Archive of Our Own

Out of all of Yoongi's friends, Hoseok is probably the most competent. He's clean, has good spatial awareness, and they do face masks together every week. They've never really fought other than over what to order for dinner and when Yoongi gets tipsy and too chatty, he tells Hoseok all about how much Hoseok is the best at cheering him up. His personal battery. All in all, Hoseok has never given him any trouble.

So it's somewhat ironic that Hoseok is the reason why the two who do give Yoongi the most trouble have cornered him.

"Hyung, you have to help us."

"You have to."

Yoongi sighs and sips at his iced coffee, wiping the condensation off his fingers with a napkin. This is his favorite coffee shop — which he swears up and down that his boyfriend being the owner has nothing to do with it — and it's sacrilege that he has to deal with Thing 1 and Thing 2 when he just wants to have his caffeine and watch Seokjin's forearms flex each time he pulls a shot of espresso.

"I don't 'have' to do anything."

Across the table, Taehyung and Jungkook lay on the guilt trip with their pouting and puppy dog eyes. Yoongi has only known them for a few months. It was actually Hoseok who met them first — Jungkook through the dance studio Hoseok went to and Taehyung who was Jungkook's childhood friend.

They're good kids, but what they're asking of Yoongi seems ridiculous.

"Why don't you just tell him?" Yoongi says, crossing his arms.

They look like they're offended by Yoongi's words. "Talk to Hoseok-hyung? About feelings?"

Yoongi has to begrudgingly admit they have a point. He and Hoseok are similar in that regard, which is why they've been good friends for so long. Actions speak louder than words. He knows Hoseok will always have his back and he would do the same for him. No verbal affirmation needed. Even when Yoongi first came out to him, the conversation lasted about two sentences. I like guys; okay, do we need to buy more cereal?

"If you already know a confession won't work, why are you talking to me?"

"We wanted to ask you to help us with ideas of what we could do," says Jungkook. His eyes are still wide, but that is just their natural state. Seokjin calls him Bambi sometimes. "You've been his friend the longest."

"Namjoon has been his friend for almost as long." But Yoongi knows why they've come to him. He isn't going to go on a ten minute lecture about the beauty of a new budding love only to end up not providing any concrete help.

Yoongi sighs. He should have seen this coming. From the moment he met these two, he had a hunch they had a big old crush on Hoseok. Anyone would if they saw how they hung onto Hoseok's every word and followed him everywhere. When Hoseok never said anything about it, Yoongi figured he just didn't return their feelings. But he should've known Hoseok just doesn't have a clue. It's probably not his fault. It's difficult enough sometimes to imagine one person being interested, but two at the same time is pure fantasyland.

"You want me to tell you how to get Hoseok's attention?"

Taehyung nods. "And let us know if Hoseok-hyung says anything to you about it."

Yoongi takes a long sip of his drink. "Are you sure you don't want to just try talking to him first?"

Taehyung slouches further in his chair. "We have! The other day I told Hoseok-hyung that lately I like him too much and he laughed and said he doesn't know what to do being so popular."

Point taken. Yoongi sits back and gestures to both of them. "Okay, fine. What ideas do you have so far?"

Jungkook launches into a list of what they've considered. Some seem reasonable (take him on a date) and others not as much (order sushi and serve it on Jungkook's naked body — that one came from Jimin). It seems silly to even have to brainstorm so many options. Sure, Hoseok can be a little dense when it comes to this sort of thing, but Yoongi thinks just a little push will be all that's needed.

"Those are all way too complicated and terrible," says Yoongi once Jungkook finishes. "Why don't you just act like you're already dating?"

"Like what?"

"Hold his hand."

"We already do that sometimes," said Jungkook.

"Do it differently then. Invite him over to watch a movie and, I don't know, hold hands the entire time." Both Taehyung and Jungkook seem skeptical and Yoongi is a little miffed that his advice isn't being taken seriously. "He's not going to sit there thinking that's normal."

"Are you sure you and Hoseok-hyung are best friends?" says Taehyung.

Yoongi reaches over and flicks Taehyung's forehead. "I get it, he's oblivious to these sorts of things. But if words don't work, then make him see it."

Seokjin swings by with a plate of scones, making those two light up. Practically children, Yoongi thinks, ignoring the fondness settling in his chest as they dig in with fervor. Seokjin takes a seat next to him since there's no customers in line.

"Your conversation seemed very serious from where I was."

"These two lovesick knuckleheads are trying to confess to our oblivious to confessions knucklehead."

"Hoseok? Wow, good luck." Seokjin pokes Yoongi's shoulder. "Didn't you have a thing for him before we started dating? I don't think Hoseok ever realized how much you looked at him with that dopey grin even though the rest of us could see it plain as day."

"Please don't bring that up right now."

Taehyung's eyes bug out. "You were in love with Hoseok-hyung?"

Yoongi rubs the bridge of his nose. "I was not in love with him. It was just a phase while I was figuring stuff out. He was someone familiar and safe."

"Then I swept in, mysterious and dangerous," says Seokjin, gesturing to his face dramatically.

"This is so embarrassing," says Yoongi.

At the same time Jungkook sighs and goes, "That's so romantic."

Seokjin laughs, quiet but squeaky. "Good luck coaching them with Hoseok. If anyone can do it, it's you."

"Leave," says Yoongi, relieved to see a customer walk in. "You're the worst."

"Okay," Seokjin says, but still drops a kiss to the corner of Yoongi's mouth as he stands. "You're still my boyfriend though."

Yoongi expects some teasing remarks after Seokjin walks off, but there's none. Taehyung and Jungkook look gloomy all of a sudden, identical in how they're hunched over with scone crumbs on their fingers.

"What's with this mood?" Yoongi says, leaning forward.

"What if Hoseok-hyung really doesn't like us?" Taehyung says.

Yoongi sighs quietly and reaches over to ruffle Taehyung's hair, then Jungkook's. "He might not and you should prepare yourselves for that if you're going to really go through with this. But even if he doesn't, he's not going to be mean about it."

Jungkook nods and smiles a bit at Yoongi. He looks hopeful and Yoongi wishes he could tell them with confidence that Hoseok will welcome their feelings, but he doesn't have a clue. Though both he and Hoseok have always been closed books, the difference has always been that Yoongi still craves being understood.

Taehyung and Jungkook might be Thing 1 and Thing 2 but they're Yoongi's, even if they all met through Hoseok. If Hoseok messes this up, Yoongi will have choice words with him.

+

Yoongi doesn't hear about anything for a whole week. He lives with Hoseok, has for over five years, and every day he waits for Hoseok to barge in either with news or a dilemma, but there's been nothing.

He doesn't want to say anything either, not knowing how to bring it up naturally. Part of him is also curious to see just how oblivious Hoseok really is. Back when they were in school, Yoongi remembers the string of people blatantly interested in Hoseok. The ones he witnessed actually approach Hoseok were all brushed off as friendly compliments. The couple times he tried to get Hoseok to believe the admirers had romantic intentions had Hoseok laughing at him as if the notion was absurd.

"Why would that many people have a crush on me?" Hoseok used to say. "They just like me right now because the dance team at this school is popular. It'll pass over soon."

And now it's happening again. Hoseok runs a few classes on weekends at the dance studio and the popularity he used to receive from peers at university is just there in a different form. Nowadays, there's a lot of invitations to brunch from the mothers who often stay to watch Hoseok teach their toddlers.

So yes, Yoongi is well aware. But he hasn't only been watching Taehyung and Jungkook. Hoseok has changed a little too since he became friends with them. It's those slight shifts that make Yoongi think this isn't going to be a lost cause like all the other times in the past.

It does, however, ruin his mood a little when Hoseok comes home late Saturday night and says, "Hyung, are Jungkook and Taehyung being weird to you lately?"

"Weird how?"

"They asked to hang out and watch a movie, but they held my hands the whole time. Both of them. I couldn't even get at the snacks. Did I do something wrong?"

Yoongi doesn't know how to answer that. "They held your hands and you think it was because it was like...a punishment?"

Hoseok goes into the kitchen and Yoongi can hear him rummaging around in the drawers. "Well yeah, I wonder if it's because I eat too much of their food when we watch movies together." He joins Yoongi in the living room with a bag of chips. "Maybe they're too nice to tell me I'm a huge glutton and it was their way of preventing me from inhaling everything."

"Wouldn't — I mean, don't you think if it was that they would just tell you? Or ask you to bring your own?" Yoongi suddenly understands the desperation which drove Taehyung and Jungkook to seek his help. This is a side of Hoseok he's never seen even during university. Surely his friend hasn't always been this dense?

Hoseok shrugs. "They're too nice when they're around one of us, you know that."

No, Yoongi doesn't. They're a menace around him and Seokjin. Every time Yoongi leaves them all alone, even for a few minutes, he comes back to either Seokjin in a physical tussle with Jungkook or some sort of weird mildly sexual staredown with Taehyung. With Yoongi, they know he's just a big softie behind a fake tough exterior and do whatever they want with him, from demanding he cook them dinner to weird things like showing them his teeth.

"But you're right," says Hoseok, pointing at Yoongi. "I'll buy a lot of snacks the next time I go over. I can't believe I didn't realize I was mooching so much this whole time."

Yoongi spends the evening reassuring Taehyung and Jungkook that this is hardly a setback, but is floored by the discovery of just how difficult this task might be, and goes back to the drawing board.

+

"Hyung, we already cuddle with him," Jungkook says, slouching in his seat and doing his best impression of a dandelion that's been stepped on.

"Really?" Yoongi says, surprised. "Hoseok hates physical affection."

Next to Jungkook the deflated balloon, Taehyung shrugs. "I don't know. He hugs us all the time and seems to like when we cuddle during movies."

It's a weekday and so Yoongi invited these two to stop by his office during lunch. The perks of being his own boss. The conference table is filled with empty bowls that once held jjajangmyeon and jjamppong. There's also a shared plate of tangsuyuk that Jungkook manages to reanimate himself in order to polish off the leftovers.

"But he never," Yoongi starts to say, then snaps his mouth shut. This isn't about him and what Hoseok did or didn't do in his presence. So what if Hoseok rarely hugged Yoongi or rambled awkwardly when Yoongi did things like sit in his lap? Their dynamic as friends is different. Yoongi is a year older, he's Hoseok's hyung. Of course it makes sense that Hoseok treats those younger than him differently. "Show me. How do you all, you know." He waves his hand around vaguely in their direction.

Jungkook doesn't stop eating, but Taehyung scoots his chair closer and wraps his arms around Jungkook's shoulders while swinging his legs up across Jungkook's lap.

"He lets you do that?" Yoongi says, knowing that they're talking about the same Hoseok, yet his mind can't process it.

Taehyung unravels himself and nods. "Maybe we should strip naked before cuddling him."

"What? No, no nudity." Though Yoongi thinks, with horror, maybe they shouldn't rule it out completely depending on how long this goes on. "But have you tried something like that? You know, try to get him to notice you physically?"

Jungkook glances up. "What do you mean?"

"Well, just." Yoongi gestures at them. "You're both good-looking. Shouldn't you use that to your advantage? Show a little skin? Flex some muscles when he's looking?"

"Hyung, I'm more than my handsome face," Taehyung says and only when he receives an eye roll from Yoongi does he smirk and flick his hair back. "I told Jungkook I'm very happy to spill stuff on him so he can take his shirt off, but he gets shy."

Not an inaccurate statement. Jungkook's already looking kind of pink just from this conversation. "Don't you have a six pack?" says Yoongi.

Jungkook shoves a piece of pork into his mouth, part of it still sticking out past his lips, and pulls his collar away to peek down at himself. "It's not ready yet," he says when he pops back up.

"If yours still isn't ready then what does that say about me?" Yoongi sits back and crosses his arms over his chest. "Your list included using Jungkook as a human sushi platter, so the least you can do is seduce him a little."

Taehyung slumps over the table and pouts. "It's just going to bruise our egos when he doesn't get it again."

"Have a little faith," Yoongi says, patting Taehyung's head.

When Taehyung and Jungkook look at each other dubiously, Yoongi really, really hopes Hoseok doesn't screw it up this time.

+

Of course Hoseok screws it up. A few days later, Yoongi is curled up with Seokjin in the living room watching that British baking show when Hoseok returns. Yoongi checks his phone and finds a single crying emoji in his chat with Taehyung and Jungkook.

This is ridiculous.

"It didn't work?" Seokjin says, pausing the episode they're on so they don't miss any of the showstopper eclairs.

"I didn't know he was this bad!"

Hoseok wanders in after grabbing a glass of water from the kitchen. "Hey, watching the baking show again?" He drops into the empty spot on Yoongi's other side.

"Uh huh. How are Taehyung and Jungkook?"

"I don't know, they're fine." Hoseok shrugs. "Did the usual and watched a movie. And I did their laundry."

"What?" Yoongi says.

"Yeah, they were wearing things I've never seen before. Taehyung's shirt was missing all the top buttons and Jungkook's barely covered his stomach. I was like, what happened to all your normal clothes? So I did their laundry."

"Oh my god," Seokjin says under his breath, shoulders jerking the way he does when he's trying not to laugh.

"Isn't Jungkook really good about doing laundry though?" Yoongi says.

"That's what I thought too! Maybe he's having a rough week, I'll have to check in on him later." Hoseok crosses his legs and when neither Yoongi or Seokjin say anything, he peers over at them. "Are you gonna unpause it? Oh — am I third-wheeling? My bad, I usually read the room a lot quicker than that." He pats Yoongi's knee as he gets up. "I'll see you in the morning, hyung."

After Hoseok disappears into his room, Seokjin can't contain himself and bursts out laughing. Yoongi smacks his arm.

"Sorry," says Seokjin, catching his breath. "I'm so glad I'm not them. Poor things, just doing their best while Hobi is — wow."

"Do you think he's doing this on purpose? Like some long con?" Yoongi bites his lip, thinking. "He was never this bad before."

"Come on, yes he was. You just didn't see it because it worked out in your favor since you didn't want him to know about your crush. I told you, you followed him everywhere with that lovesick look on your face, just broadcasting it without any filter. Hoseok has absolutely always been this clueless."

Yoongi sputters a little, but has nothing to say for himself.

"It was cute to see." Seokjin pulls Yoongi closer again and squeezes his shoulders. "Cuter when you started looking at me like that."

"Okay, I'm not supposed to be the topic of conversation here." Yoongi grabs the remote and resumes the show. He's going to have to buy some eclairs from the bakery down the street this week.

"Do we know if Hoseok is even interested in dating? I've seen him go on two the entire time we've known each other and it was to appease his grandmother."

"Wouldn't he say so if he wasn't?"

"Maybe, maybe not. You could ask."

"I don't want to be invasive."

Seokjin laughs. "Hoseok will definitely let you know if that's what he thinks you're being. I'm just saying, if there's really no chance, better to let those two know now. At some point it hurts to keep hoping."

Yoongi knows Seokjin is right. Taehyung and Jungkook have a lot of courage, but they also have big hearts and Yoongi doesn't want to see them rejected over and over if it's never going to pay off. "Yeah. I'll talk to him."

Seokjin answers with a simple kiss to the top of Yoongi's head. "Wow," he says five minutes later. "Look at them, just creaming those eclairs. Makes me wanna cream you later, my little Yoonclair—MMPH!"

Yoongi does not feel bad about whacking Seokjin in the face with the heaviest throw pillow within reach.

+

It takes a couple days before Yoongi works up the courage. The two of them have never been the type to have heart to hearts. They both know to call up Namjoon if they want that experience.

They ordered burgers for dinner and Yoongi's taking their food out of the bag when Hoseok appears freshly showered after an afternoon teaching classes.

"Remember when Taehyung ate burgers from this place every single day for a month?" Hoseok says, sliding into the chair across from Yoongi.

"He's not Taehyung unless he's fixating on something until he gets sick of it."

Hoseok takes a bite of his burger and licks the sauce off his lips. "These are good though."

They eat in silence — or Yoongi does. Hoseok makes these tiny noises whenever he grabs a fry, a little happy nyoop! Halfway through, Yoongi tells himself to stop being a wimp and says, "So, uh, are you dating anyone?"

Hoseok looks at Yoongi weirdly, almost comical. "What? Where did that come from?"

"You know, just," Yoongi says, waving a fry around awkwardly. "Seokjin-hyung said something the other day."

"Why is hyung keeping tabs on me?"

"He's not. He just randomly mentioned that he's never really seen you go on a date and I realized he was right. Just never noticed it."

"Well, you can tell him I'm still not."

"Because there's no one you like or?"

Hoseok thinks for a moment then shrugs. "I guess?"

"Do you want to find someone you like?"

Hoseok grabs a napkin and wipes off his hands. "Hyung, okay, I know what this is about. You don't have to worry."

"I don't?"

"I appreciate you and Seokjin-hyung thinking of me," Hoseok says, reaching over to pat Yoongi's arm. "But you absolutely shouldn't feel bad. You're still a great friend."

"What?"

Hoseok scoffs and gives Yoongi a knowing look. "You feel guilty because you and Seokjin are always together, right?" He waves both hands. "I don't feel that way at all. Our friendship is still great."

When Yoongi is silent — from disbelief — Hoseok's eyes widen and he says, "Hyung, are you okay? Your face is twitching."

Yoongi doesn't mean to, but he bangs his fist on the table, just absolutely at the end of his rope. "I'm setting you up on a blind date!"

"Uh. Okay. You don't have to. Being single is fine, you know? It's the 21st century, things are changing."

"No, you're going on one. You'll like both of them."

"Both?" Hoseok sits up. "Hyung, if it'll make you feel better I'll go on one, but how do you already have two set up? Aren't you being too much?"

"No, that's not — you'll see." Yoongi grabs a fry and shoves it into his mouth. "This weekend. Make sure your schedule is free." He stares until Hoseok holds his hands up in surrender.

This will work. Yoongi has never been given a problem he hasn't been able to solve so this has to work.

+

Yoongi doesn't know how this turned into a group activity. He has plenty of reason to be here since this is his great plan after all and he needs some company, so that means Seokjin is essential too. What he doesn't get is why he's sitting across the table from Namjoon and Jimin right now, all four of them situated across the street from the restaurant where there's a reservation for three under Yoongi's name.

"How did you even find out about this?" Yoongi says, even though he knows Taehyung and Jungkook don't keep things from Jimin. So he directs his glare at Namjoon. "How are you here?"

"I told him to come," Jimin says. He props his chin on his hand, but Yoongi is looking at how the other is hidden out of view under the table right where Namjoon's lap is.

Namjoon doesn't answer for himself.

"The more the merrier," Seokjin says, patting Yoongi's arm. "Oh look, there they are."

Yoongi picked this place for Hoseok's date on purpose. This neighborhood is lined with restaurants and the nice weather means everyone has tables spilling out into the street. It also means they have a direct view as Taehyung and Jungkook arrive first and are seated at a corner table. They look nervous and Yoongi grabs his phone, messaging Hoseok to make sure he's going to show up.

"Is Hoseok going to be mad when he sees who you set him up with?" Namjoon says. "It's not really a blind date when it's people he already knows."

"It's the date part that's important."

Hoseok replies that he just got off the metro and a few minutes later Yoongi spots him at the end of the street. For someone who was dubious about being set up, he seems to have made an effort in dressing up, wearing a nice pair of jeans and a t-shirt that doesn't go down to his thighs.

It's nerve-wracking watching him speak to the host and be led toward the table. They see his confusion when he recognizes Taehyung and Jungkook and Yoongi wishes he could read lips. Is he actually mad? There's also a chance he thinks this whole thing is a joke, which if that happens Yoongi might march across the street and shake him until he comes to his senses.

Taehyung and Jungkook do a lot of the talking, looking more earnest while Hoseok is unreadable. They're interrupted by the server and seem to order some food and Hoseok crosses his arms over his chest after the server leaves.

"Oh, he's definitely mad," says Jimin, but he sounds amused by it. "Ah, I should've called Taehyung so we could listen in."

Jimin's right that Hoseok does look less than amused. If Yoongi looks hard enough he can see the tightness in Hoseok's features, a seriousness that Hoseok does not often carry and that the rest of them don't particularly enjoy seeing for good reason.

"Well, you tried," Seokjin says, squeezing Yoongi's knee. "At least Hoseok finally knows about their feelings."

Yoongi frowns. It isn't supposed to go like this. He's seen Hoseok with them and how he dotes on Taehyung and Jungkook in ways he never acts with the others.

When their food arrives, Hoseok is the one who starts talking. Taehyung and Jungkook look a little like kicked puppies and Yoongi can't stand it anymore.

Grabbing his phone, Yoongi sends Hoseok a stern message: stop being a coward and date them! He watches Hoseok glance down at his phone, looking a little sheepish after. So he's right at least, that there is potential for something from Hoseok's side.

Hoseok runs his hand through his hair and looks alarmed when Taehyung seems to suddenly break out in an impassioned speech.

"Touch his hand! Play footsie!" Jimin says, as if they're watching a soccer match.

"Kiss him!" Seokjin says, not to be left out.

Neither Taehyung or Jungkook do any of those things but it looks like Hoseok finally gets it. He chugs the beer he'd ordered and flags the server for another. Jungkook says something and Hoseok laughs, rubbing his face that's probably already getting red since he's a lightweight.

And then, after a silence from all of them, Hoseok nods. Taehyung and Jungkook look stunned, then their expressions morph into the kind of excitement kids get when they've just been told they're going to the amusement park.

"Oh my god, did they do it?" Jimin says.

"I think they did," Seokjin says. "I feel like we should slow clap."

Yoongi grabs Seokjin's wrist. "Please don't," he says, mouth tightening into a firm line when Seokjin takes the opportunity to hold his hand.

"But my little Yoonclair," Seokjin says.

"What?" says Namjoon.

"What!" Jimin laughs.

"Shut up!" Yoongi hisses as he smacks Seokjin's arm. He knows this just goads Seokjin even more, but it's a reflex. Seokjin, of course, laughs harder and louder.

"Oh shit," Jimin says, still laughing, but now he's holding a hand up to his face. "I think hyung's laugh just blew our cover."

When Yoongi looks over, he has his own 'oh shit' moment. The other three are looking in their direction and Hoseok spots them exactly at that moment, making eye contact with Yoongi, and his expression goes from confusion to...well, Yoongi isn't sure. It doesn't look like anger, but it certainly isn't happy.

"Do we need to escape?" Namjoon says, slipping halfway off his chair when Hoseok gets up and moments later is striding across the street.

Yoongi is slightly fearful but, for understandable reasons, is also a little into this image of Hoseok stern and in charge.

If the upside to being seated outside is being able to spy on their friends' date, the downside is that when caught said friend can march right up to their table. Hoseok has perfected the aggravated and deeply disappointed parent energy and uses it well. "What are you all doing here?" he says with his hands on his hips. "Is this entertainment for you?"

"What? No." Yoongi points a finger against Hoseok's chest. "We're here to make sure you didn't screw up Taehyung and Jungkook's twentieth attempt to confess to you. If you did then we'd—"

"—Fight you," Jimin interrupts with an angelic smile, though his tone is anything but. Hoseok takes half a step back. "Well, I don't know about these guys, but I was going to fight you. No offense, hyung."

"Uhh, well some partially taken anyway, but also that's fair." Hoseok looks over his shoulder where Taehyung and Jungkook are watching them with concern. "Yeah, I got the message this time."

"Finally," says Yoongi.

Hoseok smiles wryly. "Finally." He presses a palm to his head. "This is what you meant by both of them. Both of them! I'm going to be sick." He actually does suddenly look pale and Yoongi reaches out to pat his back sympathetically.

Jimin's phone starts ringing and a cross-eyed close-up of Taehyung's face appears on the screen. He picks up and waves enthusiastically across the street. "Oh, Taehyung-ah! Hang on, let me put you on speaker."

Once Jimin sets his phone down on the table, Taehyung says, "Um, are you going to give Hobi-hyung back?"

"Cute," says Jimin, looking up at Hoseok. "Hyung, should we give you back?" He then glances over Hoseok's shoulder and laughs so hard he tips over and has to hang onto Namjoon so he doesn't fall off. "They look so tragic!"

Everyone whips around to see Jungkook and Taehyung with their heads pressed together, like two puppies waiting pitifully at the door for their owner to return.

"Go, go," Seokjin says, shooing Hoseok away. "I can't stand them looking like that."

"Okay." Hoseok hooks his hands behind his neck, glancing up at Yoongi. "I, uh, might not come home tonight."

"Hyung!" Jungkook says, still on speakerphone.

Hoseok startles. "Oh my god, you haven't hung up. You didn't hang up." He smashes the button on Jimin's phone and ends the call.

Jimin is laughing so hard he can't even breathe. He tries to call after Hoseok when he runs away. "Hyung! Don't f-forget to — to use — ah, fuck." He gives up and wipes at the tears leaking down his face.

"Well. I think this calls for a celebration." Seokjin rings up the server and asks for another round of drinks.

It's surprisingly easy to forget that their other friends are having their first date just across the street. Yoongi hasn't seen Namjoon and Jimin that often lately and it's a nice night to catch up. Neither he nor Seokjin bring up how extra touchy Jimin is with Namjoon, mostly because it's entertaining to see how many times Namjoon, notorious conversationalist, can lose his train of thought in one evening.

When they finally leave, Seokjin grabs the bill and heads up to pay. Yoongi checks one more time and sees the table where Hoseok, Taehyung, and Jungkook had been now occupied by a new group. He's pretty sure Hoseok isn't returning tonight.

He and Seokjin split from Namjoon and Jimin at the entrance to the metro. The other two disappear underground while they head toward a quieter street to hail a taxi back to Yoongi's place.

Once they're home, Yoongi checks his phone and sees there are messages in his chat with Taehyung and Jungkook. He opens it up and Seokjin comes up behind him to perch his chin on Yoongi's shoulder. There are a lot of exclamation marks and cute heart stickers, as if they thought their words of gratitude alone wouldn't be enough.

"They might be dating Hoseok now, but you're clearly their favorite hyung," Seokjin says.

"I think you mean favorite to mess with," Yoongi says, but sends back a single heart. "I barely did anything."

"They adore you," says Seokjin, spinning Yoongi around. "I adore you. You wanna know how much?"

"No," Yoongi says, trying to get away, but Seokjin is the kind of guy who looks delicate but is actually all muscle. "I don't want to know!"

"Like an overstuffed puff pastry ready to burst," says Seokjin, crowding Yoongi against the wall. "You're the overstuffed puff pastry, by the way, and my love is the cream threatening to leak out of you."

Yoongi lets out a long-suffering sigh. "I figured."

"Don't worry, you did your part. Now I'm ready to take over and teach Taehyung and Jungkook all about romance."

"No one would think what you're doing is romance."

"No?" Seokjin rests his palm on Yoongi's chest and lowers his voice. "Why is your heart beating so fast then?"

Yoongi sputters. "That's just my resting heart rate!"

"Oh, you're right." Seokjin takes Yoongi's hand and brings it up to his own chest. "It's mine that's racing."

Yoongi is speechless. His mouth opens and closes and he's suddenly very warm.

"That worked on you, didn't it?" Seokjin says, smirking. "You underestimate me! I'm very romantic."

"Shut up," Yoongi says, mustering up all of his own hidden strength to flip them around so he can shove Seokjin against the wall and kiss him silly.

If Seokjin actually follows through on giving Taehyung and Jungkook tips, which Yoongi has no doubt he will, all Yoongi can do is tell Hoseok good luck and hope he survives.