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Hoseok was just trying to go about his day as normal as he could.
He went to the cafe to get his coffee and usual breakfast order. He headed towards the studio to get some work done, maybe practice for an upcoming performance. He has lunch with the other guys and they continue to work through the afternoon. Once it got closer to the evening, he had more difficulty ignoring the pit in his stomach.
I’m just being dramatic, he thinks.
Typically, he would wake up in the dorm to the smell of roasting coffee beans. He would walk out to the kitchen and find his usual breakfast order sitting on the counter, next to Jungkook concocting Hoseok’s coffee with the perfect amount of cream and sugar. Jungkook knew Hoseok would have too much difficulty waking up in time to go to the cafe, so he made it part of his daily routine to provide Hoseok his breakfast.
They would always go to the studio together, so they’d always have a partner to work with. They’d spend the rest of their work day with the rest of the group, but the two spent the duration of their practice sharing glances and laughter, seeming to always catch the others’ mistakes, and never letting them live it down. While the other five left to go back to the dorms, Hoseok and Jungkook would stay back to practice more together--actually practice.
They spent every waking moment together.
That is, until Jungkook started dating Yugyeom.
It started as him missing lunch with the rest of them a couple times a week. Then he was leaving at the end of practice, skipping out on him and Hoseok’s extra practices together. And now, he stays at Yugyeom’s place almost 5 days a week.
Aside from Hoseok having to adjust to a new routine, he missed his best friend.
They went from being completely inseparable to catching up every few days.
Hoseok reaches the dorms after his post-rehearsal practice, and he can hear laughter and loud voices even before opening the door. He walks in to see all the other members sitting at the dining table. Oh my god, Jungkook is here, he thinks. Until he sees him.
Jungkook brought Yugyeom home.
He quiets the butterflies in his stomach quickly and heads straight for his bedroom. He’s able to fall deadweight on his bed for about thirty seconds before he hears a small knock on his door.
“Can I come in?” he hears. To his surprise, it’s Namjoon. Hoseok groans, and Namjoon accepts that as his invitation. Hoseok feels a weight press down on his bed next to him, and then the warmth of Namjoon’s hand rubbing his back.
“Are you okay, Hobi?” The worst question to ask when someone is, clearly, not okay. But Hoseok follows it with the typical:
“I’m just tired. I’ll be fine.” But he is surprised by Namjoon’s response.
“Is it because of Jungkook?”
Hoseok stills, and furrows his eyebrows. He lifts his upper body off his bed with his arms, then leans on one elbow. He stares at Namjoon with a confused expression. “What do you mean?”
Namjoon smiles, but it’s small. “I can tell you guys haven’t seen each other as much lately. If I didn’t see my best friend as much, I think it would affect me too. Especially…”
“Especially what?” Hoseok asks quickly, anticipation lining his tone.
“Especially...when they’re with someone else,” he says carefully, staring directly in Hoseok’s eyes. Hoseok is quick to avert his own gaze.
“I just miss him, okay? It’s not...it’s not that serious,” he says, laying back down in the position he was in before.
“It’s okay Hobi,” Namjoon pauses, “You can talk to me if you need anything, okay?”
Hoseok whispers a small “thank you”, and he feels the pressure on his bed release and the door closes behind Namjoon. He sighs, and then hears his door open again.
“Namjoon, I told you I’m fine--” he lifts his head up and turns it towards the door to scold Namjoon, but finds a mischievous expression on Jungkook’s face instead.
Before Hoseok even knew it, Jungkook was jumping on Hoseok’s bed, small giggles escaping him.
“Jungkook, can you please stop? I just wanted to--”
He doesn’t stop, the sounds of the mattress and bed spring overpowering Hoseok’s pleas, until one loud crack sends Jungkook onto the floor next to the bed and Hoseok slides off as well. Jungkook broke a leg of the bed, leaving the mattress at a steep incline. And that was Hoseok’s last straw that day.
“What the fuck, Jungkook?” Hoseok yells, standing over Jungkook. Jungkook has a shocked, guilty expression, already sensing Hoseok’s anger. “What the fuck am I supposed to do now? Huh?”
“Hobi, I’m-I’m so sorry, I’ll just buy another one--”
“Oh yeah, please. Better yet, I’ll just take yours! It’s not like you’re ever here to sleep in it anyways. Right Jungkook? Because while I suffer alone here in my bed everyday, that you have now ruined, you’re off having fun with your boyfriend. Do you understand how shitty it feels to be left behind by your best friend for some guy all the time? How dare you come in here and ruin the only place of comfort I have anymore?”
And with that, tears forming a river down his face, Hoseok walks. He walks out of his bedroom, leaving Jungkook still on the floor. He walks past the concerned faces of his band members. He walks out the door of the apartment and into the darkness of Seoul’s streets at night.
He continues walking, not really taking notice of where he is or where he’s going.
He wanders for a while close to the Han River. He meanders closer, finding a small bench that looks out to the water, the beautiful lights across the river very visible. It is very beautiful, he thinks. But he’s seen it so many times, he’s used to the streets and the buildings and the lights. The excitement of the city dimmed after living here several years.
But even after living together for seven years, the excitement of being around Jungkook was always as bright as the sun.
Even as he was obnoxiously jumping on Hoseok’s bed and, unfortunately, broke it, Hoseok couldn’t help but feel warm in his presence. Receiving any type of attention from Jungkook always made him feel giddy.
Hoseok knows his feelings are more than friendly. But they are just friends, and they’re in a group together. He can’t get mad that Jungkook chose someone else. But of course, the yearning for Jungkook is killing him inside. Jungkook didn’t make time for him anymore, and it was making Hoseok feel insecure, and like he isn’t deserving of a relationship with Jungkook.
The walk back home is less angry than the walk away from it, but far more sad. When he returns, the regret of yelling at Jungkook really sinks in.
When he walks into his bedroom, he finds Jungkook asleep on the floor next to his bed. He stacked his books and other random items under the corner of the bed that fell to hold it back up. He fell asleep working on it, Hoseok supposes. He kneels next to Jungkook and shakes his shoulder lightly.
“Jungkook,” he says, waking him up quietly. Jungkook’s eyelids flutter open, squinting to adjust to the light.
“Hobi?” he says, confused. Hoseok pulls on Jungkook’s arm, forcing him onto his feet. Hoseok kicks off his shoes and walks Jungkook to the side of the bed, allowing him to sit down. Jungkook sits awkwardly, still confused as to the situation. Hoseok crawls onto the bed next to him. He motions his hands for Jungkook to lay down next him. Jungkook is quick to comply, laying down facing Hoseok. Hoseok pulls him closer, relaxing into Jungkook’s embrace. It’s very quiet.
“I’m sorry for what I said,” Hoseok whispers next to Jungkook’s ear. He feels Jungkook’s embrace tighten around him.
“I’m sorry for breaking your bed,” he says, eliciting a giggle from Hoseok. “And I’m sorry I haven’t been around much. I didn’t realize how much it was affecting you.”
Hoseok hums. “I just really missed my best friend, Jungkookie.”
Jungkook curls into Hoseok’s neck. “I’m really sorry, Hobi.”
“Shhh it’s okay, Jungkookie. Please don’t worry,” Hoseok pulls away to look at Jungkook’s face, wiping away the tears that start to fall from his eyes. They smile at each other quickly, then curl back into each other until they fall asleep.
The following days were better. Jungkook had brought Hoseok lunch a couple days in a row, and tried to stay longer after rehearsal to practice with him. He was putting in the effort that Hoseok longed for, and he appreciated the gestures.
One night, though, Jungkook had left right after rehearsal and Hoseok stayed in the practice room late. He was finishing up when he heard his phone ringing next to his bag. He picked up his phone and saw several missed calls from Jungkook. He answered quickly.
“Jungkook? Are you okay?”
“Hobi, ple-please come here, Yugyeom just--” Jungkook sobs through his words.
“Where are you? Are you home right now?” Hoseok needed to move fast to get to him while he’s like this. This wasn’t the first time.
“I-I’m outside the building right now, I c-can’t..”
“I’ll be right there, don’t move, okay Jungkookie?” He hung up the phone quickly, gathering his things to run to Jungkook. He needed his Hobi.
Hoseok runs. Adrenaline courses through him as he forces his sore muscles to move faster and faster.
He finds Jungkook curled up on the sidewalk. He quickly runs to him and pulls him into a hug.
“He broke up with me, Hobi. He said mean things about you, and I defended you, and he made me choose between you and him, and I chose you. I’ll always choose you. But it just hurts so bad that he would do that,” Jungkook sobs.
Hoseok pulls Jungkook up, practically carrying him into their apartment, pulling him back into Hoseok’s room. Hoseok leaves his bags outside the door and lets Jungkook down onto the mattress. He makes sure to close the door quickly to not leave Jungkook’s side for long. As soon as he sits back down, Jungkook clings onto his arm and lets his head fall onto Hoseok’s shoulder. Hoseok lets the two of them fall on the bed on their backs, allowing Jungkook to pull closer.
“You deserve much better, Jungkookie. No one should ever make you choose between two happy parts of your life. You can be whoever you want, and be with whoever you want, and talk to whoever you want to. Always,” Hoseok whispers slowly, making sure Jungkook digests all of his words.
“You make me so happy, Hobi,” Jungkook says after a while. Hoseok kisses the top of Jungkook’s head at that.
“You make me the happiest person in the world, Jungkookie,” he says, closing his eyes. His heart is racing a million miles a minute.
“Hobi?” Jungkook says, pulling back to look at his face.
“Hm?” Hoseok hums, looking back at Jungkook.
Jungkook takes a moment. “I..I don’t think I’m ready right now but...I think I could make you even happier if...if you’d give me the chance.”
Hoseok is at a loss for words. All he can muster is: “I would wait forever for you, Jungkookie. Take your time, as long as you need. I promise I’ll be here when you’re ready.”
Jungkook sniffles again, curling back into Hoseok’s side.
Yeah, that’s his Jungkookie.