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Hoseok pads into the kitchen on bare feet, looking sleep-tussled and warm. He glances at Yoongi, seated at one of the dining room chairs – his aching knee propped up on a vacant seat - scrolling through the list of emails on his phone.
“Morning Hyung,” Hoseok says in greeting.
He stands in front of the fridge, letting the chill air seep out as he looks for something he can eat. He changes his mind and settles on a banana instead, turning towards the fresh pot of coffee on the counter. He fills two mugs to the brim, making sure to dump an obscene amount of sugar in the one.
“How’s your leg?” he asks. He nudges the sugar-induced one closer to Yoongi’s hand.
Yoongi shoves the last of his breakfast pastry into his mouth and carelessly brushes the stray crumbs off his chest. “It’s fine,” he mutters, not even bothering to look up. “Just stiff.”
A long haul of touring seems to have stunted them all. Ongoing injuries have them all sporting some pain these days.
Yoongi sips at the offered mug with a content sigh. He smacks his lips together, tongue darting to wet his bottom lip. Hoseok zones in on the motion like a hawk. “Can I have part of your banana,” Yoongi asks after a moment.
There are two empty yoghurt cartons next to Yoongi’s crumb-covered plate, along with a discarded apple core and a thing of orange juice.
Hoseok keeps his comments to himself.
Yoongi has been eating a lot lately. A lot more than usual. He gets like this at times - putting on a couple of pounds during the tour and losing them all again once they're back to promoting. But based on the soft, little tummy Yoongi seems to be sporting this morning, it looks like he’s eating more calories than is necessary. Not that Hoseok is one to judge. He’d probably be in the same boat if he didn't dance so much.
Yoongi holds his hand out expectantly, waiting for the banana. So, Hoseok gets up to grab Yoongi, his piece of fruit.
“There’s a box of doughnuts over here if you’re still hungry,” Hoseok offers knowingly. “The venue sent it this morning, and some other swag as a 'thank you' for last night.”
“There are doughnuts?” Yoongi perks up. It’s the first time he’s lifted his eyes since Hosoek sat down. He quickly scoots his chair back to get to his feet.
Hoseok cracks a smile. "I think that’s the fastest I've seen you move."
“Yeah, yeah.” Yoongi waves away the comment with a lazy flick of the hand, happily walking over to the box.
Hoseok can’t help but glance at his Hyung as he walks by. Yoongi’s full cheeks round out as he looks down; the excess calories and too many salt-rich foods make his face appear almost cherubic. Something about it warms Hoseok to the core.
So, he continues to stare, calculating every detail on Yoongi's face. He's not trying to be creepy; he can't help it. In his defense, it’s kind of hard not to .
Yoongi has always been cute. Pretty, even. And with these past few weeks, with Yoongi looking so unguardedly happy? Well, it does something to Hoseok's insides.
“What?” Yoongi asks offhandedly. His fingers rummage around the box, deciding which doughnut to pick. “You're staring.”
Hoseok startles. He forces himself to look away.
Seokjin walks in mid-yawn, looking just as sleep-tussled as them. “Donuts?” he asks, hiding another yawn behind his hand.
They watch as Yoongi shoves half a doughnut into his mouth, his plump cheeks rounding out with the bite.
Hoseok snorts. Yoongi kind of looks like a chipmunk with how big of a bite he takes.
Seokjin must be thinking the same thing because he walks over to his oldest dongsaeng and gives Yoongi’s inflated cheek a hearty pat. “Glad to see somebody’s eating well,” he says, and his eyes trail down to the slight curve of Yoongi's tummy, where it rests soft and pliable beneath his shirt.
Yoongi ignores the comment - only half-listening as he licks stray icing off his thumb. He shoves the rest of the pastry in his mouth, devouring the doughnut in two quick bites.
“Good?” Hoseok asks.
Yoongi rubs at his soft middle – quite content – and nods. He reaches in, ready to grab another, when Seokjin slaps his hand away.
“Yah,” Seokjin shouts. “Leave some for the others.”
“There’s plenty,” Yoongi mutters. He harbors a second doughnut in his hand and walks down the hall without a second thought.
-
It’s one of their last meals together before everyone scatters on their respective flights. The break is a much-needed reprise for them all.
Jungkook is stirring a giant pot of ramen in the kitchen. He tosses the opened packets of seasoning into the boiling water as Hoseok jumps up on the counter next to him, snacking on a piece of dried noodle.
“Chicken’s ready,” Namjoon announces as he walks in. He almost trips over the folded corner of the rug and curses the uneven flooring. “How much longer for the noodles?”
Hoseok checks the timer on his phone. “Um... two minutes and nineteen seconds.” He opens his mouth when Jungkook dangles a half-finished noodle near his lips and swallows it grimly. “Ew,” he sputters, nose scrunched at the gross texture. “Maybe five minutes. That wasn’t even close to being done.”
The sliding door opens, and Yoongi slips inside, a tray of grilled chicken in his hands.
Hoseok watches as Yoongi rips off a piece of chicken and shoves it in his mouth before he even has a chance to set the tray on the table.
“Hyung,” Namjoon dimples. “Noodles aren’t ready yet. We can’t start eating.”
Yoongi shrugs, clearly not bothered. He rips off another piece and puts it in his mouth, already halfway through the nearest piece.
“Where should I put the –” Seokjin stops mid-sentence, the salad bowl perched in his hands. “Yah,” he shouts as he stomps over to where Yoongi is standing, shoving more food between his lips. “I told you to stop snacking on everything. We haven’t even sat down yet.”
Yoongi shoves another piece in his mouth to spite Seokjin’s scolding. “I’m hungry.” He shrugs. The so sue me tone evident in his voice.
Seokjin stops Yoongi’s hand before he has a chance to grab more. “You need to wait like the rest of us.” He scolds, then reaches over to give Yoongi’s plump cheek a pinch, getting a fair amount of pudge between his fingers. “Trust me; you don’t look in fear of wasting away.”
Namjoon snorts.
Hoseok hides his smile behind his hand, and Jungkook's eyes widen.
Seokjin’s words are pointed, but Yoongi doesn’t seem to care. Instead, he saunters off to the other room when Jimin calls his name.
-
Their night goes from casual relaxation to oh crap we have a problem in a matter of hours.
Namjoon found it first when he was updating their Twitter account: a plethora of incoming tweets – equal parts love and hate - all commenting on Yoongi in one way or another.
There’s a splattering of messages, along with a handful of images that – in Namjoon’s opinion - aren’t the most flattering... And, okay, maybe Yoongi is looking a little puffier as of late.
Still, though. Hoseok’s eyes go cold thinking about the negative things people are saying about his best friend, all because he’s no longer bone-thin. He desires to tell them off, but more attention to the situation would only cause more harm. So, Hoseok stays quiet on the social media front. They all do.
The six of them are in the family room trying to decide how to approach the subject when Yoongi walks by, too caught up in his music to notice the rest of them staring.
“Hyung?” Hoseok calls out. His voice is loud enough that it makes Yoongi stop.
He pops out his earbuds.
“Can you come here for a minute,” Namjoon asks.
Yoongi raises a brow, clearly caught off guard. He takes in the scene before him - all six of them spread out in the family room, Namjoon and Seokjin on the sofa and the rest boys on the floor.
Yoongi pockets his earbuds and adjusts his grey beanie before walking over – a sceptical look on his face. “What’s going on,” he wonders.
Hoseok can almost feel the anxiety wafting off Yoongi's skin as he sits down beside him.
Yoongi looks at Hoseok, then to Namjoon. He raises a brow in question.
“Have you been on Twitter lately,” Namjoon blurts out.
It’s a weird start to the conversation.
Yoongi furrows his brows. He pulls his facemask down until it's resting under his chin. The motion makes his cheeks appear even pudgier. “No.”
Namjoon looks at Seokjin, not sure how to continue. “Um, it's just that people have been talking. About the Lotte concert."
Yoongi stares at him blankly. “And?”
“They were tweeting,” Namjoon continues. “It’s…. well, some of the things they were saying aren't that kind.”
“Tweeting about us?” Yoongi wonders.
“About you,” Namjoon winces.
Yoongi’s eyes widen. “What?” he stammers. He immediately grabs his phone, ready to see the damage.
“No, Hyung.” Hoseok stills a hand over Yoongi’s fingers. “Don’t read it; it’ll only make you mad.”
“I don’t understand,” Yoongi says. “What is this about? What did I do?”
The members stay quiet. They awkwardly glance at one another, waiting for someone to talk. The youngest three look towards the couch as if their leader, and the eldest hold all of life’s answers.
It’s Seokjin who decides to speak first.
“It wasn’t anything you did," he clarifies. "It was... um... more about how you look.”
Seokjin sighs at the way Yoongi’s forehead creases. He doesn’t want to say what he’s about to, but he powers on regardless. “They were making comments about your weight," he tells Yoongi gently. "How you’ve put on a few kilos, stuff like that.”
Yoongi sits there, dumbfounded. “I gained weight?” he mumbles after a moment, clearly confused. The words are only loud enough for Hoseok to hear.
“But other people are saying nice things,” Jimin quickly cuts in. He rolls up to his knees to get closer to Yoongi’s side. He looks sincerely affected, his eyes soft and pleading. “They all love you, Hyung. Honestly, there were so many nice comments.”
“Yeah, don’t look at the bad ones,” Taehyung adds, equally concerned.
Hoseok crowds Yoongi’s space to look at his phone. He overtakes the device, grabbing it out of Yoongi’s lax fingers, wanting to find the string of positive tweets before Yoongi stumbles upon the worst of them.
“See?” Hoseok says, handing the phone back. “’ Yoongi we love you’ was trending on Twitter.” He tilts his head to the side as Yoongi stares at his phone, trying to gauge his hyung’s reaction.
Yoongi frowns as he scans the feed, seemingly trying to make sense of the situation. He slowly scrolls through the hundreds of positive tweets, sitting in silence, barely reacting.
“Hyungie,” Jimin prompts. He places a small hand on Yoongi’s knee. “You’re not upset, are you?”
“It’s more positive than negative, Hyung,” Namjoon reminds him.
“Anyway, we’re on break. It’s okay to let go a bit.” Seokjin looks at Yoongi, trying to catch his eye, but the younger won’t look up. “You look healthy, Yoongi-yah. That's all that matters.”
Yoongi stays quiet. He carefully closes the app on his phone and sets his cell in his lap.
Hoseok can tell Yoongi is overwhelmed. He may be quiet, but to Hoseok he looks downright panicked. He isn't sure if Yoongi’s blank stare is due to all the unwanted attention or the words behind it, but either way he looks on the verge of a panic attack.
“Yoongi?” he worries.
Yoongi refuses to meet his eye, currently finding the laces on his shoes more fascinating than Hoseok’s face. He scratches the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable.
“Hyung,” Hoseok tries again.
But Yoongi quickly scrambles to his feet, almost falling over with the sudden movement. He scratches again at his ear. “I need to go book my flight,” he mutters as way of parting.
It’s clearly an excuse but nobody challenges it.
They watch Yoongi walk out of the room, leaving everyone in his wake.
-
Hoseok and Seokjin stand outside Yoongi’s door with their ears pressed against the wood. They can’t hear anything happening on the other side, but that doesn’t mean everything’s okay.
“Yoongi?” Seokjin raps his knuckles against the frame. “Yoongi-yah?” They wait a moment out of sheer politeness before cracking open the door.
Seokjin peaks his head through the open crack. “Hey. Can we come in?”
“It’s your room,” is all Yoongi says.
He’s lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His phone is clenched in his fist as if he’d just been scrolling through all the drama. He doesn’t so much as blink when Seokjin sits down near his feet.
“You okay?” Seokjin asks.
Hoseok sits across from Yoongi on the other bed, not wanting to crowd his space.
“I’m sorry if we hurt your feelings,” Seokjin says, placing a hand on his foot. “We thought it might be better if we warned you about the comments before you came across them on your own.”
Yoongi stays silent, his eyes still boring holes into the ceiling.
Seokjin looks to Hoseok, clearly asking for help. So, Hoseok takes Seokjin’s place on the bed.
“Don’t dwell on this, hyung,” Hoseok starts, moving closer. He gives Yoongi’s leg a comforting squeeze. “Enjoy the time off. You deserve it.”
Yoongi tilts his head, it’s not quite a nod, but close. “I’m just…I don’t know," he finally mutters. His shoulders slump further down. "I’m just tired, is all.”
Hoseok nods, letting the lie slide, though they both know it's bullshit. It’s obvious that Yoongi wants to say something. He just won't.
But Hoseok’s lived with Yoongi long enough to know how to get him speaking. He knows how to break through his impenetrable exterior.
“Hyung,” he says, already coming up with an idea. “When do you leave for home?”
“Tomorrow,” Yoongi grunts.
“Would you mind helping me bring a few things back from the practice room, then? I need to make sure it’s all packed up before I leave in the morning.”
Yoongi makes a show of being annoyed before rolling off the bed and getting to his feet. He still won’t meet Hoseok’s eyes, but he does follow him down the hall.
-
When they make it to the practice room, Hoseok finds random boxes for Yoongi to pack.
It’s not fully a lie. He does need to get his shit together before catching a flight home in the morning. But all the junk in the practice room isn't anything he can’t handle on his own.
Hoseok folds up the mats as Yoongi places random equipment into one of the boxes. They’re quiet for a moment, before Yoongi sits back on his heels, thinking. He finally looks Hoseok dead in the eye.
“So why did you really want me to come here,” he asks, always one step ahead. “It sure as hell wasn't to help pack.”
Hoseok stops what he’s doing in order to sit next to Yoongi on the floor. He should have known better than to try to pull one over on his hyung.
“I wanted to take your mind off things,” Hoseok answers, half-truthful. In all honestly, he wanted Yoongi alone, so they could talk in private. Just the two of them without judgement. ”I wanted to make sure you’re okay."
Yoongi purses his lips as he shrugs. He leans back against the dance studio wall, looking completely frustrated with himself as he pops the joints in his spine. He shirt rides up a little, showing a strip of soft tummy.
“I didn’t even realize I was gaining weight,” he blurts out unexpectedly. "It's embarrassing, Hobi."
“To be fair, it’s not that noticeable,” Hoseok offers.
And it’s not. Just a slightly plusher tummy and a pair of cherubic cheeks. He looks soft. Healthy.
“I’ve put on 7 kilos,” Yoongi admits with another sigh. He rubs the back of his neck, looking utterly vulnerable. “They had to alter my wardrobe for the concert last night. I should have known I was gaining weight. I mean, maybe I did know, I just didn’t care.... Well, not until the internet exploded and everything went to hell.”
Hoseok tries his best to stay quiet. His intent listening prompts Yoongi to continue.
“I hate disappointing you guys. And the fans,” he adds. He cups his plush cheeks in his palms and lets out another frustrated breath.
Hoseok scoots nearer, until he’s close enough to place a hand on Yoongi's knee. He rubs his fingers back and forth, offering a bit of comfort. “We're not disappointed," he promises. "And why would the fans be?" he prompts. "They want you to be happy. And you’ve been so happy lately.”
Yoongi shrugs. He keeps his eyes lowered - too shy and slightly embarrassed.
“I need to lose weight,” he mumbles. There’s determination in his tone along with exhaustion, but his nose scrunches at the mere thought of going back to boiled chicken. “I hate dieting," he pouts.
“Then don’t.”
“I have to,” Yoongi grumps. “I look like a boiled dumpling.”
“I love dumplings,” Hoseok offers with a smirk. "Very tasty." He smacks his lips together and hums happily. It has the desired effect of making Yoongi smile.
They go silent for a moment until Yoongi decides to speak up.
“What do you think,” he asks. Yoongi’s voice is quiet. “I seriously want to know."
“About what?” Hoseok asks. “You gaining weight?” He waits for Yoongi to nod before reaching over and cupping his rounded cheeks - something he’s wanted to do for a while now. “You look so cute,” he coos, squeezing and squishing Yoongi’s cherubic face. “Your cheeks have gotten so chubby.”
“Aish, stop,” Yoongi huffs, feigning annoyance even though he’s smiling under the touch. He pushes Hoseok’s hands away. “Really, though," he says. “Is it too chubby?”
“No way,” Hoseok quickly answers. “You look really good, Yoon.”
Yoongi’s face brightens to a pretty shade of pink at both the nickname and the compliment. His eyes flit down to Hoseok’s lips as he unconsciously licks his own.
Before Hoseok has a chance to react, Yoongi is leaning forward, capturing his mouth in a kiss.
Hoseok's breath catches in his throat. He closes his eyes and leans forward, pushing Yoongi further against the wall, until they both bump ungracefully against the studio’s mirror.
A whimper escapes Yoongi’s throat as Hoseok pulls him closer, chest to chest, fisting the front of his shirt.
When they come up for air - their lips slipping off each other's with a slick pop - Yoongi’s eyes are comically serene before suddenly widening in horror, as if he can’t believe what he’s just done. He looks about ready to bolt when Hoseok stills a hand on his arm, making him stay put.
"Sorry," Yoongi stutters. “Shit, Hoseok, I’m sorry.”
But Hoseok's mouth spreads into a smile. He feels completely infatuated and lust drunk. “I’ve been hoping you’d do that for a while now,” he says, smiling wider as he watches Yoongi fumble. “What took you so long?”
"Oh.” Yoongi’s mouth snaps shut. He looks surprised. Dumbfounded, even. “I... um... Well, I didn’t know if you wanted me to."
Hoseok pulls Yoongi in close once more, admiring the stunned look on his band-mate's face. He squishes Yoongi’s plush cheeks together until his lips pucker out like a fish. “They’re so chubby,” he giggles.
Yoongi doesn’t seem to mind. He smiles back, his face squished between Hoseok palms. “Kiss me again,” he demands.
So Hoseok does just that.