Work Text:
5.
Yoongi wakes up to someone crawling into his bed. He's barely aware of his surroundings and his throat is too dry for him to curse when ice cold feet brush up against his calves, so he ends up coughing instead.
"Sorry, sorry!" is whispered above his head and Yoongi belatedly recognizes the voice as Taehyung's. "The heater broke again."
Right, the vent in Taehyung's room has been acting up this week and they are deep in the middle of winter. Yesterday had hit record low temperatures. Yoongi grunts and has a lot of questions about why Taehyung picked his bed out of everyone's, but doesn't care enough to ask. He makes a weak attempt at scooting over, but shifts maybe a centimeter. Taehyung doesn't ask him to move any more and makes himself fit in whatever tiny space is available. It leaves him pressed flush against Yoongi, enough that Yoongi's nose is smooshed against Taehyung's collarbone.
The extra body heat is nice. Taehyung's feet slowly thaw. Yoongi can feel and hear Taehyung tapping away on his phone.
"Go to sleep," he mutters, pulling the blankets up higher over his shoulders.
The glow from Taehyung's phone disappears.
"Hyung, you look real cute right now," says Taehyung, his words very close to Yoongi's ear. The shiver which runs down Yoongi's spine is chalked up to the chill Taehyung brought with him. "Is it too dark to take a photo?"
Yoongi stops Taehyung from testing it out. He pins Taehyung's arm down in what could only be described as an aggressive cuddle and hides his face deeper into the crook of Taehyung's neck. It is almost too toasty under the covers now.
"Okay," says Taehyung, a softness to it that feels far away. "Next time."
4.
It is very hot in Malta. Even with his sunglasses on, the sun is still scorching and Taehyung releases a sigh of relief when he's able to get right into an air conditioned van outside the airport.
The manager traveling with Taehyung hops in last and they head for the restaurant where everyone else is filming. The island is small and it shouldn't take long. In the passenger seat, his manager reads something on his phone and immediately makes a call. Taehyung can only hear a few words, but makes out Yoongi's name and something about the airport. He hangs up and twists around in his seat.
"Yoongi has to go back to Seoul. You'll film together for an hour."
"Is everything all right?"
"I'm sure it is."
It seems like a flippant answer. Taehyung doesn't think his manager means it that way and they're half an hour out anyway, so he doesn't push. Jimin texts him asking how long he'll be, but he just replies with a smiley face. He considers messaging Yoongi separately. His thumb hovers over Yoongi's name, but something keeps him from pressing it.
They arrive at the restaurant soon enough. It's on the water and easy to tell where the members are, given the small bit of chaos around them with the crew and cameras. It's crowded and Taehyung squeezes his way through, getting stuck behind a couple of ladies determined to walk slower than turtles. He's happy to see all of them, a relief he can't quite put into words filling his chest when Hoseok pulls him in for a hug.
His seat is the furthest from Yoongi, but there's too much noise and too many cameras for him to say anything about it. Jimin is trying to give him a detailed rundown of the two days they've already been here, speaking around Namjoon. It'd be easier to just switch places, but they don't.
The hour speeds by. They're all sad about Yoongi leaving, but Taehyung wonders if anyone else has the same heavy pit in their stomach about it. The director calls cut and the crew starts packing up for the next location. The producer pays for the meal and they file out into the street to wait.
The van to take Yoongi to the airport is idling. Taehyung lingers off to the side and watches Yoongi say goodbye to everyone. Yoongi looks around after hugging Jimin and catches his eye.
Yoongi doesn't like making a big deal out of things, so Taehyung expects a casual, cool "see you later". What he gets is a big, long hug. It's such a rarity that Taehyung can feel himself get emotional about it. He knows Yoongi has to go home, but he wishes Yoongi wasn't.
"Don't force yourself to be entertaining in front of the camera," says Yoongi, rubbing Taehyung's back. "Don't feel like you have to be at 100% right away."
Taehyung nods and makes himself small and squeezes Yoongi tighter.
"Okay, it's too hot for this," says Yoongi, stepping back. The manager accompanying Yoongi home looks at his watch and at them, but Taehyung pretends not to see.
"Hyung, let's take one picture before you go," Taehyung says, dragging Yoongi over to where there's an unobstructed view of the sea. He slings his arm around Yoongi's shoulders and holds his phone up, moving it around to find the best angle. Yoongi smiles and makes a 'v' with his hand next to his cheek.
Before he can take the photo, two bodies knock into them and Taehyung looks over to see Jimin's face between their shoulders and Jungkook leaning in from Yoongi's other side. He stares at them until they look back at him oddly.
"Hurry up and take it," says Jimin, pulling Taehyung and Yoongi close. "The sun hurts my eyes."
Taehyung holds his phone out again and gets them all in the frame. He takes three in a row and Jimin grabs his hand when he brings it closer to review them.
"Yoongi-hyung and his dongsaengs!" he says, pointing at the last one. "Send this one to the group chat."
"Later," Taehyung says. He's about to shoo them away when their manager calls for Yoongi and taps at his watch. They don't have anymore time.
"I should go before he gets mad," says Yoongi, walking backwards and waving both hands. "Have fun, but be careful. I'll see you guys next week." He gives them his easy, signature half-smile and turns around, jogging the rest of the distance to the van.
The door slides closed before Yoongi even sits down and is off not even five seconds later. Taehyung watches it disappear up the narrow, winding road and around the corner. Then he turns around and punches Jungkook's arm, not hard enough to hurt. Or maybe a little.
"Ow! What? What'd I do?"
Taehyung doesn't know the answer. They were being harmless, but Taehyung feels like he's been cheated out of something. Jungkook stares at him and Taehyung thinks about all the filming they have left.
"Nothing," he says, deflated. "Sorry." He leaves to wait the rest out under the shade, to get away from Jungkook who sometimes guesses too close to the truth.
3.
The rehearsals for Muster are draining. Today's the first day they've been to the venue and seen the stage setup. There's a bunch of blocking they have to do and a runthrough the first half of the show.
Yoongi still has some jet lag after returning from Europe. He can't actually show up to rehearsals with a sleeping bag in tow, plus it's sweltering out. It's almost dinner time and they've been there since eight in the morning. Yoongi closes his eyes and listens to the last song they're rehearsing, which doesn't require him, which is why he's sprawled out in the middle of the stage instead.
The opening notes of dimple float through the air. Yoongi still has his in-ear monitors in and Taehyung's voice streams through. Lately, Yoongi thinks about it a lot, the color of Taehyung's voice. It's versatile, a bit like a chameleon. Yoongi writes songs for all sorts of reasons, for himself, for other artists, for no one at all. But there are a few songs he carries with him which aren't officially labeled, but they are for Taehyung.
He's never told Taehyung about them. Or anyone. He doesn't really think about why. But at the same time, Taehyung has never asked him for a song either even though he's recorded with both Namjoon and Hoseok now. Yoongi's self-confidence has grown over the years, but it doesn't mean he's completely immune to doubt. He wants to know why Taehyung has never asked him.
"Your dimples are illegal~."
Yoongi opens his eyes when someone pokes his cheek. Taehyung is crouching over him, hair sweaty underneath a backwards cap. He lies down too, visibly exhausted, but perpendicular to Yoongi so he can use Yoongi's chest as a pillow. His hat falls off and Yoongi messes up his hair to get rid of the imprint left behind.
Taehyung takes his phone out and holds it straight above. Yoongi glances up to see their faces staring back, tired but happy. Taehyung counts to three, but instead of a photo being taken, the screen goes black.
"No," Taehyung moans, tapping pathetically at the screen. He sighs. "I forgot to charge it last night. Hyung, you take it."
Yoongi pats his pockets before he remembers. "I left mine in my other bag."
"The world is against us."
Yoongi frowns. He knows he's purposely taking the words out of context, but still.
"Hey, losers." Seokjin's voice crackles in his ear and through the stage speakers. "If you don't get moving in the next two seconds, we're leaving for dinner without you."
Taehyung scrambles up and pulls on Yoongi's arm. "We have to go, we got a room at that galbi-jjim place." One of Taehyung's favorites, which explains the sudden urgency.
Yoongi groans and stands with only moderate struggling. He thinks at least half his joints creaked just now. He'll ask their physical therapist to put medicine patches on his back later.
Taehyung's hand stays locked around Yoongi's wrist while they head back to the dressing rooms so they can wash up enough to be presentable in public. Yoongi, perhaps because his body still hasn't figured out what time zone it's in, says, "Who's your favorite hyung?"
"What?"
"Nothing," says Yoongi, when his brain catches up. "That didn't make sense."
Taehyung laughs. "I'll let you know during the shows who it is."
They part when they get to the dressing room. Taehyung heads for the restroom and Yoongi deposits himself into a makeup chair so they can wipe off the thin layer of foundation from the morning. It makes him remember that the crew had been filming rehearsals to include with the DVD set. Had they still been there just now? Did they permanently record to history Yoongi's weird insecurity?
No one says anything to him about it if they had.
Taehyung announces his return by belting out the chorus of dimple in his best opera voice. Jungkook complains about the noise, but Yoongi catches Taehyung's eye in the mirror and thinks he's overdue to dust off a couple songs in need of a new owner.
2.
It's still work, but Taehyung feels at home immediately when they arrive at the hanok, the location this year for the summer package. Their last one, he's been told. Which is a bummer, but as Taehyung steps out of the van, he is reminded of how miserable it is to do photo shoots in this oppressive humidity. But a switch to winter packages seems too extreme in the other direction. What's wrong with spring packages? Or fall?
They settle into their rooms. He's sharing with Hoseok who accidentally falls asleep the moment the cameras turn off. Their catered lunch arrives but Taehyung lets him nap and will bring a lunch box back for him later.
Jimin and Jungkook are already crowded around the food when he gets there, their plates stacked high and getting higher. Taehyung swipes a piece of beef from Jimin's and grins when Jimin slaps his wrist. Namjoon and Seokjin wander over a minute later.
"Where's Hoseok?" says Namjoon, face scrunched up in concentration as he tries to separate two paper plates.
"Napping," says Taehyung.
"So's Yoongi," Seokjin says. His plate is mostly meat. Taehyung puts more spinach on it.
Hoseok shows up halfway through. He's still bleary-eyed as he shuffles to the table and Taehyung gives him his spot. "Sit, hyung," he says, when Hoseok waves half-heartedly for him to stay. "I'm done anyway."
Taehyung tosses away his trash and asks one of the staff for a box. He fills it with a little bit of everything, but grabs an extra piece of grilled fish. It doesn't really matter, but he arranges it all as nicely as he can.
It's pretty easy to find Yoongi's room. The windows have been left open and Taehyung peeks inside one of them and sees Yoongi curled up on the floor. Taehyung walks around and enters quietly, spotting a small table in the corner. He brings it over to the middle of the room and leaves the lunch box on it.
Asleep, Yoongi looks as young as Jungkook. He's a lot happier these days compared to when they were trainees or even the couple years just after debut, but Taehyung knows there are still many things which worry him. Taehyung can only guess what some of those worries are until the time comes that Yoongi feels safe confiding in the rest of them.
"Hyung," Taehyung says quietly, just above a whisper. He touches Yoongi's shoulder. "Hyung, you should eat."
Yoongi grumbles and peeks one eye open. Taehyung points at the lunch he brought. They already have a photoshoot scheduled for the afternoon. If Yoongi doesn't eat now, he won't have time until dinner. Taehyung pulls the table closer and smiles when Yoongi begrudgingly sits up. His face is a little puffy and Taehyung wants to pinch his cheeks. He doesn't though.
While Yoongi eats, Taehyung goes and sits next to the window. The air smells different out here, cleaner, but still has the heaviness of summer. There's a small garden right outside, a line of succulents bordering the stone pathway. Taehyung thinks about the two small ones back at the dorm on his windowsill and how their cleaning person has taken care of them more than he has.
Taehyung gets pulled from his thoughts when Yoongi nudges his leg with his foot and he turns back to find Yoongi holding out a piece of abalone. "I already ate."
Yoongi shrugs and gestures for Taehyung to take it anyway. Abalones are Taehyung's favorite, so he doesn't argue further and scoots back over, angling forward so Yoongi can feed him. He smiles and dances a little as he chews ("Is that your abalone dance?" "Yeah.") and Yoongi smiles back.
The sun at its peak in the sky makes for really good lighting in the room. Taehyung takes his phone out and snaps a few photos, practicing his lines and proportions. He includes Yoongi in some of them. Yoongi ignores him for the most part until he doesn't. Until he looks right at Taehyung, pensive and unreadable. Like there's something he finally wants to confide to Taehyung.
Taehyung doesn't know why it makes him nervous. He breaks the silence before Yoongi can and crowds into Yoongi's personal bubble. "Photo time!" he says, and takes a bunch of selfies with him making increasingly silly faces. Yoongi just smiles normally in each one. At some point he turns to look at Taehyung, his face centimeters away and Taehyung only knows because he sees it in the photos, but then in how he can feel Yoongi's soft breath against his cheek.
"We still have time to nap," says Yoongi and tugs on Taehyung's sleeve when he slumps onto the bedding. Taehyung lies on his back and stares up at the dust floating through the streaks of sunlight. "Do you remember that winter when the heat in your room broke?"
"Yeah," says Taehyung, but he doesn't know what he's supposed to remember in particular.
Outside, it's hot and humid and the sound of cicadas pierce through the air. But inside the shade of the room it's cool enough to be comfortable and Taehyung's eyelids begin to droop. He has already slipped too deep when he feels a weight on his arm.
When he wakes, Yoongi is looking at something on his phone. He tells Taehyung they have to report to hair and makeup. Taehyung's head feels too heavy on his shoulders.
Their staff remind them they can't post any photos until after the merchandise is released in the fall. Taehyung thinks about the ones on his phone from just an hour ago and thinks they'll stay there, away from any eyes other than his own for a very long time.
1.
They pair up again, but the awkwardness is different from that first time in Hawaii. Yoongi doesn't notice it immediately, not until they're up in the mountains and everyone goes in different directions. Jungkook is already having the time of his life, feet hanging off the ground because he's clinging to Namjoon and Seokjin instead.
"Don't fight!" Hoseok calls to them before he and Jimin dissolve into laughter. Yoongi rolls his eyes and mutters to himself about outdated stereotyping.
"Hyung, it's so nice out here," says Taehyung. He is tugging off his outer layer of fleece and the thin white t-shirt underneath rucks up enough for Yoongi to catch a glimpse of skin. Has the rise of Taehyung's hip bone always looked like that? He shouldn't think about that right now.
It is nice. They've only been in New Zealand for a day, but already Yoongi thinks their trip is too short. There's a staff crew of four following them, recording everything. Yoongi goes through phases of being able to ignore them to wanting to scream because he just wants to be alone. He's not sure yet where he's at today.
Yoongi doesn't know how Taehyung is actually warm enough that he's stripping off layers. It's only early spring here and up in the mountains it's still freezing. There's literally snow on the ground. Yoongi zips his fleece vest all the way up and shoves his hands in his pockets.
"Hyung!" Taehyung waves at him to walk faster. "Take a photo of me."
The snow crunches under Yoongi's boots as he goes to where Taehyung is. His shoulders are drawn up to his ears in an attempt to stay warm.
"Are you cold?"
"Are you not?" Yoongi takes his phone out and flicks his hand impatiently for Taehyung to go pose.
"Make me look handsome!"
Yoongi really doesn't think he and his photography skills are the crucial part of that equation. The sun is high up in the sky and there's not a single cloud. The snow acts as a natural reflection board and it's pretty impossible not to take a good shot. He keeps taking pictures without bothering to frame any of them, just figures most of them will be okay. Eventually Taehyung looks over his shoulder.
"Hyung, aren't you done yet?" Taehyung laughs. "How many did you take?"
Yoongi shrugs and snaps one more of Taehyung's bright, carefree smile.
Taehyung ambles back and nudges Yoongi forward. "Your turn!"
Yoongi just wants to be warm, even just some handwarmers would be great, but the scenery is too nice to be grouchy about that. Still, he mutters his complaints as he takes a bunch of tiny, old man steps to where Taehyung had stood.
"Hyung, relax!" Taehyung said, but Yoongi can already hear the artificial sound of the shutter going off repeatedly. Yoongi forces his shoulders to loosen and does his best to gaze cooly into the distance.
The shutter noises stop for long enough that Yoongi wonders what's going on. He turns around and Taehyung's just standing there, looking at him. He coughs and laughs nervously. "What? Are the photos bad?"
Taehyung walks toward him, keeps walking until he's practically in Yoongi's personal bubble. Yoongi is very aware of the staff a few feet away. Taehyung still doesn't say anything, doesn't even smile, and for a moment Yoongi thinks Taehyung might — he might…
But Taehyung reaches for him and tugs the face mask Yoongi had tucked under his chin back over his mouth. He then hugs Yoongi from behind, arms tight around Yoongi's shoulders.
"Hyung, are you still cold?" he says, laughing. "You're so fragile."
"Don't disrespect me."
"My small, cold hyung," says Taehyung, ignoring him. He picks Yoongi up similar to how he did during one of the muster shows and Yoongi pretends it's annoying only because the cameras are there.
The mission the PD gave before they paired off is still knocking around in the back of Yoongi's head. They're supposed to have a heart-to-heart, to talk about what they hope will happen on this trip. Yoongi would be okay doing that with anyone other than Taehyung.
"It's been a long time, since it's been just you and me," says Taehyung after he sets Yoongi back down.
"What?"
"On these trips," Taehyung says, kicking at the snow. "In Malta, we literally saw each other for an hour. Not since Hawaii."
Over two years ago. Only two years ago. For all of them, almost everything has changed. Yoongi barely remembers who he was back then, but he does remember parts of Hawaii quite clearly. He remembers the day he spent with Taehyung. He remembers when the cameras stopped recording and asking Taehyung if he really was upset Yoongi forgot to wear the necklace. He remembers Taehyung telling him it wasn't a big deal, but thinking perhaps it was and feeling like Taehyung was open with everyone except him.
"Did you lie when you said you weren't really upset about the necklace?"
Taehyung gives a small smile. "Yeah. A little."
"How come?"
Taehyung shrugs. "I don't know. I didn't want you to feel bad. Or worse than you already did." He crouches down and pokes at the hardened snow. "I didn't know you still remembered that."
"You remember it too."
Taehyung looks up, squinting when the sun hits his eyes. "Yeah, but."
Yoongi waits for Taehyung to continue, except he doesn't. This is all a bit too honest to be on film, but Yoongi pushes past that discomfort. "I wish you were more open with me. The way you are with everyone else."
Taehyung frowns. "You feel that way?"
Yoongi scratches behind his ear. "Even with Jin-hyung, you two have gotten close."
"Are you jealous?"
"That's not what I said."
Taehyung laughs and stands back up. "I really look up to you. I look up to all the hyungs, but you're different."
"What do you mean?"
Taehyung shrugs. "Our personalities are really different. That's okay, but it just means you're good at all this stuff that I struggle with or can't see myself doing at all. So I admire you a lot. I think all the time about how hard you worked when we were trainees and all the stuff you hid because you thought you'd get kicked out. You deserve everything that's happening to us the most and you've been really happy the past year. So I only want to tell you things that, I don't know, keep making you happy."
Yoongi doesn't know what to say to that. His surprise must register on his face because Taehyung laughs, noticeably nervous.
"That was sappy," says Taehyung, stretching his arms high above. "I really didn't expect for you to bring that up. I have to think of something good for you now."
But Taehyung ends up saying something templated, about how he wants to experience something new together and mentions a handful of all the extreme sports available to them here. Most of them Taehyung would also be too scared to try and Yoongi says so, but Taehyung slings an arm over Yoongi's shoulders and says, "I'd do it if it were with you though, hyung."
Before they head back down, they take a photo together. Taehyung holds his phone out and stands a little in front of Yoongi — "To make your small face even smaller" — and his other hand is a firm warmth against Yoongi's back. They take a few and send them all to the staff to pick one to include in the footage.
The crew films only a little of their trek back down. Taehyung goes first and keeps telling everyone to be careful anytime there's a step. He insists on offering Yoongi his arm, which Yoongi slaps away each time but it doesn't deter Taehyung at all.
The others are already waiting in the parking lot when they arrive. Taehyung slows down and his hand brushes Yoongi's arm as if he wanted to grab it, but changed his mind at the last second. Yoongi falls into step with him. He takes his hand out of his pocket and allows it to swing between them. Their knuckles graze and Yoongi keeps his gaze steadfastly forward. An itch grows under his skin.
Jimin runs up and drags Taehyung away, yapping away about Hoseok getting scared of his own shadow during their hike. Taehyung glances back and Yoongi is too slow to pretend he doesn't see.
Yoongi climbs into the back of one of the vans, seeking shelter from the wind. He hears the distinct sound of Seokjin's laugh joined immediately by Jungkook's. He closes his eyes and dozes for a little bit. A couple others climb in when they're all packed up and he recognizes the new cologne Hoseok has been wearing. He stays cat napping; if they need him, they'll wake him, so he tunes out all the ambient noise.
He wakes up once they're on the road. He recognizes the outline of Seokjin's shoulders in the seat in front of him. But it's not Hoseok next to him. He frowns in confusion and Taehyung smiles back at him.
Whatever has shifted between them feels irreversible. Part of Yoongi wants to pretend it's not there, but he doesn't think Taehyung is here only for Yoongi to do something like that. He's still being watched, Taehyung's gaze a bit nervous, and Yoongi doesn't want him to be like that. The space between them is narrow. Yoongi rests his hand there and Taehyung looks down at it.
Yoongi turns his attention out the window and watches the scenery pass by. He doesn't have to wait long for the weight of Taehyung's hand to settle on top of his.
The itch goes away.
0.
They all still stay in the same apartment for convenience, but on days off, Yoongi likes to go to the place he bought and slowly work on making it look like a home. Half the furniture is still missing, but that's fine. He'll buy the rest the next time he'll be around to assemble them. That may be a while, but that's okay too.
He bought a rug for the living room, where there's already a sectional sofa set up. He can't move the latter by himself, so he bribes Taehyung and Jungkook to help. Mostly Jungkook. Taehyung didn't need much convincing.
"It's insulting you didn't buy an apartment in the same building as me and Hoseok-hyung," says Jungkook, as he and Taehyung move the pieces of the sofa to the sides of the room.
"We still live together."
"That isn't the point." Jungkook flips his hair out of his eyes. It's still not long enough to pull back into a ponytail, but Yoongi doesn't understand why he doesn't invest in some goddamn hair clips.
"Hyung," Jungkook says to Taehyung after they set down the chaise lounge. "When are you going to buy a place?"
Taehyung twists his mouth and gives a stiff shrug. "I don't really need one yet."
"The realtor Hoseok-hyung referred to me can get you a really good deal."
"Since when were you so into real estate?" says Yoongi, patiently cutting away the thick plastic the rug was sealed in.
"It's a good investment!"
Yoongi laughs and maneuvers the rolled up rug onto the floor. It's deceptively heavy and slippery at the same time and he almost loses his grip, but Taehyung scurries over at the last second behind Yoongi and catches it. His chest presses right up against Yoongi's back and his breath grazes Yoongi's ear. It's all a bit too cliche drama scene, but at the same time…
"Hyung, be careful," says Taehyung, taking the rug from Yoongi and lowering it the rest of the way.
The instructions say that the rug needs at least 12 hours to return to its original shape. Yoongi lies in the middle after its rolled out and stares at the ceiling. Jungkook disappears somewhere. The bathroom, Yoongi guesses, since anywhere else would be odd. Taehyung sits next to Yoongi.
"Jungkookie has a point. You haven't looked at apartments at all."
Taehyung takes Yoongi's hand and studies it. "Hyung, you should stop biting your cuticles. Do you want to come with me next time I get a manicure?"
Yoongi wonders if that's a date. He wonders why Taehyung ignored what he said when Taehyung speaks again.
"Getting my own place seems lonely."
"You could get an apartment in the same building as Jungkook and Hoseok."
"Not yours?" says Taehyung. He is still holding Yoongi's hand. "Or."
"Or?"
Taehyung grows frustrated suddenly, dragging his other hand through his hair. It's left standing up all over the place but he still looks devastating. A magical ability of Taehyung's that Yoongi will likely never figure out. "I want to talk about it," he says, sounding like he has to push the words through two boulders.
"Buying an apartment?"
"Us."
This is his place, but Yoongi's flight response flares up. 'Us' is something which has only played out in Yoongi's thoughts, a series of what-ifs that loop in his head, but he's not prepared for the real thing. They've gone this long without talking about it, why start now?
"What us?"
Taehyung jerks back as if Yoongi just slapped him. He looks lost afterward, eyes scanning the room as if physically searching for what he wants to say. But he ends up not saying anything at all and gets up, looking everywhere but at Yoongi. He laughs, embarrassed, pained. "Sorry, I thought. I don't know. I think I should go."
Taehyung heading for the door makes Yoongi panic in a different way. He scrambles up faster than he's ever moved and grabs Taehyung's elbow before he can leave the room. He doesn't mean to, but he pulls too hard and Taehyung loses his balance, bumping into the wall to keep from falling. Yoongi puts his hands on Taehyung's waist to steady him.
Their faces end up very close.
"Sorry," Yoongi says, a little about grabbing Taehyung too hard, but mostly for being the reason why Taehyung's eyes were getting red and watery. "That was stupid. I'm sorry."
Taehyung is still and silent. He doesn't look at Yoongi and bites his lower lip. Yoongi very carefully lifts one hand and touches Taehyung's face. It's meant to be comforting, but a couple tears roll down Taehyung's cheeks. Yoongi wipes them away with his thumb, tries to be as gentle as he's seen Jimin be.
"Tell me whatever you want."
There's a long pause, the silence filled only with Taehyung's brief sniffles. Then he says, "I've liked you for so long, hyung. And I thought. I was so sure I wasn't just seeing what I wanted. I was so sure that you—" He closes his eyes and Yoongi has seen this expression before too many times. It's the one Taehyung makes when he's upset at himself, thinking he messed up. Right now, that couldn't be further from the truth and the one he should be mad at is Yoongi. He manages a faltering smile. "Joke's on me, I guess."
Yoongi breathes out Taehyung's name and it's a plea-filled apology. He doesn't know what else to say, but knows he can't stand Taehyung looking so heartbroken. There's only one thing he can think to do.
It's not the best kiss. It leans toward clumsy and awkward because Yoongi has not kissed anyone in a very long time and Taehyung seems to have gone into shock, but he doesn't think it's anywhere near a bad kiss. He pulls back just enough to see Taehyung's eyes wide in surprise and decides to try again. It's a lot better, the second attempt, but Taehyung's so tense still.
"That wasn't funny," says Taehyung, and Yoongi's stomach drops because he wanted to make it better, not — not what this is.
"I wasn't trying to be."
"Hyung—"
"—You weren't wrong. You were a hundred percent right."
Taehyung looks at Yoongi, really looks at him, and finally breaks into a real smile, but he's tearing up again too and Yoongi can't keep up with this rollercoaster of emotions.
"Please stop crying," Yoongi says, but feels a thousand times lighter. "You know none of us know what to do when you cry."
Taehyung laughs, just a short puff of air, but a laugh nonetheless. He wipes his eyes quickly and leans in for a hug that Yoongi is all too happy to return.
Third time's the charm, Yoongi knows is how the saying goes. But he thinks this kiss is the best because Taehyung is the one kissing him. Taehyung hands are on his face and in his hair and there's so much elation pouring out of him that Yoongi thinks he could drown in it.
The cheery click! of a camera shutter breaks them apart, both of their heads turning to find Jungkook standing across the room with his phone still out in front of him. His face shows little guilt.
"Well," Jungkook says, clearing his throat. "That's definitely not going on Twitter."
Yoongi completely forgot Jungkook was still in the apartment. He clears his throat and tries to muster up an appropriate amount of irritation, but the red tips of his ears probably work against him. "Delete that," he says, stalking toward Jungkook.
"No!"
Yoongi stops midway, because the refusal came from Taehyung, which he didn't expect. He looks back and Taehyung scratches behind his ear.
"Can you send that to me?" says Taehyung to Jungkook, blatantly avoiding eye contact with Yoongi. "Great! Thanks."
"I'll just put it in the group chat," says Jungkook, thumbs already flying over the screen before Yoongi even processes his words.
"Don't send it to — why would you send it to everyone?" says Yoongi.
Jungkook blinks. "I mean, I can't leave them hanging."
"What?"
Taehyung stops next to Yoongi. He's scrolling through a bunch of messages. "Jungkook was live reporting our, um, talk."
Yoongi grabs Taehyung's wrist to angle the phone toward him and there they are, a stream of messages between Jungkook giving a near-verbatim play-by-play while the other four react purely in gibberish and stickers. He doesn't know what he expected. It's his own fault for forgetting Jungkook was still there so he has no right being mad. Plus, based on the amount of 'FINALLY' he sees in the chat, the development of his and Taehyung's relationship isn't a surprise to anyone.
Taehyung scrolls to the end and there it is, the photo of them from just a couple minutes ago. He opens up the high-res version and studies it with a warm smile before saving it to his phone. It's going to take Yoongi at least a day to work out everything he's feeling in this moment.
"Can we order Chinese for dinner?" Jungkook says, flopping onto the sofa closest to him. "I could eat like, five bowls of noodles right now."
Yoongi stares at him, but Jungkook simply stares back waiting for an answer. Taehyung slips his arm around Yoongi's shoulders.
"Chinese sounds good, right, hyung?"
"Yeah, sounds great," says Yoongi quietly, to dinner, to Taehyung.
To them.