Chapter Text
"You should see your face right now."
Namjoon whips his head around only to be met with a knowing smirk on Hoseok's face.
"Huh?"
“You’re ogling Jimin so shamelessly, Namjoonie." Hoseok winks, much to Namjoon's chagrin. "Like you wanna fuck him right here right now. And it’s not the first time either. I’ve caught you giving him bedroom eyes since the start of the semester. Such a perv."
Namjoon can only stutter in reply, cheeks flushed red, ears ringing in alarm. Jung Hoseok is the last person he wanted to notice his crush on Jimin. Given how Hoseok and Jimin are not only in the college dance club together, but also happen to live in the same dorm.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Namjoon schools his voice so that it’s even, or at least, as even as he can manage with the blood pounding in his ears; he hopes he sounds at least a little convincing. "I look at Jimin the same way I look at everyone else."
"Shut up, Namjoon. You’re not fooling anyone." Hoseok smirks, lips curved up in a shit-eating grin. "You're not fooling anyone, big guy. You’re literally fucking Jimin with your eyes at this point." Namjoon blinks in alarm, wanting to cover his eyes and protect them from Hoseok's wrath. But Hoseok's not done yet. "But I can guarantee you that oblivious lover boy over there has no clue you're even faintly interested in fucking his brains out."
"You don't think so— wait, no! That’s not it! I don't want to fuck him!" Namjoon hisses, lowering his head and leaning closer towards Hoseok. He’s absolutely mortified by the train of conversation, glancing around them and making sure no one else is paying attention to them. With a frustrated groan, Namjoon shakes his head in exhaustion. "You've got quite the dirty mouth, Hoseok."
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Hoseok wiggles his eyebrows exaggeratedly, smiling so wide that his cheeks peak up like apples. It’s an odd mix of cute and ridiculous and Namjoon is torn between wanting to pinch his cheeks and settling for punching his pretty face instead. Meanwhile, Hoseok continues to ramble without a clue about the thoughts going through Namjoon’s mind. “For real though, your whole pining from afar aesthetic isn't going to work with him. The J in Jimin is for ‘Jesus fuck I’m dense’ . He’s not going to get the message unless you say it to his face; make it crystal clear that you’re interested in him. Romantically! You've got your work cut out for you, dude."
"Oh?" Namjoon frowns in contemplation. Something about Hoseok’s little pep talk throws him off a bit. "And how do you know that, Hoseok?" Granted that Hoseok and Jimin are close— they’re roommates as well as teammates, for god’s sake— but there’s something about the way Hoseok talks about Jimin that throws Namjoon off.
"For someone who's always got his eyes on Jimin like a god damn magnet, you sure don’t know much about him, eh Namjoonie?" Hoseok leans back in his seat, eyes closed, exhaling audibly. Slowly peeling them open, he fixes Namjoon with a flickering gaze, eyes glossed over like they’re looking somewhere far away. "I uh... I used to date Jimin back in junior year."
Namjoon blinks in surprise. He never would've expected Hoseok and Jimin to be exes. While it’s true that they have a lot of things in common— both seemingly good natured and hard working and fond of dance and parties and people. And they obviously spend so much of their time together, both on campus and off it. Out of their own free will. Often spotted eating lunch together at the cafeteria, talking so jovially. Namjoon can not relate to wanting to see his roommate for even a second outside of the dorm. Jackson, although a decent person to room with, can be insufferable when he wants to be. Just the very thought of Jackson and all the shit Namjoon goes through on the daily only manages to make Namjoon feel even more gobsmacked in the face of the kind of relationship Hoseok and Jimin seem to have.
Frowning, Namjoon ponders on why he’s never once imagined a romantic relationship between the two of them. Now that he’s mulling over all the details, it’s easy to see how well the two of them fit together. Like two pieces of a puzzle. Leaving Namjoon sticking out like a sore thumb. He peers at Hoseok from under his lashes, feeling something wistful settle in his chest. But Hoseok had said they were exes, right? They’re not together anymore. Which is probably why Hoseok took pity on him and started giving him insights on how to pursue Jimin. Suddenly, a light bulb flickers in Namjoon's head, a rather reckless idea taking form.
"Say, Hoseok?” Namjoon gulps, scratching the back of his neck as he gathers his guts.
“Hmm?” Hoseok peels an eye open and hums in question, pushing his chair back until he's looking straight into Namjoon's eyes. The indifferent expression on his face is only betrayed by the curiosity twinkling in the depths of his irises.
"Do you think you could help out with Jimin?"
***
"For starters, you should try actually talking to him," Hoseok grumbles, kicking his feet as they make their way towards the cafeteria. "How are you gonna get into his pants if he doesn't even know who you are, huh?"
“I don’t want to get in his pants, god damn it! You make it sound so sleazy. I just wanna…” Namjoon blisters, cheeks flushing fiercely. “You know…”
They reach the food counter, proceeding to pick up trays and walk along the line. Hoseok, for all his sweet smiles and bubbly persona, can be quite harsh and to the point when it counts. Absorbing his savage words, Namjoon sighs solemnly, still a little surprised that Hoseok agreed to help him out.
"Sure. I don’t mind helping you out; it sounds like a fun way to kill time. And you’re a nice guy, Namjoonie. You deserve a good wingman— the best ," Hoseok had said. "Besides, Jimin needs to get laid as much as you apparently do."
It's a little jarring to be nothing more than a game in Hoseok's eyes, but at least now there is a flicker of hope for Namjoon. With Hoseok’s help, he’s bound to make some kind of progress with Jimin. Right?
"Hey, look over there!" Hoseok grabs Namjoon's arm and yanks it violently, almost making him drop his now loaded tray. "Speak of the devil, there he is!" Hoseok tilts his head towards where Jimin is seated, laughing at whatever Seokjin’s saying to Yoongi. Hoseok smirks with a wicked glint in his eyes and Namjoon already hears sirens blaring in his mind. "Come on, Joon." Namjoon marvels at how quickly Hoseok is able to drop formal speech with him and call him by a nickname. It’s almost admirable. But hang on—
"Hoseok, wait!" Namjoon whips his head around and stares at Hoseok in panic, helplessly realising he's already being dragged towards Jimin's table. He ignores the way Hoseok’s hand is so warm and delicate in favour of trying to pull him back. "We can't just head over there so casually—"
Hoseok turns back and frowns, eyes dull as if he's looking at a bug. "Yes, we can . Watch." Hoseok turns around, removes his hand from Namjoon’s in order to wave towards Jimin's direction. "Hey Jimin!" Namjoon watches with his jaw hanging loose as Jimin instantly perks up and smiles— so soft and pretty— before gesturing Hoseok over.
"Told ya." Hoseok looks at Namjoon from the corner of his eyes, grabbing his hand and pulling him along once more. "Now, don't waste my good will, alright? Go sweet talk his ass off, big guy."
"Wait, what—?! How am I supposed to just—?" Namjoon hisses, but bites his tongue and forces out a smile when they reach Jimin's table. Immediately, Hoseok takes a seat, tugging Namjoon down next to him. There's a clatter of plates and trays, a grumble from Seokjin about Hoseok's manners; and then, everything's back to normal as if Namjoon's been eating with these guys everyday since freshman year.
"Hey, Namjoon hyung," Jimin says softly, popping Namjoon's bubble and startling him. "We haven’t really talked much before, but we’re in the same Psych class together, I think.” Namjoon nods awkwardly, cheeks flushing as he processes that Jimin knows who he is. Jimin turns towards Hoseok before turning back towards Namjoon and smiling curiously. “Oh wow, I didn’t know you were friends with Hobari."
“Hobari?” It takes a beat too long for Namjoon to register who this Hobari is. He squints when it clicks, turning around to stare at a slightly miffed Hoseok. "Yeah," Namjoon replies, weighing out his words. "I'm definitely friends with Hobari ."
Hoseok takes that as a cue to stomp rather harshly on Namjoon's foot, even as Jimin continues to make small talk as they couldn’t all hear the sound of Namjoon’s toe getting fractured. By some force of magic, all the pain vanishes in the face of Jimin’s pretty voice. Namjoon is more than a little distracted by now, his entire consciousness tuned in on Jimin and the soft exasperated huffs he lets out as he whines about their psych assignment due the next day. It's the first time Namjoon’s been in such close proximity with Jimin, close enough to count the freckles splattered across his pretty face, close enough to note that he’s wearing coloured contact lens— pink, like the colour of his hair.
Namjoon smiles giddily. It's all thanks to Hobari .
***
"I cannot believe you're the top student in our course!" Hoseok whisper-shouts beside Namjoon, both of them hovering near the door while peeking into the room and keeping an eye on the first row where Jimin is sitting. There's an empty seat to Jimin's left, and Namjoon watches it like a marksman in a shooting game.
"Class starts in ten minutes, you fuck. We can't stand here all day." Hoseok punches him on the shoulder. "I swear, you have peanuts for balls, Joonie."
"That's a really vulgar way to call me a coward." Namjoon looks away from the empty seat for the first time, just to glare at Hoseok. "Why do you swear all the damn time, Hoseok-ah?"
"I'll stop swearing when you get laid," Hoseok scoffs. "Now get in!"
With a shuddering exhale, Namjoon walks into the class. Hoseok's nudging him gently from behind, grumbling about how dramatic he's acting. But Namjoon pays him no mind. As they walk towards Jimin, Namjoon's heartbeat starts to jackhammer against his rib cage, pulse quickening the closer they get. They’re just a row away when suddenly, Hoseok gives Namjoon a push and he ends up almost knocking over the chair. That makes Jimin jolt up in his seat, finally looking up from his notes, his pretty plump— oh so kissable— lips curling into a pretty smile. There's a mirroring smile on Namjoon's face as he takes a seat, knees quivering with nerves. When he settles into his chair, their arms brush and an electric spark spreads from the point of contact.
"You're welcome," Hoseok whispers in his ear, before walking to the back of the class. Namjoon flips him off without even looking back. In that instant, Jimin leans towards him to ask him a question regarding their assignment. His subtle floral perfume makes Namjoon's senses explode, his entire body tingling as he leans towards Jimin. It's warm where Namjoon's fingers touch Jimin's.
Warm enough for Namjoon to ignore the nagging voice in the back of his head that wants him to turn back and high five Hoseok.
***
A week later, their relationship has progressed so much already, albeit with baby steps. Namjoon waves a shy hi whenever he sees Jimin in the corridor, blatantly ignoring Hoseok’s teasing kissy faces. They sometimes walk together on the way to their respective classes. Hoseok’s always there too, of course, walking on the other side of Namjoon and occasionally knocking his hip against Namjoon’s in an attempt to push him closer towards Jimin. Namjoon even grows the balls to go up and say hi to Jimin (and Hoseok by association) when he encounters them at Jackson’s bi-weekly frat parties. It’s a good excuse to watch Jimin dance after all, cheeks flushed and hair tousled. Hoseok dances too, of course, grinding against Jimin and rolling his hips all filthy. Yeah, he’s a menace.
Anyway, Namjoon’s finally friends with Jimin, a huge leap from where he stood just a few days ago. Things are looking pretty great for him so far. He smiles all dopey, blushing when Jimin gives him a funny look and Hoseok sticks his tongue out and makes dick sucking faces— absolutely ridiculous. Namjoon shakes his head, gathering his thoughts and returning to the real world. Their psych professor had to leave early so the three of them decided to grab a coffee. Namjoon notes that Hoseok likes his iced americano with four sachets of sugar; it's simultaneously alarming and endearing that the high sugar intake only heightens Hoseok's bubbly personality. He’s smiling the whole time, sipping on the americano like it’s water. Namjoon can’t help but smile himself, sipping on his own drink in an attempt to smother his fond chuckle.
But even though the mood is light and cosy and Hoseok and Namjoon are wearing the most relaxed smiles on their faces, someone else looks to be in a pretty low mood. Jimin’s smile doesn’t hold much lustre, his eyes downcast and his drink left untouched on the counter, condensation scattered on the surface.
"What's with the mopey face, Jiminie?" Ever the sensitive one, Hoseok flicks the discarded plastic wrapper of his straw straight at Jimin's face. Namjoon gives Hoseok a glowering look and opens his mouth to rebuke him, before Jimin cuts him short.
"It's really nothing, Hobi hyung," Jimin chuckles humourlessly, scratching the nape of his neck as he pretends like he's in good spirits. "I'm just feeling a bit worn out. I have three deadlines due this Friday and a thesis proposal to submit at the end of the month." Jimin makes a sound that's half laugh, half groan. "I need a fucking break. Why is college so hard?"
“Oh Jiminie,” Hoseok coos, reaching over to cover Jimin’s hand with his own, before he squeezes reassuringly. He shakes his head morosely before continuing, "if you think college is hard, wait until we graduate and find ourselves unemployed—"
"What Hoseok's trying to say is…" Namjoon shoves against Hoseok's shoulder, earning him a reciprocating stomp on his foot and a pouty glare that’s far way too cute at the moment. "Ow!” Namjoon whines, kicking Hoseok back but far too gently to hurt, before clearing his throat. “Pretty sure what Hoseok meant is that things will get better for you soon, Jimin." Namjoon pumps his fist awkwardly. "I bet you're gonna feel a mountain of relief come Friday and you're done with all that work."
"You're right, Joon hyung!" Jimin slaps his own cheeks, mustering up some determination. "I can do this!"
"Heck yeah!" Namjoon supplies, shaking his fist in the air. Hoseok snorts under his breath, but Namjoon resolutely ignores him. Jimin grabs his latte and commences slurping it with the brightest smile. When he's finished with his drink, he jumps up from his seat and picks up his backpack. "Alright then, I'm gonna head back to my dorm and start working on my paper."
"Break a leg, Jimin.” Hoseok flashes his thumbs and winks playfully. “For real though. So you can apply for medical leave."
"Shut up, Hoseok,” Namjoon mutters under his breath, before turning towards Jimin with a beaming smile. “Ignore him, Jimin. Good luck with your assignments. You can do this!"
“Gonna power through this shit!” Jimin laughs, throwing his back over his shoulder and waving goodbye. "You guys get along really well, huh? See ya, Hobari, Joon hyung."
And just like that, Jimin sprints away, leaving Namjoon and Hoseok on their own.
"What does he mean we get along well? All you do is bully me, Namjoonie," Hoseok mumbles, going back to sipping his coffee, Namjoon notices how he takes his time with his drink; maybe it’s because he’s finally realised how it's too sweet for mortal taste buds, but Namjoon doubts that. Hoseok's looking down at his lap, eyes glossed over, long lashes fluttering against his cheeks. There's a faint blush painting his tan skin and he looks soft and dainty and so fucking pretty.
"Wait a minute…" Namjoon's breath hitches. His face splits into a big wide shit eating grin, and he digs his elbow into Hoseok's side, earning a glare and a pitchy “fuck off” . Namjoon’s breath hitches as he finally squeaks out, "Are you embarrassed, Hobari ?"
"What the fuck?!" Hoseok splutters, coughing when he nearly chokes on his coffee. Feeling a little bad (but mostly wanting to continue teasing), Namjoon reaches over and pats Hoseok's back, chanting “there there” in a mocking tone. Hoseok makes a sharp strangled noise, punching Namjoon's chest in retaliation. "Stop that, asshole! I'll fucking rip your balls off."
"You know what?" Namjoon sighs, ignoring Hoseok's tantrum and shoving a tissue in his face. He almost starts to wipe at Hoseok's chin but Hoseok grabs the tissue from his hand. "You keep saying that. I'm starting to suspect you have a thing for my testicles—"
"Fucking hell!" Hoseok shoves at Namjoon's chest, cheeks crimson, his ears the same shade. He looks absolutely mortified now that Namjoon's turning the tables on him. "Shut up!" he hisses out, looking around side to side to check if anyone is listening in on their conversation. "You're such a dick, Joonie. I swear to God."
It's cute. Hoseok is cute when he's embarrassed.
"So it's my dick you have a thing for—"
"Fuck you for real, Kim Namjoon!"
"Well, if you're so adamant…" Namjoon bursts into laughter even as Hoseok groans audibly. “You’re so easy to rile up, Hoseok-ah.”
There are a dozen vulgar curses toppling out of Hoseok's mouth, one more offensive than the last. His face is flushed beet red, from his puffed cheeks to his ears to his neck, the blush disappearing into his shirt, and his voice is high pitched and spluttering. Namjoon can’t resist it anymore. He reaches over to pinch Hoseok’s cheeks, stretching them before Hoseok swats him away with a whine. He’s pouty, mouth curled all the way down into a cute triangular shape. This is a new side to Hoseok that Namjoon’s never unlocked before. Hoseok’s really fucking cute like this and Namjoon reaches over once again to boop his nose, yelping when Hoseok bites his finger, smiling smugly when Namjoon doubles over in pain.
Namjoon is too preoccupied with the sharp pain shooting up his fingers to give it much thought. But if he did— if he allowed himself to think about Hoseok, about the foreign warmth in his chest every time he glanced over at Hoseok's face— If Namjoon was just a little bit more self aware, maybe he would’ve been able to catch the infinitesimally small shift in their dynamic.
To Be Continued