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[minsazucar-archive]

Your Number rated pg for uh...cussing i guess lol word count: 3,553 ship: yoonjin desc: You know that cliche scene in dramas, where you write your name on a coffee cup for your crush? Yeah, that doesn't really work in real life. Or does it?

AO3 link

The campus coffee shop was swarming with ragged looking students, caught up in the hell of midterms week. The coffee shop employees had the pleasure of suffering through midterms and working hectic shifts all week. After working at the cafe for almost two years, Seokjin was hardly fazed by the hustle and bustle; the same couldn’t be said for Taehyung who was suffering his first midterm rush.

The poor boy was the only barista on duty for at least ten more minutes until Jungkook clocked in and could take over the register. Seokjin would’ve been better as a barista, but Taehyung didn’t do well at the register under pressure, so here he stood, all smiles and chipper greetings to the endless mob of zombie students.

The mid-morning rush was just beginning to die down when he finally walked in. Seokjin immediately lit up as he watched Jimin walk through the entrance, looking excessively adorable in his sweats and hoodie. For the past few weeks Jimin had become their most frequent customer, partly because his best friend Taehyung started working here. Seokjin also liked to think their light flirting had something to do with it.

“Good morning Jimin, what can I get you today?” He greeted the boy with a smile.

“Morning Jin. I think today an americano will be fine.” Jimin replied somewhat sleepily, but that just made his smile even cuter.

“Stronger than usual. What’s the occasion?” Seokjin asked casually, picking up a cup and writing his name and order before sliding it over to Taehyung’s growing queue of drinks.

“I was up all night cramming for an exam.” Jimin whined a bit, slumping on the counter.

“That’s not the greatest study strategy.” Seokjin laughed, slightly disappointed when another person stepped in line, Jimin straightening up to leave.

“Teach me a better one sometime.” Jimin called over his shoulder with a wink as he walked away and Seokjin smiled.

He took the next order and startled a bit when Jungkook came up behind him. He checked the clock and noted the boy was 5 minutes late but he let it slide when he offered to take over the register. Seokjin let him handle the growing line and went to finally assist Taehyung who was eight drinks behind and starting to break a sweat.

It hardly felt like they were making a dent in the stack, Jungkook adding more drinks as fast as they could brew them. Seokjin grabbed the next two cups, both americanos, and smiled a bit. Making a split decision, he whipped out a pen and scribbled his phone number on Jimin’s order before placing both cups under the espresso drips.

He went about making a complicated frappucino (really, were such specific flavor ratios so important?) but he still noticed when Taehyung capped the finished americanos and took them out to the counter. The younger boy shot Seokjin a smile when he noticed the additional writing and Seokjin just rolled his eyes, back to blending.

“Two americanos, Jimin and Yoongi.” Taehyung called out, walking back to Seokjin’s side.

What happened next felt like something out of a movie, both boys watching the events unfold in almost slow motion. Jimin strolled up to the counter leisurely, ready to pick out his drink, when another person walked up and just snatched the first drink he saw, walking out rather abruptly. Jimin blinked a few times (the guy had literally shoved passed him) before reaching for the remaining drink with a frown. He looked up and caught Seokjin watching with his mouth slightly agape and smiled sweetly.

“This one says ‘Yoongi’ but they’re both americanos, right?” Jimin asked, still smiling.

“Y-yeah. Both americanos.” Seokjin nodded, trying his best to smile back.

“No big deal then. See you guys later.” Jimin replied, picking up the drink and walking out with a friendly wave.

Seokjin looked back around to where Taehyung was staring at him in a similar state of shock. It was Jungkook’s laughter that snapped them out of it, obnoxious and loud as he abandoned the register to finish up drinks. The line had finally dispersed as 10 a.m. classes were drawing close so the trio scrambled to finish the orders to get the students to class on time. In the lull following the rush, Seokjin excused himself to the back room and proceeded to scream into a dish towel for a few minutes.

✷✷✷

“Seokjin, I think you’re overreacting.” Jungkook commented in their dorm room later that night.

“Overreacting? I’m not overreacting, I’m perfectly calm.” He replied in a tight voice, continuing to bustle around the small living room.

Seokjin was not, in fact, perfectly calm. Taehyung and Jungkook sat lazily on his sofa, where they had watched him nervously pace and deep clean the dorm room for the past two hours. But everything was okay, perfectly fine, just real dandy. The two boys finally intervened when he started polishing the wood table so hard it began to creak. He plopped on the couch between his two friends and focused on breathing, Taehyung rubbing soothing circles into his back. After he calmed down a bit Jungkook cleared his throat to grab their attention.

“Listen, the guy isn’t gonna call you or anything. He would clearly see he got the wrong drink, maybe laugh, but that’s about it. It’s all good.” The younger boy reasoned and Seokjin felt himself deflate a bit.

“Yeah, yeah you’re right. Right?” Seokjin sighed, smile wary and in need of reassurance that the others were happy to give.

“Right.” Jungkook said firmly, smiling in a way that he supposed was comforting.

The trio sat on the couch for a bit as Seokjin calmed down before diving into an argument over what to have for dinner. Taehyung was well on his way to explaining why pickled quail eggs would be perfect for tonight when a phone started vibrating on the table. The three looked down and quickly confirmed it was Seokjin’s and he leaned over to check the number before answering. He faltered for a second, hand hovering over the answer button.

“I don’t know this number.” Seokjin stated, staring at the screen blankly. Everyone was silent, a looming feeling of no way, it can’t be floating in the air around them.

“You don’t think…” Taehyung murmured, eyes wide and lips fighting not to smile. Seokjin stood up stiffly and walked a short distance from the amused pair before answering.

“Hello?” He spoke hesitantly trying to ignore his sweaty palms.

“Um, hey. I uh, I’m the guy that took the wrong coffee this morning. It had your number on it?” A voice rasped over the line and Seokjin felt his stomach drop. He really did it, the guy actually called.

“Oh. Yeah, fantastic, I’m sorry I guess.” Seokjin replied, voice clipped.

“If you don’t mind me asking, which one are you?” The guy asked and Seokjin had to clear his throat to fight the nerves.

“Uh, my name is Seokjin. I’m the tallest one? The oldest too.”

“Oh, that one.” The voice said sounding almost relieved, “My name is Yoongi by the way.”

Seokjin didn’t have time to decode the tone of voice, his anxiety rising just slightly now that he’d been identified. He could get in so much trouble for pulling a stunt like writing his number on a patron’s cup. He’d witnessed 3 people get written up for stuff like that in his two years at the shop. He’d be no exception to punishment, even with his seniority and perfect track record.

“Alright, well, Yoongi, sorry about the mix up, please don’t report me to management for harassment or something-” Seokjin’s pleading was cut off by an awkward fake cough from the other line. There was some grumbling and static and Seokjin’s brows knitted in confusion as he waited for the other man to speak.

“You wanna go out sometime?” Yoongi eventually mumbled out and Seokjin halted in his pacing.

“Excuse me?” He replied, a little shell shocked by the proposition.

It seemed he wasn’t the only one taken aback by the question, as the other line went silent as well. Seokjin could almost feel the embarrassment radiating from the receiver and the thought made him smile a bit. Finally a sigh broke through the static, followed by some more grumbling and another fake cough.

“Fuck, this is weird right? But hey, carpe diem, or some shit…” Yoongi’s voice trailed off into grumbles again, static threatening to overtake the sound.

Maybe it was the stress from midterms, maybe it was the light accent in Yoongi’s voice. Maybe it was just meant to be, but whatever the reason Seokjin found himself clutching the phone closer and smiling ruefully as he made up his mind.

“Yeah, uh...sure then. Okay.” Seokjin spoke confidently into the receiver, shocking even himself with his even tone.

“Okay? Like, you’ll go out with me?” The voice sounded a bit incredulous and Seokjin nodded before realizing he couldn’t be seen.

“Yes, yeah sure, why not. Just don’t report me or anything. Even if the date goes bad, please, I don’t want to lose my job over this.” Seokjin practically pleaded into the phone, earning a throaty laugh from Yoongi.

“Alright. Cool. I’ll...text you or something. You free on Friday?”

“Yeah, it’s my day off actually.”

“Nice. Okay. Yeah. Alright, bye Seokjin.”

“Bye Yoongi���”

Seokjin stood there with the phone pressed to his ear until the dial tone blared over the speaker. He lowered the phone slowly and ended the call, staring at the darkening screen for what felt like hours but was probably only a few minutes. He took a shallow breath and walked back into the living room, meeting the worried expressions of his roommates.

“So, I have a date on Friday?”

They stared back with matching dumbfounded expressions. The delicate moment was broken with Jungkook’s sputtering.

“Seokjin, what the fuck.”

✷✷✷

Seokjin wasn’t too sure what he was expecting when Friday rolled around. Yoongi had in fact texted him and they’d been engaged in a casual conversation since. He knew that Yoongi was a senior (like him), that he majored in Literature (interesting) and that he worked part-time in an old record shop (pretty cool). Yoongi knew just about as much about him, except he had one slight advantage: Seokjin had absolutely no idea what Yoongi looked like.

Yoongi wasn’t exactly a regular at the coffee shop, at least not during the hours Seokjin worked. The only thing Seokjin could recall from the day Yoongi grabbed the wrong cup was that he was short, maybe shorter than Jimin. Other than that, nothing. Meanwhile it seemed like Yoongi was well aware of who Seokjin was. He felt both a bit apprehensive and a bit excited at the prospect that this was kind of like a blind date.

They decided to meet up Friday for a late lunch at a popular barbecue place not too far from campus. Seokjin arrived a few minutes early and scanned the restaurant for anyone who might be his mystery date. After confirming there were no short, lonesome college men waiting for someone, Seokjin made himself comfortable in the foyer, messing with his phone for lack of anything better to do. It didn’t take maybe another few minutes before the door opened and someone new walked in.

“Uh, Seokjin?” A vaguely familiar voice called from behind and Seokjin spun around to see a new face.

The guy was indeed short and his body petite to match. Or maybe it was just the tight jeans and baggy tee that made him seem even thinner. Bubblegum pink hair was visible from under a black beanie, messy bangs falling just short of sharp eyes and oh no he’s pretty. Yoongi continued to stand there awkwardly and it was then that Seokjin realized he hadn’t answered yet.

“Yes. Me. That’s me. Seokjin.” He announced, face hot and speech a bit jilted as he tried to recover his cool.

“Hey, I’m Yoongi. Nice to finally really meet you I guess.” Yoongi said with a small smile, extending his hand in greeting.

“Definitely.” Seokjin replied breathlessly, shaking his hand (a very pretty hand) maybe a little too enthusiastically.

Yoongi pulled back and coughed awkwardly, just like he’d done countless times over the phone, probably a nervous habit of his. He excused himself to go talk to the hostess, giving Seokjin a quick minute to take a deep breath and recenter his focus. The guy was attractive, but Seokjin had dealt with plenty of attractive people; Seokjin was an attractive people. He could do this, he could totally do this-

“I hope you weren’t waiting here long.” Yoongi stepped back into his line of sight and Seokjin felt his face grow hot again.

“No, not at all. Maybe like 3 minutes top.” He followed the waitress to their table, smiling amicably once they were seated.

“That’s good. Uh, you can order whatever you’d like. It’s my treat today.” Yoongi motioned vaguely over the menu, eyes downcast.

“No way, we can split the check.”

“Really, I insist. It’s uh, I mean I asked you out. It’s dating etiquette or whatever.”

Seokjin hummed disapprovingly but let it slide for now. There was something like determination in Yoongi’s tone and he didn’t want to fight over the check on the first date. So he went ahead and ordered his favorite meat cut combo and only let his heart flutter a little bit at Yoongi’s nod of approval. If there was one thing Seokjin knew, it was food.

While they wait for food, Seokjin takes it upon himself to carry the conversation. He talks a little bit about everything, from his disastrous roommates to the test he probably failed an hour ago. Normally having to drive a conversation so much would be a turnoff, but Seokjin is genuinely enjoying the small ways Yoongi responds to him. It’s in the relaxing of his posture, the slow nodding, the twitch of his lips every now and then; Seokjin would talk forever if it meant Yoongi would be listening.

Alright, that was an awfully cheesy thought and Seokjin might’ve been jumping the gun, but he’d always been a romantic at heart. When the food arrived, Yoongi offered to cook and serve Seokjin first, an offer he reluctantly obliged. While he grilled Seokjin continued talking, pausing every now and then to offer some help, all of which went dismissed. When he started piling the pieces of cooked meat on Seokjin’s plate he did the courteous thing and stuffed his mouth before it got cold. That caused Yoongi to crack a wide smile that showed his gums and Seokjin felt his face flush. Cute. He also noted that Yoongi had the tendency to fake-cough whenever he felt flustered, which totally wasn’t cute.

And then just like that it was like their roles were reversed. Yoongi started chattering away about this and that, in a smooth rumbling tone that was honestly relaxing. He did these subtle hand motions to go along with whatever story he was telling and made eye contact a lot more often. There was this mischievous glint Yoongi would get in his eyes whenever he told a particularly funny story; Seokjin could see himself falling in love with it.

Eventually they trailed off into a comfortable silence while they both ate, Seokjin slipping small compliments about how well the meat was cooked. If he only did this to see Yoongi blush, well, who could blame him really. Seokjin was nothing if not a charmer and he’d decided Yoongi was someone worth charming.

Halfway through their meal, Seokjin paused after a bite and put down his chopsticks. His lack of motion caught Yoongi’s attention and he paused in his eating as well, raising his brow in question. Seokjin hummed and asked the thing that had been plaguing him since he first got Yoongi’s call.

“I’m curious, what made you call the number written on a cup that obviously wasn’t yours?”

The question was bound to come up, surely Yoongi knew this, but it didn’t stop him from flushing as soon as the words left Seokjin’s mouth. Yoongi fake-coughed again as he tried to gather his thoughts. Seokjin started thinking he should keep count next time before he realized he was already thinking of a next time. He snapped out of his little daydream of a second date when Yoongi started speaking, more of a gruff mumble to hide his embarrassment.

“Yeah, so, I wasn’t going to call. But my roommate thought it was fucking hilarious and conned me into calling.”

“Sounds like a keeper.” Seokjin commented jokingly to lighten the mood. It worked and he watched a bit of the tension drain from Yoongi’s shoulders.

“Yeah, he basically held me at gunpoint while I called. And when he found out it was you on the line, he commenced operation ‘make Yoongi ask him out’.”

“Why me? You don’t think the others are cute?” Seokjin joked and Yoongi did another of his flustered fake coughs.

“Uh, you see, I’ve had kind of a small crush on you for a while now. Hoseok always teases the shit out of me because we’ve never actually talked or anything.”

“I swear I’ve never seen you in the coffee shop. Are you a stalker?” Seokjin deadpanned and that got a laugh out of Yoongi.

“Fuck off, no I’m not. We actually had a class together last semester.”

“No shit?”

“Yeah, it was philosophy. With Dr. Kim. You sat like two rows in front of me.” Yoongi tapped his fingers nervously on the table, but laughed when he met Seokjin’s blank expression. “You don’t have to remember me, I was usually asleep in the back.”

“So that lump of gray hoodie in the back was you?” Seokjin asked with a smile, finally remembering the guy that unfailingly fell asleep by the end of every lecture.

Yoongi let out a snort which shouldn’t have been attractive, but it was, and they continued their meal in comfortable silence.

Not for the first time today Seokjin’s mind drifted to thoughts of Jimin. Would a date with Jimin go something like this? Would he get flustered at every flirty word, but the minute a dad joke slipped out, look like he was ready to walk away from the table? Would he have a nervous habit like drumming his fingers or looking down while smiling?

The more Seokjin thought about the possibilities the more he realized he didn’t care. He’d been flirting with the other boy for over a month now; safe to say he missed his shot. Meanwhile, Yoongi took a leap of faith by calling a mystery number in the off-chance that maybe Seokjin would be on the other end.

The thought made him feel all warm and gooey inside, and he couldn’t help the cheesy smile that broke across his face. Yoongi was looking at him quizzically, toying with the edge of his beanie to fix his bangs. Seokjin had always liked the color pink but he possibly loved it more now that he’s witnessed the way it softened the harsh lines of Yoongi’s eyes.

Yoongi’s eyes, which were still watching him like he was a bit worried, and oh yeah he was probably still staring and smiling like a sap. Seokjin cleared his throat and did his best to school his features into something more serious.

“You probably already figured, but I had written my number for somebody else.”

“Yeah…” Yoongi looked down and away, dejection clear in his posture and Seokjin fought back another smile as he continued, tone still grave.

“But I’m really glad you picked it up instead.”

Yoongi looked up at that, surprise clear on his face, and this time it was Seokjin’s turn to look away in embarrassment, gentle smile on his lips. For the first time that day, their silence was tense and slightly charged with...something, Seokjin wasn’t quite sure of what. Just as soon as it came, it was disrupted by the arrival of the waiter. Yoongi snatched the check before Seokjin could even try to protest and slipped his card to the waiter. He seemed rather smug about that and Seokjin just rolled his eyes and laughed.

They continued talking as they left the restaurant, the air turning crisp as it approached evening time. Seokjin didn’t have anywhere to be for the rest of the day and he kind of wished he could just never leave this moment. He couldn’t think of someplace he’d rather be than right here, on the sidewalk, watching Yoongi talk about his weird coworker.

Actually, there was one other place he could think of.

“Hey, Yoongi.” Seokjin touched the man’s shoulder to get his attention, suddenly feeling a bit nervous. “There’s this dessert place down the street I’ve been wanting to try. If you’re not busy right now, want to join me?”

Yoongi blinked a couple times, processing both the hand on his shoulder and the question it seemed. After a few seconds, a shy smile snuck onto his face and he relaxed into the touch.

“Yeah, okay, sure.”

Seokjin didn’t try to fight his wide smile this time, looping his arm fully around Yoongi’s shoulder to lead the way.

“Fantastic. Also, this one is my treat.”

[minsazucar-archive]

재연 (An Encore) rated pg for general angst i guess word count: 2,413 ship: vhope desc: I was drowning. But I realized it too late. By now, I couldn’t fight it. I didn’t want to fight it. Let me drown in you. (aka i wrote a first person pov fic)

AO3 link

I saw the ocean that day. Waves, rolling from chest to hips, crashing ashore in the snapping of your arms. Tumultuous serenity. All I could think of was how to make this moment last. How to keep watching you forever. To surround myself with that sea-salt breeze, let my skin burn with the rays of your sun. And when your motions slowed, smoothed, I felt the calm before a storm. A decrescendo signaled a sunset, fire consumed by a pitiless horizon.

Your eyes found mine, brief surprise overcome by an upward twitch of your lips. I gasped a breath I didn’t know I was holding and felt the strange sensation of drowning. And as I hurried away, face flushed, pulse racing, I thought of your eyes and the idea of drowning didn’t seem so bad.

…..................................................................................................................

We first met, officially, at the coffee shop on campus. You sat down without asking, said you remembered how I watched you during dance practice.

I choked on my coffee.

You laughed loudly.

I remembered loving the sound.

“What’s your name?”

“Kim Taehyung.”

“I’m Jung Hoseok.”

We talked for hours.

…..................................................................................................................

When I came back, I was thrust into a typhoon. Waves whipped and clashed. Wind howled through your hair. Rain poured in torrents, decorating your face, your neck, like tiny diamonds. I felt the rushing air in your hands, heard the thunder in your steps, witnessed lightning in your eyes. And I basked in the rain, not caring how drops wet my face. I was too caught up in your perfect storm. And as abruptly as it began, you stopped, body rigid, perfectly poised after the final spin. You smiled when you saw me and I felt the clouds part to allow the first rays of sun to warm my face. You drifted towards me, wading gracefully on calm waves, and lifted a hand. You dried the forgotten rain on my face and smiled warmly. Your sun burned my cheeks. I’m thinking of buying sunscreen.

…..................................................................................................................

“Tae! Wait up!”

I heard your voice from behind. I stopped. Your smile is always so blinding.

“Hey, I’ve never seen you on campus this late.”

“Yeah, I have somewhere to be tonight.”

I started walking. You followed. We stopped together in front of a lounge.

“I never pictured you in this kind of scene.”

“I sing here on Fridays.”

“Wait, you sing?”

I nodded. You smirked. We entered together and the night disappeared.

…..................................................................................................................

You asked me once, why you sometimes find me crying after dancing. I blinked and answered honestly.

“I don’t cry. You just rain on me sometimes.”

“I...rain on you?”

“Well, actually, sometimes you splash too.”

I had to explain the obvious then. How you became the ocean when you danced. How I watched you from the shore. Sometimes it was a clear day, waves rolling lazily, sun tinting my cheeks. Other days it was a storm. I loved them both.

You smiled softly, a shadow of sunlight.

“If I’m the ocean, then you’re my earth.”

Strong, steady, solid.

Rich, textured, comforting.

“But also dangerous. You can quake, shatter, destroy. When you sing...I feel your tremors and wait for my ground to split open. It’s thrilling. You’re thrilling, Taehyung.”

“There you go, raining on me again...”

…..................................................................................................................

We spent more and more time together.

You came to hear me sing.

I went to see you dance.

We’d sit to drink coffee and laugh.

I cherished it all, every minute of every moment. Slowly, our relationship changed. It started small. A brushing of hands. A warm flush. A shy smile. I was living life through rose-colored lenses. Until one night they shattered. Cracked under the heat of Hoseok’s words.

“Taehyung. Let me kiss you.”

We didn’t stop with a kiss.

…..................................................................................................................

The world is divided, balanced between land and sea. When one stops, the other begins. But sometimes, the balance shifts. You soon became a flood, washing over my earth.

I was drowning.

But I realized it too late.

By now, I couldn’t fight it.

I didn’t want to fight it.

Let me drown in you.

…..................................................................................................................

“Taehyung, come here.”

Your waves had calmed and you dripped with diamonds. You wanted me to dance with you. I said no. You said please.

It was a tugging of wrists. A hesitant step. An eventual surrender.

When we danced, I didn’t become the sea with you. I couldn’t. I had too much earth in me. I became a boat, small and vulnerable, at the mercy of your current. And you were kind to me, wind steady in my sails, waves gently crashing my stern. I felt safe, secure.

I trusted you.

…..................................................................................................................

You were drawing circles in my palm, one night. I watched as shadows played across your bare back. Moments like these, lying in bed, comfortable silence; these moments were some of my favorites. Your hand slowly traveled up from my hand to my arm to my neck, finally resting on my jaw. You looked so serious. I fought the urge to shiver.

“More than earth, I think you’re a mountain.”

“Are trying to call me fat?”

I loved your laugh.

“You’re strong, majestic in your prowess. A sight in the distance that becomes something of a comfort, a constant. Except you’re anything but. The few people who dare to climb them know. Mountains are treacherous. Full of jagged edges, steep slopes. You never know when the next step will become a rock slide. But people still dare to climb them. I’m one of the idiots willing to try climbing a mountain.”

You flashed that one smirk, the one you knew made my heart leap. The shadows played into the sharp edges of your face even more. I had to catch my breath.

“You have the worst pickup lines.”

“But they work.”

Your breath was hot against my lips. I wanted to disagree. There’s no way I could be a mountain, when you were the sea. Because it would take a lot for the ocean to cover a mountain. But then again, maybe you were just one hell of a flood.

…..................................................................................................................

I saw it on the news that night. I didn’t need Jimin’s call to know my world had collapsed. Feet crashing against wet pavement, breath a heavy white in the winter night, I ran and ran. I didn’t feel the numbness in my skin. Burning lungs, chanted prayers. I whispered miracles walking through sterile white hallways. I knew it was your room from the familiar desperate faces waiting outside. I stood there, staring at them. They sat there, staring into the past. Jungkook was the one that finally spoke.

A stage accident. Something about light rigs. They weren’t right. A sudden collapse. Hoseok got most everyone out of the way in time. That’s when I noticed the gauze around Jungkook’s arms. The splint on Jimin’s leg. The bandages on Yoongi’s face.

I pushed passed him into your room.

I vaguely remember wondering why it was raining.

…..................................................................................................................

The doctors called it a comma. I called it a well needed rest. You’d been looking so tired lately because of that recital.

They called it a miracle. That there wasn’t too much damage besides the head injury. A miracle that the blow didn’t kill you on impact.

I didn’t care what they called it. The fact remained. You just kept sleeping. One week passed. Then another. A month. Then I stopped counting. Every day I sang to you. Every night I cried myself to sleep by your side. But I never left you.

But it felt like you left me. The sound of your laugh that I remembered loving. Your dazzling smile I remembered staining my cheeks.

Your eyes. Your breath. Your voice. The flood of you, it was receding. Leaving my edges bare, my surface dry.

Without my ocean, I was forced to breathe. It hurt. Stop my breathing.

…..................................................................................................................

“Tae...hyung...”

It was the breath of a whisper. I thought I was dreaming. But even in its hushed state, this voice was more vivid than any old memory. My eyes snapped open, but yours were still closed. I felt a sinking in my gut, until I noticed your lips, parted more than usual. Your breathing wasn’t as steady. I think your hand twitched. Your eyelids fluttered. And I cried, because although you didn’t wake up, I knew you were still there. It was just going to take a while to get you back.

Every day, there was a little more. You clenched your fist. You mumbled in your sleep. You blinked now. My heart nearly burst the day you looked at me and smiled, “Tae…”

You could sit up now. Stay awake for hours. Talk. Eat. I came back one evening, your doctor leaving as I entered. I plopped down in my usual spot. You stared out the window. I opened the container of food with me. You looked lost in thought. I started talking. I stopped talking. Your eyes were faraway. I touched your hand. You wouldn’t look at me. No, please, look at me. Look at me, look at me…

“Hoseok, look at me!”

I wished you hadn’t.

“Taehyung. Let’s break up.”

For the second time, my world had collapsed.

…..................................................................................................................

I kept coming back to the hospital. You wouldn’t look at me. Wouldn’t speak to me. But I kept coming back. Even though it hurt, I kept coming back. All I wanted was a reason. Why? I wanted to know. I needed to know. But you wouldn’t give me one. After your announcement, not another word was said to me.

I stopped coming as much after Jungkook suggested I give you a little space. Some time to think.

I stopped coming altogether when you finally spoke again.

“Get out.”

And I did.

You didn’t see my tears as I rushed out, finally done trying.

I didn’t see yours either.

…..................................................................................................................

Days passed in minutes, and seconds in hours. I tried going back to the way things were. Before you stormed through my life. I started singing on Fridays again. I stopped passing your old studio. I started visiting my old coffee shop again.

And then there was Seokjin. With his gentle smile and sweet air, he tried to put me back together. Lord knows he tried. But no matter how strong, earth is never really the same after a flood. I was full of erosion. I never quite understood what Seokjin saw in me, why he bothered with a lost cause like me. But I’ll never say I wasn’t thankful. I started smiling again. I laughed again. He helped me regain some sense of normality in life, some sense of enjoyment. I knew he loved me. Anyone could see it, really. And I tried. I tried to return his affection. To do something to repay him.

But I couldn’t.

Because Hoseok.

And it hurt even more because he knew. Seokjin knew, and still he stood by me. It was a sad but short unrequited love. Because I knew he deserved happiness, and that he wouldn’t find it with me. I introduced him to Yoongi one day.

They look nice together.

…..................................................................................................................

I don’t know what brought me back that night. Maybe whim. Maybe nostalgia. I think it’s been almost two years. Two years ago, I first met you here, turning your small studio into a raging ocean. This is where I met you, where I loved you, where I drowned. I think it’s been about 5 months since I last saw you. I started counting again. It was late and I should’ve been rushing home, but the door was unlocked when I checked and my feet moved on their own.

I walked slowly through the hallway, peering into mirrored rooms, reflections of us in every one. There’s where I first cried watching you. There’s where you danced with me. There’s where you practiced for that recital.

I froze in the doorway of the last room. I felt my mouth hanging open dumbly. I’m relieved you didn’t notice me.

There you were, crashing waves on a tempered shore. You glistened, a little more than usual. Your breath was more labored than I remembered. Your waves were erratic at times, clashing into each other unexpectedly. I noticed it as you noticed me. You spun to face me, a harsh jerky turn. Your face looked so tired.

I wanted to run. Get as far away from you as possible. So then, why did my feet carry me forward?

…..................................................................................................................

We sat in a tense silence, sipping our still scalding coffee. I didn’t want to look at you, but I couldn’t look away. You never met my eyes, just stared at the steam from your cup. I don’t know if I wanted you to look at me this time.

“I can’t dance anymore.”

You stared at your coffee. I didn’t even try to feign surprise.

“I know.”

“The doctor told me, not long after I woke up. He told me...”

“I know.”

“Something about my brain. Because of my injury. It can’t send signals as fast sometimes.”

“I know…”

“I can’t dance anymore. Taehyung, I can’t dance. And I told you to leave. Because I couldn’t…because I’ll never be the sea again. Tae, I can’t…”

“Hoseok.”

I know.

…..................................................................................................................

We talked for a long time that night. About anything and everything. Partly to make up for lost time. Partly to forget time was ever lost.

“You don’t need to dance.”

You stared at me longingly.

“To be my ocean, you don’t need to dance. Just like I don’t need to sing to be your earth.”

I stared back, reflecting your heart.

“But, you told me-”

“Your smile. That’s my sunlight. It always burns my cheeks no matter how much sunscreen I put on.”

I touched your hand softly.

“Your breath is an ocean breeze. It sends shivers down my spine as it whispers in my ear.”

I trailed my fingers lazily up your arm.

“Your body becomes waves. Washing over me, drowning me.”

My hand finally rests on your cheek. You lean into the touch.

“You look so tired.”

“I’m sorry.”

You whispered over and over, tears falling freely.

“I’m sorry Tae. I’m so sorry.”

I smiled at a memory and copied your words.

“Hoseok. Let me kiss you.”

We didn’t stop with a kiss.

…..................................................................................................................

My skin burns under your sun. We both drip with salt water. My toes dig into the warm sand of your sheets. Your breeze carries sweet whispers.

You are my paradise.

Let me be yours.

[minsazucar-archive]

the reason rated pg-13 for cursing, general angst (other warnings in tags) word count: 42,427 ship: yoonjin; taekook; Jungkook-centric prompt: "meet ugly" sentence prompt: “I hit you with my car and was the only one to visit you in the hospital” AU takes a very dramatic twist and gets out of hand

AO3 Link:  I'm not cross-posting it to tumblr because it's really way too long. I won't cross-post things over 5k I've decided because it's so hard to format sometimes. Please read it on AO3, thank you~

[minsazucar-archive]

delicious rated pg word count: 2,080 ship: taegi prompt: me and @xiumanizer firmly believing yoongi would be the type to eat something from lush bc of this tweet

Yoongi would never understand why people would make soap that resembled food so much.

It was a beautiful Friday afternoon and Yoongi had planned to spend his first day of the weekend sleeping like the dead. Planned being the keyword. Seokjin had other plans and apparently those plans overruled Yoongi’s carefully thought out schedule. So at an hour way too early to be acceptable (11 am, really Seokjin?), Yoongi found himself fully dressed and trudging alongside his roommate and ex-bestfriend. Seokjin told him to stop being so dramatic before pulling him into yet another foreign shop, a colorful store called Lush or something like that.

He walked around the shop leisurely, doing his best to avoid the attendants flocking around customers like vultures. It wasn’t a bad shop in reality, seemingly some sort of novelty sweets store, although it did kind of smell a bit strange. But the sweets on display looked pleasant enough and Yoongi took his time appreciating the colorful cake pops (at least they looked like cake pops, like, super-sized star shaped cake pops). He glanced around and saw Seokjin talking animatedly with an employee, who seemed to be showing off a tub of something creamy, maybe yogurt or gelato. Either way, Yoongi knew they’d be here for a while.

He pulled on the edges of his beanie, thrown on haphazardly over his messy blond hair this morning. At the sight of a salesperson approaching, Yoongi scurried away to another corner of the store, where only one other person seemed to be browsing. He was observing what seemed to be a bar filled with different varieties of fudge, a brown bag held securely in hand. Upon Yoongi’s sudden arrival, the stranger looked up in surprise then quickly calmed down. He was pretty handsome, Yoongi noted, and he offered a small smile in greeting.

“You scared me man, I thought you were another salesperson.” The stranger explained, smiling a little brighter.

“You’re avoiding them too?” Yoongi asked, cocking an eyebrow and the handsome guy nodded.

“Yeah, my friend dragged me in here a while ago. I ended up buying this just to get them to leave me alone.” He said, holding up the brown paper bag. Yoongi made a small noise at this.

“That’s actually a good idea.” They both chuckled and Yoongi held out his hand, “My name is Yoongi by the way. My roommate dragged me here as well.”

“Nice to meet you Yoongi. I’m Taehyung.” The guy smiled and Yoongi felt himself returning it, trying not to linger on how warm Taehyun’s fingers were.

“So, what did you end up buying?” Yoongi asked, finally releasing the taller man’s hand.

“Uh, some sort of fudge bar and two of those cake pop looking things.” Taehyung opened the bag and let the other peer inside curiously.

“The employee was saying something about how it improves your complexion or some shit, but how does chocolate do that?” Taehyung’s face scrunched in confusion and Yoongi snorted.

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s some sort of vegan herbal chocolate, I keep seeing organic labels everywhere.” Yoongi shrugged, not quite understanding it either. Must be another weird health craze.

“That makes sense. My friend, Jimin, he’s a total health freak. Figures he wouldn’t buy normal sweets.” He laughed and Yoongi took a second to appreciate the deep sound.

“Yeah, my roommate Seokjin is the same. He’s obsessed with his looks, no wonder he comes to the weird candy shop that helps your skin.”

Yoongi turned away from the other for a minute, observing the various chocolates on display in front of him. He asked Taehyung which he’d gotten and after some humming the taller man pointed to some small square fudge bars. He nodded and continued observing the other strange creations: jars with seemingly whipped chocolate inside, large slabs of marble chocolate, and even some smaller bars obviously infused with herbs. Weird.

After a few more minutes of loitering, they both decided to leave the shop and wait for their friends outside, on a bench where it was safe from obviously commissioned sales people. They made some small talk and figured out they were both attending the same university, Yoongi as a 4th year music major and Taehyung as a 2nd year astro-physics major. After a comfortable lull in conversation, Taehyung sat up a bit and dug out the brown Lush bag and looked at Yoongi sheepishly.

“Hey, actually, since we’re both kind of stuck here, do you want to try something?” Taehyung asked, shaking the bag lightly.

“What?” Yoongi asked, surprised by the offer.

“Honestly, I’m kinda scared to try this stuff alone. So, you wanna share something I bought?” Taehyung clarified with another bashful look and Yoongi couldn’t help but smile a bit.

“Yeah, sure Taehyung.”

They both ended up choosing the fudge squares and Yoongi sniffed at the brown bar curiously. Well, it definitely smelled chocolatey enough, even with some strange citrus and herbal hints. The bar fit nicely in the palm of his hand and would actually last maybe two or three bites. The pair looked at each other dubiously as if waiting for the other to take the first bite. Eventually they settled on both trying it on the count of three. Yoongi took a deep breath and bit into the chocolate bar, mouth twisting at the taste and texture. It was unexpectedly waxy and kind of soapy tasting. When he looked up he saw Taehyung wearing a similar expression and started to laugh.

“This stuff is seriously weird. Health craze or not, I’d never voluntarily buy this stuff.” Yoongi commented, watching Taehyung take a second bite of the bar.

“Maybe...it’s an acquired taste?” The boy questioned and Yoongi snorted again before trying to finish his own piece. Despite the unpleasant taste, Taehyung had purchased this shit with real human money, and he wasn’t going to waste it by throwing it away.

“Yoongi! There you are.” He looked up to see Seokjin walking out of the shop, finally, with another boy next to him, shorter with shocking red hair.

“Oh, hey Jimin!” Taehyung called out and the boy next to Seokjin waved. What were the odds.

“Hey Tae, sorry it took so long. What are you eating?” Jimin asked, pausing in front of his friend curiously.

“I bought some stuff so the salespeople would leave me alone.” Taehyung held up the bag with the remaining items and Jimin’s smile faltered.

“Wait, something from Lush?” The boy asked and Taehyung nodded.

“Yoongi, are you eating it too?” Seokjin asked him, eyes wide.

“Yeah, Taehyung offered me some. I gotta say, this is the weirdest chocolate I’ve ever tasted.” Yoongi explained, popping the last bite of the chocolate into his mouth as if to make a point.

Both of the boys blanched and exchanged frantic glances. Yoongi looked to Taehyung and saw the boy was just as confused by their reaction as he was. He looked back up to ask the pair what was up with them when he felt an odd sensation. It started off as a tingle and then started warming to a slight burn, down his throat and into his stomach. Next to him, Taehyung started clearing his throat, maybe feeling the same sensation.

“Hospital, where’s the nearest hospital?” Jimin started asking, whipping his head around as if he could suddenly find one.

“I think there’s one a few blocks away but maybe I should call 911.” Seokjin pulled out his phone, tapping his foot nervously.

“Why are you freaking out?” Yoongi said, or tried to say, he more coughed it out as that burning sensation spread.

“Shit am I allergic to chocolate now?” Taehyung rasped out, looking at Yoongi with watery eyes.

“No, oh my god, that wasn’t fucking chocolate. Can’t you guys fucking read?!” Seokjin exclaimed, catching them both off-guard.

“Lush is a cosmetics store, they make gourmet soaps and shit. You both just ate a full bar of gourmet soap.” Jimin explained a bit calmer, ushering Taehyung into a standing position.

“Fuck. Good thing we didn’t eat the cake pops too.” Yoongi managed to maintain his sarcasm even as Seokjin yanked him up by the arm.

The two boys were practically dragged through the streets bound for the nearest emergency room. The burning sensation started rising in intensity and Yoongi felt the strongest urge to vomit. Taehyung beat him to the mark, rushing to the nearest trashcan and gagging.

“Oh my god, Tae you can’t die on me we’re almost there.” Jimin tugged at his retching friend who was currently dry heaving. If he kept that up, Yoongi didn’t know how much longer he’d last either.

Seokjin kept a firm grip on his arm and didn’t once pause his strides, even as Jimin struggled to catch up with a paler Taehyung in tow. The small hospital came into view as they rounded the next corner, the glowing “emergency room” letters looking like an entrance to heaven. The boys increased their speed and burst into the waiting area. Jimin sat the two soap-poisoned boys down while Seokjin went to the counter to explain the predicament. After a minute, Jimin left to join Seokjin, bouncing around nervously.

“Crazy day, right?” Yoongi attempted a conversation with the half-dead boy, but that at least earned him a chuckle.

“Wanna make it even crazier?” Taehyung asked, turning to observe him intently. Or as intently as he could when his eyes kept watering.

“I’m listening.” Yoongi replied coolly, trying to ignore the way he was breaking into a cold sweat.

“Give me your number. Let’s get some coffee sometime, after we get our stomachs pumped that is.” Taehyung smiled and fought not to gag again, remembering how it burned his throat earlier.

“You had me at stomach pump.” Yoongi smiled slyly, fighting back the urge to cry.

“Nothing sexier than a dual endoscopy.” Taehyung tried laughing but ended up coughing instead.

“I would say you’re making my heart race, but I think that’s an effect of the soap poisoning.” Yoongi smiled, watching the taller boy hack his lungs up, his words still managing to bring another smile out.

“I can’t believe this. You two are literally dying and you’re trying to flirt?” Seokjin walked up to the pair, glancing between them in disbelief.

“Not trying, succeeding.” Yoongi grinned, handing his phone over to Taehyung before he passed out.

They’d finished exchanging numbers when a nurse walked out and approached the small group. What a sight they must’ve been. Two boys on the brink of death, Seokjin tapping his foot in worry and disdain, and Jimin crying in the corner muttering something about writing wills. The woman sighed and pulled out a clipboard.

“Let me guess, you two are Min Yoongi and Kim Taehyung, and you’re suffering from soap poisoning after visiting Lush?”

“You have no proof!” Taehyung accused, probably half-gone to delirium. At the same time, Yoongi finally doubled over and vomited like he’d been trying not to do since they got there.

The nurse looked at the two, quite unimpressed, and spoke into a small radio device.

“Please bring out two stretchers. We have another Lush case, category two it seems. Also, call the janitor. Looks like it was the fudge soap bar again.”

---

Taehyung and Yoongi did in fact meet up for coffee after they were fully recovered. They may have also gone to an actual candy shop and purchased some actual fudge purely out of spite. One date turned into two, which turned into a month and then much more. Currently, the two were sitting on the floor of Taehyung’s dorm room, the beds occupied by Jimin and Hoseok. Taehyung was laughing at something Yoongi had whispered in his ear when Hoseok leaned forward smiling.

“All this time I’ve been friends with both of you, but I never thought you’d get along like this.” He looked between the two queerly.

They exchanged a glance and just shrugged. Sometimes life just works in mysterious ways. Opposites attract or some shit like that. Hoseok hummed and tapped away on his phone before sitting up again and interrupting the pair.

“I don’t think you ever told me how you met actually.” He stated, obviously curious. Across the room Jimin groaned and attempted to smother himself with a pillow. Hoseok frowned at this reaction but wasn’t deterred.

“Huh, well, it’s a pretty funny story actually.” Yoongi started, looking over at Taehyung and smiling shyly. The younger boy nodded sagely and continued the tale.

“It all started with soap that looked suspiciously like fudge.”

[minsazucar-archive]

have you considered writing a yoonjin prequel to "The Reason"? i really really love that story

I actually have been planning to write their backstory. No promises on when it will be done since school is really busy this semester. Thank you for reading btw!!

[minsazucar-archive]

this potion influenced yoongi is basically drunk yoongi, omg so funny, good story, i love magical hs aus

omg it is basically drunk yoongi lol thanks so much im glad you liked it!!

[minsazucar-archive]

love sick rated pg/pg-13 I guess for implied things?? word count: 4,853 ship: yoonjin prompt: for the yoonjin fic exchange on ao3, ���yoonjin magical hs au”

It was really an honest mistake. Actually, you could even say it wasn’t Taehyung’s fault at all. He didn’t make the potion with Yoongi in mind nor did he hand it to him that fateful day. No, this was all just a big unfortunate occurrence. 

Taehyung skipped down the hall and into his classroom, aware that he was almost twenty minutes early. He’d been at school for almost an hour now, tinkering around in the potions lab. He liked it best there in the mornings, when the school was nearly empty, the soft daylight beginning to stream through the windows. It was easier to concentrate that way. And today, Taehyung had been particularly inspired.

He sat down giddily at his desk, thermos full of his latest concoction in hand. The classroom was still generally empty, two students finishing homework in the front row. His friends occupied the back corner of the room, but they wouldn’t be arriving for at least another fifteen minutes. Maybe ten if he was lucky. He really wanted to talk about his creation.

He set the thermos at the edge of his desk and pillowed his head in his arms, content to look out the window for now. He hummed lowly, eyes fluttering as they followed a couple of bird prancing around the tall tree outside their class. They were at perfect branch-level on the third floor and he often found himself immersed in the critters that would scurry along the thick branches. He was so caught up with bird watching that he completely missed Yoongi trudging into class until the boy plopped into the desk a few seats away from him.

“Good morning Yoongi!” He chirped out, at full attention now. The older boy just groaned, as he so often did in the morning hours.

“I’ll never stop being amazed by your boundless energy.” Yoongi grumbled, turning in his desk to look at the boy. He eyed the thermos on the boy’s desk blankly for a few seconds before getting up again. He swiftly picked up the container and sniffed it, looking back down at Taehyung curiously.

“Since when did you start drinking coffee? Is this how you stay so active?” Yoongi asked, and before he could respond, he screwed the top off and began to drink it at an alarming rate.

He gawked at the older boy, who seemed to enjoy the liquid as if it were really coffee. He couldn’t remember making it coffee flavored. Personally, it had smelled like strawberries to Taehyung. Maybe it shifted smell and flavor for each person? Interesting. Okay wait, but now was not the time to be taking notes. Taehyung watched in mild horror as Yoongi downed the last of the liquid and returned to his desk, promptly laying down for a nap before class.

Alright. Yoongi just drank his potion. He didn’t immediately keel over, that was a good sign. He wasn’t changing colors or morphing; Yoongi would never let him live down that one potion that made his hair fluctuate colors for a week. Although Taehyung would claim that potion a success, since Yoongi had ended up keeping the pink hair after it stopped shifting. But this wasn’t some mood-hair potion, or some energy boosting potion; this was a rather serious, rather experimental potion and even if it worked, he was going to be so dead.

Taehyung was so busy observing his sleeping friend and imagining the many ways he would die that he didn’t even notice two more people joining the group. He looked up after a hand waved in front of his face, staring dazedly at Hoseok and Jungkook.

“Taehyung what did you do?” Hoseok asked cautiously as he took a seat next to him.

“What? How did you know? It wasn’t my fault I swear.” Taehyung spat out quickly, looking nervously between Yoongi and his other friends.

“You look like you just accidentally set a pet shop on fire.” Jungkook snorted, sitting in front of him. Taehyung whimpered.

“Calm down Tae, what happened?” Hoseok asked, rubbing soothing circles on the boy’s back. The action calmed him just slightly, enough for him to sigh and brace himself.

“I gave Yoongi a love potion.” He whispered in barely contained horror.

“You what?” Jungkook snapped back, putting his phone down to focus.

“Okay it was an accident.” His eyes darted anxiously between the two shocked faces.

“Explain.” Hoseok looked over at Yoongi’s sleeping form warily.

“I was practicing potions early in the lab this morning. Yes I had permission from Ms. Song, don’t give me that look Jungkook. I had this idea for a type of love potion and I brought it with me in a thermos. Then Yoongi came up and thought it must’ve been coffee and just drank the whole thing then went to sleep.” He gushed out hurriedly, taking a deep breath at the end.

“Why did you have it with you?” Jungkook asked after a minute of silence.

“I was going to show you guys and drink it to see if it worked!”

“Tae, love potions are kind of-” Hoseok began, lips pulling into a frown. Taehyung jumped in quickly.

“Okay maybe love potion is the wrong word. It’s like...more like affection? It’s just supposed to amplify existing emotions of affection. And it can be platonic too! It just makes you more honest in affection...I think...if it works that is.” He mumbled, looking down bashfully.

The trio sat in silence for a while longer, discreetly observing Yoongi’s sleeping figure.

“Maybe...maybe this could be a good thing.” Hoseok murmured, still staring at Yoongi in front of him.

“What do you mean?” Taehyung asked, glancing back at him.

“Well, you’re already pretty affectionate. I don’t know how that potion would really work on you.” Hoseok started, kicking Jungkook to get his attention.

“Hm, true. Go on.” He muttered distractedly, still staring at Yoongi.

“Yoongi is shit at being affectionate. I mean, we all know he likes us, but he’s an ass. Maybe this could be interesting.” He continued, smiling slyly.

“If it works.” Taehyung murmured.

“What?” That made Jungkook look back around, face scrunched in confusion.

Taehyung was good at potions. It was his best subject. He always came up with crazy, useless potions and they always worked. But this wasn’t a hair color potion or sleep aid, this was about emotions. Emotions were tricky things, and Taehyung was far from mastering those spells.

“I’ve never tried this potion before and I kind of...made it up...let’s hope it doesn’t do something horrible.” Taehyung chuckled humorlessly.

“What else could it possibly do…” Hoseok trailed off, almost afraid to ask.

“Well, it’s either going to work. Or it’s going to make him extremely horny. Emotion potions are tricky like that.” Taehyung stated factually; at this point, he was dead inside.

“Oh my God.” Jungkook groaned.

“We need to check. We need to check right now so we can get him out of class if we need to.” Hoseok decided quickly, nodding to himself.

“Jungkook, go wake him up.” Taehyung urged, nudging the younger boy.

“I’m not touching him!” He shrieked; nobody in class paid them any mind, they were always this loud.

“Tae, this was your potion, shouldn’t you be the one to wake him? Evaluate the effects yourself?” Hoseok reasoned, smiling solemnly.

“I’m pretty sure out of all of us, he likes me the least. Jungkook is his favorite.” Taehyung countered, tugging on the boy’s uniform again.

“I’m his brother, I better be his favorite. I also don’t want him catching a boner because of me.” Jungkook shivered in disgust at the thought.

“Oh please, don’t flatter yourself-”

“Just go wake him up Taehyung.” Hoseok sighed and that was the end of the discussion.

Taehyung slowly sat up and made his way over two spots to Yoongi’s desk. He hovered there for a moment, staring at the top of Yoongi’s pink hair. He noticed the roots were starting to grow out. Maybe he could make him another hair potion as an apology. ‘Or maybe my potion will actually work and he won’t kill me because he loves me.’ Taehyung thought to himself. He took a shuddered breath and started shaking the boy awake. He tried to smile as the other lifted his head groggily, groaning in exasperation.

“Hey Yoongi, what’s up? Are you feeling okay?” Taehyung bounced nervously as he talked.

“Yes? I think so.” Yoongi yawned and put his head back down but then paused, frowning. “Actually, now that you mention it, I feel a little off.” Yoongi sat up, waking up as he blinked at Taehyung curiously.

“O-oh yeah? How so?” Please don’t get the hots for me.

“I don’t know.” Yoongi squinted up at Taehyung and his face softened. “I feel like...very warm...have I ever told you how nice your smile is? It makes me happy.”

“Hey...Yoongi,” Taehyung smiled slowly, “can I give you a hug?”

Without any more prompting, Yoongi sat up from his seat and moved to throw his arms around Taehyung. The taller boy stiffened for a split second before returning the hug with enthusiasm, sending a toothy grin to the other two boys watching from their desks. He regretfully broke the embrace after a moment and lead him over to the others to see what would happen.

They watched in barely contained amusement as Yoongi fawned over Jungkook, telling him how proud he was and smothering him with hugs. He turned his sights to Hoseok after that and like with Taehyung, started complimenting his smile and happiness, all the while holding the other boy’s hand. This should have been mildly embarrassing and a little uncomfortable, but it was so refreshing to hear Yoongi’s actual thoughts instead of his usual callous remarks.

After a while, Jimin and Namjoon walked into class, faces a mix of shock and panic as they were assaulted by Yoongi’s affection. Taehyung did the honor of whispering to them what had transpired this morning. They grinned mischievously after that and quickly joined in the party, drowning in the rare affection while it lasted. Taehyung actually wasn’t all that sure how long it would last. It could be an hour, a day, maybe even a week. He made a mental note to himself to talk to Yoongi about it at the end of the day, whether it had worn off or not, so he could make actual observations. This potion was a success.

“Good morning. Everyone seems chipper today.”

All eyes turned to see Seokjin walk up, glancing around his group of friends curiously. They had all been so busy fussing over Yoongi that they hadn’t even noticed the oldest boy walk in. How could they have forgotten about Seokjin? Everyone whipped around to watch Yoongi closely, almost holding their breath in anticipation. Even on normal days, they could tell the boy had a soft spot for Seokjin. They could see it in his smiles, his mannerisms, and the subtle skinship he did when he thought no one was looking.

Yoongi stared at Seokjin now, blinking rapidly. Just then the bell rang and everyone scrambled to their seats. Their runes teacher walked in and everyone pulled out their assignments, not wanting to get on Ms. Jung’s bad side so early in the morning. However, nobody missed the way Yoongi stared at Seokjin the entire class period, sitting rigidly in his seat. Taehyung frowned as he watched Yoongi stiffen when Seokjin leaned over to ask him something.

This was interesting. Had Yoongi figured out he’d been love poisoned? That would seem the case. He was going to be so dead after class.

---

As soon as the bell rang dismissing first period, Yoongi shot up and bolted straight out of the classroom. Once in the hallway he took a deep breath and composed himself. He pulled out his phone as he walked, texting Hoseok to meet him on the roof and to bring Taehyung. He was going to kill him, but not before he figured something out.

Yoongi wasn’t stupid. In fact, Yoongi was the opposite of stupid. The minute he started drinking the contents of that thermos, he could feel the magic in it. But he drank it anyways, since it really did taste like coffee and he knew Taehyung wouldn’t bring any fatal potions to class like that. When he was so rudely awakened minutes later, he knew exactly what that potion was for.

At first, it was kind of nice. Yoongi wasn’t very good at expressing his feelings, but now it was so easy. And under the guise of a potion, Yoongi indulged the others in their antics, happy to pretend to be oblivious to the situation. But then Seokjin walked in and every nerve in his body began to scream and it was all he could do to remain rigid in his desk the entire class, fighting the magic in his body.

He cleared his head with another deep breath, the early spring air still crisp. Not long passed before the door to the roof opened again, a solemn Hoseok dragging a terrified Taehyung towards him. He sighed as they approached, feeling that tingle of magic buzzing under his skin again. The tingle that made him want to pet the younger’s hair and soothe his fears. That was not the tingle he got when Seokjin was around. There could be a few reasons for that, and he needed to find out what Taehyung had put in that potion. It also meant he would have to come clean to the younger boy, something he had been hoping to do on better terms.

“I-I’m so sorry Yoongi. You know it was an accident, I didn’t mean to and it was, I mean-” Taehyung stammered out.

“Taehyung, shush. It’s fine, it was my own fault. I indulge you too much.” Yoongi sighed, unable to keep up his rage.

“Is it...did the potion wear off?” Hoseok asked carefully and Yoongi shook his head.

“No, it’s still working.” The younger two exchanged a look at this.

“Did, did you know the whole time?” The youngest asked, brows scrunched in confusion.

“Taehyung, did you forget who I am? I may not have the best grades, but you all know I’m one of the best warlocks in this damn school. I knew it was a potion the minute it touched my tongue.” Just because he liked sleeping through class didn’t mean he wasn’t a good warlock.

“Then why did you drink it?” He asked, clearly baffled.

“Like I said, I indulge you too much.” Yoongi sighed again, moving to pet Taehyung’s hair.

He liked the younger boy a lot, almost like a second brother. When Taehyung had discovered his talent for mixing potions, Yoongi was quick to encourage him quietly. This meant listening to him ramble about herbs, agreeing with his outlandish ideas, and as of late, showing up to class early to serve as a guinea pig for whatever Taehyung had cooked up.

“Anyways, what exactly was your potion supposed to do? Make me a clingy fucker?” Yoongi asked curiously, finding he was latching onto Hoseok’s arm again. The two boys laughed.

“Well, if it’s working then it’s supposed to just amplify any existing affection you have. Platonic, romantic, whatever. It’s supposed to make you honest in your emotions. It’s not going to create new emotions.” Taehyung explained happily and Yoongi nodded along.

“You didn’t feel like hugging any random people in the hallway right?” Hoseok asked.

“No, I didn’t. Okay that makes sense. So then, what does it do if I’m attracted to someone? Does it amplify that too?” Yoongi asked warily, finally getting around to what he dreaded most.

“Um, it might. I put minimal amounts of aphrodisiac in it.” Taehyung admitted bashfully.

“Tae...” Hoseok groaned.

“It was supposed to be for me! You know I’m not attracted to people like that.” He exclaimed, face still red.

“Alright, how long is this supposed to last?” Yoongi sighed, trying his best to not panic. Aphrodisiac? Really?

“Um, actually I don’t know…” Taehyung scuffed his shoes, avoiding eye contact.

“You don’t know.” Yoongi repeated hollowly.

“That’s the main reason I test potions. You know they usually work, but I’m never sure for how long. My guess is anywhere between a day and a week.” He mumbled.

“A week. A whole fucking week.” Yoongi leaned against the railing, his knees weak.

“Come on Yoongi, it can’t be that bad. We liked your attention this morning.” Hoseok tried to cheer him up, snuggling up to the shorter man.

He just grumbled but didn’t shove him away. It wasn’t his friends he was disgruntled about. Oh no, this morning had been fine, absolutely fine, until Seokjin had walked in. He sighed deeply and knew he had to come clean; at least Hoseok already sort of knew.

“I’m going to be very upfront and tell you I don’t have platonic feelings for Seokjin.” Yoongi waited for a reaction but was met with indifference before continuing, “In fact, we’ve been, um, actually dating for a few weeks now.”

“I mean, we kind of all guessed that. Maybe not the dating part, but definitely the feelings.” Hoseok supplied after a moment.

“Yeah, you both practically act like you’re married half the time.” Taehyung laughed and Yoongi scowled.

“It’s cute.” Hoseok cooed, and Yoongi swore on his life that when this potion faded, he was gonna thoroughly kick their asses.

“Okay, you know what’s not cute though? I’m already affectionate enough with Seokjin. This potion is literally compelling me to shove my tongue down his throat in class.” Yoongi felt a sick satisfaction in watching the other boys cringe in disgust.

“Gross! TMI! Didn’t need to know!” Taehyung yelled, covering his ears.

“Taehyung, how much aphrodisia did you put in this potion? Like measurement wise.” Hoseok asked, still somewhat scarred from the mental image Yoongi had given him.

“Let me see…” Taehyung closed his eyes, reviewing his notes in his head, “A tablespoon?”

“Taehyung.” Hoseok gasped, in admonishment and shock.

“What? I always put that much in mine. It’s never done anything.” He stared between the two confusedly.

“Taehyung you’re asexual, of course it wouldn’t do anything.” Yoongi deadpanned.

“Why do you even put it in your stuff?” Hoseok continued, still mildly shocked.

“It makes things taste like strawberries.” Taehyung mumbled.

“Alright, make note of this Taehyung. Your potion is a smashing success. Except next time, do not put copious amounts of aphrodisiac in it. Just add artificial sweetener or something.” Yoongi patted the boy’s shoulders and made his way to the stairwell, leaving the pair on the roof.

“Is a tablespoon really a lot?” He looked up sheepishly.

“Let’s just say I wouldn’t be surprised if Yoongi is headed to the bathroom to jack off right now.”

“Hoseok! Gross!”

---

Seokjin had watched, mildly startled, when Yoongi had all but ran away after class ended. He sighed and slumped in his seat, worrying his lip in thought. It was only a minute later that Hoseok got a text and then he and Taehyung were leaving as well. Taehyung. That could only mean one thing.

“Alright, what did Yoongi drink this time?” Seokjin asked, spinning around to stare at his remaining friends.

“A kind of love potion, right?” Jimin answered nervously under Seokjin’s heavy gaze.

“No, like. The way Tae explained it, it’s just supposed to amplify existing emotions of affection and stuff.” Jungkook added before a misunderstanding occurred.

“Wouldn’t that make it more of a truth serum then?” Namjoon asked curiously.

“Maybe, except it only works on emotions of love. But I guess Yoongi figured it out by the time you walked in Seokjin.” Jungkook shrugged, almost an apology.

“Oh please, he knew before that.” Seokjin scoffed, fighting back a smile.

“What? But he was totally acting all sappy with us.” Jimin muttered in confusion.

“That’s because he’s a total softy when it comes to Tae. He’ll drink just about anything to make the kid happy.” Seokjin smiled again; Yoongi had literally drank a potion that turned him into a frog once, just so Taehyung could see if a kiss would change him back. It didn’t, but it was still awfully cute.

“Then why did he stop the minute you joined us?” Namjoon asked, equally confused.

“Oh, I have a few guesses.” Seokjin smiled lightly and locked eyes with Jungkook, “Can I talk to you outside real quick?”

He got up and left the room swiftly, knowing the younger boy would follow him shortly. He was maybe the only member of their friend group he could be open with this about, since Yoongi wanted to keep their relationship private for the time being. Seokjin huffed and waited in the hallway, where Jungkook soon joined him, looking wary yet curious. He smiled slightly before speaking.

“Kookie, you know I’m dating your brother right?” He asked and the other boy scoffed good-naturedly.

“Well yeah, it’s kinda hard to miss. But Yoongi told me to keep quiet about it.” He smiled wryly, remembering the countless dates Yoongi snuck out to, telling him to never speak of them.

“Of course he did, he’s so shy about these things. Listen, did Taehyung specifically make that potion for Yoongi?” Seokjin rolled his eyes and got to the point.

“No, he made it for himself. Yoongi drank it on accident.” Jungkook explained, a silent question of why in his eyes.

“What did the potion smell like?” He asked slowly, somehow already anticipating the answer.

“Well...Yoongi totally thought it was coffee. Taehyung said it was strawberries. When I sniffed the thermos it smelled more like vanilla.” He answered after a while, shrugging.

“I see. Alright thank you Kookie. You can go now.” Seokjin sighed, leaning against the wall.

“Alright…” Jungkook hesitated before moving to head back inside.

“Oh, and don’t tell anyone else what you know, okay?” Seokjin reminded, not really needing to, but still taking the precaution.

“Yeah I know.” Jungkook smiled and rolled his eyes.

Seokjin fondly watched the boy walk away before sighing in the empty hallway. If the potion had been for Taehyung then he just knew the boy probably added way too much aphrodisiac and that was the main reason Yoongi had bolted. He briefly wondered if Yoongi had went home, just avoiding the entire day in general; then he remembered that he’d left all his stuff in the room and decided he was probably on the roof or something.

Maybe if he played this right, it could work out in their favor. When they’d finally confessed their feelings to each other (which was more of Yoongi stuttering and Seokjin watching him meltdown with amusement), he’d thought they would finally stop tip-toeing around each other. But then Yoongi had asked if they could keep things private, to not tell their friends for a little while. Seokjin knew it was because the other boy was incredibly shy about these sort of things, a sort of soft-side he didn’t like to display. He’d reluctantly agreed, letting him take his time, but it had almost been a month and Seokjin was getting tired of it.

But now, Yoongi had a potion coursing through him, one that made him a little too honest with his emotions. Maybe this was the push he finally needed to admit their relationship to the others. Plus, it wasn’t like they were fooling anyone. Seokjin was sure that maybe, probably, at least three of the five boys already knew, if not at least suspected something. He just shook his head and turned to walk towards the stairwell, determined to find Yoongi and work something out.

“Jin.” A voice croaked out and Seokjin looked up to see Yoongi frozen at the end of the hall.

Seokjin tried his best to hold back a laugh, but it was pretty difficult; Yoongi looked absolutely wrecked. From the looks of it, he’d just finished talking to Taehyung and probably knew exactly how screwed he was. He took a frantic look around to confirm the hall was empty before striding to Seokjin and pulling him into a searing kiss.

Seokjin let himself be pushed back into a wall, stunned by his quick movements, and still trying not to laugh. He felt himself melt into the kiss before long, finally moving to place his hand on the other’s hips. It only lasted a few more moments before Yoongi was breaking away, breathing heavily and leaning his head against Seokjin’s shoulder.

“A tablespoon. Taehyung put a whole tablespoon in that potion.” Yoongi whimpered and Seokjin actually did laugh this time.

“Honestly, I’m impressed you stopped.” The older commented, smoothing down his boyfriend’s pink locks.

“I’m just full of surprises.” Yoongi remarked sarcastically and Seokjin hummed.

“Well, so am I.” He smiled slyly when Yoongi looked up at that and started to tug him down the hallway.

“Jin, why are we walking towards a supply closet.” Yoongi commented dazedly, letting himself get dragged along.

Seokjin looked back and lifted an eyebrow, silently asking is that a problem?

And right now, no, it very much wasn’t. Who cares about dignity anyways?

---

The week passed by tamely after that first day. Everyone got used to Yoongi’s affections, which dwindled as the week wore on. However, everyone got a good laugh whenever Seokjin actively provoked Yoongi, reducing him to a red, grumbling mess.

They were caught making out in the stairwell quite a few times by nearly every member of their group, and once almost caught in the janitor’s closet by Jungkook; they tried to forget that moment all together. When they were finally cornered by their friends and collectively asked if they were actually a thing, Yoongi grumbled reluctantly while Seokjin smiled victoriously.

“We knew you guys had the hots for each other, but we didn’t know ya’ll were actually...like, for real dating.” Namjoon commented, an amused smile playing on his lips.

“We thought we’d have to perform an intervention to get you two to admit your feelings.” Jimin added, laughing at the way Yoongi continued to sulk.

“Jungkook, why didn’t you tell us you knew?!” Hoseok screeched playfully.

“Hey, I have some loyalty as a brother!” Jungkook countered, clutching his heart in mock insult, before murmuring, “Also, Yoongi inscribed a secrecy rune on me while I slept so I literally couldn’t.”

Everyone dissolved into fits of laughter at that and Yoongi slumped further in his seat. But it was hard to be mad when Seokjin reached over and gave his cheek a quick kiss and a smile that said ‘thank you’. It was hard to be mad when all his friends were nothing but supportive if a little embarrassing. Yoongi supposed he was happy, no longer carrying a secret out of pure stubbornness, and he glanced over at Taehyung where he sat perched on Jimin’s lap. Maybe one day he’d thank him, but for now he just started sketching out a rune in his book for future revenge.

----

Taehyung leaned against the railings on the roof, watching the sunset with a serene expression. Jimin stood next to him, watching the other boy more than the splash of colors on the horizon. His gaze flickered down to the boy’s wrists, where the outline of a fading rune was still present. Yoongi had taken revenge not long ago, inscribing a spell that turned Taehyung into his personal errand boy. It was a small mercy that it had only lasted three days, a sign that Yoongi wasn’t actually mad at the younger, rather just slightly disgruntled.

“I’m so glad that potion finally wore off. If I had to catch Yoongi with his tongue down Seokjin’s throat one more time…” Taehyung shuddered at the thought and Jimin laughed, snapping out of his reverie.

But that brought another question to his mind, and he mulled it over before deciding to ask.

“Tae, why do you put so much aphrodisiac in your potions anyways?” He asked quietly, watching him intently.

“I, uh, like I said. It tastes like strawberries.” Taehyung muttered, glancing around nervously.

“Yeah but so does adding julepleaf extract. And without the side effects on other people.” Jimin countered, expecting the worn-out excuse.

“Yeah I know.” Taehyung sighed, still avoiding eye contact.

“So?” He egged on, knowing the response but still hoping against it.

“I keep thinking that maybe if I drink enough, I’ll be able to feel...normal.” Taehyung looked up at this, hints of shame and embarrassment evident in his eyes.

“Taehyung.” Jimin frowned, hesitating a bit before reaching out for the other.

“I know, I know it’s stupid and everyone says there’s nothing wrong with me, but still Jimin, I just-” Taehyung stuttered nervously, cutting off when Jimin wrapped his arms around him.

“No. No buts Tae. I love you just the way you are. You don’t have to change anything for me.” He said softly, pulling back so he could look him in the eye. Taehyung didn’t flinch away this time, just stared at him in surprise and just a bit of doubt. Jimin detached himself but laced their fingers together.

“Just this, right here. This is enough for me.” He declared, lifting their joined hands up, pressing a feather-light kiss to his boyfriend’s knuckles.

“Forever?” Taehyung whispered, biting his lip to hold back tears. Jimin smiled and didn’t hesitate.

“Forever and ever.”

[minsazucar-archive]

Hello~! I was on a sort of hiatus because of the holidays but I'll be posting some new fics soon. Thank you to everyone who's followed me!

[minsazucar-archive]

runaway rated pg I guess idk how ratings work rlly word count: 3,442 ship: jongkey prompt: I was a little too obsessed with SHINee's song "runaway"

“What were you doing in the rain?”

Jonghyun let a small smile creep onto his lips.

“Dreaming.”

The first time he ran, it was over something menial, an event so minuscule that no one cared to recall it. He must’ve been around five years old, on a clear summer day, when a fight with some friends sent Jonghyun running. He hadn’t gotten far before his parents found him, and they shrugged it off as a child’s way of venting. It wasn’t until years later that running became a habit; a habit he wasn’t willing to break.

---

The first time he ran, it was over something trivial; or at least, that’s how it seemed to others. But Jonghyun remembers it as the day that changed his life. He’d always been reserved, never liking conflict or gossip. He’d keep to himself and ignore others as best he could; but that didn’t mean people would just leave him be. Since first entering middle school, he found himself to be the victim of constant teasing. He wanted to not care, tried so hard not to let their words faze him. But one year passed, followed by another, and the teasing wouldn’t stop, and his shell began to crack, and the pressure began to build. Until one day, he simply lost it. He couldn’t remember the exact comment that broke him, although he had a hunch it was something about looking like a dinosaur, but whatever it was sent him over the edge. One minute he was in a class, having his books tossed and words slurred, and the next minute, he was throwing desks out of the way and running.

Jonghyun ran. He was out of the building. He kept running. Farther and farther. Before long, he couldn’t even see the school building. His lungs were burning and his legs ached. He kept running. There was something liberating about the movement, something that propelled him forward, further and further, until eventually his body couldn’t take anymore. When he finally half-collapsed in an alley, breath heavy and body drenched in sweat, he had no idea where he was. Yet he couldn’t find it in himself to panic, instead finding peace in the unfamiliar surroundings.

He wandered through the streets casually. He ignored how it was starting to get dark. He ignored the cold. He ignored the light rain. He just kept wandering, because it just made him feel so much better. As if all he needed this whole time was to just run away for a bit. He paused under a streetlight and breathed in the cool air, smells of rain and earth bringing a smile to his face. He stood, basking in the rain, until all of a sudden, he couldn’t feel it anymore. Turning around, he was met with a pair of sharp eyes, attached to a boy about his age, who was holding an umbrella over him. Oh.

“You’ll catch a cold if you keep standing there like an idiot.”

Jonghyun couldn’t help smiling at the seemingly harsh words. And he couldn’t stop the laughter bubbling up at the boy’s resulting confusion. God he was just so tired.

He let himself be pulled away by the other boy, who was named Kibum, by the way. Apparently the streetlight he was standing dazed under was right across the street from Kibum’s house. Jonghyun was dragged inside and sat down, the other boy fretting over the disheveled being.

“Hey, what’s your name?”

“Jonghyun.”

He graciously accepted the hot cocoa placed before him.

“Where do you live?”

“Over by Jineul Prep.”

Kibum sputtered into his cup.

“What?!”

Jonghyun stared blankly and shrugged.

“B-but, that’s pretty much the other side of town. What are you doing here? In a uniform even!”

“I just…started running…and I didn’t stop. So I ended up here I guess.”

They sat in a comfortable silence, just drinking their cocoa. Which, by the way, was the best damn hot cocoa he’s ever tasted. He enjoyed the presence of this Kibum kid, liked the way his eyes looked far away and how his lips pursed in thought. There was something refreshing about him, and Jonghyun liked it almost as much as the run. After their cups were long empty, Kibum broke the silence for the last time that night.

“What were you running from?”

He didn’t answer, because he couldn’t admit it to himself. Kibum tried a different question.

“What were you doing in the rain?”

Jonghyun let a small smile creep onto his lips.

“Dreaming.”

---

The next time he ran, it was over something serious. It’d been a while since his last escapade, months since he last saw that Kibum kid. Since that cold, rainy night, he’d managed to get through the school year without much more teasing. He’d graduated and moved on to high school. And he was a lot happier. Jonghyun had the chance to start anew, and by god he took it and worked it. He wasn’t popular by any means, but he had friends that were more than enough, had classmates that he could casually talk to, had people that thought it was cute how he looked like a dinosaur. He still had issues with handling pressure, but had it mostly under control by joining the track team, where he could run his troubles away.

But there was just some pressure that couldn’t be contained on a track field. Things like finding out about your parent’s divorce can’t be dealt with in circles. And so Jonghyun stood, dinner half finished, and was out the door in record time. And he ran. He didn’t realize where his feet were taking him until his body gave way to exhaustion. When he ran, he didn’t think; that was the whole point. However, he was less than a little surprised and more than a little pleased to find himself under a familiar streetlight.

He loitered for god knows how long, glancing unsurely at the house across the street. After a while, he heard a small gasp behind him, and spun to meet a pair of familiar sharp eyes. Jonghyun couldn’t stop his stupid grin and Kibum couldn’t help smiling back, with a sarcastic roll of his eyes.

“It’s the middle of winter you know.”

“Yeah, I know. Chilly huh?”

“You’re going to catch a cold standing there like an idiot.”

“At least it’s not raining this time.” Jonghyun grinned, and followed Kibum as he stormed off in feigned exasperation.

And there they were again, sitting face to face at a table, warm hot chocolate in hand. He didn’t know what the guy put in it, but no matter how he tried, he could never find another drink quite like it. They carried on talking as if it hadn’t been half a year since they’d seen each other.

“So which high school did you end up choosing?”

“Seongsan High. Closest place without a strict hair policy.” Jonghyun shook his blond fringe as if to emphasize his point. Kibum just snorted attractively.

“I’ll keep that place in mind. I’ve been wanting to dye my hair for a while.”

“You’d look good blonde.”

“I know.”

They talked about nothing and everything, passing time in the cozy kitchen. Around their third cocoa refill, Jonghyun decided to pull out his phone. Wow that’s a lot of missed calls. Kibum seemed to sense the change in atmosphere, and asked a nostalgic kind of question.

“What were you running from?”

Jonghyun didn’t answer, because he couldn’t. Again. Kibum sighed.

“Okay…well, why do you run?”

Jonghyun smiled. That he could answer.

---

The seventh time he ran, it was over something pitiful. Shameful. Disgusting. There weren’t enough adjectives to describe what Jonghyun had done that day. Looking back, this was one of the moments he would regret deeply, along with a few others. But he was just a person, and he had flaws too, but that was no excuse. And it never should have been.

It had been a while since Minho confessed his sexuality to Jonghyun. They had been best friends for years now, and Jonghyun wasn’t one to judge. Plus, Taemin was seriously a cute kid, and how could anyone hold disgust towards them, perhaps the sweetest couple in the world? But Jonghyun knew better, knew not to idealize a situation. Because although he understood, and other friends and classmates might understand, things like homosexuality weren’t exactly broadcasted in South Korea. Kids were different, but adults were harsh, and Jonghyun knew this and warned his friend countless times, be careful be careful be careful. And every time Minho had just laughed it off with a sure, sure or a don’t worry so much hyung or the ever used Taemin looks enough like a girl so no one will know.

But one day they were caught. And the teacher thought it appropriate to call Minho’s parents. Jonghyun walked him home in silence that day. The unspoken words were heavy in his throat, and he felt that pressure in his gut, but he kept walking with Minho, determined to at least make it to his house without running. Because although he couldn’t offer him words of comfort, he could at least show he was there physically. When they reached the doorstep, Minho turned back with a smile masking his worry. Jonghyun did his best to smile back, but he knew it looked forced. And he let him go.

Jonghyun walked away, giving one last glance at the closed door, and began to run. It wasn’t as fast, he wasn’t that desperate. But he needed to feel the adrenaline that running brought him. He was debating visiting Kibum, jogging lightly, since at this rate it would take a while to get there. Deciding against it for now, he stopped on an overpass and slowed his breathing. Feeling a lot calmer already, he pulled out his phone to send a reassuring text, in place of all the words he couldn’t say earlier. What he saw instead sent his head reeling and stomach churning and legs running.

Because Minho was in the hospital. And he needed to get there now. Thankfully the overpass wasn’t far from the place, and he was in sterile hallways and white rooms in no time. A nurse showed him to the room and spoke words that pierced Jonghyun at his core. She said it had been an “accident” that sent Minho down a flight of stairs. And it probably was; no matter how upset they might’ve been, Jonghyun knew Minho’s parents would never do something like throw their kid down the stairs. He opened the door and Minho turned around, a sad smile decorated with a busted lip, a small wave stunted by a cast. Minho spoke but Jonghyun almost couldn’t bear to listen. Because all he could think was this is all my fault. If he had been stronger, if he had stayed behind, this wouldn’t have happened. If he had been the friend he should be, he would’ve stood by Minho’s side, wouldn’t have let him face things alone. But he wasn’t that adequate, and his stupid need to run had taken him away from his friend. Pressure was building in his gut with each sad smile, with each choked word, with every remorseful thought of what if?

And so he cried. Let tears roll down his face as he ran. He ran because he started crying, because he couldn’t take it anymore. He cried because he ran. Again and again, he just ran and ran, further and further, until he was all alone. Alone and cold and shaking and exhausted and god what a horrible human being. And he hated himself so much, so much for running away from Minho, twice now. Self-loathing grew as Kibum’s house came into sight, and disgust grew in his gut when he shamelessly knocked on said house’s door. He was so weak so weak so damn weak.

Kibum opened the door not moments later, smart remarks on the tip of his tongue, but never spilling over. One look at him and Jonghyun was sent into a new fit, tears spilling and breath hitching, and how could Kibum not let him in? They didn’t sit in the kitchen this time, Kibum opting to sit the sobbing mess on his bed and wrap him in a blanket while he made hot chocolate. When he came back, the boy had calmed down, looking up with a tired smile. They sat on the small bed, sipping hot chocolate, no jokes or sarcastic remarks in sight. Kibum knew that’s not what he needed right now, even if Jonghyun didn’t know it himself.

Kibum placed a hand on the other’s knee in reassurance.

“Jjong. Talk to me.”

Jonghyun smiled sadly and slipped his fingers into Kibum’s.

“What were you running from?”

He held on tight.

“Myself.”

---

The “I lost count” time he ran, it was over something unexpected. Entrance exams had ended a while ago, and now it was a time of anxiety and waiting. His parents may have split, but that didn’t divide their expectations of Jonghyun. They’d always wanted him to do something great, like go to med school or law school, his grades never proving otherwise. And so, when the acceptance letters came in, there was no surprise. What sent Jonghyun running that day was a letter from Seoul, from an entertainment company he’d forgotten sending an audition tape to.

He held the paper in one hand, a request for a live audition, almost guaranteeing acceptance. In his other hand he gripped a letter from a prominent university, almost guaranteeing future success. The papers shook in his hands, heart reeling at the words, mind spinning in black text. It was a question from his mother that snapped him out of it. Are those acceptance letters honey?

He ran away, not hearing his mother sigh in surrender, not seeing the resignation in her face. He’d be lying to himself if he said he was getting better. But all Jonghyun could do was run away, still just run away.

It was a warm spring day and hot chocolate would’ve been strange, so instead Kibum placed two cups of fresh lemonade on the porch. Sipping slowly, Jonghyun had to wonder whether the boy used magical sugar or enchanted water, because every drink he made was completely addicting. They sat and chatted happily, basking in the kind sunlight. After a while, Jonghyun dug the crumpled papers from his pocket, and handed them to Kibum. He read them over silently before looking back at Jonghyun.

“Jjong…what are you going to do?”

“I…I don’t know.” He smiled sadly, and let out a morbid chuckle, “Maybe I’ll just keep running this time.”

What happened next Jonghyun never expected. Kibum threw the papers in his face, flushed red with anger. Before he could process what was happening, there was a sting on his right cheek and he knew Kibum just slapped me. He looked at the other boy incredulously, but words caught in his throat as he witnessed tears pooling in those sharp eyes.

“You can’t keep running away Jonghyun! You need to stop. Stop running…”

Jonghyun never heard what Kibum said next. Because his ears were ringing, tears were falling, and his legs were running. For once, it didn’t help. Because he had no place to go now. No one to run to. Because it had always been Kibum, could only be Kibum.

Maybe I’ll just keep running.

---

Jonghyun never went back to Kibum’s after that. Every time he felt the urge to run and began to take off, his gut would wrench and his legs would cramp and he would feel even more lost. Because he realized a little too late that he wasn’t running to get away. He was running to get to Kibum.

He sighed heavily as he packed up his books, his last class of the day finally over. He hadn’t seen Kibum in almost a year, taking off for that one med school his mother loved right after graduation. He’d never said goodbye to the other boy, never told him which path he’d chosen. Never got to show him how he’d finally stopped running. He’d gone to med school, stayed in a dorm, was working hard for a good future; and not once had he run away.

He collapsed in his empty dorm room, mind swimming with thoughts of Kibum, heart aching with the need for closure. With a long sigh and a come on Jonghyun, stop whining like a bitch, he rolled off of bed and decided to sort through the stack of mail on his desk. Junk, junk, junk; oh, mom had sent a letter. With the hope of money in mind, he eagerly opened the large envelop, only to find a smaller letter inside with a short note.

Jonghyun

A boy stopped by and left this letter for you. I don’t know who he was, but he was adamant so I thought it best to send it.

Love Mom

With lightly shaking hands, Jonghyun picked up the smaller envelope and found himself smiling wryly at the neatly written Take a wild guess on the front. He gingerly opened the letter, only to find an anticlimactic folded flyer. He unfolded it, distracted when a tiny scrap paper fell down. He picked it up while looking at the flyer, curious as to what prompted Kibum to contact him after so long.

His breath hitched. It was a flyer for open auditions at that same company he’d wanted to join so long ago. He read the scrap paper and his world stopped.

Stop running.

Jonghyun can’t remember the last time he cried this intensely. Before he knew it, his body had already began to run, taking him to the place he'd longed for. To Kibum. Hours later, standing under that streetlight, he stopped and let his mind piece things together. He didn’t mean to show up here. Not again, not like this. But maybe, just maybe, this is what he needed all along. He needed Kibum. But he didn't deserve him. Not yet.

And so he took one last look at that house, with its promise of hot chocolate and warm arms, and walked away. He knew what he had to do.

He stopped running.

---

The last time he ran, it was over something worthwhile. It was the one time he would never regret, right next to the first time that brought him to Kibum. He wandered through dark streets of nostalgic neighborhoods, pulling his hood up as it began to rain. How fitting. The weather did little to deter him, Jonghyun still bound for that place he could never escape. The person he never wanted to escape. He stopped under the streetlight, its bulb flickering every now and again, showing its age. He was determined to stay there all night until Kibum would surely notice him. Thankfully, he didn’t wait much longer, turning around when he couldn’t feel the rain anymore.

He met a pair of sharp eyes and smiled.

“You’ll catch a cold…idiot…”

Jonghyun laughed at the other’s bashful, snarky remark. He reached out to ruffle his hair.

“Make me some hot chocolate, blondie.”

They sat in that all too familiar kitchen, drinking that too good cocoa, enjoying an all too comfortable silence. But behind the nostalgic filter, Jonghyun could sense a tenseness, could see that Kibum felt it too. And it was his fault, something he was determined to correct. He finally spoke, carefully, never leaving the depths of those strong eyes.

“I dropped out of med school last semester.”

Those eyes he loved so much widened slightly.

“I auditioned again. I’m an official trainee in Seoul now.”

Kibum almost looked happy, but was hesitating for some reason.

“Then…why did you come back-”

Jonghyun cut him off with a shake of his head.

“I didn’t run away. Let me finish.”

Kibum nodded, slightly flustered.

“I’m also working at a café on the side. I even have my own apartment now.” Jonghyun smiled at the way Kibum’s eyes were glittering now.

“Jjong, I’m so glad-”

“Kibum, come with me.”

There was a long silence, shock flooding the younger’s features. Jonghyun stared at him with all the seriousness he could muster. Kibum had helped him in so many ways, freed him from so many demons, had saved him from himself. And now it was his turn. Kibum had always loved to dance, secretly wanted nothing more than to be a dancer. And Jonghyun wasn’t going to let him settle for less in this small town. Kibum’s not the same as Jonghyun, he’s not a coward; all he needed was a way. And now he had one.

“Kibum…”

They shared a smile.

“Let’s run away.”

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please write more yoonjin! ♡♡

Definitely! It’s one of my top ships. Hopefully I’ll have another fic soon within the next few weeks (before midterms take over my life)

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bulletproofdreamer limboliving read my fic u nerds

electric heart rated pg-13 bc these two are potty-mouths word count: 3,143 ship: yoonjin prompt: “we’re both in summer school re-doing a class we failed because we didn’t pay attention enough since we both had massive crushes on each other and since we’re the only two here we finally get the courage to say something about it” au

Yoongi had failed their math class because he couldn’t seem to stop falling asleep during their lessons. Seokjin had failed their math class because he couldn’t seem to stop staring at him when he did.

Keep reading

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UR YOONJIN FIC U JUST POSTED *SCREAMS* IT WAS SSOOOOOOO GOOD OMGM

ohmmm thank youuuu im glad you liked it!!!!!

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electric heart rated pg-13 bc these two are potty-mouths word count: 3,143 ship: yoonjin prompt: “we’re both in summer school re-doing a class we failed because we didn’t pay attention enough since we both had massive crushes on each other and since we’re the only two here we finally get the courage to say something about it” au

Yoongi had failed their math class because he couldn’t seem to stop falling asleep during their lessons. Seokjin had failed their math class because he couldn’t seem to stop staring at him when he did.

Seokjin scratched away at his paper diligently, completing problem after problem with relative ease. At the rate he was going, he could probably finish the lesson early and go home before the entire day was wasted. The sound of gentle snoring snapped him out of his train of thought and reminded Seokjin why he was here in the first place. He looked around the empty classroom until his eyes landed on the only other student trapped in this hell with him.

Min Yoongi.

Yoongi had failed their math class because he couldn’t seem to stop falling asleep during their lessons. Seokjin had failed their math class because he couldn’t seem to stop staring at him when he did. And so here they both sat, wasting away their summer break re-taking trigonometry. Seokjin pouted as he glared at the top of Yoongi’s head, his hair a soft reddish-brown in the light.

Seokjin was a straight-A student, one of the top in his class and a member of the student council. And that all came to an end because of a stupid crush. But Yoongi looked so pretty when he slept, the usual scowl and tired eyes smoothed away into something softer. And Seokjin had been seated too far away to try waking up his classmate. He looked around the empty room once more. That wasn’t really an obstacle anymore.

Seokjin gathered up his things and crept into the desk in front of Yoongi’s. After carefully placing his things on the desk, he  spun around so he was face-to-hair with the sleeping boy. He allowed himself a few moments of indulgence, taking in the way the light shone on the smaller boy, how his eyelashes cast shadows down his cheeks. Seokjin sighed lightly to clear his head and then gently started shaking Yoongi’s shoulder.

“Hey...hey, wake up.” He murmured, getting louder when there was no reaction.

The boy eventually stirred and squinted against the harsh lighting. Seokjin pulled back to an acceptable distance and waited for Yoongi to orient himself. He knew the other was fully awake once he sighed and pinned him with his signature glare. Seokjin just smiled.

“You know, the only reason you’re here is because you always slept through class. Maybe you should at least try and stay awake through this.” Seokjin explained softly, as if loud noises would startle the boy. Yoongi just frowned deeper.

“Good point.” He muttered before registering exactly who was speaking to him, “So then why are you here, Mr. Class President? Did you volunteer yourself to watch over your at-risk classmate? How kind of you.” Yoongi drawled, sarcasm as thick as the sleep in his voice.

“Actually, I flunked too. We’re both in the same boat here, Yoongi.” Seokjin smiled softly and moved to turn back around.

“Seriously? Damn, never would’ve guessed.” Yoongi murmured at Seokjin’s back, genuinely surprised.

He yawned, watching Seokjin work briskly on their assignment. Yoongi looked down at his own blank papers and groaned. He ignored the slight chuckle that came in response. As he scanned the page he realized he didn’t understand any of it. Yoongi wasn’t stupid, but natural intellect didn’t help when he literally slept through every single lesson. His foot bounced anxiously as he bit the end of his pen in annoyance. He didn’t even notice that Seokjin had turned back around until he cleared his throat to get his attention.

“Do you want to work together? It might be easier than just doing all the work alone.” Seokjin asked, glancing briefly down at his blank pages.

Yoongi fleetingly appreciated that the guy didn’t outright ask if he needed help. He was never good at accepting help. But teamwork...well he wasn’t really good at that either, but it was doable. He nodded slowly and watched as Seokjin moved to fully face him. He expected him to move their desks so that they’d be connected and was mildly surprised when, instead, Seokjin just picked up his stuff and placed it on Yoongi’s desk to work. Not that he minded too much, it was just...unexpected.

“Alright, well since you’ve been sleeping this whole time, let’s get you caught up before moving on.”

Yoongi nodded along as Seokjin started working through all the problems on the first page. As time passed on, the sun shifted so it was pouring through the trees, casting shadows in the empty room. He’s not sure when exactly, but soon enough Yoongi was a lot more attentive of the way shadows played across Seokjin’s face than the numbers on the page.

He snapped up as soon as he realized this. Ignoring the look Seokjin gave him, he shook his head and sunk back down in his seat. He’d always known Seokjin was pretty. They’d been in the same classes since freshman year. It was pointless to get distracted by it now. Yoongi sighed and resolved himself to concentrate.

He pulled out his notebook with a quick ‘I’m gonna take notes’ and flipped to a blank page. He forced himself to focus on what Seokjin was saying, but that eventually backfired too. If he wasn’t watching the way light splayed on his hair, he was watching the way his face scrunched when he explained a problem; if he stared straight at his paper, all he could hear was how Seokjin’s voice sounded vaguely of music in its cadence.

And if Yoongi started formulating lyrics instead of equations, then who could blame him.

--

In the second week of summer classes, school decided to become even more of a literal Hell by having an AC malfunction. The noon-day heat was unbearable, even with all the windows open. Yoongi sat there, sweating in his undershirt (he’d long-since taken his uniform shirt off), bangs sticking to his forehead, while Seokjin looked nothing short a picture of serenity, his uniform still neat and hair flawless as ever.

Just when Yoongi was about to maybe pass out from heatstroke, Seokjin stood up and grabbed his stuff. He shot Yoongi a look as if to say ‘aren’t you coming?’ Confused, Yoongi gathered up his stuff and followed Seokjin out of the room. After taking a quick look around, the older boy made a sprint to the exit, leaving Yoongi scrambling to catch up. Once outside, Seokjin didn’t slow down until they were out the school gates; he paused to let them catch their breaths, flashing a smile when Yoongi scowled at him.

“What the hell was that?” Yoongi asks when Seokjin suddenly starts walking again.

“That school was like an oven, there was no way I was about to stick around.” He throws over his shoulder, hands tucking casually into his pockets.

“Why, did you want to stay longer? Aiming for perfect attendance?” He teases, noticing the frown still on Yoongi’s face.

Yoongi scoffs and shakes his head in disbelief.

“Never pegged you as the type to cut class.” Yoongi replies cooly.

“You don’t know anything about me.” Seokjin shoots back playfully.

They eventually stop at a corner store and buy some popsicles and it feels like strawberry-flavored heaven. Seokjin takes off his uniform shirt after a while, a wrinkle-free v-neck beneath the button up, and Yoongi glances down at his own wrinkled band t-shirt. He shrugs internally, kind of enjoying the juxtaposition. They sit under the shade of a tree and finished their popsicles before they melted.

When he thought Yoongi wasn’t looking, Seokjin snuck glances at the other boy. This was the first time he’d ever seen the other in something besides the mandatory uniform. He took a moment to appreciate his good taste in music, if his t-shirt was anything to go by. Yoongi suddenly looked up, catching Seokjin staring, but only smirked as he laid back in the grass.

“So Mr. Class President, since I apparently have you painted all wrong, why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself? Surprise me.” Yoongi drawled, eyes still on Seokjin from his reclined position.

Seokjin’s eyes twinkled with something close to mischief and he started chuckling. He turned back around and reached for his bag. He stood up and patted the grass from his pants, sighing audibly.

“I don’t have to tell you anything.” Seokjin smiled amiably one last time before walking off.

Yoongi kind of liked that.

--

“I have a question for you,” Seokjin started one day, snapping Yoongi out of his almost-nap. He just grunted in acknowledgement and Seokjin continued.

“What the hell do you do all night that you still fall asleep in class?” He sounded incredibly exasperated which just made Yoongi smile.

“Why don’t you take a wild guess.” He smirks, pillowing his head in his arms again, ready to resume his nap.

“Are you...a chronic masturbator?” Seokjin leaned in and whispered into his ear.

Yoongi’s eyes shot open to meet Seokjin’s serious gaze, before he broke out in laughter. Yoongi just scoffed and shook his head in disbelief.

“Kim Seokjin, I never know what kinda shit will leave your mouth next.”

“Alright, alright. So you’re not jerking off until the wee hours of morning. I’m thinking it might have something to do with that notebook of lyrics you always carry around.” Seokjin continued after his laughter died down, although he still had that one smile on his face.

Yoongi wasn’t sure if he was growing to love or hate that smile. All he knew was that it meant Seokjin was up to no good.

“How do you know about that? Have you been digging through my stuff?” Yoongi couldn’t help but sound a bit annoyed; he valued his privacy after all.

“Of course not. I’ve never really read them or anything, but you write in it quite often, it’s hard to not notice.” Seokjin clarified, almost seeming bashful.

Yoongi hummed. Ah fuck it, who cares.

“Yeah, I do music on the side. I’m usually up until dawn working on stuff.” He shrugged, trying to keep his tone casual.

Music was really important to Yoongi. He didn’t just talk to anyone about it. But Seokjin just hummed and nodded serenely.

“Okay, I can see that. You seem the type.” He responded after a second of thought.

“Oh? What does that mean?” Yoongi chuckled, shooting him an amused smirk.

“You’re like that brooding artistic bad boy from old romance films.” Seokjin clarified, smiling softly in a way that made Yoongi’s heart flutter.

“Oh? You got a thing for those type?” He tried to joke despite the frantic beating of his heart.

“Wouldn’t you like to find out.” Seokjin teased and went back to finishing his work, leaving Yoongi in quiet disarray.

Yeah I would. He thinks to himself as they get back to work. At this point, the thought doesn’t even surprise him.

--

“This shit is impossible.” Yoongi groaned.

They’d been in class for the whole day unable to make it through their daily assignment. Their jackass of a teacher stopped showing up to “supervise” after the first week, leaving the two to their own devices. Things had gone smoothly so far, namely because Seokjin could remember most of what had been covered in class. This particular section, however, had them both stumped.

Yoongi packed up his stuff, not looking forward to have to do double the work next week. Maybe if he was lucky, Seokjin would do it over the weekend and just give him the answers next time. He got up and startled a bit when he noticed Seokjin staring at him. How long had he been doing that?

“I hope you’re not thinking of letting me do all the work this weekend so you can free-ride, right?” Seokjin smiled at him and Yoongi felt his face redden.

“Maybe.” He answered defiantly, refusing to expose how embarrassed he felt at being caught.

Seokjin just hummed and pulled out his phone, shadow of a smile lingering on his lips. After a few moments of tense silence, he glanced up and pinned Yoongi with a look.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” He asked, phone still in hand.

“What, you asking me out?” Yoongi countered, attempting to mask his nervousness with humor (a tactic which, more often than not, fails horribly).

“Sure, if that’s what you wanna call it. Come over to my place and we can finish the assignments. Together.” Seokjin smiled and continued fiddling with his phone.

It was a ridiculous old pink flip phone and Yoongi couldn’t help but find it endearing. He was knocked out of his musing when his pocket vibrated. He pulled out his phone and saw a text from an unknown number.

“That’s my address. Come over tomorrow whenever you wake up, just text me first. See you later Yoongi.” He sing-songed as he strolled out of the classroom, leaving Yoongi glued to the same spot.

All Yoongi could think of as he stood in the empty classroom was ‘Why does he have my phone number.’

--

Yoongi lay on his bed on a lazy Saturday morning...okay it was 2 p.m. but it was morning for him. He juggled his phone in one hand, debating on whether or not to send the text he spent the past 20 minutes writing. He bit his lip, finger hovering over the send button; sucking in a deep breath he trumped his nerves and sent the damn text.

[yoongi, 2:13 pm]: hey seokjin u busy tonight? u shld come to a show w me tonight

[seokjin, 2:15 pm]: What time? I’m not busy~

[yoongi, 2:20 pm]: meet me in hongdae at 9

[seokjin, 2:21 pm]: dress code?

[yoongi, 2:30 pm]: like u wanna get fucked in a public bathroom

Seokjin wanted to pretend like that last response didn’t fluster him. But even minutes later while he was rustling through his wardrobe, he couldn’t deny his face was still warm to the touch. Two could play that game. He pulled out some ripped jeans he knew made his ass look good and loose white shirt with a neckline that was way too wide.

He hopped in the shower and couldn’t help but wonder when things got to this point. He started the summer as a guy who had flunked math because of a silly crush. Now he was here getting ready to go to some shady club with said crush. With which he flirted with quite shamelessly.

But Yoongi flirted back. Almost since day one it seemed like Yoongi was vaguely as interested in him as he was. He never really thought he’d get this kind of attention back. He also never thought Yoongi would even interest him for as long as he did.

Drying his hair Seokjin admitted to himself that maybe he liked Yoongi a little more than he previously thought.

Seokjin looked good. Like, really good. Like, Yoongi couldn’t take his eyes off him the entire night good. He was actually joking when he told Seokjin the “dresscode”; he’s not sure whether he regrets lying to him or not. The music in the club was beyond loud, the bass pumping through their bodies, making Yoongi feel more alive than he has all day.

He tugged Seokjin along through the throng of people to his usual spot by the bar. His other friends were already there and it vaguely registered to him that he hadn’t told them about Seokjin. Oh well.

“Namjoon, Hoseok! This is Seokjin.” He half-yelled in greeting to be heard over the music.

His friends gave him both incredulous and wary looks but greeted Seokjin nonetheless. Yoongi pretended he didn’t see Hoseok’s eyebrow wiggle. He sat down on a stool and took a second to breathe, Seokjin tentatively sitting next to him after escaping his friends.

“Hey, are you performing tonight? Hoseok just said…”

Yoongi swore his heart skipped a beat. Instead of speaking up Seokjin found it appropriate to lean in and speak directly into his ear. The sudden proximity was doing things to Yoongi but he ignored it in lieu of processing the question. Performing….tonight…

“Oh, yeah, I am. Nothing special just a short song I’ve been working on.” Yoongi answered back in Seokjin’s ear.

“I’m excited. You’ve never showed me any of your music.” Seokjin pulled back and smiled widely.

It wasn’t that usual smile that meant trouble was brewing. It was genuine and bright and made Yoongi incredibly bashful all of a sudden. He nodded rapidly and turned back to the bar, getting a drink to calm his nerves. He tossed back a shot of whatever the barista handed him. It burned down his throat and cleared his head. He waved to his small group and scampered away.

He was up next.

---

They finally made it. It was the last week of summer classes and somehow both boys had managed to survive. Soon enough they’d be free to spend the last two weeks of summer break in total leisure.

Finished with their assignments of the day, the two decided to spend some time on the roof. Seokjin still had the key from when he was in student council and it was a perfect overcast day. They lay sprawled on the ground letting the cool humid air wash over them. At some point Yoongi heard rustling and looked over to see Seokjin fish out a carton of cigarettes.

“You want one?” He glanced down from where he stood by the roof’s ledge.

“I didn’t know you smoked.” Yoongi commented as he stood up and walked over to join him

“There’s still a lot you don’t know about me.” Seokjin smiled and handed him a cig.

“I have a lighter in my bag.” Yoongi remembered, watching Seokjin pat himself down in search of one.

The taller boy nodded and walked back to their bags. Yoongi gazed out at the gray city. The view from the roof was pretty nice; he regretted never sneaking up here before. If he had, would he have met Seokjin sooner? Would he have run into the pristine class president leaning over the ledge, blowing smoke to join the polluted sky? The thought made him smile.

The sound of rustling behind him stopped and there was a long stretch of silence.

“You find it, Jin?” Yoongi looked over and froze.

Seokjin sat on the floor, reading messy papers that had fallen out of Yoongi’s bag. Realizing what they were, Yoongi flushed and cursed to himself. Seokjin looked up with wide eyes and red cheeks.

“Yoongi...are these about me?” Seokjin asked softly, eyes traveling back down to the messy songs in his hands.

“Wouldn’t you like to know…” Yoongi mumbled, knees weak at having been caught.

Seokjin smiled softly and put the papers away, standing up with a lighter in hand. He walked back over to the shorter boy and lit their cigarettes.

Their first kiss tasted like nicotine (and it was just as addictive).

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stranger rated pg i guess bc i dont kno what rated g is word count: ~890 ship: taekook prompt: i saw this picture of ufo graffiti and it made me v melancholy

Jungkook feels lost and Taehyung has a plan to be found.

Jungkook is out again, finding solace under the flickering streetlights. It was mid-November and the air was especially nippy tonight; Jungkook liked seeing his breath come out in white puffs against the dark night. His boots echoed in the empty alley as he strolled aimlessly, not knowing what he was looking for until he saw it.

He glanced up at a patchwork wall, the various shades of white paint evidence of all the tagging it’s suffered. He gave pause at one section of the wall, where the paint was a bit more weathered and there was a faint outline of the black markings it desperately tried to cover. His mouth twitched and he stretched out his arm to run his fingers over the outline of flying saucers.

–

“What are you doing?”

Jungkook watches as the boy pauses his activity at the question and slowly turns around. He doesn’t seem startled or alarmed that he’d been caught in the dead of night; instead he fixes Jungkook with a gaze that seems to say ‘what does it look like I’m doing?’ The boy turns back around after a moment and continues spray painting the patchwork brick wall.

Jungkook keeps standing there, watching the boy decorate the walls with flying saucers. He’s not really sure why he stuck around or why he was even out so late in the first place. Tonight, he was lost. But maybe he’d been lost for a very long time. And as the boy finished his work and stepped back, Jungkook realized he’s not the only lost one.

–

“Have you seen me…” Jungkook forms each word carefully as he traces over the faint lettering on the wall.

He stares at the wall, long since free of fresh tagging. It’s resident artist had been absent as of late. Weeks now, actually. Maybe months. Jungkook couldn’t be bothered with conceptualizing time.

He stared at the faded image for a few more moments, bouncing on his heels, suddenly very antsy. He finally reached into his backpack and pulled out a can of black spray paint and began to trace the outlines of the barely-there ufos.

–

“My name is Jungkook.” He says to the boy tonight.

“Taehyung.” The boy replies, shaking his spray can and continuing his work.

They stand in silence then, until Taehyung is finished with yet another of his ufos.

“What are you doing?” Jungkook asks again, like he did so many nights ago when they first met.

This time Taehyung shoots him a smile brighter than the sun before going back to the wall.

“I’m leaving a message.”

Jungkook watches him finish and sincerely hopes his message gets delivered.

–

Jungkook finishes the small section of wall in record time, but it doesn’t feel right. He looks up. The moon is high over head and his face is starting to burn from the cold. When he looks at the wall again, his little black flying saucers look very lonely on the vast expanse of white-out wall.

He hates being lonely.

With renewed vigor, he opens his bag and takes out another spray can and begins to cover the wall in multicolored ufos. He vaguely thinks that maybe Taehyung would like this better.

–

“Do you wanna give it a shot?” Taehyung asks another night, holding out a spray can.

Jungkook stares at it for a while before shaking his head. Taehyung shrugs and goes back to tagging the wall. A few more minutes of silence pass before he turns around again.

“Why do you only ever watch me? Are you sure you don’t wanna leave something too?” And this time there’s genuine curiosity in Taehyung’s voice.

They’ve met countless times on countless nights and they hardly ever speak; but somehow along the way, Jungkook became convinced that everything Taehyung does is nothing short of genuine.

Jungkook meets his gaze and shakes his head again.

“I don’t have a message worth leaving just yet.”

–

The patchwork brick wall in once again covered in sloppy flying saucers, in all different shapes and sizes. Jungkook’s fingers went numb a long time ago, but he’s not done just yet.

He pauses over the outline of Taehyung’s message. Taehyung wanted to be found. Jungkook wasn’t ever too sure of what he wanted. But tonight, he thinks he as an idea.

Tonight, he decides to write his own message.

–

Jungkook has visited the patchwork wall countless nights now, and Taehyung was nowhere to be found. His last ‘message’ had been covered up by the city weeks ago. Jungkook almost finds it in himself to feel worry for the boy.

But he doesn’t really know Taehyung. Maybe he never really wanted to.

He puffs out a breath and glances up at the sky. It’s getting close to winter and the night sky was clear as ever. He hums to himself and thinks of Taehyung’s smile.

Maybe someone finally got his message.

–

The spray can clatters to the ground and echoes through the alleyway. Jungkook shoves his numb hands into his pockets and takes a last look at his work.

He smiles wryly and finally turns to head home.

Hopefully Taehyung would get his message someday. If not, he’d just have to come back and leave it again every night.

–

We will eventually find each other.

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This is what’s going on in my neighborhood right now.