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jeongguk is sitting at the bar, hoseok at his side.
he’s giggling at the moment because of the blush that’s rising on jeongguk’s cheeks.
“you’re down bad, huh?“ he cackles mercilessly when jeongguk swats at him. “jeongguk-ah, you’re a well established naval commander. how are you going to sit here and act like a teenager with a crush?”
“hyung, please.” jeongguk groans, covering his eyes.
“he is attractive, i have to admit,” hoseok says, glancing down the bar to see the tavern owner with his sleeves rolled up, hair pushed back, pouring drinks with a practiced ease.
jeongguk can’t stop staring now, swallowing at the sight. “sweet moon, he’s so fucking hot.”
hoseok has a shit eating grin on his face, and jeongguk looks at him hopelessly.
“aw, come on. just ask him out.”
“i can’t!” he hisses.
it takes him painfully long to work up his courage, and then he melts whenever hoseok raises his hand in a wave, catching the bartender’s attention.
“hello, what can i get for you?”
“just soju, please.”
“and you?”
“uhm, soju, yeah. hey, you’re.. you’re really attractive. do you think we could get to know each other?” he blurts.
the tavern owner looks a little taken aback, but smiles slyly. “i think i’d have to ask my husband first,” he says. “thank you, though. seokjin. what was your name?”
“jeongguk, it’s jeongguk. i’m so sorry, i didn’t know you were married.”
“that’s alright, sweetheart.” seokjin smirks, and jeongguk feels like he might pass away right there. “i’ll bring him along tomorrow, yeah?”
“yeah, uhm, yes, i would like that.”
jeongguk screams about meeting his husband for the entire next day, hoseok laughing at his antics.
“what do i wear??”
“nothing,” hoseok says, grinning.
“hyung, i’m serious,” he says. “help.”
hoseok sighs and rolls over. “white button down.” he points, “with the navy slacks.”
“isn’t that too plain?” he stresses, still putting it on.
“no, love. bring your jewelry box here.”
jeongguk does, setting it gingerly on the bed between them and setting down. he tucks his hair behind his ears.
“wow, you’re shaking.” hoseok grabs his hands, stroking over them with his thumbs. “hey, no need to be so nervous. seokjin-ssi really seemed like he was interested. and hey, if it doesn’t work out with them, well, you still have me.” he smiles, pressing a kiss to jeongguk’s cold fingers.
“i know, i’m just nervous,” he sighs, “i love you.”
“and i you. now, let’s see what we’ve got, hm?”
he plucks a couple necklaces out, untangling them easily and holding them up.
he hands one to jeongguk, and then another longer one. “here, try these.”
he picks out earrings as jeongguk fiddles with the necklaces.
jeongguk’s ears are covered in jewelry by the time hoseok is done, and he adds a few rings. he pulls his hair back into a bun, a few shorter strands falling to frame his face.
“you look gorgeous,” hoseok tells him, pressing their lips together, and jeongguk’s eyes flutter shut.
once he’s at the tavern, his nerves fade.
despite only introducing himself the day before, jeongguk had been going to the tavern since he moved here. seokjin bought it maybe two months ago. he feels comfortable there and has had conversations with seokjin before this.
meeting seokjin’s husband goes ridiculously well. his name is jimin, he’s only a few years older than him, and he bombards jeongguk with compliments.
he’s with jimin for most of the night, and the majority of it is trying to keep him upright- at first, he thinks he may be tipsy, because he keeps coming close to falling off of the barstool, but then he realizes that he’s just a laughs a little too heartily.
it really doesn’t take much. jimin asks him about his tattoos and his earrings, and it’s an amazing night. seokjin swaps out with jimin at some point, and jeongguk drinks another two shots, willing the liquid courage to get him through the night.
“so, you dressed up.”
“oh.” jeongguk’s cheeks are flaming red. he clears his throat. “i didn’t- i wasn’t-“
“relax, baby. i’m just playing with you,” seokjin says. “you look good. that’s all.”
“thank you. sorry, i’ve just- it’s stupid, really, i’ve just fancied you for a while and now that we’re talking i’m just so flustered.”
“i can tell.”
that only makes jeongguk blush more, and he takes another shot.
embarrassingly enough, he drinks too much.
he’s not blackout drunk, but he is nauseous, and he feels way too hot- he’s sweating in his button up. jimin leads him outside, sits with him on the stoop while he sweats and even brings him a glass of water after he throws up.
“i’m sorry you’re feeling bad. did you have too much to drink?”
he nods, and jimin offers to walk him home, so he accepts.
“are you sure?? it looks pretty dark in there, what if we get lost?”
“moonflower, lights the path.”
“are you sure this is a good idea?”
“hyung will be home. it’s fine.”
jimin nodded, and led him through on the worn dirt path.
“are we going the right way?”
“yes, jimin-ssi.” he says, and eventually they do arrive. hoseok is sitting on the porch, nearly asleep.
“god, it was so boring without you, jeongguk-ah,” he grumbles, but quickly stands whenever he actually looks, bowing. “hello, jung hoseok. it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“park jimin,” he smiles, and jeongguk melts a little. “he had a bit too much to drink. i think he was nervous, poor thing.”
“yeah, he was. thank you, for helping him home. i appreciate that.”
“of course.”
there’s a brief pause.
“i’ll walk you back home.”
“ah, no, it’s okay, i’ll make it.”
“you might get lost,” hoseok says. “jeongguk will be fine. he’s practically asleep already anyways. just let me get him undressed and i’ll be right out to walk you back to the forest edge.”
“alright,” jimin acquiesces, settling to trail his fingers over a tree, littered with engravings.
“no, i want to see jimin.”
“jeongguk you’re not wearing a shirt-“
jeongguk bursts out of the door, and his pants are half unbuttoned, shirt missing. jimin’s eyes go wide at the unexpected kiss that jeongguk presses to his lips, and he just blinks a few times, shell shocked, a bright blush flush on his cheeks.
“why don’t you go lay down?” hoseok says softly, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him around.
“okay,” jeongguk agrees easily, stumbling up the steps and going inside.
when hoseok gets back out, jimin is touching his lips with a shocked look on his face.
“woah.”
“are you okay? i’m sorry if he made you uncomfortable, he didn’t-“
“no,” he breathes back. “no, it’s- it’s fine, everything is fine.”
“ah, let’s get you home. it’s getting late.” hoseok shoots a sheepish smile his way, guiding him around a tree. “i’m really sorry about jeongguk, he- another tree- he’s usually better behaved than that.”
jimin just mumbles something in awe and touches his lips again.
the walk isn’t long. hoseok drops jimin off with seokjin, and bows to both of them.
“so, did you chat with the prince?”
“what?” jimin asks. he’s been rambling about jeongguk for ten minutes straight, seokjin listening with rapt attention and glittering eyes. “what?”
“the prince. hoseok.”
“he’s the prince?” jimin shrieks, burying his face in his arms. “oh my god. oh moon.”
“what? you didn’t realize?”
“i’m never drinking again,” he moans, and seokjin nudges his head to the side, pressing a kiss to the shell of his ear.
“embarrassed?”
“yes, god, yes.” he mumbles.
“it’s okay. hoseok seems like he likes you.”
—
two days later, jimin looks dead on his feet at the market, but as soon as he sees hoseok’s stand, his face lights up.
“hyung, over here.” he drags seokjin over, and waves enthusiastically when hoseok spots him. he grins, and jimin’s heart flutters.
jeongguk looks so fucking good.
his eyes are a little puffy from sleep, but his hair is pulled back loosely in a messy braid, and his tattooed hands work endlessly at weaving a basket. jimin feels like his chest is imploding now.
jeongguk’s eyes meet his, and he grins, standing up. “hi! didn’t know i’d see you two here.”
“hoseok-ssi told me you’d be here.” jimin says, smiling back. jeongguk pulls him into a hug, and jimin inhales deeply. he smells like firewood. he’s shivering. “it’s pretty cold, huh?”
“yeah.” he responds, pulling away, and jimin thinks he can see a blush on his cheeks. “sorry about the other night.”
“it’s okay.” he says, trying to be cool about it, but he’s blushing too, and seokjin rats him out.
“he was malfunctioning all night.” seokjin teased, ruffling his hair.
“hey!! shut up!!”
“yah, i’m your elder!!”
“yeah, yeah. asshole,” jimin mutters, and jeongguk is grinning, glancing between them.
“jeongguk’s been ranting about you two for days.” hoseok speaks up, and jeongguk looks betrayed, pouting and moving across their stand to greet a customer. they trade a bag of flour and a cut of meat for a basket.
“we’re gonna check out the rest of the stalls. we need to get a few things, we’ll be back.”
“see you then,” hoseok grins brightly.
later, when they come back, hoseok and jeongguk’s stand is gone.
“what? they were right here..”
“shh.” a stall owner next to them grabs jimin’s arm. “captain hides when the orderlies come around. happens every sunday. you new around here?”
“ah, we moved here a few months ago. usually we don’t come to the market, we get our goods imported with the alcohol.”
“knew you looked familiar.” she says. “just hang around. they’ll be back soon enough.”
the “orderlies” referred to a few knights.
“anyone who is hiding the prince and the elf will be arrested and charged with high treason!” one of the knights called, and the crowd in the square jeered. an apple hit him square in the chest.
there were a few yells.
“alright, everybody clear the square. come on.”
“fuck you!”
there were only three knights. it was kind of pitiful, to see them trying to rally a hundred townspeople who wanted nothing to do with them.
they left after a while, and soon enough, jeongguk and hoseok were setting up their stand again, and jimin leaves the tavern holding out two wooden cups.
“uh, i got these from the tavern for you. spiced ale, since it’s cold.”
“thank you!!” jeongguk takes the drink with a bright grin. he holds it up, as if to toast it, and downs it.
jimin watches his throat bob as he drinks, and he swallows harshly, looking away.
fuck, he’s usually more confident than this. jeongguk is making him crumble.
jeongguk leans closer, hand on jimin’s shoulder. “if i didn’t know any better, i’d think you were trying to get me drunk already,” he teases, and jimin doesn’t wait, just turns his face into jeongguk’s and kisses him.
he can taste the ale as he licks his lips, and jeongguk is grinning into the kiss, pulling him closer.
“okay, this is so unfair. jeongguk-ssi asked me out.” seokjin whines, but his eyes are dancing with mirth even as jeongguk pulls away. “where’s my kiss?”
“well, somebody told me to go on a date with his husband instead.” jeongguk says.
seokjin just pouts.
later, they sit in the tavern, and jimin is making eyes at him from behind the bar, while he sits with jin and hoseok and talks.
-
it really doesn’t take all too long for them to get together. they all like each other a lot, and it’s easy to fall into something romantic with them.
“jimin-ah,” jeongguk drawls, and jimin smacks him in the arm.
“what?” jimin asks, a little snappily. he’s joking, of course, not actually mad about jeongguk’s bratty tendencies.
jeongguk pulls him down by the collar of his shirt, kissing him, hand knotting in his hair, and he pulls away, out of breath as jimin starts kissing down his neck.
“do you want to move in?” he asks in a pant.
“what?” jimin pulls back.
“do you want to move in?” jeongguk repeats. “here, with hyung and me.”
“i mean, i have to think about something like that, i mean, i have to talk with hyung-“
“no, no, you don’t- i don’t expect you to answer right away. but, uh, i’d like it if you considered it.”
-
they spend forever trying to decide.
eventually, jimin and seokjin come to a conclusion. they would keep running the tavern. jeongguk only lived about twenty minutes away, and it wouldn’t take much effort to get back and forth.
so, they end up moving in, and jeongguk ends up covered in hickeys constantly, and hoseok is only enabling them. jeongguk gets so embarrassed when they’re brought up, or he sees them.
jimin loves making jeongguk blush.
jeongguk dies a little every time.
but, they’re happy. and they’re safe.
for now.