Archive of Our Own ^beta

Nothing has changed, Seokjin notes as he comes down from the cab; the house is still painted a sandy pink and it looks like it needs a new layer, his mother’s garden is still on the verge of dying and he can even see the swing his father built on the tree at the end of the street.

The only difference was the multiple workers coming in and out of the garden, flowers, chairs, tables, it really was a parade of random objects.

“Put that one there.” He sees his brother on the garden, the man looks more tired than the last time Seokjin saw him, that was months ago, when the older appeared in the middle of the set for his most recent drama and shoved a wedding invitation on his hands while saying he would be really angry if he didn’t attend, his manager made a space on his schedule right away.

“Thought you would be having your bachelor party?” He leans on the door and smiles as his brother sighs.

“You came alone?”

Seokjin shrugs “I don’t have my manager with me if that’s your question, now your party?”

“This ones go there.” His brother guides the flower arrangement guy “Today is Song-hwa’s mine is tomorrow, I thought you were still filming and would come till tomorrow.”

The younger groans “I thought it was today so I spend two on a row days filming everything so I could make it to your party.”

His brother laughs and shakes his head “You do look rough around the edges.”

He flips off his brother “And mom?”

“She went with dad to the church to fix everything there. Hey, since you came earlier, could you go to suitshop and pick my suit? I would said buy yours, but I’m sure you already bought something.” His brother tosses at him the keys “Dad’s car is outside, I’ve been borrowing it.”

“You owe me a drink!” The younger yells as he walks out.

As he sees the orange car, he confirms that really nothing has changed.

***

It’s a small town and Seokjin has never have a problem with it, it was a nice place to grow in and everyone knew each other, so he never had the problem of having the anxiety of not knowing anyone on his first day of school.

It was a nice place, but he had definitely outgrown it a long time ago, going to college on Seoul and becoming one of South Korea’s biggest actors, hectic schedules, barely sleeping and always watching what he eats while working out, the slow pace of the town definitely throws him off.

Mr. Kwon is definitely older, his son now helps him with the store, Seokjin hasn’t seen him in almost 10 years.

“I’m glad Jun decided to throw the wedding here.” He smiles politely at the older man “It’s been a while since we’ve had a wedding. It’s also good to see you again, you’ve grown up a lot, you were this tall when you came in here to get your first suit.”

The man hand raises to his hip and he looks at Seokjin with a fond smile, Seokjin does remember coming to get his first suit for a school play, it fitted him terribly but his mother still cooed and took a bunch of pictures.

“It’s nice to see you too Mr. Kwon.” He accepts the suit from the owner’s son and bows politely “I have to go help hyung with the preparations, so excuse me.”

“Of course, go, go.” Mr. Kwon ushers him “Come visit more often, it’s not the same seeing you on t.v.” He waves his hand and Seokjin exits the store.

He gently lays the suit inside the car, even if they will probably steam it before the wedding, he doesn’t want any unnecessary work, he knows how much his stylist suffers when he creates unnecessary creases on his suits.

He is about to get inside the car when he hears a familiar voice “Thank you Mrs. Lee! I’ll come by tomorrow!”

The voice is much deeper now, lazily drawling out the syllables, but it’s a voice that spend so much talking to him back on his childhood and teen years, he recognizes it instantly.

He watches the smaller man walk out of the bakery, camera on his hands, reddish brown hair covering his eyes, a small smile on his face. Min Yoongi hasn’t changed much, he concludes.

“Are you going home?” He asks before he can stop himself, Yoongi stops and looks on Seokjin’s direction a frown on his face “You still take the bus right?”

Yoongi blinks a couple of times before replying “How are you so sure I still live in the same place?”

“You hated that much being my neighbor?” He teases and leans on the car.

“Massively.” But the younger starts walking towards him, quickly putting his camera on his bag and a gummy smile blooming on his face “You look rough.”

Seokjin laughs and heads towards the driver’s seat “Just wrapped up a shooting.”

Yoongi hums and also gets inside the car “Sucks.”

“Me no sleeping?” The younger shakes his head.

“That you only come home because your brother is getting married, you should show your ugly face around here some more.” He replies and leans forward to turn on the radio, stopping on the same station they used to hear when they were younger “They still play the best songs.”

“Mn.” Seokjin doesn’t says anything else, too busy listening to Yoongi trying to match So Chan Whee.

***

“I thought Yoongi went to college in Seoul too?” He speaks during dinner, the whole family finally reunited and way more food than he usually would eat lay down on the table.

“He did, but he came back after HeeYoung got sick.” His mother sighs and shakes her head “May she rest in peace.”

“Mr. Min died?” He tries not to sound too shock, especially since no one called him to tell him the news.

“A couple of years ago.” His father starts eating.

“You were filming on Canada, Yoongi insisted on not bothering you.” His mother adds and that doesn’t helps Seokjin in feeling better.

Is that what Yoongi meant when he told him to come some more to the town? To know what was happening? To at least know the woman who was his neighbor for 18 years died?

The food doesn’t taste as good after that.

***

Min Yoongi has always been interesting, Seokjin first met him when he was three and the younger was two, still too unstable on his own legs and too much saliva on his face. Even if he was only younger by a couple of months, to Seokjin it felt like a huge gap.

Yet he was a kind boy and offered the younger to play with him, after looking at him with shiny eyes and giving Seokjin a gummy smile, the younger started to follow him around like a little duckling.

It wasn’t an issue until junior high came around and with it the belief that kissing was gross and if someone chased you around was because they liked you, people liked to tease him about Yoongi having a crush on him. Despite going to an all boys school apparently no one found it particularly weird the younger chasing after him, they just laughed and how desperate the other seemed to get his attention.

Seokjin remembers being young and immature, ignoring Yoongi and telling him to get lost multiples times, how embarrassing it was for him when on white day Yoongi gave him a ton of homemade chocolates along with a mixtape.

Looking at those memories nows Seokjin feels warm, so much love directed at him since he was younger, innocent first loves and shy smiles directed at him. Min Yoongi was a hurricane, always bringing trouble wherever he went; sometimes too clumsy and sometimes too hype, sometimes too strict on following rules and on his lapse of judgement moments too eager to break them.

He was fun to be around, despite the rest of the kids thinking he was weird, he liked to read a ton of books and Seokjin always liked to climb a tree with him and listen to him talk about the latest book he read in a calm voice while they shared a bag of cookies Seokjin was learning to make, sometimes they were too burned, sometimes they were underbaked and sometimes they tasted too sugary, still Yoongi never was afraid of tasting them.

Even when high school came around and Seokjin became even better good looking, while Yoongi remained all cute and chubby cheeks, mixed school was a big step for both of them but Seokjin found himself a small group of people and he fitted right in, Yoongi went to his own group too, being an incredible threat when he met Kim Taehyung, still having a crush on the older but now being less intense about it, or so it seemed.

Seokjin remembers receiving a ton of invitations for the end of the year party, everyone too eager to have the most handsome guy in school as their date, he also remembers getting home and seeing Yoongi sitting on the tree that divided their houses, the smaller man was reading silently and chewing on a cookie.

The older climbed and asked about the book, Yoongi said it was a flower book and started pointing towards his mother’s garden saying how they planted some seeds and he wanted pretty flowers to bloom soon. Seokjin only laughed and told him to be patient, he was waiting for an invitation from Yoongi but it never happened, so at the end he decided to go with his friends.

That was the first time he got a proper fitting suit, the navy blue suit made him look even more handsome, or that’s what his mom said. The party was pretty boring, until Min Yoongi showed up, dirt on his cheeks and a suit that looked a little too big on him, Kim Taehyung happily pushing him towards Seokjin. A blue hyacinth was presented to him and Yoongi gave him a big gummy smile, asking him to be his partner of the party and rambling about the meaning of the flower excitedly, Seokjin only remembers a word of it, sincerity, so he took the plant and asked Yoongi if he wanted to leave the party and cook some cookies with him, saying his grandma sent him a new recipe.

High school wasn’t as terrible as everyone described it, even with Min Yoongi chasing after him and embarrassing both of them, it was good. Until on his final year when he went to Seoul to visit his brother for a weekend, the city was big and modern, people were fashionable and looked expensive, everything his little town back in Daegu wasn’t.

And Seokjin liked it a little too much, so as soon as he went back home he told his parents he was going to go to college in Seoul, grabbed his schoolbooks and dedicated his final year to study hard in order to get into a university in the capital.

Graduation day was the last day he saw Min Yoongi, the younger was sitting on their usual tree, Seokjin’s hands were full of gifts and flowers that were given to him, he was too kind to reject anyone, so he dropped them on the floor and climbed the tree.

Yoongi was once again reading a book, when he asked about it the younger said it was a kids book, something about a girl building a paper town, Seokjin doesn’t remember much of the story, just that the little girl imagination took her on amazing adventures along with her stuffed toys.

At the same time Yoongi took out a paper plane and threw it, the wind took it really far up, getting stuck almost at top of the tree, Yoongi then smiled at him and wished him good luck on Seoul.

That was the last time he saw Min Yoongi, smiling while throwing his acceptance letter of college in Seoul in the form a paper airplane, it was as it almost was a sign, that he would go far but would end up going back home.

Seokjin knows Yoongi is not a big believer in destiny, but is a good thing himself is also a non-believer.

***

“Aren’t you a little too tall for that tree?” Yoongi laughs as he climbs the old tree, a little slower than when they were younger but still with ease.

“The tree is taller than me.” He leans against the tree and pulls out the cookies from his jacket.

“Uh? Butter cookies?” Yoongi sits on the branch next to his and grabs the cookies while smiling “It’s been years since I’ve tasted your baking, I hope this ones are better than I remember.”

Seokjin scoffs “My baking was terrible back then.”

The younger shrugs and takes out a cookie “I liked them.”

And Seokjin doesn’t says anything, because yes, Yoongi was the only one that used to liked him, while his whole family ran as soon as he started baking, Yoongi was the first one to ask for a bite.

Yoongi was also the first one to give him flowers, to tell him stories that his father couldn’t read to him because he was busy with work, he also was the comforting presence waiting for him at home.

“I’m sorry.” He looks down at his hands and Yoongi stops eating.

“What for? Did you put something on them?” He can hear the man cheeking the bag but he just shakes his head.

“For not coming back when your mom…”

“You were busy.” Yoongi cuts him before he can keep talking “It’s fine, I’m fine.” The older looks up, Yoongi has a small smile on his face, a reassuring one “Jinnie, you might think that I think different of you, but you are still the same old boy who once cried because he didn’t wanted to open a frog.” The younger softly pats his hair “But you also have changed, you no longer fit in here, if I had called you back then you would’ve stayed until you made sure I was okay, I couldn’t possibly let you stop your life like that, so just take it as me looking out for you.”

“But this is my home.” The older whispers and Yoongi shakes his head.

“Not anymore, but if you are ever tired you can come back for a few days, remember how my mom used to leave the lights on? In case we came back from playing late at night and we got lost with so many same looking houses? Lights will always be on for you, but you can’t stay.”

Seokjin frowns and opens his mouth to say something, anything but Yoongi speaks again “Wait! Today is your brother’s bachelor party right? You can’t be late, c’mon, c’mon, you have a party to attend!” The younger ushers him and starts going down the tree.

“Are you going?” Yoongi shakes his head.

“I have to take some photo of the bride with her makeup and dress, but have fun! Not too much because tomorrow I’m taking the family photos and I don’t want a swollen face on them!”

Yoongi yells excitedly as he walks backwards towards his home, the action makes Seokjin remember his friends making fun of them because Yoongi was happy Seokjin accepted his homemade chocolates for white day.

Perhaps Min Yoongi was the one guiding him home.

***

“Why are you here?” Seokjin squints at Hoseok through his blankets.

The younger man happily drinks from his green juice “Of course I came as your plus one!”

Seokjin sighs “Did my manager send you because he was worried of me making something embarrassing and the press getting hold of it?” His head hurts for speaking so much so early in the morning.

“Not really, he just sent me to give you your suit and make you look kind of good but this looks like a fun party! I love weddings, as long as they are not mine”

Seokjin doesn’t has the heart to tell his friend to get lost, making such a long trip just to give him his suit and then kick him back to Seoul would be just heartless.

“Please don’t embarrass me.” He groans when Hoseok starts to peel off the blankets off him.

“Rise and shine! C’mon! Your mom said today you have a photoshoot and I have to make you look as the handsome man everyone thinks you are!” Maybe kicking Hoseok back to Seoul wasn’t a bad idea.

***

Seokjin is not a fan of suits, he always preferred oversized clothes, yet he is careful to not move his arms too much in case the fabric rips because of his shoulders, even if its tailormade he still can never be too careful.

But Hoseok is happily bouncing around the garden, watching every detail of the wedding decorations while also yelling at Seokjin to not touch his hair while pointing a comb at him.

“You clean up nice.” Yoongi greets him, an expensive looking camera hanging off his neck and a simple dress shirt with slacks make his look.

“And today is a bad day.” Seokjin sighs as Hoseok rearranges the flowers.

Yoongi laughs and points his camera at him, Seokjin hears the familiar shutter go off “Well, it looks good on camera.” The man shrugs.

“Do you remember when I broke my arm?” Seokjin surprises himself of his own question.

“How to forget? You were angry because you couldn’t bake for a whole month, you also were mad because you couldn’t play soccer with your friends.” Yoongi laughs, an airy laugh “I also remember telling you about the book I was reading, an economic books that used to belong to my father, I remember talking to you about micro and macro economy until you fell asleep.”

“It helped me a lot to waste time.”

Yoongi shakes his head and smiles “You were just too nice to tell me to go home.”

Seokjin makes a face “I actually liked it! It helped me sleep.”

“Sure.” Yoongi looks at him and smiles again “Let’s take the photos and I’ll take you somewhere nice.”

***

Seokjin remembers having a crush on Yoongi, it was on his last year of junior high, his friends used to thought he had gone insane, because liking Yoongi was the most embarrassing thing he could do.

He kept his crush a secret, yet he spend more time with Yoongi on their tree, happily baking for him and listening to him rant about random books he had found on his home.

Seokjin also remembers that was the year Yoongi’s dad left them, the man had a heart attack, that was the first funeral Seokjin assisted.

Yoongi didn’t cried, he simply sat on their tree and stared at his backyard, while hugging the last book who used to belong to his father that he was reading, it was an autobiography of a photographer.

Seokjin only offered him some butter cookies he had baked the night before and listened to him rant about the book. He listened to him until Yoongi’s mom came to collect them, saying it was time to go home, Seokjin bid Yoongi goodbye and asked Yoongi to finish telling him the story another time.

He never heard the rest, because Yoongi was absent from school for the next two weeks and his mother told him to not go to his house because Yoongi needed time to grieve alone with his mother.

When he came back to school and Seokjin asked about the end of the story, Yoongi looked at him with sad, exhausted, red eyes and his clothes a little too big on him “He died and never finished the book.” It’s all he said, when Seokjin asked Mrs. Min about the book, the woman told him her it was her husband autobiography he was writing before passing away.

Seokjin never mentioned it again to Yoongi.

***

“You should get your own car.” Seokjin speaks as he drives, Yoongi silently giving him directions, his hair is still too stiff for his liking but at least his clothes are more comfortable.

“No need, you can get everywhere in here by walking or by bus, why would I need a car?” Yoongi eats a gummy bear and then feeds one to Seokjin.

“You still eat all the green ones, c’mon give me one.” He pouts and Yoongi laughs.

“No way, the green ones are the only ones that actually taste good.”

“Where are we going anyway?” He turns left and happily munches on another gummy bear Yoongi puts on his mouth.

“A nice place.” It’s all the man says and leans back on his seat “I saw your latest drama, you look good as a prince.”

Seokjin only hums and turns on the radio “You don’t like being complimented on your job?” Yoongi eats another gummy bear.

“It’s weird, hearing it from you.” He shrugs “You’ve known me for so long, so I feel like you are just saying it to be polite.”

Yoongi laughs “Well, lucky me you’ll never know wherever I’m lying or not. Turn right on the next exit.”

On the radio, Jason Mraz sings about being lucky of being in love with his best friend, as Seokjin stops on a red light and looks at Yoongi frowning while sorting through the gummy bears bag, he thinks that maybe he would also be very lucky if he could have the chance to love Min Yoongi.

***

“Since when are you a fan of climbing hills?” Seokjin pants as he sits down on a rock.

“Since it has a nice view for photos.” Yoongi smiles as he points his camera at Seokjin and snaps a few photos “Unfair how good you look despite being sweaty.”

“Tell me that again after you see me when I’ve been awake for two days on a row.” He huffs out a laugh and takes out his water bottle from his bag.

“We are almost there, c’mon, before it gets dark and you probably roll down the hill!” Yoongi laughs as he runs away.

He looks so youthful, so carefree, everything Seokjin hasn’t been for years, the man take photographs of everything, of Seokjin laying on the grass and of even the smallest details, the bee on top of the flower, Seokjin running away from the bee, everything.

For that short amount of time he is back on his teenage years, he doesn’t has to worry about saying or doing something that someone might take it on the wrong way, he can make ugly faces and Yoongi laughs until his stomach hurts, he doesn’t has to look like a cool guy with a pretty face.

Yoongi even prepared some ramen for them, it’s cold and a little too soaked due to it being kept on a tupper for a long time, but to Seokjin is the best ramen he has eaten in years. Yoongi laughs so hard at one of Seokjin’s jokes one noddle flies out of his nose, the older thinks it’s one of the best days of his life.

“You think we would’ve been like this if we both had stayed?” Seokjin asks as he lays on the grass, the sun is setting and Yoongi is busy taking photos.

“No.” Yoongi points his camera at him and takes a photo of him, Seokjin makes an ugly face “I don’t duel a lot on the what if’s, things happen for a reason. Give me a smile.”

Seokjin smiles at Yoongi’s camera, cheeks bunching up and sleepy eyes from a busy day stare at the lens.

“You should’ve been a poet.” The older sticks his tongue out and hums the tune that is coming out of Yoongi’s speaker.

“I think I’m a better photographer.” The younger turns away and focuses his camera back on the sky that is painted in pinks and oranges.

“I could make you happy, make your dreams come true” He sings, almost whispers at Yoongi, the man is too focused on his photographs or he is either pretending not to hear him “You went to college in Seoul right?”

“I also went to a bunch of places after graduating, if that’s your end question.” Yoongi lays down next to Seokjin, their hands bushing each other, yet no one makes a move to intertwine them.

Seokjin sees the way the last rays of sunshine dance on Yoongi’s pale skin, long lashes brush on his cheeks as he sleepily blinks “Well, that’s just lucky right?” He smiles and turns his sight back at the sky.

Yoongi stays quiet for a couple of minutes, then he snuggles closer to Seokjin and whispers, a secret between them “I missed you.”

Seokjin aches to hold his hand, to hold him in his arms, instead he just sighs “It’s good to see you again.”

Min Yoongi makes his life a little less hard.

***

Seokjin remembers his first kiss, it was on his first year of high school, Yoongi was rambling about a book of dragons when Seokjin suddenly leaned in and kissed him, it was barely a kiss, puckered lips and it barely lasted a couple of seconds, but to Seokjin it was his first kiss.

Yoongi blushed a pretty pink and shyly leaned in again, this time the kiss lasted longer, but it still was just lips to lips, nothing too crazy.

They kissed again a couple of days later, this time they tried to go for a deeper kiss, only for them to end up crashing their teeths and for Yoongi to accidentally bite Seokjin’s tongue. Instead of being awkward, both of them laughed and decided that talking about books and eating cookies was way more fun than trying to figure out how kissing worked.

He never said it outloud, but he was glad Yoongi was first kiss, both were equally clumsy and lost on the same aspect, a couple of weeks later Seokjin got his first kiss with tongue from someone that wasn’t Yoongi, when he told Yoongi how much he disliked it the younger only laughed and lean in to softly kiss him, once again lips against lips.

But Seokjin liked it, Yoongi always understood him.

***

Yoongi remembers coming home after a long time, his mother was sick and it was his responsibility to take care of her. He remembers feeling bitter at the beginning, his dreams were ripped from him, forced to go back to the little hometown he grew in and take photos of crying kids and ugly pets.

He remembers seeing the t.v. and watching his neighbor and first love on it, either starring a drama or on a variety show or on some end of the year awards. Kim Seokjin was out there achieving everything Yoongi was robbed of, or so he used to thought like that, he didn’t resented the man, there was an especial place on his heart for his first love and he would always treasure their memories together, even if he was annoying most of the time.

Yoongi noticed after some time that he was just lonely, no amount of traveling around the world and success on the capital could compare to his silent gardening sessions with his mother or the occasional dinners at their local market.

His home slowly came back to him, he found rather amusing photographing young couples who were  getting married or their not so ugly baby, even if technically everyone knew each other on the town, there was always something exciting waiting for him back at his photography study, small details he hadn’t noticed before.

Even after his mother died and Seokjin’s mother insisted on calling his son for him to come and pay his respects, Yoongi knew the older was filming a movie overseas and knowing him he would probably ditch everything and go back home, Yoongi didn’t wanted that.

A part of him was worried because of his career, but another part of him knew that the first thing Seokjin would have done was stay, stay with him until he made sure the other was no longer crying in secret, most of all, Yoongi was sure that if Seokjin stayed he would’ve probably been like Yoongi, he would be bitter at first but then he would have found the little details.

Yoongi was just scared Seokjin would stay.

“You totally cried! Now I have to fix your makeup.” Hoseok huffs as he takes out his makeup pouch.

“I didn’t! It’s allergies from so much flowers.” Seokjin looks away but lets Hoseok do his job.

“You totally cried, I have it on camera.” Yoongi laughs as he lifts up his camera.

“My lawyer will contact you respecting those.” Seokjin pokes his tongue out at the younger man and lets Hoseok fix his makeup.

“You sure aren’t as glamorous as you make yourself look.” Yoongi’s words don’t have bite to it, it’s all just playful teasing. In reality Seokjin is a pretty crier, which is unfair, because tears slid down his cheeks in a really worth drama way and his cheeks paint a pretty shade of pink, and when Yoongi cries he just looks swollen and like a tomato, sometimes life isn’t really fair.

He had heard Hoseok tell Seokjin earlier that the car would be picking them early tomorrow, because the man already had schedule for a variety show on the same day. He tried not to let his disappointment show, he had rather enjoyed his little adventures with Seokjin, guess that for a moment he forgot that the older needed to go back home.

Instead, he had joked around, took some photos and joke around some more, while occasionally sipping on his long empty champagne glass. He wanted to have a good memory of Seokjin, just like when they were kids most of his memories with the older were nice ones, he wanted to keep the good ones of them being older.

Tomorrow when he left, Yoongi could go back to go on little adventures by himself and eating at their local market, just like Seokjin would probably go back to filming and dolling up everyday.

“Hey, do you want to dance?” Seokjin comes at him after Yoongi takes his camera off his neck, it’s the odd time of the early morning when the older guests have left and the younger ones are either too drunk, sleepy or eating their drunk snack.

There are not a lot of people dancing, only the drunk ones doing the Y.M.C.A. dance along the song.

“You want to dance that one?” Yoongi laughs as he sees Seokjin wearing some neon glasses along with a matching plastic tie.

The older shrugs “It’s about to end, maybe they’ll play something nice.”

So they wait until the song finishes, Seokjin takes off his neon glasses and his plastic tie, his hair is messy, not the stiff gel style he had on earlier and that Yoongi is sure Hoseok put a lot of effort into it, his bowtie is missing and instead he has three buttons of his shirt open, his sleeves have been rolled up and his jacket is nowhere to be found.

He looks youthful, relaxed, a little tired, but there’s a big smile on his face as he watches Hoseok wildly move his arms to form the letters. It’s a form of Seokjin that is foreign to Yoongi, because he is the guy he grew up with, yet seeing Seokjin smile softly at him after so many years, his features all grown up and he basically being a head taller than Yoongi, it just feels foreign.

He might be used to the old Seokjin, but this one is more elegant, a bit more reserved, more graceful, even more charming. Yoongi is not sure what he thinks of this Seokjin.

“I think this is a dance appropriate song.” The older stands up and bows in a really exaggerated way while he extends his hand towards Yoongi “Shall we dance?”

Yoongi laughs and takes his hand, it’s somehow rougher than he remembers how smooth Seokjin’s hands use to be when they were kids, always baking and climbing trees, now Yoongi is sure the older loves extreme sports, fishing and working out, so maybe even for some of his roles he has done some kind of odd preparation.

Yoongi shakes his head as Ed Sheeran’s plays his first notes on his guitar, of course is not a wedding nowadays until Ed Sheeran’s song play. At least it was not the couple’s first dance song.

“I really like this song, I heard it once in a movie.” Yoongi comments distractedly as he and Seokjin move gently.

“Do you know what it says?” Yoongi knows Seokjin’s words are not said in a criticism manner, he is just genuinely curious if Yoongi either kept his good level of english or if the man at least looked up the lyrics.

Yoongi shrugs as an answer and spins himself by lifting Seokjin’s arm, the taller chuckles at his antics and lets Yoongi spin a couple of times until the man is dizzy and leans again on Seokjin’s chest.

He can hear Seokjin’s heartbeat, loud and steady, he is also warm. Yoongi feels like he can just lay on the older for forever and never get tired, he would gladly fall in love with Seokjin all over again if he could.

Ed Sheeran sings about love being able to mend your soul, Yoongi agrees, because he is not sure of what Ed meant when he sang it, but he does know that Seokjin soothes his soul, in a way of him to be able to just lay there and let himself be vulnerable, of listening to his heartbeat and being able to fell asleep. Of being able to share a pack of gummy bears when he only eats the green ones, of being able to laugh until his stomach hurts.

Seokjin’s steady presence is enough to soothe Yoongi, the not so alone Yoongi, he is able to recall fond memories, of first loves and butter cookies, of clumsy lips and long books rants.

As the song speeds up so does their feet, Seokjin shares how for one of his dramas he had to learn to ballroom dance and Yoongi clumsily follows him, almost dragging his feet and sometimes stepping in Seokjin’s feet.

The older laughs and guides him, gentle voice counting and the hand of his waist tightening when they change direction.

When the song slows down again, Yoongi hugs Seokjin’s neck again and lays on his chest, he likes the firm feeling of it, it helps him keep him grounded. Seokjin quietly hums the rest of the song, Yoongi likes Seokjin’s version better.

Wait for me to come home, the words resonate inside Yoongi even after the song is over, both stay hugging in the middle of the dance floor, another slow song starts playing.

“Do you want to dance again?” Seokjin whispers, almost as if he spoke a little louder it would disturb the moment and Yoongi would push him away.

Yoongi hears the familiar song and nods, he worries a little about Seokjin probably taking his dancer side a little too serious, but then the man sings the first line of the songs and Yoongi break into a smile.

“Fly me to the moon” His movements are slow at first, but Yoongi knows the asshole if just waiting until the song speeds up a little more for him to probably spin Yoongi around like a pirinola and show off his dancing skills.

Yoongi likes the song, because even if he has heard it in way too many movies, the song couldn’t be more descriptive of how he once felt for the man in front of him, it feels like a daydream.

Seokjin is grinning as a fool as he spins Yoongi and Yoongi, he doesn’t mind, because every time he falls back into Seokjin’s arms, he wishes the moment could last forever.

Yoongi is just happy to have this little moment, he is glad that Seokjin stayed for a while.

***

Yoongi doesn’t has a lot of chances of seeing sunrises, but as the party dies down and everyone either goes home and goes inside the house to sleep, Yoongi and Seokjin are up on their favorite tree.

Seokjin’s phone is playing random songs, Yoongi hears some old songs and some songs he has never heard, he likes them.

Patrick Monahan sings softly as the sky starts being painted with orange tones, he sings about marrying, Yoongi thinks it’s too cheesy.

“Jin?” He calls as he munches on some twizzlers he found left at the candy table.

“Mm?” The older has his head leaned back on the tree’s trunk, his eyes closed and looking peaceful with a half chewed twizzler on his hand.

Yoongi smiles softly at him, a smile only reserved for him, the songs goes on the part of being happy by his side, Yoongi thinks that Seokjin already made him happy by being by his side for a short time “Thank you.”

The older opens slightly his eyes, he looks like he is glaring at the younger, but Yoongi knows he is just too tired to look at him properly “For what?”

Yoongi shrugs again and leans back on the tree’s trunk, twizzler no longer tasty for him to keep him eating “For letting me love you when we were younger.”

The older keeps quiet for a couple of minutes, the sky is painting with light, their time together is coming to an end, Yoongi thinks, a small smile appears on Seokjin’s face, almost as if recalling a fond memory “Thank you for loving me.”

The song changes, Mumm-ra lift up the mood with the happy beat of She’s Got You High , Yoongi likes that song, it reminds him of good times. He extends his free hand and Seokjin holds it without any other word, both hands lazily hanging up between them.

“Jin?” He calls again and for a moment wishes he could have a paper airplane just to see if fly towards the sunset, towards the sky painted in blues and oranges, a golden shower, he doesn’t wants to close his eyes even if he is feeling sleepy, afraid of missing any detail of the first hours of the new day.

He hears the older sigh, probably annoyed and just wanting to rest even for a few hours before having to have a long trip back home and go back to work “Mm?”

Yoongi debates wherever to tell him thanks again, he knows that would really annoy Seokjin, so he says the other thing he has been thinking for a while “When you go back home, send me a polaroid of the cherry blossoms, I miss them.”

Seokjin holds his hand tighter, but Yoongi pretends not to notice.

It’s quiet for a few seconds, the song is almost coming to an end and Yoongi happily hums the song, Yoongi thinks the man fell asleep, the sky is now becoming the normal color he sees every morning, he hears the sleepy voice of Seokjin reply “Okay.”

As Yoongi convinces Seokjin of climbing down and going to sleep, Seokjin’s phone keep playing songs, this time Paramore betrays Yoongi by singing about his best kept secret. He hums Still into You as he walks back home that morning.

***

If Yoongi’s life were a musical he would be definitely be having his angsty moment and signing Don’t Speak , but instead he is handing Seokjin the photos he took on their little trip and saying goodbye.

He slept less than 3 hours before Hoseok banged on his door and told him they were leaving soon, it’s been awhile since he woke up and immediately ran around to look for decent clothes while brushing his teeth.

“Don’t forget my polaroid!” Yoongi waves his hand as Seokjin goes inside the car, Hoseok is already inside looking half-dead while trying not to doze off.

Seokjin smiles at him, eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses, an oversized purple hoodie gives him sweater paws “I’ll also send you some real candy, I can’t believe you think twizzlers are good.” He scrunches up his nose and Yoongi laughs.

“Whatever you loser.” Seokjin closes the car door and Yoongi makes sure to make his smile extra big, he wants Seokjin to have a good memory of him.

Seokjin also waves his hand until the car turns on the corner and Yoongi cannot longer see him, his smile falls and he drops his hands by his side, he is alone again.

He stays standing on the street for a few more minutes, he looks back at Seokjin’s parents house, it needs to be repainted, it’s also quiet, everyone probably still sleeping, only the soft tune of the bird chirping from the trees.

He is home, he repeats himself as he goes back home.

***

It’s been a couple of busy weeks, Seokjin barely has had time to sleep as his schedule becomes even more crazy, he has a new drama he has been filming while also promoting his new drama he finished filming before the wedding, he has also been on a lot of variety shows, apparently people loved him more once some photos of him at his brother’s wedding leaked out and they all thought he was a good son and a good brother.

He hasn’t catched a break in weeks, he can already see that he has lost some weight and his dark circles are not Hoseok’s favorites to deal with, but he still loves his job and even if he was kind of overworking himself, he was happy.

He hasn’t even noticed that cherry blossom season was almost done, hasn’t noticed that he forgot to ask for Yoongi’s number, he fails to notice a lot of things.

***

By the time his schedules slowed down a little, it was too late, seasons have changed and cherry blossoms season was over and all Seokjin could find were fallen petals. Nothing pretty enough for him to photograph and send Yoongi something to remind him of the pretty trees.

He frowns, because if he missed so much the cherry blossoms he should get out of the little town and star again.

He should be living his dreams, not giving them up, he no longer had nothing tying him up in there.

“You look angry.” Jungkook sits next to him at the studio, the older brought him food in order for the younger to have a break from producing “Want to share it?” He slowly takes the food out of the bag and sets in on the table.

“Min Yoongi.” Seokjin frowns and looks down.

Jungkook stops and looks at the older “Who?”

Seokjin chews on his lower lip distractedly “My old neighbor.”

“The one you used to have a massive crush on but were too much of a wimp to tell him you liked him back?” So Jungkook really pays attention at him when he rants about random things.

“Yeah.” He grabs his chopsticks just to occupy his hands with something “I saw him in the wedding.”

Jungkook hums and starts opening the food containers “And?”

Seokjin watches Jungkook happily munch on his food, he is young and even if the industry is hard, he still keep a little bit of innocence, in the way his eyes shine and look at him with so many questions. He kind of reminds him of a young Min Yoongi, too passionate about small things in life, too vibrant, too free.

“He went back home.” He looks away, a knot forms on his stomach, still he grabs a little of rice.

“As for the wedding or to work there?”

He munches on the rice a couple of more times, he takes his time to order his ideas, to actually know why he is so upset Yoongi didn’t came all the way to Seoul to watch the cherry blossoms he claims to miss so much “He lives there now.”

Jungkook takes a sip of his drink and nods “And that upsets you because?”

“I doesn’t upsets me, I’m just…” It does upsets him, but he is not sure why.

Jungkook palms his back with a little more force than necessary “You are upset hyung. Why? Are you scared that he is wasting his life in that little town of yours?”

Seokjin puts his chopsticks on the table and grabs his bag, where he has safely kept the photos Yoongi gave him “He is great, talented, he is funny and handsome, yet he is just…” He shakes his head and hands the photos to Jungkook “Staying there and I don’t know why he is just doing that.”

Jungkook looks at the photos, a sad smile on his face, maybe he has figured something Seokjin hasn’t, it would be incredible if he could share it with him.

“Remember Park Jimin?” He puts the photos down on his lap, he is staring at an old photo frame that has been long empty.

“The dancer from your hometown, right?”

He remembers Jungkook telling everyone in the company about this great sunbaenim he had back in Busan, saying that the company needed to scout him and give him a debut, a bunch of people from the company traveled all the way to there only for Park Jimin to be everything Jungkook had described.

He came to Seoul a couple of weeks after, Seokjin didn’t had too much time back then but he remembers the smaller man, a big aura about him, he also remembers everyone being surprised for his sudden departure from the company and his sudden decision of going back to his hometown.

Seokjin hasn’t heard of him ever since and Jungkook never spoke of him again, so he didn’t bothered to asked what had happened.

Jungkook hums in affirmation and sighs “I felt just like you, why would he waste his potential just to go back to that small town? If he could stay here and just make his dreams big.” Seokjin nods in understanding “It took me a couple of years but I eventually went back home and ran into him.”

Seokjin can relate to that, especially on the taking a while to go home part, Jungkook is indeed his platonic soulmate.

“I asked him why he had given up his dreams and he…” Jungkook shakes his head, his smile has a gloomy tinge to it “he told me a story of how he had ran into an old friend when he was in Seoul, how once he noticed the small details his friend that just came from visiting Busan carried with him, made him yearn home. He told me he  smelled like the sea, he looked so carefree and was tanned, I thought it was dumb, but he said that were the small things that made a home, and that home for him was the little town he grew up in.”

Seokjin frowns at the younger, because Yoongi didn’t went back on his own will at first and maybe he just grew accustomed to being there, so he just stayed.

“He was still doing what he liked the most, he opened a dance studio there and was teaching to all ages, I thought it was just him making excuses but then he invited me to one of his classes, when I saw him dance, I think I saw even more passion than before, but most important he looked happy. Jimin was in the right place, he was where he wanted to be. I think…” He hands back the photos to Seokjin “your friend is the same, he is not wasting himself away, he is home, his photos show it, there’s love in them, he is not wasting his potential, he is where he wants to be.”

Seokjin looks down at the photo on his hands, it’s a photo Yoongi took of Seokjin laying on the grass, eyes crinkling while he laughs and hands in front of his body, trying to push the younger away but not being able to stop laughing.

Seokjin can almost hear Yoongi telling him to not move and to just let him take the photo, the composition is perfect, Yoongi has a lot of talent, he can feel Yoongi’s love from the photo, the way he gently smiled while taking the picture

He looks at Jungkook who is watching him with a knowing smile “I’ll tell your manager, don’t worry, I think there’s a train soon.”

***

Yoongi laughs as Taehyung whines and clings on Namjoon’s arm, his friend came to visit for a little and Yoongi is happy to have him back.

“You didn't even brought us souvenirs.” The younger pouts and Namjoon sighs.

“I didn’t went on vacation, I was studying.” But he still rummages through his backpack and takes out a small box and hands it to Taehyung.

“I knew it.” Tae smiles happily and opens the box only to find a pair of pretty earrings “If I wasn’t taken I would kiss you.” Yoongi laughs even harder and is glad Jimin didn’t had time this week to come all the way from Busan, teasing his clueless friend was too much fun.

“You have a boyfriend?” He asks shocked “Since when?”

Yoongi eats in silence “You don’t remember Jimin? I met him one summer on Busan, back when my dad was building the bakery there, I ran into him a few years ago when I went to Seoul to look for hyung, we’ve only started dating recently.” He shrugs and happily puts the earrings with the helps of his phone camera.

“I only went for a couple of years to study abroad, do you have any news you haven’t told me?” Namjoon squints at Yoongi but the older shakes his head, the last time he properly saw Namjoon was on his mother’s funeral and ever since then he hasn’t done nothing that needed immediate intervention from the now lawyer.

 “I took photos of the Kim’s wedding, that’s as secretly as it gets.” He happily chews on another piece of meat.

Tae nods enthusiastically “It was crazy, I was there as a recorder for Yoongi and man, so much important people.” He shakes his head, clearly still overwhelmed from the all the fancy things at the party “One of the best parties I’ve been to and I wasn’t even invited.”

“The Kim’s uh?” Namjoon looks at Yoongi and the smaller man shrugs.

“He was the best man, of course he was going to come, c’mon Namjoon it’s been years.” Yoongi answer the unspoken question about Kim Seokjin showing up.

He met Namjoon back on college, he was only a year younger but to Yoongi it felt like the younger was way more wise than him, he spoke like an old soul yet he laughed so youthfully and acted so childish when Taehyung came to visit, Yoongi really liked him.

He is not alone, Taehyung was waiting for him the morning he came back from saying goodbye to Seokjin, bed hair and slippers where part of his charm as he hugged the older and whined about being hungry and sleepy.

He also gifted Yoongi a postcard of cherry blossoms he bought on his last trip to Seoul, Yoongi kept it on his old notebook, he wasn’t alone because even if he lived alone, Taehyung always made random stops, sometimes alone and sometimes dragging his boyfriend with him, Namjoon was just a new addition to his house since the younger just finished studying abroad.

Now that seasons had changed, his good memories with Seokjin were still there, a little distant, but he sometimes looked at the old tree and smiled, because he could almost taste butter cookies and remember pretty sunrises, the memory of the soft music and Seokjin’s hand on his. It was a nice memory to have, he knows that the older has been too busy, he has been seeing his latest works and according to the internet he was working on new project and filming and shooting a bunch of stuff. Yoongi hopes that when seasons change again, Seokjin maybe would take a break.

***

Seokjin pants as he runs home, there weren’t taxis at the train station and the bus stop was a little far from his house.

He tries to regulate his breathing before knocking on the door, he is sweating and the hoodie doesn’t helps with it. Well, it’s not like Yoongi hasn’t seen him looking like a mess back in the day.

He chews his bottom lip anxiously as he knocks on the door and waits for Yoongi to answer “Don’t tell me you forgot something Namjoon.” He hears Yoongi voice on the other side of the door, it has a teasing edge to it “I thought you triple checked.”

He opens the door with a small smile but freezes immediately as he sees the person on the other side.

His hair is now a deep black, but other than that Seokjin can’t see something else changing ““Do you really want to photograph couples, pets and sunsets for the rest of your life?” The words stumble out of his mouth before he can’t stop them, because his mind is running with a lot of thoughts, he has too many questions he wants to ask the man standing in front of him.

Yoongi frowns but opens his door more to allow the older to enter “Hi.” He answers back and Seokjin enters his home, it smells like vanilla candles, the house is definitely different from how Seokjin remembers it “Want to drink something? I was making some tea.” He offers and starts walking towards the kitchen, Seokjin follows after taking off his shoes.

He watches Yoongi gently pour tea into his cup and blow at it, he then takes out from the fridge a few grapes and walks towards the living room, Seokjin follows him.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were filming something?” The younger speaks again.

“Jungkook told me a story and I wanted to come and make sure it was right.” Yoongi frowns but decided not to ask about it, he doesn’t even know who Jungkook is.

“And? Have you found your answer?” He leans back on his chair and sips from his tea.

Seokjin studies him, the man just looks like he fits right into the house, he also doesn’t sees any sign around that might imply that Yoongi is thinking of leaving any time soon, he thinks of Jungkook’s words again.

“Do you want to go back to Seoul?” He finally asks and Yoongi laughs, a full on laugh with his head thrown back and gums showing.

“You really came all the way to just ask me that?”

Seokjin sighs “It’s just… Do you really want to just stay here? Why would you even stay here? I remember spending so much trying to get out of here and you just…” He gestures to the place with his hands “you are willingly staying, why?”

Yoongi puts back the cup on the table and gives him a small smile “Really took you awhile to come with that.” He thinks for a couple of seconds and simply shrugs as he speaks “I’ve seen the world, but no place felt right, and when I came home it just… It was just right.”

Seokjin remains quiet, wanting to hear the rest of the story “I didn’t gave up my dreams if that’s what you think, maybe I want to keep photographing couples, pets and sunsets as you put it, who knows?” It’s Yoongi’s turn to sigh “I know this place doesn’t feel like home to you, your home is a place more busier, much bigger than this small town. I’m not telling you to do the same, but you can come see me when you are tired or need a break, I will always be here.”

He smiles softly and puts his hand on top of Seokjin’s, there’s a glint in his eyes, the vibrant one that appeared on them every time he was going to do something unpredictable. So when he leans and kisses Jin, the older is not surprised at all, because even if it’s not their first kiss, Yoongi still makes his heart beat rapidly.

It brings back memories of butter cookies and long days talking about random books, it bring him peace.

“It’s okay to be tired and take a break.” Yoongi whispers, eyes looking at Seokjin with the same glint “But only for a while okay?”

Seokjin nods, because even if he still doesn’t understands Yoongi choice to stay on their hometown, he respects it, it takes a lot of courage to find a place you love and want to stay in, it takes a lot to not give up on your dreams and find something that makes you happy.

“Good, now let’s take some stress of you.” Yoongi leans again and kisses him again, this time with a little more of urgency, a little deeper, Seokjin has an early train to catch and not enough time to make Yoongi fall apart with his hands.

Min Yoongi makes Seokjin fall in love.

***

This time Yoongi comes to the train station with him to make sure he actually leaves. He buys Seokjin some candy for the trip back home and waves his hand as he watches the train leave, a gummy smile on his face and a polaroid of the both of them on his wallet.

Seokjin leaves behind his hometown once again, not sure when he will come back, not sure if he will, he is not like Yoongi, he doesn’t understands the small things. He doesn’t see the appeal on the old town, the beauty on photographing the same things over and over, but it’s okay, he thinks as Yoongi is left behind and so is his hometown.

He doesn’t mind the uncertainty of the thought of going back, the ache on his heart as his first love disappears once again, because as Promise The Stars play through his headphones and he chews on some terrible twizzlers Yoongi insisted on his buying for his trip back, he knows that Yoongi is home.

And just like Jungkook said, both are where they need to be at the moment.