Work Text:
The first thing that people never seem to realize about Min Yoongi is that he’s smart.
Hey, it takes a combination of guts and brains to set up this whole business the way he has. Yoongi was determined that his job wouldn’t take up too much of his energy, preferring to save it for his friends and hobbies and damn it, he’s good at it too. Fewer people than you’d think are cut out for cuddling with strangers, even if it does effectively mean getting paid for sleeping. Cuddling isn’t for everyone. Cuddling for profit even less so. But Yoongi has mastered the art of sleeping (or pretending to, at least, since he’s not dumb enough to be unconscious around strangers) for money.
He can tell within a few minutes if someone is a side-cuddler, or if they just want to hold hands. If they prefer to be the big or little spoon. He’s good at evaluating people.
So it’s no question in Yoongi’s mind that something is up with Jung Hoseok.
Yoongi got a recommendation to pick up Hoseok as a client via one of Taehyung’s regulars, Jimin. They worked in the same business, he said with an exaggerated pout, and his Hobi-hyung was just so tense these days, and would Yoongi terribly mind making room in his schedule for a trial run?
(“Why are you bothering asking me this?” Yoongi asked, hand outstretched expectantly. “You know what the deal here is.”
Jimin sniffed imperiously as he passed over a wad of cash. He doesn’t remove his chin from Taehyung’s shoulder and Taehyung seems perfectly content to be made smaller than he is, blinking contentedly up at Yoongi. “Consent to physical touch is important! Hoseokkie-hyung wanted me to make sure. Keep noon free?”
“What am I, an amateur?” Yoongi rolled his thumb across the edge of the bills, unaccountably nervous. “Go for it. Noon or whatever. Just tell him to knock first.”)
For their first few sessions, Hoseok was … Not jumpy, but wary. Like a wild animal whose trust Yoongi had yet to earn. Yoongi made himself more vulnerable than he usually prefers, laying down to rest his head in Hoseok’s lap and imperiously placing one of Hoseok’s delicate hands in his hair.
When nothing happened, Yoongi cracked an eye open. “Well?”
The hand in his hair twitched. Hoseok swallowed, nervous, eyes flitting from the door to the window, back again. “Well what?”
“Pet me, Hoseok,” Yoongi instructed, wry and coarse. “Pet my head and tell hyung about your day, will you? We’re all friends here.”
A laugh bubbled out of Hoseok but he listened finally, his fingers carding through Yoongi’s hair. He made a quiet noise as he brushed the deep red strands, and Yoongi grunted curiously in response. “Sorry,” Hoseok said. “It’s just a lot softer than I thought it’d be.”
“You could say the same about most of me,” Yoongi replied, patting his own stomach and its soft give. A smile twitched in the corner of his mouth at Hoseok’s breathless laugh. “Now. Again. Tell hyung about your day.”
That quiet afternoon, full of quiet conversation, had been one of the best Yoongi ever had, so much so that when his alarm went off to indicate the end of their session, he almost didn’t want to let Hoseok go. Hoseok had a considerate quality to his conversation, and his intent gaze made Yoongi feel peculiarly paid attention to, all of Hoseok’s considerable focus narrowed down to what came out of Yoongi’s mouth.
“Ah, I suppose I should let you go.”
Hoseok blinked. “Has it really been…? That didn’t feel like two hours.”
Yoongi waved a hand, sitting up with a yawn. “Time flies, etcetera, etcetera. Man, I got comfy though. Did I leave any drool on you?”
Giving himself a quick once-over, Hoseok shook his head. “No, it doesn’t seem so.”
“Good news for you, then. I charge extra for the drool,” he said dryly. Hoseok looked so stricken that he had to stifle a laugh and waved. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. You’re pretty uptight, huh?”
“Yoongi-ssi,” said Hoseok, his mouth triangling into what had to be one of the most devastating pouts ever to exist on a human being’s face, and Yoongi regularly hung out with Jungkook and Taehyung, both of whom were masters of puppy eyes. “I have delicate nerves. Please be nice to me.”
Yoongi scoffs. “I’m always nice.”
“Yoongi-ssi,” Hoseok murmured.
Yoongi put a hand on Hoseok’s smooth cheek. “Hyung. If you’re going to cuddle with me, the least we can do is be familiar.”
For a moment, it seemed like Hoseok would keep his distance. And then Yoongi was treated to the most radiant smile. Wide and heart-shaped and entirely to blame for the way Yoongi’s heart stuttered a little. “Alright, hyung,” he said, and next time, he let Yoongi coax him into laying in Yoongi’s lap. He had an off-button in the form of being pet that he hadn’t let Yoongi know about, and he just looked so sweet with his nose pressed against Yoongi’s hipbone and the silent slide of tears down his face and-
Hang on.
Yoongi’s going a little off track.
The point isn’t Hoseok’s smile, or how endearing his laugh is, or how he never cries where he thinks Yoongi can see it, even though he cries a lot. The point is:
Hoseok falls asleep in Yoongi’s presence.
The point is:
Hoseok has nightmares.
There. That’s the point. The only point worth making.
Hoseok has become something of a regular over the last several months. A chipper guy like him didn’t really seem to match with Yoongi’s typical clientele, but the desperation, the longing for uncomplicated human contact, was all too apparent behind Hoseok’s blinding smile. He sags into Yoongi’s hold, dark circles apparent beneath his eyes, and Yoongi knows in an instant that this is going to be a session where he’s going to have to work Hoseok down to sleep.
Yoongi drags his fingers through Hoseok’s soft hair. “Long week, hm?”
Hoseok nudges his face up into the touch. “The longest. Things are tense and I just. Haven’t heard from Jiminie in a while.”
That tracks with what Yoongi has heard from Taehyung, actually. Jungkook even came up for breath from sucking a dark bruise into Taehyung’s collarbones to ditto the concern because if his boyfriend is worried about his platonic soulmate, then Jungkook is going to be worried too. Yoongi gets it, and doesn’t. Anyone with eyes can tell that Jimin can take care of himself. Unfortunately, anyone with eyes is also liable to fall in love with Jimin, if not at first sight, then at second. He pats Hoseok’s head again. “You worry about him a lot, hm?”
“It always makes me nervous when I haven’t gotten word from him yet. I know Namjoonie and Jin-hyung are keeping a good eye on him, and if they’re not worried, I shouldn’t be, but-“
“Ah, Seokseok-ah, you’re a worrier. Don’t beat yourself up about that.” Yoongi pushes idly at the divot crease between Hoseok’s eyebrows. “Big spoon or little spoon today?”
Hoseok frowns, his little dimples popping out. “Big spoon, please.”
With a grunt, Yoongi rolls over, tugging Hoseok close and closer. He doesn’t have to wait long before Hoseok nudges up right behind him, slotting himself perfectly against Yoongi’s back. God. Hoseok should do this instead. Hoseok is a premier cuddler. Yoongi runs his hands across Hoseok’s arms where they cross over Yoongi’s stomach, feeling the tight, corded muscle beneath with curious taps of his fingers. “Hoseok-ah, you’re in good shape. Keeping busy?”
Hoseok muffles a cough against Yoongi’s shoulder. “Yes. Yes, that. I’m uh. A private. Security? Consultant?”
Twisting, Yoongi shoots him a doubtful look. “That sounds like a question.”
“It’s. New. I’m not used to it yet, I guess.”
The doubt turns into an outright squint, and Yoongi counts the laugh he feels rock through Hoseok’s frame as a victory. “Hm.” He sucks a breath through his teeth, deliberating for several moments before he says, “Sounds fake but okay.”
“Fake?” Hoseok squawks. “You literally cuddle people for money and you call my job fake? Hyung, I’m hurt.”
Yoongi slaps him lightly on the arm, the gesture more admonishing than serious. “I do call your job fake. Learn to lie better next time. Honestly, you can’t even respect me enough to come up with a good story.”
Hoseok’s laughter ruffles the short hair at the base of Yoongi’s ear, tickling with every breath and thus doubly tortuous when Hoseok is right there, spooned up behind him and laughing. Tingles rush across his skin, a wave of sensation that has Yoongi stifling a shiver. Hoseok must mistake it for being cold, wrapping his arms around Yoongi even tighter. Knees to knees, hips flush against his ass, Hoseok takes advantage of every spare bit of height he has on Yoongi and it – isn’t frustrating this once. Yoongi doesn’t feel small, just cradled.
“Ah, you caught me, dude. I’m actually a former assassin and this is part of my rehabilitation training.”
Yoongi snorts, swatting Hoseok again. “I said to lie better, Seokseok-ah.”
Something in Hoseok’s voice is strange, distant, as he says, “You did, hyung.”
They fall silent after that. Yoongi keeps up his slow, gentle stokes on Hoseok’s forearms, listening to the way Hoseok’s breath evens out, puffing against the back of Yoongi’s neck.
Won’t be long now, Yoongi knows.
Half an hour goes peacefully by, unbroken by anything other than a few soft snores, some twitching. Yoongi picks up his phone with one hand and mindlessly scrolls through social media, liking a few of Jungkook’s posts about his and Taehyung’s date. Laser tag, this time. Hopefully Jungkook doesn’t get them banned from another place. Then-
Then.
It’s the unnatural stillness that alerts Yoongi that something is up. He sets his phone down and waits. Turning over now will only wake Hoseok up sooner and Yoongi isn’t keen to revisit the bruises he got from being restrained last time.
In an instant, Hoseok is awake.
Awake seems somehow a poor word for it, too soft. Hoseok jolts back into consciousness with the full force of someone slamming into a brick wall, breathing heavily and trembling, his hands clenched hard around Yoongi’s middle, hard enough to hurt. Yoongi winces, but grasps Hoseok’s delicate wrists in his hands, squeezing. “Seokseok-ah. You’re awake.”
“Hyung,” Hoseok whimpers.
The iron grip around Yoongi relaxes just enough for Yoongi to roll over and he wriggles gracelessly up until Hoseok’s face is tucked into his shoulder.
“Shh,” Yoongi whispers, carding his hand through Hoseok’s soft hair. “Shh, shh. It’s okay, Seok. I’ve got you. It’s okay.”
Hoseok clings to Yoongi, gets rocked back and forth as Yoongi mumbles softly, anything from quiet platitudes to nonsense sounds, anything to draw the darkness from Hoseok’s eyes. Eventually, his tears slow and his breathing eases. Yoongi reluctantly lets Hoseok pull away but doesn’t allow him to go far.
“Aren’t you even a little curious about why I have such bad dreams?” Hoseok asks. He’s unfairly adorable with his mouth pouted out a little and his eyes all red and Yoongi doesn’t even try to resist the urge to wipe up his tears with his thumbs, cradling Hoseok’s sweet face in his palms.
“If I asked, you’d clam up. You don’t like people prying. I just figured if you wanted to tell me, you would.” Yoongi clicks his tongue, wiping at a few more stray tears.
Hoseok stares at him, eyes darting this way and that. Looking for something. Yoongi is content to let him look. At worst, he’d notice how Yoongi can’t quite seem to look away from his mouth, the little freckle on his upper lip a beacon for his attention.
“Do you want to tell hyung, Hoseokkie?”
“Can I?”
Yoongi smiles, fitting his thumb to the curve of Hoseok’s mouth. “You can do anything you want to.”
“In my dreams,” says Hoseok, face hardening, “I see the people I’ve killed.”
“Ah, is that it? I don’t understand how you can be so sweet and so deadly at the same time,” Yoongi grumbles, guiding Hoseok’s hair away from his face. “You’re really telling me that this sweet boy who I find in my bed a few times a week is a killer? I’ve seen you in footie pajamas.”
“Yep,” Hoseok says, pushing into the contact greedily. “In my defense, I did tell you.”
“No, no, see, I had money with Tae that you were a hacker or something, not an assassin,” says Yoongi absently. This one strand of hair drives him to distraction, refusing to stay in place while he fusses with it. “I knew you were up to some shit because Taehyung and Jungkook can’t keep any secrets about what Jimin does for a living, but I can’t believe I got it wrong. I’m usually better than that.”
Hoseok jerks slightly. He pulls back, eyes wide. “You knew all along?”
Frowning, Yoongi says, “Yeah? I’m not going to let someone fall asleep with me without a full background check, you know.”
“Yeah, I guess, but.” Hoseok seems at a loss for words, his pretty eyelashes fluttering as he blinks rapidly, trying to make sense of what Yoongi’s saying. Really, it isn’t that complicated. Yoongi isn’t sure where the disconnect is coming from. “You knew all along and you still let me fall asleep on you?”
Yoongi snorts. “When you’re asleep, I’m pretty sure I’m more of a threat to you than you are to me.” He drags his fingers through Hoseok’s hair, humming. “Don’t worry about it. Hyung had it all taken care of.”
“Did you now? Even though I could’ve hurt you?”
“Hoseok-ah, I’m a certified black belt and we always ensure our clients are disarmed before we lay down with them. Besides,” and here Yoongi tilts up just a hair, nuzzling the sharp line of Hoseok’s jaw, trailing kisses in his wake. “You wouldn’t hurt me and we both know that. You like me too much for that.”
“You’re very confident, hyung,” Hoseok says, but his voice is teasing and his shoulders are finally losing their last bit of tension. “You really think you can get me pinned down that easily?”
Yoongi scrapes his teeth across Hoseok’s pulse just to feel his full-body shiver. “Seok-ah, I think you would let me do just about anything I wanted to.”
“And what about the things I want to do to you? Would you let me do those things to you, hyung?” Hoseok’s grip around his wrists tightens and Yoongi lets out a pleased little sigh.
“As long as you asked nicely, yeah. Come on, lay down with hyung.” Yoongi trails kisses up Hoseok’s neck, tasting of salt and skin, all the way to the giving bow of his mouth. Their lips catch, connect, and Yoongi luxuriates in the feeling of finally kissing Hoseok slowly. “Lay down and don’t leave.”
Hoseok’s cheeks are flushed, mouth bitten pink and parted, when Yoongi finally pulls back. His eyes are shining, bright, and he looks so radiant Yoongi’s heart barely knows how to handle it. Nodding, Hoseok threads his fingers through Yoongi’s. “Alright. I’m not going anywhere, Yoongi-hyung.”