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“Fuck off,” Yoongi muttered. “Where?”
Jeongguk tilted his head to his right, his eyes going in that direction. “Over there, hyung.”
“Fuck,” Yoongi ran his fingers through his hair. “Pretend to be dating me.”
Yoongi reached his hand out to Jeongguk.
“You want me to pretend to be dating you when Jimin is hanging off of my back?” Jeongguk asked.
He squinted his eyes at Jimin who was indeed hanging off Jeongguk’s back, arms wrapped around his waist and nose nuzzled into his neck.
As if Yoongi wasn’t already regretting coming out with his friends, now his regret shot through the roof as his ex moved his way through the crowd toward him. Ignoring that side of the club, Yoongi looked in the opposite direction, praying to whatever ancestors, gods, mythical beasts, or literally anything that may exist to help him find a familiar face to help him out of this situation.
And he did see a familiar face.
A familiar face that he didn’t particularly want to see.
Whatever ancestor, god, or mythical beast he had prayed to must sincerely want to fuck him over tonight.
Yoongi now had two faces he didn’t want to see tonight. But one face was one he absolutely did not want to interact with so he went for the other—the lesser of two evils.
He heard Jeongguk yell his name as he walked away but he had to get out of this situation.
Yoongi took a chance and wrapped his hand around the bicep of the man in front of him and smiled, turning to meet one of the faces he didn’t want to see. “Listen, we haven’t said a word to each other in a couple of years and this is out of absolutely nowhere-”
“Yoongi hyung?”
“But!” Yoongi interjected. “Pretend to be dating me for the next few minutes please because my ex is right over there and I cannot, literally cannot , face him by myself. I would use Jeongguk but his actual boyfriend is all over him and it just won’t work.”
“Yoongi hyung?”
Yoongi rolled his eyes. “Yes, Taehyung?”
There were a few seconds of tension, eyes staring at one another before Yoongi felt an arm wrap around his waist and pull him closer. “Where is he?”
“Uh,” Yoongi was taken aback by how quickly Taehyung agreed to this by holding Yoongi close to him. “He’s behind you, dark pink hair.”
Yoongi grabbed onto Taehyung’s other bicep as he turned them both around so he could see him.
Taehyung hummed. “Doesn’t look like your type.”
“What the fuck do you know about my type?” Yoongi scoffed.
“Wrap your arms around me or something,” Taehyung instructed. “You look like you’re terrified.”
Yoongi relaxed his grip on Taehyung’s arms and awkwardly wrapped them around his neck instead. “Where is he now?”
“Talking to Jeongguk and Jimin. They’re all looking over here,” Taehyung murmured, his mouth pressing against Yoongi’s temple. “New hair?”
“Had it for a couple of months,” Yoongi said, trying not to shiver against the feeling of Taehyung’s lips brushing against his skin. “Jimin convinced me while I was drunk to dye it purple. I like it better now.”
“Hm,” Taehyung murmured. “Lilac now. It looks beautiful.”
Yoongi was about to pull away and make a snide remark but he suddenly realized why Taehyung had said that.
“Minsoo,” he breathed quietly.
“Yoongi.”
Minsoo still had Yoongi’s heart squeezing in his chest no matter how much he begged it not to. He would pray to the ancestors, gods, or mythical beasts once more but he knew they’d probably fuck him over again.
He was tall, almost as tall as Taehyung. His shoulders were broad and he had arms with muscle. Yoongi knew under his red silk button up he’d find a defined chest. Yoongi almost groaned remembering how his hands felt wandering over Minsoo. He let his eyes glaze back over to his face, finding a small smile with the tiniest dimple ready to peek out. His eyes were still that light brown Yoongi had fallen in love with last year over coffee dates and late night study sessions that often ended up with both of them passed out on the couch wrapped around one another.
Yoongi didn’t let his eyes drop down to the lips he missed against his so badly.
“May I help you?” Taehyung asked, unwrapping himself from around Yoongi, one hand still settled on his waist. His thumb rubbed gentle circles over his hip bone.
Yoongi crossed his arms over his chest, leaning a bit more into Taehyung. He could’ve keeled over in embarrassment at how comforting it was to have Taehyung’s arm around his waist and his warmth seeping into his side.
“I just,” Minsoo pointed at Yoongi. “I just wanted to say hello to Yoongi, see how he’s been.”
“He’s been great,” Taehyung said, giving Minsoo a saccharine smile.
“Can he not speak for himself?”
“I know what you did to him, you fuckwad,” Taehyung replied, there was venom in his voice that had Yoongi looking at him in surprise. “He can speak but he doesn’t owe you anything. He’s been great. He has me now, I’m treating him like he should be treated and I’m sure as hell not going to go suck another man’s dick and tear his heart into shreds.”
Yoongi watched as the small dimple on Minsoo’s face slowly disappeared and his expression became cold, closed off. “This isn’t any of your business.”
“Neither is Yoongi. He’s not yours anymore and you’re not his. How he is doesn’t concern you,” Taehyung wrapped Yoongi back into his arms so his back was facing Minsoo. Yoongi could feel tears springing to his eyes. “Get out of here.”
With shaking hands Yoongi wrapped his arms back around Taehyung, his hands clasping behind his back as he placed his forehead on Taehyung’s sternum. He heard a few more harsh words thrown between the two men before there was silence, the sound of the thumping music was muffled to his ears as he stood there. He felt a few bodies bumping into them, but Taehyung didn’t attempt to move them from their spot on the floor.
“Yoongi hyung?” Hands slid from around his waist to his sides, gently rubbing up and down. “He’s gone, I watched him leave.”
Yoongi couldn’t believe that one small dimple and light brown eyes had him in shambles in the arms of the lesser evil. He couldn’t believe how nice it felt to be wrapped in the arms of someone he couldn’t stand.
“Yoonie?”
Yoongi lifted his head at the voice he heard, knowing it was Jimin’s sweet voice. He unwrapped his arms from around Taehyung, telling himself he needed to get out of here and away from everyone.
“I want to go home,” he said.
“Of course, hyung,” Jeongguk cast a grateful smile in Taehyung’s direction before wrapping an arm around Yoongi’s shoulder, Jimin quickly coming to the other side and wrapping an arm around Yoongi’s waist.
“Are you alright, hyungie?” Jimin asked, concern lacing his voice.
“Yeah,” Yoongi said.
He glanced back at Taehyung, not surprised to already see him gone.
Yoongi squinted up at the ceiling.
He knew this wasn’t his apartment. There was too much light, it smelled different, the ceiling didn’t have strange stains on it like his did.
He shoved himself up with a groan, pushing the palms of his hands against his eyelids.
“Good morning, hyung.”
Yoongi sighed. “Morning, Jeongguk. Why didn’t you take me home last night?”
Jeongguk sat down beside Yoongi. “Jimin and I didn’t think you’d want to be alone.”
“Thanks,” Yoongi said with a nod. It was true. He would’ve hated being alone last night and this morning.
“How’s Jimin?”
“He’s fine,” Jeongguk answered. “Why wouldn’t he be?”
Yoongi let out a small laugh. “He just saw his old best friend last night.”
“Hyung, you know how Jimin feels.”
“Hm,” Yoongi stood up, ready to take his leave. “I’ll see you later this week, we’ll grab lunch.”
“Alright, hyung. I, um,” Jeongguk awkwardly stood up and took a piece of paper out of his back pocket. It looked like it was a torn piece of notebook paper from one of Jeongguk’s class notebooks. “I got Taehyung’s number last night. From Jimin’s phone.”
“Oh.”
“In case you want to text him or something. Thank him. I don’t know, it’s stupid.”
“No, no,” Yoongi assured Jeongguk, giving him a smile as he put the paper in his back pocket. “I appreciate it, Guk.”
Yoongi knew he should just send the text.
But that little blue arrow was too intimidating for him.
He composed countless messages but always ended up closing out of them.
He knew he needed to talk to Taehyung and thank him for everything he had done.
Because really, Taehyung didn’t need to do any of that. He didn’t need to wrap his arms around Yoongi and whisper against his temple and defend him as he had. He could’ve laughed in Yoongi’s face the moment he appeared in front of him asking for that ridiculous favor, but he hadn’t.
Even after everything the two of them had been through.
“Taehyung, are you kidding me?” Yoongi yelled. He stalked over to the bathroom door and banged his fist against it. “Get your ass out here!”
The door to the bathroom opened and soon Yoongi was faced with dripping wet hair, drops of water falling onto the white shirt being worn.
“Yes, hyung?”
Yoongi gritted his teeth at the smirk gracing the face of his roommate. What an annoyingly beautiful face with cute beauty marks splashed on his nose and right under his bottom lip.
“Please, get down my laptop.”
Taehyung’s eyes flickered to their shelf unit between both of their beds.
“I know you put it up there so I couldn’t reach it. I’m sick and tired of you doing this.”
“It was in my way.”
“And putting it on the highest shelf is the only way to get it out of your way?”
“Of course,” Taehyung answered, pushing himself from the door frame and walking over to his bed where he flopped down.
“Stop being a complete ass, Taehyung. Get me my computer.”
“We could always get you a step stool, hyung.” Taehyung grinned, making no sign of moving to retrieve Yoongi’s laptop.
“Jesus Christ,” Yoongi muttered, pulling out his phone to call Jeongguk.
One of the worst sounds had to be the sound of a screeching chair in a quiet library and Yoongi couldn’t hold in his grimace as someone pulled out the chair across from him. He twiddled his pen between his fingers, leg bouncing up and down while he avoided eye contact with the person across from him.
Books were slapped down on the table and pens spread out all over, the sound of them rolling more distracting than Yoongi thought could be possible. He was appalled to hear a loud slurping sound before his ears were assaulted with the sound of a straw emptying a drink.
With an exasperated sigh, Yoongi looked up.
He stopped twiddling his pen and bouncing his leg.
God. Were those ancestors, gods, and mythical beasts still out to get him?
“Could you possibly be any louder?” Yoongi hissed.
“Oh, so he does speak,” Taehyung murmured, flipping the pages of his textbook. “Wasn’t sure.”
Yoongi sighed. He knew Taehyung was jabbing at him for never reaching out to him after the incident. He was never very subtle.
“Taehyung,” Yoongi said, keeping his voice low because he knew how to respect others in the library. “I tried to message you.”
“Must not have tried very hard. Thanks is a fairly short word.”
Yoongi leaned back in his chair, dropping his pencil on top of his notebook. He stared at his notes before looking back up at Taehyung who was intently staring at his textbook.
“Thanks wouldn’t have been enough,” Yoongi sighed. He ran his hands down his face before planting his elbows on the table, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. His other hand fiddled idly with his pen. “What you did means a lot to me. You could’ve said no, could’ve laughed in my face, could’ve told me to fend for myself. But you didn’t. You stood there and acted the part. You defended me. So thank you. For all of it.”
Taehyung shifted in his chair and Yoongi watched as he finally looked up and straight into his eyes. Yoongi couldn’t help but let his eyes flicker down to Taehyung’s nose and then the spot right below his bottom lip. Damn those beauty marks.
“You’re welcome, hyung.”
Yoongi grinned at Taehyung and was returned with a smile from the boy across from him, teeth on display as his eyes crinkled in the corner a bit.
“Wanna grab something to eat?” Yoongi asked.
“Sure, hyung,” Taehyung closed his textbook and stood up, shoveling everything back into his bag. “Wasn’t going to study anyways.”
“How did you know?” Yoongi asked, sitting down across from Taehyung. He pushed one of the steaming cups of noodles in his direction.
“Know what?”
“What happened between me and Minsoo.”
Taehyung gave Yoongi a small smile while breaking his chopsticks apart. “You forget that Jimin was my friend, hyung.”
“Ah,” Yoongi nodded, dipping into his noodles. “I wasn’t sure if you two were... speaking at that point.”
“Mh, he let it slip during our argument,” Taehyung tilted his head, resting his elbow on the table. He played around with his noodles for a few moments before speaking again. “As you can imagine, it made me feel shittier than I already did.”
Yoongi scrunched up his shoulders, pushing his hands together between his legs.
“Yoongi hyung, I shouldn’t have said those words to you,” Taehyung said, looking at Yoongi. “I didn’t mean them.”
And Yoongi could tell that Taehyung meant it. His eyes were wide and glassy as if tears could fall at any moment. He could tell there was more that Taehyung wanted to say so he kept quiet, allowing him to gather his thoughts.
“I was really excited to come to university. To finally have a bit of independence and study what really interested me. Hm, I was afraid no one would like me. That was mostly the situation in high school, I really only had Jimin. I should have been kinder to you, hyung.”
“You should have,” Yoongi agreed, finally picking back up his chopsticks. “You were a real shit for putting things on the top shelf.”
Taehyung snorted. “That wasn’t even the worst.”
“No, but it was fucking hell not being able to reach that top shelf,” Yoongi grinned. “Eat your noodles, they’ll get cold.”
“I’m sorry again, hyung. I just wanted to have friends and be cool, I tried to change and I never should have. Me being a complete asshole wasn’t the way to go.”
“Taehyung,” Yoongi said, he kicked his leg lightly under the table. “I forgive you. And.. for the record, I like you much better like this.”
“I can’t believe you two dragged me back here,” Yoongi whined, letting Jeongguk hold onto his hand as he pulled him to a booth in the far corner.
“Stop pouting,” Jeongguk ordered, sitting across from Yoongi and scooting over so Jimin could join him.
“We’ll make sure there are no run-ins to exes tonight or horrible roommates,” Jimin exclaimed, smiling. “I’ll buy the first round?”
Yoongi nodded and waited for Jimin to leave before looking toward Jeongguk. “I invited Taehyung tonight.”
“What?!” Jeongguk’s eyes bugged out. “You were just complaining about being here seconds ago!”
“I didn’t want to tip Jimin off.”
“He’ll be pretty tipped off when he sees Taehyung sitting next to you. He’ll be pretty pissed off too.”
“Taehyung knows that Jimin will be here. He wants to talk to him.”
“Did you two make up?” Jeongguk questioned, raising an eyebrow.
Yoongi nodded. “A couple of weeks ago. We’ve been hanging out a few times a week.”
Jeongguk was about to open his mouth again when a deep voice interrupted them with a hello before sliding in beside Yoongi.
“Hi Jeongguk,” Taehyung smiled in his direction, the smile was a bit wobbly and unnatural but Yoongi patted his leg to let him know he was fine. He didn’t move his hand and Taehyung didn’t seem to mind.
Jeongguk nodded his head in his direction, offering him a small unsure smile back.
Yoongi took a moment to look at Taehyung and take in his appearance. His hair was a bit wavy, dark and mussed up. Taehyung reached up to mess with his bangs, adjusting them so there was a small part. He had on a simple white button-down, it was thin and Yoongi could see his skin underneath but he figured it was probably pretty comfortable in such a hot place. His collarbones were on display, the top two buttons unbuttoned to show his skin. He pulled his eyes from the honey-toned chest to look at Taehyung and found eyes already on him. He knew his cheeks were red but hoped they were in a dark enough corner that Taehyung wouldn’t notice.
Taehyung gently placed his hand over Yoongi’s and turned back around to look at the crowd, presumably watching for Jimin to approach them once more.
Glancing over at Jeongguk, he saw him raising an eyebrow in question before flicking his eyes in Taehyung’s direction. Yoongi only scowled in reply.
“I didn’t know we had a fourth.”
Yoongi looked up in surprise to find Jimin already back and standing by the table, obviously avoiding eye contact with Yoongi’s side of the booth.
“I should have told you, Jimin-ah.”
Jimin pushed the small tray of glasses he had toward Jeongguk and Yoongi. “I’m leaving.”
“Jimin,” Yoongi said. “Just listen to him, please?”
“Why should I? Why does he deserve my time?” Jimin said, finally looking at Yoongi. “When did you two become such best friends?”
Yoongi glanced at Taehyung, not surprised by the hurt evident on Taehyung’s face.
“He talked to me and I listened to him. And he listened to me. I want you to do the same, Jiminie. Please? Give him just a few minutes.”
“I'm doing this for you, Yoongi hyung," Jimin pouted, sitting down across from Taehyung. "And this doesn’t mean you’re my best friend all of a sudden.”
Taehyung nodded eagerly.
Jimin crossed his arms and looked at Taehyung. “Well?”
“I should have never said the words I said to you, Jimin. I never should have said the things I said about Jeongguk.”
“Or Yoongi,” Jimin interjected.
“Or Yoongi.”
Taehyung rubbed his thumb across the back of Yoongi’s hand.
“I felt like you were leaving me and I was upset and angry. The things about you and Jeongguk, it was so out of line. I just was so afraid of being alone and losing one of my only friends. I’m sorry, please forgive me, hyung.”
Jimin looks over to Yoongi. “You forgave him?”
Yoongi nodded. “He almost cried into his noodles.”
“It made me sad when you said the things you said, Taehyung. I think I almost hated you.” Jimin frowned at his own words.
Taehyung flinched. “I wish I could take them back, I do.”
“You told me Jeongguk would leave me after a couple of weeks because I was the most clingy person you’ve ever met,” Jimin said, his voice smaller than before as he hugged himself.
Taehyung closed his eyes. “Jimin, you’re not clingy. I was just so afraid he would take you away from me. It was so stupid of me, I should have known you wouldn’t leave me. I should have known because you are the most loving and affectionate person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. You put friendship before anything else and if I had just shared my concerns with you, I know you would have listened. Jeongguk is so lucky to have you the way he does. And Yoongi is lucky to have your friendship. I miss your hugs and your cuddles and your friendship. I miss you, Jimin.”
Jimin bit his bottom lip. “I wouldn’t have left you. You were my best friend. My soulmate, you know.”
“Hey!” Jeongguk interrupted but Jimin gently hit him in the side.
“Mine too,” Taehyung said, lifting the hand not currently occupied with Yoongi’s and sliding it across the table in offering to Jimin. “I’m sorry.”
Jimin hesitantly stared at Taehyung’s hand. “You put Yoongi’s things on the top shelf.”
Taehyung let out a small laugh. “I apologized to him for it. I promise.”
“He did.” Yoongi grinned.
A sigh of relief seemed to fall out of everyone when Jimin placed his hand on top of Taehyung’s and smiled.
“I’m not buying you a drink. You owe me,” Jimin said.
Taehyung nodded, wrapping his hand around Yoongi’s before standing up and pulling Yoongi along. “Come with me, hyung.”
Yoongi complied, squeezing Taehyung’s hand as they walked through the crowd. “Wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“Hyung, that was the most terrifying few minutes of my life.”
Yoongi laughed, leaning into Taehyung’s side as he waved down the bartender and ordered.
“I’m proud of you, Taehyungie.”
Taehyung smiled at the affectionate way Yoongi said his name.
“You lied about me almost crying into my cup of noodles,” Taehyung said, leaning against Yoongi’s back.
Yoongi grunted, pushing his front door opened. “You did.”
“Did not.” The pout in Taehyung’s voice was evident and Yoongi couldn’t help but grin.
The two stumbled into Yoongi’s apartment, their movements stilted as they walked through his apartment before crashing onto the couch.
“No clubbing for two weeks,” Yoongi declared.
“Alright.”
Yoongi peeked an eye open to look at Taehyung. “You’re agreeing just like that?”
“I’m a changed man, hyung.”
Taehyung turned onto his side so he was facing Yoongi. His cheek was squished by the cushion and Yoongi could help but smile. He mirrored his actions, face squished against the back of the couch.
Yoongi watched Taehyung’s eyes flutter shut. He watched him for a few moments, finding a new beauty mark under his right eye that he had never noticed. He wondered how he had ever missed it. He lifted his hand and let his forefinger brush against the beauty mark right underneath his eye before sliding down to brush the one on Taehyung’s nose. He smiled, feeling Taehyung’s breathing pause before letting out a puff of air against Yoongi’s hand. He dragged his finger down and over his lips before landing on the other below his lip.
Damn those beauty marks.
The whole night had been consumed by him looking at those beauty marks. Taehyung rarely let go of him, whether they were dancing or sitting down in their booth or ordering more drinks. He was a constant presence next to Yoongi. But it wasn’t as if he minded. He rather liked the feeling of those arms around him.
Yoongi scooted his face a bit closer, feeling Taehyung’s puffs of air on his face.
He couldn’t stop thinking about how much he didn’t want to see this face just a few weeks ago. How mad he had been at those ancestors, gods, and mythical beasts.
He quietly thanked them.
He lifted his hand once more to rest against Taehyung’s neck, thumb caressing his jaw.
“Taehyung-ah.”
A hum left the lips in front of him and eyes slowly opened. He didn’t seem too surprised at how close Yoongi had gotten to him, but maybe the hand on the neck and the thumb carefully rubbing against his jaw was enough to tell him they were in new territory.
“Are you going to kiss me, hyung?”
“I was considering it.”
Taehyung grinned. He reached forward and placed his hand on Yoongi’s leg, patting it a couple of times. “Why haven’t you yet?”
“I was thinking of all the things you put on the top shelf. All the things that were out of my reach.”
“Oh, will you let it go?” Taehyung whined, laughter spilling out of his mouth.
“I really needed my tuner that one time. I had a very important piece to practice.”
“Surely you had a friend you could borrow from,” Taehyung teased. “But I did say I was sorry.”
“Say it again. And prove it to me,” Yoongi said, giving Taehyung a smug look.
“Hyung,” Taehyung said, his voice dipping just a bit lower as he sat up.
Yoongi’s hand dropped from where it was still resting on Taehyung’s neck as arms wrapped around his own and the body next to him inched closer. He found his own arms winding around Taehyung’s waist to hold him just a bit tighter.
“I’m sorry,” Taehyung murmured.
Yoongi glanced down at the beauty mark on Taehyung’s nose mere seconds before his nose brushed against Yoongi’s.
“I’ll never put anything on the top shelf again,” Taehyung swore, lips brushing against Yoongi’s. “In fact, I’ll help get things from the top shelf for you. Cups. Food. Books. Anything.”
“Anything?” Yoongi asked quietly.
“Anything, hyung.”
Taehyung didn’t say anything else, just pushed his lips forward to finally connect with Yoongi’s. Those soft lips with a beauty mark pressing gently against his own had Yoongi tightening his hold on Taehyung and returning the kiss just as carefully.
He quietly thanked the ancestors, gods, and mythical beasts once more.