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Taehyung barges in Jeongguk’s a Jimin’s dorm without even knocking, as he’s already used to it and has pretty much seen everything at this point. He doesn’t even say hi, simply looks around to see which colorful head is popping around the place and walks towards it.
“Guk-ah, can you change my I.P?”
“Sure, hyung. What for?”
“I need to google how to get away with murder,”
“That's on Netflix, though,”
Taehyung flops on the tiny couch right next to Jeongguk, letting out a dramatic sigh. He frowns, upon noticing Jeongguk is too focused on something else to pay him attention.
“I mean, actually get away with murder,” he wraps himself around Jeongguk's torso, “I'm this close to killing someone,”
“Aha,”
“There's this guy,” Taehyung continues, pretending to not notice his best friend's lack of interest, “He's in my class, stupid ass class. Thing is, I work my ass off. Microbiology. Hard as fuck, my teacher is a pain in the ass. I work my ass off, stay up ‘til late studying for his stupid tests. And my highest note was an eighty nine,”
“That's a great grade, hyung,”
“But! There's this guy, he literally falls asleep the second he sits on the fucking desk. And the other day I saw his paper? He got a ninety two. A ninety two, I hate him so much. He never pays attention, he gets class late and he falls asleep yet he gets better grades! Why?”
Jeongguk lets out a lengthy sigh, lowers his phone and looks down at Taehyung, who looks genuinely upset, perched onto him like a koala.
“Hyung, why do you even care?”
“Because! I don't know, he angers me. I hate people that’s good at everything,”
“I'm good at everything,”
“You're not a person, you're a baby,”
Jeongguk groans softly and manages to stand up, hastily. Taehyung's frown deepens and he visibly pouts as Jeongguk turns around to look at him, “What do you want me to do about it?”
“I want you to help me to get away with murder,”
“Taehyung, you got upset because I killed that bee once—,”
“Bees are in danger of extinction you absolute asshole!”
“My point is, even if you really had the guts to kill him, you wouldn't. You're too nice,” Jeongguk deems the conversation done and he walks away. Taehyung huffs, and rolls his eyes.
“I hate you, Guk,”
“You don't, you don't. Do you want to play overwatch?” Jeongguk's voice comes from the other room.
“No, I have to study for a test. What do you think it's his secret?”
“Why would I know? I don't even know who you're talking about,” Jeongguk comes back into the room, holding two play station controllers. Taehyung hums, and buries his face in the couch. Then he says something, muffled and unintelligible, “In proper Korean for us mere peasants, please?”
Taehyung lifts his face, “Min Yoongi,”
“Wait, The Min Yoongi? Music Major, pretty much a legend? Why is he in a Microbiology class?”
“Beats me. What do you know about him, though?”
“Not much. He's in senior year but he had to take a year break, else he'd have graduated by now,” Jeongguk plops down in Taehyung's legs, the older groans painfully but Jeongguk ignores him, “You should ask Jimin, instead. He kind of had a thing for him a few semesters ago, don't you remember?”
“Guk-ah, I actually don't have enough brain cells to remember everyone Jimin has had a crush on,”
“Are you saying Jimin is—,”
“That he's a Libra. That's what I'm saying,”
“Fair enough. Can we talk about something else already? Your self-made up drama isn't enough to entertain me,”
“Ugh, you're the worst friend, don't you want me to succeed in life?”
“You're a film major, Microbiology is not going to destroy your career,”
“I'm leaving,” but Taehyung makes no move whatsoever, simply face plants into the couch and groans. Jeongguk above him stands up to set up his TV and play station. Then, he sings clearly, “Maybe I'll be Tracer— I'm already Tracer. What about Widowmaker? I'm already Widow—,”
“Taehyung, shut up or so help me,”
//
Jeongguk assured him it wasn't that big of a deal, and sure when you think of it, what does he care about this Yoongi dude. So, he gets better grades? Whatever, right? It isn't like Taehyung is used to being number one in absolutely every class he has taken since middle school. Well, almost every class. Still.
It's not about someone being better at memorizing stuff, or better at learning stuff, that's fine. Competition encourage people to be better and all that jazz. It's the fact that Yoongi doesn't even seem to try, really.
He might be older but he's definitely tinier, lanky and pale. Anyone could think Taehyung is older than him. He always arrives a little late to class, carrying a black backpack that seems empty and that he throws to the ground mindlessly as he cradles his own head between his arms and falls asleep. Truthfully, he might not even fall asleep at all, but Taehyung wouldn't be one to know, with being in the third row instead of the first one, like him.
Seriously, the nerve.
And honestly, he isn't entirely sure why that bothers him so much. So what if the dude's a loser and gets better grades than him? So fucking what. So what. It isn't like Taehyung absolutely envies him, not at all.
Like, Taehyung is walking to the fucking library during his free period because he has to study for his stupid ass exam. It's not like he wishes he could be like Yoongi and avoid studying whatsoever.
Well.
“Hey, Hobi hyung,” he greets the librarian once he gets in front of the desk, already fishing out his student ID from his wallet, “How are you today?”
“I'm good, TaeTae, as good as I can be. What can I do for you, today?”
“I need the Virology book by Norkin?”
“Oh, we're working with the big guns, huh,” Hoseok gives him a sweet smile, then pulls out a form from his desk and hands it to Taehyung, “You fill the form, I'll go get it, yes?”
Taehyung does as told. He thinks of what a nice day it is, how he'd rather much be doing something else, like finishing that Spanish Netflix show that somehow blew up all over the world, or napping. But no, he had to study, didn't he. He finishes filling the details when Hoseok comes back with a painfully big, about a thousand pages textbook.
“You're lucky, we only have one of these. This one must be expensive as hell, don't blame you for not buying it either,” Taehyung smiles, thankful, “You know the rules, it can't leave this library, it's yours until closing hours,”
“Yessir,” Taehyung takes the heavy ass book between his fingers, then gives Hoseok a warm smile. He proceeds to walk towards an empty table, get out his notes and begin his suffering.
After forty minutes or so, he is interrupted for the first time.
“Um, TaeTae?”
Taehyung looks up just to find Hoseok hovering him, with a hesitant smile on his face. Taehyung blinks, then notices someone wriggling uncomfortably next to him. Zoom in, and he has to make a double take because, is that Min Yoongi? He is too dumbfounded to react properly.
“Tae, I'm sorry. My friend here is in your class— Yoongi, come here,” Hoseok pulls Yoongi next to him and Yoongi cringes very obviously, complaining softly. The shorter male looks at him briefly before he has to look away, and Taehyung is left speechless, “He needs the book too, to study. Now see, I told him to come get it another day but it seems to be impossible for him, so I was just wondering if maybe you guys could study together?”
There's a lot going inside of Taehyung's head, mainly panic. His brain is gone blank, all his alarms going off about how the guy he was talking about murdering a few hours ago is standing right in front of him, looking the shyest Taehyung has seen anyone look ever. He can't seem to think properly.
It's in that moment he realizes that he never saw Yoongi's face, never saw him up close. He is cute, and cute Taehyung can’t do.
Because Min Yoongi is The Asshole ™ that sleeps through Professor's Kim three hours lecture, that arrives late and never participates yet he manages to get straight A's and while Taehyung works his ass off for the stupid class. Cute he can't do, because if he's cute, and he has sleepy eyes and his lips curl into a natural pout, he can't hate him, and that would lead into accepting someone's better than him.
“Uhm, Tae?”
When Hoseok calls him again, he realizes he's probably been quiet for a while now, so caught up in his own head. His mind goes from a foggy white to an absolute panicked whirlwind of ideas. He opens his mouth, his brain filter damaged, and he says the first thing he can.
“You always sleep on class,”
He's a little too late to stop himself, and just when he's said it he realizes of the accusatory tone in his words. His mind cringes with embarrassment, his own eyes growing big as he becomes fully aware of what just happened.
Scratch getting away with murder, Taehyung is going to fucking kill himself.
After three painstakingly seconds of silence, everyone talks at once.
“Jesus, I didn't mean to say that,”
“I fail to see how that is any of your business,”
“I'm sure this is all just a misunderstanding,”
They stare at each other in the most suffocating, cringe worthy uncomfortable silence Taehyung has ever been a part of until his brain kick starts again and he’s properly to interact like a human being.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean that. What I wanted to say is, yes, I don’t mind,”
Hoseok lets out a sigh, “See? No problem whatsoever,” he says to Yoongi. Yoongi seems unsure, but finally nods. Taehyung notices the way he tugs at his sleeves and looks at Hoseok hopelessly, like he doesn’t know what to do with his life.
The next thing Taehyung does, he does without any certainty or reason, the words simply pushing their way out as is brain took the lead in the situation, in a tiny attempt of making Yoongi less uncomfortable in his presence for— whichever reason.
“You can sit down, Yoongi-ssi. Let’s study together, yes?” Taehyung quickly makes space in the table so Yoongi doesn’t feel like he’s invading him, “Please take care of me,” and he smiles. He hopes it’s enough to make Yoongi feel less uncomfortable.
After a few seconds, it seems to work, “Yes,” he says, and it’s soft. Hollow. He lowers himself rigidly and seats next to Taehyung, as far away as possible within the situation, “You too take care of me,”
“It’s all settled then!” Hoseok says in a hushed but still happy voice. He puts both his hands on each of their shoulders and palms them, “You guys have fun! I’ll go back to do my job. And remember, the book doesn’t leave the library—,”
“It never leaves the library? Not even in a special request?”
“You’d have to be a teacher—,”
Taehyung frowns, “But what if the president wanted to borrow it?”
Hoseok frowns, too, and tilts his head, “Why would the president want to borrow the stupid book?”
“But if he wanted to,” Yoongi trails, and Taehyung doesn’t miss the way he sends a glance towards him before looking up at Hoseok again. Taehyung tries to not snort, “Could the president take it outside the library?”
“Absolutely no,”
“Are you denying the president the access of this book?” Taehyung gasps.
“He hasn’t even—,”
“What if he can’t come,” Yoongi elaborates, and Taehyung sees the ghost of a smile lingering in the corner of his mouth, slightly turning it upwards. Taehyung smiles too, “What if he absolutely needs this book from this library and has to get the Special Service to get it, they couldn’t take it outside the library?”
“You guys, this is stupid—,”
“You’ve failed your nation, Hoseok,” Yoongi says, reprimanding him. Hoseok coils slightly, evidently confused, this fuels Taehyung further.
“You have disappointed us all,”
“And here I thought you were a prime citizen,”
“Next thing you know, he supports capitalism,” he says in a tone Taehyung has head his mother use when he’s talking about the neighbors. Yoongi next to him gasps, but his mouth is already curved in a soft smile.
“God, not capitalism, Hoseok-ah!”
“I’m going to leave,” he deadpans, turning around and walking away fast, muttering something to himself. Once he’s far away, Taehyung turns to look at Yoongi and sees the way the older is holding in his laugh— he can’t quite keep it then. He laughs as quietly as possible, his hushed voice mixing with Yoongi’s quiet one.
It’s fun. It lasts only a few seconds, but Taehyung is relieved that the tension between them is gone, and now Yoongi is looking at him with bright eyes, even if still a shy demeanor. Taehyung likes this guy.
“Hey, about the sleeping thing— sorry, man. My brain had a major short circuit, I didn’t mean anything by it,”
“Nah, that’s alright. I do sleep a lot,” he chuckles, and then he takes the book a little closer to him. His eyes skim through the page and he frowns, “Hey, this is not where we left—,”
“Oh, haha,” Taehyung clears his throat, “Yeah, I, um. Might be having a little trouble understanding this part… and all the parts after it. That’s why I came so early, to have plenty of time to bore it into my soul, I guess,”
When he looks at Yoongi, the older is looking straight at him with kind eyes. They look at each other for a few seconds and Taehyung is punched with the realization that Yoongi is even cuter up close— from his sharp eyes to his button nose, and hi pierced ears. Taehyung feels the way his breath catches in his throat.
Then Yoongi looks away, and it’s gone.
“I could help you,” he says, pushing the book closer to Taehyung. “I, um, tutor some people. Obviously not in this subject but, it could be my way to repay you. You allow me to use the book during your time and I help you understand what you don’t. Everyone wins,”
“I don’t know, Yoongi ssi. I’m a little dense sometimes,”
“That’s alright,” Yoongi smiles, and looks at him, “Dense is okay. I can work with that. Let’s give it a try, yes? Don’t underestimate yourself like that, Taehyung-ah,”
And well, Taehyung is never good at denying people stuff but he definitely wouldn’t be able to do it, ever, with the way Yoongi said with a soft voice and ever a softer smile. All he’s allowed to do is nod, and scoot a little closer to listen attentively to what Yoongi has to say, as soon as he begins to read the page.
//
Turns out, Min Yoongi is a genius. Quite literally, he was born with a photographic memory and was a music prodigy— Taehyung found about this via Jimin, and his best friend was a very reliable source of information. And it makes sense, you know. That explains why he goes to class to sleep and why he was so good he not only explained Taehyung the last few lectures but also did it so good that for once, Taehyung didn’t have many doubts. It was actually impressing.
Taehyung could listen to Yoongi talking about microbiology for the rest of his life, he wouldn’t mind at all.
Anyways, Taehyung aced the test. It was all thanks to Yoongi, so for once he wasn’t mad about the perfect score that he saw next to his name when Mr. Song gave him all the papers to hand them to the students.
After that day at the library, things didn't change that much. Yoongi comes to class late, sleeps through all of it, and they don't really interact or talk again, which (he has to admit), makes him a little disappointed.
Because Taehyung can't stop thinking about him, the small moment they shared. They were together two hours tops, and Taehyung actually... had fun. As weird as the whole situation was, he really needed to stop judging people based on his own perceptions.
He wanted that again, somehow. He wanted to know more about Yoongi, the sparkle of curiosity long ago ignited a whole fire, and it's burning Taehyung's free time away. All he can think of are possible scenarios where they would end up chatting again, even if for a few minutes, and Taehyung could ask him his number. What did he want Min Yoongi's number for, he didn't know. But he wanted it.
“Dude, do you have like, a crush or something?” Jeongguk asks, his mouth filled with chips and the crumples falling from his chin to his lap. Taehyung watches him, half amusement, half disgust, and then sighs.
“It’s not a crush, is admiration,” he says, instead, and reaches to get a chip from the bowl. He bites half of it before speaking again, “Yoongi sunbae is actually pretty cool,”
“You wanted to kill him a week ago,”
“People change, Jeongguk-ah. The sun is out. The birds are chirping. I’m now walking with the Lord,” Jeongguk scoffed and let it at that.
//
Thing is, there is something unusual about Yoongi, he notices, and it makes Taehyung lose his concentration, constantly, when he is doing important things.
Like cooking at thee am in the communal kitchen.
It's an accident, really. Making pancakes is not even hard, Taehyung knows how to make them perfectly round and golden, but it proves to be a rather hard task when he's thinking about one Min Yoongi, the way he arrived to class today wearing a hoodie, not bothering to pull down the hood, and for once stood awake good ten minutes before falling asleep.
Then the alarm is going off and Taehyung's brain very helpfully short circuits into uselessness.
It's a piercing sound, annoying and it makes Taehyung's head spin. He's aware he's probably going to wake up everyone in the building and that is enough to get him moving, turning off the stove and getting the burning pan into the sink. He hurriedly tries to dissipate the smoke that's gathering in the air in a futile attempt to make it stop, but then he'd very aware he doesn't know what to do and that everyone will wake up soon and, fuck.
“Dude it's literally three am what's your fucking problem you stupid ass idio— Taehyung?”
There, standing on the kitchen door, a very sleepy and grumpy Yoongi is pressing his hands to his ears.
Taehyung can't hear his own thoughts as he blinks helplessly, the alarm blasting in his ears and his object of interest standing a few meters away, looking just as confused, except angrier.
“Turn it off!”
“I don't know how!” Taehyung admits bashfully, and Yoongi sighs. Taehyung notices the way he almost rolled his eyes but seemed to stop for some reason, whichever reason.
“The red button in the alarm—” then he points the round-shaped alarm hanging over the counter. Taehyung nods, and quickly gets there, climbing on the counter. The sound is deafening, it makes Taehyung hiss out of discomfort, but he manages to find the button and press it easily.
Then it stops.
The silence that follows is just as deafening as the sound itself, but so much nicer. Taehyung allows himself to let out a relieved sigh, then he slides down the counter and turns around to face Yoongi. He bows respectfully.
“I apologize, Yoongi ssi. It was my mistake, I was cooking pancakes—,”
"Hyung is fine, Taehyung," he interrupts, then he tilts his head, “pancakes?” Yoongi asks amused and oh. Oh, his voice is raspy and deep and has that tired baritone and fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. Taehyung looks at Yoongi who's looking at him with a smirk on his lips, and Jesus fucking Christ, “It's three am, though. On school night,”
“I couldn't sleep,” Taehyung shrugs, then looks at the mess he made in the sink, “Got a lot that's on my mind,”
“Sounds harsh, wanna share?”
Taehyung looks at Yoongi, and the older made it his way inside the kitchen and rests himself again the island, across Taehyung. Taehyung takes a proper look at him, at his face and his sleepy eyes and there's something pulling at his chest, a sharp sting. He almost hisses.
“It's okay, you should go back to sleep,” Taehyung turns around and opens the faucet to wash away the burnt mix in the pan, “Again, sorry for waking you up,”
“It's okay, probably made me a favor. I was sexiled and I fell asleep in the couch,"
Taehyung's brows shoot up, “Ugh,”
“Yeah, ugh is about right. Anyway, they're probably done by now,”
“Hmm,” Taehyung is having a hard time scrubbing the burnt pancake off the pan but he tries to not let it show, “I have class at six am,”
“Poor you,” Taehyung has to force himself to not turn around and look at the way Yoongi is probably smirking, if the tone of his voice is anything to go by, "That's what you get for deciding that burning the only good frypan left in the kitchen was the best next idea,"
“In my defense, I don't always burn my food,”
“So you do burn your food,”
“You're here, are you not?” he finally gives up, his hands too cold from the tap water. He leaves it there, turns off the faucet and turns around.
Yoongi is looking at him, sleepily but still with such intent in his eyes, Teahyung gives him a soft smile as he leans against the sing, hooking his thumbs in the edge for leverage.
It's three am and they're just hanging out in the kitchen after Taehyung burnt the only good frypan, it's so ridiculous it makes him chuckle.
“What is it?” Yoongi is evidently sleepy, rubbing his eye mindlessly. For a second Taehyung is hit with the image of a sleepy kitten, and now he can't seem to shake it away.
“Nothing, just,” he smiles, “Us. We always seem to meet under the most weird circumstances,”
"That is true, yes," Yoongi perks up a little, then smiles and it's so kitten-ish that Taehyung almost faints, "None of us bought the expensive text-book, and now you burnt a frypan and woke me up because I was sexiled," the way he speaks is lazily, dragging the vowels in a way that make the whole atmosphere more intimate than it probably is, because there's nothing intimate about burning pancakes at three am, "Maybe we're an odd pair,"
Taehyung tries to ignore the way his heart jump to his throat at Yoongi's words, "Maybe,"
There's a small silence, then Yoongi says while he looks at the door, "Well, that's an useless alarm if it only woke me up because I was sleeping in the next room,"
"Probably to avoid students making stupid pranks about it,"
"It sounded pretty damn loud to me,"
"Yes, but it's three am, there's barely any sound," Taehyung reasons. Yoongi looks at him, with hooded eyes, and then he smiles to himself before stretching lazily.
"You have an answer to everything, don't you,"
"I wish I did," Taehyung looks at Yoongi, then he has a brilliant idea (and by brilliant he means he didn’t think it through), "Hey, if you want to, you could sleep in my room? My roommate is away for the week,"
Something happens. When Yoongi looks him up there's something about him that makes him lose his breath and he feels his chest swelling at the way the sleepy eyes land on him with something he can't quite describe. He almost shivers. Almost.
Yoongi smiles, it's lazy and tired, but oh so sweet. Saccharine. Taehyung could get addicted. Then, his brain realizes what he just suggested and he’s having a inner panic attack at his bluntness. Really, could he be any more bold—
"Thanks, Tae. But my roommate never goes past two, that's pretty much our rule. I'll just go back, yes? Don't worry about it," he stands up, stifling a yawn, and then eyes Taehyung, "You going to sleep?"
"I'll try," comes a little strained, still recovering from the idea of having Yoongi sleeping in the same room— in Jimin’s bed, but the same room nonetheless.
"Al'right, Tae," he gives him one more smile, "Sleep well, yes?"
"You too, hyung!”
Taehyung watches as the older walks away, and waits until ten seconds have passed before letting out his breath. He rubs his chest, where his heart is hammering against his ribcage.
//
"Excuse me sir but that's unappropriated use of the computer lab,”
Taehyung jumps on his skin and clumsily turns around, slightly terrified, only to find a cheeky grin and Min Yoongi standing before him. He lets out a huff, pressing a hand to his raging heart and slumps back to the chair, relieved.
Yoongi chuckles behind him as he drags the closest empty chair from the next computer and sits next to Taehyung, “You are mean,”
“I'm not,” Yoongi smiles, it's smug. Taehyung thinks he likes it, “Is that Money Heist?”
“Yeah,” Taehyung pauses the episode and turns around completely to face him, “Have you watched it?”
“Not really but might as well,” he shakes his head, “My roommate did, and he can't keep anything to himself. Told me the entire story,”
“That sounds… awful,” Taehyung frowns, he puts a hand to his chest in an overly dramatic fashion and Yoongi smiles at that. Taehyung pretends to not notice the way his chest swells with pride.
“It’s not so bad, I don’t actually mind being spoiled of endings. Kinda makes it a little more interesting,”
“Wow… I can’t relate, not even a little, no. Please don’t spoil it,”
“Oh, I won’t, don’t worry. I can keep a secret,” then, he smirks, tilting his head back slightly, “Like, you know. You watching Netflix in the computer Lab instead of studying,”
“Ugh, the Wi-Fi at the dorms suck so much, please don’t tell the librarian, she’s a bitch,”
“Oh, yeah. The other day she called me out because I asked for a locker to put my stuff then went to get some copies and she just assumed that I was having it for my “personal affairs”, whatever that means. She put it on my record!”
Taehyung laughs softly, controlling the sound to make sure they don’t get scolded. The show forgotten, he gives Yoongi his complete attention and feels a tiny sparkle light in his chest, his sleepiness long forgotten.
“Once I took a book with me, and when I gave it back she made me buy a new one because I turned it in “damaged”” Taehyung makes quote marks with his fingers, “It was slightly wet! Ever so slightly, you could barely notice!” Yoongi’s smile is so wide, his gums are on display and he’s stifling the laughter that sweeps through his teeth. It’s adorable, “Okay, maybe it was a little wet, but still—,”
Yoongi doubles over in silent laughter, and Taehyung finds himself smiling through it all.
“Wah-was it expensive?”
“Like I would pay for it! It was Jimin’s fault, he took my umbrella from my backpack, that’s why I got wet under the rain,”
Yoongi takes a breath, smiling though it’s dimmed, and lets out a sigh, “You carry an umbrella with you?”
“Better be safe than sorry,”
Yoongi nods, and smiles sideways, “I’m not making fun of you, Tae,” then, Yoongi directs his eyes to the screen of the computer (thankfully, otherwise he would’ve seen the way Taehyung’s face grew hot with embarrassment), “Weren’t you going to watch that?”
“Oh, but you’re here, that’d be rude—,”
“No, that’s fine,” Yoongi grabs the chair from the seat and prompts himself closer, “Here, give me a headphone, I’ll watch it with you,”
Taehyung does as told, and before he can press play, Yoongi does this thing. He crosses his arms over the desk and leans against the screen, coming noticeably closer to Taehyung and the younger has a hard time making his brain function properly when he smells Yoongi’s hair, because it’s something fruity but Taehyung can’t quite place the fruit, yet there’s something floral about it, too, and Taehyung holds his breath to prevent himself from making a deep intake of breath and looking like a complete creep in front of Yoongi.
He smashes rather than presses the space bar and soon the Spanish voices of the actors are filling the silence that’s settled between them. Taehyung watches the screen and presses his fingers to his lap to control the way they itch with Yoongi’s closeness.
When Yoongi asks him what is going in general, Taehyung makes a short summary for him and the older hums, and then prompts his arm to rest his cheek in the palm of his hand as he pays attention.
Taehyung shouldn’t look at him, he really, really should be paying attention to the story, this being one of those stories that build and play with the spectator’s tension in order to keep the interest and the plot going.
He can’t help himself, really, the way his eyes naturally dart towards Yoongi’s profile and he admires, through the corner of his eye, the way the older’s parted lips press into a messy pout as he has the half of his face squished against himself.
With their luck, they’re caught. Yoongi bullshits their way out of it saying they’re film majors (which is half true) and it was an assignment, the librarian didn’t seem like she believed them for a second but Yoongi was respectful through the entirety of it so she let it slide. However, the piercing look that she gave Taehyung covered the younger in years of therapy.
“So, that was that,” Yoongi slides his hands inside of his pockets, “Hey, question. Are you going to go home for holidays?”
“Hm?” Taehyung tilts his head, “Yeah, I will. Why? You’re not going?”
“It’s not that I’m not going,” Yoongi says, then looks up at the sky, painted prettily with warm, calm tones. The way it reflects onto Yoongi’s skin in a way that makes Taehyung long for his old Canon camera that’s probably collecting dust in the top shelf of his room. When Yoongi looks at him again, the picture is gone but Taehyung does his best to burn it into his head, “It’s just there’s not much to go back to,”
Taehyung stands there when Yoongi turns around, the gears inside his head turning and churning, he is engaged then in a small fight with himself about whether he should ask Yoongi or not about what he meant. His curiosity against the respect of Yoongi’s privacy. It’s not that he wants to pry, it’s just the way Yoongi lets out a long sigh and the image of Yoongi smiling, gummy and bright flashes before Taehyung’s eyes, like some kind of comparison.
It’s not that he wants to be nosy, it’s just that there’s so much he doesn’t know about Yoongi.
And then, just like the picture, when Yoongi looks at him again and gives him a soft smile, the moment is gone.
“It was fun watching Money Heist with you, Tae. Let’s do it again sometime?” Taehyung nods, frowning slightly. Yoongi is already taking loose steps towards the opposite direction, “See you then, Tae. And if I don’t see you before, happy holidays!”
“Happy holidays!” Taehyung replies, almost yelling with how far Yoongi already is. The older lifts a hand, waves it lazily, and with one last smile, he turns around and walks away.
Taehyng stands there, feeling slightly uneasy.
//
Yoongi doesn’t go to class the day after, or the next week, or the next one. Taehyung isn’t sure if he shoulder worry yet. When is it too soon to worry about someone you barely knows? He doesn’t know— what he does know is, that he can’t help the way his mind wanders to the empty seat in the front row where a sleepy college student should be blatantly ignoring Mr. Song’s lecture.
Unable to contact Yoongi in any form, Taehyung does the best next thing.
“Hobi hyung— hi, how are you. I’m sorry, Yoongi hasn’t shown to class and I’m kind of worried?”
Hoseok looks up, and he’s a little surprised (that much is obvious), but is quick to hide it with a wide, bright smile. He leans against the desk, where he’s comfortably settled and puts the book he was reading aside with his finger right on the page he was.
“Hey, TaeTae. That’s alright, Yoongi is allowed to take an early leave, he already presented finals,”
Taehyung presses his lips together in a thin line. That explains, he’s probably home already, with his family— whatever it is the reason for his early leave, he’s done if before if he’s allowed to do it. He’s fine, and he did say goodbye to Taehyung, the other day. So it’s alright.
Still.
Still, there’s some uneasiness harboring in his chest.
There’s not much to go back to.
He nods, “Thanks, Hobi hyung,” then, as an afterthought he adds, “If you talk to him, tell him I said hi?”
Something changes in Hoseok’s face, his smile becomes a little slyer, he leans further into the desk, “Why don’t you text him yourself? I can give you his number,”
“Oh, no, that’s not necessary,” he immediately sputters, looking away so that Hoseok doesn’t catch the way his face burns with embarrassment, “Anyway, thanks for letting me know! See you, hyung!”
He all but runs away, and then doesn’t stop running until he’s at the doorstep of Jeongguk’s dorm, panting and sweating and pretty sure he just busted a lung and maybe the half of his heart. He wouldn’t know, too busy trying to regain his breath and not choke with his on saliva in the process.
The door opens and when he looks up, it’s Yugyeom, Jeongguk’s roommate, who gives him an unimpressed glance before turning around and shouting: “Taehyung hyung is here!”
“Dude, just call him Taehyung,” Jeongguk appears in the doorframe, at the back. A toothbrush in his mouth, lips covered in foam, “Hi, Tae,”
“Hey,” Taehyung breathes out, and waves a hand to both of them, “He-hey,”
“What happened to you, hyung?” Yugyeom, the sweetheart he is, goes to the kitchen to get Taehyung a cup of glass as the older walks into the room, plops himself down, pressing the side of his stomach that hurts deeply from the sudden workout. He takes the glass thankfully and downs it in one go.
Jeongguk and Yugyeom stand before him, but Yugyeom is the only one eyeing him wearily.
“You look like you just ran a marathon,”
“Kind of did,” he says in a breath, “It’s a funny story,”
“Related to one Min Yoongi, I believe?”
“Yoongi hyung?” Yugyeom asks to Jeongguk, who shrugs. Taehyung on the other hand, takes a deep breath before speaking.
“You know him?”
“He’s my tutor,” he says simply, then shakes his head and rectifies, “for piano lessons,”
Taehyung blinks, remembering. Yes, Yoongi mentioned he did some tutoring, he just didn’t explain any further. It made sense, whatsoever, but now Taehyung was struck with the realization that he hadn’t heard Yoongi playing piano, not even once, and that alone was enough to make him a little sad.
Jeongguk chuckles, “Taehyung has a huge heart boner for Yoongi,"
Taehyung scoffs, a little too quickly, “I do not have a heart boner, Jeongguk!”
“Just a regular boner, then?”
“You fucking brat—,” but Jeongguk is no longer paying attention to him, turning to Yugyeom instead.
“Yugie, you have to help me to set them up! I swear Taehyung never shuts up about him,” the younger grabs him from his shirt and shakes him around, softly. Yugyeom doesn't budge, strong arms crossed over a broad chest— Jeongguk mentioned Taehyung once that Yuyeom only behaves that way when he is around.
“That's not true!”
“Sure,” Yugyeom shrugs, nodding, “Yoongi hyung is a great guy, and I like you hyung. I'll help,”
“No one is helping no one, because I don't have a crush on Yoongi hyung.”
There’s a silence afterwards, and Jeongguk is looking at him pointedly. Taehyung presses his lips together, frowning. It takes him five seconds, before he sighs in defeat, his heart beating contently in his chest, “Fuck, I have a crush on Yoongi hyung!”
“We been knew,”
“I'm— wow! I'm having a gay panic!”
“Taegyung you've been gay since you came out of your mother's womb,”
“Shut the fuck up, I'm having a gay panic!”
“Hyung, that’s not how gay panics work—,”
“Ungrateful brats, both of you!”
That makes them laugh, and Taehyung gets a second to breathe through the soaring beat of his heart.
“Yoongi hyung left to his hometown,” Yugyeom says after a while, sitting next to Taehyung and putting his cellphone out, “His mother lives alone and she happens to be ill, though I don’t know any details. But that’s why he leaves early,”
Taehyung hums, nodding. He thinks of that day, when Yoongi asked him about it and he couldn’t help but feel there was more to it. He sighs. Sometimes being right sucks.
There’s not much to go back to.
//
Taehyung doesn’t see Yoongi again, for obvious reasons. He goes through all his finals, gets his grades and packs his stuff, not without feeling a little sour at the whole situation. He can’t help but feel like there was more he could’ve done even though he isn’t exactly sure about it.
He gets his grades, and when he sees Yoongi’s name on top of his, claiming the first place in the class, he isn’t salty about it. It makes him smile. He thanks Professor Song, and the later jokes about Taehyung re-considering going to med school instead. Taehyung greets all his teachers goodbye and lastly, his friends.
Then, he goes home.
Where does Yoongi live, he wonders? He never got to ask him. Still, he has plenty of time to ponder about it in the ride of the train all the way to home. Part of him regrets the fact he didn’t accept Yoongi’s number from Hoseok, but he knows the real reason he did it was because Yoongi didn’t give it to him, and he preferred it to be that way.
The first thing Taehyung does after arriving back to Daegu, after engulfing his family in lengthy lungs, all but snorting a month's worth of hand-made food and sleeping good twelve hours straight, is taking a bus to go to the mall, with a list and half a year of savings, to make Christmas shopping. Not his favorite task during holidays, but one he is willing to go through for the sake of making his siblings happy.
He is romantic like that, you can't blame him.
It’s better to get it out of the way, see how much money he can spend in making his younger siblings happy. With only seeing them for a few weeks per year, he feels guilty and bitter that they are growing up without him. So he wants the make up for the wasted time.
Taehyung sighs, he looks through the window of the rattling bus. It’s considerably empty, but that’s alright— all the better. Taehyung can sit in an empty row, and choose the seating, like he does, the one next to the window, as is his favorite seat.
The quiet chatter, he doesn’t mind. He’s going through the things he wants to buy and where he can get them when the bus stops. Whether someone is getting on or down, he doesn’t notice at first but then he feels the shadow passing through him. That’s alright. He doesn’t mind to check around.
Though.
He hears the guy’s music. He frowns.
It’s muffled, so it’s probably headphones. Which is all the more alarming. He can almost make out perfectly the lyrics of a song he recognizes as one of Kendrick Lamar and okay. Music taste aside, that person is about to get deaf for life.
Taehyung lets out a sigh, he leans against the back of the chair, lolling his head back. He blinks twice before casually rolling his head to the side to look at the person who sat across him and he actually has to make a double look because— what the fuck?
Taehyung half turns around to look at no other than Min Yoongi looking at his phone, headphones blasting music in his ears and sending him into years of early deafness. He frowns, and blinks hard, thinking it’s not real.
His heart reacts first, picking up his rate and pumping blood furiously through Taehyung’s veins, making his arms and finger feel funny, ticklish. Al Taehyung can do, then, is openly stare.
Yoongi has dark hair, covered by a beanie that seems to do little to harm up his face, if his red ears and nose are anything to go by. The older male is wearing a thick, black frame of glasses and a bomber jacket, tied all the way up. Taehyung relates. Though there’s no gloves.
He stays there, boring holes into Yoongi as his mind goes wild and a bunch of questions appear on his head, but the first and foremost important realization that comes to Taehyung is how glad he is to see Yoongi, at last, after so long.
His stomach does this weird thing where it turns on itself, and Taehyung is hit with a fresh wave of feelings he had no idea he was harboring but are so clearly there. He’s having a little trouble to breath, but all his body buzzes softly with excitement. He’s so taken aback he still hasn’t said anything but then—
Probably upon feeling the heavy eyes on him. Yoongi looks up.
It takes two seconds. Yoongi blinks once. His eyes grow a comical size behind his thick glasses. Yoongi blinks again. And then his lips pull into a smile, the what-a-pleasant-surprise kind of smile, as his brow furrow slightly in confusion, a hand pulling one of the headphones out of his ear.
All Taehyung knows is that the air got caught in his throat the second Yoongi looked at him.
No one says nothing for nearly half a minute and then Taehyung’s mouth moves without his consent.
“Are you following me, hyung?”
It works.
Surprisingly, it does.
Not only does it wake up Taehyung from his stupor, but makes Yoongi chuckle, quiet and soft, and so Yoongi, it makes Taehyung smile too. Widely.
Yoongi stands up, Taehyung has barely a few seconds to prepare himself before Yoongi sits next to him, brings his warmth and his smell and his presence and his gummy smile right next to Taehyung, who still doesn’t think it’s real.
“Tae, what the hell,” Yoongi says, smiling, “What are you doing here?”
Taehyung blinks, “I live here, hyung,” then, he clarifies, “Actually I live in Sangjungi-dong. I’m going to Pyeongmisam-dong, to buy presents,”
Yoongi nods. He is still smiling. He has taken off the headphones and blocked his phone, sliding it into the jacket’s pockets. Yoongi seems surreal.
“My mom lives there too, in Sangjungi-dong— or, better said, my grandma does. My mom and I used to live in Dong-gu, but we moved a year ago. I helped,”
Taehyung nods, happy with the new information, “I mean, that pretty much explains why we haven’t met each other,”
Yoongi smiles wider, and shakes his head, “What do you mean, Tae? We met. In school,”
“Yeah,” he agrees, nodding, yeah we did. Then, he adds, “Also, non-related. But why do you listen to music so loud! Do you want to go deaf, hyung?”
“Hgn, please don’t nag!” Yoongi rolls his eyes playfully, and Taehyung chuckles, happy. He shoves an elbow in his direction, playfully and Yoongi makes an act of being pushed harshly, groaning and all.
“Take better care, hyung!”
Then, Yoongi comes back and looks at his face, his eyes. Taehyung tries to not shy away as the older smirks, “Will do, mom,”
“Are you always like this?”
“Why? Reconsidering my friendship?”
“Something like that, yes,” Taehyung nods solemnly. He briefly looks out the window, his heart rate picking. Then he blinks, “Oh. I'm two stops away,”
“Going to the mall?”
“Christmas shopping,”
“Hm,” Yoongi nods. He rubs his hands, probably for the cold.
“Hey, if, um,” Taehyung licks his lips, “If you have nothing better to do, you can come with me?”
Yoongi turns to look at him, stoic for two seconds. But then, a huge grin breaks its way into his face and Taehyung's heart does things that it isn't allowed to.
“Why, I'd love to, Tae,”
Taehyung is relieved.
“Great!” he says, a little too quickly, a little too happily, a little too excited. His face grows hot with embarrassment but he doesn't falter, sporting a wide grin for Yoongi to see. The other chuckles at the sight.
“Isn’t that the next stop?”
“Shit—,”
Yoongi only laughs.
//
“Are you sure buying your siblings a console is the best idea?”
“Yeah, what do you mean? They'll love it,”
“I mean, sure,” Yoongi shrugs, “But that sounds like a lot of fighting to me. I would know, I was the younger sibling,”
“Oh?” Taehyung doesn't look up from the game cases he's skimming through, in a small attempt to not look as eager as he actually is to know about Yoongi's life, “Really? How many?”
“One. A sister. She's a business woman, lives in Japan,”
Taehyung hums, he chooses four different video games, figuring that if they want more he can buy them later. He puts the rest of the cases back in the place and hands over the small stack between his hands to the kind girl that has been helping them since they got into the store.
“Do you want us to wrap it for you, Sir?”
“Sure,” he shrugs, then he bows, giving her a kind smile. She motions them to follow her as she walks with short, hurried steps. They walk behind her a little slower.
“That's cute,” Taehyung says then, “You're the baby of the family,”
“Omph, Taehyung I'm twenty four, I'm no baby!” Taehyung laughs a little at Yoongi's flustered, pink cheeks. He looks so endearing, the way his lips curl into a pout as a sign of protest. Taehyung feels the warmth spreading through his chest, his fingers buzzing.
“Al'right, hyungie,” he says cutely, because he's an absolute brat and he gets off on it. Yoongi rolls his eyes, letting out a sigh and sliding his hand into the pockets of his jacket.
“Anyway, Tae. I stand by my point,”
“Hm? Oh, yeah. I know. They always fight, either way,” he nibbles his lower lip, then shrugs, “Let me spoil them,”
“Some big brother you are,” Yoongi scoffs, but he's smiling so Taehyung figures he doesn’t mean it. The sweetness of his voice makes him swoon.
“Hey,” he says as they're reaching the dependent. Yoongi looks up with bright eye, blinking, “Thanks. For tagging along.”
“Ah, it's not a big deal,”
“Yes?” he reaches his wallet and absentmindedly hands over his debit card, “How are things at home?”
Yoongi frowns, but it's ever so slightly. He hums, and bites his inner cheek.
“Hoseok told you?”
“Yugyeom,” he corrects, gently, “Well, I hope you don't mind it. He mentioned your mother was sick,”
“Well, yeah,” he jerks his head, softly, “No, it's alright. I mean, pretty much everyone knows the reason I haven't graduated is because I left,” he sighs, and eyes carefully at the dependent wrapping the console in a cute, childish paper wrap, “And well, you can put two and two together,”
“I'm so sorry, hyung— oh, yes,” he inputs his card details and gives a soft smile to the girl. He signs the receipt and quickly turns to Yoongi to raise his eyebrows in a playfully way. Yoongi chuckles, though it's slightly grim, and he shrugs. He looks through the paper wraps and his fingers ghost over the counter glass.
“It’s okay,” it’s all he says, though it’s obviously quieter.
Taehyung receives the console, wrapped nicely, and his card back. He thanks the young girl and turns around.
“Come with me to the pet store? I’ll buy Songmin something,”
Yoongi frowns, “Are you going to buy a pet to your brother?”
Taehyung smiles, he shakes his head, “No, silly. Songmin is my pet,” he starts walking, “C’mon, I’ll invite you dinner after,”
“I’m the hyung, I should be the one to buy dinner, Tae,”
“Alright then,” he shrugs, and smiles widely, “It’s your treat,”
Yoongi sighs, and throws his head back, “You planed it, didn’t you,”
“I so did,”
“Tae, I swear to God,”
“You’re the best hyung ever!”
Yoongi just laughs at that.
There’s something about Yoongi, you see, Taehyung isn’t quite sure about. Like he’s looking at him through a tinted glass, not directly at him. Like Yoongi is trying really hard to keep a part of himself to him, and Taehyung still doesn’t know why.
He thinks of the Yoongi he knew, always tired, that slept through entire lessons not giving a fuck. Little he knew back then, but little does he know still now. It makes him a little sad, but all the more curious.
He wonders.
Would Yoongi let down his walls?
Would he do that, for him?
//
“My mom is sick,” Yoongi says that night, when they’re walking to the bus stop. His voice is leveled, like he’s trying hard to keep it that way, “She—, well. It’s kind of terminal. It got really bad, really quick. And my sister, she came back from Japan to take care of her but she couldn’t leave her job unattended which lead to me,”
“So I dropped a semester. I just stopped assisting, I went back home and stayed there, but Tae,” Yoongi sighs. He leans against the sign post that indicates the bus stop. Yoongi screws his eyes shut, and lets out a breath real slow. Taehyung’s heart leaped to his throat, his hollow chest getting cold from Yoongi’s word. But he doesn’t reach out. “It’s hard.”
Is what he says.
That’s all he says.
And Taehyung doesn’t ask any further because he knows, alright? He does. His grandmother passed away, and he knows exactly what it feels like to see someone slipping away from you when there’s nothing you can do to prevent it.
But he doesn’t say this, because he gets it. And Yoongi doesn’t need empathy, he doesn’t need advice, he needs someone to listen. Someone to be there. And Taehyung can do that.
So instead, he nods, “Still doesn’t explain why you’re in a Microbiology class,”
Yoongi laughs, white clouds forming with every breath, his eyes still closed, and when he opens them they’re clouded, but bright, as always. Even in the dark. He shrugs, “Well, why are you in a Microbiology class, Tarantino?”
Taehyung gasps, “First of all you did not just compare me to Tarantino sunbaenim—,” this makes Yoongi laugh harder, and it’s a pretty sound. Taehyung smiles, he can’t help it. He can’t control a lot of things when he’s Yoongi, “Second, just because. I don’t need a reason, alright. I’m paying an expensive ass tuition,”
Yoongi nods, and he wipes off his nose. It’s slightly pink, and Taehyung is swept away.
“Well, the reason I took the class is because the teacher is a family friend,”
Taehyung blinks, “Wow, that explains a lot,”
Yoongi rolls his eyes, “Let it go!”
“Never!”
They don’t get to discuss it any further, because their bus arrives. Once on it, Yoongi proceeds to talk about his college experience, how he met Hoseok, how his roommate is a horny pain in the ass, how he switched majors three times, from architecture to graphic design to music production.
“Oh, right— hyung, did you date Jimin?”
“Jimin?” Yoongi frowns, “Park Jimin, dance major?”
“Yeah,”
“Hm, no?” Yoongi presses his lips in a frown, “I knew he had a thing for me, but,” he shrugs, “Well, it wasn’t the time,”
Taehyung nods, “So you’re gay,”
And he realizes too late. As usual. He immediately starts to stammer, going into a rant about how it was okay and that he was a self-proclaimed born gay, and that he supported the bisexuals and the pansexuals. It was painful to even talk. Yoongi just sat through the entirety of it, smirking as Taehyung went red with embarrassment.
“I’m bi, yes,” he nods, when Taehyung finally shuts up, “Which reminds me, I don’t have your number,”
“Right,” Taehyung pulls out his own phone, “Give me yours, I’ll call you,”
“Hm, will you be busy, say, next week?”
“I shouldn’t?” the bus goes on a bump and it makes him get closer to Yoongi, their arms brushing, “Why?”
“Wanna hang out?”
Taehyung gasps, “Is this a date?”
“Uh, sure?”
“What?”
“What?”
Taehyung’s hand is closed around his phone, the one he brought to his ear out of sheer reflex. Yoongi’s phone is going off between them, it’s a song Taehyung doesn’t recognize, but maybe that’s because he isn’t really hearing anything else aside from his own heartbeat, rushing through his ears.
Yoongi licks his lips, “Do you… want it to be a date?”
“Do you want it to be a date?”
“This is… Tae, just—,”
“I do!” he shrinks back at his own voice, his face growing red, “I mean, I— yeah,”
“Alright,” Yoongi smiles, sheepishly, “It’s a date then,”
“Yes,” Taehyung nods. Yoongi laughs, it’s a lovely sound, Taehyung decides.
“Alright. Tae?”
“Yes, hyung?”
“This is my stop,”
“Oh— okay,”
“I’ll text you, alright?”
“Alright. Be safe,”
“Goodnight, Tae,”
“Yes, goodbye,”
As soon as Yoongi is out of the bus, he takes his phone and fast dials Jeongguk.
“What—,”
“Yoongi hyung asked me on a date!”
“Holy f—, are you serious?”
“I’m— we live in the same district, Jeongguk!”
“Wow, this is some drama level type shit,”
“Ugh, Jeongguk—,”
“Like, just think of it for a second. The probability of it is, so tiny. Minimal, I’m talking once in a life time, wait— lemme scribble real quick,”
“Guk-ah, I wouldn’t understand probabilities either way. Also, you’re such a nerd, dude, stop watching dramas,”
“They’re my guilty pleasure,”
“They’re you’re pleasure, you take no guilt in watching them— okay, this my stop. Dude, what do I do?”
“How am I supposed to know, Taehyung!”
“I don’t know, I’m panicking! Isn’t that what friends are for?”
Jeongguk sighs on the other side of the phone, “Listen, Tae. You’re my best friend, you butter my croissant, and you’re my platonic soulmate. Not only are you amazing, funny and particular but you’re also hot as hell. If I were Yoongi, I would be head over heels already,”
Taehyung sighs, “You’re no help,” then, upon reaching his home, another concern comes over to his head, “Dude, where would you hide a console from your two hyperactive younger siblings,”
“PS4 or XBOX One?”
“Like you wouldn’t unfriend me if I ever bought an XBOX One,”
“I’m so proud of you,”
//
“I’m going out, mom!”
“When will you be home?”
“I don’t know? Late?”
“So I shouldn’t save you dinner?”
“I’ll manage,”
“Hm,” she nods, “Is there something you want to tell me?”
“Yes? No?” Taehyung hurriedly puts his coat on, “I’m gonna be late, mom,”
She hums, not looking away from the magazine she’s going through, “The kids found your gift,”
Taehyung sighs, “There goes the surprise,”
“A Play Station? It’s like you don’t know them. They’ll fight over it so much—,”
“Mom, let the kids be kids,” he bends down and places a kiss on her forehead, “I’ll take care,”
“Tae,”
“Yes, mom?”
“Don’t be so nervous. They’re gonna love you,”
Bless his mother for knowing it all, amen.
//
When he arrives to the stop Yoongi indicated, the older is already waiting for him. He’s engulfed in a different bomber jacket, his face is red from standing in the cold, and this time he’s wearing gloves.
Like last time, he’s listening to music, and he pulls his headphones as soon as he sees Taehyung, before giving him a smile that could melt all the snow around them. Taehyung resists his urge to huge the hell out of him.
“Hey,”
“Hey. Did you wait for long?”
“Hm? No. Today’s especially cold, which sucks. But c’mon,” he says before checking quickly the screen of his phone, “We have to hurry,”
“Where are you taking me?”
“You’ll be meeting my mom and my grandma,”
Taehyung’s brain stops working for a second.
“I’m sorry, what?”
Yoongi laughs, like he always does around Taehyung. Is the cutest thing he’s ever seen, honest to god. The older simply shakes his head, and takes his own gloved hand around his. Taehyung’s heart stops beating right there, in that moment.
“Relax, they’ll love you,”
Love.
That’s what his mother said.
The walk to Yoongi’s home isn’t long. Turns out Taehyung knows the neighborhood, though he isn’t acquainted with the people in it. That’s normal, even with as much of a social butterfly he is, he can’t know everybody in Sangjungi-dong.
The house is pretty, though. It’s two story, simple yet so bright. The lights are already on, the light fading fast in the winter sky. Yoongi never lets go of his hand as he pushes the door open. Taehyung isn’t sure of what’s going on, but the warmth of the place is more than welcomed.
Yoongi turns around, with a finger to his lips. He hushes, then motions to the staircase.
They go up in silence. Taehyung looks around at the place— it certainly looks like a grandmother’s house. Tablecloths everywhere, and so many frames hanging from the walls, not only pictures but landscapes too. So many ornaments, he can swear he saw a maneki-neko in which he thinks it’s the kitchen counter. It goes away fast.
Yoongi guides him through the wooden floor, right into a half-way open room. As soon as Taehyung is in, he realizes that it’s Yoongi’s room he’s standing in and he is this close to panicking. He takes a quick look around— but there’s nothing hanging from the walls. The place looks eerie, lifeless. Almost empty.
There’s a desk, and there’s the bed. Which isn’t completely made up, but it isn’t exactly a mess either. There’s no clothes on the floor, on the chair. There’s no disorder at all. Taehyung frowns.
Yoongi lets go of his hand, walking to the window next to his bed. He unlocks it, and slides it up. Then, skillfully and quickly, he slides himself out of it and onto, what Taehyung guesses, is the roof.
“C’mon, Tae. Hurry,”
With unsure steps, he does as told. Tries to ignore the way the nightstand, completely empty, makes him feel slightly uneasy, and follows through.
He’s not nearly as gracious as Yoongi, but he manages.
Outside, the roof is slightly slippery and it’s just as cold as before, but then all his thoughts are stolen away when he looks up and sees the bright, winter sky, clear above their heads and as far as it fades into the horizon, lazily painting itself with different colors, from yellow to purple, all the way though orange and pink. The remaining rays of light hit the surfaces of the houses, the threes, and tint them with a warm color that reflects on the ice, the snow. Taehyung actually forgets to breathe.
“This was my favorite place when I was a child,”
Taehyung only nods. He takes a deep breath, “Yes, fuck. It’s stunning,”
“Yeah. Here, let’s sit. Careful, it’s a little dangerous,” he extends his hand, and Taehyung takes it without a doubt. With careful steps, they make it to the closer rafter and Yoongi motions to sit down. Taehyung obeys, and he’s left awestruck once more, forgetting anything about being cold or in his crush’s roof, as the sky is quickly hanging its colors.
“I wanted to quit school altogether,” Yoongi says after taking a long breath, “When I told my mom this she said: I want you to follow your dreams, Yoongi. One day I will be gone, and I don’t want you to give up things just for me,” he tilts his head, frowning, “I lived my life, is what she said. I lived my life, so it’s your turn for you to live yours,”
“I’m on a scholarship,” Taehyung says back, for a lack of a better thing to say, “So I have to be the best of my class, always. It’s frustrating sometimes. My friends, they say I’m some kind of genius because I always get good grades, but in reality I work my ass off for those,” Taehyung looks down at his hands, “If I were to lose my scholarship, I’d have to come back home, and get an office job here. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad thing, it’s just… there’s more out there for me,”
“Hm,” Yoongi says. Taehyung focuses in how soft his voice is, and he turns to look at him as he speaks, “I get that. Some people might judge you for being a bad person, wanting to get away from your family. It’s not that you don’t love them, it’s just, you have to find your place. And it’s not always next to them,”
That explains Yoongi’s room. A place that lacks so evidently of him, of any void of character. Yoongi’s ready to leave, he’s ready to keep on moving.
Taehyung smiles, “Jeongguk said we’re some kind of miracle. He says that the probability of us going to the same college and living in the same district, at the same time in this life, is almost non-existant,”
Yoongi looks to his right. Taehyung watches the way the sunset light reflects on his dark eyes, it curls around his features. It’s soft, so soft. Yoongi smiles.
“And what does that means?”
“I like your smile,” is what Taehyung says, “I think about it a lot. I want to be with you, and see you smile,” Taehyung frowns, thinking hard, “And I want you look at me, hyung.” Taehyung takes a deep breath, “Say, hyung. What is this called?”
Yoongi doesn’t say anything to him, blinking, and then he looks away. Taehyung is confused for a second but it doesn't last long, as Yoongi starts to laugh. It's soft and quiet, very Yoongi. Taehyung's chest ache.
“Hey, don't laugh!”
“I'm suh-sorry,” Yoongi says, regaining his composure. He looks back at Taehyung, smiling, “It's just, you say it with such a serious face. Oh, do I wonder,”
Taehyung's face grows hot. Upon not being discouraged, he reaches forward and cups Yoongi's face. Yoongi gently places a hand on top of his, and smiles wider.
Love.
“Hyung...,” Taehyung gets himself closer, and takes a deep breath with his heartbeat blasting in his ears, “Yoongi hyung... I love you— er, I think?”
Yoongi snorts, laughing again and throwing himself forward, “You're not sure?”
“No, it's not that,” Taehyung stammers quickly, “Hyung, I told you not to laugh!”
Yoongi complies, still smiling. Taehyung loves his sincere smile and his soft cheeks against his hands, he frowns. Yoongi isn't rejecting him, he isn't. The light is slowly fading.
“I think... it might be,” he says above a whisper. Yoongi nods.
“Yeah, it might be,”
Taehyung doesn't know what to do next but turns out he doesn't have to choose. Yoongi reaches out and linking his arms in the back of Taehyung's neck, he pulls him down, going for a soft kiss against Taehyung's lips.
Taehyung is frozen in spot. Yoongi's soft lips send tingling sensations all over his body, and his the warmth spreads through his ribcage, none of the winter to be found.
Yoongi pulls away slightly, “But, if that's the case, then I'm really happy,”
When they get downstairs, all cold and practically shivering, there’s two women sitting in the living room. They both smile at him, and Yoongi nudges him to sit in the couch, right next to him.
“This Taehyung. Tae, this is my mother, and this is my grandma,”
“Oh, I was wondering when you two would get down, it must be freezing outside,” Grandma says, giving a toothy smile that looks exactly like Yoongi’s. Taehyung’s face grows a little red, “I’ll get you guys a cup of chocolate,”
“Thanks,” Taehyung mutters.
Yoongi, next to him, leans to his mother, a fragile looking woman that hasn’t looked away from Taehyung the moment he saw him. Her face is place, her lips chapped, but still she’s so much like Yoongi. It’s almost overwhelming.
“This is the one I was talking about,”
“The son of Jung Jina, I’ve only heard good things about you,”
Taehyung’s eyes grow large, “You know my mom?”
“Not really, but might as well. This is a tiny world, my dear,”
Yoongi intertwines their fingers, her mother following his actions. She downs the rest of her beverage and places the cup in the small table in front of them.
“I see,” is what she says. Then, resting against the back of the chair, he places both her hands on her stomach and smiles, “You’re a lucky one, Yoongi. He’s one of the real ones,”
“He hated me because I was better than him in microbiology class,”
“Mrs. Min, I can explain—,”
But she’s laughing. It’s quiet, like Yoongi. Taehyung smiles sheepishly. And Yoongi’s grandma arrives with two cups of steaming hot chocolate. Taehyung accepts it but all the warmth he needs is already coming from the person right next to him.
//
When Yoongi is walking him to the bus stop, he says:
“I’m pretty sure it’s love,”
“Is that so?” Yoongi smiles, brushing his finger on Taehyung’s hand, "So, what does that mean?"
“That means,” Taehyung looks down, “That means you're mine, hyung,”
Yoongi chuckles, nodding, “I'm yours, Tae,”
“I'll make you the happiest, hyung,”
Yoongi cups Taehyung's face, “I'll look forward to it,”
//
“Jimin-ah!”
“Hyung, hi!” Jimin smiles wide, “It's nice to see you! How's auntie?”
“Well, she's,” Yoongi shrugs, “She's fighting,”
“That's good- eh, this is Jeongguk,” Jimin gestures to the taller male standing next to him.
“Nice to meet you,” Jeongguk nods, “Though I've heard plenty of you— eh,”
Yoongi is about to ask what's wrong when he feels a pair of arms circling his middle. Then a soft kiss against his nape, that effectively makes him hot all over, flustered with the affection. He doesn't even have to wonder who it is.
“Hello, babe,”
“Tae, please,” Yoongi looks at the guys in front of him. Jimin is looking at them with a strained smile, like he's trying hard to not laugh out loud, and Jeongguk is smirking. Yoongi rolls his eyes, “Shut up,”
This effectively sends them off, and soon Jimin's bending over with laughter. Yoongi lets out a sigh and nudges at Taehyung, that's nuzzling his neck and making him shiver.
“Tell your friends to not laugh at me,”
“Guys, don't laugh at hyung,”
“Sure, babe,” Jeongguk concludes with a wink and it sends Jimin in a renewed fit of laughter. Yoongi watches the scene, amused, “Say, hyung. Did Taehyung ever mention he wanted to murder you?”
Yoongi sighs again, melting against Taehyung, “My Tae? He got upset when he found out how chicken nuggets are made,”
“Because it's barbaric, you absolute asshole!”
They all stay quiet for a few seconds, letting the words sink in.
“Did you just—,”
“I'm sorry, please don’t break up with me—,”