Work Text:
Jeongguk’s house was virtually Yoongi’s second home at this point. He was always over, constantly making up the tiniest excuses to come back. Like that time that he said he was out of sugar, begging Jeongguk to give him some while the younger boy would debate that Yoongi could just go to the store. Or that time that Yoongi came over with a packed bag, waltzing in and flopping onto the leather couch and announcing that he was going to be staying for the weekend. Yet, Jeongguk didn’t mind really, finding it quite endearing actually -- and he wasn’t the only one.
Jeongguk didn’t live alone, he couldn’t possibly afford such a nice place while going to college at the same time. So he graciously begged his older brother, Seokjin, to let him stay at his place. It was a decent house as well, not too big nor too small. It was a little old and the central heating would quit working now and then, but it was a lovely house for two people -- plus the occasional Yoongi.
If you asked Seokjin how he felt having his little brother’s friend barging in all the time and practically living in their home, he would simply say he didn’t mind. Frankly, it was nice to have someone closer to his age around. Yoongi and Seokjin didn’t really interact the first few months of the other beginning to come over more often, but as the boy began joining them for dinner and regular shopping trips, beginning to help out around the house as well, it was inevitable that they grew closer.
Yoongi was quite the force to be reckoned with. He was the perfect mixture of sweet and respectful, but also bratty. Yet whenever someone was even mildly frustrated with him, he would turn all cute with big eyes and soft pouts, able to melt the coldest of hearts with an “I’m sorry, hyungie.” He was mischievous, but kept things interesting with his sarcastic humor and witty comebacks. It was nice to have someone so fascinating around the house.
They fell into an easy routine. Yoongi would come by in the morning if he didn’t stay the night before, often he and Seokjin would cook breakfast together while Jeongguk was still passed out. They would find themselves goofing off together in the kitchen with sleepy smiles and soft laughter as they cooked whatever they could manage to agree on. Once Jeongguk finally woke up they’d all eat together, chatting about whatever they could get out through stuffed cheeks.
Once breakfast was done, Jeongguk would have to leave for class, sadly bidding the other two adieu. Which then left Seokjin and Yoongi alone, both of them not having work until much later. Sometimes they’d go run errands together, or maybe they’d see a movie after taking a walk to the park.
It was nice, their time together was a lot more relaxed and laid back when it was just the two of them. Seokjin enjoyed spending time with Yoongi, loving the way Yoongi’s face would light up at the simplest things, or the way his gums would show when he smiled and laughed -- there were many, many things to love about Yoongi that Seokjin noticed over time. Yoongi was just lovable.
He wasn’t the only person that could attest to this. Jeongguk honestly considered Yoongi to be something more than just his best friend, especially when the older boy began spending more and more time with him. It was impossible to not fall for Yoongi. Maybe it was the way he always doted on Jeongguk or the way he was just unapologetically himself. Falling for Yoongi was as easy as breathing, but actually gaining the courage to tell him was another thing.
Sometimes he just wanted to yell it from the rooftops, announce his embarrassing crush on his best friend to the whole world. But other times, he wanted it to go away, to stop thinking about Yoongi so often, for his brain to stop presenting him with scenario after scenario of them being happy together. He couldn’t handle hoping and yearning for something he was uncertain of. The thought of pouring his heart and soul out and having Yoongi reject him, not to mention possibly losing him in the process, was unbearable. Jeongguk wasn’t going to take that chance.
Yet his window of opportunity to be with Yoongi was slowly closing without him realizing.
Yoongi hummed as he walked hand in hand with Seokjin. It was a slowly growing habit. The world was cold, Seokjin’s hand was warm and soft. He held a bag of groceries in his other hand, swinging it a little as they made their way back home. He had realized they were out of eggs and he had been planning to Bibimbap, and he flat out refused to make it without any eggs. So Seokjin happily tagged along for the trip, enjoying the calm way Yoongi went about things when they were together. Sure he had his moments where he enjoyed pushing buttons and being a brat, but Seokjin honestly found it endearing.
He was coming to realize that Yoongi was just endearing all the time. The way he would curl up for naps on the couch with his hands tucked between his thighs or the way he would talk with the cutest pout lingering on his lips. It wasn’t a shocker that Seokjin fell for the boy that clung to his shirt with pale hands and doll-like lips while calling him “Hyungie”, it was just shocking how hard he fell.
It was a comfortable mid-summer afternoon when Seokjin realized. He was busy doing the laundry when Yoongi shuffled in, his lean body engulfed in one of Seokjin’s old hoodies. The frayed sleeves slightly covered the smaller boy’s hands, only noticeable when he reached out to grab a shirt that Seokjin was about to fold.
“I’ll help.” Yoongi simply spoke before beginning to take care of the laundry alongside Seokjin, and for some reason, the domesticity of the situation hit Seokjin hard as he watched Yoongi simply fold the sleeves of the shirt with a concentrated pout.
He couldn’t help but think that his life wouldn’t be the same without Yoongi. If the boy decided to leave and never come back, would he be able to recover? Would he be able to lead a life without Yoongi? Logically, he could. But emotionally? He was unsure.
“Hyung, you know I’m not just gonna do it all for you.” Yoongi’s voice snapped Seokjin out of his thoughts, realizing he was just spacing out and not actually helping. He let out a small noise of apology before turning to grab another piece of clothing with flushed cheeks. It wasn’t the most normal response from Seokjin, usually deflecting with a witty comment, but he was definitely out of it right now, wanting to hide away and think about his realization.
It wasn’t like he could avoid Yoongi. The boy enjoyed being around other people when he could, even if it was just being in the same room while they did different things. So it was common to find Yoongi curled up on Seokjin’s bed with his laptop working on a project while Seokjin was at his desk playing a game on his computer, or Seokjin would lay around and play his switch while Yoongi clung to his side with a pout. He simply enjoyed the company of others, no matter how much he tried to deny it.
So, Seokjin had to learn to accept his crush. Accepting the way his heart would thud faster when the boy was near, stressing about it when they cuddled, worried about Yoongi finding out from simply feeling it. Or accepting the way he would do things simply because Yoongi asked. He was what the kids would call “whipped”.
But being in love with someone was quite euphoric, getting lost in the way his heart would skip a beat when Yoongi smiled, or getting excited at the prospect of going out on little dates with the younger boy -- though they were never officially dates. He could always pretend at least.
It wasn't long before the ever-observant Jeongguk caught on to his brother's new behavior, watching how he grew into a flustered mess around Yoongi. It was familiar, something he had experienced on his own as well. It hurt, but he should have seen it coming. He had waited all too long and someone else had taken a liking to Yoongi right under his nose.
Not to mention he could tell that Yoongi had taken somewhat of a liking to Seokjin as well, always looking up to the older boy with hearts in his eyes. Yoongi has never looked at him like that before -- like he was anything other than a friend.
“I know you like Yoongi-Hyung,” Jeongguk spoke up, watching the way his brother’s head practically snapped to look at him, his plush lips parted in a small gasp. It was just the two of them in the living room, the third part of their trio currently at work while they had the day off. Jeongguk decided that he would finally push Seokjin in the right direction, able to tell that the boy was holding back and hiding just like he did.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Cut the crap. I can tell and I just want you to know that I support you.”
Seokjin was taken back by Jeongguk’s words, his brows furrowing as he debated exactly what outcomes his next few sentences could be. Should he just fess up and admit that he had a hopeless crush on his little brother’s best friend or should he continue to play dumb?
“You do?”
He settled with something simple, easy, not ready to delve into the depth of his feelings just yet. Seokjin could feel a wave of anxiety wash over him as he awaited Jeongguk’s response with bated breath, his gaze focused on twiddling his thumbs.
“I do. I think you’d be good for him. He’s always so busy taking care of others that he forgets himself sometimes, yet you’re always there for him. He looks up to you -- both figuratively and literally.”
A bit of laughter filled the room for a brief moment.
“Hyung, he looks at you like you’ve hung every single star in the sky- like you're the reason the sun rises every morning. You can’t let that go, not with him.”
Seokjin could almost pick up a twinge of hurt and desperation in Jeongguk’s tone, opening his mouth to question exactly how the younger knew, yet he was quickly cut off once more.
“He likes you just as much as you like him, you need to stop being afraid and just go for it okay? Do it before you end up waiting too long, you never know what could happen. I believe in you, Hyung.”
And with that, the younger boy had gotten up, rubbed at his face for a moment before finally leaving the room. Seokjin sat there, trying to process the situation the best he could. Why did Jeongguk seem so passionate about the situation? How long has he known? Does Yoongi know? Was he waiting on Seokjin?
The clicking of the lock on the front door had Seokjin snapping to attention, his eyes focused on the entrance as he watched a familiar boy with a lithe frame drowning in fabric step inside the home with a soft yawn.
“Hi Yoongi-chi, welcome back.” Seokjin croaked out nervously, trying his best to act normal as the younger boy hung up his coat and dropped his bag off by the door. The timing of everything was definitely fucking with Seokjin, his mind still rushing with his brother’s words. He could definitely feel a nervous sweat collecting on the back of his neck and palms as Yoongi kicked off his shoes.
“Mm hello Hyung, how was your day?”
It was a normal conversation, typical for whenever one of them would come back after a long day. Which was weird considering that Yoongi still didn’t officially live with them but it had always seemed that way. He really might as well move in.
The thought of Yoongi living officially with Seokjin had the man’s brain going even more haywire, his ears beginning to burn as he did his best to focus on the situation at hand.
“It was fine I guess...Just did chores, ran some errands, and hung out with Jeongguk...you know...the usual. Uh- what about you?”
Yoongi raised an eyebrow at Seokjin’s weird manner of speech, his eyes narrowing a little, but he shrugged it off. Seokjin was an anomaly in every single way. Beautiful, but funny. A trickster with plush lips and a smile that could light up just about anyone's day. He could walk into a room and all eyes would almost immediately be on him, although Seokjin hated the extra attention. He got shy easily, especially when he was genuinely complimented, hiding his pretty face behind his hands while his ears grew cherry red. Seokjin was a beautiful anomaly.
“It was pretty good, but I’m kind of tired. Can we cuddle, or are you busy?” Yoongi responded through a yawn, sounding a little bit exaggerated just to make the point that he was in fact quite tired and cuddles were very necessary right now.
Cuddles were normal, just as much as being overly affectionate, but Seokjin was unsure if his poor heart could handle that at the moment. Yet, he could see that Yoongi wanted to be held just by the way he was lingering by the couch. How was he supposed to say no? That would be a sin.
So Seokjin happily opened his arms, a smile lingering on his lips as Yoongi practically rushed to climb onto the couch, flopping on top of Seokjin with a soft “oof”. He did his best to rearrange them so they could be comfortable, ending up with a snuggly Yoongi on top of him, nuzzling against his chest like a touch starved kitten. It was adorable really.
“Hyung, your heart is beating really fast.” Yoongi chuckled, moving to press his ear to Seokjin’s chest, only causing the other’s heart to beat faster. A cheeky grin worked its way onto his face as he lifted his head to look at the older boy. “Do I get your heart racing, hyungie?”
Seokjin could feel his soul leaving his body at Yoongi’s words, his resolve slowly breaking bit by bit. He was unsure what to say, floundering like a fish on land as Yoongi simply looked at him curiously, that playful smile still lingering on his lips.
“I like you.”
That wasn’t supposed to come out. Not at all. Seokjin could feel his whole body flare with embarrassment as shock washed over Yoongi’s face. Yet neither of them said anything for a moment, letting that confession linger in the air.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t me-”
“I like you too.” Yoongi interrupted the beginning of Seokjin’s guilty ramble, effectively shutting up the elder.
Seokjin blinked at Yoongi in disbelief, watching as a fond smile stretched across the other’s doll-like lips. “You do?”
“Yeah, a lot. Like a lot, a lot.” A bubble of adorable laughter left Yoongi’s lips and Seokjin couldn’t help but grow soft, his heart melting upon seeing the other’s cherubic cheeks grow pink. He tenderly lifted his hand to hold Yoongi’s cheek, his thumb brushing over a spot carefully.
“I like you a lot, a lot too.” With that, Seokjin softly pulled Yoongi closer until their lips touched, melting into one another beautifully. It was new and exciting, a shiver working its way up his body as Yoongi easily reciprocated, like he was just as eager for this as Seokjin was.
Seokjin wasn’t ever going to let go of this. Not now, not ever. Starting with asking Yoongi to move in officially.