Archive of Our Own

In insight, maybe it was obvious. Maybe Yoongi was supposed to know this was gonna happen. But he didn't. He observed and thought that was it. That Jimin was kind, but that was reserved for the others. Taehyung was kind to him too, so that was a bonus, added to their status of best friends. Jungkook was like his little brother, like he had adopted him or something. Namjoon was like his big brother, and he was the advice hyung Jimin seemed to seek more. Hoseok was of course his go-to chaotic companion. Of course, Seokjin was the funniest man he had ever met.

So, what did that make of Yoongi? In Yoongi's mind, Yoongi was the other hyung. Nothing more. Just the hyung left from the mixture their group was. Nothing special.

Jimin thought differently, evidently.

«Yoongi hyung! Yoongi hyung!»

With his hand waving vigorously in the air, the brightest and most beautiful smile Yoongi had ever seen in his life, Jimin is half running to him, his hair bouncing up and down with his movements. Yoongi just stares at him, trying not to make a face at his heart beating violently in his chest. Really hard thing, if you ask him.

«Hey, Jimin-ah.»

Trying to tug at the sides of his mouth not to smile too much, his lips trembling with the force he is putting into the action, Yoongi waits for Jimin to do as he always does. Which means opening his arms and hugging Yoongi almost violently, the force of the impact making Yoongi stumble back a little. But he doesn't waste the opportunity to have Jimin, so warm and beautiful, in his arms, so he hugs him too, a little timidly, shily, trying not to get closer than necessary. His heart might give away his feelings, and he surely doesn't want that to happen. 

Jimin doesn't care, because he hugs tightly his neck, giggling in his ear, and Yoongi knows that he is a weak man and that little action should not be that big of a deal, but it kinds of is a big of a deal because he can feel his heart squeaking and his knees wobbling. Jimin just swings lightly on his feet, making Yoongi move too, and he waits for Jimin to stop hugging him, because he is not letting go.

«Where have you been? I feel like I haven’t seen you in months!»

Jimin lets go, but he remains with his hands on Yoongi’s shoulders, smiling, so Yoongi only gulps down his heart, trying not to be too nervous. They’ve known each other for three years, but apparently, that is not enough time for Yoongi to stop being so awkward with him. Not enough time to stop crushing so hard on him too, even though the younger is not interested in him. The long list of his boyfriends would agree.

«We've seen each other two days ago.»

Shily, his voice a whisper, barely audible in the night, Yoongi responds, but his eyes are wandering and trying to find something interesting to look at in the garden. Which would be Jimin, if only he was able to maintain eye contact for more than three seconds. 

Jimin smiles, removing his hands from his shoulders and grabbing playfully his arm to drag him away and into the house, the door where Yoongi was waiting by now being opened with force by Jimin. 

«Hello everyone! Me and Yoongi hyung have arrived!»

He opens up his arms, throwing them in the air while Yoongi closes quietly the door behind them. See, that’s the problem of having gorgeous and extroverted friends: they all scream and hug and smile like they haven’t seen each other in years. Well, it’s been two days. But Hoseok and Jimin hug and jump around like they’ve just returned home from the longest trip of their life, travelling all around the world on the back of an elephant. 

«Oh, my baby is here!»

«Sorry? What are we then?»

Taehyung points at his face, pouting, and then makes his index finger wiggle between his and Jungkook's body, draped on his lap and snoring lightly, one arm covering half of his face. Hoseok smiles at them while he hugs Jimin’s head, extending his hand towards Taehyung until he can ruffle his hair. Taehyung beams at him, carding his fingers in Jungkook’s hair.

Yoongi observes the scene from the door, his hands shy in his pockets, trying to camouflage his figure with the wall. Namjoon spawns from thin air behind him, his hand clapping him on the shoulder. Jumping a little, startled, Yoongi turns to him, leaving the other four at their antics. 

«Hyung. Did you really come with Jimin?»

Rubbing at his nose to hide the little blush on his cheeks, Yoongi shakes his head while he sees Seokjin walk towards them.

«No, no. We just crossed paths on the entryway.»

«Alright. Dinner’s almost ready.»

Nodding, Yoongi waves his hand towards Seokjin, who smiles a little back at him. Walking into the living room, Yoongi sees the table of Seokjin’s flat filled with dishes, the pie he knows Hoseok did waiting in the middle, a little smile carved in there that seems more tired than happy but welcomes them to the table. Chuckling at the sight, Yoongi waits for the others with his hands on the back of the chair. He hears the light bickering behind him, Jungkook trying to sleep some more and the others trying to wake him up.

«Hey, hyung.»

Jimin’s hands circle his wrists, while he props his chin on his shoulder, and Yoongi stops breathing for a moment. He tilts his head a little, watching the little pout on Jimin’s lips and his big puppy eyes staring at him from below. When he meets Jimin’s eyes, his pout melts into a small smile that thins his eyes.

«Hey, Jiminie.»

Smiling at the term of endearment, Jimin squeezes a little his arms. Yoongi gulps down, feeling his hands tightening on the wood of the chair.

«You look so pretty tonight. Why did you put your eyeglasses on? You’re even prettier like that.»

He smiles through his light pout while he swings a little. Yoongi is not sure if he is breathing correctly at the moment, the sheer amount of blood that his body provided to his cheeks is now not supplying oxygen in enough quantities to make him survive. He adverts Jimin’s gaze, his glasses now heavier than ever on his nose, sliding away. He adjusts them, clearing his throat while Jimin smiles brightly.

«Dinner’s ready!»

Squeezing one more time Yoongi’s arms, Jimin beams at him and turns around, leaving burning marks on his skin, where he had left it. With shuddering breaths, Yoongi finds one chair to sit (so, the exact one where he is currently hovering with, red as it gets). He can feel his limbs lightly shaking, so he only lets his knees be wobbly and sits. He waits for Namjoon to take the place next to him and Hoseok to take the other, but apparently tonight they have other plans.

When he looks up and sees the apologetic smile Namjoon gives him, he figures out two important things. One, Namjoon is a dick. Why is he not seated next to him to talk about music and alienate about it? Two, someone else is going to be next to him, and Yoongi has to make a conscious decision and not look around, hoping it won’t be who he cannot even make eye contact with.

«Yoongi hyung, is that a problem if I sit here?»

Taehyung smiles at him, innocently, but Yoongi knows him a little bit more than that to know he is in for some mischiefs. He crooks his eyebrow at him.

«What is it, Taehyung-ah?»

«What?»

Making a horrible sound with his chair, which is hiccupping on the floor with the force of his little nudges, Taehyung smiles again at him. Yoongi looks at him, occupying the seat Hoseok is usually on, and he sees that Hoseok is now taking the seat next to Namjoon, talking with Seokjin. Once again, when he meets Namjoon’s gaze, Yoongi is met with his pensive eyes behind his crossed hands in front of his mouth.

«Can I, hyung?»

The sweetest voice of all possible human voices asks him, a warm hand on his shoulder that only serves him as an entire ice bucket. Yoongi doesn’t turn to him but searches for Namjoon’s eyes, who is now not even looking at him, his head low, a smile playing on his lips.

«Hyung?»

«Yes, yes, Jiminie.»

Finding purpose in the empty plate in front of him, Yoongi tries to ignore the whispering between the two people he is now in between. How and why is he in the middle of it? Aren’t they usually seated one next to the other? He looks at Jimin briefly, who transforms his frown towards Taehyung to a little smile towards him. Yoongi feels tingles travelling his body.

«Uhm, do you want my seat?»

Blinking a little, confused, Jimin lets his smile grow a little, tilting his head forward while he reaches for Yoongi’s arm with his hands, giggling a little. Trying to contain the redness of his cheeks, Yoongi looks back at Taehyung, who is smirking mischievously. What are those two doing?

«Ah, hyung, no, I don’t. I wanted to sit next to you tonight since you’re so pretty.»

Yoongi gulps down almost too violently, coughing a little in his fist, his eyes going wide. What is with Jimin and this? He had always been kind, yes, and he usually only calls Yoongi pretty, but can he give Yoongi a break? Two times in the same night? Yoongi is not a strong man when it comes to Jimin. Not at all. 

When Jimin first called him pretty, he laughed a little in his face. They were all going out, and he had put a little effort in his clothing, yes, sure, but that didn’t mean that he expected Jimin to say that to him, out of person. He had laughed and Jimin had just stared at him, confused, because apparently, he really thought so. Yoongi got red real fast after Jimin said to him he was serious. That was almost six months ago, and since then, Yoongi had been attacked in a multitude of situations.

Like when he was just trying to buy the youngers some ice cream, and he had that stupid beanie on that Namjoon had forced on him before they went out. With the cones in his hands, he reached the youngers and, while Taehyung and Jungkook thanked him and began to eat their ice creams, Jimin just… smiled at him. So brightly and beautifully, until Yoongi had just given up on trying not to blush, diverting his gaze. And there he said it again, Yoongi hyung, you’re so pretty today. Not much enthusiasm, just his soft voice praising Yoongi. Yoongi hummed in response, shoving the ice cream in his hand until he softly smiled at him, taking it gently from his fingers. That must have been the beanie, then.

Or when they all went to Jimin’s dance showcase, and of course Jimin was gorgeous, but right after thanking him and smiling at him for the bouquet Yoongi was giving him, Jimin had picked out one flower, put it between Yoongi’s hair, and just So pretty, hyung. So, of course, Yoongi blushed hard, ignoring the phrase while Jimin diverted his soft gaze from him to the others, waiting to congratulate him.

And Yoongi managed to resist the impulse of crying and begging him to stop all the time, because he has a little tiny bit of dignity left in his body, so he knows better. But Jimin is so keen with his praises, so beautiful, so gentle, so everything Yoongi had ever wanted. Just a brief, small, almost inconsistent space between them. Which was obviously filled with Yoongi’s unrequited crush. Because he refused to call it any other way.

«Oh. Alright.»

Jimin moves a little in his chair, and Yoongi tries to tune in with whatever conversation the others are having, but he feels Jimin hopping a little closer to him with his chair, so it’s only logical he stiffens up when Jimin is pressing their arms together on the table.

«…so, I went up to him and I asked if they…»

«Hyung?»

«…were still doing the promotion. But he…»

«Yoongi hyung?»

«…shushed me off, like nothing! And of course, I…»

One small hand curls on Yoongi’s arm, so he looks towards Jimin, watching his big, puppy eyes waiting for him. He feels his mouth drying up.

«You don’t want me here next to you, hyung?»

Yoongi clears his throat, coughing a little on nothing but air. Nobody seems to be looking at them, so he is only making a fool out of himself in front of Jimin. So relieving.

«That’s not it, Jiminie. You usually sit next to Taehyung, that’s why I asked if you wanted to sit next to him today too.»

Jimin smiles a little, hugging his arm, and Yoongi tries not to falter with his elbows on the table. Namjoon is deep in conversation with Seokjin, Hoseok is serving their plates, and Jungkook and Taehyung are laughing at something. Everyone is doing something, and Yoongi has nobody to save him from his own shyness.

«Then I’m sure want to sit next to you, hyung.»

Hoseok waits for Yoongi’s plate with his hand in the air, but Yoongi is too busy trying not to blush, so Jimin reaches out and stretches on Yoongi to give Hoseok the plate. So close to him, Yoongi can smell his delicate perfume, something flowery and sweet, Jimin’s style for sure. He waits, patiently, until Jimin is seated again, removing with a little head shake the air from his face. Yoongi mutters a small thank you, and Jimin smiles back at it.

«No problem, hyung!»

He gives his plate to Hoseok, and it’s the last one, so they all start to eat. The conversation flows easily, as it always does, with some beers and some delicious food that Seokjin prepared, Hoseok’s pie and the side dishes arranged by Jungkook.

Yoongi gets to listen to the story of the promotion from Hoseok, and he laughs at it too, watching Jungkook and Namjoon doubling on themselves from laughter. Jimin and Taehyung chatter like Yoongi is not in the middle of them, which would be fine by Yoongi, except for the part where, in order to do so, Jimin is basically draped on him. His arms are lying on Yoongi half of the dinner, while he giggles in the direction of Taehyung, who is talking about something Yoongi is not really paying attention to. The only thing taking away his attention is a gorgeous smile and a gorgeous boy, half lying on him. He feels Jimin’s head on his shoulder when the conversation between him and Taehyung halts and they talk to the others. He just stays there, waiting patiently for his heart to calm down. Which doesn’t happen.

«Ugh, you prepared way too much food, hyung.»

Taehyung stretches towards Seokjin hugging his shoulders while Seokjin giggles, patting his head. Jungkook has his snapback on his face, and Yoongi is sure that, if he is not already sleeping, he will soon. Judging from his arms crossed, at least. Hoseok and Namjoon are talking with a soft tone, a conversation that Yoongi is sure would have been also his if he was not in the middle of two best friends, Taehyung still hugging Seokjin and Jimin… well, Jimin with his head on Yoongi’s shoulder, just watching with his eyes half-lidden the table.

«I didn’t, you just eat a lot and I don’t want hungry chicks coming to the kitchen at 3 AM asking for ramen.»

He shoots a glance at Jimin, who smiles shapelessly at him, turning his face away from the table. With what Yoongi can hear is a pout in his voice, Jimin talks, nudging his face in Yoongi’s shoulder, like a cat.

«Don’t be mean, hyung, I was hungry.»

«Yeah, I’ve seen.»

Yoongi tries not to melt at the affection Jimin is giving him today, but he is just so touchy sometimes that Yoongi feels like he could break at any moment under the weight of his own affection. He doesn’t know if the redness ever left his cheeks for the entire night.

An idea pops up in his head, and before he knows better, he is slowly untangling his arm from Jimin’s grasp, who turns to look at him, confused, a little sleepy, his mouth forming a cute pout.

«Let me take the dishes to the kitchen, hyung. Sorry, Jiminie.»

«Ah, thank you, Yoongi-ah.»

Seokjin is still carding his hand in Taehyung’s hair, who is dozing off on his shoulder. Scoffing, Yoongi ruffles his hair lightly, beginning to pick up the plates in his hands. He is free, he will be free from Jimin’s wrath for a little, he will breathe properly and maybe relax until his cheeks turn pink again instead of deep red.

Or at least, he thinks so.

«Lemme help you, hyung!»

Jimin chirps, standing up and grabbing some plates from the table. Yoongi watches him, unable to say anything. Jimin is watching him with his brightest smile, his eyes sparkly. What is he gonna do, say no?

«Alright.»

So, no more Yoongi alone time without Jimin. Much more like time with Jimin, which is the opposite of what he was trying to do. He doesn’t say anything, though, he just finishes to take all the plates in the kitchen, Jimin following with empty beer bottles. Yoongi wishes he had drunk way more than just one and a half because he is way too sober.

He puts the dishes in the sink and begins to wash them, soap bubbling with the warm water. He can feel Jimin’s gaze on his back, but he doesn’t say anything. He just concentrates on the plates, the remnants of the food slowly washed away with the sponge.

Jimin perches over him with his hip pressed on the sink, his arms showing from his short sleeves, pretty skin glowing under the light of the kitchen. Yoongi tries his best to avoid looking at him, but his gaze is persistent, so he shoots him a glance. His soft smile makes him blush, but before he can divert his attention to the dishes, one of Jimin’s hands, short fingers adorned by shining silver rings, goes on his glasses, readjusting them on Yoongi’s nose.

«There, hyung. How are you gonna be all pretty if your glasses fall from your nose?»

Yoongi nods because he is not sure words are gonna come out of his mouth, at this rate. What has gotten into Jimin? He really has no idea, but he is not sure he is gonna be able not to die if he continues.

«Hyung.»

Raising his head from the dishes, Yoongi waits for Jimin to continue, but he is just there, watching him intensely, too intensely, which makes him gulp down on nothing, his mouth dry, so dry that when he tries to wet his lips, it’s useless. Jimin watches the movement, and it’s just Yoongi or is he really coming closer? Because he is about to run away from the kitchen, screaming and throwing the sponge at his face.

He is saved from Hoseok, peeking from the door, swinging two bottles of some strong liquors they should not be drinking at this hour.

«Want to drink something?»

Yoongi leaves the rest of the dishes in the sink, the sponge now all wrinkled up on the counter, soap dissolving in the sink. He runs away from the kitchen, grabbing one of the bottles, and taking a big gulp out of it.

«Yes, thank you.»

«Wow. He really wanted something to drink.»

Jimin’s slightly high-pitched laugh exits from the kitchen, but Yoongi just launches himself on the cushion on the floor of the living room, Jungkook watching him with a slight frown on his eyebrows. Maybe because Yoongi is clutching the bottle of liquor to his chest, staring into the void.

«Everything’s okay, hyung?»

«Marvellous. I think I just have to get drunk. And maybe pass out. Yeah, passing out is the best idea.»

Jungkook’s frown only deepens, and now his hands are trying to pry away from Yoongi his precious bottle, but he won’t succeed. Not when Yoongi has some passing out to do. Jimin enters the living room with some giggles Hoseok is provoking, so it’s only natural that Yoongi drinks some more. The taste is terrible, but he truly, wholly, unfortunately, doesn’t give a single fuck. Not one.

«I’m not saying that we should play truth or dare, we’re too old for that-»

«You are! We’re not!»

«Alright, some of us are too old for that, but I think that we can do it.»

«Hobi, are you drunk already?»

Hoseok smiles at Seokjin, who only crooks one eyebrow at him.

«No, I don’t think so, actually.»

«Let’s just drink and talk. I don’t think we’re gonna be awake for much longer anyway.»

Everyone agrees with Namjoon, so they take sips from the bottle, talking low and husked, in a good and pleasant way. Yoongi just drinks, his bottle already emptied in half, his head spinning. He is nearly falling on Namjoon, who is slowly talking with Seokjin. As he predicted, half of them are already dozing off, one on top of the other. Only Seokjin and Namjoon are still completely unbothered by the alcohol, drinking small sips from the bottle. Yoongi is awake, but he is not even paying attention. He is just staring at Jimin, his pretty lips parted while he sleeps on Taehyung’s thigh, his hair spiking in all different directions on his forehead, his long and beautiful legs now seemingly so tiny, crunched up to his chest. Yoongi’s heart clenches and hurts and screams, because it wants what it wants, as people say, and it wants Jimin desperately. At his ninth sigh, Namjoon and Seokjin turn to him. He raises his face toward them, watching them staring at him. His vision is blurry, but he is pretty sure those two are Namjoon and Seokjin. Yes, even if he squints his eyes, they’re definitely them.

«What?»

«Why are you sighing?»

«Am I not allowed to sigh?»

Namjoon tries to take away his bottle, but Yoongi hugs it to his chest with an angry frown. 

«Don’t you touch my presscious bottle, Namjoon-ah. Drink from yours.»

«I don’t want to, I want you to stop drinking.»

Yoongi raises his index fingers, but it’s all wobbly. He slurs his words.

«Nnnnot gonna happennn.»

Yoongi’s finger ends up on Namjoon’s nose, deforming his cheek when Yoongi can’t keep it on his nose for long. Namjoon sighs, while Seokjin snickers behind it.

«Is it Jimin?»

«What about Jimin? Who is Jimin? What is a Jimin?»

Seokjin suppresses a laugh behind his hand, hiding his face in Namjoon’s shoulder while Namjoon himself chuckles. Yoongi clicks his tongue on the roof of his mouth.

«Y’all are mean. I don’t want to tell you nothing.»

«No, no, hyung, we were just kidding. C’mon, tell us. What’s wrong?»

Yoongi sighs, looking back at the tangling limbs that the other four are doing. Jimin is still peacefully sleeping, his cheek squished by his hand under it. There’s a strand of hair that’s now hiding his forehead from Yoongi, and he would love to be able to go and sweep it away.

«What’s not to be wrong?»

«Lots of things, hyung.»

Not responding, Yoongi only stares a little more. Three years and nothing has changed. 

«How do I get... over it, Namjoon-ah?»

He only talks to Namjoon because he knows that Seokjin knows, but he doesn’t have the courage to confirm it to him too.

He can feel the eyes of pity that are burning the back of his head, but he doesn’t turn to face them. He is not brave enough. Never brave enough.

«Why should you?»

Seokjin’s voice is sweet and low, not rushing him. Yoongi doesn’t turn. His hands play with the bottle, finding purpose in the label.

«What do you mean?»

He attempts to look back at him, his drunk state now migrating to a sad one. He changes moods so fast when he is drunk that he is surprised he hasn’t started crying already.

«I mean, is there any signal in Jimin that makes you think you have to? Move on, I mean.»

«I guess the fact that is not reciprocated. Maybe that would be a small incentive, in a sane human being.»

He doesn’t hold back his sarcasm, because they’re used to it, and he is sad, and he is drunk, and he wants to curl up and cry himself to sleep. He doesn’t move. He just waits for Seokjin to say something.

«Well, but are you sure?»

«Am I supposed not to be? He had his fair share of boyfriends, so I am sure he is not interested in me.»

«He has been single for a while now, though.»

Yoongi frowns. Is that supposed to make him think things?

«And?»

«And that’s not his usual state, is it? He has also started to call a certain someone a certain name.»

Maybe he thinks he has discovered some secret map to the treasure because Seokjin seems to be connecting the dots a little too far away one from the other to make out a realistic picture.

«And what about it? Jimin’s always kind to everyone.»

«Well, he never called me pretty.»

«Me neither, hyung.»

Yoongi looks at them both, tasting the liquor in his mouth and hating it all over again. Are they for real right now?

«Well, what about it? You two are not making any sense right now and I’m drunk, and I want to sleep. Please, stop this madness.»

«Didn’t you say you like to be called pretty?»

He is sure he is blushing now, because yes, he did, but he was drunk, and what happens when you’re drunk is something that should only remain between you and your drunk friends. He clears his throat, trying to avoid their eyes.

«One time. And I was drunk.»

«Well, he must have heard you, then. Because he calls you pretty whenever he can.»

Passing with his hand in his hair, Yoongi takes a deep breath.

«I know, and every time I want to beg him to stop. I can’t do this.»

«But why? He has been trying for like… six months now?»

«Trying what? To kill me?»

Namjoon rolls his eyes, and Yoongi wants to smack him, but he is not sure he will be able to. He sees two of him. He takes another sip from the bottle now that they’re not looking. Oh, he is gonna regret this night so bad tomorrow.

«No, hyung. To get closer to you. But you’re too shy.»

Yoongi has to restrain himself not to scream, and his whisper comes out as a high-pitched screech.

«What am I supposed to do, have you seen him, Namjoon-ah? He is too pretty, I’m at risk of death every time he speaks to me!»

Sighing, Namjoon looks at Seokjin, who is silently laughing, shaking his head.

«He is too shy. Jimin’s gonna get bored of this soon.»

«Yeah. And at his wedding, we’re gonna tell him that we were right, and he lost the love of his life because he couldn’t make eye contact.»

«Stop it you two or I’ll drink every bottle in your pantry, hyung.» 

«But you’re not denying he is the love of your life, hyung.»

«C’mon, have some mercy!»

His whisper comes out a little too noisy, though, because some rustling behind him indicates that someone is awake. Yoongi only stares wide-eyed at Seokjin and Namjoon, dreading the moment he will find out who he has awakened.

«Hyung?»

The soft, small and sleepy voice is Jimin’s, of course, so Yoongi gulps down with force, hoping he won’t pass out when he will turn around.

«Yoongi hyung?»

He now has to, so he forces himself to turn, and Jimin is just there, his cheeks a little puffed, his eyes half closed, hair tousled. And Yoongi would kiss him to death. But he just stares at his double figure, clearing his throat before speaking.

«Yeah?»

«Everything’s fine?»

«Yeah, yeah, Jiminie. Go back to sleep.»

Jimin watches them, his eyes wandering between their faces, blinking to remove the sleep from his body.

«What are you talking about?»

«Uh, nothing, Jimin. Some music.»

«With Seokjin hyung still awake, Namjoon hyung?»

Namjoon closes his mouth under Jimin’s gaze, so intense it could burn down an entire house. Yoongi doesn’t talk, because it is better for his dignity right now. He is drunk. Very, very drunk. And he wouldn’t be able to discern which one is the real Jimin.

Jimin eyes the bottle dancing between Yoongi’s hands, and he crawls next to him, removing it from his fingers. He is gentle, and caring, and he smells good, and Yoongi would just want to curl in his lap and sleep, lulled by his voice. But he doesn’t say anything. He lets Jimin do what he wants.

«Are you drunk, hyung?»

Yoongi thins his eyes, his fingers almost closing together while he tries to explain how little drunk he is.

«A little.»

Jimin turns to Seokjin and Namjoon, his forehead creasing.

«Why haven’t you stopped hyung?»

«He specifically started drinking to get drunk, Jimin-ah.»

«And? He will have such a bad headache tomorrow. Will you not, hyung? Why have you drunk so much?»

His hands are so cold against Yoongi’s warm cheeks that Yoongi almost slips and lets himself relax between them. But he doesn’t. He won’t, because he can’t. He won’t be making a fool of himself and giving himself some more reasons to be sad about in the morning.

«He will be fine, don’t worry.»

«Yeah, but that’s not an excuse! He can’t go home like that. Seokjin hyung, can I take him to the guest’s room.»

«Sure, Jimin-ah.»

Yoongi hears some snickering. Are those two laughing at him? After all they’ve been through? After all the personal emotions he shared with them? Unbelievable. He would turn and scream those things at them, but Jimin is so close, so beautiful, and his words are so far away from him, but he can feel that he is being handled and he is soon standing. Jimin’s arm is on his waist, holding him, and Yoongi feels his presence tingling on his skin like he is burning him through the shirt. Yoongi would complain that he doesn’t want to be a burden, but judging by Jimin’s frown, he wouldn’t let him.

«Oh, hyung. Why have you done this to yourself?»

Yoongi doesn’t respond, walking with his eyes half closed towards the guest’s room until he is right before the door. Here, Jimin stops and turns to him, so he looks at him too. Jimin giggles, and it’s cute as it always is, so Yoongi bathes in his beautiful presence. Jimin’s hands enter his vision, and he sees his glasses being readjusted on his nose.

«So pretty.»

That’s the last straw. In all his life, Yoongi had rarely confessed. Rarely told his crushes he liked them. And he surely didn’t think he would confess to anyone like Jimin. Surely not to him, not to his crush of the last three years. Unrequited, not reciprocated, one-sided crush. But here he is, feeling his hand caressing his red cheek, so soft, so beautifully, and calling him pretty again, like Jimin knows perfectly what he is doing and he is doing that on purpose. 

So, Yoongi does the only right thing to do. At least, the only right thing to do according to his drunk mind. Which is, of course, following his instincts. That tell him to beg and cry and ask for him to please stop playing with my mind I am in love with you I have been since the first time you smiled at me which was literally when you told me your name please stop calling me pretty I have to live somehow and I can’t if you continue like that.

«Please, Jimin, stop playing with my mind, I am in love with you, I have been since the first time you smiled at me, which was literally when you told me your name, so please stop calling me pretty because I have to live somehow, and I can’t if you continue like that!»

Of course, on his knees, with his hands on the floor, a bow that ends up being the last thing he does, because before even hearing Jimin’s response, he is sleeping.

_

The first rays of the sun hit his face and Yoongi grunts in disapproval. His head screams and he can feel his mouth being so dry it could create a whole new desert. Scrunching up his nose, he turns and flips in the bed, hugging closer the warm, perfumed and breathing willow. 

«Good morning to you too, hyung.»

And talking. How could he forget about the talking part.

Opening his eyes so wide he himself is afraid they’ll pop out, Yoongi almost falls out of the bed, if not for something grabbing him. Or, well, if the pillow is a human being and it’s Jimin, then Yoongi is saved from two to three bruises by Jimin’s arms, grabbing his.

«Sorry, am I this ugly in the morning?»

With his eyes almost disappearing from his smile, Jimin covers his face with his hand, giggling. Yoongi has to rub his eyes to be sure he is still not sleeping.

«What is going on?»

Seating on the bed, as far as he can from Jimin, Yoongi curls on himself, feeling his hair being all tangled and messy, his headache rampant in his head. Jimin looks at him with a smile that Yoongi doesn’t know how to decipher.

«What?»

«Do you remember last night, hyung?»

He was at the door. Jimin hugging him. The table. Jimin telling him he looked pretty. The dinner. Jimin calling him pretty again. Jimin too close to him in the kitchen. The liquor. Too much liquor. Something he had blabbed about with Seokjin and Namjoon. Jimin sleeping. Jimin, very beautiful, sleeping. And then…

Widening his eyes in horror, Yoongi thinks about his possibilities. What if he runs away now? He can always hide under the covers and Jimin might take pity on him and leave him be. Can he still pretend to be asleep? Is that a possibility?

From the look on Jimin’s face, he knows that Yoongi had remembered. And Yoongi wants to hide and cry, but he doesn’t. He had already confessed. The best he can do now is try and fix the thing before he ruins his friendship with Jimin. Taking a big breath, he starts to formulate a phrase, but Jimin’s faster.

«I do like you too, hyung.»

Jimin’s words are a whisper, barely audible in the room, but his eyes are so shiny, his cheeks so rosy and he is so serious in his small smile that Yoongi wants to cry. Again.

«What?»

«I said that I do-»

«No, yeah, I’ve heard you. But what do you mean?»

Jimin’s shy smile turns into light laughter while Yoongi watches him giggling with wide eyes. Is he still sleeping?

«I mean that I reciprocate your feelings, hyung. Romantically. And I’m sorry I’ve caused you pain by calling you pretty, but you are pretty, hyung, so pretty. So pretty it hurts a little you’re so shy, because you never let me tell you without running away.»

Yoongi is at loss of words. His cheeks are so warm that he thinks he doesn’t even have a headache anymore. He just stares at Jimin with his mouth agape, trying to make sense of all.

«W-what?»

Jimin laughs again, getting closer to him until he can cup his face between his hands. He watches Yoongi with the same intensity that he had in his eyes in the kitchen just the day before, and Yoongi is clearly panicking, but he tries to stay sane.

«You’re not that shy, after all. You've beaten me on the confession thing. You escaped on me in the kitchen yesterday, because I was this close to kissing you there and then.»

And he says that when he is mere breaths away from Yoongi, his eyes on his lips. Yoongi really doesn’t want their first (is this? are there gonna be others? Yoongi really hopes so) kiss to be one where he still has sand in his mouth and a hungover. But he is not strong enough right now to reject him.

«I’ve just run away. As always.»

Jimin giggles, his eyes half-lidden and his nose brushing delicately with Yoongi’s. Yoongi is shivering at the touch.

«You’ve run away on me many times, actually. I’ve been trying to get you to be mine for a long time, honestly. Like… six months?»

Yoongi watches his pretty face up close.

«Wait, really?»

Jimin opens his eyes, searching for Yoongi’s ones.

«Yeah. Wasn’t I even the tiniest bit obvious?»

No. Absolutely not, because Yoongi really, truly believed he was just the other hyung, in his eyes. He tries to get away from Jimin’s grip, but he doesn’t let him, kissing him lightly on the top of his nose. Yoongi’s heart stutters and he reddens, almost shaking.

«N-not really, no.»

«Don’t you run away from me again, Min Yoongi. You’re mine now, aren’t you?»

Searching his eyes with an expectant one, Jimin caresses slightly his cheeks, still close, so close, but now without the brief, small, almost inconsistent space between them that was the unrequited crush on Yoongi’s part. Because apparently, it is not unrequited.

«Are you sure, Jiminie? You could find much better suitors out there that are not me.»

Jimin scoffs, shaking his head a little. Yoongi’s heart is beating fast, so so fast.

«Shut up, Min Yoongi. You’re the best of them all. And also, the prettiest of them all.»

Without giving him much space to reply, Jimin presses their lips together, a kiss broken by soft smiles from both parts.