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As a gay man, Yoongi always pushed himself to excel in everything, have good grades, be successful at work. He'd do what was expected of him so people had less room to judge him.
He never imagined he'd find a partner. Never thought he'd have the opportunity to adopt a child.
Fate, however, liked to throw curve balls at people that least expected it.
And he was ok with that, he really was. He commended himself for finishing college, he enjoyed what he did for work and he was proud of himself for juggling all the responsibilities he had while only being in his mid-twenties.
The clock on the wall was twenty minutes away from striking 6 PM and Yoongi was pacing inside his studio, opening drawer after drawer in search of all the documents and papers he needed for his last meeting of the day.
He was well aware that technically he should be off work when those twenty minutes passed, but his boss wanted to be innovative, said there was no need to be formal all the time. According to him, they could have a meeting over a drink and some appetizers, just a relaxed reunion after a hard day of work, something to improve everyone's connections while also being welcoming enough to their possible new associates.
Let it be known that Yoongi didn't completely disagree with the man's vision, a meeting in a nice restaurant certainly sounded better than being stuck in a stuffy meeting room for hours. His life, however, didn't solely revolve around work, he had other things going on for him. He had other pressing things going on for him, more precisely, in the form of a little girl, his eight years old daughter.
He had adopted her after his sister had died from complications during birth. The biological father, a man Yoongi didn't know much about—or better yet, didn't bother getting to know after his sister confided in him that he didn't seem thrilled about the pregnancy—, had claimed he was too emotionally distressed to take care of a baby and completely vanished two days after she was born, never to be seen again.
In all of the years he'd had Chunhei with him, it was the first time that something like this happened and, in any other occasion, he would've kindly asked his boss to postpone the meeting. His current predicament came from the fact that he was close to a promotion, one that would land him fewer hours doing deskwork, a bigger room for his studio and better pay. With Chunhei as his responsibility, this was the best he could aim for.
Chunhei was everything he had, the rest of his family living back in Daegu while he tried his luck in the music industry in Seoul, and he always strived to provide her with the best he could.
He had started as a freelance producer, living in a cramped apartment that only had a tiny kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom that couldn't even fit two grown adults. Chunhei was still a baby back then, so the space was just big enough for the two them, but as she grew older, their needs changed and Yoongi had to adapt accordingly and try harder.
He landed a stable job in a medium sized company, working with less popular artists until one of the higher ups noticed the quality of his songs. From them on he built a steady career in the company, working with more artists that slowly but surely got some of his productions to land high on the charts.
Naturally, as the company grew, so did his reputation within it, and now he was finally close to becoming one of their main producers.
They were about to sign a contract with a new artist, a relatively famous one, who was coming from a well-known company after their contract had ended. When asked why they opted to leave instead of renewing their contract like they had done in previous years, the artist didn't go into many details, simply stating that they didn't have a lot of freedom there.
Upon hearing that statement Yoongi's boss saw the perfect opportunity to make an offer, scaling him to be the person on the front line, given how he always strived to consider the artist's opinions and style above all else when creating a song.
Yoongi had to get that promotion, for himself and for Chunhei.
Which again, brought him to his current situation: the so awaited meeting was about to begin, but Chunhei also needed him.
The artist they were going to sign didn't have any other open spaces in their schedule, all because of the paperwork that came with leaving their old company and the endless interviews to the press about it. Yoongi's boss didn't think it'd be appropriate to make them wait any longer and also wanted to show them how interested he was in having them under their label, which unintentionally landed Yoongi in this awkward timing.
On one hand Yoongi could see where the man was coming from, could agree with his intentions; why risk a big contract by postponing a meeting they could have immediately, it wouldn't be a smart move. On the other hand, however, Chunhei was still at school, her classes had already ended and he needed to go pick her up.
Yoongi stopped his pacing and pulled at his hair, looking up at the wall just as the two hands of the clock hit the 6 PM mark.
His boss would knock on his door at any moment now to tell him everything was ready and they were good to go. He couldn't make a dash for it and hope he'd make a twenty minute drive in a tenth of the time, at least not in rush hour—don't judge him for what he'd be capable of doing for Chunhei in other circumstances. Besides that, say he miraculously made it to her school, what would he do with Chunhei, then? He couldn't afford to spend another twenty minutes or so on traffic to drop her at home and he couldn't simply leave her alone in his studio while the meeting was taking place in a restaurant across the street.
If only his parents didn't live so far, he definitely wouldn't hesitate to ask them for help just this once. Or if he at least knew the neighbors upstairs well enough… Curse his introverted personality for keeping him from attending that welcoming party four years ago…
Hold on.
Speaking of welcoming parties, a few months back a college student moved to the apartment across from his and politely declined the invitation to a small get together organized on his name, said he needed to rest after moving from Busan.
The student, Jungkook, as Yoongi recalled, was on his early twenties, attended classes in a film school in the mornings and had a part time job in a small photography studio in the afternoons, which probably meant he had his nights and weekends free.
Usually Yoongi didn't get to know this much about people, with all of his time being dedicated to Chunhei and work, but Jungkook had something endearing to him, something that pulled Yoongi in. Besides, from what Yoongi could tell, he was extremely trustworthy; he'd asked the younger to look after Chunhei a few times, when he needed to make a quick run to the grocery store after realizing last minute they had run out of milk, and everything had went flawlessly on every single one of them.
Jungkook was good with kids. Kind of awkward at first, but he knew how to keep Chunhei occupied and well behaved. Their latest activity together involved taking pictures with a small polaroid camera Yoongi had gifted her in one of her birthdays—why she wanted such a present was still a mystery to him, but he assumed it could've been the influence of a certain film student—, and she seemed to be enjoying it.
However, asking Jungkook to keep an eye on Chunhei for a maximum of twenty minutes was very much different from asking him to spend a couple of hours at his apartment babysitting her.
Yoongi couldn't do it. Jungkook was probably tired, probably had many tests to study for, assignments to turn in, probably needed to eat and have a good night of sleep. Most definitely had better things to do, like hang out with friends or catch up on the latest episodes of his favorite series during his much deserved free time.
What other option did he have, though? At such a pressing moment Jungkook was the only person he could think of that could possibly help him.
As he clung to his desperate thoughts a stream of questions invaded his mind; was Jungkook at home? Would he accept to pick Chunhei up? And how would he do it? Would he walk there or did he have a car? Could he even drive??
Yoongi willed himself to sit back on his chair and take a deep breath. He knew Jungkook could drive, knew he had gotten his driver's license right as he turned twenty, but couldn't afford a car just yet given he was a college student living paycheck to paycheck. Jungkook had told him all that in between chuckles one night when they were climbing up the stairs to their floor, he remembered that.
His phone was sitting on the pile of papers on his desk and Yoongi reached for it with trembling hands. He dialed Jungkook's number, surprised he had it memorized (undoubtedly from the times he'd asked small favors from the younger), and waited.
To Yoongi's relief, and mild panic—because he still didn't know what he was going to say—, Jungkook didn't take long to pick up.
"Hello, hyung!"
"Hi, Jungkook, how are you doing?"
"I'm good! I didn't have many classes today so I'm resting now. What about you? Are you done with work today? You sound a bit out of breath."
"Ah… Haha… Don't worry about it." A shaky smile formed on Yoongi's lips and he scratched at his ear, which was slightly warm from how flustered and self-conscious he felt. "But huh… I'm calling because I have a favor to ask you."
"Oh! Do you need me to watch over Chunhei while you go to the grocery store to get her favorite cookies? You always forget to get them on your way home after she's done with classes."
Silence followed as Yoongi was taken aback by Jungkook remembering such a small detail about him and his daughter.
It was quite unusual for Yoongi to have people in his life that seemed to care. Even his parents, always willing to do what they could to help him, considering how far they lived from each other, sometimes forgot a few things here and there about their son and granddaughter, like what her favorite cartoon was or for how long Yoongi preferred to cook their noodles for.
Lost in thoughts, Yoongi heard footsteps outside his door and shook his head, focusing again on the matter at hand.
"Hm… Kind of?" He answered Jungkook, sounding hesitant. "It's actually more than that. I'm stuck at work and I need someone to pick her up from school. You're the only one I could think of, and I'm sorry it's short notice, but I can give you the money for the bus when I get home? Maybe a bit more for the trouble?"
"No need to fret, hyung," Jungkook gave him an airy laugh, "It won't be a problem! I don't really have anything to do right now, so focus on finishing what you have to do and leave the rest to me!"
The whole thing was said in such a reassuring and joyful tone that Yoongi felt all his worries melt down, "Thank you so much, Jungkook, I don't even know what to say…"
Yoongi heard the muffled sound of another chuckle through the phone, "You're welcome, hyung."
It was well past eight when Yoongi arrived home after the meeting was over. The gathering lasted longer than he anticipated, although, in hindsight, he should've expected it given people tended to talk and go on tangents after alcohol and good food entered their system.
He sighed in exhaustion and slowly walked inside, leaving his shoes by the door. In the living room, he found Jungkook and Chunhei on the couch watching a live action show on the TV. Chunhei was lying down, head resting on Jungkook's lap, more playing with her fingers than paying attention to what was happening on the screen.
Upon hearing the unmistakable click clack of keys hitting the glass top of the table near the entrance, Chunhei quickly got up to greet her father, realizing he had arrived.
"Dad! I missed you!" She exclaimed as she ran towards him, smiling from ear to ear. She grabbed Yoongi by the hand and all but dragged him the rest of the way inside.
Jungkook observed the scene with a gentle smile on his lips. He hadn't gotten up yet to greet Yoongi, opting to let the two have a little moment for themselves after such a long and busy day.
The duo made their way around the couch hand in hand, with Chunhei still maneuvering Yoongi until they were standing in front of Jungkook.
"Dad, you should watch this show with us, Jungkook and I found a character that's just like you! And he's the only reason I haven't changed the channel yet, because, and don't tell Jungkook this," she quickly changed her voice to a whisper and covered her mouth with a hand, "the story is kinda boring."
Jungkook tried his hardest to pretend he didn't hear what Chunhei said, but his attempt at concealing a loud cackle only resulted in him making a strangled noise that caused Yoongi to snort.
"Oh, is that so?" Yoongi humored her. "And what character would that be?"
"Mimi, the cat!" Chunhei exclaimed and pointed animatedly at the TV, right as a white cat appeared jumping onto a windowsill and stretching under the sunlight.
Yoongi stared dumbfounded at the scene, eye twitching, and at that point Jungkook had given up on controlling himself and was curled up on the couch, clutching his stomach as his body shook in a fit of laughter.
"I can't believe you agree with this, Jungkook, I trusted you!" Yoongi accused, but the exaggeration of the seriousness of his voice only made the younger laugh harder.
A moment passed and Jungkook finally sat up, his body still wobbly from the previous exertion, and he searched for purchase against the coffee table. He coughed a couple of times while trying to catch his breath. "Heh, the resemblance is uncanny, even you have to admit that, hyung!"
After the show was over and they had all calmed down, Yoongi figured it was an appropriate time to approach Jungkook and address the reason the younger was even there to begin with, "Here's the money for the bus Jungkook, and here's that extra I talked to you about. Thank you so much for your help today."
"I told you earlier you didn't have to worry, hyung. It was no trouble. You know I don't mind watching over Chunhei and adding the extra step of going to her school wasn't really a problem either. Besides, one of her teachers, Hoseok, if I'm not mistaken, offered to give us a ride, so we didn't need the bus."
"Oh no, Hoseok shouldn't-" Yoongi was about to apologize for making Jungkook trouble a teacher as well, but the younger didn't give him the chance to continue.
"He said he sometimes waits with the kids when their parents are late and luckily for us Chunhei was the only one there today. You can keep the money and use it to buy her more cookies instead, she behaved really well the whole time." Jungkook said with a smile and looked over at Chunhei, who had moved to sit by the coffee table to start working on her homework.
Yoongi pursed his lips. He couldn't quite shake off the uneasy feeling of having asked too much of Jungkook— and now Hoseok as well—, and abused his kindness. Yet, the idea of insisting with him to take the money didn't sit all that well with him either.
There was really no arguing with Jungkook over this, the look of finality on his face said it all. Yoongi could only sigh and accept defeat.
He pocketed the crumpled bills and directed the conversation to a more lighthearted topic, "So, you said met Hoseok, he's a great guy, isn't he?" Jungkook nodded, smile still on his lips and eyes sparkling. "And of course you know that, you probably noticed that after he offered the ride… And you talked to him on your way here too…" Yoongi mumbled and mentally slapped himself. He was awful at small talk and now Jungkook was most likely pitying him for his terrible attempt at being friendly with him.
To his surprise, however, Jungkook didn't seem to pick up on his lack of social skills, instead adjusting himself on the couch and going on an animated speech about how helpful and incredibly nice the teacher was. "He's also very loud and very bright, I felt like I was talking to the embodiment of the sun the whole ride here. I can see why Chunhei likes him so much." Jungkook pointed with a chuckle and Yoongi couldn't really disagree with him. Hoseok was amazing and it made his heart full to see other people taking notice of it.
Surprisingly, things seemed to go back to normal after the meeting, with Yoongi arriving at his studio to a stack of papers and folders stacked on top of his desk, practically covering all of his equipment and menacingly awaiting him. He could barely find the time to soak in the achievement of getting a positive answer from the new artist, given how busy he still was with all the other projects he had. His routine wasn't any different yet.
He left his coat at the wooden hanger that was next to the door, put his bag on the small couch he had on a corner of the room and sighed, finally moving to sit at his desk and check what the threatening pile contained. He quickly made a mental note to ask his boss for a new chair when he heard a creak after sitting; with the contract they just signed this shouldn't be a problem, he could even be daring and ask for a new rug too, this one was getting old, with loose threads constantly getting caught on the wheels of his chair.
As he looked through the papers, he noticed they laid out his new schedule and objectives, as well as some more information on the new signed artist, their goals, respective schedule, and meetings and interviews that should be attended to in the near future. The songs he was currently working on were to either be handed over to other producers or stored away for future use, whichever Yoongi deemed more appropriate.
Yoongi took note of everything and whistled. There was no doubt in his mind that somewhere within the next few weeks he'd have to work overtime. Again.
The new artist had to adapt themselves and get used to the new environment, which could take some time and patience. If it all went smoothly he'd then get the green light to start working on a new album and songs, and he'd need constant meetings to get a feeling for the artist's style and to check if what he was creating aligned with what they were envisioning and aiming for. And finally, if everything worked as planned and the album went into production with a release date set, he'd have his well-deserved promotion.
It would be though, but worth it in the end.
He couldn't deny he felt the excitement for the challenge start to bubble up in his stomach and make his body tingle.
The only problem in all of this, he'd have to ask Jungkook for another favor. And a huge one this time.
When he brought his predicament up to the younger, all shaky hands and nervous tone, barely able to look him in the eyes, he should've seen it coming.
Of course, Jungkook once again had no problem with lending him a hand and agreed on babysitting Chunhei in a heartbeat.
Always kind and supportive and ready to do anything for those that needed him, there was just no way Jungkook would deny a request of this importance, not when there was so much on the line and Yoongi seemed on the verge of tears on top of it.
Yoongi really wanted that promotion, but he couldn't separate himself from his responsibilities as a father. It was understandable that he couldn't conceal his desperation when he talked to Jungkook, the fear and uncertainty practically bleeding out of every pore in his body. The fact that Jungkook noticed it came as no surprise as well.
It was with a calming and reassuring tone that Jungkook told him, like he always did, that there was no need to worry, that he'd be there for him and for Chunhei, whenever they needed him. It was a pleasure for him to help someone he admired, Yoongi was incredible for raising his daughter on his own and being so dedicated to her, while also remaining so passionate about his work.
Yoongi was left speechless, blushing from head to toe and with tears welling up in his eyes. He didn't know how to respond, infinitely grateful for Jungkook's readiness, or better yet, for Jungkook in general; he was yet to meet someone as giving and caring as him.
With his voice caught in his throat, needing to take a moment to recompose himself, Yoongi promised to repay him later, after everything had calmed down. "Just wait for me, Jungkook-ah."
An airy chuckle left Jungkook's lips, "Hyung, you're not going anywhere and neither am I."
"I-" Yoongi blinked, taking a moment to understand the joke. "You know what I meant!" He punched Jungkook lightly on the arm. "I won't disappoint you and Chunhei, I promise I'll do my best!"
Jungkook smiled fondly at him, eyes sparkling gently, "I know you will, hyung, but I told you before, it's no trouble. Chunhei's company is more than enough to repay me. And yours too, on the rare occasions I get to see you."
And maybe Yoongi blushed and grumbled and playfully hit Jungkook on the arm again, but if you asked him, he'd try and deny it, saying instead that he was too nervous and couldn't be held accountable for any of his supposed actions.
Jungkook's positive reaction wouldn't leave Yoongi's mind, making his heart flutter at random hours for the next few days—usually at times where his mind wasn't busy with other things, like worrying about work or checking in on Chunhei, which wasn't often, but still made him feel giddy and put a smile on his face.
In response to his newfound problem, brought to light by Jungkook mentioning he appreciated his elusive company, he did what he had to do: find a way to spend more time with him, both to quench his growing feelings and also to make up for Jungkook's remark about them barely seeing each other.
He mustered the courage to knock on Jungkook's door one night and invite him over for dinner. A small thanks for being the most amazing and reliable neighbor, which were the exact words he told Jungkook over a steaming plate of tteokbokki after arguing with himself that it would've been too much to blurt out that Jungkook was too good for him and he couldn't stop thinking about him.
Jungkook waved a hand at him, replying that babysitting couldn't be going better now that Hoseok had offered to give him and Chunhei a ride every day.
Contrary to what Jungkook's intentions were and despite actually being relieved at hearing the information, Yoongi had to keep himself from feeling guilty over dragging Hoseok into this situation once again. Nevertheless, he didn't let it show and ruin their dinner.
In all honesty, Yoongi couldn't say he was surprised by this outcome, Hoseok and Jungkook were really similar in that aspect, always being selfless and trying to make everyone comfortable and happy. They were probably getting along really well too, at least, with their calm and fun personalities, and that put Yoongi's heart at ease and filled him with even more affection for the two of them.
Yoongi didn't know what he'd do without them, they had been doing way more for him and Chunhei than they were supposed to. And they always seemed happy to do it too, like they knew everything Yoongi did was with Chunhei in mind, thus they felt proud of him for it and felt like the least they could do to convey that was to help him as much as they could, in every little way possible.
"He even broke out into a random dance routine in the middle of your living room, it was incredible!" Jungkook told him as their conversation kept going and his eyes were shining so brightly that Yoongi could swear there were stars in them. "Chunhei loved it too, she was cheering and clapping the whole time. To be honest, though, I was very impressed myself, he's an incredible dancer. Who would've thought a middle school teacher would have such moves?"
"He can sing and rap too." Yoongi added, not missing a beat to join Jungkook in his amazement. "I've gone to a few festivals in Chunhei's school and he's always the one organizing the dance presentations and talent shows, so to motivate the students he does a small performance of his own. It leaves me speechless every time."
"Really?" Jungkook's mouth was open on a wide O, surprise and admiration evident on his face. "That's amazing! Ugh I wish I had my camera with me! Do you think he'd let me record him? His movements are so fluid and powerful, they'd make for a stunning video."
"Honestly, Jungkook, I think he'd let you do anything you asked him to."
Yoongi quickly rose a hand to his mouth after realizing what he had said, but he didn't miss Jungkook's reaction, spluttering a little while trying to hide the blush forming on his cheeks.
Yoongi cleared his throat, realizing he had gotten slightly flustered as well. Their conversation, however, was forgotten when Chunhei ran into the room, making herself comfortable on the couch in between Yoongi and Jungkook and demanding they watched another episode of that one show that had Mimi the cat on it.
The arrangement for Jungkook to look after Chunhei was maintained throughout the month and it seemed to be working well for all parties involved. Yoongi found a way to repay Jungkook too, even if a little, by offering to buy groceries for him from time to time and give him a ride on the weekends if he had a work scheduled photoshoot.
Hoseok also continued to help when he could, waiting with Chunhei for Jungkook to arrive at the school and taking them to Yoongi's apartment when he had his evenings free. Turns out his ability with dance came from years of practice; he started learning when he was just short of being five years old, encouraged by his parents, and now he co-owned a dance studio with a close friend. His classes happened during daytime for half of the week and on alternating days he took the night shift, which kept him from staying longer at the school.
Today, however, was one of those days where Hoseok had accompanied Chunhei and Jungkook, and, when Yoongi arrived home, he was met with the scene of Jungkook, Hoseok and his daughter perched up on the couch, video game controllers on their hands as they screamed in unison at the TV screen.
They were halfway through a round of Mario Kart, though Hoseok didn't seem to be paying too much attention to the game, as busy as he was laughing at the other two.
Yoongi knew how invested his daughter could get into games like these. She was a fast learner and never backed down from a challenge, so Jungkook's competiveness, which he was witnessing for the first time, seemed to be a good match for her. It was incredibly amusing to watch as well, they were like two kids—albeit Chunhei was indeed one—trying their hardest to win, tongues poking out of their mouths and all.
He waited for the match to be over—he knew better than to interrupt when the map being played was rainbow road—and nonchalantly stood in front of the TV. He plopped the bags of take out on the coffee table and placed both hands on his hips, effectively making all eyes turn to himself, "Dinner time!"
For once, Yoongi was leaving the studio on time—which was something that had been a rare occurrence in the past few weeks. Luckily for him, a photoshoot for their new artist had been scheduled for the next morning, and it was a consensus that it'd be ideal for them to have a good night of sleep before such a demanding day.
Yoongi saved the last alterations he had done to a track, locked his door and bolted out of the building, rushing to his car.
He'd finally be able to pick Chunhei up, and Jungkook too for association, since Yoongi knew the younger was most definitely already at the school gates waiting for her classes to end.
Yoongi arrived at his destination in record time, as excited as he was for this change in his routine. Everything was going according to plan, except for one small detail he completely forgot about: Hoseok had been giving Chunhei and Jungkook a ride every day.
If Yoongi didn't have both hands on the steering wheel, like the good driver he was, he would've face palmed. Instead, he opted to hit his head on the item, which, in hindsight, was also a bad idea, given the startled looks he got from the people on the sidewalk after the noise from the horn reached their ears.
He felt himself sliding on his seat, trying to make himself smaller in embarrassment, but nevertheless, he parked his car and ran up to the school, hoping to catch the other three still there.
Yoongi had a big smile on his face and was ready to open his arms to give Chunhei a big hug right as he saw her. He had no doubt she'd be happy to see him there and he couldn't hide how thrilled he was for the surprise.
Just as he reached the building, he noticed the trio walking through the gates and was immediately welcomed by the shout of "Dad!" coming from Chunhei as soon as her eyes landed on him.
The little girl ran towards him, eyes bright and a smile so wide you could see all of her teeth. Yoongi got on one knee, opening his arms to pick her up and spin her around.
"How have you been, cupcake?"
"I'm great! I had loads of fun today in class with Hobi-nim!"
Yoongi opened his mouth to ask her more about it, but before he could do it the other two men caught up to them.
"Hyung! I didn't know you'd get off work early today." Jungkook commented with a greeting pat to Yoongi's back.
Yoongi stood up but immediately looked down at his feet upon seeing Jungkook's confused tilted head. He knew the younger wasn't mad, just curious, but he still felt bad for not giving him a call earlier. It wasn't farfetched to imagine Jungkook would've appreciated a free day to do something by himself, go out with friends, work on some school projects, sleep… How could Yoongi have been so inconsiderate?
"Yeah, I wanted it to be a surprise? I should've let you know, maybe you could've made some plans for yourself…"
Jungkook made a face of understanding, nodding his head, but he was playfully huffing as well. "You talk as if I didn't appreciate the surprise myself. It's good to see you, hyung!"
"That was a great surprise! It's been a while since I've seen Chunhei smile this big. She might be tired from her classes but look at her, she's jumping in your arms from how happy she is!" Hoseok laughed.
Yoongi didn't know what to say. He felt his cheeks heat up from the attention and tried hiding it by putting his daughter down and looking at her. He was met with two bright eyes, excitement barely contained in them for seeing him at this time of the day.
"I'm sorry I haven't been around much." Yoongi whispered to her.
"Don't worry about it, dad. I wish I could spend more time with you but work is important and you said it wouldn't be for long, right? I can wait until you're done with it."
Yoongi felt like he could cry right then and there. How lucky was he to have Chunhei in his life. And how lucky was he to have Hoseok and Jungkook as well…
In a last minute decision, he picked Chunhei up in his arms again and looked straight at Jungkook and Hoseok with fire in his eyes, pure determination written all over his face.
"What if I make all of us dinner? To make good use of my free time today and to thank you both for helping me with Chunhei?" He asked and didn't need to wait for a verbal answer, as Hoseok's hollering and Jungkook's big, sparkly eyes were confirmation enough.
Not even half an hour later Yoongi was excitedly heading towards his kitchen and telling everyone to get comfortable in the living room and not to worry about helping him, he had everything under control.
If there was one thing Yoongi prided himself on, it was his ability as a cook. He started learning at a young age from his sister, which stayed with him at home after school while their parents worked. He would hover around her at the stove, asking about recipes and experimenting with seasonings, more out of boredom than actual interest, but sooner rather than later, he took a liking to it and that passion only grew with the passing years.
Now, he had Chunhei to cook for, and seeing her full cheeks and the delighted expression on her face every time he introduced her to a new dish, were more than enough reasons for him to dedicate himself even more to his hobby.
When Yoongi finally emerged from the kitchen, carrying pan after pan of delicious smelling food, he didn't have to call the others to let them know everything was ready. Before he could even open his mouth they came running into the dining room. Their excitement was so tangible he was rewarded a kiss on the cheek from Hoseok and a tight hug—that quite literally swept him of his feet—from Jungkook.
Yoongi was speechless once again, frozen in place, which, along with the blushing, seemed to be a common occurrence when he was around the two other males. He wasn't used to the attention.
Usually, he'd put everything aside to make sure his daughter was comfortable, to make sure everything was going as planned at work, to make sure he wasn't getting on the way of his neighbors when taking out the trash or climbing up the stairs with his groceries. More often than not it was Chunhei first, his needs for rest and socialization, second.
Being in the presence of Hoseok and Jungkook, while also being the target of their kindness and endless praises, was a complete 180 from his day-to-day life, but considering how warm he felt and how his heart fluttered in his chest at their affection, he figured it wouldn't be difficult for him to get used to it at all.
Yoongi didn't know for how long he was distracted, lost in such bubbling thoughts, but he was brought back to reality by Chunhei asking him to help her with her plate.
He sighed, silently chastising himself for acting like a teenager in love, and gave a pat to Chunhei's head, moving to do what she asked of him before they all proceeded to enjoy their meal.
Chunhei's overall behavior, being so sweet and polite at such a young age, prompted Hoseok and Jungkook to shower Yoongi in more praises after they finished their dinner and the girl went to bed—convincing Chunhei it was already late had obviously not been an easy task, as she wanted to spend as much time possible with them, but Hoseok promised her a movie night on the following weekend if she listened to her dad, so that was exactly what she did.
Yoongi was caught off guard by their nice comments as he was putting away the dishes after washing them, and almost dropped a few plates on the floor when the two man came up behind him in the kitchen.
Jungkook and Hoseok had gentle smiles on their lips and their eyes were glistening under the bright light. Yoongi smiled back at them, accepting their help to put the glasses and bowls on the higher shelves and feeling like the luckiest man alive for having such beautiful—inside and out—people in his life.
The week went by and Friday came; not fast enough for Yoongi, that was still dealing with hectic hours at the studio, and even slower for Chunhei, as excited as she was for her promised movie night.
After hearing the girl had permission to stay up a bit later on Fridays, Hoseok realized it was the perfect opportunity to suggest the event. Chunhei really liked his company and Jungkook's, evidenced by her resistance to go to bed when she knew they were just sitting there in her living room, practically asking her to sit in between them and narrate everything about her day. Yoongi thought fondly of her attachment to the two and saw no reason to be against doing something fun for her.
When Yoongi finished his work for the day, all that was left for him to do was to prepare the popcorn and get the drinks for everyone: strawberry juice for Chunhei and beer for the adults. Hoseok did warn them about his low alcohol tolerance, though, and Yoongi considered it was better to save some strawberry juice for him as well, just in case.
The couch in the living room was covered in fluffy blankets, all hand picked by Chunhei, and Jungkook's laptop was already opened on top of the coffee table, ready for them to hit play.
The movie of choice was Puss in Boots, also hand picked by Chunhei, that claimed the main character reminded her of her father. Hoseok and Jungkook snickered at the remark, acknowledging that there was definitely some resemblance, no doubts about it. Their agreeance made Chunhei spurt out a delighted giggle, proud of herself for being so observant and sharing a common opinion with the other two.
Yoongi couldn't do much else other than to pout. It was three against one, after all, and he absolutely refused to make any comments about the subject, just to avoid having Jungkook and Hoseok laugh even harder at him.
To his dismay, his carefulness was rendered useless as soon as the movie started and puss in boots appeared on the screen, all big eyes and an adorably pouty face. Hoseok and Jungkook stared at him at the same time and immediately broke into a hysterical fit of giggles.
"Chunhei," Hoseok said it between cackles, wiping at a tear that had escaped from his eye and practically doubling over on top of Jungkook, "You're really the best, look at how similar they are!"
Jungkook laughed some more, but as he carefully put an arm around Hoseok's shoulders to keep him from rolling to the floor it was obvious he seemed more amused at his outburst than at his remark on itself.
"I told you!" Chunhei was radiant, nodding and letting out a tiny scream of victory when Jungkook turned to her with his palm up, asking for a high five that she promptly reciprocated.
Yoongi was feeling extremely attacked and pouted even harder in response. He liked cats, how could he not, they were small and soft and cute, but he did not look like one!
He was ready to change his initial approach, deciding he couldn't let them get away with comparing him to a small feline creature without repercussions. He'd argue and even whine if necessary, but seeing the huge smiles on their faces as they slowly went back to concentrating on the movie was enough to make him stop on his tracks.
Ok, he could admit that he was small and soft and cute, but also more than ready to scratch anyone that thought otherwise, exactly like a cat, thank you very much.
Movie night easily morphed into sleepover night. When the movie was over they sat around eating the leftover popcorn and listening to Chunhei's very own retelling of all of her favorite scenes, with sound effects and all.
By the time she was finished she was almost falling over on the couch, exhausted from the eventful day. Her sleepy behavior made Yoongi realize how late it already was and he felt bad thinking about Hoseok going home by himself.
With a scratch to the back of his head, he asked the teacher to spend the night and was surprised his voice didn't shake while doing it. A nervous feeling was still brewing inside him as a couple of seconds passed in complete silence, afraid he had crossed a boundary, but soon Hoseok made a small pleasant sound and accepted the invite.
The positive answer gave Yoongi a surge of confidence that made him extend the invite to Jungkook as well, not wanting him to feel left out.
He was answered by a pair of wide eyes and a startled nod from the younger, which caused him to let out a small chuckle. Jungkook's reactions were too honest sometimes and Yoongi couldn't deny he had a soft spot for them.
Hoseok patted Jungkook on the back, exclaiming it'd be fun for them to be roommates for a night. His politeness still kept him from accepting Yoongi's offer to take his bed, though, reassuring him he'd fine with the couch, and Jungkook hummed in agreement; the living room was big enough for the two of them.
Their weekend adventures with Chunhei didn't end there; as they were having breakfast the following morning, slowly leaving their half-asleep states under the gentle sunlight coming from the open window, Hoseok suggested they should have lunch at the mall. Amidst a few stretches, right after they had woken up, he and Jungkook had agreed it wouldn't be fair to burden Yoongi anymore and abuse his hospitality by making him prepare another meal for them. A family restaurant at the food court at the mall would definitely do, and to make things even more interesting for Chunhei they could stop at a build a bear store afterwards and get her a little gift.
Chunhei couldn't contain her enthusiasm as she looked at her father with big, pleading eyes and hands clasped against her chest, practically begging him to be on board with Hoseok's idea.
Yoongi rolled his eyes and glared at Hoseok and Jungkook playfully, pretending to berate them for taking advantage of his weak spot for his daughter. It was more than obvious that he couldn't deny her anything she wanted and a lighthearted little trip wouldn't be the thing to change that.
They had their stomachs full when they arrived at the build a bear store, satisfied with the generous servings of bibimbap and bulgogi they just finished. The ice cream cone they each had in hand was a result of Chunhei spotting a colorful shop right next to the restaurant they had lunch at, arguing they couldn't miss out on some dessert before continuing on with their day.
Chunhei, like the generous child that she was, thought it was only fair for everyone to get their own bear as well, so she handed Yoongi the remnants of her ice cream and assigned herself as the one responsible to choose all the colors and accessories to create the best stuffed toys for all of them.
The three adults only chuckled and humored her; "I can't wait to see what you'll make for us!" was what Hoseok exclaimed while Chunhei ran inside through the store's glass doors.
"Cat ears and a long tail for dad, bunny ears and a fluffy tail for Jungkook, a happy mouth and a squirrel tail for hobi-nim, and a pink bow and fluffy ears for me!" She sing sang as she looked through the various display cases lining the store and selected what she wanted, putting everything on the basket she was carrying.
Hoseok, having caught up to her, observed the whole process closely, holding his phone up to record everything. Tears were welling up in his eyes from how adorable the scene was and the hand that wasn't busy with his phone was raised up to his mouth, trying to hold back sobs.
Yoongi and Jungkook stayed to the side, finishing their ice creams and silently smiling to themselves as their hearts were filled with fondness.
Jungkook and Hoseok had already gone their separate ways when Chunhei climbed up her bed later that night and put her stuffed teddy on the shelf, patting it on the head and wishing it goodnight.
Yoongi observed her from the door, arms crossed loosely while he leaned against the doorframe. He had an easy smile on his face, like a dad satisfied after a rewarding day spent with his family—which was exactly what he was at that moment.
"I'm putting it right in the middle," Chunhei explained, still carefully positioning the toy in between two other dolls to make sure it was right where she wanted it to be, "So Hobi-nim and Jungkook oppa can see it when they come here for our next sleepover!"
"I'm sure they'll love seeing it there, honey." Yoongi directed his smile at her. "Now get under your covers, you have school tomorrow." He waited for the girl to do as told and turned the lights off before heading to his own room.
Little did they know, things wouldn't remain so blissful.
Monday rolled around and as usual, Yoongi left Chunhei at school before going to work.
The monotony of his routine continued throughout the day, with him tweaking some songs, signing papers, getting coffee at the building's coffee machine. Nothing eventful happened and he found himself at home late afternoon, having finished a meeting earlier than expected—which also gave him a welcomed half an hour to make a trip to the grocery store and get started on dinner.
The apartment door creaked open a couple of hours later, just as he was leaving the kitchen with a steaming pan in hands, and Jungkook and Chunhei walked inside.
The sight that greeted him was a complete contrast to the calm day he had and not at all what he was expecting to see.
Chunhei was crying, clutching a piece of paper tightly in her hands and against her chest. Jungkook had a hand on her back, running small circles on it in an attempt at comforting her. His action bared no result, however, and he was left standing in the middle of the living room with the wailing girl, looking completely lost and unsure of what to do.
Jungkook didn't bother to take a seat on the couch before he started explaining at last, "When I got to the school she started crying as soon as she saw me. I tried to ask what was going on, but she ran straight into my arms without saying a word, so I decided to look for a teacher instead, but no one was around and she kept pulling me towards the gate. I figured she'd rather talk to you, maybe? She's been crying the whole time and holding onto this paper."
Yoongi nodded in acknowledgment, brows furrowed. He was as confused as Jungkook at the whole commotion, so he took on his role as a father and walked towards his daughter, crouching down on his knees and embracing her in a comforting hug. He ran a hand through her hair soothingly, "Hey, sweetheart, do you want to tell me what happened?"
Chunhei sniffled and Yoongi felt her nodding her head against his shoulder. He put some distance between them so she'd have space to talk and he'd be able to look at her properly.
"My teacher asked us to draw our family, so I drew us and when she asked me to explain it I said it was me and my three dads." Her voice was small and hoarse from all the crying and she seemed to be trying her best not to break down into sobs again.
Half a heartbeat passed and Yoongi's heart dropped. At the same time, Jungkook's eyes widened when it downed on him what she meant.
"And what happened next?" Yoongi encouraged, trying to keep his voice from wavering and dreading what was to come.
"The kids started laughing and the teacher corrected me saying it w-wasn't possible to have three dads, I p-probably got things mixed up and meant they were my uncles instead." She sniffled again, "I shook my head no because I knew what I meant, I-I said it was you, Jungkook and Hobi-nim. The teacher didn't say anything after that a-and told the kids to continue with their work. Then during break I saw Hobi-nim in the principal's room, talking to the principal and the teacher. I d-didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard them saying that something Hobi-nim did was inappropriate."
Yoongi and Jungkook looked at each other, apprehension clear in their faces as they could guess where the conversation was going.
"Hobi-nim laughed and said it wasn't like that, h-he was just helping us and I had misunderstood it." Chunhei continued, slowly laying down what she saw and keeping her hiccups at a minimum after realizing the two adults were growing increasingly worried. "He said he was just a close friend of yours, dad. The principal and my teacher said it was good t-that he was helping a parent in need, but he shouldn't get too close to us, because it was inappropriate for a teacher to be involved with a parent like that. They said I was probably getting too a-attached because I don't have a m-mom." She finished and her sobs came back full force, unable to hold her feelings much longer after the effort of recalling everything.
Yoongi was frozen in place. His hands were automatically holding tighter onto his daughter, but his eyes were unfocused and he could feel cold running down his spine.
Were they implying he wasn't enough for his daughter? Or that for a child to be raised right they needed a mom and a dad in their lives?
He'd been doing so well with Chunhei, he got constant praises from his neighbors, praises from his coworkers for juggling work and his domestic life with apparent ease, praises from other parents and the staff at Chunhei's school for always being present and dedicated to his daughter, for helping her with her studies and educating her. Was it all an act? Just a way avoid a scene and not straight up tell him that he was nothing but pitiful and raising a kid by himself was a mistake?
His head was spinning and his stomach churning. Yet, he didn't move to get a glass of water or to reach at something else for support, it wouldn't be right to take a moment to calm himself down and leave his daughter crying on the floor with an anxious Jungkook at her side.
His mind, however, wasn't cooperating with him and didn't give him a rest, thinking back on every single thing that had happened in the past couple of months. Could he have misunderstood Hoseok too? Was that all the man was doing, simply helping him out of the kindness of his heart, because he was a good person like that? Offering support when needed, being kind without asking for anything in return? Has Yoongi, in all of his years of being single, mistook his noble intentions for something else?
Yoongi closed his eyes and took a deep breath, realizing he couldn't continue spiraling down that path. He needed to get himself together, at least for now.
He schooled his face into something impassive, calm and unreadable. Took another breath and looked up at Jungkook. With his voice steady, he politely asked him to leave.
As shaken as Jungkook was by the whole situation, he thankfully followed Yongi's request without asking any questions. Probably noticed the tears welling up in Yoongi's eyes and decided it wasn't his place nor the right time to comment on it or try to interfere in whatever was going on between him and Chunhei.
Obviously, Yoongi's subconscious made itself present again, and perhaps his clouded mind couldn't notice how clear it was that Jungkook was snickering internally, thinking Yoongi was pitiful and embarrassing just like everyone else seemed to think.
Yoongi couldn't tell how plausible that was, not with a million conflicting thoughts invading his mind and the image of Chunhei's tear streaked cheeks engraved in his memory.
After the front door closed, Yoongi hugged Chunhei closer, whispered comforting words in her ears and silently wished they'd have some effect on him too.
He raised both hands to her cheeks, caressing them softly, "Don't listen to those types of comments," Yoongi advised, speaking lowly and softly, "The people that voice them know nothing about your personal life, they have no right to judge you and your family. We're happy and doing well by ourselves and in the end that's what matters."
His words seemed to calm Chunhei down and he asked her to go to her room and sleep a little. They kissed each other good night and, after the sounds of her footsteps disappeared into the hallway, Yoongi was finally alone in their living room.
He took in a deep, shaky breath, wiped the tears that had rolled down his face with the back of his hand and stood up.
He needed time to think.
It was possible that Chunhei had heard it wrong. Maybe she mixed up some words, caught the last bit of a sentence and thought it was related to her family.
However, he didn't want to jump to the simplest conclusion and dismiss everything she told him as a misunderstanding either. She was a kid, but there was no way she could've made it all up, at least part of her story had to have some truth to it…
On the other hand, he didn't want to immediately assume the worst either. Hoseok had been nothing but kind, he couldn't fathom the possibility of him being a horrible person that had been deceiving him this whole time.
He needed to have Chunhei's best interest in mind, he quickly reminded himself. So maybe, finding a new school for her would be the more appropriate and easy path to take. Avoid confrontation and avoid exposing her to judgmental adults altogether.
He needed to put his feelings aside and weight Hoseok's presence in his life.
Needed to prepare himself for the possibility of having misunderstood Jungkook all along as well.
Yoongi called Jungkook as soon as he dropped Chunhei off at school the next day, told him he'd be picking her up from now on and his help had been appreciated, but not needed anymore.
He didn't give any further explanations and Jungkook seemed confused at the short notice, murmuring a surprised, and maybe even disappointed, "oh". But Yoongi couldn't let himself trust his interpretation of the younger's tone, not anymore.
Their conversation didn't last much longer than that, Jungkook didn't say anything else besides offering his help again in case Yoongi ever needed it, to which Yoongi replied with a quick "thank you" before ending the call.
It'd be a tight schedule to leave work and be on time to pick Chunhei up after her classes finished, but he'd make do. His work with the new artist was almost finished, with most of the songs already revised and ready to send for approval. If he were to ask for it, he was sure his boss wouldn't have a problem with him leaving a few minutes earlier.
The hardest part would be to avoid Hoseok. He knew he stayed with the kids that had to wait for their parents or guardians on the evenings he didn't teach at his studio, so it was inevitable that he'd eventually have to face the man again. His only hope was that his heart would be hurting a little less when that happened.
It wasn't until two weeks later that Yoongi finally realized how unreasonable he was being.
His body fell comfortably against the couch cushions, his eyes closed and a warm cup of coffee in hands, and slowly his mind cleared from the haze the past few days had been.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so busy and exhausted, and finding some time to breathe and make himself a hot and comforting beverage was more than welcomed. Finding time for himself had been long overdue.
Maybe it was the pressure of having to juggle everything by himself, maybe it was his subconscious missing Hoseok and Jungkook, but hell, what was he doing, they were all adults, they should sit together and talk about it.
He finished the rest of his coffee and decided to deal with the easiest part first: apologize to Jungkook for cutting him off so suddenly.
Yoongi knocked on the younger's door with determination, but his hands were shaking despite his intentions and he couldn't look straight ahead. His head was hung low, embarrassed for his previous behavior.
He heard a creak and chanced a glance upwards. Jungkook didn't show any particular reaction to his visit other than a raised eyebrow, as Yoongi usually gave him a call before dropping by, but he let him in nonetheless and led him to the small living room.
The silence between them didn't last long, just enough for Yoongi to find the right words.
"Things changed between us recently, I know I haven't been around much and we've barely talked, and it happened sort of abruptly too, so I wanted to apologize." He went straight to the point and now Jungkook had both eyebrows raised, clearly indicating his surprise at the apology. "I was thrown off by what Chunhei told us that day. I was unsure on where all of our relationships stood and I needed time to reevaluate my priorities. I couldn't let myself be carried away by my own emotions and let people into mine and Chunhei's lives so easily."
Jungkook scooted closer to Yoongi and put a hand on top of his, running small circles on it with his thumb, comforting and encouraging him to continue.
"But I finally realized, albeit a little slower, that I was being extremely unfair with you. You never gave me a reason to doubt you and think you weren't being genuine. I felt detached on how I acted with you and it was my fault for overthinking everything, so I'm sorry."
"It's ok, hyung," Jungkook held Yoongi's hand tighter, "You didn't go about it on the best of ways, but you just wanted to protect yourself and Chunhei and I can understand that. I forgive you." He finished by giving Yoongi one of his huge smiles, that showed his front teeth and that Yoongi hadn't realized he had missed so much.
"Thank you, Jungkook." Yoongi whispered.
"You should talk to Hoseok hyung as soon as possible, though, we've been texting and he's worried." Jungkook added. "But don't pressure yourself, if you're not ready I can tell him you're trying to have more family time with Chunhei, which isn't a complete lie, I assume." He sheepishly scratched the back of his head for the suggestion.
"You've done a lot of things for me, but I won't add lying to the list." Yoongi chuckled lightly.
"Well, whenever you decide to talk to him, then, I'll be here for you, whether it does or doesn't go well. I've got you no matter what."
Yoongi felt more at ease upon hearing Jungkook's support, but he knew he needed to do this by himself.
"I'll just ask you one thing, Jungkook," Yoongi started, tentatively, and continued after seeing Jungkook's affirmative nod, "I don't want us to go back to our previous routine just yet, I need to find the right time to talk to Hoseok and I think it'd be weird if he saw Chunhei with you again. This way you don't have to come up with an excuse either. Although, sorry, I didn't even ask if you'd be able to continue looking after Chunhei, I don't know if your schedule has changed since we haven't been talking…"
"Don't worry, hyung, things haven't changed much for me. In fact, my college year is almost over and I'm just waiting for my grades. If anything I have more free time now." Jungkook chuckled and Yoongi sighed in relief.
They talked for a little longer after everything was settled, catching up and commenting about the latest episodes of Mimi the Cat, which they both started following per Chunhei's influence.
Before Yoongi left, now certain of what to do, Jungkook planted a kiss on his forehead, murmuring a "good luck" against his skin. Yoongi stood there for a few seconds, stunned, feeling heat creep up his neck. He didn't look up to see a similar blush on Jungkook's cheeks and a tiny smile on his lips, instead turning around and walking back to his apartment in a hurry, almost tripping on his way there.
Back in his apartment, heart thumping loudly in his chest after bolting from Jungkook's arms, Yoongi was still unsure on what to do about Hoseok. While Jungkook had been very helpful, and he appreciated him for it, he also filled Yoongi's mind with other kinds of thoughts, that were way less helpful to the matter at hands.
He made himself a cup of tea, hoping it'd calm his nerves, and pondered on what would be better.
Should he approach Hoseok early in the morning and take the risk of making a fool of himself, which, in turn, would ruin the rest of his day at work since he would most definitely keep thinking about it? Or should he do it later in the day, when they'd both be tired and barely have half a mind to discuss something so important?
He shivered at how awful both scenarios sounded and almost spilled some tea on himself. He sighed, taking another sip, and wished he hadn't gotten himself into this mess in the first place.
After hours of sitting in bed weighting his options, he decided to talk to the man sooner rather than later, preferably on Chunhei's next school day. He knew he'd done extra hours at work, so it should be ok for him to arrive late just one day, and from previous talks with Hoseok he also knew he had a free schedule in the morning.
Feeling optimistic for once, he laid down under the covers and closed his eyes, letting himself fall into sleep's arms.
As expected, however, planning to do something was always easier said than done.
Chunhei had already ran through the school gates and disappeared into the main hallway while Yoongi was still sitting in his car, frozen in place, hands clasped against the steering wheel and looking straight ahead at the busy traffic slowly passing by.
How was he even going to approach Hoseok when for the past week he'd done everything in his power to avoid him?
He hadn't left his car when dropping Chunhei off and picking her up, all to minimize his chances of accidentally running into the man or risking him recognizing his smaller frame in the crowd of parents. He had even instructed his daughter to carefully walk to the school gates by herself while he stood back, watching from afar in case something suspicious happened, and told her to be on the lookout after her classes ended, waiting for him inside until she spotted him waving at her through the window of his vehicle.
While Yoongi mulled on what do, he failed to notice a person walking on the sidewalk outside of the school and quickly approaching the side of his car.
The sound of Hoseok knocking on the window, with his characteristic friendly smile gracing his lips, startled him and he jumped, bumping his head against the seat's headrest.
Yoongi's stomach dropped and he gulped, gripping the steering wheel harder. He looked around, hoping someone would miraculously appear and ask Hoseok for help with something urgent. Obviously, that didn't happen, and he knew he wasn't ready yet, but he was left with no other alternatives. This was how he was going to do it.
He rolled down the window and greeted Hoseok with a shaky smile, his voice sounding stiff on top of it.
Hoseok raised an eyebrow at his weird behavior. On normal days, Yoongi wasn't the most energetic and smiley person, but he carried himself confidently and was always pleasant to talk to, different from the uneasiness Hoseok could sense from him in this moment.
"Hey," Hoseok greeted him back and, from the tone of his voice, it was obvious he wanted to ask Yoongi what was going on, though he refrained from it. "It's been a while since we had the opportunity to talk, hasn't it? I haven't seen you around lately, or Jungkook, for that matter, so I'm not really sure how Chunhei's getting here, haha."
Yoongi gave him a sheepish laugh. The tension around them was so thick he could cut it with a knife, but he appreciated Hoseok trying to lighten the mood nonetheless. If anything, it was an indication that he wasn't too mad at Yoongi for disappearing without a warning and was willing to listen to him if he decided to explain himself.
Yoongi's initial reaction, however, was to come up with an excuse, say life had gotten complicated with him being busy at work again, thus making his social life nonexistent. But anyone would've noticed his lie by pointing out Yoongi had actually spent more time with Chunhei during the past weeks, so he gave up on the idea before it even finished forming. It was best to go for the truth.
"Yeah, hmm, there's been some misunderstandings… Or, should I say, I hope they've been misunderstandings, that've kept me from being around a lot…" Hoseok hummed, raising a hand to his chin while a frown formed on his brow and a small pout appeared on his lips. He seemed concerned and interested in what Yoongi had to say. "If you have the time I'd like to discuss a few things with you?" Yoongi proposed and internally patted himself on the back for making his voice steady while his whole body trembled in nervousness. He decided to ignore the fact that his invite had sounded weirdly professional instead of casual like he intended, but small steps.
"Oh, sure?" Hoseok clearly wasn't expecting the sudden offer, but took it on stride. "We can go to a cafe right now if you want, I know one that's just around the corner and I have a couple of hours until my first class starts."
Yoongi took a deep breath and opened the passenger seat door for Hoseok to enter, "Sounds good to me."
The two of them decided to sit at a table at the back of the cafe, in a small, secluded area partially hidden from the entrance. They walked through the narrow hallway on the side of the counter to get to it and the scent of fresh pastries immediately hit them. If Yoongi wasn't so nervous he'd have had half a mind to order something for Chunhei.
They reached a table on the corner, away from any windows and surrounded by a few potted plants. The place was mostly empty, since rush hour was over and people had already gotten their weird latte orders and left for school or work, but the extra privacy was welcomed nonetheless.
They ordered their coffees, and Hoseok a muffin to accompany it. After taking the first sip, Yoongi crossed his hands on the table, an attempt to keep himself from fidgeting while he gathered the courage to speak. He was still tense, with an uneasy feeling at the bottom of his stomach while he bit at his bottom lip and looked down at his interlocked fingers, trying to find the best way to breach the subject.
Hoseok waited patiently, slowly drinking from his own coffee, and when Yoongi took a deep breath and stared right into his eyes, he listened.
Yoongi recounted the story Chunhei had told him, how she seemed devastated and inconsolable and how his first instinct at seeing her in that state was to take her side and protect her as best as he could. It wasn't until later that he finally realized how unfair and unreasonable he was being with the other people involved.
Hoseok's face was one of pure astonishment at the retelling of the events, never having imagined Chunhei had accidentally overheard his conversation with the school's principal and her teacher. As he listened to Yoongi his eyes grew increasingly wide and the muffin he ordered was hanging from his hand in front of his face as he stopped mid bite. Ultimately, however, he couldn't help but look at Yoongi with fond eyes, understanding his reasoning and feeling his heart full at the display of pure protectiveness.
Hoseok set the muffin back on the plate and asked to explain his side of the story. Yoongi could still feel the tension running through his body, albeit less intense now that everything seemed to be falling into place. He sat back on his seat and nodded.
"I have no issues with your and Chunhei's situation. In fact, I think it's really brave of you to do what you've been doing while a decent amount of people act so judgmental." Hoseok told him in a calm voice. Underneath it, though, it was still possible to hear how apologetic he was about the misunderstanding. "The reason for that school meeting had nothing to do with that, it was solely to remind me that being so involved with a parent could be seen as inappropriate. I reassured them I didn't want to risk my job and make things awkward for my coworkers and other parents, or damage my relationship with you and Chunhei—except I didn't say this last part since I figured it wouldn't help my case in that moment, haha—, so there was no need for them to get any more involved, I had it under control."
A wave of relief washed over Yoongi at hearing the full explanation. At the same time, he couldn't keep himself from paying extra attention to the way Hoseok mentioned his relationship with him and Chunhei. From the way the teacher talked, he implied there was more to it than simple friendship.
Yoongi felt butterflies in his stomach, in a way that brought him back to his teenage years, when he was young and eager to experience true love despite all the difficulties he could face due to his sexuality.
He knew he was probably blushing and his suspicion was confirmed when Hoseok took hold of his hand and rubbed small circles on the back of it with his thumb, similar to how Jungkook had done the previous day. Hoseok sent him an easy smile over his cup of coffee and, at that point, Yoongi was sure his heart was doing somersaults in his chest.
"I know I basically just said I didn't want things to get too risky, but we can try going on a few dates, take our time, see how it goes…" Hoseok trailed off, but kept eye contact the whole time to ensure he wouldn't miss Yoongi's reaction and the answer to his proposition.
Unsurprisingly, Yoongi could only stare at him dumbfounded, slowly processing that the man sitting in front of him felt the same way about him and had essentially just asked him out.
When Hoseok raised his brow teasingly, amused at his loss for words, Yoongi did nothing but take a deep breath, smile wide and with teeth on full display, and intertwine their fingers.
"I'd love to." He whispered.
They went to Yoongi's apartment in the evening, after their shifts at work and Chunhei's classes were over. The ride there was a joyful one, Chunhei was excited about finally having the company of the teacher in a setting outside of school again.
She animatedly told them about her day, the group presentation she did in front of her class and the good marking she got for it. In turn, Yoongi and Hoseok confided they had shared a small meal together earlier and were planning to spend even more time together from now on, to her absolute delight.
Already in the apartment, Chunhei was having diner by herself, with a chocolate pudding awaiting her on the side. The dessert was given to her by Hoseok, who sneakily placed it on the table and winked at her, as if sharing a secret that Yoongi couldn't know about. The girl giggled at his antics and Yoongi rolled his eyes; as if he wasn't with Hoseok when the man bought the item.
The two men waved at Chunhei and told her to behave for a few minutes while they went across the hallway to talk to Jungkook. With her cheeks full of food, Chunhei nodded her head enthusiastically and offered them a thumbs up.
They giggled at her adorableness and made their way outside right after.
Without missing a beat, they knocked on Jungkook's door and the younger was clearly surprised at seeing both of them standing there, together.
But it wasn't long until a knowing smile formed on his lips as he caught up to what had happened, quickly realizing Yoongi's plan had been more than successful—Hoseok and Yoongi's interlocked hands were also a huge giveaway.
Even though Yoongi had already spoken to Jungkook the previous day, he seemed as nervous as he was in the morning when he talked to Hoseok, all considering what needed to be discussed now.
Sensing Yoongi's uneasiness, Hoseok took it upon himself to ask Jungkook to join their new relationship, right then and there, while they were still standing at the entrance. He figured there was no point in beating around the bush or trying to come up with a lengthy confession and risk Jungkook finding a way to avert the subject.
For a heartbeat, Jungkook blinked at them and then broke into a huge grin, giggling at their rushed confession but loving every second of it, "Of course I'd love to!"
Hoseok and Yoongi walked closer to hug him and the task was proven slightly difficult, with Jungkook being taller than both of them. Nonetheless, they made it work, each resting their heads on his shoulders and winding their arms around him tighter.
Jungkook playfully rolled his eyes at their initial awkwardness and gently pushed the two away to finally take turns at kissing them both fully on the lips.
As a gay man, Yoongi always pushed himself to excel in everything, have good grades, be successful at work. And he achieved all of that at his own pace, step by step, savoring each result for himself and not for the approval of others.
He never imagined he'd find a partner, let alone two. Never thought he'd have the opportunity to adopt a child and build a family, and yet, here he was.