Chapter Text
"Dear best friends, the day has finally come. I met my future husband."
Seokjin announces the moment he walks into the apartment, nearly slamming the door behind him.
On the couch, Jimin and Yoongi spring apart fast enough to make it painfully obvious what they were doing before he interrupted them. Their hair is messy, lips swollen and red, clothes wrinkled, and Jimin is still halfway sprawled across Yoongi's lap, both of them staring at Seokjin like deer caught in headlights.
"And how did that happen?" Jimin asks.
"It was very fast, I admit, but…" Seokjin presses a hand dramatically against his chest. "I think I'm in love."
He lets out a long sigh and instantly thinks of every romance novel he's ever read, every protagonist dramatically realizing they've met the one.
And now it's finally his turn.
Just thinking about him makes Seokjin's heart race and his ears burn.
It was supposed to be a quick trip to the bank, but Seokjin decided to walk around the neighborhood a little on the way back home. That's when he spotted the gym a few blocks from his apartment building.
Seokjin has never been the athletic type. Not because he was bad at sports, whenever he actually tried in school or college, he usually did pretty well. He just never cared about the lifestyle part of it.
Especially not gyms.
Seokjin has always firmly believed there are better ways to spend money than paying to suffer. Sweating for hours, being sore all the time, every muscle in your body begging for mercy? Absolutely not.
Would it probably improve his health? Sure.
Would that change his mind? Not at all.
He admires people who willingly leave their homes to experience that kind of torture, like Jimin, whose body honestly looks sculpted by the gods themselves, but Seokjin never understood the appeal.
At least, not until that afternoon.
Stopping in front of one of the many huge windows just to check how busy the place was, Seokjin didn't need more than two seconds to spot him.
Standing beside one of the machines was the most gorgeous man Seokjin had ever seen in his entire life, wearing tight black shorts that made his thighs look unfairly good. He seemed to be showing a woman how to do a squat with weights in his hands, but all Seokin could focus on was the thick thighs, the black shirt stretched across his back, the muscles in his arms that looked like they existed solely to ruin Seokjin's life. The smile. The soft eyes. The short dark hair.
Everything about him felt dangerous.
Seokjin stood there so long staring that a couple eventually walked around him with visible confusion on their faces, and only then did he realize he might have crossed the line from interested to deeply weird.
"Okay?" Yoongi asks cautiously.
"I'm serious!"
"I didn't say you weren't," Yoongi replies quietly.
"You think I don't know every expression you make after all these years, Min Yoongi?"
"Are you two about to start fighting again?" Jimin interrupts, glancing between them. "Because as entertaining as that is, I actually need to leave soon."
Yoongi immediately turns to pout at him, and Seokjin decides this is the perfect moment to stop acknowledging their existence entirely.
He heads into the kitchen to make himself a sandwich, and Charlotte is already there beside the cabinet where her food is kept, staring at him expectantly.
"Are you hungry, princess?" Seokjin coos.
He pours food into her bowl, but not before scooping her into his arms and covering her face in approximately three hundred kisses while she loudly protests the entire time.
"My baby."
"Already?" Yoongi whines from the living room, and Seokjin doesn't need to look to know he's pouting.
"I have to meet Taehyung," Jimin says in the same tone. "We need to figure out how we're starting our assignment."
Seokjin sighs, deciding that lovers are exhausting, and gets distracted adding more layers to his sandwich until it slowly becomes a structural hazard.
"Seokjin hyung?"
He looks up toward the front door where Jimin is putting on his shoes. "Hm?"
"You should show me where that new gym is later. I've been thinking about switching gyms anyway."
Seokjin shrugs. "Sure. You can help me get my future husband's number."
"Oh God," Yoongi mutters from the living room, throwing himself onto the couch and covering his face with a pillow.
Jimin looks at him like he's lost it. "I… yeah. Sure." He forces a smile and hurries out of the apartment.
"I think your boyfriend thinks I'm crazy."
"I'm sure he does." Yoongi leans back on the couch with a sarcastic grin, and Seokjin retaliates by tossing a dish towel at him.
Grabbing the monstrosity his sandwich turned into, Seokjin starts thinking about what to wear to impress the love of his life.
The next day, Jimin texts Seokjin to say he won't be able to join him at the gym. Seokjin feels a little disappointed; he liked the idea of having moral support, but it's fine. Nothing will stop him from signing up for one of the things he hates most just to win a man's heart. He's a man on a mission.
With forced enthusiasm, he pushes the door open, mentally programming himself to see it as a good thing instead of something to run away from.
A quick glance around tells him the gym is massive, filled with equipment he's never seen before and couldn't begin to guess the purpose of, unless it's for torturing people who drink too much soda on the weekends.
From across the room, he spots his future boyfriend in black shorts and a yellow shirt that clings to his body, unfortunately for Seokjin, making him look even more gorgeous.
Seokjin walks up to the front desk and notices several flyers offering tips on how to live a healthier lifestyle, all emphasizing the benefits of going to the gym and similar advice. Behind the counter, a young man sits with his back to him, focused on his computer. Seokjin stands awkwardly for nearly a minute before sniffing loudly to get his attention.
"Uh- hi."
Startled, the boy spins around with a friendly smile.
"Hello! Welcome to Gym Buddy! How can I help you?"
"I was wondering, hm… do you guys have personal trainers? Like- can I sign up for one?" He winces immediately. Is that the right way to say it? He instantly feels stupid for stuttering.
The boy's smile widens, reminding Seokjin of a happy puppy.
"Of course! Do you have someone in mind?"
How does he say the guy with the thick thighs, muscular back, and beautiful smile who's destined to be my husband without sounding insane?
"No, but…"
"Then, if you don't mind, I can be your personal trainer." His smile grows, and Seokjin hates that he has to say no, but he's on a mission and can't let himself get distracted by a cute smile. "My schedule's open, so just let me know what time works for you."
He speaks with such kindness, and Seokjin nervously bites his lip. He's terrible at saying no to people, and the warmth in this man's eyes and smile only makes it worse.
"Um, actually- oh God, this is embarrassing, but…" He takes a deep breath, ears burning, palms sweating. "Could it be… him?"
Seokjin discreetly points at his boyfriend, who's chatting with a woman on the treadmill. The man smiles again, and Seokjin's knees nearly buckle.
"Oh, Kim Namjoon?" he asks, and Seokjin has to summon every ounce of acting skill he learned at fourteen not to scream. He's a Kim. Namjoon is a Kim. They're Kims, literally destined for each other!
"Yes," Seokjin answers breathlessly.
"Do you know him?" The boy squints, and Seokjin panics.
"Uh, no?"
Does he have to know the guy to train with him?
"Okay then, of course you can." The boy smiles sympathetically. "Let me just check his schedule."
"Okay." Seokjin beams. Everything is on track. If all goes well, Kim Namjoon will finally know Kim Seokjin exists, and stage one of his mission will be complete.
"Oh…" The boy's sad tone shatters Seokjin's dream like a plate smashing into pieces. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid that won't be possible."
Seokjin grips the counter to keep from collapsing. "What? Why?"
"His schedule's already full. He can't take on new clients."
"Oh…"
Can you hear it? The echo of a beautiful dream falling to pieces?
"Does it have to be just him? We have other trainers who can assist you." The boy tries to offer a solution, hoping not to lose a customer.
"Well..." What does Seokjin have to lose? He and Kim Namjoon will still be in the same place, and nothing will stop him from trying to get closer. "Then... can it be you?"
"Sure!" He smiles brightly, and Seokjin finds himself mirroring the same smile. "What's your name?"
"Kim Seokjin."
"I'm Jeon Jungkook, nice to meet you." This time, his nose wrinkles as he smiles, and Seokjin can't deny he's kind of cute. "I'll just sign you in and get some information, okay?"
Seokjin nods and answers everything Jungkook asks, from his personal details to the payment method and how many days he'll train. He chooses three days a week; he might be in love, but not enough to show up every day.
After Jungkook runs some tests and an evaluation in another room to set up a specific workout plan, Seokjin leaves with his new trainer's number (not his boyfriend's, yet), an appointment, and the determination that tomorrow will mark the next milestone in his mission.