Chapter Text
When Jeongguk wakes, he feels warm, way warmer than he normally would in his own bed; especially during winter. His apartment was never freezing but usually a chill still remained in the air during these cold months.
His eyes stay closed as he tries to stretch, which earns a grunt from behind him. His eyes shoot open. It’s only then he realizes there’s an arm wrapped around his waist, a warm body pressed against his back. What had happened last night?
That’s right. Yoongi. Yoongi happened. Jeongguk lets out an almost silent groan. He knows Jimin will have something to say about this. Unless.
Unless he can get Yoongi out of here before Jimin wakes up.
“Hyung,” Jeongguk begins saying softly, not wanting to startle him. But it doesn’t work. “hyung,” he says a little louder. He’s met with another grunt. He looks at his clock, sees it’s 9am. He bites at his bottom lip, Jimin was always an early riser. If he wasn’t awake yet, it wouldn’t be long until he was.
“Yoongi,” he pinches Yoongi’s arm in a last ditch effort to wake him. The yelp it earns him shows it worked.
“What the fuck was that for?” Yoongi says with a gravelly voice, a voice Jeongguk always loved. Yoongi pulls him closer, can feel his breath against the back of his neck.
“You need to leave before Jimin wakes up, if he finds you here…” He doesn’t finish that sentence, because he isn’t sure exactly what Jimin would do. It’s not like Jeongguk isn’t a grown man who can’t make decision on his own. It’s not like him and Yoongi did anything last night. No, all that happened was some kissing and cuddling. But even that is something Jimin wouldn’t approve of, not with their history.
“It’s so early, just go back to sleep Jeongguk,” he can feel Yoongi lightly kiss the back of his neck. It feels nice, it feels like how they used to be. But…
“Hyung, I’m serious. You need to go.” Jeongguk pulls Yoongi’s arm from around him and lifts himself so he’s sitting off the edge of the bed. “I don’t want to have to explain this to him.”
“Explain what?” Yoongi sits up, a confused look on his face.
“This. Last night it…last night….” Jeongguk can’t bring himself to finish the sentence. He doesn’t want to call it a mistake, because it’s what he wanted. What he’s always wanted since what happened between them happened. He doesn’t know what to call it, what to call them. So instead he just pleads. “Please.”
“Alright, alright.” Yoongi runs his hands down his face. He looks cute like this, always has when he first wakes up; face puffy from sleep, hair ruffled up in every direction.
“I’m sorry.” Jeongguk apologizes, not wanting Yoongi to feel…unwelcome. Even if Jimin was still wary about Yoongi returning to Jeongguk’s life in any capacity.
“Don’t apologize,” Yoongi brings his hand over, cupping Jeongguk’s face and rubbing his thumb along his cheek. Jeongguk can’t help but lean into the gesture, something he’s missed dearly. Yoongi gives a small smile, before he climbs out of the bed and reaches for his pants hanging on Jeongguk’s desk chair. Once he’s dressed he motions with his head for Jeongguk to follow, and he does.
“I had a good time,” Yoongi whispers as he puts his shoes on.
“I did, too.” Jeongguk smiles, because he did. It was always a good time when he was with Yoongi, even after….everything.
“I’ll call you okay?” Yoongi hesitates before leaving, Jeongguk unsure why. Eventually he gives a small wave, and quietly leaves out of the front door. Jeongguk lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.
“So, he stayed the night did he?” Jeongguk cringes as he turns to find Jimin standing in his doorway leaning against the frame.
“Nothing happened.”
“You know I think this is a bad idea.” Jimin crosses his arms.
“I know. But I swear, nothing happened between us. We just got a little too drunk and ended up here.” Jeongguk shrugs, because that’s the honest truth. There was no sex, no inappropriate touching. Sure, there were a few kisses shared between them but Jimin didn’t need to know that, he didn’t want to have to listen to the same monologue he’s heard on multiple occasions.
Jeongguk appreciated it though, Jimin’s concern. He can’t say he blames him; he’d be the same way if the roles were reversed. But he just didn’t want to hear it so early in the morning, not when he can feel the headache from the night before beginning to make itself known.
“Alright,” Jimin puts his hands up in surrender. “How bout some breakfast?”
Jeongguk nods which makes the headache seem to come on harder and faster.
“And some aspirin.” Jimin laughs, already heading towards the bathroom to fetch it for Jeongguk, because that’s just the type of friend Jimin is. The best kind, the caring kind.
Jeongguk sits at a stool at their kitchen island, head in his hand as he waits. Jimin slams the bottle of the counter, causing him to jump.
“Here you go,” he says with a sweet smile on his face. Jeongguk glares with no malice behind it.
“I get it, you’re unhappy hyung was here.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m unhappy, I’m just concerned.” Jimin grabs a bottle of water from the fridge and sets it down quietly next to the pill bottle.
“Can we not talk about this now?” Jeongguk attempts to open the aspirin but is thwarted by the child proof lock. He sighs and holds them out to Jimin, who takes it from him with a laugh.
“I’m only here to make us breakfast,” he gives a wink as he expertly opens the bottle with zero trouble, handing it back to Jeongguk.
“And I appreciate you for that.”
“I thought you were going out with Seokjin hyung last night?” Jimin finally begins the conversation Jeongguk does not want to have after he’s finished eating his eggs and toast.
“I did go out with Seokjin hyung last night.” Jeongguk tears the crust off what’s left of his own toast and shoves it in his mouth.
“So then how did Yoongi-ssi end up in your bed?”
“How do you know he was in my bed? What if he slept on the couch?” Jeongguk challenges him, eyebrow raised.
“Jeongguk…”
“Fine, fine. He texted asking what I was doing, I mentioned I was out and invited him. There, you happy?” Jeongguk shoves the last of his toast into this mouth.
“Not particularly.”
“We’re just friends.” Which pains Jeongguk to say, will probably always pain Jeongguk to say.
“Just friends don’t have sex.” Jimin challenges him.
“We didn’t have sex,” Jeongguk attempts to keep his voice in check. He’s so tired of having the same argument with Jimin over Yoongi, even if Jimin did have good cause for concern. He was just…tired. Of everything. “Yes, he slept in my bed but I swear that’s it. Nothing else happened. We sleep in the same bed all the time.” He motions between himself and Jimin, hoping it will help stop this argument before it truly gets started.
“Okay,” Jimin lifts his hands in surrender again, leaning back in his chair. “I’ll shut up about it now.”
“Thank you.” Jeongguk sits awkwardly, unsure of what to say next. Things have been...well there’s been a tension between him and Jimin since Yoongi came back into his life. Jimin expressing his concern regularly about this situation and Jeongguk…well Jeongguk not wanting to hear it.
“I just don’t want you to get your heart broken again, Jeongguk,” Jimin has said to him more times than he can count. Not that he can blame him, Jimin was the one who was there picking up the pieces the first time. The first time he’d ever been truly heartbroken.
They say you never get over your first love, and Yoongi was just that.
Jeongguk had met Yoongi in college, a friend of a friend. Was introduced to him at a house party he had absolutely not wanted to go to his first week of freshman year. Jeongguk was immediately smitten; smitten with his smile, his eyes, his grey hair, everything about him. Jimin absolutely hounded him about it; how he practically followed Yoongi around campus like a lost puppy, but Jeongguk couldn’t help it. And Yoongi didn’t seem to mind, seemed to enjoy Jeongguk’s company.
It was just a puppy crush, something Jeongguk never imagined would lead to anything. Why would a senior want to date a freshman? But that’s what ended up happening one night at a bar Jeongguk absolutely should not have been allowed in to.
“You’re pretty great, you know that Jeongguk-ah ?” Yoongi had said to him over his whiskey, words slurred a bit from the alcohol.
“Me?”
“Yea. You’re smart, you’re funny, you’re cute. You’re great.” Jeongguk blushed, could feel his entire face heating up from the praise.
“You’re pretty great, too.” He finds the courage to return the compliment, finds the courage to look Yoongi directly in the eyes as he does so.
“We should go out.”
“Aren’t we out right now?” Jeongguk tilted his head.
“No, I mean….like on a date. You should let me take you out on a date.”
Jeongguk’s eyes went wide, unsure of what to say. Was Yoongi just saying this because he was drunk? Was this something he’d actually want when he was sober?
“You want to go out with me?” He says it barely above a whisper.
“Yea, yea I do.” Yoongi reaches across the table, taking Jeongguk’s hand in his. Thumb gently rubbing over the soft skin.
“Ask me again when you’re sober?” Jeongguk bites his bottom lip, wanting to know for sure this is something Yoongi actually wants. The last thing he wants to be is a drunken mistake, something Yoongi regrets the next day.
“That’s fair.” Yoongi pulls his hands away, but the smile doesn’t leave his face.
The next day, Jeongguk is sitting in the dorms shared space when he feels his phone buzz in his pocket.
Yoongi: Do you want to go on a date?
He can’t help the smile the erupts on his face, the giggle that escapes his mouth.
“What’s got you so smiley?” Jimin runs over, jumping onto the couch next to him. “Let me see.” Jimin grabs at Jeongguk’s phone to see.
“He wants to go on a date. With me!” Jeongguk giggles again, throwing his head back.
“Of course he does, who wouldn’t want to go on a date with you,” Jimin pokes at his sides. “Well? Aren’t you going to answer him?”
“Is it too soon? Shouldn’t I make him wait a bit before I answer? You know, keep him guessing?” Jeongguk was never great when it came to flirting, was always told he came across as too eager. With Yoongi, he didn’t want to mess it up, didn’t want to do anything that might make him change his mind.
“Just answer him or I’ll do it for you,” Jimin starts to grab towards the phone.
“FIne!” Jeongguk moves the phone out of Jimin’s reach. “Fine. But what do I say? Do I just say yes? Do I say I’d love to? How do i answer this?”
“Just answer how you’d answer any other question he’d ask. Just be yourself,” Jimin ruffles his hair a bit before sitting over to the side to give Jeongguk some privacy.
“Okay. Okay yea. I can do this.” Jeongguk stares at his phone. He types a yes, but deletes it immediately. It sounds too nonchalant. He doesn’t want Yoongi to think he isn’t that interested.
He types out A date sounds wonderful and immediately deletes that too, not wanting to sound too formal.
“Oh my God Jeongguk just tell him yes.” Jimin can see the struggle on his face. He sighs and grabs the phone out of his hands, quickly typing as he moves it out of Jeongguk’s reach. “There. All done.” He tosses it back into Jeongguk’s lap.
He quickly unlocks his phone to see what Jimin had sent.
Jeongguk: I thought you’d never ask.
“Hyung!”
“What? It’s the truth isn’t it? Come on, he’ll love that.” He feels his phone buzz.
Yoongi: Next Friday okay?
“Oh my God he wants to go out Friday,” He looks up at Jimin, biting at his bottom lip to try to contain the giant smile threatening to fill his face.
“My work here is done,” Jimin announces as he stands and walks away back towards his dorm room.
That first date led to a second, and to a third, and to them becoming the newest couple at the school that everyone couldn’t seem to stop talking about. The cute new freshman, the first person Yoongi ever showed interest in.
What Jeongguk didn’t know is that Yoongi was one of the people in the school everyone knew, one so many wanted. He couldn’t blame them, he’d fallen for the charms of Yoongi immediately. He learned by the whispers that followed when he went to classes, when he went to the food hall, when he walked down the hallways. He learned by the girls and guys who told him how lucky he was that he was who Yoongi chose to be with, people that would actually stop him to admit their jealousy. It was all…it was a lot.
“How does it feel to be the most wanted man on campus?” Jeongguk had said to him one night at another party, this time a smaller affair at their mutual friend Seokjin’s apartment.
“What do you mean?” Yoongi asks, as if he’s completely unaware of that fact.
“Oh come on, you know what I mean. Why me?” Jeongguk finds himself asking, a question he hadn’t really wondered until it left his mouth. But now it’s all he can think about. Why him? Out of everyone on campus, why was he the one Yoongi chose to be with?
“Because you’re you, and they’re not you.” The answer made butterflies erupt in Jeongguk’s stomach. If he were to pin point a moment when he first started falling in love with Yoongi, that was it.
“What are you thinking so hard about?” Jimin flicks him in the arm across the table.
“What?” Jeongguk hadn’t realized he’d dazed off, too lost in thought of how him and Yoongi used to be. He can feel the smile on his face, a smile he didn’t realize was there. Jimin just gives him a look full of pity, as if he knows exactly where his mind was. And Jeongguk can’t blame him. Though he doesn’t want to be pitied. He wants Jimin to be supportive, which he is being in his own way. Supportive and defensive; defensive of Jeongguk’s fragile heart. A heart that Jeongguk hopes doesn’t get broken again.