

Yoongi clears his throat, unexpectedly nervous about whatever Hoseok has to say about this. He can’t lie to him, though, so he attempts to look as aloof about it as possible, shrugging and saying, “Yeah, I told him about the party and he asked me to come. We’re not even together, though. He got lost somewhere already.”

He means for it to come out as a joke, but the corners of Hoseok’s mouth curve downwards rather than upwards, and Yoongi thinks about a way to distract him from the fact that he brought Jungkook here tonight despite knowing Hoseok isn’t fond of him. He doesn’t have to, though, because, the next second, Taehyung is stretching out his arms like a cat and sighing.

“Don’t worry, hyung,” Taehyung says, quirking up an eyebrow at Hoseok, “I’ll take care of Yoongi.”

“What does that mean?”

“Thank you for telling him about my book,” Taehyung proceeds, friendly, openly, and Yoongi barely registers the way Hoseok’s grip around his shoulders tighten, “We have a date.”

Hoseok’s eyes widen, “What?”

“I should go talk to some of my other guests,” He suggests, patting Hoseok’s shoulder friendly and winking at Yoongi, “See you in a bit.”

“You have a date with Kim Taehyung?”

Yoongi sighs once Taehyung walks away, wishing he had told him not to spread things like that. He realizes, though, that it is also none of Hoseok’s business, and owns up to that thought by saying, “Well, you were the one who told me about him liking me. What did you except me to do?”

“Reject him, maybe?”

“He’s your friend. Why would you want anyone to reject him?”

“You’re my best friend and I want you to be happy. You don’t like him, so what’s the point?”

“Woah, woah, woah,” Yoongi frowns, crossing his arms, “How would you know?”

“Excuse me?”

“How would you know that I don’t like him?”

Hoseok sighs, “You’re my best friend. You would have told me.”

“Just like you would have told me if anyone liked me?”

“Those aren’t the same.”

“Sure, Seok,” Yoongi chuckles, dripping everything but humor, “I’ll go grab Jungkook and tell him we should leave. You can stay here and think about what you’re doing and how selfish you’re being.”

Hoseok squints, “Is this some kind of punishment?”

“Think of it as whatever you want,” Yoongi says, rolling his eyes, “Clear your head and then come back to me as the Seokseok I know, because the selfish person I’m seeing right in front of me? The one who would rather have his friend rejected than see his best friend give him a chance? He’s not my Hoseok.”

He pretends not to care when Hoseok calls his name one more time, and walks away while trying his best not to scream in frustration. He regrets the very moment that he told himself Hoseok would eternally be the one person who he dealt with without any distress. When he reaches for Jungkook’s arm, his friend is talking to someone who he doesn’t quite identify, and he seems to notice the stress written all over Yoongi’s face, because he turns to him immediately.

“Hyung? Is everything okay?”

“Did you drink?”

Jungkook shakes his head, “No, I didn’t.”

“Let’s go, then,” Yoongi asks, sighing and rubbing his face, “Take me back home.”

***

Yoongi wakes up the next morning to the sound of three soft knocks against his door.

Now, while he yawns and drifts back into reality, he remembers two things: one, Jungkook doesn’t knock, he calls; and two, three knocks has always meant Hoseok needed to talk to him and, therefore, he had to answer the door fast.

He has to admit, though. This is faster than he thought.

He finds that Hoseok is still the same when he opens the door and his gaze meets a giant flower bouquet preventing him from seeing his best friend’s face. Yoongi presses his lips together, holding back the urge to laugh, and crosses his arms in order to look as serious as humanly possible. He leans against the doorframe, body language displaying disinterest while his mind wishes for Hoseok to be nice about this so they can go back to what they are.

“Now, what is this?”

“An apology,” Hoseok replies immediately, peeking from behind the bouquet and smiling, flustered by the exposure, “I’m aware that I was an asshole about… well, everything. I shouldn’t have tried to impose my ideas on you and definitely shouldn’t have acted like you were committing a crime by going on a date with Taehyung. I took my time to think, clear my head and get my thoughts straight and realized that last night made me look like a terrible best friend. I want to be the good best friend again. I want to be your Hoseok again.”

Usually, Yoongi likes to think of himself as someone with opinions too strong to get easily dissolved, but, right now, hearing Hoseok’s soothing voice, taking in his gentle words and facing the affirmation of wanting to be his Hoseok again, he discovers that he might have a weakness. A big one.

“You do realize I went to sleep last night feeling incredibly mad at you?” Yoongi asks, his attempt at keeping a straight voice failing when he realizes it came out much softer than intended.

Hoseok nods, “I do. I am very, very sorry, hyung. I’ll never let you go to sleep mad at me again.”

Yoongi sighs, stepping aside and gesturing inside the apartment, “Come in, you idiot. I hope you know you’re going to have to buy me a flower pot. I don’t have any of those and I don’t like having flowers dying in my apartment because they’re lying around.”

“Yes, sir.”

He chuckles, rolling his eyes at Hoseok’s enthusiasm. He sees the way Hoseok smiles from ear to ear once he places the bouquet on the table, excitedly opening his arms, which, to Yoongi, has always been a silent request. Yoongi sighs, pretending to feel annoyed, but he steps forward and hugs Hoseok back nonetheless.

“You’re an idiot.”

“I know.”

“Do you want to go out and grab something to eat? Pizza, maybe?”

Hoseok whistles enthusiastically, “Let’s do this!”

***

Hoseok sleeps over through the weekend, which means that, in the morning after, when Yoongi’s alarm rings warning him that he should get up and get dressed for his date with Taehyung, his best friend is still there.

“Choose my shirt for me,” Yoongi asks, grabbing the jeans pants and gesturing for the wardrobe, “We both know you’re a lot better with picking my clothes than I am.”

Hoseok chuckles, shrugging, “True. You should know how to get dressed for a date, though.”

“Yeah, but isn’t Taehyung your fashion freak friend?”

“I wouldn’t say the term fashion freak, because it sounds offensive,” Hoseok reprimands, quirking up an eyebrow at him, “Besides, even if you had a whole fashion squad with you, you’re no match for Taehyung’s dressing skills. I’ll try to come up with the most creative thing I can think of, and, yet, you’re going to be underdressed.”

Yoongi blinks, “Well, isn’t that a relief?”

“Would you like me to lie to you, baby?”

“Mmm, no, thanks,” Yoongi sighs, peeking from behind Hoseok’s shoulder so he knows the kind of shirt the younger man is looking for. He sees Hoseok’s long fingers grabbing the collar of a blue satin shirt, but he dismisses it immediately by saying, “That was a gift from Jungkook for our anniversary.”

“Yeah?” Hoseok grins, “Can I burn it?”

“Seokseok.”

“How about this one?” Hoseok asks, grabbing that one shirt Yoongi bought during vacations, the one with the peachy color and the elegant style. It’s not gorgeous, but it should be something. If Hoseok’s right, it’s not like he’ll ever manage to look as good as Taehyung, so that surely does remove the weight of that possibility of his shoulders.

Yoongi nods, “I like it. I’ll take a shower and get dressed. Are you leaving?”

“Nah, I’ll stay around and make you breakfast while you shower,” Hoseok replies, wiggling his eyebrows jokingly at him, “Unless you’d like me to join you.”

“Shut up and make me breakfast, Seokseok. I’ll see you in a bit.”

Yoongi takes a few moments to stare at his reflection once he’s in the bathroom. He turns on the shower and inhales. In a matter of seconds, the mirror above the sink starts looking foggy, and Yoongi dives his head under the water. He doesn’t quite enjoy going out with his hair wet, but he feels like he needs this for the moment.

Above anything, Yoongi tries his best not to feel guilty. He doesn’t know why he should, but, deep down, something inside him keeps on moving, keeps on bothering him, like it’s telling him that he shouldn’t be going on this date. Because he has not only no romantic interest on Taehyung whatsoever, but also because of another reason, a reason he clearly refuses to believe for himself. Yoongi tries shaking off those thoughts, but, once he realizes they won’t go away, he allows the guilt to sink in.

He’s going to ruin this date. He’s going to get Taehyung to fall out of love.

Before he finishes showering, he asks himself whether he’s washing away the dirt only or something else with it. Something in his mind.

When Yoongi walks out of the bathroom, towel in hand as he rubs his hair with it, he smells the toasts coming from the small, reserved kitchen in the apartment. Although Hoseok can’t call himself a professional, there are things he is very good with, and making breakfast should definitely be one of them.

“Those smell nice,” Yoongi compliments as he walks into the kitchen, consequently invading a bit of Hoseok’s personal space when he walks behind him to get to the coffee maker, “Coffee?”

“Yes, please. Where are you and Taehyung going again?”

“Bowling,” Yoongi answers, handing Hoseok the mug of coffee and grabbing the toast he’s giving him in return, biting off a piece before proceeding, “Taehyung said the dates that work out the best are the ones in which he goes bowling, so, let’s be hopeful, I guess.”

Hoseok nods, humming in agreement, although Yoongi reads the discomfort on his face effortlessly, “That sounds good.”

“Did he tell you anything?” Yoongi asks, “You didn’t fight because of me, right? Because I told him that you told me about the book?”

“Nah,” Hoseok says, shrugging, and it doesn’t quite convince his friend, “We’re good. He said it took me guts to tell you about it.”

“Why?”

Hoseok blinks, shaking his head with a bit of uncertainty, “Who knows? Taehyung can be confusing when he wants to.”

“If you say so,” Yoongi affirms, deciding not to push it. If Hoseok doesn’t want to talk about it, they don’t have to. Instead, he stretches out his arm and lets Hoseok take a bite of his toast before stuffing the rest of it into his mouth and chewing as fast as he can, downing what’s left from the coffee a moment later and letting out a heavy, deep breath, “Alright. Here I go.”

“Want me to drive you there?”

“I’m calling a cab. Thank you, Seokseok. I’ll tell you about it later. Love you!”

Hoseok sighs, the mug’s rim pressed softly against his lips as he watches Yoongi walking out of the door, mumbling, “Love you too.”

***

It turns out that hanging out with Taehyung isn’t quite as bad as Yoongi expected — it is, however, just as awkward.

He feels like he is out with a friend’s colleague rather than of a potential lover. The thought of ending the date with something remotely related to a romantic reaction makes Yoongi frown. It’s not that he wouldn’t like to be with someone as gorgeous and friendly as Taehyung — in fact, his bright presence doesn’t get nerve-wracking at any point. It happens, though, that deep down, Yoongi knows there must be a hidden reason in his heart for him to find himself unable to enjoy this properly.

“You’re going to lose,” Taehyung singsongs, smirking at Yoongi’s scowl. He’s saying the truth. Yoongi’s points are nothing compared to his own, and, to the latter’s surprise, Taehyung seems to be taking this seriously in the most laid-back way, “Shouldn’t you try another position or something? I think trying to play like a big boy isn’t helping you.”

“Are you insinuating I’m not a big boy?” Yoongi squints, “Besides, this isn’t a movie. I won’t let you hold my waist and put me in the right position so we can get a romantic atmosphere around us and then we’ll kiss and I’ll feel butterflies.”

Taehyung bursts out laughing, which, to Yoongi, means that he isn’t bored, at least, “I’ve kissed plenty of people in my life, hyung. Here’s a few things I can affirm: I never had to hold anyone’s waist and I’ve certainly never felt butterflies.”

“That’s sad. Maybe someday you will.”

Yoongi doesn’t realize the implied message behind his own phrase until it already left his mouth. He freezes, hoping that Taehyung won’t take this the right way and imagine Yoongi is throwing away the possibility of ever kissing him — he is, but Taehyung doesn’t need to know that right off the bat.

Gladly, Taehyung simply shrugs, seemingly okay with it, “Maybe. Anyways, back to your position.”

“I have a technique.”

“Oh?” Taehyung crosses his arms, smirking. “A technique?”

“Hoseok taught me. I mean, he suggested it,” Yoongi says, grabbing the ball and measuring the weight on his hands for a few moments. He approaches the alley and takes a deep breath. Then, he parts his legs, nearly like he’s about to do a split, and waves the ball before his open legs, throwing it. It takes a few pins down, but he barely notices it as Taehyung’s loud laugh hits his ears. He looks to him above his shoulder, a satisfied smile on his face, “See? I’m great.”

“Yeah,” Taehyung says, wiggling his brows towards the scoreboard, “Still lost, though.”

Yoongi sighs, a bit dramatically, and wipes the few drops of sweat away from his forehead. Taehyung seems pleased, gesturing in the door’s direction.

“We’ve been here for a while. Now that you’ve lost the game and found yourself ready to admit that I’m the best, we should go and eat something.”

Now, while bowling with Taehyung felt light and unproblematic, having lunch with him is a completely new story. While they’re sitting before each other, waiting for the order silently and trying their bests not to make the awkwardness even thicker by looking into each other’s eyes, Yoongi decides he should always learn when to finish a date.

This might be good for him, though. If Taehyung went home after their bowling date, he could think things went well. This, on the other hand, has the lowest probability of ending nicely.

Yoongi decides this is definitely good for that.

“This is boring,” Yoongi mumbles, loud enough to draw Taehyung’s attention, “Oh, sorry. Didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

Taehyung squints, “The food will be here any second.”

“Sorry. I’m usually this impatient.”

“Really?” Taehyung asks, tilting his head to the side, “I could’ve sworn Hoseok told me once that you were the most patient person he has ever met.”

If Yoongi already had food in his mouth, he would have choked. He tries regaining his posture, but he is certain that Taehyung sees the movement by the ghost of a smile on his lips.

“I mean, Hoseok tends to exaggerate when it comes to me.”

“Oh, I know.”

Yoongi frowns at the tone, “What does it mean?”

“Nothing,” Taehyung says, and, fortunately, that is when the waiter brings the plates with their food. Yoongi looks down at it, fidgeting with the chopsticks, and barely registers the way Taehyung pulls his cell phone slightly out of his pocket and sends a quick text. Instead, he focus on eating and not making things even worse.

If there were words to describe the sudden change of mood, it would move quickly from comfortable to unbearable. Yoongi keeps an unreadable expression on, chewing fast, taking fast glimpses of Taehyung’s eyes on him, chewing faster, chugging down his drink, chewing faster. When he’s chewing a mouthful of noodles, Taehyung clears his throat, apparently finding it in him to bring up something to talk about.

“So,” Taehyung starts, lips pressed into a thin line, “Am I making it justice?”

Yoongi blinks, “Making what justice?”

“The guide,” Taehyung says, “You gave me a lot of advices.”

“Oh,” Yoongi mumbles, eyes widening a little. He hadn’t thought about it, yet. In fact, he had forgotten about the guide, even. When he thinks about it, though, he has to admit Taehyung isn’t exactly the kind of person he pictured when he gave those advices. He’s a bit different, to say the least. There is one person who those advices fit, and, honestly, Yoongi is starting to think it is unusual to make everything about him, “I mean, you’re trying. You’re doing great by trying.”

Taehyung chuckles, gently placing his chopsticks beside the plate and locking eyes with Yoongi, “Would you like to hear a secret?”

“Um, sure?”

“It’s going to get you shocked, though,” Taehyung affirms, cocking his head to the side, “I think you might faint.”

“Shoot it, Taehyung.”

“The guide doesn’t belong to me.”

Yoongi stops. He squints, running his tongue along his bottom lip. “You don’t have to lie to me.”

“You’re right, I don’t have to,” Taehyung states, “Which is why I’m clarifying this. Hoseok might get super mad at me and everything, but truth is, I already have my eyes on someone else. I don’t want him to think that I’m somehow romantically involved with you just because Hoseok can’t get his head out of his ass.”

“You do realize how confusing this sounds, right?”

Taehyung sighs heavily, reaching for Yoongi’s hands and squeezing as he looks deeply into his eyes, “Yoongi. Think. Didn’t you ever notice how different it is for you to be around him and someone else? Didn’t you realize you couldn’t stop thinking and talking about him today? Didn’t you think, for a moment, that he feels the same way?”

“Taehyung—”

“The guide belongs to Hoseok,” Taehyung finishes, “And I think that, deep inside, you already knew it.”

Yoongi stops breathing.

***

Yoongi thinks that running to Jungkook’s arms has become a habit, and, now that he thinks about it, that’s what he used to do with Hoseok whenever he had trouble in his relationship with Jungkook.

It hits him harder than it should.

“Not to be a total asshole,” Jungkook comments, taking a sip of the tea he has been drinking from the moment Yoongi walked into the apartment, “But I knew it.”

“You knew it?”

“You’ve always treated him differently,” Jungkook says, calmly, composedly, nearly like he wasn’t asking for Yoongi to calm down and breathe a few moments ago, “When we were together, it changed, but, once we broke up, it happened again. It felt like you were constantly drawn to him, like he was the one you were supposed to be with.”

“That’s bullshit, Jungkook.”

“He looked at you like you were the most precious thing on Earth. He still does. When you found out about the book, he panicked and threw it on someone else’s shoulders because he was scared to lose the thing he treasures the most in the world,” Jungkook finishes, smiling at Yoongi’s grimace, “And, careful, you might get eternal wrinkles if you keep frowning like that.”

Yoongi sighs, frustrated, “So, Hoseok likes me? He was doing all of that, asking for me advice, so he could use them on me?”

“Mhm,” Jungkook hums, pursing his lips into a smile, “Was that hard?”

“He should have told me.”

“Oh, please,” Jungkook scoffs, “It took you years to realize that you’re into him. Even now, I can tell you’re battling against yourself to come to terms with it. I know it might be scary to try and turn such a beautiful friendship into something more, hyung, but don’t you deserve it?”

“Do you really think I like him?”

Jungkook rolls his eyes, “Tell me, hyung, and I know I might regret the cheesiness that will come with it, but, how do you feel when you’re around Hoseok?”

That is a singular question. So far, through his life, being around Hoseok was common, ordinary, an essential part of his life, as participant as having three meals a day. He hasn’t, though, tried to think what it feels like to be around Hoseok. He supposes he allowed himself to get used to it so smoothly that he didn’t give it a thought later.

“I feel—I don’t know, safe? I know I can trust him with my life and I would. There’s always this enduring sensation that we can never be apart. That the world can’t get to us, it doesn’t matter how hard it tries,” He begins, looking for Jungkook’s eyes to make sure this isn’t getting too far for someone who he used to date, but Jungkook gives him a reassuring gesture and mouths for him to proceed. Yoongi feels a bit like he’s in a therapy session, but he decides not to cease the wave of feelings, “Being with Hoseok is like being in harmony. You know, when I write my songs, I need to experience to perceive the message. I need to pretend I didn’t write that, then go back to it and make sure there is something behind those words.”

Jungkook leans back against the wall, “How does that reason with Hoseok?”

“Hoseok is like the melody,” Yoongi continues, finding that allowing the words to slide off his tongue so freaking easily would have made him embarrassed, wasn’t it for the person who’s listening to him, “If my lyrics turn out great, I need something to make sure people will get the message. It doesn’t matter how beautiful a word is, if you don’t pass it forward, it will die down. Beautiful or not.”

“So, basically,” Jungkook starts, smirking, “Hoseok is the melody and your life is the lyrics. Your life might be beautiful, but it remains meaningless without him.”

Yoongi pauses, blinking slowly, “I didn’t—I wasn’t thinking of that this way.”

“But it is what it sounds like from the outside,” Jungkook tells, “You’re in love with him, hyung. Let that sink in and stop denying yourself the right to have feelings.”

Yoongi swallows, switching glances between Jungkook’s serious expression and the floor under his feet. He taps his feet on each other, inhaling and letting out heavy breaths as he consider things. He needs a bigger perspective, he needs to see Hoseok and feel the melody, but, somehow, he still doesn’t think it will be quite as fair as he wishes it could be.

Yoongi’s nose wrinkles, “Shouldn’t I at least give him a hard time? He put me through a date with Taehyung and made me believe he liked me! I can’t just give in so easily.”

Jungkook raises an eyebrow, clearly pondering about it, and Yoongi allows him to have his time. Jungkook doesn’t come up with great plans overall, like driving to the party only to screw up a rejection, but, when he gets a genius idea, no one can compare. At least, that’s what Yoongi hopes.

“Oh!” Jungkook exclaims, startling him a bit, but ignoring it as he smiles, “I have an idea.”

Yoongi breathes in deeply, “Let’s hear it.”

***

Yoongi takes a cab to Hoseok’s house right after calling Taehyung and asking him not to tell his best friend about the revelation.

If everything in his mind makes sense, then it means that Hoseok isn’t simply into him — he might be in love with him. He finds that he doesn’t mind the information, not at all. In fact, he think Jungkook might be the one person who knows him the best nowadays, right before Hoseok, because he figured out about Yoongi’s feelings before he had the chance himself.

There is a plan, though. Even if Hoseok grows a pair suddenly and decides Yoongi deserves to know about his feelings, he still put him through the torturously awkward date and the shock of finding out about his advices turning against him.

A few days, possibly. If Jungkook turns out to be half the planner he claims to be, the plan should take a few days only.

“Hey, Seokseok,” Yoongi greets, a gentle smile on his face when his friend opens the door for him, “Can I come in?”

Hoseok beams at him, stepping aside immediately, “Well, of course. I thought you were out on a date with Taehyung today, though?”

“Yeah, that was… short, to say the least.”

“Didn’t like it?”

“Let’s say we’re not very compatible,” Yoongi chuckles, throwing himself on the couch and sighing, “It’s much easier to hang out with you, if I’m being honest. I’d give up this entire day to go bowling with you.”

He is very much aware of the way Hoseok’s cheeks acquire a bright red tone and the tips of his ears turn pink, and, although he finds himself capable of holding back a smile, Jungkook’s words and their plan appear as flashes through his mind. He remembers every single word, and intends to do it correctly.

Let him know he is the best company you could have.

“You’re not busy, are you?” Yoongi asks, blinking, “I forgot to text. Sorry. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”

Hoseok shakes his head, finding his seat beside him on the couch, “S’alright. I was thinking of ordering pizza and, now that you’re here, I actually have a reason.”

Yoongi laughs, “You didn’t have a reason before?”

“It’s not like it’s the weekend. Besides, you had a day off because of the date, right? If the date didn’t work, you should at least make it worth it by eating something tasty in the end.”

The delight in his voice reverberates around them, and Yoongi finds that he doesn’t mind it in any way. It feels weird — the good kind of weird. It’s like, after being in the dark for so long, he’s suddenly hyperaware of his words and movements, and he wants to understand them all. He wants to see through the mask Hoseok’s been wearing for such a prolonged time.

That is how he finds his eyes lingering on the gestures of Hoseok’s hands, the shape of his lips, the shine on his eyes whenever they find a pleasurable topic to create conversation. Albeit he hasn’t realized so far, he notices he might have been stealing glances at everything Hoseok does for a while now, because it’s remarkable how used he is to the way he speaks, the way he moves, the way he acts around him.

He has been in too deep throughout a huge amount of time. It is truthfully a waste that he has only became conscious of it now.

“We can go bowling next time, you know,” Hoseok comments, throwing an arm around Yoongi’s shoulders as they sit together before the TV, “Do you still use the same position?”

“If it’s not broken, don’t fix it, right?” Yoongi smiles, “I’m just as good as I used to be.”

“Well, did you win?”

“That’s a lot you’re asking, there.”

Hoseok laughs, not quite acknowledging the way it lights up Yoongi’s mood.

This is terrible, Yoongi decides. Being in love with someone is bad enough, but owning up to that? Terrible, indeed.

Then, he remembers Jungkook and their plan, and decides to apply the easiest ones first. There were a few only added because Jungkook insisted so hard, but, right now, they are not coming across as such terrible ideas.

“In the future,” Yoongi starts, drawing Hoseok’s full attention. Make him believe he is part of your future’s plans, “When we’re too old to go bowling, I think we should get kids to do it for us.”

Hoseok frowns, amused, “How is that supposed to happen?”

“You know,” Yoongi smiles, tilting his head so he’s directly facing Hoseok, “Get them to play in the positions we used to play. We can watch them and act like they are our younger selves, returning to life to entertain us and remind us of how lovely life can be when you’re not inside your house all day.”

“You’re already inside your house all day, though, as a young man.”

“First of all,” Yoongi starts, pointing an accusing finger to Hoseok’s forehead, “Don’t you ever call me young man again. Second of all, show some consideration to my amazing plan. Say something about it.”

Hoseok chuckles, nodding and raising his arms in surrender, “Fine, hear me out. I think we don’t need anyone to live our young selves for us. We can do it ourselves.”

“But we’ll be old!”

“Who cares?” Hoseok asks, smiling from ear to ear, “We’ll be great anyway.”

***

A few days later, Yoongi finds himself staying over after a long day.

It feels like the first time sleeping on the same bed as Hoseok, if Yoongi is being honest.

There is no hint of awkwardness from Hoseok’s point of view — that is unequivocal. He scoots closer to Yoongi, absentmindedly throwing a leg of one of the latter’s legs, and luckily doesn’t register the way Yoongi’s chest moves up and down in an unsteady rhythm due his heavy breathing. They are drowning in the dark night, and, yet, Yoongi feels like Hoseok’s bright eyes are burning on him.

While Hoseok remains oblivious to Yoongi’s thick swallows and pursed lips, they fall into silence. Usual, Yoongi tells himself. This is supposed to be usual, customary. He shouldn’t be hyperaware. He should be focusing on his plan with Jungkook. Yeah. The plan should be his priority.

He breathes in. Some of Jungkook’s advices were absurd, and, yet, this kind of situation might be his only chance.

Kisses are important.

He breathes in one more time.

Find out where he likes to be kissed the most.

“Seokseok?”

Hoseok hums, indicating that he’s listening.

“I’m feeling cold.”

That does it for the moment. Hoseok inches closer, scent intoxicating as he wraps his arms gently around Yoongi’s shoulders and moves so Yoongi has no other choice but to press his forehead against Hoseok’s shoulder. In this position, Hoseok supports his chin carefully on the top of Yoongi’s head. Also in this position, Hoseok’s neck is exposed, a few inches away from Yoongi’s lips only.

He breathes in one more time. Tries binging back memories. Regardless of how unpleasant it is, he attempts to remind himself of the few times Hoseok told him about his one night stands.

Neck. Ear. Forehead. Cheek. Collarbone. Lips.

Yoongi has many options and can’t find it in himself to try and ask Hoseok which one of this is his favorite.

Because, if he thinks about it, it wouldn’t be exactly an ordinary question. It would cause a lot of trouble, possibly. Wouldn’t it?

For the last time in this moment, Yoongi breathes in, and Hoseok’s arms tighten around him slightly. He thinks that might be a protection thing. He must be thinking Yoongi is still feeling cold.

“Seokseok,” Yoongi whispers.

“Yeah?”

“Trust me for a second, yeah?”

Hoseok stops, although he remains as relaxed as before, and, slowly, Yoongi feels Hoseok nodding slightly over his head, “Yeah. What for?”

Yoongi doesn’t reply. He gathers as much courage as possible, leans forward, curls his fingers unwillingly around the front of Hoseok’s shirt, and, ever so slowly, presses his lips against the soft flesh of Hoseok’s neck. He hears it when Hoseok’s breath hitches and the immediate shiver that clearly runs down his friend’s skin is more than enough to confirm the one suspicion Yoongi had: if Hoseok’s neck isn’t his favorite place to receive kisses, it is one of them.

For a few moments, the atmosphere around them thickens enough for Yoongi to feel breathless, and, instead of moving away and explaining his reasons to Hoseok, he tilts his head and places another kiss on the column of his throat, holding back a smile at the way Hoseok’s arm tighten around him.

It looks like he good lucky on his first try.

“Seokseok,” He whispers, hearing it when Hoseok clears his throat above him.

“Yeah?”

Yoongi buries his face on Hoseok’s shoulder, warm and comfortable, and decides it was much less torturing than imagined. At least, to him. Hoseok, on the other hand, still seems to be holding him tighter than necessary.

With a smirk, Yoongi whispers, “Goodnight.”

He doesn’t get any sleep for the next half an hour. Hoseok? For much longer than that.

***

“Aren’t you supposed to be working?”

Yoongi frowns, holding the phone between his shoulder and cheek as he works, “I thought you told me to keep you informed.”

Jungkook sighs from the other side of the line, “Well?”

“Neck.”

“You’re such a liar.”

“What? Why?”

“There is no way you managed to test every option we put in there at once. Unless you guys—”

“No,” Yoongi alerts, squinting at Jungkook’s laughter, “I know what you’re about to say, and the answer is no.”

“Then, how did you find out?”

Yoongi shrugs, “I don’t think you’d like to hear that.”

“Ew. Disgusting. I’m hanging up.”

When the line goes silent, Yoongi allows himself a moment of laughing before getting back to work. Getting closer and closer to Hoseok and teasing Jungkook at the same time? That does feel like a victory.

***

Ask him out on something that feels like a date, seems like a date, presents itself like a date; but do not call it a date.

“Ice cream?”

Yoongi nods, leaning against the doorframe and waiting for Hoseok to get dressed. He came over without saying much, just that they should hang out in the afternoon, because they can’t spend every weekend together due Hoseok’s extra work. Therefore, he had to come up with something that felt like a date, the way Jungkook told him.

Ice cream sounds perfect.

“It’s been a while since we went out for ice cream,” Hoseok comments, smiling as he gestures for Yoongi to step aside so he leaves and locks the door behind him, “A special occasion or something?”

Yoongi shrugs, “Nah, just felt like. The weather is nice, too. I don’t want to waste it.”

Lamentably, they haven’t talked about the ‘neck kissing incident’, which is the name Yoongi decided to give it. An incident, because he hadn’t planned that, and, yet, when it happened, he could have sworn it would shake Hoseok’s walls up a bit. His best friend hasn’t changed, though. Not at all.

Yoongi sighs to himself. This might be harder than Jungkook predicted.

Yoongi wasn’t lying; the weather is nice. Yoongi breathes in once they’re out of the building, enjoying the calm, refreshing breeze. His thin jacket is hanging off his right shoulder; barely useful considering the clothing has always been too narrow to help him out during winter. While he doesn’t dig summer clothes substantially, Hoseok surely does. He wears shorts and sleeveless shirts typically, even finding himself plenty of trouble during other seasons for that.

“I should drive,” Hoseok suggests, stuffing his hand into his pocket to grab the keys, but Yoongi shakes his head negatively.

“Come on, it’s a few blocks away,” Yoongi argues, “Where’s the fun in driving there?”

Hoseok squints, “Who are you and what you have done to my best friend?”

Show him he’s worth more than the things you dislike.

“I know you like walking better than driving, don’t lie to me,” Yoongi accuses, displaying an accusing expression toward him, “What’s wrong with a bit of exercise, right? It’s always healthy, anyway.”

“Well,” Hoseok chuckles, shrugging, “If you want to get healthy all of sudden, I’m not going to be the one to complain.”

“You better not. I can change my mind and force you to walk back to your house and grab the car once I’m already there.”

“Aw. I’m terrified.”

The thing Yoongi learns while walking side by side with Hoseok is that his old, old habit of wanting to hold people’s hands out of nowhere hasn’t vanished, even after all those years. When Yoongi was a bit younger, he used to hold his friend’s hands all the time; Hoseok’s included. Nowadays, under other conditions, he’d rather keep it to himself. Whenever he walked too close to someone and their hands were in a reachable distance, he held back the urge. He always did.

This time, though, he decides doing things that aren’t on his agreement with Jungkook might also be a great idea. Surprising Hoseok with an affectionate gesture involved.

Slowly but surely, Yoongi reaches for Hoseok’s hand, looking away to hide the slight flush on his cheeks as he intertwines their fingers together. Hoseok doesn’t pull away or stop walking; however, Yoongi can feel his eyes setting his nape on fire. He’s thankful that his current haircut covers enough so Hoseok won’t notice his pink, burning ears.

He’s unsure of how to act, now. It doesn’t take long for Yoongi to realize this was a bad idea. He can’t bring himself to talk to Hoseok anymore on their way there, tightening his grip around his fingers once a while and receiving in return a few reassuring squeezes. He wants to let go so his embarrassment can get the chance to wash itself away, and, at the same time, he hopes dearly that Hoseok won’t let go at all.

In the end, they let go of each other simultaneously once they arrive at the ice cream shop, keeping themselves silent about it instead of making smart remarks or teasing one another. To Yoongi, that only means one thing: they are both flustered. If there’s anything in the world Hoseok can’t joke about, it means that it is he’s flustered about. 

Yoongi debates to himself whether he should be happy because Hoseok is flustered or embarrassed, because, well, so is he.

“You should sit, I’ll get our orders,” Hoseok suggests, gesturing simply towards the ice cream options.

“Well, do you know what I want?”

“Yeah. Come on, hyung, of course I know your favorite.”

For the second time, Yoongi’s ears burn, and he nods in a way that he hopes to look absentmindedly, “Right. Go get me that, then.”

Surprisingly, the mood goes back to its usual state in a very small amount of time. Before he realizes it, Yoongi finds that he’s taking normally to Hoseok, about life, about work, about everything but the fact that they are both so whipped for each other that they can’t actually gaze into each other’s eyes for too long without blushing furiously.

“We should hang out tomorrow, too,” Hoseok comments, smiling at him and bringing Yoongi’s inevitable attention to his lips. That’s when he realizes there’s a spot in the corner of his mouth with a bit of ice cream left, and Yoongi tries shaking the sudden thought of how to make a move on Hoseok using that as his advantage off.

“Um, right,” Yoongi says, remembering Jungkook’s wise words — or so he’d claim.

Make him jealous.

Yoongi had said no immediately. He knew how bad it hurt to feel jealous of someone you like, and he would not purposely cause someone to feel jealous of him.

Alright, then. Don’t make him jealous. Make him safe.

That, he could do.

“I was going to help Jungkook with the store. You know, lots of customers and stuff,” Yoongi says, hurrying before Hoseok gets the wrong idea, “But, if you think we should hang out, we should hang out. You’re more important than him, anyway.”

It isn’t a lie. They both know that. Hoseok’s smile at that is so bright Yoongi that realizes the sun would be the one jealous if he ever decided he would go around smiling to make people’s days better.

In the end, when they’re about to leave and the corner of Hoseok’s mouth still looks the same, Yoongi runs his thumb quickly over his lips, barely giving himself the chance to think twice before he brings his own finger to his lips and licks the ice cream. He feels Hoseok’s heavy eyes on him and tries looking above his shoulder, collecting his most calming thoughts so he won’t scream or turn as red as a tomato.

Instead, he shrugs, not sparing Hoseok a glance before gesturing towards the street and starting to move, “Come on. Your taste in ice cream still sucks.”

He could’ve sworn he heard Hoseok gasping behind him.

***

“You’re a disaster,” Jungkook says, laughing as he stuffs a handful of popcorn into his mouth. Yoongi squints at him in annoyance and slaps his shoulder weakly, “Uh, ouch?”

“What am I supposed to do? I’m following the instructions.”

“Yeah, kind of,” He shrugs, “You’re not being convincible.”

Yoongi squints, “Tell me something more convincible than licking the ice cream that was just in his lips?”

“Not looking away or pretending it wasn’t meant to be romantic. I mean, it is very tacky, but if it worked enough to make him flustered, that’s a chance you can’t miss,” Jungkook says, and, as to prove his point, he places the popcorn on the table and turns to Yoongi. Yoongi stops, wary. Jungkook puts his hand on Yoongi’s thigh and leans forward, which immediately causes him to lean back and avoid him. Then, slowly, Jungkook hooks two fingers on the collar of Yoongi’s shirt and smirks, wiggling his eyebrows at him as he whispers, “If you want Hoseok to believe you’re not just messing with him, don’t act scared. Show him you want him.”

They’re not exactly several inches apart, and, yet, Jungkook seems calm, composed. He wasn’t like that when they dated. Yoongi assumes he learned plenty of things.

“Uh, okay?”

Jungkook nods, satisfied, and moves away, grabbing the popcorn back and chewing on it. Yoongi finds himself a lot more worried, though. If there’s anyone else who likes him—

“Jungkook, is there something you’d like to talk to me about?”

Jungkook quirks up an eyebrow, “In fact, there is.”

“Oh,” Yoongi says, pursing his lips, “Well, spit it out.”

This time, Jungkook simply tilts his head to the side, gazing into Yoongi’s eyes, and Yoongi’s mind is already in overdrive, trying to find the most reasonable way to reject him and not seem like an asshole, when Jungkook finally speaks.

“I think I like Namjoon from the coffee shop.”

Yoongi has never let out a more relieved sigh in his life and Jungkook has never laughed at him so hard either.

***

You want him to be more than a friend. Show him that.

Yoongi has the key to Hoseok’s apartment.

He has for a while, now. A few times, Hoseok had something important to do and Yoongi offered to come over and cook or order something for him. It was never a big deal — they both knew Yoongi wouldn’t give it a try if he were too exhausted to do so. Thereafter, even when Yoongi’s job started catching up to his personal life, Hoseok never asked for the key back.

Thus, Yoongi thinks it might be a nice opportunity.

“Sticky notes.”

He hears the faint laughter from the other side of the line and awaits, “This is getting more and more cliché. I’m glad I have a front row seat to this.”

“Come on. I need your help, not your judgement.”

“You hurt my feelings.”

“I’ll tell Jimin you went on a date with me.”

That shuts Taehyung up effectively, and Yoongi smiles to himself as the man clears his throat, voice coming out much softer now, “I think sticky notes are romantic and an incredible opportunity for him to realize you’ve been meaning to confess for years but haven’t had the guts to. Oh, no, wait, you hadn’t even realized you wanted to confess. Oh, wait again, you hadn’t realized you liked him in the first place—”

“Goodnight, Taehyung.”

He sighs, stuffing the phone back in his pocket and staring at the sticky notes on his hands. His intention is to leave those here and go home later, then wait until Hoseok shows him some kind of reaction. They’re settled to go out in the weekend, which means Hoseok will get plenty of time to get his head out of his ass and confess.

Slowly, Yoongi picks the right spots to place the sticky notes. The fridge, the closet’s door, the wall, the TV. He spreads them carefully, not before re-reading each one to make sure he won’t screw up with his words somehow.

You’re like the sun to me.

I can see my future in you.

For you, I’d do anything.

Etc, etc. He thinks some of those might come out as a little cringey, but he’s doing this best here, pouring his heart out in ways he had never learned to act before. If there is anything he needs to come out as is a good romantic, and a good romantic can never be too cringey.

Yoongi breathes in, taking one last look inside the house before closing the door behind him. This better work.

***

“Did he call you yet?”

“No,” Yoongi replies, scowl evident as he tries his best not to bump on anyone on the streets as he walks. Jungkook being on the phone and asking him about Hoseok, who’s been ignoring Yoongi’s existence for the last three days, doesn’t exactly make it better.

“Want to come over tonight and talk about how frustrated you are?”

“I don’t think so. I should get some work done at home.”

Jungkook hums, understanding, “Good. I’ll tell Namjoon from the coffee shop to come over, then.”

“Are you dating?”

“Getting there. So should you.”

“Well, I’m trying.”

Jungkook chuckles, “Try harder.”

Yoongi scoffs, even more annoyed than before, and throws the phone in his backpack before entering the bus to go home after the long day.

***

“Did he pick up your calls?”

Yoongi groans in annoyance, “No, Taehyung, he didn’t pick up my calls.”

He hears Taehyung sighing softly and talking to someone, probably Jimin, “I told you.”

“Be strong, Yoongi-hyung!”

“Thank you, Jimin.”

He sighs, staring at his phone. Two more days. Two more days until the weekend.

***

“Jung Hoseok, open this door or I’ll bring it down.”

Yoongi hears the exclamation of surprise coming from inside the apartment and crosses his arms while he hears him shifting with the keys inside. He inhales, trying his very best not to grimace too hard once they look into each other’s eyes after a week. He expected Hoseok to at least text him normally, pretending he hadn’t seen any of the sticky notes, but ignoring it completely? That triggered Yoongi’s most upset part.

When Hoseok finally opens the door, he flinches visibly at Yoongi’s expression, voice going lower as he speaks, “Hey, hyung.”

“Hey to you, too. Is there something you’d like to tell me? Like, your phone fell off a cliff and that’s the reason why you haven’t been picking up any of my calls?”

Hoseok’s lips purse and he steps aside, gesturing inside, “Come in. We should talk.”

“Yeah, we should talk.”

For the first time in a while, the atmosphere around them is far from comfortable. Yoongi loves Hoseok, maybe more than he has ever imagined, but he acknowledges he has the right to get upset when the person who claims to be his best friend stops talking to him for a week because of an indirect confession.

“Yoongi. We can’t do this anymore.”

Yoongi blinks, “What?”

“I can’t do this,” Hoseok proceeds, inhaling, “I’m—”

“You fell out of love with me, right?”

Hoseok pauses, eyes going impossibly wide at the words, and he stutters, “W—wait, what?”

“If that’s it, you could just have told me. I’ve been rejected before, I know what it feels like, and I sure wouldn’t allow it to ruin our friendship, you know?” Yoongi proceeds, spitting out everything he’s been holding back from that night when Jungkook figured his feelings out for him, “I am in love with you. I’ve been for a while. I didn’t know, and I believe that neither did you. So, now that you know, if you don’t like me anymore, please just tell me, because I can’t—”

Yoongi could have prepared himself for plenty of reactions. Fighting Hoseok, arguing with Hoseok, Hoseok asking him to leave, Hoseok claiming he was never in love with him in the first place and the whole guide was just a joke. There are so many options, so many possible options.

The one thing Yoongi could never have predicted would be the overwhelming feeling of Hoseok’s lips crashing against his own.

He doesn’t get the time to feel tense. Hoseok pulls away before anything else happens, pupils dilated, lips slightly parted and expression somewhere between relieved and apprehensive. Of course, Yoongi thinks. He must be wondering whether he just did the best thing possible or the worst.

Yoongi gives him the answer by wrapping his hand around Hoseok’s nape and pulling him into another kiss.

Hoseok kisses like he’s got all the time in the world, regardless of how close they were to allowing a misunderstanding to get in the way. Yoongi could have anticipated urgency, but there is none whatsoever. Hoseok’s lips part under his slowly, softly. His hands settle on Yoongi’s waist, arms wrapping around him in a few seconds as he presses their chests together. Yoongi wonders if Hoseok can feel or hear the unsteady, rushed rhythm of his heartbeats.

He feels like exploding. Not the bad kind, though, but like fireworks. In a million colors and a million smiles.

His mind decides suddenly to remind him of the way things unfolded and how they got here, and he finds himself smiling against Hoseok’s lips weakly. Hoseok’s eyes flutter open and he barely moves away to look into his eyes, curious, “Why are you smiling?”

Yoongi smiles harder, wiggling his eyebrows at him, “When were you planning on telling me that the guide on how to win Min Yoongi’s heart belongs to you, huh?”

Hoseok’s smile falters and he acquires a horrified expression. Yoongi’s smile, on the other hand, remains as firm as before, and that is probably what gets Hoseok to sigh and start talking, “Okay, so, to be quite fair, I was already in love with you when you dated Jungkook.”

“Wait,” Yoongi’s eyes widen, “Is that why you hate him so much?”

“I don’t hate him. I was jealous of him.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“When? In the breaks between you guys making out?” Hoseok squints, shaking his head, “Anyways, when you broke up with him, I told myself I’d confess, but, you know, I never got the guts to. Which meant that asking for your advice and knowing what you’d like to have as a boyfriend even after that would have been nice.”

Yoongi squints, “Did it work so far?”

“Well, you did fall for me.”

“You made Taehyung lie.”

“I panicked,” Hoseok says, sighing, “I thought you’d just reject him. Then, I panicked more because you went out with him. He helped me write the guide, which is why he knew all the tips.”

That explains the handwriting. Yoongi chuckles at the innocent way he says that, shaking his head in disapproval, “Alright, then. Do you remember all of my tips?”

“Almost. Why?”

That reminds Yoongi of the few plans, the few ideas he had to make Hoseok realize he wouldn’t miss a thing by confessing. He leans forward, hooking two fingers under Hoseok’s chin and tilting his head to the side. He feels Hoseok’s breath hitching like the first time he did this when he brushes his lips against the flesh of his neck.

“Ah,” Hoseok whispers, laughing nervously, “So, you did that on purpose.”

Yoongi chuckles, attaching his lips to his neck and spreading a few gentle kisses before pulling away and staring into Hoseok’s now hooded eyes. Now, that is an expression he could get used to just as easily as every other expression Hoseok has around him.

“I did,” Yoongi says, smiling, “Can I do it again?”

“Yes, please.”

***

“You guys are disgusting.”

Yoongi chuckles, leaning his head backwards and sticking his tongue out at Jungkook’s grimace. He invited them over tonight to make sure Hoseok knew he did not intend to be with Yoongi anymore, since Namjoon from the coffee shop has been working greatly, and, surprisingly, Hoseok believed him easily.

“We’re a cute couple,” Hoseok argues, smiling, “It’s different.”

“Yeah,” Jungkook rolls his eyes, handing Yoongi and Hoseok the mugs of coffee, “If I knew you’d come over and kiss like I’m not in the same room, I would’ve visited you. Then, I could talk to you and leave.”

Hoseok pouts, looking at Yoongi, “Is he kicking us out?”

Yoongi shakes his head, “Jungkook couldn’t kick me out.”

“You’ll see. Now that you’re here, though, I’ll make sure you remember the fact that I had to put up with two stupid guides so that you could be together.”

“Jungkook—”

“Two guides?” Hoseok asks, confused, eyes switching from Jungkook and Yoongi, and, just as Jungkook notices the disorientation in Hoseok’s face, his eyes widen and he lets out a loud laugh.

“Oh. That is going to be an interesting story to tell.”

“What story?”

Jungkook wiggles his brows at them, “A Special Guide on How to Win Jung Hoseok’s Confession.”

Hoseok gasps, staring at Yoongi with his eyes widened, and Yoongi sighs, rubbing his face with his hands. To be fair, he knew he would have to tell Hoseok at some point that the neck kisses, the small dates and the sticky notes weren’t his most original ideas, and, yet, right now, when he realizes Hoseok looks more surprised than stressed at the idea, he simply smiles lovingly.

“Now we’re even.”

“Hyung!”

Yoongi giggles, leaning forward and kissing Hoseok’s neck softly. Hoseok groans in a mix of annoyance and amusement.

“You can’t do that to me,” Hoseok says, cupping Yoongi’s cheeks and looking into his eyes, the ghost of a smile appearing in his lips, “That’s unfair.”

Yoongi smirks, “Is it?”

“Seriously, guys? I’m still here.”

“I think we should leave.”

“Yeah, we should.”

Jungkook sighs in relief, watching as the couple stands up and suddenly getting a lengthy flashback of all the pages it took for them to get there, murmuring once they leave, “Finally.”