bts-bringthescenarios

[bts-bringthescenarios]

Genre: fluff, hints of angst, hints of crack. Pairing: [romantic] female reader + bts!maknae line Contents & Warnings: multiple career!reader, physical contact, swear words, mention of mental health issues.

*** Park Jimin

It had all started with BTS’ increasing concern over Jimin. He seemed to be getting more and more anxious with time. He was such a perfectionist he couldn’t do anything without feeling an intense sense of responsibility: he practiced all the time, he was constantly dieting, he recorded everything countless times until he felt it was close to perfect. If he didn’t achieve the results he strived for, he would become stressed and testy. 

One night, Jimin stayed at the BigHit dance practice rooms until very late, going over the same choreography until he felt he had mastered it completely. The trouble was the whole band had spent the entire day practicing, and they were worried Jimin might injure himself if he kept pushing himself so far. So this time they decided to ambush him. 

“Okay, music out. This has to stop,” Jin barged in. 

“What are you doing? I’m still not confident with the final step sequence!” Jimin protested weakly. Still, he sat down on the ground. He was drenched in sweat and his hands were shaking slightly. 

“Then you’ll have to live with the uncertainty,” Hoseok said as he kneeled over Jimin, handing him a bottle of sport beverage. 

“You need to rest. Right now,” Taehyung commanded as he sat next to Jimin, eyeing him full of concern. 

Jimin downed the bottle, realizing he hadn’t had supper yet, and his lunch had consisted of an apple. He tried to persuade himself that it was best for him to keep practicing, but maybe his brothers were right. He needed to stop. 

The next morning they all gathered together with their manager to talk to Jimin about not overexerting himself, and they unanimously decided that he needed to find a new occupation beside the idol life, some way to blow off steam and distract him. They wanted to make sure that his new hobby was laid back, messy and improvisational, so that Jimin could not redirect his perfectionism toward a new activity and he could focus on simply doing whatever he felt like. 

That was how BigHit enrolled Jimin in a Clay Sculpting workshop. Horrified, he tried to persuade them to transfer him to any other kind of class: cooking, bartending, painting, expressionist dancing, anything, but BTS and BigHit knew him well, and they knew that anything that meant creating a product or involved dancing would only make things worse. So he began attending the classes, twice a week for two hours. He was not allowed to bring any unfinished projects home, and he had to submit his work every week. This forced him to just turn in whatever he had, regardless of his expectations. 

That was how he had met you. 

“Okay, (Y/N). Could you please tell us about your piece?” the teacher asked kindly, holding up a bulbous shape so that the rest of the class could see it. 

“Well, it was supposed to be a carriage, but looking at it now I’m tempted to just think of it as ‘abstract art’” you scoffed. “I guess I’ll have to name it something pretentious or whatever.”

Everyone laughed, and Jimin felt much more at ease at the fact that the frog that he had been working on looked like a deformed hut with eyes. 

At the end of the class, Jimin stepped out of the men’s room, ready to leave, when he overheard a conversation happening in the next room. 

“Ugh, I wish they’d let us bring our phones in! No one’s going to believe me,” someone complained. 

“No phones allowed, that’s true, but there are no rules over bringing a picture and asking him to sign it. I bet I could sell it for big bucks,” another voice added.

Jimin exhaled silently, deciding to remain hidden until everyone else was gone. He hoped they’d leave soon, Jungkook was picking him up and he was probably waiting in the parking lot already. 

“Oh! Let’s ask him next week, (Y/N)!”

“No.” Your voice, firm and clear, resonated in the quiet room, pulling Jimin out of his thoughts. He pressed his ear to the door. “Look, you can do whatever you want, but I’m not going to be a part of this.” 

“A part of what?” a man inquired. 

“Can you imagine what it must be like?” you countered calmly. “Can you imagine being unable to join a friggin’ clay sculpture class without people harassing you all the time?”

“It’s just an autograph, (Y/N). Jeez,” the same man jeered.

“Yeah, I bet everyone thinks that. And then everyone demands one. All day. Every day.” 

A low murmur broke after your words, and Jimin couldn’t hear anything else. Just in case he walked back into the men’s room and remained there until he was positive the classroom was empty. 

During the weekend, Jimin found himself thinking about you frequently. He appreciated you standing up for him with that group of people, since he knew it couldn’t have been easy to just go ahead and confront the majority. Besides, there was something very genuine about you, like the way you had mocked your own sculpture. Even the way you spoke felt honest and upfront. He wondered if there’d be a way to talk to you during class. 

As it turned out, one of your friends was on vacation and there was a free spot on your table when Jimin walked in. That wasn’t the only good news. It seemed that your words had an impact on the rest of the group, because no one walked to him requesting an autograph or a picture. 

Jimin sat next to you slowly, attempting to play it cool, like he’d chosen that seat because whatever. The way his eyes looked away from you bashfully contradicted that notion.

“Hi,” you greeted him smilingly as you put on your apron. 

“Hi,” he replied softly. You didn’t want to make him uncomfortable by being overbearing, so you began preparing the materials in silence. Jimin watched you awkwardly for a second, then he began preparing his things too. He tried to make conversation. “Um… any idea what you’re going to do today?” 

“Well, I’ll try to do a lotus flower, ‘try’ being the operative word.” 

“I think your carriage last week was pretty good,” Jimin chortled. 

“Oh, it’s not a carriage anymore. I’m calling it ‘The Burden of Constantly Failing Clay Class’. It’s an abstract piece,” you joked, and Jimin burst into quiet laughter. 

Jimin had a lot of fun with you during the entire class, and he soon discovered that when he didn’t take himself so seriously he actually enjoyed himself immensely. He played with the clay, experiencing the feeling of its texture under his fingers, and shaped up a bird with its wings wide open. Your lotus flower was looking pretty good too, and Jimin suggested you combine the two sculptures after painting them next class. 

You walked into the classroom overly excited the next class, and so did Jimin. He had been looking forward to this all week. You worked together again, goofing around with the brushes and joking constantly. When you turned in your final project, the colors were bright and tacky, and it looked quite kitsch. It wasn’t even close to being perfect, but that somehow made you both feel better.

“Why are you taking this class, (Y/N)?” Jimin inquired as you both waited for the rest of your classmates to finish their work. 

“Well… I was struggling with negative thoughts, and I needed something to force me to focus on actually doing something regardless of the outcome,” you explained. You didn’t mean to overshare with him, but he looked genuinely interested in knowing and it just slipped out. Besides, you thought, being an idol meant everyone knew so much about him already, it was only fair to give him some personal information about yourself. 

“Really? So did I!” he exclaimed impulsively, then looked away, abashed. You smiled at him encouragingly, and he continued. “I was actually working myself too hard, and my brothers decided it was time for me to find a hobby.” 

Both of you kept talking until the class was over, and then continued your conversation while Jimin waited for Jungkook to pick him up in the car. 

The conversations and joint projects quickly became a routine. This caused a lot of gossip at first, but it died out as time passed and your relationship didn’t change. In truth, you both liked each other quite a lot, but were reticent of asking each other out for different reasons. You didn’t know whether Jimin could date or not, and you were scared you’d make him uncomfortable by asking him out. 

Jimin, on the other hand, was simply too shy to do it. Of course, he thought about it quite a lot, and he had formed plans to do it a hundred times, at least. He’d fantasized and daydreamed about it countless hours, perfecting it, but when the time came to act upon it, he systematically chickened out: he walked into the workshop determined to ask for your phone number, but as soon as the class was over he walked away empty handed.

His brothers began to lose patience. 

“For fuck’s sake, Jimin, just go and ask her for her phone number after class. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. Tell her you want to send her memes or something,” Yoongi complained. 

“If you don’t do it yourself I’ll do it for you,” Jeongguk teased. 

“Okay, okay! I’ll do it tomorrow,” Jimin whined, trying to end the conversation.

“You make sure he does that, Jeongguk,” Yoongi added maliciously. 

Jimin eyed them suspiciously. Maybe Jeongguk really meant what he said. He would have to act on this soon if he wanted to avoid a catastrophe. 

Needless to say, Jimin was fidgety during the entire class, paying little attention to his clay project. It was supposed to be a mug, but he didn’t even shape it properly and it looked like some sort of tower. As the end of the class grew impendingly close, his palms began to sweat. 

“I can’t believe I even got the handle right,” you boasted, showing your mug to Jimin as you put your projects away to dry so that they could be painted next class. “I mean, if I keep this up you’ll be keeping my best work yet.” 

Jimin looked up in alarm, and realization dawned on him. You had promised to give each other the finished mugs last class, but he’d been so caught up with asking you for your number he completely forgot. He looked down at his mug, beginning to despair. He wasn’t sure the thing could even hold any liquid inside it. 

As your classmates slowly filed out of the class, Jimin said goodbye quickly, excusing himself by going to the toilet. You felt uneasy. He’d acted weird today. He’d barely talked, his mug looked like a pepper mill and he stumbled over words the whole time. Was something wrong? Should you stay and ask him? You decided it was best to leave, perhaps he needed time alone. 

Feeling a little down, you walked out of the building and a chilly breeze tousled your hair, making you shiver. You remembered you left your scarf in the classroom, so you went back to get it. When you opened the door you found Jimin alone, placing his clay mug inside a cardboard box. His eyes darted up and he froze, turning crimson. 

“Hey,” you said quietly. “Er… what are you doing?”

Jimin straightened up, eyeing the box guiltily. 

“Nothing. I mean, I was just packing the mug.” 

“Why are you packing it?” you questioned dubiously. Then you noticed his backpack was open, and he’d made enough space to stuff the cardboard box inside it. “Wait. Were you going to take the mug home?”

“It just needs a few touch ups!” Jimin admitted, biting his lip as you stared at him. 

“Jimin, you’re supposed to let it go if it’s not perfect, remember?” you protested, your voice soft and understanding. “Are you having anxious thoughts again?”

“No, not at all. That’s not it.” 

“Then why are you so worried about it?”

“Because I forgot we were going to swap mugs!” he confessed. “My mind was elsewhere and I completely forgot, like an idiot. I want you to have something nice. I don’t want you keeping this— this—” he trailed off, glaring at the box. 

You were so touched by his words it took you a few seconds to react. 

You walked around the table to stand next to him and placed your hands over his shoulders, softly holding him in place as you fixed your eyes on his. 

“Jimin, I want you to understand something. I don’t care if the mug’s pretty or artsy or whatever. You know what I care about? The fact that you took the time and trouble to make it for me. That’s it. I’ve been watching you work on that mug, and I already love it. So put it back to dry, or so help me.”

You had meant for the playful threat to make him laugh, but instead Jimin remained still, his eyes burning with emotion. Of course you would have the perfect answer. Of course you would made him feel exactly right. As he pondered this, he discovered this was his chance to take the leap, and he was sure that he wanted to take it. 

Carefully evaluating your reaction, Jimin hesitantly lifted his hands to your back and pulled you just a fraction closer. The movement was enough for you to understand what he was trying to do. Your heart thumped loudly in your ears. You slid your hands up his neck gently, grazing your fingertips over his hair. 

As he held you in his arms, Jimin’s shyness faded away. He wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled your bodies closer together, so close you could taste his breath on your tongue. It lured you in, and for the briefest moment you touched his lips with yours. 

The sound of the elevator doors opening, followed by a series of footsteps in the hallway, had you pulling away from each other hastily. You had just enough time to collect yourselves before Jeongguk strolled in through the door. 

“Hey, what’s taking you so long? Class was over like fifteen minutes ago—” he stopped, his eyes darting from you to Jimin’s unmoving figures. 

“Oh,” he whispered as he understood what was going on. “You must be (Y/N).” 

Knowing that Jimin had talked to Jeongguk about you made your heart flutter. It had the opposite effect on Jimin, though. 

“We were just talking right now. Could you please wait for me in the car?” he snapped, indignation winning over the embarrassment. 

 “Okay,” Jeongguk replied and made to leave. Then he stopped in his tracks and turned around, a bit flustered. “I’m sorry, but I promised Yoongi-hyung I would check...” 

Jimin’s stomach dropped. Oh, no he wouldn’t. His eyes narrowed dangerously at his brother, unspoken threats festering behind them. Jeongguk seemed to reconsider for a second, but then he squared his shoulders and stared at you. 

“(Y/N), Jimin’s supposed to ask you for your phone number. You know, to send you memes and stuff.” 

Jimin learned there and then that it was not possible to die of shame, because if it were he would have dropped dead at that precise moment. He turned to look at your expression to measure the damage Jeongguk had done. For what felt like an eternity you appeared to be confused, your face scrunched up in concentration. Then, to his immense relief, the corners of your mouth quirked up into a wide grin.

“He was just getting to that before you walked in,” you affirmed happily, having realized that he had been so nervous during class because he’d been meaning to ask you out. 

“Oh. Okay. I’ll leave you to it, then,” Jeongguk mumbled, then turned around and walked out. 

None of you spoke until the elevator shut its doors with Jeongguk inside it. 

“So, would you like to take down my number?” you asked innocently, trying to break the ice. 

“I am… so sorry. I don’t even know how to begin to make up for what just happened. Memes...” he whispered to himself as he looked away, overcome with indignation. 

You beamed at him, trying not to laugh at his expression. When he gazed at you again, it knocked the air out of him. You were glowing: your eyes, your skin, your lips, everything seemed to have become even more beautiful. 

Jimin understood then that his chagrin was silly, because your feelings mirrored his own. He grinned at you and held your hands in his. 

“I could begin to make amends tomorrow night. Can I buy you dinner?” he asked, turning a light shade of pink. 

“Please,” you answered, and leaned in to kiss his cheek. 

***

Kim Taehyung

The other members didn’t mind it as much when someone from the BigHit team took their pets to the vet because it was unavoidable, but not Taehyung. Sometimes it couldn’t be helped, but he did the best he could to always be there for Yeontan when he needed his routine vaccinations or when he was ill. He would fuss and get stressed about it all the time, distrusting the vets, until another idol shared with him the number of her favorite vet in the city, who happened to have a home health service. 

That was how he had met you. Taehyung was immediately smitten with you since the first time you stepped on the dorm and all the members’ pets greeted you affectionately as if they’d known you forever. Even Yeontan was happily rubbing itself against your shins in demand of your attention before you had removed your coat. Oh yes, Taehyung had crushed on you instantly, and it wasn’t only because he found you very attractive, but also that you were humble, kind and easygoing. You greeted the boys warmly and set to work immediately, listening to all of their questions and lovingly stroking their pets as you checked them up. And what was even better, you treated them as normal people. 

When it was Yeontan’s turn to have his medical examination Taehyung lingered protectively around him, but he soon realized it was unnecessary: his pup was so comfortable with you he needn’t be worried. So instead he decided to watch you work, paying close attention to the way you frowned when you were listening to Tan’s heart through the stethoscope, or the graceful movements of your fingers as you checked inside his ears. You were so concentrated on Yeontan’s examination that you didn’t notice Taehyung gawking at you admiringly, nor how his mouth was hanging open during the entire check up. 

After suggesting to swap the food brand to make Yeontan gain a bit of weight and arranging to come in a few weeks for his routine vaccination, you asked Taehyung if he had any questions, still holding his pet in your arms as he licked your hand affectionately. 

“Is there a place where I can come see you?” he inquired dreamily, and taking into account your bewildered expression, he added, “you know, if I have any questions or if there’s an emergency.”

“Sure, you can come over to the clinic or just call me at any time,” you beamed at him as you handed him a business card with your address. 

Immediately after you left, Taehyung secured your card carefully in his wallet and made sure to write down your address in his phone as well. During the next week he tried to restrain himself from getting in touch with you, but he couldn’t help daydreaming about asking you out. He tried to content himself by looking forward to your next visit, but the more time passed, the harder it became for him to ignore the little card tucked in his wallet. 

Unable to resist any longer, Taehyung texted you pretending to have forgotten the brand of dog food you’d recommended. You wound up chatting for a while, where he sent you pictures of Yeontan and, of course, a really cute selfie with a wide, boxy smile and his pup in his arms. Then the following day he dropped by your veterinary clinic to purchase the dog food, and he later sent you a video of Yeontan eating his meal happily. Five days later he swung by again, explaining that someone had mysteriously thrown away Yeontan’s food so he needed to buy some more. 

During this whole time you had tried very hard to maintain a professional relationship. Honestly, you really tried. But how was it possible to keep a polite distance when he was so sweet and attentive? You tried to be strong and remain emotionally detached since the idea of getting romantically involved with a worldwide famous idol was scary to say the least, and besides, he surely met a lot of interesting women all the time in his industry. You thought he might get bored of talking to you, or he would eventually be too busy to keep it up. 

Well, that didn’t happen, not even when he left on a tour for two weeks. He texted you regularly, and despite beginning your daily conversations with a pretext, like Yeontan shivering while he slept or not being hungry, every single time he found a way to keep talking to you about something else, bombarding you with questions about your personal life and telling you funny stories of his daily routine being an idol. Eventually, Taehyung gathered up enough courage to ask you if you were dating someone. When you read that text, your hands were shaking with so much excitement that you nearly dropped your phone. That was the moment you finally accepted that you had utterly and completely messed up your plan to remain emotionally detached. 

Needless to say that when the time came for you to go back to the dorms and vaccinate Yeontan, both of you were giddy and excited. Taehyung was head over heels for you, and he promised himself he would ask you out today. He woke up extra early to shower, fix his hair and carefully select his outfit. He spent an entire thirty minutes deciding what perfume to wear, trying them all on the other members, and the last hour before your arrival he brushed his teeth three times. 

“So at what time is the hot vet coming?” Jeongguk inquired, a bit concerned after watching Taehyung rinse his mouth yet again. 

“Please don’t call her that. It only makes me more nervous to remember how beautiful she is,” Taehyung muttered, anxiously checking his phone again. 

“Take it easy, Taehyungie,” Jimin said as he patted his back soothingly. “You’ve been texting all the time for weeks now. I’m sure she’ll accept to go on a date with you.” 

When you finally rang the bell, Taehyung stood in front of the door for a second and took a deep breath to collect himself, energetically flattening his shirt with his hands to remove any wrinkles. And when he opened the door, you looked so pretty you knocked the air out of him and he forgot all the things he planned to say to play it cool. 

“(Y/N)! You look— I mean, I’m happy to see you again. Hi,” he said, picking up Yeontan from the ground and bringing him close to you so you could pet him. 

You were breathless, too. You noticed how handsome Taehyung looked, and for a second it seemed surreal to you that this man had been flirting with you this whole time. Were you absolutely sure he liked you? Maybe you had read too much into your relationship. You had refrained from asking your friends’ advice in the matter because you didn’t want to expose him, but now that you were insecure about his feelings you felt like you should have asked your best friend about her opinion, even if you didn’t tell her who it was you were texting with. 

As he closed the door, Taehyung debated with himself whether he should help you remove your coat or not, but before he knew it you were already placing it on the hanger. He scolded himself for being inattentive and decided to compensate by offering you something to drink, only to realize he had forgotten to boil water for tea. 

Luckily, Jimin walked in at that very moment and greeted you warmly, after which he said he had prepared some infusions and invited you to the living room. As you walked through the door with your back to both of them, Jimin gave Taehyung two thumbs up, silently mouthing ‘I got you covered’. 

The three of you sat down for a few minutes drinking tea and making small talk while Yeontan perched himself comfortably on your lap, after which Jimin excused himself and left Taehyung and you alone. For a second you were afraid you’d be too nervous to talk, but then you noticed Taehyung smiling affectionately at Tan, who had fallen asleep on top of you. Just by looking at him you felt a fuzzy warmth radiating inside you and spreading all over your body. 

“I’m glad he likes you so much,” he whispered, his eyes now on yours. 

“It definitely makes things easier for my job,” you replied, grinning as you softly rubbed behind Tan’s ears. 

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Taehyung interrupted, after which he got up and sat beside you, careful not to wake Yeontan. He thought for a moment, wondering why it was so relaxing for him to know Yeontan approved of you so completely. Perhaps it was because Tan was family, and Taehyung wanted him to like you because he liked you. He stretched his hand to stroke the sleeping pup, wondering how to correctly translate these feelings into words, when his fingers accidentally brushed against you. 

Taehyung’s hand froze in midair, hovering over your skin as he waited for you to react. Without a word, you lifted your arm slightly, and a small smile spread across Taehyung’s face as you pressed your arm to his palm. Encouraged by your advance, he wrapped his hand gently around your arm and let it slide softly up and down, simply enjoying the feeling until he entwined his fingers with yours. Then his other hand delicately lifted your chin as his thumb caressed your cheek. When you looked up, his face was so close to yours his breath ghosted across your lips. 

Taehyung fixed his eyes on yours, wordlessly asking for your permission. You closed your eyes and leaned in.

Yeontan abruptly jumped out of your lap and ran to meet Min Holly at the door. Right behind them Yoongi was silently but frantically gesturing for his own dog to follow him, having realized he was interrupting you in a rather... intimate moment. Yet when he noticed Yeontan had joined Holly, he looked up apologetically and awkwardly waved his hand at you. 

“Hi, doc,” he said, bending down to pick up Holly and Yeontan in his arms. “Sorry for the interruption. Let me just—”

Taehyung shut his eyes tightly, grinding his teeth together. You leaned away from him, fixing a stray lock of hair behind your ear to compose yourself. It was hopeless, though, since you were blushing furiously. 

“Hi, Min Yoongi. Is everything okay? I can examine Min Holly later,” you said, attempting to dissipate the awkwardness. 

“Maybe some other time,” he replied, giving Taehyung a meaningful look, and he shut the door behind him. 

You gazed back at Taehyung, who looked absolutely demoralized. However, you took it as a good sign that your fingers were still interlinked, and decided to place your free hand over his. 

“Are you alright, Taehyung?” you asked soothingly. 

Even though he was brutally disappointed by how your first kiss had turned out, the way his name sounded in your voice made him feel immediately better. He realized you must have been dissatisfied by this whole ordeal too. Taehyung decided to make the best out of the situation and actually continue with the plan he had originally outlined, where he asked you out first and kissed you second. 

Taking a deep breath, Taehyung fixed you with a serious, intense expression. When he saw your encouraging smile and felt the warmth of your hands wrapping his, the words effortlessly slipped out of his mouth. 

“(Y/N), I really like you. Would you go out on a date with me?”

You beamed at him and nodded, nudging his hand. 

“Great,” he grinned. He stood up and pulled you up with him, biting his lips as he drank in your excited smile, then he raised an eyebrow. “Are you free right now?”

Yeontan’s vaccination could wait another week.

***

Jeon Jeongguk

“(Y/N)! I’ll cover you!” Jeongguk yelled, his headset lopsided, as he hammered his fingers against the joysticks. Despite your efforts, you were losing miserably in this game of Overwatch. When you were finally brought down by your enemies, Jeongguk exhaled loudly and slumped against the back of the couch, dropping the Switch beside him. He could hear your sigh echoing from the headset. 

“I’m sorry, (Y/N). I didn’t see Hanzo on time, I was distracted,” he apologized angrily. 

“Don’t be silly, if I had better aim we wouldn’t have lost,” you answered back in your own house as you opened a bag of chips and began munching them down in frustration. 

“What are you eating?” 

“Barbeque chips,” you said in a muffled voice. 

“I wish you were here,” he groaned unhappily. 

“You’re only saying that because you didn’t think of getting your own chips,” you countered. 

“No, I mean it,” he laughed, his good mood disappearing once he noticed it was getting late. “I have to go. I’ll be back home on Saturday. Will you drop by the dorms for supper?”

“Of course,” you chimed, thrilled to know you’d see Jeongguk soon. “I get out of work at seven, I’ll go after that.”

“I’ll get you something tasty.” 

The tour had lasted forever, and even though you’d joined Jeongguk in Europe for two weeks during your vacation, it still felt like the longest time ever. As best friends since childhood you had always been supportive of each other: you knew exactly how to make Jeongguk laugh, and he knew exactly how to make you feel better. Jeongguk was convinced that he wouldn’t be the man he was if it weren’t for you, which was why he was so intent on protecting your friendship at all costs from anything that might jeopardize it, even his own feelings. 

This task, however, was becoming increasingly difficult to accomplish. During your visit to Europe he’d been this close to ruining everything by kissing you several times. He found it particularly hard to control himself when he saw you waiting for him backstage with your arms open after a show, or when you confided in him with tears in your eyes how much you were struggling with your exams. He wanted to be with you so much it almost overwhelmed the terror he felt about losing you. 

You, on the other hand, were not doing much better. You tried seeing other people, but it never lasted longer than a date or two. At first you thought you weren’t in the mood for a relationship, but you eventually discovered that you were constantly comparing your dates to the time you spent with Jeongguk: ‘I’d rather be playing something with Jeongguk’, or ‘Jeongguk would love this place’, or ‘I can’t wait to tell this joke to Jeongguk’. Your friends, tired of hearing you talk about him all the time, already knew what was going on before you reluctantly accepted that you were in love with him. After all, it didn’t take a genius to put two and two together. 

You had travelled to Europe with the purpose of confessing your feelings to him, but when the time came you chickened out. Besides, Jeongguk was always so tired and busy you didn’t have the heart to bring it up. 

On Saturday afternoon, Namjoon walked into Jeongguk’s room and sat on the bed as the maknae unpacked his bags hastily. 

“We only just got home. Why don’t you unpack tomorrow?” Namjoon inquired, stifling a yawn with the back of his hand. 

“(Y/N) is coming over and I want everything to look normal.”

“Oh right, I forget (Y/N) freaks out when confronted with packed luggage,” Namjoon replied sarcastically. 

“I’m not doing it because it would upset her,” Jeongguk answered testily, “I just want her to see that my room is tidy and I have my life together.” 

“I’m sorry, Jeongguk, but I’m not following,” Namjoon insisted innocently. In reality, he knew full well about Jeongguk’s feelings for you. He had tried to broach the topic several times, but Jeongguk had shut himself in like a clam everytime. Namjoon knew Jeongguk was being stupidly stubborn about this, so he hadn’t given up on the subject. 

Jeongguk didn’t answer at first. He just kept putting the dirty laundry in the hamper and folding his clean clothes back in the closet. When he was done, he suddenly felt helpless. He sat on the bed next to his hyung and hung his head in his hands. 

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” he mumbled. 

“I know what you’re doing,” Namjoon explained, patting his brother’s back softly, “you’re evading yourself.” 

“Hyung, she is the most important person in the world to me,” Jeongguk mumbled, twisting his fingers in his hair. “What if I fuck it up?”

“That’s a possibility,” Namjoon conceded, “But what if you don’t?”

Jeongguk pondered for a while, allowing the fantasies he’d been constantly repressing to overwhelm him. He saw you smiling as you walked holding hands. He saw you kissing him, your arms wrapped around him. He saw himself pulling your top off, his lips tracing the curve of your neck…

“Listen, you don’t have to figure it out tonight,” Namjoon hinted, interrupting Jeongguk’s reverie, “but I think you should give yourself a chance. She won’t toss you away if she doesn’t reciprocate your feelings, and if she does feel the same way…” 

“Thanks, hyung,” he cut him short, and smiled apologetically at Namjoon. He was grateful for his advice, but he wanted some time on his own to reflect. Namjoon knew when Jeongguk had enough, so he let it rest. 

“I need to think about this. I’ll go have a shower,” Jeongguk stated as he got up purposefully.

In preparation for the night, Jeongguk had placed an order for Chinese takeout and shuffled around the house, tidying up and all in all getting into the other member’s nerves. He was trying really hard not to anticipate the possibility of confessing his feelings, so he kept himself busy until the bell rang. 

The moment Jeongguk opened the door, you pounced at him and hugged him so tightly you were afraid his ribs would crack. Jeongguk lifted you from the ground and spun you around, laughing loudly and forgetting all about his anxieties. You walked together to his room, chatting excitedly and bumping into each other like drunks, just for the pleasure of being close enough to actually touch each other. No more depending on texting and video calls, at least for a while. 

“I’m warning you: I have a lot to tell you about college drama, so you better be ready to stay up all night,” you exclaimed as you sat on top of his bed with your legs crossed. He shut the door and sat opposite to you, grinning widely. 

“Are you kidding me? You better be ready for all the stuff I have to tell you about the tour. If I catch you dozing off I won’t be forgiving.” 

For a long time you both chatted excitedly, and as the exhilaration gradually wore off the conversation became deeper, more emotional. You talked about family issues, about feelings of inadequacy in social situations and about stress from working and studying, until the conversation eventually drifted to a more sensitive topic for your relationship.

“So…” Jeongguk began, unable to resist the morbid curiosity he felt. “Have you been dating anyone?”

Your cheeks flared up and you looked down, suddenly very focused on pulling a loose thread from the bed cover. Jeongguk held his breath.

“No,” you admitted. Jeongguk exhaled in relief. “And you?”

“Nope.” 

“Why not?” you demanded, looking up again. “I bet you meet a lot of interesting people all the time.”

“I do meet a lot of interesting people. I just don’t want to date them,” he answered defensively. 

Why did he have to make things more difficult for you? Maybe if he was dating someone you’d be able to move on. Then again, maybe not. 

“I don’t get you, Jeongguk,” you protested, your cooped up fears and frustration bubbling to the surface. “You have the chance to go on dates with so many cool people, but you decide not to?”

“And what about you?” he fired back. “What about your classmates in college?” 

“What about them?” you challenged. 

“I bet they’re so smart, you could have intellectual debates or whatever—” he began, too aggravated to restrain himself. 

“What on Earth are you talking about?” you hissed, feeling increasingly incensed.

“I know some of them have asked you out!” 

“So?”

“Well, don’t they count as interesting people to date?” 

“I don’t want to date them!” 

“Why the hell not?!” 

“Because I’m in love with you, you idiot!” you snapped, out of control. 

Jeongguk’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open. You panted for a few seconds, your anger sizzling until a feeling of ice cold mortification took over you. 

Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no. What had you done? 

“You’re in love with me?” Jeongguk whispered.

“I— I just...” you babbled, panicking. You weren’t ready for this discussion. You weren’t planning on this. “I’m sorry, Jeongguk, I can’t right now, I— I think I need to leave.” 

You jumped up and pulled the door open, but Jeongguk caught your hand and turned you around before you could walk out. 

“Don’t go,” he begged. You tried to look away, but he cupped your face in his hands. He held you so softly, so caringly that you looked back into his eyes despite your chagrin. And when you read the expression on his face, you stopped resisting.

Jeongguk’s eyes bore into yours, his lips parted, and it felt like you were looking at each other for the first time in your lives. His thumb grazed against your cheekbone, and you both remained still and quiet for what felt like an eternity. You raised your hand and caressed his temple, sinking your fingers in his hair. Jeongguk closed his eyes for a second, enjoying the feeling of your touch. Then he huddled closer to you and lifted your chin, lowering his head slowly to yours so that your lips were level. 

You didn’t hear the footsteps on the carpet. Jimin turned around the corner of the corridor, carrying a bag of Chinese takeout in his arms. Jeongguk and you were wound tightly in an embrace, your faces so close to each other that Jimin knew this was no friendly hug.

As soon as he realized what was going on Jimin tried to walk away quietly before you noticed him. However, as he attempted to tiptoe backward the paper bag crackled in his arms. The sound of of it broke the spell, and Jeongguk and you jumped away from each other. You stared at Jimin dumbfoundedly, too confused and surprised to feel embarrassed yet. 

“Hi (Y/N),” Jimin’s voice was strained. “Um, Jeongguk... I brought you the takeout you ordered.” 

The three of you looked at the bag, then back at each other, like idiots. Jimin clumsily stepped forward and handed Jeongguk the takeout.

“Thanks,” Jeongguk mumbled. 

Jimin stepped back awkwardly, biting his lip. Then he squared his shoulders and crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Look, I’m sorry I interrupted, and I know I shouldn’t say this right now but I’m really glad you both got over yourselves and this is finally happening,” he blurted out, articulating every word so fast it almost made you dizzy. "Okay, bye!" 

Jimin turned around and strode away at an inhuman speed. 

For a few seconds, neither of you said a word. Then Jeongguk gestured you to go into his room. Once you were both inside, he locked the door, placed the bag away and turned to face you, a determined expression on his face. Now that it was out in the open, he needed to say the words, and he needed you to hear him say them. 

“(Y/N), I love you. I always have. I don’t want to date anyone else, only you.”

Jeongguk’s voice was clear and steady, and his eyes burned with intensity as he spoke. It made you feel like laughing and crying at the same time. 

“Jimin’s right, we’ve been so stupid,” you giggled bashfully, and took a step closer to him. Jeongguk pulled you to his chest and began planting soft kisses on the fringe of your hair, on your eyebrows, on the bridge of your nose. You pulled away just an inch to look him in the eyes. “I’ve wanted to tell you for so long, it’s just—”

“I know,” Jeongguk said, and he kissed you in a very non-platonic way.

[bts-bringthescenarios]

Genre: fluff, hints of angst. Pairing: [romantic] female reader + bts!hyung line Contents & Warnings: multiple career!reader, physical contact, swear words, Harry Potter (Books) spoilers.

***

Kim Seokjin

Jin had always been a firm believer in love at first sight. As such, he was convinced that when he met ‘the one’ a slumbering something would simply wake up inside him and let him know clearly: ‘this is your soulmate, Seokjin’. So what he wasn’t expecting was the baffling torrent of thoughts and emotions that were brought about when you talked to him for the first time, which left him feeling both exhilarated and terrified at the same time. 

“Hello, worldwide handsome,” you had mocked him playfully, beaming at him as you leaned in to apply primer on his skin. “My name is (Y/N). Please let me know if anything I do tickles you or makes you uncomfortable, okay?”

And you had gotten to work, just like that. You had shaken him inside and out and gotten yourself busy without so much as an acknowledgement for the mess you’d made of him. 

There was an extended BTS tour coming up, and BigHit was rallying a team of makeup artists to join them during the whole trip. You had worked with other idols for a while, and you were so good your boss personally recommended you as an asset for the tour team in BigHit. They decided to try you out for a BTS Run Episode, which lead to your first meeting with Jin. 

Of course, you already knew the members from hearsay and had an idea of what to expect. Jin, on the opposite hand, was not prepared for you. Perhaps physically you weren’t the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, even though he found you pretty and charming. What drew him to you was something he couldn’t put his finger on, more like your “aura”: you were spontaneous but also considerate, kind but funny at the same time, very professional but with a casual, laid-back attitude. You moved your body with purpose and determination, and you furrowed your eyebrows in a very cute way while you worked.

By the time you were done with him, Jin was feeling dizzy. During the whole time your face had been very close to his, and even though he had never felt uncomfortable by close proximity with previous makeup artists, this time he found it hard to talk and breathe normally. You had prattled and joked around the whole time because you noticed he was a bit uneasy, but when in the end he gave you a tense smile, you assumed he hadn’t quite liked you. This probably meant you wouldn’t have a good chance to join the tour team. His face looked fantastic, more so than usual, so you figured that ought to count for something. 

Still, you were pleasantly surprised when your boss called you up to let you know you’d been selected for the job, and what astonished you the most was that Jin had personally requested you to be his makeup artist. Your boss frowned at your shocked expression, but you decided not to let her know about how tense Jin had appeared to be when you had worked on him. Maybe he was having a bad day and you had taken it too personally. 

So the tour began. On the first concert date you walked down to the changing rooms, feeling a bit jet lagged and carrying your faithful makeup briefcase with you. The moment you entered the room, Jin flashed you a breathtaking grin and greeted you enthusiastically. Your heart skipped a beat as you noticed how beautiful he looked when he was happy about something. 

You stopped dead in your tracks. ‘No’, you told yourself firmly, ‘Kim Seokjin is off limits, (Y/N).’ 

“Are you alright?” Jin asked, getting up from his seat and rushing by your side. 

“I’m fine! Nothing to worry about,” you answered hastily, shaking your head a little. “I’m just a little jet lagged, you know?”

“I understand,” Jin replied smilingly as he walked next to you toward his makeup chair, “I’ve gotten so used to it I barely notice it anymore.” 

This time, Jin was incredibly chatty as you worked. It made your job a bit more difficult, but you were so entertained by your conversation you didn’t mind at all. He joked and made puns all the time, telling you funny tales about his previous tours and all in all making you laugh heartily. By the time his makeup was done, you had enjoyed yourselves so much you felt sorry work was over for now. Still, even after you were done he kept talking with you, until it was his queue to go to the stage. 

“Okay, time to go,” he said, looking a bit down for the first time. He got up and examined his face in the mirror. “Wow, (Y/N), you really are the most talented makeup artist I’ve ever met.” 

You chuckled nervously, your heart punching loudly against your chest. As Jin waved at you and left the changing room you took a second to compose yourself, monitoring your breathing. You sternly reprimanded yourself for… for whatever it was that you were feeling. You didn’t even want to think about what those feelings meant, least of all name them. 

However, this wouldn’t be the last time you would censure your emotions; as a matter of fact it quickly became a routine over the next couple of months. And it was just so fucking difficult to get a grip on yourself once Jin started asking you personal questions, or finding excuses to touch you for the briefest moments. He was deeply interested in everything you said, and he started sharing more and more about himself, his life, his family… 

The other makeup artists were already beginning to gossip good-naturedly about your relationship with Jin, jokingly trying to persuade you to take the leap and snatch him up. You really liked Jin, but you weren’t sure if he liked you as a friend of else. Besides, weren’t the Bangtan Boys banned from dating? You couldn’t risk both your jobs like that. So, naturally, you sought help to control yourself before you did anything stupid: you asked coworker and best friend Yu-ri to monitor you and warn you when she saw you getting a bit too involved. She was the only one who took your conundrum seriously, and you soon found she was perfect for the job: on several occasions she called you away from Jin at the nick of time before you gave your feelings away. 

The Bangtan members noticed the situation too, of course. And, unlike you, they could see the toll these daily conversations had on Jin. One concert night Namjoon had a full view of his hyung’s melancholy expression as he walked away from you. 

“When are you going to ask her out? You know they called off the dating ban,” Namjoon whispered as they marched towards the stage. 

“I’d do it right now if I could. I’d literally turn around and ask her to go out with me right this moment,” Jin replied, and then he gave Namjoon a sad smile. 

“But…?”

Jin sighed quietly as they took their positions in the elevating platform, staring into space. Namjoon waited patiently. 

“The success rate of idol plus non-idol couples in this industry is low enough without me chipping in, even without dating bans. I can’t risk it,” Jin replied rubbing his temples, clearly distressed. “(Y/N) is so amazing, so unique. And the way I feel when I’m with her... I just can’t help myself. I want to get to know her, and I want her to know me. But I don’t want to ruin everything. I’d rather wait for now, maybe in a few years…” he trailed off hopelessly. 

Namjoon nodded pensievely, and then squared his shoulders. 

“Well, I don’t think you like her that much,” he snapped. Jin stared back in surprise. “I mean, that must be the reason why you won’t even try.”

The platform started its painfully slow rising motion, and they couldn’t continue their conversation. 

Jin mulled over Namjoon’s words that night. Was he being a coward? In truth, the way he felt about you was scary to him. He’d had crushes before and knew how those felt, but with you? He was in love. He wanted it —no, he needed it to work. He should be cautious. But was waiting for who knows how long a careful thing to do? Would you just sit and wait or would you give up on him? 

And then the answer popped up in his mind effortlessly. Of course he had to involve you in this decision. Why should he figure this out on his own? Why should you be left out of it? 

The next day was their night off, so the whole staff was resting in their hotel rooms. You were sharing with Yu-ri, and you had decided to hang out at night and watch a show together. You were too preoccupied with your feelings for Jin to actually pay any attention to it, so you barely noticed when the room phone rang and your roommate picked it up. 

“(Y/N)? It’s for you,” Yu-ri said, gazing at you meaningfully. “It’s him.” 

“What?” your voice cracked. She nodded excitedly. You pressed the receiver to your ear. “It’s happening,” Yu-ri mouthed silently. 

“Seokjin? It’s (Y/N).” 

“Hi! Sorry to bother you on your night off. Are you free right now?” he asked, sounding rather nervous. “Could you come over? I’d like to talk to you.”

Your heart was racing in your chest as you took the elevator to his room. ‘He’s just worried about his makeup tomorrow’ you tried to convince yourself as you walked through the hallway. ‘This is NOT a date, (Y/N).’ But, if it wasn’t, then why was he summoning you to his room on his night off? 

Your hand trembled as you knocked softly on the door. Jin opened the door and invited you in. 

As you eyed him carefully, you noticed dark bags under Jin’s eyes, who nervously led you to the couch beside the bed and gestured you to sit down next to him. You obeyed quietly, worried. He looked a bit ill, and for a while he remained silent. 

“I should have brought my makeup with me,” you finally said, going for a light-hearted tease to break the ice. “I want everyone to be rendered speechless by Mr. Kim Seokjin’s handsome looks on tomorrow’s talk show. And by the look of you, I should be getting started with your makeup right now if we want to be done by tomorrow night.” 

“I’m sorry I’m taking little care of your raw material,” he chuckled, and then got serious again. “I haven’t slept at all. I have a lot on my mind these days. Or, should I say, you’ve been a lot on my mind,” he added, moving closer to you. 

Your heart skipped a beat. 

“I think you know why I called you here, but I’d like to say something first. As you must know by now, an idol’s life is very fulfilling, but filled with complications and self-sacrifice. Specially when it comes to our personal lives. They take the biggest toll.”

“I know,” you said softly. He was sitting so close, you only had to extend your hand to touch him. You didn’t. “I see how you struggle with it, and I can only imagine how hard it must be.”

Jin’s heart melted as he saw the genuine concern on your eyes. He swallowed hard and fixed his eyes on yours. 

“(Y/N), I know, believe me, that you deserve the best partner there is. I spent the last months convincing myself that I’m not the right fit for you, that you don’t want to be with someone with my job. But… I realized I never thought to ask you about it. I’ve been so scared of your answer, I couldn’t bring myself to ask you the question. So I’m doing it right now.”

As Jin’s words sunk in, the nervousness that had gripped you during the night dissipated quickly, a radiant excitement taking its place. You weren’t treading on unsure grounds now, you knew that you felt exactly the same way about him. This confidence made your heart swell and brought back your usual light-heartedness.

“So,” you grinned as you took his hand in yours, “are you asking me if I would be willing to date an idol?”

“Exactly,” Jin nodded, squeezing your hand in his. 

“Hmm,” you mocked a thoughtful expression, “not just any idol, only the most handsome idol in the world. But would Worldwide Handsome Jin be willing to date a makeup artist?”

“Not just any makeup artist,” Jin teased back, caressing your cheekbones with the back of his fingers. “Only the most wonderful, most talented one I’ve ever met.”

In a motion slow enough to drive you crazy with anticipation, Jin wrapped his arms around your waist and softly pulled you closer, gazing deeply into your eyes. You held his face in your hands and leaned in, your breath warming Jin’s full lips.

Knock, knock. 

Both of you stopped, your faces just a centimeter away from each other. 

“Hyung, why aren’t you replying to my texts? We need to go over tomorrow’s interview,” Namjoon’s voice echoed from the other side of the door. 

Jin sighed heavily, brushing his nose against yours. He knew he had to answer, but he was unwilling to let go of you yet. You slid your hands down his neck and tried to pull away, but Jin held you in place. He pressed his forehead to yours and closed his eyes. 

“Can we do this in the morning?” he answered, just loud enough for his voice to carry outside. 

“No, I’ll be busy,” Namjoon insisted. “Can you open up?”

“Stay right here,” Jin commanded softly. As he got up his fingers trailed up your spine, making you shiver, and you knew you wouldn’t move an inch even if he took all night. 

Jin opened the door, and Namjoon, too busy going over notes he was holding, walked right into the middle of the room before he saw you. Frozen in place, it took him a few seconds to react. 

“(Y/N)!” he blurted out, blushing furiously. His eyes darted frantically from you to Jin, who was standing next to the door with his arms wound tightly over his chest. “Er… how are you?” 

“I’m embarrassed, thanks for asking. How about yourself?” you replied humorously. Jin chuckled quietly at your answer.

“Oh, I’m so sorry for interrupting. Er… I should leave. I mean,” he said, turning to Jin. “We can talk about the interview tomorrow, right? We’ll figure something out.”

“Please,” Jin replied dryly, moving out of the way to gesture Namjoon out. Despite his hurry to have him out of his room, Jin wasn’t angry at his brother. After all, how could he resent the man whose wise words had made this whole situation possible in the first place? 

Namjoon stumbled out of the room, Jin locking the door behind him. The moment he was out of range to listen, Jin and you burst out laughing. 

“I don’t think I ever saw someone looking so mortified,” you said as Jin slid back next to you, embracing you again. 

“Serves him right for interrupting one of the happiest moments of my life,” he whispered as he leaned in and sealed your lips with his.

***

Min Yoongi

The clinic was overworking you, and you had covered more shifts than usual this past week. It wasn’t their fault that the other two psychologists from the ER team had taken sick leave because of the flu, and you were too responsible to just leave people unattended. Your boss and team were grateful for your efforts, but they had insisted you take the rest of the weekend off after working double shifts for the past seven days, which was a good thing because you already had plans. 

A few weeks ago, you had promised the boys you would visit them on Saturday and you would all go to a Karaoke Bar, and they had booked a private room to have fun away from the clicking of the paparazzi's cameras. So as soon as you finished your shift in the afternoon, you went straight to their dorms to have tea and leave together for the Karaoke Bar in the evening. You were really excited about your plans, and even though you hated to admit it, you were even more excited at the prospect of seeing Yoongi again after a while. You usually hung out with him more than with the rest of the boys, you just got along so well, but although the BigHit headquarters were only a few blocks away from the clinic where you worked, this past week had been so hectic it had been literally impossible for you two to even catch a coffee together, you had been too busy.

At first you were full of energy and enthusiasm, and even prepared tea and sandwiches with Yoongi. You laughed and joked together all the while, but he was secretly worried. Throughout the past week he had texted you regularly to make sure you were getting enough sleep, and he knew you weren’t. He had double checked if you wanted to raincheck on today’s plans, but when you insisted you were just fine he didn’t press the matter. He knew better than to argue with you, and besides he was too glad to see you again to miss out on the opportunity. 

Despite your initial great mood and energy, shortly after you all had eaten together you began to feel drowsy. You still had a good hour or so before you had to set off to the Karaoke Bar, and you could barely keep your eyes open. Yoongi was sitting right next to you, and as he monitored you he became increasingly convinced there was no way you would be able to stay awake. 

“Jimin, text the Karaoke Bar to cancel the booking,” Yoongi finally said aloud, making your eyes snap open. “I think we’re all just dead tired today. We should stay home and watch a movie or something.” 

“I’m not tire—” Jimin began, but he was swiftly reprimanded by a slap on the arm from Namjoon. It was too late, though: you had already heard him.

“No, no, it’s fine,'' you said, suppressing a yawn. “You guys have been looking forward to karaoke all week. I just need to rest up for a bit, I’ll be as good as new in a few minutes.” 

Yoongi shot you an exasperated look. Why did you have to be so goddamn stubborn? Why couldn’t you just prioritize your own wellbeing for once? Why did you have to pretend to be fine all the time when you clearly weren’t? You were just so… so like him. 

“Really, (Y/N), we can reschedule for next Saturday. I’m tired too,” Hoseok added considerately, catching Yoongi’s concerned eyes. 

“No, you’re not,” you answered firmly. “You were the most excited of us all, Hobi. You even played the list of tracks you’re going to sing all week during breakfast. Yeah, I read all those texts in the group chat.” 

Well, it was true, Yoongi thought. And you hadn't even mentioned the fact that he actually sang along. As much as he loved his fellow member, Yoongi didn’t know if he could survive another week tolerating Hoseok’s interpretation of all his favorite songs, but then again he was worried you would just faint if you overexerted yourself. He’d rather wear headphones during breakfast for the next few days and have you rest now. 

“We still have some time to decide, (Y/N),” Taehyung ventured, “we could just take it easy and watch something for now, and if you’re fine later we’ll go.” 

“I want to watch the first episode of that show that aired on Thursday!” Jeongguk added, his shoulders bouncing up and down excitedly. 

You knew they were trying to persuade you to stay put, but it just didn’t feel right to cancel their plans. They rarely had time for fun, since they worked so hard and toured all the time. And you had all finally managed to arrange your schedules to go out together. You weren’t going to give up easily. 

But Jeongguk’s genuine excitement made you relent. He really seemed to want to watch the show. There was no harm in taking it easy for an hour, right? Once the episode was over you’d feel renewed, and then you’d all go to the Karaoke Bar together. 

However, the moment you all sat down on the huge couch in the TV room you felt overwhelmingly exhausted. To nobody’s surprise, you were out like a light in less than five minutes. The boys waited until you were fast asleep before quietly exiting the room, where only Yoongi remained to make sure you were not disturbed. 

He was hoping to get some work done while you were asleep, so Yoongi took out his tablet and began to write down ideas for a song he’d been unsuccessfully trying to complete this past month. He had worked out the melody and he just couldn’t find lyrics for it. Yoongi tried for a few minutes to conjure up the right words, but he was too distracted. His eyes kept darting back to you, like a magnet, and he worried about all sorts of things. Were you comfortable enough or were you going to wake up with a stiff neck? Were you cold? Should he bring a blanket? What if you woke up when he placed the blanket over you? Did you always look so beautiful when you slept? 

Oh no, not these stupid ideas again, he thought, shaking his head and trying to stop himself from staring at you. He had been over and over this with himself. You hadn’t shown any sign of actually liking him in a romantic way. You were attentive and caring toward him, sure, but that was the way you were with everyone. You liked to make people feel good. You were also kind, and witty, and incredibly smart and… but he had to stop himself again. As much as he wanted your relationship to be different, he didn’t want to risk your friendship by making you uncomfortable with his feelings, especially because you were good friends with the rest of the boys. What if you felt so awkward about it that you stopped hanging out with all of them? 

In spite of his efforts, he still couldn’t stop stealing glances at you all the time. After two hours or so, in which the sun set and you gradually slid to a fully horizontal position without even waking up, he simply decided to give up and make the most of the time he had. When did he ever get a chance to just look at you freely, to let his eyes roam your face without having to control his expression? And as soon as he accepted that and allowed himself to appreciate you openly without restraining his feelings, the words just began to spring up in his mind. He took his tablet and began to write the lyrics of what he knew was now a love song. 

You slept for another hour, which was enough time for Yoongi to finish the lyrics that had just poured out of him. As he read and reread them, relieved to have finally found a way to express what he was feeling, he genuinely wondered if he shouldn’t just confess to you. Just because you hadn't given him a clear hint of your feelings didn't mean he had no chance, there was no way he'd know unless he tried. And besides, shouldn’t you be able to decide for yourself what to do about it if you didn’t like him back? 

It was at that precise moment when you began to stir, waking up quietly from your deep slumber. You blinked a few times, a bit dazed, and the darkness in the room brought you back to reality. You sat up quickly, which made you feel dizzy and groan in confusion.  

Yoongi got up hurriedly and placed his hands over your shoulders, trying to hold you in you in case you fell. 

“Why the hell did you get up so fast? It’s bad for you,” he murmured. 

“Karaoke”, you mumbled. “I fell asleep…” 

“Yeah, you really needed it. You could barely keep your eyes open, let alone sing a tune.”

“But—” 

“For fuck’s sake, (Y/N). You needed the sleep. We’ll just go some other time, okay?” he cut you short sternly, trying to stop you from getting up. But Yoongi wasn’t prepared for your heartbroken expression, which softened his voice and made his hands slide down your arms. “What is it, (Y/N)?”

“I can’t believe I ruined our plans like this,” you began, bitterness welling up inside you and mixing up with the exhaustion. You were angry, tired and sleepy, so you simply exploded. “I know how stressed you all are, I know how badly you need to have some fun. I wanted so much to just go out together, to help you relax a bit… Hell, I needed to just go out and relax, too. Why couldn’t I hold on for a little longer?” Yoongi rarely ever saw you vent like this so he just let you get it out of your system without interrupting, and unable to contain your frustration you went on. “We have had no chance to talk this week because of this stupid flu outbreak. I wanted to talk to you, I wanted you to tell me how your song was coming along, Yoongi, and I just fell asleep like an idiot and wasted all that time we could’ve spent together—”

“You wanted to see me?” Yoongi asked, unable to stop himself. It was only when he voiced it that you became aware of the implications of what you had just said. You opened and closed your mouth, unable to respond, which was enough to make Yoongi’s heart pound violently in his chest. But you didn’t know that, all you could think about was that you hadn’t intended to tell him that, you hadn’t meant to expose your feelings for him like that. What was wrong with you today? Why couldn’t you keep it together like you normally did? 

Yoongi’s expression had you backtracking soon enough, though. He was gazing intensely into your eyes, and you suddenly became aware of the fact that he was kneeling with his face just a few centimeters away from you, his hands holding you firmly. Your breathing accelerated. No, it couldn’t be. Surely he didn’t reciprocate your feelings? But the look in his eyes gave you the nudge you needed to simply let the words slide out. 

“Yeah”, you answered in a low, shaky voice. You couldn’t lie to him when his eyes were piercing you like that, when his whole expression had become hopeful and anticipating. You felt his grip tighten around your arms.  “I… I missed you.” 

Yoongi’s features brightened instantly, and he smiled his lovely gummy smile. You were grinning too before you could help yourself. “What about you?” you inquired nervously, tilting your head. 

Yoongi responded lowering his gaze and fixing it on your lips, and before you knew it he was slowly pulling your body to him, your face so close to his your noses brushed softly against each other, and you could hardly mistake his intentions. 

And then Yoongi froze. For a second you were confused, but then you heard it too: two people were speaking in hushed voices outside the room. 

Why, why, why was this happening fucking now? Why did they have to come now of all times? Never in his life had Yoongi wanted to just make the rest of the world disappear as badly as he did at this moment, and that was saying something. He shut his eyes angrily, and you both concentrated hard to pick up what the voices were saying. 

“... not answering our texts. Maybe he dozed off? Should we check on them?”, Hoseok asked quietly. 

“You saw how tired (Y/N) was, she’s probably still sleeping. And Yoongi’s always willing to take a nap, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s out as well.” Jin whispered. 

“But what if—”

“Will you stop trying to act stealthy and just leave us alone?!” Yoongi interrupted irritably, not yelling but loud enough for his voice to carry to the corridor. You could hear both Jin’s and Hoseok’s startled squeaks from the other side of the door, which made you chuckle.

“Sorry!” Hobi squealed, “Did we wake you?”

“Just go away!”, Yoongi retorted. 

“Okay! Enjoy your naps!” 

Yoongi sat back on the floor and rubbed his fingers against his temples in annoyance as you both listened to Jin’s and Hoseok’s footsteps echoing away. It was just his luck to finally get a chance to kiss you, only for it to be completely ruined. 

Regardless, the interruption had made him reflect on what he was doing. It wasn’t easy for him to just speak aloud when it came to his feelings, but he knew you were shy, too, and you had taken the first step by admitting you had missed him. Now that he knew that you had feelings for him, that you wanted that kiss as much as he did, he decided to walk the extra mile and actually tell you that he… Well, that he was in love with you. 

Still giggling over the incident, you pulled him up to the couch so he could sit next to you. 

“Those two had a real bad timing,” you said, trying to lighten up the dampened mood. His irritation quickly dissipating, Yoongi reached out for your hand. 

“Definitely, but in spite of themselves they made me realize I'm doing this backwards,” he replied, picking up the tablet as you pierced him with a puzzled look. “You asked me about my new song, right? I'd like to read it out to you now… Mainly because it is about you.” 

You both realized after the first verses, however, that Yoongi wasn’t going to finish reading the lyrics. The way you were looking at him was just too much for him to handle. He dropped the tablet and leaned in toward you, cupping your face in his hands before sealing your lips with his. No one interrupted you this time. At least not for the next few hours.

***

Jung Hoseok

When Hoseok offered to show you the new song he was working on, you excitedly agreed. You were visiting the boys in the dorms this evening, and while Jin and Yoongi prepared dinner and the rest played games, Hoseok and you retreated to his room to check out his new content. However, when you got there you were distracted: Hobi had accidentally left his laptop on YouTube, and by some inscrutable algorithm it was now playing a funny, modern interpretation of the Swan Lake ballet. 

“What the—” he stuttered, his face screwed up in confusion. Both of you were unable to tear your eyes away from the screen as the couple of dancers bent and twisted their arms together in bizarre synchrony. “How is that supposed to look like a swan?” 

You had to agree with him. The general choreography was just weird, and when the couple pressed their palms together and began waving them around in a sort of rigid and mechanical motion, you couldn’t suppress your laughter.

“We just have to try it, Hoseokie.” 

And you both knew you did. That was your thing, after all. When you became good friends with the band and began hanging out with them frequently, you also started to join them in dance practice every so often, and tried to imitate their choreographies. You weren’t a great dancer —actually, you weren’t even a good dancer— but you weren’t self-conscious about it and you really enjoyed yourself, laughing out loud and mocking yourself when you didn’t get the moves right. 

And Hoseok absolutely adored that about you. He had so much fun teaching you, then watching you try hard and laugh it off when you failed. He was such a perfectionist when it came to dancing that seeing you enjoy yourself like that regardless of the outcome made him feel warm and fuzzy inside. And that was how he had begun to realize he had feelings for you, feelings that had slowly but inevitably grown stronger with time. 

Of course, it had started off innocently enough. He showed you the moves and you tried to copy him. On occasions you had to adjust your arms or your shoulders, so he had to touch your body in order to get it to the right position. He had to, right? But sometimes his hands lingered unnecessarily over your arms, or he casually brushed your hair with his fingers, or needlessly held your waist in place. You liked that very much, too, which scared you to death. ‘It would be plain stupid to develop romantic feelings toward Hoseok’, you had told yourself over and over again. Well, it turns out that it was  stupid but also completely unavoidable. 

So today Hobi and you rewinded the choreography and began to imitate it, and soon you were both doubling down in laughter. You kept watching and pausing the bizarre ballet and mimicking the dancers until suddenly the couple in the video began to dance very closely together, their bodies in full contact with each other. The male dancer’s hands traveled softly down the woman’s outstretched arms until they reached her waist, where he lifted her up in the air. 

It was as if the room had been suddenly filled with static. Hoseok paused the video, uncertain of what to do. He craved to hold you like that, but would he be able to restrain himself once he was wrapped around you? You were anxious about it too, but decided to play it off. You were afraid that if you stopped right now it would be obvious you were nervous about it, consequently giving away your feelings.

“Okay,” you mumbled, trying to project a casual tone to your voice and failing miserably. “So I just have to— to raise my arms like this, right?”

Hoseok hesitated for a moment as he watched you turn around and lift your arms upward, which allowed him to appreciate the delicate curve of your exposed neck, the perfect place to just casually plant a kiss... He shook his head, trying to chase the thought away. Then he swallowed noticeably and positioned himself behind you, pressing his chest against your back. A shiver ran down your spine the moment your bodies touched, and you just knew he had noticed. 

You wanted to kick yourself for being so stupid. This would definitely make things awkward between you from now on. 

You were about to make up an excuse to stop when Hobi raised his arms, and he began to imitate the dancer’s movements. The feeling of his fingers caressing you softly, almost impossibly so, was so wonderful you felt goosebumps form over your arms where he had touched you. It was as if your skin had suddenly become hyper receptive and sensitive, and the slightest touch set an electric current. You couldn’t move, you could only stay still as his hands slid all the way down to your waist, where he gripped you tightly. 

Hoseok knew he was supposed to lift you up in the air, but instead he impulsively decided to turn you around. He wanted to look into your eyes, to know for sure that you were feeling what he was feeling right now. And when you spun and faced him, the intensity of his gaze confirmed what you had been too afraid to hope all along. He pulled you tightly against him, so close you could feel the whisper of his breath on your lips.

“(Y/N)! Hobi! Dinner’s ready!” Taehyung yelled from the corridor. 

Hoseok and you immediately jumped away from each other, as if you had both been electrocuted. 

“Oi! Did you hear what I—”

But when Taehyung reached the doorframe he realized he had interrupted something, and his suspicion was confirmed by the murderous glare Hoseok threw him, which shut Tae up instantly. He had never in his life seen that look in Hobi, but then again he didn’t know how much Hoseok had waited for a moment like this and how he would have given anything to have another minute alone with you, just a single uninterrupted minute. 

“Yeah, so… Join us if you want to,” Taehyung muttered quietly, and walked away as fast as he could. 

Hoseok and you stared at each other for a long while, not knowing what to say. Then you decided to take the leap.

“I don’t really feel like having dinner right now,” you whispered shyly, unmoving. Hoseok smiled brightly, relieved to hear just exactly what he wanted to know. He walked toward the door and locked it, and then he slowly marched up to you and pulled you close to him again, not wanting to waste a single second before having you back in his arms. 

“Me neither,” he said, and pressed his lips firmly against yours.

*** 

Kim Namjoon

Jeongguk dropped his head between his arms in exasperation, his forehead smacking against the surface of the table. He wasn’t the only irritated person in the room. Hoseok was zoning out, Jin was picking up the dishes impatiently and Taehyung and Jimin were staring in disbelief. Yoongi rolled his eyes and decided to go back to his room shortly after you and Namjoon had begun one of your endless, pointless debates where you both argued hotly about the ethical and moral grounds of literally children books and Disney films. Today, the discussion had been triggered by the actions of Dumbledore from Harry Potter. 

“He is not the good guy, Namjoon!” you persisted, “He is easily the most machiavellian character of the whole saga.” 

“I think that’s debatable. Or are you trying to tell me that he was worse than Voldemort?” Namjoon replied fiercely.

“Of course not! Don’t undermine my argument by proposing a grotesque exaggeration of what I’m saying,” you protested, lowering your voice a little as Jeongguk raised his head again and grunted moodily. You hadn’t realized that you had both gotten carried away in a debate again, so you tried to adopt a friendlier tone. “What I mean to say is that he was willing to raise a boy only to be slaughtered in the end—”

Namjoon snorted sarcastically. “Raise a boy for slaughter? He prepared Harry as best as he could for his final confrontation against Voldemort, which was going to happen anyway because Harry was the only one who could defeat him!” 

Your indignant expression when you heard Namjoon’s words convinced the rest of the members that it was finally time to follow Yoongi’s steps and leave you both alone. This kind of debates happened all the time between Namjoon and you, and it annoyed the shit out of the rest of the guys. You had noticed this, but you just couldn’t help yourselves. Both of you had hot tempers and absolutely loved a good discussion. 

“Wash the dishes when you’re done deciding if a fictional wizard from a children’s book was a good person or not,” Jin said as he exited the room and shut the door. 

“It’s not a children’s book! If anything, it’s children’s books. Plural,” you called after him, knowing you were being petty just for the sake of winning an argument. 

Namjoon chuckled at your last comment, combing his hair back with his hand. “Is it children’s literature, though?” he followed. “I’d argue the first books are childish, but from the fifth one onward they become more like Young Adult style.” 

“What about the fourth book? They literally murder a kid,” you countered, ready for the next round, and so the debate continued. However, this time you both got up and began doing your chores while you conversed. Namjoon washed the dishes in the sink while you dried them off with a towel and put them away neatly, but at no given moment did either of you stop talking. 

Every now and then Namjoon glanced sideways at you to admire the fiery look on your eyes when you were defending your point of view, and it made him feel funny inside every time. He had thought you were beautiful from the moment you met, but he found you most alluring during your debates. At first he thought the aching feeling on his chest when he saw you like that was born out of respect for your intelligence and excellent reasoning, but he gradually realized that there was something else going on: he didn’t only admire you, he also felt attracted to you.

Ever since, he had been torn between confessing his feelings or just going on as friends. These past few weeks he’d tried to be more observant of you, to analyze your reactions when he touched you or sat close to you. However, it was difficult to draw any conclusions because you were never alone together, and there was hardly any true intimacy between you. So when Namjoon realized that you were both actually alone in the kitchen right now, and that the rest of the boys had retreated to the opposite side of the house, he fell immediately silent and dropped the ladle he was washing. 

You interrupted your discourse in alarm, examining him carefully. 

“Are you okay, Joonie?” you asked, a concerned tone coloring your voice. “Here, let’s go sit down.” 

You took his hand, dragged him to the nearest chair and sat opposite of him, afraid he might be feeling faint due to the long exposure to hot water while doing the dishes. Namjoon was genuinely feeling a bit giddy, especially since you were still holding his hand even though you were both sitting now. You wrapped his hand in both of yours, enjoying the feeling of his skin. You were only realizing it now, but you liked it a bit too much. 

“Would you like a glass of cold water?” you inquired, trying to catch his eyes. Namjoon shook his head and looked away, attempting to clear his head. He struggled to find something —anything— to say, but he felt as though his brain had been opened up and emptied of all words. This was a first for him. 

As you watched him you became increasingly concerned, and his evasive attitude worried you. Was he feeling ill or had you said something wrong? Maybe your last argument had offended him somehow, or made him feel bad. What had it been about? You couldn’t remember exactly, maybe because you were feeling a bit panicky about Namjoon’s state. Still, you had to do something about this, so you tried to raise your hand and place it in his forehead to check if he was running a fever. Namjoon didn’t let you. When you tried to pull your hand away, he held it firmly in his and fixed his eyes on yours with such an intense look that you felt as though the floor below you had melted. 

And that was when it dawned on you, too: you were both alone, sitting very close to each other and holding hands.

“(Y/N).”  

How could you avoid the tickling feeling in your stomach when he was saying your name like that, with a deep voice that was sensuous enough to make your mouth feel dry. You gazed back into his eyes, unconsciously leaning toward each other. Namjoon raised his hand and placed it on the back of your neck, then he softly pulled you closer to him until his lips were touching yours. 

The door opened abruptly.

“Hey, have you sorted it out already—”

You both jumped up, startled. When you whipped around to face the door, you noticed Jin was staring with his mouth hanging open. He had, of course, seen you almost kissing. You knew it was pointless to try to play it off as a misunderstanding, but the whole situation was so awkward you decided to break the silence and said the first thing that came into your mind. 

“Jin, we’re kind of, uh… busy right now, so would you mind—” 

And Jin was closing the door already, which was a good thing because you didn’t want him to witness you embarrassing yourself any longer with the dumb shit you were saying. You covered your face in your hands and closed your eyes, the words ‘kind of busy’ echoing in your brain and making you feel more and more stupid by the second. 

Namjoon, on the contrary, thought you had been brilliant. The way you had confronted the situation immediately and without pretence made him feel even more strongly about you. And not only that, but you had expressed the desire to be alone with him. He walked around you to face you again and he softly pulled your hands away from your face. Namjoon wrapped his arms around your waist as he leaned in to kiss you without a single hint of hesitation.