Archive of Our Own

Yoongi, for the most part, leads a relatively normal life.

It’s amusing to see people’s reactions when he tells them that because the moment strangers catch sight of his physical appearance they always seem to come to the conclusion that he is a wild card. Which he doesn’t necessarily blame them for thinking so. It’s not everyday that you see a man with platinum blonde hair that’s completely covered in tattoos, coupled with two nose piercings - a septum and regular hoop nose ring - that’s always paired in an entirely black attire, especially in the streets of Seoul. Sure, they have come a long way as a whole - what with the older generation being just that - old, and the younger generation growing up to have a wider view of the world that contrasts the beliefs that were forced upon them growing up. 

Regardless of that though, there still is some miseducation when it comes to stereotypes being ingrained into people's minds when it comes to people that look slightly different than what one would consider normal. So he’s constantly faced with people thinking that he’s some sort of mysterious, cold character that is synonymous with the term ‘bad boy’, when he is probably as far as he can be from that. He’s not mysterious or cold, he’s just shy and introverted. He likes to keep to himself and mind his own business. That’s not to say Yoongi is a complete loner, because he isn’t. He has his own tight knit circle of friends and he prefers to keep it that way. 

So, Yoongi leads a relatively normal life, which is why when he’s suddenly faced with a crying kid that he’s never met before, he doesn’t really know what to do. 

Yoongi pauses, moving his vanilla ice cream cone from its place in front of his face and glances down at the young boy in front of him. The kid is looking back up at him with large brown eyes as he holds onto one of the chains connected to Yoongi’s black jeans. They stare at each other for a moment and Yoongi is a bit shocked that the kid doesn’t burst out into a fresh wave of tears at the sight of him. 

Once Yoongi realizes that this is, in fact, a real thing that is happening right now - he looks around the park in hopes to find the person this kid belongs to. The kid doesn’t let go of his pants and starts crying again when Yoongi shifts slightly, trying to get himself free. Just as Yoongi is seriously considering calling Hoseok in panic about suddenly being forced to be a father - a man comes running up to him. 

A man doesn’t even seem like the proper thing to say really. More like the most gorgeous person that Yoongi has ever laid eyes on - that seems to be more fitting. 

The man completely bypasses him, hardly sparing him a second glance and scoops up the crying boy. He cradles him in his arms and the boy buries his face into - who Yoongi assumes is his father's neck. Well his father or older brother, Yoongi can’t be too sure. 

“Soobinie daddy said he was sorry okay?” Ah, his father. Okay. The child sniffles, burying his face deeper into the man’s neck. He looks over at Yoongi, finally acknowledging him and Yoongi almost squirms at the sudden attention. “I’m so sorry about that.” 

Yoongi coughs awkwardly, hoping his face doesn’t turn any shade of pink. “Oh.. uh it’s okay. Used to it.”

The man frowns but he still manages to look more amused than anything else. “Used to children crying to you?” 

Yoongi shrugs before gesturing down to his general appearance. “Scared of me I guess.” 

It unfortunately would not be the first time that he’s made a child cry just from how he looks. Which, he thinks is a bit unfair. It’s not like he has any particularly crazy tattoos, most of his are actually pretty tame. He has quite a few flowers that intertwine and run down the right side of his arm, completely covering it like a sleeve piece and coming back up to connect along his neck with a few others that hold significance to him. His piercings are pretty tame as well, so he never really understood why kids would be scared of him. He has a theory it has more to do with the kids parents and the ideas they force down their kids throats than it does his actual appearance. 

To Yoongi’s surprise, the man laughs — it’s sudden enough that it not only startles Yoongi but also Soobin. Yoongi looks at the man strangely, feeling a bit insulted. 

“He wasn’t crying because of your tattoos,” The man says, completely disregarding Yoongi’s affronted expression. He still looks far too amused for Yoongi’s liking. 

Yoongi blinks, looking at the man in disbelief.. “What? Then why—“ 

Soobin pulls away from the pretty man’s neck, obviously sick of the conversation the two adults are having. “Appa please! I promise I’ll be good!”

 “I never said it wasn’t because you weren’t good squish,” The man says softly, turning his attention away from Yoongi and trying to placate the sniffling boy. “I said I forgot my wallet at the bakery.”

That gives Yoongi pause. He looks on with growing confusion, still not understanding why the man forgetting his wallet would have anything to do with Yoongi. 

The man turns to him after kissing his son's now red nose. “He saw your ice cream and that’s what he wanted. It’s been a long day, he’s cranky.” He explains, cradling his son to his chest gently. 

Oh. Well that makes a lot more sense. The stranger turns back towards his son, whispering something to him but Soobin doesn’t seem to take much comfort from it. He sniffles again, looking at his dad with the same brown eyes that had been looking up at Yoongi not that long ago. Yoongi probably shouldn’t do what he’s about to do but well — he has a soft spot for kids, especially since Hoseok and Jungkook adopted theirs. 

Also Soobin is far too cute to look so sad.

“I can buy him one,” Yoongi offers. 

The stranger turns to him again. “No that's—“ He starts but is swiftly interrupted by Soobin who pulls away from his father at record speed.  “Yes please! Please!” The younger boy's words completely drown out the man’s. 

Yoongi does his best to stifle his laugh but he doesn’t think he does a great job at it, especially with how Soobin’s father looks at him with an eyebrow raised. He doesn’t look angry though, which Yoongi is grateful for. 

Yoongi stands, tossing his own melted ice cream cone. “Of course, only if it’s okay with your father.” He gently reminds the young boy — not being one to step over any boundaries. Soobin turns to his dad, big eyes boring into the man while his lips form a small pout.

Yoongi can see the man’s resolve completely shatter under his son's gaze. Yoongi is kind of impressed, Soobin would give Hoseok and Jungkook’s son Yeonjun a run for his money when it came to getting whatever he wanted. He’s seen that boy swindle his dads out of extra play time and an extra cookie from each of them without the other knowing. Kids play dirty more often than not. 

 “I...” Soobin kisses his father's nose. “You play dirty.”

“Please appa!” Soobin says again, even though he really doesn’t need to. It’s clear to anyone with working eyes that his father is practically puddy in his very tiny hands.

 “Fine only since the nice man is offering and because you know I’m a weak man,” He finally relents as if there was ever really a chance he was going to say no. He places Soobin on the ground. “Now what do you say?”

Soobin turns away from his father and drops his hand. He bounds over to Yoongi without a care in the world and holds his arms open in a motion that is obviously his way of demanding to be picked up. Yoongi looks at his father for permission — to which he gets a nod and rather pretty smile — before picking up the young boy. 

Soobin hugs him - wrapping his small arms around Yoongi’s neck as if they have known each other for years. “Thank you pretty tattoo hyung!”

Yoongi can’t help but flush at that - his entire face turning a dark shade of red at the name. 

Soobin's father snorts at his son’s antics but it still makes Yoongi blush even more, because it’s always been so obvious when he’s blushing. 

“I Uh— Yoongi. My name is Yoongi,” He says after he’s done choking on air like the embarrassing gay he is. 

Soobin just blinks at him, seemingly not caring in the slightest about embarrassing Yoongi in front of the prettiest man he’s ever seen. “Okay pretty tattoo hyung, can we get ice cream now?”

Yoongi blinks and Soobin keeps his rather unbothered expression. He looks at the kid's father for some sort of help but finds him trying desperately not to laugh. That traitor. 

“Well pretty tattoo man named Yoongi,” The father says and Yoongi’s heart lurches almost violently at that. Holy shit. Does that mean the father also thinks he’s pretty? Or is he just making fun of him? Really, Yoongi doesn’t even know which of the two he would perfer. “My name is Seokjin and that little conniving squish that you are holding in your arms is my son Soobin.”

“Yoongi,” He repeats, mostly at loss for anything else to say. He’s being hit on he thinks. Which doesn't make sense because Seokjin looks like he belongs on a runway - like seriously. He didn’t know someone wearing a white button up, tucked into a pair of basic blue jeans and paired with a long brown overcoat could look like a runway model but god was he wrong. At the very least Seokjin doesn’t look like he should be wasting his time talking to a tattoo covered man with facial piercings. “I think I like calling you pretty more.”

Seokjin winks at him and yeah okay he’s definitely being flirted with. Holy shit. Yoongi doesn’t wink back because he’s a disaster gay and if he tries to flirt back he just knows that something bad is going to happen. Instead he just nods awkwardly and Seokjin gives him a rather amused smile. God, if Hoseok could see this entire situation and how flustered he is right now, he would never be able to live it down. Yoongi answers his smile with an embarrassing sputter as he tries to direct Seokjin’s attention to the ice cream shop and off of him. Soobin refuses to be put down from his hold so Yoongi is forced to carry him as they make their way towards the shop. 

Before they actually enter, Yoongi stops and places a hand on Seokjin’s arm to get him to stop walking. “Just so we are clear, I think you’re pretty too.” He’s never been great with beating around the bush and honestly it’s not everyday someone as gorgeous as Seokjin hits on him.

It seems kind of juvenile— the entire situation. It feels a bit too much like asking Seokjin to check yes or no if he thinks he’s cute also but then Seokjin smiles at him and well, it doesn’t really matter. “That’s good because I demand a date where Soobin isn’t clinging to you, with red puffy cheeks.”

Yoongi laughs, feeling lighter than he has in a while. “Okay I can agree to that.” 

Seokjin smiles at that, looking satisfied. “Good now let's go get ice cream before this squish—“ He pinches Soobin’s cheeks, who squeals happily. “Starts getting cranky again.” 

Yoongi nods and pulls them fully into the shop. Soobin keeps his grip on him, wrapping himself around Yoongi like it’s all he has ever known. It’s amazing how… unprejudiced kids can be when they grow up in an environment that isn’t completely immersed in their parents backwards ideals. Seokjin follows closely behind them, keeping a hand on the small of Soobin’s back in what seems like a natural manner. 

The shop is relatively empty, which isn’t all that surprising considering it’s pretty early in the afternoon on a Tuesday. People with normal jobs are still stuck at work. When the teenager behind the counter asks him what he wants he settles for his regular order of vanilla ice cream. He’s never really been a fan of flavored ice creams, preferring the simplicity of vanilla. Once his order is placed he looks down at Soobin, asking what he wants. 

The younger leans forward, pressing his chubby hand to the glass and peering into it. “I Uh...” He frowns to himself as his eyes skim across the various flavors. His brow pinches together in concentration and Yoongi thinks it’s probably the most adorable thing he’s ever seen a kid do. “I’ll take vanilla too... like pretty tattoo hyung.” 

Seokjin makes a confused sound from next to them, causing both Yoongi and Soobin to look over at him. Seokjin’s eyes are focused on his son though, frowning slightly. Yoongi looks between the two of them, confused for what feels like the millionth time in their rather short meeting. 

“You don’t want strawberry with rainbow sprinkles?” Seokjin asks, pushing his son's hair back in what Yoongi assumes to be a comforting action. “You feeling okay? You hate vanilla binnie.” 

Soobin’s ears turn a bright red at the sudden attention, rivalling Yoongi’s embarrassment from earlier. It’s Yoongi’s turn to frown at this, wondering why Soobin would pick a flavor that he obviously doesn’t enjoy. Soobin looks between the two of them, brown eyes growing slightly larger and resembling a very cute deer trapped in headlights.

Eventually though, he answers under his father's concerned gaze. “The b-boys at school said it’s girly to get p-pink ice cream.” Yoongi feels his chest constrict slightly at that. Soobin sounds absolutely devastated and Seokjin looks no better than his son sounds. “They said I won’t be cool if I like pink things... and pretty tattoo hyung is cool so I—“ 

Yoongi can’t hear another word of it. He remembers how it felt to be a kid Soobin’s age and even though he didn’t look different back then, he knew he was. Beyond his sexualtiy not being considered the norm, his interests didn’t quite align with the kids his age either. He had always been into drawing but instead of things that were generally lighthearted and colorful, he drifted towards darker tones and meanings. His mind processed things differently and he always questioned why things happened instead of blindly following everyone else. It didn’t make him exactly popular in school. Instead it only served to isolate him. 

He turns to the woman behind the counter, who had obviously been listening to the entire exchange if her crestfallen expression is any indication. “Actually can you get me two ice cream cones with strawberry ice cream and extra rainbow sprinkles.”

 “Make that three,” Seokjin adds quickly. 

The woman smiles warmly and nods, placing Yoongi’s original vanilla cone off to the side to get started on the new order. Soobin gasps at them, turning to look up at Yoongi with awe obvious in his expression. It warms Yoongi to his very core. 

“Really?” Soobin asks, his voice no longer sounding dejected but instead hopeful. It’s almost as if he can’t believe that someone that looks like Yoongi could ever like something like pink ice cream and rainbow sprinkles.  “You like pink stuff too?” 

Yoongi nods, pulling his sleeve up to better showcase the pink lotus flowers that run down the majority of his arm. “I think it’s pretty and you can be pretty, even when you’re a boy Bin-ah. You don’t have to just be a girl to like pretty or soft things but also being a girl isn’t a bad thing either. Girls are very strong also and they can even be better than boys sometimes.”

“Really?” Soobin asks again and Yoongi nods. Soobin lights up at that before he looks down at his tattoos in absolute amazement. “I told them I could like pink and that girls were super cool too! And if someone as cool as pretty tattoo hyung likes pink then so can I!” 

Yoongi smiles at him softly. He can’t really help himself either - Soobin’s happiness is contagious. “Of course you can. Those boys are mean and probably don’t have people who love them very much. But you do - you have a lot of people that love you very much regardless of whatever colors you like..”

Seokjin comes over then, pressing a kiss to his son's nose. “You’re the best boy squish and never forget that but don’t ever keep things like that to yourself, I’m here for you. What did we say we are supposed to do when we are sad?”

“We are supposed to tell appa because nobody's ‘sposed to be mean to me, including myself!” Soobin tells Seokjin seriously. Yoongi’s heart nearly bursts at that, because it’s obviously something that Seokjin has ingrained into his son’s mind. “Can we eat ice cream now?” 

Seokjin laughs before he presses a kiss to his forehead and nods.

Once the worker hands them their cones, they take their ice creams outside since the weather is beautiful. They find one of the small tables outside the shop empty and sit down to eat them. As soon as they are sitting down Soobin begins babbling about his day at school while he munches happily on his strawberry ice cream. He ends up getting sprinkles on his nose and it’s unbelievably endearing. 

“Thank you,” Seokjin says gently when he is sure that Soobin is completely immersed in his ice cream and story. 

Yoongi shrugs, ignoring the heat rise to his cheeks for the second time today. “Well, if I want to date his father I need to make a good impression.” 

He says it in a rare moment of bravery and he finds that he doesn’t regret it. He at the very least knows that Seokjin is interested in him. 

Seokjin laughs loudly. “Well I think it’s safe to say, he already approves. So his father will absolutely say yes to a date but he does have a few conditions to said date.” 

Yoongi raises an eyebrow. “And what are those?”

“Well I obviously want to be swept off my feet and dance under the moonlight as we fall in love,” Seokjin teases and Yoongi can’t help but smile at the imagery of it. 

“I think I can work something out,” Yoongi plays along. 

“I’m holding you to it,” Seokjin replies before he takes a bit of his ice cream. 

Yoongi doesn’t respond to that, instead smiling into his own ice cream as he continues it. Seokjin smiles back at him, indicating that he doesn’t take his silence as anything negative. Soobin is completely oblivious to the entire exchange. When Yoongi zones back in, he is at the tail end of Soobin explaining why bubbles are absolutely better than the moon. Neither of those things have much correlation to each other but the way Soobin argues his point would have the fiercest politician crumbling to his debate. 

“Pretty hyung!” Soobin says once he is finished with another one of his rambles. 

Yoongi gives all of his attention to Soobin. He does his best to not let the nickname affect him much. “Yes?” 

“Would you come to the grocery store with us?” Soobin asks as he reaches out to hold Yoongi’s hand in his. “Appa says we have to go but I don’t wanna!”

“Yah squish!” Seokjin scolds but it’s obvious there is no real intent behind it. “You break my heart. You used to love going grocery shopping with me.” 

Soobin turns back to his father with a pout on his face. “I want pretty tattoo hyung to come with us.” 

Seokjin looks at Yoongi apologetically. “You don’t have to come-”

“I would love to,” Yoongi says, stopping Seokjin before he tries to get him out of it. “Only if you are okay with extending our time together for a while longer.”

A small and breathtaking smile spreads across his face. “I would love that.” 

♡

Shopping with the father-son duo is surprisingly easy even though Yoongi doesn’t really prefer such public places, especially in the middle of the day. He prefers to do all his shopping either right when the stores open or an hour or so before they close, partially because it just works out better with his scheduling that way and partially because it means there will be less people in the stores. Which in turn means there will be less people staring at him as he tries to get food for the week or just the basic necessities. 

Kind of like they are right now.

It’s something that Yoongi has long become accustomed to but he’s usually alone when it happens or with Jungkook, who is usually getting his own fair share of judgemental glances. Never has he been stuck in a situation like this with a six year old and his father who likes the son of a prestigious CEO. Thankfully neither Seokjin or Soobin seem particularly bothered by the eyes that are clearly following them as they walk down each aisle, which Yoongi is grateful for. 

Instead of allowing himself to become bothered or uncomfortable with the attention, he keeps his focus in front of him instead of around him. He sticks to  following Seokjin around the store while Soobin points out various items on the shelves and asks Yoongi to explain what they are. There are certain things he quickly recognizes, like his favorite brand of seaweed snacks and banana milk but he struggles naming basic things like vegetables and fruits. 

After a while the people around them fade out and all he can focus on is Soobin as he smiles each time Yoongi informs him of whatever he was pointing out. 

“You know you don’t have to humor him,” Seokjin says as he picks out carrots before putting them in his reusable bag. “If you keep doing it, he will never stop asking you questions.”

“And this?” Soobin asks, pointing at the various potatoes on display. “There are lots of colors!”

“Those are potatoes Binnie,” Yoongi answers, not missing a beat. He then looks at Seokjin, who is watching them with an expression that Yoongi can’t quite decipher - he just knows it’s… warm. “I don’t mind. He’s cute and it’s really helping me brush up on my fruit and vegetable knowledge.” 

Seokjin rolls his eyes but he looks pleased by the answer. “Oh? What, you got a big vegetable exam coming up?”

“I do. It’s nationwide, didn’t you hear?” Yoongi replies back in faux seriousness. “I could win the grand prize!”

Soobin gasps. “Prize? I love prizes! What’s the prize?” 

Yoongi flounders at that, unsure of what to say now that he’s gotten caught in a lie by a first grader. Seokjin, thankfully comes in to save him and save him from being branded a liar in the eyes of a six year old. 

“Appa’s homemade chocolate chip cookies of course,” Seokjin says before tapping Soobin gently on his nose. “Do you want to win the prize too?” 

Soobin nods his head vigorously. “Yes appa! What do I have to do?” 

Seokjin hums, scratching his chin with his thumb as if he is really thinking about it. “Well you are always a good boy right?” 

Soobin nods again. “Yes appa!” 

Seokjin smiles. “Then I guess you already won your prize of…” He pulls a small packet from behind his back and Soobin’s smile grows in size and Yoongi wonders how that’s even possible. 

“Apples and peanut butter!” Soobin finishes, obviously excited. 

Seokjin nods and hads the packet over to Soobin who takes it readily. As soon as Soobin has his hands on it, he tears it open and digs in. Yoongi watches fondly, unable to help himself. Seokjin pinches Soobin’s cheek as he eats his snack. With Soobin distracted, they finish up shopping relatively quickly after that. Yoongi tries to pay for half of the things, being a gentleman and all but Seokjin is quick to shoot him down. 

“These are my groceries,” Seokjin reminds him as he pushes his card into the slot. “So why would I let you buy them?” 

Yoongi opens his mouth, ready to give a rebuttal but finds himself stuck. Honestly, he doesn’t know why Seokjin would let him pay for him but he stands by his original offer. It’s just the nice thing to do and it’s not like Yoongi is hurting for money. He’s never hurt for money, at least not for a while. When their shop took off, it was like the money never stopped. There weren’t a lot of tattoo shops in Korea, many not being able to go through the proper qualifications in order to open up a legal shop… like getting their doctorate. Yoongi and Jungkook did though because once their minds are set on something, it’s hard to deter either of them. Medical school practically paid for itself after they had their shop up and running and neither of them have had to want for anything since. 

“I don’t know,” Yoongi answers honestly. “It felt like the least I could do.” 

Yoongi can’t quite see his face but he has a feeling that Seokjin is rolling his eyes. “You’re far too kind Yoongichi.” 

Yoongi scrunches his nose at the nickname - not expecting it. “Yoongichi?”

Seokjin smiles at him, looking pleased. “It fits. A cute nickname for a cute boy.” Yoongi flushes and Seokjin’s smile grows a bit brighter. “But if you really want to help, why don’t you help me bake these cookies?” 

Soobin turns to him at that. “Really pretty tattoo hyung?” He asks. 

“I…” Yoongi looks between Soobin’s hopeful expression and Seokjin’s now pink dusted cheeks. He probably should say no. Because it’s weird right? To hang out with someone he hardly knows and their son. That’s… not normal. “Sure.” 

Normal isn’t that great anyways.

The smile Seokjin gives him after he agrees is already enough to make him feel better about the decision he made. Yoongi doesn’t know but he already has a feeling that Seokjin’s smile is going to become one of his favorite things in the world. It already makes his heart flutter in his chest and they have only just met, he can’t imagine what it will do to him later on down the road. It’s made worse when Soobin’s own smile grows to match his fathers. 

Soobin winds up holding both of their hands as they walk towards where Yoongi assumes Seokjin’s apartment is. They make small talk, keeping the topics on a pretty general level so Soobin can also participate in whatever conversation they begin having. The pace between them feels so natural that Yoongi almost forgets he hasn’t known both of them for years already. 

Eventually Soobin begins swinging between them as he holds onto their hands and it reminds Yoongi too much of Jungkook, Hoseok and their own son. He has seen them in a situation almost identical to the one that he is in now. Yoongi wonders if the people that pass them on the streets assume that they are a family the same way that they assume Jungkook, Hoseok and Yeonjun are. Yoongi tries not to think about how that thought doesn’t bother him in the slightest. 

When they arrive at Seokjin and Soobin’s apartment complex, Yoongi is surprised to find that it’s the same one that he currently lives in. He hadn’t been paying much attention as they walked to it, far too immersed in Soobin’s argument that mermaids are very much real and they're best friends with aliens to focus on much else. 

“Oh,” Yoongi exhales as they walk up to the second floor. “You really live here?” 

Seokjin walks to the end of the hallway, searching his pockets for the keys while balancing the grocery bags he is also carrying. “I do.” 

He continues rummaging through his pockets until he finds them and pulls them out. He sticks the key in the whole and sure enough the door unlocks. “Why?”

Yoongi follows him into the apartment. “Uh… I live just down the hall.” 

Seokjin stops in front of the dining table. He turns to Yoongi with a look of bewilderment. “What? Really?” 

Yoongi nods, placing the bags of groceries on the table in the dining room. “Yeah, apartment 2B3.” 

“Wow, small world.” Seokjin begins taking groceries out of the reusable bags. “How have we not ran into each other? I am sure I would have remembered a face like yours.” 

Yoongi flushes and turns away, not wanting to be embarrassed further. “I actually just moved in like two weeks ago and I haven’t really been home much.” 

“Hmm.” Seokjin picks up Soobin, taking him over to the living room. Yoongi watches as he places him down on the couch and Soobin immediately curls up under one of the throw blankets and proceeds to knock out as soon as his head touches the pillows. “I guess that makes sense. I usually get home around twelve in the afternoon and don’t pick up Binnie until around two and then I stay home pretty much the rest of the day. It’s no surprise we haven’t ran into each other.” 

Yoongi nods and takes a few of the vegetables to the refrigerator. “Yeah, I tend to work nights and don’t make it back home until around four or five in the morning, depending on how it goes at work.”

Seokjin joins him in the kitchen, putting the many bags of rice into the pantry. “Ah, let me guess…” He turns to Yoongi after he walks out of the pantry. “Producer?” 

“Nah,” Yoongi says as he sorts the vegetables and fruits into their appropriate places in the fridge. “That had been my dream at one point though.”

“Really?” Seokjin asks. He walks back to the table to grab the other items left out on the table so he can put them away. “Maybe in another life.”

Yoongi hums. “Maybe. What do you think you would have been in another life?” 

“Oh a singer for sure,” Seokjin answers without missing a beat. “Hey,” Seokjin stops and looks at him. “Do you think we would have been in the same band?” 

“If the group involves dancing, absolutely not.” Yoongi scrunches his nose in disgust at the thought. “I would probably stay behind the scenes if I ever chased that dream.” 

“You’re no fun Yoongichi.” Yoongi flushes at the use of the nickname for the second time that day. “What about our first date? It was supposed to be a moonlit dance under the stars and now you are telling me you wouldn’t dance with me in another life?” 

Yoongi rolls his eyes at Seokjin’s dramatics. “Okay, just for you I would have danced.”

Seokjin smiles, pleased with his answer. “Who knows, maybe we would have even been roommates and slowly fell in love as we rose to success.”

Yoongi snorts. “Sounds real romantic. You should write books.” 

“You are saying that as a joke but I will take it as a compliment nonetheless,” Seokjin says as he puts away the last of the groceries. “But alas, I have no time for writing.” 

“Why’s that?” Yoongi asks, genuinely curious to get to know more about Seokjin. 

“Well because I have my squish, who takes up a good majority of my time and also because I run and own a bakery in the heart of Seoul.” 

Yoongi takes a seat at the table. “Really? What’s it called?” 

Seokjin goes back to the pantry. “Coffee?” He calls and Yoongi responds with a ‘please’. “Don’t make fun of me but it’s called Pinkies.”

Yoongi’s mouth parts slightly. “You’re kidding! I love that place.”

Seokjin looks up from the coffee machine. “Really? You have been?”

“Well no, not really but my best friend loves your doughnuts. He gets one every day on the way to work and always picks me up your snickerdoodle muffin.” 

“Not to be totally stereotypical but is your best friend also covered in tattoos,” Seokjin asks as he pulls out two mugs from his cabinet. “And also has a septum piercing and long black hair that he takes to wearing in a bun? He also looks just like a-”

“Bunny?” Yoongi finishes for him with a small smile. “Yeah that’s Jungkook. We own the tattoo shop just up the road from your bakery.” 

Seokjin hums in acknowledgement. “He’s the sweetest. He always wants to show me pictures of his son, I have never met another dad so excited to be a dad. I always sneak him in an extra doughnut.” 

“Oh he always gets excited when he sees two in there,” Yoongi says. “He also says that if you ever wanted to get a tattoo that it’s on him.” 

“Well I will keep that in mind,” Seokjin says as he walks to the table with two mugs in hand. “But for now I think I will pass.” 

Yoongi grabs the mug offered to him with a thankful smile. “So not into tattoos?” 

“Nah, not on me,” Seokjin answers. “But on others…” He winks and Yoongi nearly chokes on his coffee.

“You are just too easy,” Seokjin teases and he sounds elated by that fact. 

Yoongi does his best to pretend he’s not affected in the slightest. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“I’ll go easy on you,” Seokjin replies with a small smile. “For now. But I do want to know more about you.” 

And so Yoongi talks - more than he really has before with someone he just met. 

He tells Seokjin about his life growing up and really whatever comes to mind. Seokjin answers in kind with his own stories and about how he got the bakery started on his own while also having a kid. 

They spend the better part of the hour just talking, only stopping because Soobin wakes up from his power nap and demands to be held by his father. Seokjin obliged and apologized to Yoongi, telling him he needed to take Soobin a bath. Yoongi waves him off, promising to hang out until he’s ready to start baking. 

It takes about another thirty minutes for Seokjin and him to actually start on the cookies. Soobin watches them from his place on the dining room table, giggling every time the two of them begin to bicker over the proper way to make cookies. 

“Oh come on, a little flour isn’t going to hurt you,” Seokjin teases as Yoongi does his best to get the cookies off of the rolling pin. “I promise it won’t make the cookies taste any different.” 

Yoongi huffs, ignoring his advice because of his own pride. “We should have just got a tube from the grocery store while we were there.” 

Seokjin gasps, sounding offended by the mere thought of tubed cookies. “You think I would ever subject my dear son to tubed cookies?”

Yoongi turns to him with a brow raised. “You really think that Soobin would be able to tell the difference?” 

Seokjin levels him with the same look. “Of course he would. My son has taste.” 

“You willing to bet on that?” Yoongi challenges. 

“Oh you are so on,” Seokjin immediately agrees. 

That earns them their second trip to the grocery store in less than a two hour time period but Soobin doesn’t care at all when he receives another packet of apples and peanut butter for being such a good boy while they shopped.

While they were there Seokjin also picked up the ingredients for bulgogi, stating that he and Yoongi can’t compete on an empty stomach. Seokjin originally tries to shoo Yoongi out of the kitchen while he cooks but Yoongi soon convinces him that he is actually a pretty good cook. Which leads them to where they are now.

Seokjin reaches over him easily, grabbing the soy sauce and going back to work. Yoongi focuses on his own task at hand - making fried rice to serve along with it. Soobin watches them work from his place at the table, working on the few homework sheets he has with ease. Every so often he will interrupt them to ask for help with spelling or pronunciation but other than that he stays relatively quiet. 

“He is a pretty bright kid,” Seokjin says conversationally while he marinates the thinly sliced beef. “He hardly ever needs help with his homework and his teachers also call to praise him.” 

Yoongi hums. “He seems like a bright kid, in more ways than one.” 

Seokjin smiles at that. “He is but I know you want to ask.” 

Yoongi stops what he is doing for a second, glancing over at Seokjin. “Ask about what?”

Seokjin glances at him, seemingly thoughtful. Yoongi doesn’t say anything but holds his gaze nonetheless. He does have a few questions he wants to ask Seokjin but he has a feeling that they aren’t on the same page here. 

“Where his mother is?” Seokjin says, switching over to english. 

Yoongi has never been more thankful for those lessons he decided to take in high school. “Oh, I actually hadn’t thought about that. I assumed she just wasn’t in the picture.” 

Yoongi has a brief moment of panic - wondering if he read the entire situation wrong. He glances down at Seokjin’s left hand and thankfully finds it empty of any ring. Honestly, if that had been the case, Yoongi doesn’t think he could live it down. While Seokjin doesn’t seem like that type of person - he also knows that rationally, he doesn’t know him. They just met a few hours ago and it’s easy to lie about the person you are. 

“She’s not,” Seokjin is quick to reassure. “She left when Soobin was one.” 

“Left?” Yoongi asks, not believing his own ears. “Like… just disappeared?” 

Seokjin nods, flipping the meat. “She only left a note and a signed document from her lawyer, completely giving up her rights to him. She never wanted to have a kid and I’m guessing it was all too much. Last I heard she was somewhere in Japan.”

Yoongi exhales, processing the information. “Wow, that’s…” He trails off, unable to really gather his thoughts. He truly can’t imagine anyone ever looking at Soobin and choosing to leave. “Are you okay?” 

Seokjin laughs at that. He turns to look at Yoongi again. “Yes. I’m fine. That was years ago and truth be told I never really loved her either but I was just telling you so you didn’t worry about his mother at any point.”

That gives Yoongi pause. “Oh. So you are planning to keep me around for a bit then?” 

“Maybe I am,” Seokjin answers back coily. “Would you have a problem with that?” 

“Nope,” Yoongi replies and maybe it’s a bit too quickly but he hardly finds it in himself to care. “I don’t mind at all.” 

“Good.” 

And that’s that. They don’t spend much of the next hour talking. Instead they silently work around the kitchen as they prepare dinner. It’s not uncomfortable by any means and Yoongi finds he quite enjoys being able to exist with Seokjin in this setting. 

Eventually Soobin finishes his homework and wanders into the kitchen to help. Seokjin reminds him that he’s not old enough to help with the meat yet but Yoongi is quick to swoop in before Soobin can get too upset and Seokjin throws him a grateful smile for it. Yoongi waves him off, promising that he doesn’t mind. Because he really doesn’t. Soobin actually winds up being a great help - or at least that’s what Yoongi tells him, making sure not to point out that the carrots he is helping him cut are a bit too big or that the green onions shouldn’t be cut that way. He just fixes it when Soobin isn’t looking and Soobin keeps his smile plastered on his face the entire time. 

Once the food is ready they gather at Seokjin’s low table in the living room, which Soobin is ecstatic about. Seokjin informs Yoongi that it’s rare that they eat in the living room but since they have a guest then they can make the exception. Soobin ends up picking a Disney movie to watch while they eat and Yoongi can honestly say it’s the best dinner he has had in a very long time. Over the last few months he has taken to eating in the shop, wanting to use every spare second of free time he has to work on new designs or finish a customer sketch. He’s also been covering for Jungkook on special occasions or weekends in order for him to be able to spend time with his son and Hoseok. 

After the food is finished and the dishes are done, Seokjin asks for his help in making a batch of his homemade cookies. Soobin doesn’t follow them this time, having pulled out his toy dinosaurs from his room. He’s fully engrossed in playing, making the dinosaurs talk to each other while little mermaid plays in the background. 

“Are you ready to lose?” Seokjin asks as he begins preparing the ingredients for his cookies. 

Yoongi snorts. “In your dreams. Nothing will ever beat tubed cookies.” 

Seokjin gasps, looking genuinely horrified by that statement. It makes Yoongi smile.

“I am really reconsidering giving you a second date after that comment,” Seokjin says as he dramatically shivers. “That’s grounds for dumping.” 

Yoongi rolls his eyes. “What kind of dumping are we talking about here?” 

“Over text message on your birthday,” Seokjin replies deadpan.

“Ouch. That’s some serious heartbreak there.”

“As there should be for such a terrible statement,” Seokjin says over his shoulder as he begins measuring out flour and dumping it into a large mixing bowl. “I could never date someone with such terrible judgement.” 

Yoongi begins on his own cookies, cutting open the tube. “What are you going to do when Soobin picks my cookies over yours then? Are you going to kick him out?” 

“Absolutely,” Seokjin answers without missing a beat. “He is old enough to make his own decisions and any poor judgement on his part regarding cookies is ground for immediate eviction.” 

Yoongi laughs at that. “I mean he is so very obviously an adult, how could I even question otherwise?”

“Exactly. Everyone knows that all adults wear little mermaid pajamas and play with toy dinosaurs.” Seokjin pours some sugar into his flour. “If he is old enough to eat rainbow sprinkled donuts then he is old enough to get a real job.” 

“Do you run a club for wonderful parenting style?” Yoongi asks as he begins to scoop his cookie dough out of the tube. He places each dough ball onto the parchment paper covering the cooking tray. “I think you should maybe hold a TED talk.” 

“Finally someone who can appreciate my wonderful parenting. I knew I made a good choice picking you.”

Yoongi rolls his eyes as he turns away from Seokjin. If anyone were to ask, it's because he doesn’t want to get behind on his cookie making - but even he has to admit that it’s mostly because he doesn’t want Seokjin to see him blush for the hundredth time today. Seokjin doesn’t embarrass him further thankfully and they wind up finishing the cookies just as Soobin is done with his extra practice sheets for his math course. They weren’t mandatory but Soobin always asked for extra practice when he could. 

Once the cookies are cooled they each place one on a plate and place it in front of Soobin. He takes a bite from each and chews them thoughtfully. Both Seokjin and Yoongi wait with baited breath and then Soobin picks up the one Yoongi made.

Seokjin gasps and Soobin errupts into a fit of giggles. 

“Squish how could you do this to me?” Seokjin asks dramatically, which only spurs Soobin’s giggles on further. “I thought you loved me.”

“I do appa! But I also think I love pretty tattoo hyung too!” Soobin says, once again acting like he has known Yoongi his entire life and hasn’t just met him today. 

It never fails to surprise him how kids can form almost instant bonds with people who show them the barest form of kindness, or that their parents trust. Seokjin laughs at that, seemingly unbothered by his son's sudden confession. 

“Well you may love him but you still must be punished for picking his terrible cookies over your appa’s,” Seokjin says and he raises his hands. 

Soobin’s reaction is instantaneous. He immediately breaks out in a new fit of giggles before he is standing up and trying to bolt from his place on the kitchen table. His legs are too short though, so he is hardly able to make it out of the vicinity of the table before Seokjin is wrapping his arms around him and picking him up off the ground. Soobin squirms around but his high pitched giggles never soften. Yoongi watches them with what he assumes is a far too fond expression, especially seeing as he just met them today. But… he has a feeling that this is just one of those things. 

Sometimes you meet people and you just… know. You know that they are going to impact your life in a way you didn’t expect. You know that they are going to be around for a long time. You know that you really don’t want to imagine a life where they aren’t in it. 

It’s a weird thing to feel and all Yoongi can think about is what Jungkook told him back when he first had met Hoseok. Yoongi didn’t understand back then - couldn’t even really comprehend how Jungkook could have one conversation with a guy he had just met and just… know. But Jungkook had sworn up and down that Hoseok was the one for him, even though they only shared a brief conversation at the coffee shop down the road as they waited for their orders. 

When Yoongi had asked how he knew, Jungkook had just shrugged and said he smelled like flowers and he had a smile shaped like a heart. Yoongi had tried to tell him that he needed more in order to feel something like forever but Jungkook didn’t listen. He told Yoongi that sometimes you just know. Sometimes you meet someone and it’s like your heart starts beating for the first time or like the colors around you grow a shade brighter and it’s not something that you can necessarily explain until you feel it. 

Yoongi had told him he was crazy and that what he was doing wasn’t normal.

But maybe he was the one who just never truly understood how love works sometimes. He wouldn’t necessarily call what he feels right now love at first sight but he does know that even if everything between them doesn’t work out in the long run, that he will never forget Soobin or Seokjin and the brightness they have managed to bring into his life even after only knowing each other for a day. 

Eventually Seokjin stops tickling Soobin and he ends up settling into his father's side. Yoongi sits next to them while Seokjin tries to decide on a movie for them to watch. Soobin insists on another Disney movie and neither Yoongi or Seokjin have the heart to deny him of it. They agree on another classic and Soobin quickly becomes immersed in the lion king. They don’t get to talk much throughout the movie - and that’s not to say they don’t try - but everytime they begin a conversation Soobin reminds them that they are watching a movie. It’s adorable to see his little eyebrows pinch into a frown. 

They don’t get to make it to the end of the movie. Around half way through it, Soobin’s eyes begin to droop and his breathing evens out as his father holds him in his arms. Seokjin runs a hand through his son’s hair every so often, which is probably why it didn’t take him long to fall asleep. 

“He’s had an exciting day,” Seokjin whispers as he looks down at his son. “I’m surprised he made it this long.” 

Yoongi smiles. “Well I’m glad he did. He has quite the personality. I’m honored that I got to know him.” 

“Yeah,” Seokjin says thoughtfully. “It’s such a nice change of pace. 

“What do you mean?” 

Seokjin looks down at his hands. “Well, usually when people find out I have a kid they are pretty much knocking on the door to leave. So it’s nice to have someone who finds him as wonderful as I do.”

Yoongi shakes his head. “I just can’t imagine someone meeting Soobin and not loving him. Also they must be idiots to not want to stick around for you.” 

Seokjin flushes at that and it’s just so… beautiful on him. Yoongi kind of really wants to kiss him. He thinks about doing just that but then Soobin stirs in Seokjin’s arms. Seokjin smiles apologetically as he comforts him. After Soobin has stopped moving, Seokjin stands to take him to his room and instead of ending their night there, he asks him to stay. 

Yoongi doesn’t really need to be told twice and waits for Seokjin to return. 

He is waiting no more than thirty minutes before Seokjin returns and throws himself down on the couch. He doesn’t really know what the proper thing to do is in this situation. Should he go now? Maybe Seokjin just wanted him to wait so he can walk him out and lock the door behind him? He really doesn’t know what the proper etiquette in this situation is and a part of him feels like he has already overstayed his welcome… but then Seokjin turns to him and there is a soft smile on his face. It has Yoongi practically melting back into the cushions of the couch. 

“Sorry this wasn’t really the first date I had in mind,” Seokjin says once Yoongi is completely relaxed next to him. “I imagined more romance and less Disney movies and flour in your hair.” 

Yoongi waves his concerns off and shakes his head slightly, trying to get all the flour left behind out of his hair. “I had a wonderful time,” Yoongi promises and it’s not even almost a lie. 

Sure, he never really expected to have a first date quite like this but he knows that he wouldn’t trade it for anything else. Any other date he’s ever been on pales in comparison to this one. Soobin alone was enough to make it more exciting. 

“We were supposed to spend time alone on our first date,” Seokjin reminds him, referencing the conversation they had earlier at the ice cream shop. He leans forward, running a hand through Yoongi’s hair. It takes everything for him to not react to it. “But I had a wonderful time too.” 

“Well we are alone now,” Yoongi says, remembering the second part of said conversation and catching Seokjin’s hand in his own. “What’s stopping us from having the first date you wanted to have?” 

Seokjin sits a bit straighter. “Are you serious?” He asks and there is brightness to him as he asks that makes Yoongi’s heart feel as if it’s about to beat out of his chest. 

“I know there is no moonlight hanging above us or anything romantic like that but…” Yoongi shifts slightly, so he can pull his phone out of his pocket. 

He opens up his spotify, typing ‘romantic dance’ into the search bar and clicking the first playlist that pops up. An instrumental song starts playing, one that Yoongi vaguely recognizes. He’s almost positive it’s from a pixar movie but he can’t quite place it. It’s nice though and it has Seokjin smiling widely and his eyes shining like they hold every galaxy in the sky. 

“Well since you fixed the music part,” Seokjin says as he stands up.

He walks over to his balcony door and slides open the blinds. The night sky is dark and there aren’t many stars to be seen due to them living in a very busy area of the city but it adds a softer feel to the situation regardless. He beacons Yoongi closer and Yoongi follows easily. 

“How do you feel about slow dancing on my balcony while we play spotify from your phone speakers and hear cars down on the street below us?” Seokjin asks with a small smile. 

Normally, that wouldn’t sound particularly tempting but Yoongi finds him smiling like an idiot regardless. Normal is seeming less and less appealing. 

“Well I would love that but only if we play the music at an appropriate level so as to not disturb the neighbors,” Yoongi plays along. 

“Min Yoongi you become more and more attractive with every word you say.”

Yoongi snorts and holds out his hand. He ends up blushing from the entire situation. He’s romantic in his own right but he can honestly say this is the first time that he has ever slow danced outside, under the night sky with someone he has just met- let alone someone as beautiful as Seokjin. Thankfully Seokjin humors him. He grabs Yoongi’s hand and Yoongi can’t help but notice the contrast in their hands alone. Where Yoongi has flowers painting his skin, Seokjin has bareness… and yet, they are still so similar. 

As they begin swaying to the tune of the song, they don’t do anything dramatic like fall into each other's arms and kiss like oxygen doesn’t exist. They just… talk. About absolutely nothing, like their favorite colors or movies that they have seen recently - and everything, like how Yoongi didn’t know what he was going to do with his life until he met Jungkook and they shared a vision of one day owning their own tattoo shop. Or how Seokjin and Soobin’s mother always knew they weren’t ever really in love and when she fell pregnant she had no problem signing away the rights to her own child. 

Yoongi doesn’t quite understand that - but in a way he is grateful for it. Soobin deserves to have people in his life that don’t second guess their love for him. People that look at him and want nothing but the best for him. So while Yoongi doesn’t understand it, he realizes that that’s just how life is sometimes. The unexpected always seems to happen and you are left on a new path that you never would have imagined for yourself. He can’t really say he minds where this new path is taking him though. 

Seokjin sways with him gently, even long after the original song stops playing. 

It’s not forced - none of it is. Which is also a rarity for Yoongi. He is naturally shy and Seokjin, sometime along the night said he was as well. But it really isn’t apparent as they spend the great majority of their night talking without missing a single beat. If there is silence and there have been some odd moments of quiet, it’s not uncomfortable… it just is. They just exist with each other for those few moments and none of it feels rushed or like anything to that degree. 

After another few song plays, Seokjin pulls back slightly. His cheeks are tinted pink and he’s smiling a smile that Yoongi hasn’t gotten the pleasure of seeing before - which makes sense seeing as they just met today - but the smile itself is gentle. There is no intent behind it - just happiness mixed in with a few other emotions that are similar to that feeling. For a second, Yoongi thinks that he’s going to kiss him and maybe that was Seokjin’s original plan but, again, life doesn’t play out like you want it to more often than not. 

Right before Seokjin is able to move any closer, Soobin comes walking into the room.

“Appa,” He says between sniffles. He doesn’t react to the scene in front of him, his only goal in mind being to make it to his father. 

As soon as Soobin reaches Seokjin, he turns for Yoongi instead. He reaches his arms up in the same fashion he did when they were at the ice cream shop and waits for Yoongi to pick him up. To which he does, not wanting to upset Soobin more than he already is. Once he is cradled safely in Yoongi’s arms, he looks at Seokjin. 

“Another bad dream squish?” Seokjin asks as he runs his fingers through his son's hair. 

Soobin nods and sniffles again. “Can you read me another nice story?” He asks and Yoongi wonders if it’s going to be possible to ever say no to him. 

“Of course,” Seokjin agrees softly before giving Yoongi an apologetic look. 

Yoongi shakes his head, doing his best to convey that he truly doesn’t mind. Soobin is always going to come first, especially to Seokjin and that’s just how that is. Yoongi would honestly be more upset if Seokjin didn’t put his son first. He knows all too well what it feels like to have a father not see you as a priority and instead some after thought. Seokjin moves to grab Soobin and Yoongi already starts glancing around the living room to find where he threw his keys so he can leave but Soobin surprises both of them when he turns into Yoongi. He buries his face against the front of his neck, nuzzling just under his chin. 

“Can pretty tattoo hyung come too?” Soobin asks, peering out of the side of his eyes at his father. “Please?” 

Seokjin opens his mouth, his expression conflicted. He probably assumes that Yoongi doesn’t want to do just that… but he does. He finds that he really doesn’t want to leave, which will probably turn into an issue later on but for now he buries that thought for another time. Probably when he’s finally in his own bed and alone with his thoughts. But for now, he just focuses on the two people, who have come to mean a lot to him in such a short period of time. 

“Of course I can,” Yoongi tells Soobin softly. “If it’s okay with appa of course.” 

Seokjin smiles, a small one but it looks genuine nonetheless. “I would love that.”

About time they finish reading the book to Soobin - one about a pig and a brick house, it’s already nearing two in the morning. Soobin has his hand twisted in the hem of Yoongi’s black shirt, snoring away without a care in the world. Seokjin is smiling down at him like he is the most precious gift in the entire world - and he probably is to Seokjin. 

When Seokjin does look up, he locks eyes with Yoongi and a breathtaking smile takes over his face. “Thank you for staying. I know Soobin can be a bit… attached but it’s how he always gets when he meets people he really likes. When he first met my brother Namjoon’s husband Taehyung, he wouldn’t stop demanding to hold his hand. It was endearing but I know it can be annoying-”

“It wasn’t annoying,” Yoongi promises. “And it was still a wonderful first date.” 

Seokjin hums his agreement. “It was, wasn’t it? Although I do know one way it could have been better.”

Yoongi raises a brow at him. “How’s that?”

“Well Soobin would have picked my cookies of course,” Seokjin answers back like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. 

Yoongi snorts and Soobin shifts slightly in his sleep. Seokjin immediately soothes him, running his hand through his hair until he settles completely against Yoongi again. 

“Yeah well he obviously likes me better.” 

Seokjin rolls his eyes. “No he is just a traitor. But I promise our second date will just be us two okay?” 

Yoongi smiles. “I’ll hold you to that.” 

♡

Half-way into their second date, Namjoon calls Seokjin and tells him that Soobin is running a fever that’s a bit too high for his liking. It cuts the entire date short and they wind up spending their second date at the hospital, reading Soobin books and letting him color in all of Yoongi’s tattoos with a washable marker. 

It’s the best second date Yoongi has ever had.