Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Having a best friend is a blast.

Having a best friend that lives just one street over might even be better. And it’s the absolute best when your best friend has a hot older brother – because what else are you supposed to do at your best friend’s place if it’s not pining after his hot older brother?

“He’s your brother, why don’t you go?” Taehyung whines, hoping that the slight panicky tone that bleeds into his voice goes unnoticed by Jungkook.

It was supposed to be another normal day at Jungkook’s place.

They do that a lot. Especially during the summer. Taehyung practically lives at the Min’s place. When he moved to Busan it was a little hard for him, his thick Daegu accent bleeding into his voice whenever he spoke. It made him a little insecure, especially because he was all alone in a big new city.

Jungkook was the first friend he made. The other was just as shy as him, both of them thinking the other was a little too arrogant, too stuck up to talk to because neither said a word once they were sat together during class. It wasn’t until they had to talk about their favorite movie that they found out they liked the same things and were pretty similar apart from that too.

The first time Taehyung went over to Jungkook’s house was when he was a wide-eyed and big-eared twelve-year-old. Jungkook spoke with the typical Busan accent but his parents spoke the way home sounds. At first, it was a little hard to detect but Taehyung noticed the hint of a Daegu accent slipping in here and there. He learned that Jungkook’s parents adopted him once they moved to Busan. That explained the difference in accents.

At the tender age of twelve Taehyung met Jungkook’s older brother for the first time. And it all went downhill since then.

“It’s because he’ll yell at me if I wake him up by accident but he won’t yell at you,” Jungkook is still arguing about the damn video game that’s hidden somewhere in Yoongi’s room. Yoongi, who was late out partying and still hasn’t risen from his hangover induced slumber. “He likes you.”

At this, Taehyung couldn’t help but perk up. “He does?” Fuck - he is so pathetic. Head over heels in love with his best friend’s older brother. What kind of shitty teen romance novel is this, huh?

“Duh,” Jungkook flicks him on the forehead before pushing him off the bed. Taehyung doesn’t even react, mind still stuck on the fact that Jungkook just said that Min motherfucking Yoongi likes him. “Of course, he always says you’re like his second little brother. But a lot less annoying than me.”

Right, little brother. Taehyung tries to not let the disappointment show on his face, hiding the expression with a pained one as he rubs his throbbing back.

That’s the problem with his dumb crush. Falling in love with your best friend’s older brother sounds good at first - until you realize that you’ll never be anything more than the friend of his little brother. If you actually do have a good relationship with him it would mostly develop into a similar one he has with his actual brother.

So, little brother it is.

But oh - that is not the last thing. Little brother and straight. Those are the problems with Taehyung’s crush. He doesn’t know much about Yoongi. Yeah, they spent a lot of time with him when the other babysat them after they got drunk on the wine Jungkook’s mom hid in the cellar when they were fourteen. Jungkook’s parents haven’t trusted them to be on their own since then and Yoongi came in to save the day.

Taehyung went on family trips with the Min’s, sometimes both of their families go to the same place and he spent a lot of time with the Min brothers there.

But apart from that Taehyung just sees him around the house and at school. They aren’t strangers. Yoongi greets him when they see each other, he ruffles his hair affectionately when he’s lounging on Jungkook’s couch and he gives him the last piece of pizza all the time. But that’s it. They don’t really know each other a lot but Taehyung hears rumors. Yoongi is partying a lot. He has all these cool, older friends that he goes out with only to come back late at night. Mostly drunk or at least tipsy. Taehyung has seen him with girls, saw a few sneak out of his bedroom after a night out, and heard the people speak at school.

So, he’s not only dealing with a crush on a guy that thinks of him as his little brother but is also straight.

Ah, Taehyung’s heart is dumb.

And it pounds violently against his ribs as he stands in front of the other’s closed bedroom door. His light snores could be heard in the hallway and Taehyung draws in a shaky breath before tiptoeing into the room. Yoongi’s room is stuffy, smells of alcohol and he forgot to close his blinds. But the blinding sunlight doesn’t seem to disturb his slumber.

He forces his eyes to stay on the floor as he shuffles through the room as quietly as possible. Yoongi keeps his games in the corner right on the other side of the door, the bright covers mixed in a giant heap on the floor. His feet almost catch on the blanket that’s hanging off Yoongi’s bed but Taehyung manages to make it through the room without disturbing the elder.

If he learned something from sleeping over at Jungkook’s it’s that Yoongi sleeps like a log whenever he gets really drunk. Hopefully, that’s the case right now too. Because even if the other wouldn’t get mad at him for being in here, he really doesn’t want to be at the receiving end of his deep, husky morning voice.

Thankfully, he finds the right game fairly easily. This wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. He’ll just have to get out without making a noise and everything would be fine. Everything is going fine until something rustles and he hears a low groan behind him.

He freezes, heart pounding in his throat and blood rushing in his ears. His grip tightens around the game as he peeks over his shoulder.

What a big fucking mistake that was.

Taehyung notices two things. First, the sunlight falling through the window hits Yoongi perfectly which makes him look like he belongs in one of these paintings they hang up in museums. Second, the worse thing, is that Yoongi is fucking - naked.

Buck ass naked. Like, not a single thing covered.

The blanket has completely fallen to the floor and Yoongi lies there, sprawled out over the whole expanse of his bed in all of his naked glory. Fucking shit. His gaze runs over his whole body on autopilot, there’s nothing he could have done to stop his eyes from searching every square inch of milky skin presented before him. And fuck - Taehyung really couldn’t do this.

He drops the game and books it out of the room in record time. Fuck. With cheeks burning from embarrassment, a dry throat, and a very interested dick in his pants he runs into the bathroom down the hallway. He ignores Jungkook who’s yelling after him as he slams the door closed behind him, quickly locking it.

Oh my - fuck. Fuck. God, he’s just a normal, healthy teenager - a very gay teenager and his dick is hard in his pants. Could this get even more embarrassing than it already is? Just because of the burning shame in his chest his boner should go down immediately but somehow it stays. The image of a naked Yoongi now burned into his brain forever. He’ll probably see those milky thighs, pink nipples, and - fuck. The picture would surely follow him into his wet dreams.

This is not good. Not good at all.

“Dude,” Jungkook knocks on the door while trying to keep his voice down. “What the fuck? What are you doing?”

“Dying.”

Taehyung slides down the door, sitting on the cold tiles as he wills his boner to go fucking down. He really couldn’t start jerking off inside of here to get rid of it. That’s not a low he wants to reach today. His eyes travel up to the window - a sprained ankle from jumping out of there sounds way better than having to explain why he’s locking himself in the bathroom. Or worse, it’s better than having to eventually face Yoongi.

God - he’ll have to move now. Maybe even emigrate. Just - getting as far away from Yoongi as possible.

“Tae, come out, please. What the fuck?” Jungkook is still outside but at least he stopped knocking furiously now. Oh no - how the hell is he supposed to explain this whole situation to Jungkook?

Maybe it would only be half as bad if Jungkook already knew about his preferences for guys and the crush on his brother would be the only thing he’d have to tell him. But Taehyung hasn’t told anyone. No one knows that he’s gay and he had wanted to keep it that way until he would have his first boyfriend someday.

It’s not like he really wants to hide it. Being gay is nothing he’s ashamed of it’s just - he never felt the need to have this big coming-out moment. If someone asked him about his sexuality he would have no problem answering them truthfully but he never felt the need to tell everyone. It just - never really crossed his mind.

He hides his face in his hands. His dick is still straining against his boxers and he wants to die. At least it feels like it’s finally going down - a little. The mortification of having to tell Jungkook everything now probably pushes all the sexy thoughts of Yoongi to the back of his mind and - fuck. Now, they’re at the front again.

No matter what, he certainly can’t come out of the bathroom. Not yet at least and that’s what he tells Jungkook.

“Why?” It sounds like the other has his lips pressed against the keyhole, voice a little muffled as he refuses to accept his answer.

With a groan, Taehyung hits the back of his head against the door. Fuck it. The day where he would have told Jungkook he was gay would have probably come sooner or later. He just wished he could have kept his crush to himself for - well, actually forever. It’s enough that Taehyung knows about his pathetic feelings.

“Because, Jungkook, your brother is sleeping fucking naked and I’m gay,” Taehyung sighs loudly, squeezing his eyes shut as if that would somehow stop his words from reaching the other, “I’m just very, very gay. And I like him and Jungkook, I really can’t come out now. Just – give me like a minute.”

The silence he definitely expected from the other side of the door doesn’t last half as long as he anticipated it to be. But what Jungkook is saying isn’t any better.

“Are you jerking off in there or what?” He’s about to yell something back when another voice could be heard and his whole body freezes once again.

It’s a weird sensation. Somehow, he freezes and at the same time his heart picks up its pace once more and he feels like falling and drowning simultaneously. Fuck Min Yoongi and his deep fucking morning voice.

His words are a little slurred, laced heavily with his Daegu accent but Taehyung could understand every single one perfectly - even through the door. “Why’re you always yelling early in the morning?”

Oh fuck - oh fuck, fuck, fuck.

“Hyung,” Jungkook sounds a little scandalized as he talks a little too loudly for it to be normal. God, Taehyung just prays the other doesn’t say something stupid to expose him. He has his ear pressed against the door now, heart pounding loudly in his chest as he tries to catch every spoken word from outside. “It’s already one o’clock. That’s hardly early in the morning – and would you mind putting some damn pants on?”

“Is Taehyung in there? Ey, little guy,” Yoongi yells, completely ignoring Jungkook’s words as he also starts violently knocking against the door. Taehyung jumps away from it like he’s been burned. “I really gotta piss – hurry up in there.”

“He’s jerking off –“

“I’m not!” Taehyung gasps loudly as he yanks the door open, almost taking Yoongi’s fist to the face. The other had still been ready to knock. His heart is definitely pounding way too fast to be normal, cold sweat gathering everywhere on his body and fuck - is it him, or does the room spin a little bit?

“Did your mother never taught you manners?” Yoongi shakes his head and Taehyung really has to force his eyes away from creepily staring at the smirk on the elder’s lips. Pathetic. “You don’t jerk off in other people’s bathrooms.”

“I wasn’t!” He tries to defend himself as Jungkook pulls him out of the doorway and towards his room. Yoongi doesn’t stop chuckling though as he enters the bathroom and Taehyung only quickly averts his eyes when it becomes obvious that the elder is not going to close the door. When he drops the underwear he had pulled on before Taehyung squeezes his eyes shut - but the image of Yoongi’s ass is already saved in his mind.

It’s right next to the full front view he’s just gotten a few minutes before. This has to be the best and worst day of his entire life.

Jungkook slams his bedroom door shut behind them. “I fucking hate you,” Taehyung snaps before dropping face down on the younger’s bed, screaming loudly into his pillow.

But as soon as his eyes close he sees Yoongi again. Sees his naked body and fucking shit. Why did this happen to him? Just why?

The bed dips next to him and fuck - Jungkook. He still has to deal with his best friend who definitely has a ton of questions right now. Oh, all Taehyung wants to do is change his name, dye his hair, and leave the country. His English isn’t the best but he’s cute - he’d probably survive in America if he tried to. Cute guys always survive somehow, right?

A hand rubs over his back and he reluctantly turns his head to the side, peering up at Jungkook next to him. The other is staring at him, eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed. He’s mad. Taehyung really couldn’t deal with that right now.

“Why did you never tell me that you’re gay?”

He buries his face back into the pillow as a blush starts creeping up his cheeks. Ah, this definitely isn’t how he planned this whole day to go. Why did Jungkook just have to convince him to get the damn game out of Yoongi’s room? And why the fuck is the other sleeping completely naked?

“I don’t know, I haven’t really told anyone – it’s just,” Taehyung eventually replies, eyes squeezing shut as he faces away from his best friend. It’s not like he never wanted to tell him - just not like this. He never knew how to bring it up so he didn’t. Hoped for an opportunity to arise to tell him but this is definitely not what he imagined to happen. “It’s nothing big. I’m just - gay.”

He waits for any kind of reaction. Waits for the younger to break their friendship because he’s surprisingly homophobic. Waits to get yelled at, accused of being a horrible friend because he never told him about this. What he doesn’t wait for is a slap to the back of his head and loud laughter. The reaction leaves him so perplexed that he can’t even react to the slap.

“Dude – I wouldn’t have forced you on all those double dates with girls if I knew you were gay!” Jungkook laughs loudly as he falls back on the bed. Slowly, Taehyung turns around to face him and a smile spreads over his lips.

To think that he even considered Jungkook to be homophobic for a second.

“It’s okay – the girls were always very nice,” He laughs along with the other.

“That’s not the point – okay. Forget it, it’s whatever now. So,” Jungkook turns serious again, eyes boring into his own before he grimaces slightly, “Yoongi? My brother Yoongi? Really?”

Taehyung’s cheeks light up again, redness spreading from his chest to the tips of his ears as he presses a pillow on his face to hide from his best friend’s judging eyes. “Shut up,” He whines loudly. This is what he didn’t want to deal with when his crush gets revealed. The fucking teasing would be endless.

“No, I’m really trying to understand you here,” Jungkook argues, pulling the pillow away, “I get that from an outsider's point of view he is generally speaking pretty, maybe even hot but you know him. Like, you’ve seen him lounging in his dirty ass room all the time, running around in weeks old shirts, eating the grossest things in the middle of the night. You helped me wash vomit out of his hair when he was drunk off his ass and threw up on himself. How do you still like him?”

Yeah… that’s a good question.

Taehyung has asked himself that question a lot of times actually. He laid awake at night so many times, eyes boring into his ceiling as he thought about his feelings for Jungkook’s brother. The first few nights he spent making promises with himself that he wouldn’t fall in love with a guy, that he wouldn’t become gay. Hell, he really thought it would stop him from being gay - these promises.

But he quickly realized that first, that was bullshit and second, being gay wasn’t all that bad. His feelings for Yoongi though. At first, it might have been simple admiration, the wish to also have a big brother that dotes on him as much as Yoongi does on Jungkook. Maybe that’s what he wanted at first, it didn’t really feel like a crush. But it quickly turned into one.

Maybe it was when he spent the first summer day in Jungkook’s backyard and their pool - it had felt like time was moving in slow motion as Yoongi pulled off his shirt and jumped into the water. And it all went downhill since then. It didn’t matter what Yoongi did and Taehyung witnessed a lot of things.

He caught Yoongi eating cold pizza with strawberries on top in the middle of the night. He saw the way his room sometimes looks more like a garbage dump than anything else. He cleaned up his vomit more than once, even got thrown up on one time. But then he also witnessed Yoongi softly caring for everyone around him, sat with Jungkook on his bed while listening to the short snippets of songs the other produced. Just like that.

Yoongi is crazy talented and just so pretty. He’s perfect in Taehyung’s eyes and there’s nothing that could change his view.

“I just do…” He shyly replies, voice dropping to a small whisper.

Jungkook doesn’t answer, just hums as he stares back up at the ceiling. They lay like that for quite a while, shoulders touching as they’re both caught somewhere in their head. Taehyung still trying to get rid of the naked images of his crush while Jungkook is definitely thinking about something else.

Suddenly, the younger gasps loudly and sits up. He excitedly shakes Taehyung by the shoulders. “If you two get together we’ll be like brothers too! Just imagine that! Oh my god – I gotta get you together.”

Taehyung would be happy to share the other’s excitement but he has long ago made peace with the fact that his crush on Yoongi would never be something more than that - a simple crush. “Is your brother even gay?”

“I – uhm, I don’t know?” Jungkook shrugs and the happy expression slowly slips off his face. “I only ever saw him with girls.”

“There you have it,” Taehyung sighs. Even though he knew everything would have been fruitless anyway it still stings. It still stings right there in his chest. “And he’ll definitely never see me as something more than the friend of his little brother.”

“You don’t know that.” Even Jungkook doesn’t sound convinced by his own words.

“I’m fine with admiring him from afar.”

“You mean pathetically pining over him?” And the teasing is quickly back again. Taehyung rolls his eyes. “Still don’t get what you see in him.”

“Shut up!” He slams his pillow down on Jungkook’s face while he climbs on him. Since the baseball season started once more Jungkook has been going back to the gym. There’s no way Taehyung could overpower him without a surprise attack. Sitting on his middle, he holds him down while repeatedly hitting him with the pillow, Jungkook trying to shield his face as he laughs loudly.

“He’s perfect!” Taehyung yells just as the door opens and both of them freeze. Yoongi’s head pops inside, wet hair clinging to his forehead and just a towel wrapped around his waist. Just a towel and a very, very wet Yoongi. Why does the universe hate Taehyung?

“Who’s perfect?” He asks.

You, Taehyung thinks, fucking you. Please fuck me.

“Uh –” His brain short circuits as his eyes follow a drop of water running down the other’s chest and his fucking - nipple piercing. Yoongi has fucking nipple piercings. Those are definitely new and Taehyung can’t believe he hasn’t noticed them sooner. His dick twitches in his pants. “Uh - Naruto?”

Yoongi ponders over his answer for a second before nodding in agreement. “Understandable – you have my permission to suffocate Kook to death.”

Jungkook’s protests get swallowed by the pillow Taehyung presses back down on his face. Oh fuck - he wonders how the piercings would feel against his tongue.

“Naruto? Really?” Jungkook asks once he manages to free himself from the pillow. He wriggles under him which sadly leads to Taehyung’s slowly hardening dick - blame Min fucking Yoongi and his fucking nipple piercings for that (!) - to brush against Jungkook’s stomach.

“Are you getting fucking hard?!” The younger screeches and Taehyung doesn’t even have a second to feel embarrassed before his body painfully hits the floor. “Your taste in men is definitely shit!” Jungkook groans loudly. “Go jerk off in the bathroom or something.”

Taehyung stares up at him from the floor. “When did your brother pierce his nipples?”

“Don’t talk to me about my brother’s nipples!”

Yoongi tries very hard to get rid of the one remaining stain on the carpet but it just wouldn’t cooperate. Jeez - when was the last time he actually did clean this apartment this thoroughly?

“I can’t wait to meet your brother and his friend,” Seokjin says from the couch. The elder really hasn’t been any kind of help even though he promised to clean with him when he came over.

But since he let himself into his apartment, Seokjin has done nothing other than raiding his stocked chips, sitting on his couch, and complaining about Yoongi’s fussing. As much as Yoongi loves the drama student - he should have asked one of his other friends to help him clean. Seokjin has never been one to be particularly tidy.

Yoongi should have known he had other motives when volunteering to help him clean the apartment before his brother and Taehyung would arrive.

Ah. It’s been so long since he saw his brother. Skyping with him just isn’t the same as the real deal.

“Yeah, I haven’t seen Kook in the last two months,” Yoongi says, eyes set on the offending stain. What did he spill there again? Or was that stain just always there? He doesn’t remember. But right now he takes its existence as a personal offense.

“What’s his friend called again?” Seokjin accidentally spills a few of his chips crumbs on the couch and for a second Yoongi considers if he’d be strong enough to throw him out of the window. But those broad shoulders - Yoongi doesn’t stand a chance.

“Taehyung. Haven’t seen him since –“ Yoongi actually isn’t that sure. Did he see Taehyung? See him more than occasionally in the room somewhere when he skyped with Jungkook? But then he’d only been a blur, someone in the background who would duck out of the room as soon as the video call started. “I think since I moved out.”

That makes a gasp fall from Seokjin’s lips. “And you just let him move in with you as well?”

“I was ready to house a stranger, Seokjin. He pays rent, he can live here and I know him. Taehyungie is just a shy boy,” Yoongi laughs. Ah - yeah. Taehyung.

Other than those very rare times he saw him behind Jungkook he has no idea what happened to him now. He’s probably the same big-eared and wide-eyed kid he always was. A little more grown now - probably, taller than him. Just like Jungkook is. Little fuckers don’t know when to stop growing, apparently.

“At least he was,” Seokjin pipes up, “Maybe he is totally different now. You wouldn’t know.”

“I doubt it -” Before Yoongi could say anything further the doorbell rings. They’re here. His heart skips a beat - it’s just nerves. It’s just his brother and Taehyung. Just the two guys who will live with him from now on.

Was this really a good idea? Jungkook is his little brother, he knows him but Taehyung? It’s been a few years now - he could be a completely different person. Probably is.

“Looks like we’re about to find out,” Seokjin is throwing away his bag of chips. They don’t quite make it to the trash but Yoongi couldn’t find it in him to be annoyed right now. He sticks his tongue out at the elder before walking towards the door.

He expects a bunny smile and doe eyes or maybe scared eyes and big ears but he doesn’t expect - this.

Behind the door is a man he has never seen before. Tall, broad shoulders, messy dark hair, and a face that’s just - Yoongi feels his heartbeat stutter. He could admit it when guys are pretty but this one right here - he’s beautiful. Intimidatingly beautiful.

“Uhm, hello?” Yoongi asks a little confused. What the hell is this guy doing in front of his door?

The other’s eyes widen, lips parting slightly as his cheeks flush. “Hi?”

“Hey?” Yoongi is too confused for this. What the hell is going on?

“Uh –” The guy scratches the back of his head, looking - fuck, he’s looking down at him. Yoongi hates being reminded of his height, having to endure enough teasing of his friends who are all way taller than him and his little brother on top of that. “Can I come in or?”

“I – who even –“

A familiar face suddenly appears behind the stranger, pushing him forwards into the apartment. “Jeez, hyung – aren’t you going to let us in? Get out of the way,” Jungkook laughs loudly and immediately drops two monstrous backpacks in the middle of the living room before he freezes, eyes locked with Seokjin who has that expression on his face - oh no. Yoongi wants to say something, has to say something but he’s still busy staring at the stranger in his living room.

“Oh – I didn’t know you had guests over,” Jungkook is speaking to him but his eyes are locked on Seokjin. He smirks slightly, ruffling his hair before winking at the other. “I’m Jungkook.”

“So, I’ve heard,” Seokjin is smiling back at him but the look in his eyes doesn’t promise something good. Oh - Yoongi should stop this right now but his words are stuck in his throat. “Seokjin.”

“I’m Taehyung,” The stranger introduces himself and Yoongi’s world stops spinning for a moment. That just couldn’t be true. No. Never. Not possible. Not at all.

“Taehyung?!” Yoongi couldn’t help but yell because this must be a joke. No way - There is no way that this man is the precious little Taehyung that couldn’t even look him in the eyes when they were younger.

But the man turns towards him with wide eyes - oh and now he sees the familiarity. There - it is. Wide-eyed and big-eared Taehyung. “Yes? It’s me - Taehyung.”

What - the fuck?

When Jungkook proposed the idea for the first time Taehyung went through the five stages of grief in under a minute.

Denial. Jungkook did not just suggest they would move in with his brother - whom Taehyung has crushed on for the most part of his life and hasn’t seen in years.

Anger. He couldn’t fucking believe that Jungkook would even dare to think about offering something like this. The younger knows about his awkward crush, about his awkward situations with Yoongi. He knows how Taehyung would always act around him - and he knows that Taehyung wouldn’t be able to be normal around him. It’s bad enough that they would attend the same university in the same city; Just having to casually see him again would be hard for Taehyung. But living with him? Fucking no!

Bargaining. Maybe, if he offered Jungkook to buy him a lifetime supply of lamb skewers the younger would forget about his brother’s offer and just share a dorm room with Taehyung. He’d give him everything - even if it were gross, he’d even suck off his best friend if it meant they wouldn’t have to move in with his older brother. (Or maybe he wouldn’t suck him off - kissing him once was bad enough.)

Depression. What is he even thinking? As if Jungkook would accept that, knowing that Taehyung is just as broke as he is. But Taehyung just couldn’t survive to live with Yoongi, he’d just be in his room all day, trying not to embarrass himself in front of the elder. Maybe he’d cry too. He’d probably cry a lot.

And lastly, acceptance.

“And hyung would like to see you again too!” Jungkook is still enthusiastically talking while Taehyung felt like he went through a whole emotional breakdown in less than a minute. “It would be so great – we wouldn’t have to pay so much for rent too!”

Really - the money situation is the most tempting thing of it all.

“It sounds amazing – and I missed Yoongi too,” Taehyung admits slowly. He already knows he would accept - but his voice doesn’t sound that convinced yet.

“You’re still skeptical, right?” Jungkook pouts, pinching his shoulder slightly before cuddling close to his side again. There’s an evil smirk on his lips as he looks up at him. “Is it because you used to steal his used underwear and jerk off with it?”

He chokes on his spit, almost pushing the younger off his bed. Ah, this kinda reminds him of the good old times where they used to sit on this very bed - which now stands in an eerily empty room with barren walls - and Jungkook would tease him about his crush on Yoongi.

“What the fuck?” Taehyung laughs, “I did not do such a gross thing. What the fuck, Kook?”

Jungkook just shrugs. “If it’s about the crush you used to have – it’s over now, right? You haven’t seen him in so long, you had a few boyfriends. Why would it be awkward?”

Yeah - why would it be awkward? Yoongi is just kinda his first love. Nothing serious, right?

“I don’t know – it’s just, what if I crush on him again?” Taehyung asks, fingers playing with the hem of his shirt. He could feel Jungkook’s piercing gaze on him.

“Will you?”

“Well, I can’t say that right now, idiot. That’s why I’m worried.” Taehyung flicks his forehead, pulling his blanket up higher as he slightly turns away from his best friend. He’s not crushing on Yoongi anymore - he wasn’t even crushing to begin with. He was in love.

That’s what he thought at least. Now, Yoongi has been gone for quite some time and Taehyung is sure he got over these feelings. More than sure. But you could never be too sure.

“Aw come on, raise your standards a little,” Jungkook chuckles lightly, “My brother, sadly, is very straight. Forget about him. We’re going to find you a hot Seoul guy. Too bad you crushed on the wrong brother or you would have hit the jackpot!”

“Not in a million years,” Taehyung deadpans. A shiver runs down his spine just thinking about it.

No. Just no.

“What?” Jungkook defends himself, taking personal offense to what Taehyung just said - as if he wouldn’t react the same if it were the other way around. “You said it was the best kiss you ever had!”

“We were both drunk as fuck,” Taehyung argues - cheeks heating up as he remembers the awkward meet of their lips and tongues that ventured a little bit too far for both of their comforts. “And we promised to never bring it up again. And I didn’t say that!”

“Too bad that I still remember having your tongue down my throat –“ Jungkook gets interrupted when Taehyung literally jumps on him, pressing a pillow down on his face to get him to shut up.

And that’s - that’s oddly familiar as well.

When they finally calm down again they lie on Jungkook’s childhood bed, staring at the same ceiling they stared at so many times before, for so many years. They lie in a room that soon would be nothing more than childhood memories once they make their way to Seoul and start the journey of their adulthood.

“So – we’re moving in with him?” Jungkook asks into the night.

“We’re moving in.”

After the initial awkwardness is over the three of them grow very close very easily.

It’s a little like they are teenagers again but at the same time, it isn’t. This time Taehyung and Yoongi grow close too - almost as close as he’s with Jungkook. Before, they were - friends? Maybe good acquaintances.

Taehyung has been kind of living with them once he befriended Jungkook. Those two were inseparable, always together no matter where they went. So, it was kind of impossible to stay out of Taehyung’s way. But they weren’t really close friends. Yoongi has always seen him as a second little brother - just a little more awkward and shy than Jungkook around him.

Maybe similar to the way Jungkook was when they took the little, bunny-toothed, and wide eyes five-year-old boy home for the first time. Taehyung went with them on family vacations and Yoongi kind of took over the role of an older brother. Someone who watches over him but with a little bit of distance.

That wasn’t just because Yoongi put distance between them but also because Taehyung has never really seemed that comfortable around him. Especially if it’s been just the two of them. The other would rarely speak, if he did he’d stumble over his words and he never really looked Yoongi in the eye either. That’s the Taehyung he remembered. The Taehyung he knows. Shy. Awkward. Sometimes having bursts of energy, loud laughter - but only when Jungkook was around.

But now Taehyung and he have become great friends as well. The three of them easily grew inseparable as well and the small circle of friends Yoongi had before increased from two to four. Maybe three and a half because Jungkook is still his little brother.

It doesn’t stay at just five of them for a long time though. Jungkook and Taehyung brought their own new friends into the mix as well. Not that anyone minded. Yoongi once shared a class with Hoseok before so he kind of knows him. The other guy brought Jimin along. A dance major that instantly became the focus of Jungkook’s teasing about height - thank god it isn’t Yoongi anymore - while also proclaiming Taehyung as his soulmate.

They’re a lovely group of seven now.

It’s lovely. Just lovely. Everything is fine. Completely fine.

Yoongi never thought he’d actually appreciate such a lively group of friends. And living with Jungkook and Taehuyng has actually been good for him as well. The two younger guys bring life into his apartment but there’s still - something.

Because the thing with Taehyung is that once he gets comfortable with someone - he gets very comfortable with them. Yoongi usually isn’t the type to enjoy a lot of physical affection, he’s a fan of holding hands and can appreciate a good hug on not so great days. But apart from that, he likes his personal space a lot.

Taehyung doesn’t.

Taehyung shows that he likes you through touch, he’s always clinging to someone and Yoongi doesn’t have the will to tell him to stop. Even though every time the other hugs him, clings to him it leaves his chest feeling a little weird. He doesn’t know what it is but with Taehyung so close it makes his heart flutter in a way he doesn’t understand. It makes him slightly sweaty and he has to fight against a blush. He’s definitely not used to being so close to someone.

Well, there’s Hoseok who also somehow has his hands on you at every given chance. But somehow that’s different. He doesn’t feel like puking up his heart when Hoseok randomly clings to him but when Taehyung does it - phew.

Yoongi kind of blames it on the fact that this Taehyung is so much different from the one he got to know a few years ago. You know, shy kid? Wide eyes and ears way too big for his head? The kid who never really looked him in the eye? That’s who he knows.

But the new Taehyung is way too confident for his own good. He’s tall enough for Yoongi to look up to, his ears finally fit his face and god - his face. He looks so much different. Of course, there are still these things that make it impossible to not see the similarity to his younger self. Like his box-shaped smile. But apart from that - this Taehyung is like someone completely new and it threw Yoongi off a bit.

It’s not like he expected them to be strangers. But he also wasn’t expecting them to become so close so quickly. Living together and Taehyung suddenly being so confident has a huge impact on their relationship.

Yoongi doesn’t exactly mind. It’s nice. Being friends with Taehyung. If it weren’t for his stupid heart always reacting this strangely when the younger is around. But he tries to push that away, tries to ignore all of that because growing closer with Taehyung really is great.

It’s so much different than how it used to be between them and strangely, Taehyung could easily break him out of his shell. It was rocky and awkward at first - but now they are so comfortable around each other, as if they’ve always been this close.

“Little guy,” Yoongi yells once he comes through the door, “I got your stuff.”

He throws his jacket over the rack in the hallways, taking off his shoes before making his way into the living room where Taehyung is already waiting for him. It’s their movie night. Movie night without Jungkook because the younger doesn’t get their fascination with old black and white movies.

Taehyung catches the plastic bag Yoongi throws at him before he jumps over the back of the couch, settling next to the younger.

“Hyung,” Taehyung looks into the bag, eyes widening with fascination, “I fucking love you.”

Yoongi laughs, pulling his own snacks out of the plastic bag just as the movie starts to play. His heart pounds again and even though he’s watching the screen, his eyes don’t really see what’s happening yet. Taehyung always says things like that.

So - easily. And sincerely at the same time. Yoongi doesn’t know why it makes his heart skip a beat. Probably, because Taehyung is the most honest one about his feelings. It’s different from any other friendship Yoongi ever had before.

A moan leaves the younger’s lips as he stuffs a handful of the caramel popcorn Yoongi got him in his mouth. “I can’t believe you’re eating that shit,” Yoongi chuckles.

He tried that stuff once - glued his teeth together for the whole evening. But Taehyung always had a sweet tooth, enjoying everything with a little too much sugar.

“I can’t believe my best friend has no taste,” He speaks through the caramel, voice a little bit muffled.

“Careful,” Yoongi warns him, eyes flickering through the room in search of a sign of his little brother, “Don’t let Kook hear that.”

“Oh please,” Taehyung speaks through another mouthful of popcorn, “You are brothers – basically a buy one get one for free deal. Both of you are my best friends.”

“Who’s the one you got for free?”

“Depends on who’s buying me food –“ Taehyung snaps his head around just as the door of Jungkook’s room slams open and the younger stands in the middle of the room. “And it ain’t Kook!”

Yoongi could still see the dent of his headphones in his greasy hair - the younger spent the whole day in his room playing overwatch or whatever he’s been obsessing over recently. He shuffles towards the kitchen while sticking his tongue out at Taehyung.

“Buy your own shit!” He yells as he grabs a handful of the popcorn, shoves it in his mouth only to complain about how gross it tastes. Way too sweet. They might not be related by blood but Yoongi is convinced they share the same genes. At least the same tastes.

Which just means that Jungkook steals a few of his snacks before proceeding towards the kitchen to heat up the lunch Yoongi cooked earlier today. He doesn’t even have time to complain because there’s a sudden weight on his lap.

His whole body tenses for a second, heart fluttering as his gaze falls down on Taehyung who rests his head on top of his thighs. The younger acts like it’s nothing - and it really shouldn’t be. Because this is a common occurrence but it always catches Yoongi by surprise.

It’s just Taehyung - he’s always so affectionate with everyone, something Yoongi got used to already. But maybe not as much as he would like to think he had. Who is he to complain though? About physical closeness like this.

He has to admit that it’s nice.

Apart from physical closeness there are a few other things you have to get used to when it comes to living with Kim Taehyung.

Casual nudity.

You just have to get used to Taehyung walking around shirtless, sometimes pantless and with only underwear on. And other times he’s just completely naked, lounging on the couch with his dick out and Yoongi - he swears he never stared. He would never stare at another man - his best friend at that (!) - like that.

It was just - a little unusual. And definitely something he had to get used to first.

Slow, scuffling feet pitter-patter behind him as Yoongi turns off the coffee machine. The smell of freshly brewed coffee lingers in the air and his lips twitch up in the smile at the scrunch of Taehyung’s nose. The other isn’t really the biggest fan of coffee. Not of the drink and not of the smell.

Jungkook on the other hand thankfully gulps down the freshly brewed beverage.

“Hey, little guy,” Yoongi smiles, handing Taehyung one of the two toasts he’s just been making. “Are you still tired?” Taehyung barely glances at him when he takes the toast. It’s an adorable sight. This looks more like the Taehyung he used to know during their teenage times. But he’s been pushing this image out of his mind lately - replacing it with the different version of Taehyung.

But like this, he couldn’t help but recognize similarities. Taehyung munches on his toast while stirring his hot chocolate - His dark hair is astray, messy on top of his head and the imprints of his pillow are still on his cheeks.

That’s the little guy Yoongi remembers.

Somehow, the nickname came back - even if Taehyung is anything but his little guy anymore. He’s huge now. Way bigger than him but neither of them addressed the fact that Yoongi just easily slipped back. Easily started calling him like this again.

He used to do it back when they were kids - when Taehyung was just a cute boy on the brink of being a teen and looked up at him with huge eyes.

Sometimes Taehyung still looks like that - even if he’s a grown man now.

“I’ve always wondered,” Jungkook speaks up just as Taehyung leaves the kitchen again - toast hanging from his mouth as he stumbles in the direction of the bathroom. Taehyung really isn’t a morning person. Not at all.

“Hyung - I’ve always wondered where that ‘little guy’ thing came from?” Jungkook asks, “Taehyung never told me and I never asked you because both of you just - one day started this. And no one ever questioned it so I didn’t either. But it’s been bugging me - especially since you picked it up again now! What is it?”

“Ah…” Yoongi sighs, “I didn’t know he never told you…”

It’s been such a long time - years since he started calling the younger that. So many years have passed since the words tumbled off his lips for the first time but Yoongi could still remember that weekend vividly. He intentionally never brought it up again, especially because Taehyung’s didn’t either. It wasn’t something for him to share, so he kept those two days to himself for the past years.

But the memories - he doesn’t know why they stayed as clear in his mind as they did.

On that Friday night years ago, the living room was already smelling like popcorn and he could hear some of it still popping in the kitchen while he browsed through all of their DVDs to decide on a movie to watch for tonight. It was supposed to be a calm night, a chill night before his game tomorrow so he just wanted to relax before going to bed early.

And then the doorbell rang.

Yoongi almost ignored it, almost didn’t get off the couch if the ringing wasn’t as insistent as it was so he made his way towards the front door with an annoyed groan. The bell kept ringing and ringing and ringing, so he pulled the door open a little aggressively. He expected one of his friends but the person on the other side was a surprise to him.

“Yoongi-hyung,” Taehyung squeaked, eyes widening as he came face to face with him. Yoongi took in the appearance of his younger brother's best friend - he saw him a lot of times already but never like this. Tears were running down his cheeks, eyes, and face red.

He almost didn’t dare to ask. “Are you okay?”

“I’m - yes, I wanted to go to Jungkook.” Taehyung had desperately tried to hide the fact that he had been obviously crying. Trying to wipe the tears off his face, lips trembling as he stared at the floor. He looked so tiny right there, on the porch.

“I’m the only one home this weekend because of the game tomorrow,” Yoongi said gently, mind racing with things he could do to get the other to stop crying. They’re not exactly close like that but he felt a weird urge to protect him, to comfort him. The same things he felt towards his little brother. “Jungkook is visiting our aunt with our parents.”

“Oh - yes,” Realization flashed over Taehyung’s face and he winced, screwing his eyes shut, “Shit - I remember, he told me before. Sorry, to have bothered you,” He awkwardly bowed, already half turned away from the door again. There were still tears running down his cheeks. “I’ll just leave again.”

Yoongi sighed, hands clenching at his sides as he watched how Taehyung stumbled on the pathway. “Wait - Taehyung,” He called after him, “Taehyung!”

The other froze, slowly turning around as he stared with wide, wide eyes. Wide and innocent eyes that seemed a little scared of him. But Yoongi didn’t care - he couldn’t just let the kid leave like that. The other obviously needed someone right now.

“Come in - at least until you’ve stopped crying,” Yoongi said and it took Taehyung a few seconds to process his words. And even a little more time to act on Yoongi’s words.

It was awkward. Really. Taehyung was still crying and Yoongi just didn’t know what to do. It wasn’t that he was bad at comforting people - he actually was quite alright when it came to that but he didn’t know Taehyung that good.

Sure, that kid basically lived here, always glued to Jungkook’s side but he wasn’t that close to Yoongi. And now they were here. Both sitting on the couch, at least two feet apart and the awkwardness in the air was so heavy that it was hard to breathe. He tasted the tension on his tongue as he glanced at the younger.

He had to be the one to say something, to start the conversation. Taehyung didn’t look like he was in any state to start speaking. Still crying and still seeming a little intimidated by the whole situation.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” He asked with a slight cough - the more he spoke, the more he rambled and he could feel how his ears turned a little red, “I mean - you don’t have to but it seems like you came to talk to someone and even if I’m not Jungkook, you can still talk to me. If you want to.”

Taehyung sighed, his breath stuttered as he wiped a few tears off his cheeks. There was an aura of anxiousness around him that didn’t stem from the awkwardness between them. Yoongi didn’t know what to do - he usually wasn’t alone with Taehuyng. Even less with a crying Taehyung but he knew the other needed someone right now. It might have been better if Jungkook was the one right here but they couldn’t change that, right? And Yoongi would do his best to comfort the other - there was no way he’d let the boy leave this house with tears still in his eyes.

And he was ready to wait for a long time - until Taehyung felt comfortable enough to share what was bugging him. Or not. Then he’d wait until the other stopped crying and seemed fine enough to leave. He obviously wouldn’t force him to tell him something he didn’t want to share - Yoongi just offered company, anything Taehyung needed at the moment.

It didn’t take as long as Yoongi expected it for Taehyung to swallow his sniffles and speak up. His eyes were still set on the floor, shoulders shaking and Yoongi felt the tension, the anxiety.

“My parents are getting a divorce,” He whispered.

Oh.

Yoongi didn’t even have time to progress the words of the younger before Taehyung was already talking again. It’s like a dam broke and now he couldn’t stop the words from falling off his lips.

“I just - I don’t know how to feel right now,” Taehyung admitted quietly. There was something desperate in his voice, something so broken that it hurt Yoongi. It tugged at his heart and all he wanted to do was take the younger in a tight hug and tell him that everyone was going to be alright. Even though it probably wouldn’t for quite some time - but eventually it would. It would just take time.

Taehyung still sat far away from him but Yoongi slowly shifted closer. He didn’t know what to do but maybe that was okay. Maybe he should just be there for the younger. If it were Kook - he would know exactly what to do. But Taehyung and he weren’t close like that. But the younger still felt like some kind of family.

He sniffled, desperately trying to wipe at his eyes, preventing the tears to spill. “I’m just really sad and I -” Taehyung cut himself up with a trembling sob before the tear started to roll down his cheeks relentlessly. It was a pitiful sight and Yoongi - god, he had to do something.

“Hey…” Yoongi slowly said. The distance between them had reduced and he shifted a little closer. Their thighs were almost brushing and Yoongi awkwardly raised his hand - for a few moments he let it hover awkwardly in the air. Should he hug him? Would that be too much? Ah - a little hesitantly he let his hand fall on Taehyung’s head, ruffling his hair slightly.

The next words spilled over his tongue before he could stop them. The nickname slipping out as if he always called Taehyung that. “Come here, little guy.” This time he moved with more confidence, wrapping his arms around Taehyung’s shoulders with practiced ease. The younger melted into his embrace after the initial shock of actually receiving one. And from Yoongi of all people.

Taehyung’s face was pressed against the side of his neck, wet cheeks against his skin, and sobs muffled by him. Ah - Yoongi held him closer, let his hands travel over Taehyung’s trembling back as he tried to calm him down. It didn’t feel as awkward as he thought it would - sitting like this with Taehyung.

This was his brother’s best friend. This was the guy he rarely interacted with but has seen so many times already. They took him on family vacations, Jungkook and him were literally inseparable and still, Yoongi felt like he knew nothing about him. Not really - even after all these years they’ve already known each other. Taehyung was nothing more than his brother’s best friend.

When Taehyung’s tears dried up they continued to sit like that. The distance between them never returned as Taehyung kept sitting right next to him as if he’d been glued against his side. Yoongi turned on his TV, reached for the popcorn he made before Taehyung arrived and offered some to him.

They sat like this for a long time - sat together on that couch until Taehyung’s body felt heavier against him than before. When he glanced down he saw how the younger struggled to keep his eyes open. Darkness had crept into the living room already and Yoongi knew that it was time for them to go to sleep. After all, he had to get up early tomorrow and if Taehyung didn’t want to stay here he’d have to bring him home soon.

“Hey, little guy?” Yoongi whispered, not knowing why the name slipped off his tongue so easily but it did and Taehyung still hadn’t said anything about it yet. “Are you tired? Do you wanna sleep here or do you want to go back home?”

He waited for an answer - waited but Taehyung just pressed his face harder into Yoongi’s neck. At least there weren’t salty tears running down his cheeks anymore. But he didn’t answer. That was okay though. Yoongi understood - at least that was what he thought. “It’s okay,” He had said quietly, running his hands through Taehyung’s hair again, “You like basketball?”

The younger made a confused sound.

“I see you at my games with Kook,” Yoongi explained, “Do you like the game or do you just come along with him because the two of you are actually inseparable?”

Taehyung slowly raised his head, cheeks colored a vibrant red as he stared up at him. “You saw me?”

“Kinda hard to miss you when you always cheer so loud.”

“Oh…” He didn’t know if he imagined it but - Taehyung looked more than embarrassed at the moment. It was actually a pretty cute sight.

“Now, little guy, are you embarrassed?” Yoongi laughed, holding tighter onto Taehyung’s shoulders as the other tried to twist away from him. Blushing cheeks and panicked gaze. Adorable. “No need to. It’s okay. I know you’re Kook’s best friend and that we’re - not like, super close or something. But you’re like my other little brother too - we’re not the closest but you are family, okay?”

Something flashed over Taehyung’s face but it was gone in a second. “Thank you…”

“He never said a single word about that! Oh my god - I didn’t know he spent the weekend with you!” Jungkook exclaims loudly, his toast almost falling off his plate due to his excited gestures. Yoongi couldn’t really believe that Taehyung never said a single word about that incident. He had been sure the younger told Jungkook everything as soon as he returned - that’s why he never said anything to his younger brother.

“More like the night and the game. He went home afterward,” Yoongi says. He remembers it all. Taehyung waking up in the morning, a quiet and still kind of awkward breakfast despite the closeness between them the night before. He took Taehyung to his game that day, let him sit right in the first row. The younger even got to wear his varsity jacket - he never saw him smile that brightly. That boxy smile that just screams Taehyung. The same smile he’s still wearing today.

“That’s so cute,” Jungkook coos before there’s a smirk spreading over his face, “And kinda gay.”

Yoongi chokes on his spit. “What the fuck, Kook? It’s not.”

“If you say so,” The other sing songs innocently. But there’s nothing innocent about the expression on his face.

It’s not gay, right? Why would it even be? Jungkook is just back on his bullshit - as always.

The seven of them have become immensely close over a short amount of time. Some closer than others. Everyone knows there’s something going on between Jungkook and Seokjin - those two are always together and the number of times they’ve sneaked off when they’ve all been together couldn’t be counted on two hands.

Then there’s Taehyung and Jimin as well. Those two have found each other and became best friends in like - a day. That’s what it felt like, at least from Yoongi’s point of view. He knows Taehyung is a social butterfly and he easily gets along with almost everyone. But it has been obvious from the start that Jimin and he just click.

Whereas Yoongi and Jimin often - clash. It’s not like they don’t like each other - really not. Yoongi also loves the younger one to death; The same way he loves all of his friends but Jimin is the person he argues with the most. Or maybe the better word to use would be bickering. They always find something to bicker over, always find something to tease the other with and that’s okay. But Yoongi wonders if it has something to do with the fact that he’d been kind of jealous of the other at the start.

A little jealous that it seemed like he was about to take one of his best friends away from him - Taehyung. But he realized how stupid and childish that thought was. Maybe… just maybe it still had a little influence on his behavior towards Jimin. But the other is just also way too good at pressing the right buttons to rile him up.

“Guys! Jimin and I went to that cat café and it’s the cutest shit ever – here,” Taehyung animatedly says as he slips into the seat right next to Yoongi. They’re in their favorite bar again - all seven of them meet here regularly to just enjoy the time. Sometimes not all of them could make it but on this day everyone makes time.

It’s open mic night once a month and the seven of them have never missed one since they started coming here. Especially not because some of them are always performing.

Namjoon reads poetry a lot of times while Seokjin and Hoseok always try their luck at stand up comedy. And then there’s Taehyung…

Speaking of the younger, he has his phone right in Yoongi’s face as he shows him pictures he’s taken with Jimin at the cat café they visited. Yoongi would have gone with him too. Ah - there it is again. The slight pang of jealousy.

His eyes travel over the different photographs - there’s Taehyung, smiling that boxy smile of his and being surrounded by what seems to be a million cats. Jimin with a very, very fat cat sitting on his lap. The pictures are all very nice - aesthetically pleasing. Especially the ones Taehyung took - the younger has an eye for that.

“If you get a girlfriend you should bring her there – she’d love it,” He says with a smile, not really understanding why everyone is suddenly going silent. They’re all looking funnily at him - some questioning, some seem a little offended. Even Taehyung seems to need a few seconds to progress his words.

And Yoongi doesn’t understand why. It’s not like he said something mean, right?

“Sure,” Taehyung eventually says with a tight-lipped smile, “If I ever get a girlfriend I’ll do that.” He perks up when someone calls for his name. It’s his turn on the small stage soon. With a last - seemingly awkward - smile Taehyung turns away from Yoongi and makes his way over to the other side of the bar.

The rest of the guys are still staring at him like he grew a second head or just proclaimed that he is a legit flat earther. “What?”

It’s Jimin who speaks first, plump lips trembling from trying to hold in his laughter. “Do you… Do you think Taehyung is straight?”

He doesn’t understand the question. “I – yes?”

Everyone stares at him in silence for a few seconds before the whole table breaks out in laughter. Well, apart from Yoongi who feels a little out of place. And a little stupid. They’re all laughing at him, right? He feels a blush rise high on his cheeks as he stares down at the table. His hand tightens around the fabric of his jeans.

“There’s nothing straight in this boy,” Seokjin says loudly, being the first one to get himself in check again. Which in itself, is something weird. But what he says is even weirder.

“Taehyung’s gay?” Yoongi asks a little disbelievingly. Not that he thinks it’s bad to be gay or something - he just… He didn’t expect Taehyung to be gay? Is that it? He’s not sure. It just never crossed his mind - the possibility of the younger being gay.

All his life he thought Taehyung was - like him? Yoongi isn’t sure. It was a surprise to him when Jungkook came out as bisexual too but it didn’t change a thing about him. Nothing at all - just maybe that he’d have to make peace with the fact that Seokjin periodically has his tongue shoved down his younger brother’s throat but he’s okay with that. With everything. He just didn’t - how did he not notice?

It’s not like he particularly cared about who Taehyung dated or who he was interested in. Now that he really thinks about it he’s sure he never saw him being interested in anyone. Not really. Not in girls but also not in boys.

“Take a look at him,” Hoseok says as he forces Yoongi’s head around, “Just take a good look at him.”

Yoongi lets his eyes travel over Taehyung’s form. The younger is already at the small stage where the performers of the open mic night take their stand. And maybe… maybe he’d just been blind to all the obvious signs because right now he doesn’t understand how he could have ever thought Taehyung was strictly heterosexual.

His eyes wander over the wide pants the younger prefers to wear, down to the pink socks that have rainbow printed on them and to the slippers that are full of splatters of paint. His shirt is tucked into his pants, long, dangling earrings glint in the light under his brown locks. For a second, his eyes catch on the hands that adjust the microphone stand. Taehyung has always worn a lot of jewelry, especially rings. The one that caught your eye immediately was a ring with a white flower at the top, it was so huge that it was impossible to miss it. But that’s not what catches his attention, this time it’s the small flower that is painted on the nail of Taehyung’s middle finger.

He always thought Taehyung just has a really extravagant style. There’s nothing he doesn’t wear and he makes everything look good as soon as it’s on his body. He’s wearing one of his customized jeans jackets, a large smiley face painted all over the back. There are a million pins on it as well and there… ah, there it is - a rainbow pin, a pride pin. Wow. Wow. Has Yoongi always been so stupid or did he suffer from selective blindness for quite some time? How did he not notice any of this?

“Hyung – are you serious? You actually didn’t know?”

“I – no?” Yoongi exclaims, still a little confused.

“What the fuck?” Jungkook laughs loudly before pointing at Taehyung who is still fiddling with the mic stand on stage. He’s talking with some of the guys working here at the bar. He’s smiling, lips forming a box and it’s so pretty. “He’s so obvious!”

“Not to me!” Yoongi tries to defend himself but he doesn’t even believe his own words. He knows Taehyung is obvious but somehow - yeah, somehow he never caught on to that. Or maybe he didn’t want to? He has no idea. Really, he doesn’t.

Now, he just feels embarrassed. Embarrassed because it’s been so obvious, because everyone but him knew. All of them. Ah. His cheeks color a deep shade of red, embarrassment heating up his whole body while his friends just laugh at him.

“What are we laughing about?” Namjoon asks as he returns with the drinks he ordered at the front. Whoever trusted him with getting the drinks - well, at least he didn’t drop the tray this time. The glasses do sway dangerously as he puts the tray down a little too forcefully for Yoongi’s liking. But the glasses stay full this time.

“Oh – you’ll love this,” Jimin speaks up and Yoongi already knows - god, he already knows that this would be the thing Jimin would tease him with forever now. They have a weird relationship - he admits that. Teasing and bickering are their favorite hobbies. And if they get to rile the other up it’s the best. Yoongi hates giving Jimin material to tease him. And he knows that the other will never let him live this down. Never ever.

“Yoongi thought Taehyung was straight.”

“As straight as a circle,” Namjoon laughs loudly, joining the rest of the table as Yoongi feels how his cheeks color a deeper red than before. Ah. This is embarrassing. He does admit that he might have been a little, just a little blind but it’s an honest mistake.

Nothing more.

“Ha ha, you’re all so funny,” He mopes, a pout settling on his lips naturally as he crosses his arms in front of his chest. Embarrassment burns in his chest like a flame, melting his insides and letting the heat drop down into his stomach as well.

“Aww,” Jimin coos and pets his head. Yoongi jerks away from him. “Don’t be grumpy now. Anyone could have missed the more than obvious signs.”

“You’re just the only one that did miss them,” Namjoon chuckles.

“You’re all awful friends.”

Before any of them could retort something music starts to play a little louder. All of them turn towards the small stage occupied by Taehyung who gives them one of his trademark boxy smiles. Yoongi feels that weird fluttery feeling in his chest again as Taehuyng locks eyes with him for a second.

Gay, huh?

He’s really been blind. Pretty dumb of him. Yoongi usually prides himself in being able to pick up on things others overlook pretty easily. To think he missed something so obvious, so big about the person he calls one of his best friends is - unacceptable.

Taehyung stands up there on stage and he looks like he always does - proud, like he’s having all the fun in the world. And as he perfectly sings the lyrics to Born this way by Lady Gaga Yoongi realizes how stupid he really is. A blind person would have picked up on this but Yoongi didn’t.

His heart beats a little weirdly in his chest as he watches and it continues to do so for the rest of the evening, even as Taehyung is back on the seat right next to him. Their thighs stay pressed together under the table until they all make their way back home.

Gay. Taehyung’s gay and somehow - that realization burns itself right across Yoongi’s brain.

Yoongi once found Taehyung asleep under the kitchen table. The younger said he dropped a coin, wanted to pick it up but felt so, so tired that as soon as his body was on the floor he drifted off to sleep. The combination of alcohol and no sleep the night before makes you do weird things.

The thing is, Taehyung is able to fall asleep almost anywhere. Even on their couch that definitely kills your back when you sleep on it. It’s one of the most comfortable pieces of furniture Yoongi has ever felt - as long as you sit on it. Laying down and especially sleeping on it… well, that’s not the best idea.

But Yoongi still finds Taehyung huddled under a blanket with tired eyes, messy hair, and a little bit of dried spit in the corner of his mouth. He really has no business looking as adorable as he does right now. He should look hideous like everyone else does after taking a nap and just waking up.

Yoongi could do two things now, he could do what he always does with Jungkook on these occasions and slam a pillow right into his unsuspecting face or… yeah, or he does what he always does with Taehyung. He has to admit that he’s always been pretty weak for the other boy. No matter what.

Carefully, he cards his fingers through Taehyung’s hair, feeling the other shift under him slightly. His arms tighten around the pillow he held onto for sleeping and his eyelashes flutter lightly. “Are you tired, little guy?” He coos.

Taehyung just hums. He shifts, pushing his face deeper into his pillow before forcing one eye open to peer up at Yoongi.

“Little guy,” Yoongi gently nudges Taehyung’s side, “You know, you should really sleep in your bed.” Somehow, Yoongi still has his fingers on Taehyung’s head. Without really thinking about it he continues petting his hair, letting his fingers run through the soft strands. Something flutters in his chest again as he watches how a small smile spreads over Taehyung’s lips.

“I will,” He mumbles sleepily and then stretches his arms up at Yoongi, “Only if you carry me there though.”

That has to be a joke. Taehyung looks totally serious though, a pout on his lips as he stares up at Yoongi expectantly. No way. There is no way Yoongi would be able to carry him, even if he were, he wouldn’t manage to lift him off the couch. Tired like this, Taehyung is nothing more than a pouting dead weight.

Yoongi would still try though. Even if it would just be to entertain Taehyung.

It’s not that easy because as soon as he pushes the blanket off the younger he notices one thing. A pretty common thing but somehow it feels - different? Yes, different. Yoongi doesn’t know if it’s a good or a bad different. It’s just - different. Since he found out that Taehyung is gay a lot of things feel different even though they shouldn’t. Yoongi isn’t sure.

He has no problem with the sexuality of either of his friends but somehow he’s so fixated on the fact that Taehyung is gay and he doesn’t even know why. For now, he tries to push the thought away while trying to not blush because of course - of course, Taehyung is naked again. He’s always naked. Sometimes Yoongi thinks the other is allergic to clothes or something.

Well, at least Taehyung is wearing boxers most of the time. This is such a time and Yoongi couldn’t be more thankful for that tiny piece of clothing. He tugs on the other a few times, rolling his eyes at his whines before he huffs and crosses his arms in front of his chest.

“You’re way too heavy for me,” He huffs, “I’ll just leave you here on the couch.”

“No,” Taehyung whines high pitched and latches onto his wrists, “Think of my poor back.”

“Sorry I’m not Jungkook - I can’t carry you.”

At that Taehyung seems to think a little, his eyebrows draw together and the pout on his lips intensifies before he buries his face deep into his pillow. For a second, Yoongi thinks about how uncomfortable this position has to be because the younger is still holding onto his wrists but then he’s already speaking again. “It’s good you’re not Jungkook. If you had the muscles he has you’d be too hot.”

Taehyung says it with so much conviction that Yoongi doesn’t even really process his words for a few seconds. Instead, he just stands there. A little lost.

“I - what?”

“Too hot, I’m sure you know what that means,” Taehyung says with a roll of his eyes before he scoots back on the couch. As far as he can go which is not very far. “Cuddle me.”

Yoongi shakes his head, trying to get his wrists free of the other’s tightening grip. “I’m not going to ruin my back just because you want to cuddle.”

“Nu-uh,” Taehyung harshly pulls him down on the very, very small space left on the couch. “You don’t get to act like you don’t like my cuddles right now. I’m too tired to argue with a tsundere.”

“A tsundere -” Yoongi doesn’t get to finish his protest because his face is instantly squished into Taehyung’s still, very naked chest. A blush rises to the tips of his ears and Yoongi is glad his face isn’t visible. He doesn’t know what’s going on, this is not the first time he cuddles with Taehyung. The younger thrives off physical affection and he’s not shy about demanding it from the people around him.

Yoongi doesn’t particularly mind it. Not at all. But now it’s - different. It feels different. But, that’s also something he has to admit, the only reason why it feels different for him is because of this new revelation about Taehyung’s sexuality. Yoongi is at fault for feeling different. Even though there’s nothing to feel different about.

Taehyung isn’t acting any differently. Yoongi has no problem with being physically close to all of his other friends no matter their sexuality. So, why does it feel like something’s fluttering in his chest every time Taehyung is close. Why does he feel so… weird?

He doesn’t get it. It’s annoying and something he’d really love to get rid of but he doesn’t have any idea how to do that. He’ll probably just has to get used to the fact that Taehyung is gay. It’s just something that has to settle in. Hopefully.

The other’s arms are tight around him, holding him close while he presses his nose right into Yoongi’s hair. He could hear his heartbeat right next to his own, could feel the heat of his naked skin even through his clothes. There’s no denying it - Taehyung is a great cuddler.

Yoongi likes cuddling, he does. Really. And with Taehyung he likes it the most. Maybe it’s because it always feels like Taehyung puts his all into every hug, every breath, every second counts for him and you feel that during the cuddles. Yoongi feels it.

“Remember when we were kids?” Taehyung suddenly speaks up quietly. Yoongi thought he was already fast asleep and to be honest, he isn’t far from drifting off into a dream himself.

“Hm?”

“Teens,” Taehyung corrects himself groggily, “We should have become friends earlier. You gotta make up for all those years we could have spent cuddling but didn’t.”

Ah. That’s what it’s about. Yoongi smiles as he hides his laughter under the blanket. He would have loved to be friends with Taehyung earlier too. But when they were teens - Yoongi felt pretty detached from his little brother and his best friend. They were kind of close, Taehyung was always at their place after all but back then the age gap they had felt like a hundred years.

Yoongi liked Taehyung but he saw him as a little, immature kid. Just the same way he saw his own little brother at some times. Some parts of him might have seen Taehyung as a little brother too. So, he’s not sure if they would be able to have this kind of friendship right now if they had been closer right from the start. It would be different. Definitely.

But he still nods, agreeing to Taehyung’s statement. “Okay, I will.”

“And,” Taehyung suddenly speaks up seriously, “I know you just pretend that you don’t like it but your resolve is so weak. Everyone can see right through you.” He giggles to himself, totally unaware that Yoongi has started to blush like crazy. “And - you could never refuse your ‘little guy’, huh?”

Yoongi almost chokes on his spit. For a moment, all the air gets punched out of his lungs and he goes completely rigid. In nothing more than a second Yoongi feels like he just went through a whole heart attack before he manages to choke a simple word out. “Never.”

His little guy… That’s right, isn’t it? Taehyung is his little guy and no one else’s. Somehow that makes a warmth spread through Yoongi’s whole body that feels so - foreign. He doesn’t really know what it means but maybe that’s because his brain has melted since Taehyung said those words. Still, Yoongi couldn’t deny the truth behind them. He was his little guy.

Taehyung - totally unaware of Yoongi’s inner breakdown - just hums appreciatively and holds him tighter. Ah. There goes his heart fluttering again. Maybe he’s getting sick?

Whatever it is, Yoongi ignores it for now. He could handle feeling a little weird around Taehyung because as long as they’re as close to each other as they were before the revelation - Yoongi would be happy to just be with him.

When Yoongi drags his naked feet over the cold floor he could barely keep his eyes open. It must be around two in the morning and he couldn’t wait to get back to bed and sleep until his alarm would force him awake but right now he really had to relieve his bladder. The pressure is immensely uncomfortable as he hurries towards the bathroom.

As he stops in front of the closed door he stops for a second. Light comes out from under the door and he could definitely hear more than two voices. Has Taehyung come home? Did he wake Jungkook up?

That couldn’t be. There’s no way that Taehyung would have come back early - in the middle of the night - from his sleepover with Jimin. When those two spend time together they forget everything and everyone else. Yoongi huffs as he opens the door and is met with a sight he did not expect.

For one, Jungkook is the one occupying the bathroom and no, he is not speaking to himself.

“Hello?” Yoongi asks - not quite believing the sight in front of him. If he pretends like he doesn’t see what’s happening then it definitely isn’t happening. And by that logic, Seokjin isn’t with his younger brother in their shared bathroom and both of them definitely do not have hair dye all over their fucking hair.

No. That’s not what’s happening here. Not at all.

“Good morning my good sir,” Jungkook greets him without taking his eyes off the mirror where he’s busy massaging hair dye onto his scalp. There’s something about him - wide eyes, a little too wide for it to be completely normal. Seokjin must have given him coffee or something else.

“Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” Yoongi asks carefully, walking past one of his best friends and acting as if he isn’t in his bathroom in the middle of the fucking night. Seokjin has a shit-eating grin on his lips and Yoongi does not want to get into that so he just lowers his pants and finally relieves the pressure of his bladder. “You have your exam tomorrow morning, right?”

“That’s why I’m here,” Seokjin speaks loudly instead of Jungkook, a proud undertone lacing his voice as he pushes his gloved hand through the purple dye on top of his head.

“To keep him awake?”

“No - he needed something to destress so I’m here,” Seokjin explains easily.

“He couldn’t have dyed his hair alone?”

“No,” Jungkook pipes up, seemingly satisfied with the way he spread the dye over his hair. “Because you’re my impulse control. Seokjin is here to stop you from stopping me from doing this.”

Yoongi pulls his pants back up and sighs. He just wants to go back to sleep, back into his warm, comfortable bed and sleep for the next few hours. “I’m too tired for this shit…”

But before he could do that Seokjin holds up one plastic cup. “We have bleach left…”

His answer should be obvious. Yoongi never dyed his hair before. He likes its natural dark state. Yes, he does. His answer should be obvious but he might be a little more sleep-deprived than he would have thought. “You know what? I don’t care - slap it on,” is what he says in the end.

Yoongi reluctantly sits on the toilet seat, waiting for the minutes to pass until he could wash the pink dye out of his hair again. After getting his hair bleached, Seokjin decided going blond wasn’t enough and forced the pink dye on his head. Well, Yoongi didn’t really struggle anyway. He’s still so, so tired. Seokjin has already washed the purple dye out of his hair and is now busy blow-drying and styling it. Yoongi has no idea for what style he’s going through, because like this it seems like he wants his hair to stick up - which is weird.

But he’s too tired to care and he’s not that interested in the way Seokjin does his hair to ask anyway. Tiredly he looks up from his seat and comes face to face with Jungkook, who’s very busy concentrating on putting the remains of the pink dye on one half of his head.

“Jungkook - what the fuck are you doing?” He asks.

“I am no longer Jungkook,” His brother says seriously, turning around and taking - well, something that could be called a fighting stance. Maybe. Yoongi isn’t exactly sure. “My name is Shoto Todoroki.”

Without turning away from Jungkook - who has obviously lost his mind - Yoongi speaks to Seokjin. “Did you give him alcohol?”

The other gasps offended. “What do you think of me? I, the humble boy Hitoshi Shinso, would never do something as atrocious as this,” He says with a smirk on his lips. It seems like he managed to make his hair stick up the way he wants it to and Yoongi… ah - he’s tired.

“Weebs…” He mutters under his breath but it gets swallowed by Jungkook’s loud screech. Battle cry, is what his brother would have said.

“With the power of god and anime on my side, I will ace my exam tomorrow!” He yells on top of his lungs, screaming at his own reflection while Seokjin stands behind him, cheering him on. What did Yoongi do to deserve getting stuck with these two?

“I wish Taehyung was here,” He mumbles quietly.

"Aw - do you miss your little guy?" Yoongi knows that his brother is a second away from a sleep-deprived delirium so he couldn't really be mad at what he's saying but for a second, he considers strangling him.

Seokjin levels him with a deadpan stare. “Don’t act like Taehyung wouldn’t have dyed his hair like an anime character too.”

“You indirectly did too,” Jungkook says and pokes his cheek. The nerve of this brat.

“My hair’s just pink.”

“Just pink is what he says,” Seokjin shakes his head with a laugh. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you over the sound of you looking like Kominato Ryousuke.”

“That - your sentence did not make sense at all.”

"No - oh my god," Jungkook gasps, "I totally see it! You even have his scary smile!"

Yoongi really wishes Taehyung was here. (Maybe he does miss his little guy - what about it?)

Yoongi really tried to not let the whole ‘Taehyung is gay’ thing affect him and their friendship. No, you don’t understand - he really tried but somehow it’s the first thing that pops up in his mind when he thinks about the younger or looks at him.

It’s distracting.

But by some miracle, Taehyung has not noticed it (yet) - at least that’s what Yoongi tells himself because the younger one hasn't said anything. No comment. He hasn’t acted any differently too, so it seems like Yoongi is somehow graced by luck. Their friends though… Yoongi is certain that a few of them have already picked up on his weird behavior around Taehyung but none of them brought it up yet.

Yoongi hopes that it’s going to stay that away.

But he overlooked how obvious he could be. Or maybe he just didn’t take into account how fucking perceiving Jimin actually is. He totally underestimated the other when it comes to things like that. Jimin has always been pretty good at picking up social cues and the panic that’s literally written all over Yoongi’s face when he gets stuck in another situation with Taehyung is pretty obvious to him.

A situation, for example, being the fact that Taehyung still seems to have a dislike for any kind of clothes. That never bothered Yoongi that much before (maybe he felt a little awkward at the beginning but he totally got used to it - really), the problem now is that he’s hyper-aware of everything that Taehyung does. Well - some would even say he’s more aware of Taehyung as a whole.

It’s like the whole gay thing made him see the other in a different light. Not a bad one though. Just different. And somehow Yoongi couldn’t stop himself from looking at him whenever Taehyung decides he doesn’t need a shirt. He feels his heart speed up when the other comes close - even though that’s the norm between them. Taehyung has always been this affectionate, always this touchy but suddenly it flusters Yoongi.

And when moments like that happen he blanks. Just like right now, sitting in front of the younger at dinner, all of their friends are around them and Taehyung is offering a piece of his food. Yoongi is staring at the chopsticks and the noodles hanging off them. Before he could really think about it he’s already leaning forward, closing his lips around the chopsticks and chewing the food.

It’s not uncommon to share food among their group of friends. Feeding each other - well, it’s not that uncommon either because Seokjin and Jungkook are the most disgusting and PDA-heavy couple Yoongi has ever encountered while Jimin and Hoseok are like, destined roommates who share everything. And Taehyung shares everything with everyone.

But Yoongi - well, Yoongi likes his personal space and his own things. Letting himself be fed by someone isn’t anywhere near the top of his list of things he’d willingly let someone do to him. But somehow looking at Taehyung turns his brain off.

That’s actually a good explanation for a lot of weird moments between them. He just has to look at Taehyung and forgets everything, which makes him go along with basically everything the younger requests.

At least no one saw that moment of weakness. Or that’s what he thought. He could feel eyes boring into the side of his face, could feel the heat of the gaze before he has to check who’s staring at him so intensely.

“What?”

Jimin just smirks at him mischievously. That’s never a good sign. “Just looking at how whipped you are,” He quips happily, shoving more noodles into his mouth. He never stops staring.

“How about you shut up?”

Laughter falls from the other’s plump lips before he points right at Yoongi with his chopsticks. “I see right through you.” Somehow that sounds like a threat coming from Jimin.

Yoongi feels a little uneasy, something heavy settling into his chest and dripping into his stomach. “Oh are you?”

Somehow the hum falling from Jimin’s lips doesn’t reassure him at all.

“Guys,” Hoseok interrupts his growing panic, “Jimin and Yoongi are bickering again!”

As if they agreed on it both of them yell out at the same time, matching glares in their eyes and scowls on their faces. “We are not!”

They snap their heads towards each other and it only takes them a second to break out into laughter. That’s what Yoongi appreciates so much about his and Jimin’s dynamic - the teasing, the bickering but they never take anything to the heart. At the end of the day, they’re close friends after all.

No bad blood between them. It’s refreshing - having a friend like Jimin. Even if he can be the spawn of evil sometimes.

As if he could read his mind, Jimin leans towards him to whisper into his ear, “I will keep your secret if you go and get me more alcohol.”

“I don’t even have a secret,” Yoongi hisses back.

“Yeah - let’s just say that.” He doesn’t like the smirk on Jimin’s plump lips. It never means that something good is going to happen - more like the opposite of that. An uneasy feeling settles in his stomach as Jimin turns to his left. “Hey, Taehyung - Did you notice that -”

Yoongi quickly pinches him, hoping that the strained smile on his face isn’t as obvious as he thinks it is. “Did you notice that Jin and Kook had sex in your bed last week?”

The immediate chaos that ensues is enough to cover up Yoongi’s suspicious interruption and his heart finally calms down a little. He’s not exactly sure what he’s been scared of - he doesn’t even know what Jimin would have told Taehyung but he didn’t want to take any risks.

Even if there shouldn’t be any. Whipped. That’s what Jimin said before but Yoongi is not entirely sure what the other meant by that. Of course, he treats Taehyung a little differently. After all, he knows the kid for such a long time and he lives with him - they’re bound to be closer than some of the others are. That’s not something bad.

So, why was he actually scared of what Jimin could have said?

It doesn’t make any sense. Yoongi shakes his head, trying to get rid of the confusing thoughts and feelings swarming in his mind.

“Nice save,” Jimin whispers next to him. The rest of the guys are still loudly arguing about privacy and the sacredness of beds that aren’t your own. Yoongi is sure he heard Taehyung say that he will throw his bed out now - he’d better not tell him what he walked in on last Friday. Otherwise, Taehyung would have to throw their table out as well and Yoongi really likes that table. Even if it’s been defiled.

With a sigh, he gets off his chair. “What kinda beer do you want?”

“Surprise me,” Jimin quips happily.

Yoongi just flips him off, catching sight of Jimin sticking his tongue out at him before he turns around and makes his way towards the kitchen. When he comes back his eyes fall on Taehyung first and his heart does a weird jump.

Somehow he couldn't look at Taehyung without getting flustered and he has no idea why.