Work Text:
SMILE
Seokjin stepped in the door of his and Jimin’s shared apartment to find it already occupied. “Oh. Hey,” Seokjin said awkwardly. He hoisted his backpack a little higher on his shoulder.
“Jin!” Jimin greeted, excited. He sat up on the couch. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”
Seokjin looked down the couch. He recognized Jimin’s friends, Taehyung and Jungkook, but he had no idea who was sitting on his thrifted armchair, getting his dirty sneakers all over the red floral upholstery.
“This,” Jimin said, gesturing, “Is Hoseok.”
Seokjin dropped his backpack. “No.”
“Yes,” Jimin said.
Hoseok winced. “Sorry.”
“Seokjin,” Jimin said, his face screwed up petulantly. As Jimin’s big brother, Seokjin had grown up dealing with a stubborn Jimin, bending to his will like a palm tree in a hurricane. But this time, Seokjin wasn’t listening. “What are you going to do for the talent portion if you can’t dance? Your hobbies are cooking and Nintendo, and while it is impressive that you’re on the world leader board for Mario Kart, you can’t play your DS on stage.”
“Woah, what are you talking about?” Jungkook asked, crossing his legs on the couch: criss-cross applesauce. He held onto his toes like a baby instead of a college freshman.
Seokjin sighed. “Jimin thinks I should do a dance routine for the Mr. Seaside competition.”
“It’s the only thing you can do,” Jimin spoke up.
“See, the thing about that is, I can’t,” Seokjin argued. Despite his theatre minor, Seokjin was probably the worst dancer on campus. Not only did he have no sense of rhythm, but he also had trouble moving his feet and hands at the same time. His hips couldn’t bump or grind, his shoulders didn’t shimmy. He was a straight board out on the dance floor. The best he could do was jump up and down and pray that no one stared at him directly.
“That’s what Hoseok is for,” Jimin said. “He’s going to help you with a routine. We’ll all be in it.”
Taehyung blinked. “We will?” he asked, deep and slow like he was a little distracted. Taehyung was always a little distracted.
“I’m feeling really weird about this, Jimin,” Hoseok said, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.
“No, don’t feel weird, all of this is going to work out,” Jimin promised. He flashed a smile at Seokjin. “Hoseok is really nice. You’ll love him. Just give him a try, okay? He just started out as a dance instructor, and he really needs clients. Don’t shoot him down.”
Seokjin sighed. “Jimin—“
“Come on,” Jimin whined. He leaned over to poke at Hoseok’s cheek. “Look at that face. How can you say no to that face?”
Seokjin bit his lip. He had trouble saying no to anyone’s face, but that was why Seokjin had told Jimin no in the privacy of their own apartment when he had initially brought it up. Now, Jimin had dragged Hoseok into their home, where Seokjin lived, even after Seokjin had already told him he wasn’t interested.
It didn’t help that Hoseok was one of the most attractive people Seokjin had ever seen. Seokjin had thought Jungkook was a cutie when Jimin dragged him home after class one day, but apparently, Jimin was still holding out. Hoseok was just Seokjin’s type with thin straight brows and a soft, flat nose.
Hoseok smiled sheepishly, and Seokjin nearly had a heart attack.
Jimin smirked at him knowingly.
“... I’ll try one lesson,” Seokjin agreed, and then turned to Jimin, poking him in the chest. “But you’re paying.”
“Ow,” Jimin whined, a pout clear on his face. Seokjin ignored him and headed into the kitchen, Taehyung hot on his heels like he was a puppy and Seokjin had just wrinkled a potato chip bag.
“So, you’re gonna dance, Jin?”
Seokjin sighed, pulling out a bell pepper and an onion from the refrigerator. “I guess so.”
Taehyung sat up at the counter, stealing some of the cherry tomatoes Seokjin had sitting out. “I think you’d do a good job,” he said encouragingly.
Seokjin snorted. “I knew you were my favorite,” he teased, rewarding Taehyung by sharing the location of his secret cookie stash. (He was hiding a batch of chocolate chip in an empty protein powder container by the sink.) Taehyung gasped and grabbed a handful. Meanwhile, Seokjin started on dinner, trying not to think about inevitably embarrassing himself in front of Jimin’s newest (handsomest) friend.
HAIR
Seokjin kept his eyes glued to his 3DS while he waited for Hoseok. The sun’s glare on his screen made it difficult to keep his head in the game, but Seokjin was in the middle of an Air Battle that he couldn’t afford to lose. He was better on land. He needed to focus.
However, his mind was elsewhere.
The Mr. Seaside competition was one of the most highly anticipated events of the year. It was an all-male beauty pageant, essentially. The girls had their own event in the fall, when the weather fit jewel toned dresses and heavy makeup, but the boys had their event in late spring. It was the final showcase before the end of the semester.
The entire campus showed up. Seokjin had to present in formal wear with an escort, navigate through a worrisome interview session, and perform a ten-minute talent routine.
Most years, participants performed in drag.
Seokjin wasn’t sure he was ready.
He’d been nominated as the male representative for the apartments without his knowledge. Apparently, he’d been a write-in victory. Seokjin knew his symmetrical features and broad shoulders were both a blessing and a curse, but he hadn’t realized just how problematic being the campus catch could be. Seokjin hadn’t chosen his role as Mr. Apartments; his classmates had decided for him.
And now he had no idea what he was supposed to do.
Fortunately, Hoseok and Jimin had decided that the first step to putting together his performance was picking his song selection. Hoseok was supposed to be meeting Seokjin at Manco’s in a few minutes to try to narrow down his mash-up.
Salty air blew through Seokjin’s bangs, and he pushed them back off his forehead. His Air Battle came to an end. He looked up.
Hoseok was standing above his table, smiling wide. “Hey,” he said in greeting. “Sorry I’m late.”
“No worries,” Seokjin said. He took his feet off of Hoseok’s chair and sat up straight. Hoseok sat down across from him. “Jimin said you liked mushroom, so I just got a whole pizza.”
“You’re paying, right?”
“It’s the least I can do,” Seokjin promised.
Hoseok was wearing a sweatshirt that dropped down to his knees and a baseball cap that almost hid his eyes. He had a backpack on one shoulder that he dumped next to him on the ground. As he bent over to fish around for a notebook and a pen, Seokjin couldn’t help but notice the strong lines of Hoseok’s neck and jawline.
Seokjin’s fingers twitched. He had to stop falling in love with all of Jimin’s friends.
“Awesome,” Hoseok said. He sat cross-legged in his tiny restaurant seat. “Okay, so what were you thinking?”
“Honestly,’ Seokjin said, trying to ignore how Hoseok’s jeans clung to his thighs, “I wasn’t really thinking at all.”
“Okay, well... Most Mr. Seaside presentations have a theme,” Hoseok said. “Like, the songs tell a story.”
Seokjin scratched the back of his neck. “Um... I’m not really sure I have much of a story.”
“Okay. Well, what kind of music do you like?”
“I hop around.”
“Do you have a favorite artist?”
“Not really.”
“What genres are you into?”
“Um...”
“Geez,” Hoseok said. He looked unimpressed; the corners of his mouth pulled down into a frown. “Do you even want to play any music at all?” he asked.
Seokjin sighed. “Not really. I wasn’t going to accept the invitation for this stupid thing, but then Jimin gave me shit for like... never leaving the apartment or whatever, so now... here I am.”
“Okay, well if you never leave the apartment, what do you actually like doing?” Hoseok asked.
“I like cooking,” Seokjin started. “I was actually in culinary school for awhile.”
“Oh, wow,” Hoseok said, drawled out like he was actually impressed. Seokjin smiled a little, his cheeks heating up.
“Um, and then also... Well, I think Jimin may have told you, but I’m... really good at video games. Like, the weekend after Mr. Seaside, I’m flying out to Seattle to talk on a couple panels for PAX West.”
“Woah,” Hoseok said. His eyes were wide, and Seokjin didn’t know how to handle his sincere interest. It apparently was very easy to awe Hoseok. “So you’re really good.”
“I... Yeah,” Seokjin said.
Hoseok stared at him for a second and laughed. “You know, it’s funny. Around campus, you seem so... I don’t know, aloof? But really you’re just a big, nervous, gaming nerd.”
Seokjin snorted. “Yeah, that’s unfortunately accurate.”
“I can see why you wouldn’t be the Mr. Seaside type,” Hoseok said, leaning back in his chair. He tapped his chin. “But, you know, the video game thing... that could be cool. Maybe we could dance to the Mario soundtrack. Or like... that little song that comes on when you’re making Miis?”
“Oh my god,” Seokjin said. He sat up straighter, starting to actually get excited. “That’s probably the only thing I would actually consider dancing to.”
Just as Seokjin was starting to get excited, the waiter stopped by to deliver their pizza and grab Hoseok a diet coke. Seokjin took a bite of mushroom pizza and winced when the cheese burned the top of his mouth. Hoseok snickered when Seokjin flapped his hands around and chugged half his water bottle.
“See, you need to be patient,” Hoseok teased.
“Don’t tell me what I already know,” Seokjin complained. His mouth felt rough and gritty.
Hoseok just huffed. He blew on his pizza before taking a bite. He looked contemplative as he chewed and swallowed. “So. Dude. Dancing is great. Why do you hate it so much?”
“Um, I suck at it,” Seokjin said.
“Doubt it.”
“No, I genuinely and truly suck at it,” Seokjin promised. “I have great hand-eye coordination, but that’s where it stops. Every other part of me is a clumsy, janky mess.”
Hoseok laughed loudly. “J-Janky?” he asked, wiping a tear from his eye.
“The jankest,” Seokjin promised.
Hoseok actually giggled, lifting up his hat and pushing his hair back off his head before replacing it. Seokjin knew he should be embarrassed, but instead of worrying about Hoseok laughing, he was focused on the way his hair fell back on his head. It was long enough to toss back off his forehead, and it had enough body that it almost bounced as he pushed it between his fingers.
One strand fell out behind his ear. Seokjin realized he was staring.
“We’ll figure it out,” Hoseok assured him. “Everyone can dance. And if it’s really bad, then we can just stand you up front, and you can lip sing while we dance around you.”
“That honestly sounds more my speed,” Seokjin said.
Hoseok shook his head. “Oh, no. You’re not wimping out on me. We’re gonna try it. It’s a dance to a video game soundtrack, it won’t be that complicated,” he promised. Seokjin arched an eyebrow, and Hoseok laughed again. “You’re just going to have to trust me.”
“Okay,” Seokjin agreed. “I can do that.”
HANDS
Namjoon’s frown reflected in the dance studio mirrors. “Okay, so like... Do I wear shoes, or...?”
“You probably wanna have just socks,” Jungkook said from his spot in Namjoon’s lap. Namjoon’s legs were straddled around him, and Jungkook bent in half to untie Namjoon’s sneakers for him.
Seokjin watched a wave of fondness pass over Namjoon’s face.
Namjoon doubled over and wrapped his arms around Jungkook’s waist. Jungkook squealed when Namjoon kissed the back of his neck, giggling and trying to twist his way out of Namjoon’s hold with cute, flushed cheeks.
This was why Seokjin had to stop crushing on Jimin’s friends. They all paired off with each other. No one was interested in him.
“They’re disgusting,” Yoongi complained from his spot next to Seokjin. He was leaning up against the back wall, checking out his reflection in the mirror.
“They’re sweet,” Seokjin disagreed.
“Disgustingly sweet,” Yoongi compromised. Jungkook spun around in Namjoon’s arms and wrapped his skinny legs around Namjoon’s waist. He nuzzled cutely into Namjoon’s neck. “Love is dead.”
“You’re horrible,” Seokjin said, but he loved Yoongi. Seokjin tried to stay rational. He tried to keep positive. But sometimes it was nice to have a friend who shit on everything and everyone with no remorse.
Plus, Yoongi owned a skimboard.
“They’re a cute couple. Be nice to them,” Seokjin said. Yoongi scowled, but before he could respond, their choreographer stood up to get the room’s attention.
“Okay,” Hoseok said. He was standing at the front of the room with his hands clapped together. Just his presence in front of the studio was enough to get the room’s attention. “So, obviously, we’re all here to support Seokjin for his Mr. Seaside performance...” Hoseok trailed off, leaving room for applause.
Seokjin flushed as everyone clapped for him. Taehyung smacked him on the back encouragingly, and Jimin’s friend Yeri waved cutely at him from across the room.
Hoseok rubbed his hands together and continued. “And from what I’ve gathered, not all of you are confident dancers. But don’t worry. I’m going to make it easy on you. The first couple songs aren’t really dancing so much as... I don’t know, blocking,” Hoseok said, frowning down at his notebook. Seokjin liked how his nose seemed to flatten further the lower his frown dropped. “And then there’s some fight choreography that shouldn’t be hard to pick up. It’s just the ending dance that might be tricky.”
Hoseok explained the set list they had come up with. The first song was to the Mii soundtrack, and Seokjin’s back-up dancers were supposed to “build him” up out of cardboard boxes that he’d break through in a grand reveal. The second song was the Mario soundtrack, and Hoseok had planned a bunch of props that Seokjin would run through to make it seem like he was actually in the video game.
Next, there would be a cooking scene to the Cooking Mama background music. Seokjin’s meal would be interrupted by a fight scene to the Super Smash Bros OST, and at the very end, Hoseok had planned an actual choreographed dance to some Owl City song Seokjin had never heard but Hoseok had insisted would fit the mood.
Seokjin was nervous as Hoseok explained the run-through, but no one in the room seemed to have any objections. In total, there were seven boys and five girls. Seokjin had no idea where they came from, but he suspected Jimin had something to do with it.
One of the girls kept blowing kisses at him whenever he looked in her direction. Seokjin could feel sweat beading up on the back of his neck.
“So, anyway.” Hoseok snapped his notebook closed. “We need to make props for some of the songs before I can choreograph, but I’ve figured out what we’ll do for the final dance, if you guys want to start learning that now. It’s kind of the most important part.”
Everyone stood up immediately. Even Yoongi moved to get in position.
Seokjin hesitated.
“Hey,” Hoseok said, suddenly standing right above him. He extended a hand out to Seokjin. “Ready to go?”
“I guess,” Seokjin said. He took Hoseok’s hand, and was surprised by the strength of his grip as he lifted him off the ground. “I think this will be the first time I’ve exercised since my mom signed me up for peewee soccer in preschool.”
Hoseok snickered, and Seokjin was starting to find himself addicted to the crinkle of his nose when he laughed. “You have unreasonably broad shoulders for someone who doesn’t work out.”
“I’ve been cursed with a beautiful body. I don’t know how to get out of it,” Seokjin sighed.
Hoseok laughed louder. “Ha, what? What do you mean?”
“I’d just...” Seokjin blew a strand of hair out of his eyes. “I’d rather go unnoticed.”
Hoseok’s smile fell into something softer, and he gave Seokjin’s hand a squeeze. He was still holding onto it. His palms were soft.
“Too bad. You’re worth paying attention to,” Hoseok said before seemingly noticing their intertwined fingers with a start. “Oh.” Hoseok frowned. He pulled away from Seokjin like he’d been burned —he even shook out his hand— and Seokjin noticed the length of his fingers. “Sorry, I’m just... “ He didn’t finish.
Hoseok turned away and went up to the front of the room. “Okay everyone, let’s learn the first eight count,” he called as everyone lined up in front of the mirrors.
Seokjin bit the inside of his cheek. Maybe he didn’t have to worry about crushing on another one of Jimin’s friends after all.
EYES
Taehyung reached his hand out for a slice of pizza, but Jimin batted it away. “No. I’m having the sausage one. You’re eating the pepperoni piece,” he ordered.
Taehyung agreed easily: as always. “Okay,” he said, leaving the last sausage slice to Jimin.
“Jimin,” Seokjin scolded. “You can’t tell people what to do like that.”
“Taehyung doesn’t mind,” Jimin promised.
“I don’t mind,” Taehyung agreed. He took a bite of pepperoni. To be fair, he looked relaxed as he slunk back in one of Manco’s stiff wooden booths. The sound of ocean waves and carnival music sounded in the background. Taehyung was at home on the boardwalk; they all were.
But that didn’t mean Jimin could boss people around.
“Taehyung is a good friend,” Seokjin agreed. “But we have four pizzas in front of us. You can’t tell him what kind he is or isn’t allowed to have. He can have anything he wants.”
Some of the dancers had decided to go out for pizza after practice. Seokjin was crammed between Yoongi and Namjoon in one of the skinny booths. Yoongi was staring down at his phone. Meanwhile, Namjoon was busy playing footsy with Jungkook, so Seokjin was forced to talk to Jimin —his brother, ew— for entertainment.
“But I don’t mind,” Taehyung repeated.
Hoseok snorted at the end of the table. “Maybe you should mind.”
Seokjin nodded. “Agreed.”
“Seokjin, I think you should mind your own business,” Jimin said, and Seokjin was pretty sure he caught Yoongi laughing into his hand.
“Are you kidding me?” Seokjin asked. “You’re the one who needs to mind their own business!”
“Oi,” Yoongi cut in. “You two are giving me a headache.” The smile pulling at his lip said otherwise. “I’m just trying to eat pizza in peace. Can we move on?”
“You know, we should play mini golf after this,” Namjoon said, suddenly addressing the whole table.
Hoseok made a face. “That’s for tourists.”
Seokjin pressed his lips together. Hoseok seemed to be fitting right in with his friend group. Jimin had made friends with Hoseok first, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise, but every time Seokjin thought his social sphere was full, someone else managed to slip through.
“Yeah, but I like golfing with Kookie,” Namjoon said. Even his eyes smiled as he played with Jungkook’s fingers.
“Don’t listen to them,” Jimin said. “Taehyung and I went with them once? Holy fuck. Jungkook couldn’t make a singe put without Namjoon wrapped around him like a snake. We were third wheels,” Jimin said, holding Taehyung’s hand.
“That’s not even true,” Jungkook said, hiding his face in his hands: a blushy mess.
“We were on a double date,” Namjoon said.
Jimin scrunched his nose up. “Taehyung and I aren’t dating,” he said, and immediately, the entire table burst into screams.
“Not this again!”
“Shut the fuck up.”
“It’s been two fucking years.”
Jimin shut everyone up by slamming his hands down on the table. “We’re not!” he said. “Why is that so hard to believe?”
“Because it’s blatantly not true,” Yoongi said, eyes flickering back down to his phone. Seokjin wished he could check out like Yoongi could. They’d had this conversation way too many times to count.
“It is true,” Jimin insisted. “Tell ‘em, Taehyung.”
Taehyung chewed slowly on his pizza. He stared at Jimin, a silent conversation passing between their eyes. Taehyung blinked. “It’s true.”
“You liar,” Seokjin whined.
“Woah,” Hoseok said. “What am I missing?”
“Taehyung and Jimin have a thing,” Seokjin said.
“We do not,” Jimin argued.
Hoseok squinted. “You know what? I see it.”
Jimin squawked, “Stop it!”
“Okay, you know what? I need another soda,” Hoseok said, standing up. “Anyone else need anything? My treat?”
Taehyung shifted in his seat. “Um... I’ll take a water.”
Jimin patted his hand. “He’ll take a water.”
“Oh my God,” Hoseok replied. He knocked on the table. “A soda and a water.” He pointed at Seokjin, “And another Sprite for this cutie.”
Seokjin’s jaw dropped. Hoseok left the table. Yoongi patted his leg.
“You want to talk about things,” Jimin asked. “Let’s talk about your thing with Hoseok.”
“You have to be nice to Jin,” Jungkook said. He’d stopped hiding his face when Namjoon managed to kiss the tip of his nose between his fingers. Jungkook took a sip from Namjoon’s Coke when he offered him his straw. “He’s fragile. He gets nervous.”
“I can’t even...” Seokjin didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t have a thing with Hoseok, it was just a flirty comment misconstrued. He also wasn’t fragile, and he didn’t get nervous. “I can’t,” he settled on saying. He didn’t miss the smile Jungkook and Jimin shared.
“I think he’s staring at you,” Namjoon piped up. Seokjin looked over.
Hoseok was standing at the order counter staring directly at him. Seokjin met his soft brown eyes. His breath hitched in the back of his throat.
Hoseok winked, and his eyes seemed to sparkle.
“It’s a thing,” Yoongi said solemnly.
Seokjin gulped. “I don’t think I’m ready for a thing,” he said, voice shaking. Once again, Yoongi patted his leg comfortingly. Jimin and Jungkook shared a look and started snickering. Taehyung hid a smile behind his hand. Seokjin shifted a little closer to Yoongi. At least he had one good friend at this table.
LEGS
“Hey, sorry I’m late,” Hoseok apologized, walking in the door fifteen minutes after their scheduled start time for their one-on-one session. (Seokjin needed a lot of extra help, and Hoseok had offered some private lessons on the side.) “I had to drive my sister to her tennis lesson.”
Hoseok’s hat was turned backwards, his tank top draped low around his armpits. Seokjin could see his ribcage.
He cleared his throat.
“No problem,” Seokjin said. “I don’t really like dancing, anyway.”
“Yeah, but I need to be on time for my clients,” Hoseok said. He looked harried as he dropped off his bag in the corner. He pulled out his phone and thumbed through his library to find their mash-up. He swore under his breath. “Fuck, this account is such a mess.”
Seokjin furrowed his eyebrows together. “Hey, are you okay?”
“No. I mean- Yeah. I mean... Ugh, it’s just been a long day. I had to go visit my dad, and the bus ride took forever, and then my mom wouldn’t go in unless they let her keep her earrings, and it’s just been... stressful, I’m sorry.”
Seokjin was lost. “...Who wouldn’t let your mom wear earrings?” he asked.
“The guards,” Hoseok said like that was enough to explain everything, his eyes trained on his phone. Meanwhile, Seokjin was more confused than before.
“Guards?”
“My dad’s at South Woods,” Hoseok said. He looked up suddenly.
Seokjin fought to keep his expression neutral. “Oh.” South Woods was the prison two hours south. Hoseok didn’t look embarrassed, but his gaze was calculating. Seokjin didn’t know what he was looking for, so he bit his bottom lip and waited.
“Yeah, anyway,” Hoseok continued. “I have to have happy clients, so I can make money, so the bank doesn’t take the condo.” He clapped his hands together. “Let’s start dancing, huh?”
“Yeah,” Seokjin agreed, suddenly wishing he wasn’t quite so awkward. Maybe he should have spent some of the hours it had taken him to beat the last Legend of Zelda game on learning better social skills instead.
“So, I thought we could go over that part in the final song? You looked like you were having a little trouble with the last eight count,” Hoseok plowed on.
Seokjin nodded. He pressed his lips together. “I may, um, need a bit of a refresher.”
“No problem,” Hoseok agreed. “I’ll run it real slow, and then we can try it together.”
Hoseok counted off a couple counts before diving into the routine. Seokjin stood behind him and watched.
Whatever awkwardness he had been feeling about not knowing how to respond increased tenfold when Seokjin watched Hoseok drop it into a low squat and stand up nice and slow.
Hoseok’s legs went on for miles, and Seokjin’s vision felt out of focus as he stared. His black sweatpants swallowed all the light coming in through the windows, and Hoseok’s legs stretched on and on and on.
“Got it?”
“Yes,” Seokjin lied.
He stepped forward. Hoseok counted off to an even slower rhythm, and Seokjin tried to keep up. Squat, up, clap, clap, step, step, one, two, three, four—
Seokjin hardly spared himself a passing glance. He was too busy watching Hoseok step through the moves.
“Better,” Hoseok said when they were done. “This time, try not to look like you’re about to pass out.”
Seokjin gulped. “I’ll do my best.”
EARS
Seokjin unzipped his hoodie. “It’s so warm out today.”
“Are you complaining?” Taehyung asked, running and jumping on his skimboard. He glided across the sand. Seokjin followed him on Yoongi’s board, letting his hand drag through the freezing cold water.
“Nah. It’s weird for March, but it’s nice.”
“Yeah,” Taehyung agreed. He seemed more distracted than usual. Half of his responses today had been one word or less.
Up the beach, Jimin was sitting in a beach chair, wrapped in blankets. Hoseok was sprawled out in the sand next to him, his beach towel doing nothing to keep sand out of his hair. Seokjin looked back at them, endeared by he way Hoseok’s tiny ears stuck out from beneath his sunglasses.
Seokjin’s board wobbled as he hit a wave.
Seokjin hopped off his board as Taehyung finished his run. Taehyung picked up his board. He stared at it. Seokjin quirked an eyebrow. “Hey, are you okay?” he asked, putting a hand on Taehyung’s shoulders.
Taehyung blinked up at him. He sighed. “Jimin.”
Seokjin winced. “Yeah, I don’t know what his deal is. But he obviously likes you, Taehyung. Don’t worry about that.”
“I’m not,” Taehyung said. “I’m just... impatient.” He said it with a little nod, and Seokjin felt his heart swell. Taehyung was another one of Jimin’s friends that Seokjin had once had a crush on; although, that ended fast when he realized Taehyung was more interested in Jimin and Jimin liked him right back.
Jimin just wouldn’t admit it.
“He’ll figure it out,” Seokjin promised. “Jimin’s stubborn. But he’s smart. And he’s good at getting what he wants.”
“...But... but even if he likes me... I don’t think I’m what he wants,” Taehyung said slowly.
Seokjin frowned. “Why would you say that?”
Taehyung titled his head to the side. There was salt water dripping down Seokjin’s calves, and warm Southern air rolling off the ocean in waves. “Well, I’m kind of a pushover.”
“Are you kidding?” Seokjin asked. “I think that’s Jimin’s favorite thing about you.”
“But Jimin likes challenges,” Taehyung said.
Seokjin blinked and then smiled fondly. “Taehyung. Your brain? Is definitely a challenge. Jimin comes into my room all the time trying to make sense of your texts and all the funny things you say. And you’re different than him. You’re nice, and generous, and creative, and a lot of other things Jimin doesn’t understand. You’re a challenge, but a good one. Jimin likes you. Just wait a little bit longer.”
Taehyung looked at the ground. A tiny grin pulled at his lips. “I don’t know if I like that...”
“Well, you should. Anyone would have a crush on you, Taehyung. You’re a good kid.”
Taehyung seemed to settle into his skin a little bit. “I’m pretty sure you’re the kid here. Aren’t you the one who dragged me out here to skim board in March?”
“Um, Taehyung, only the cool kids skim. That means I’m mature.”
“You’re glued to your 3DS.”
“Which would be lame, but I’m great at it, so it’s awesome.” Seokjin punctuated his sentence by throwing his skim board into the water and spinning as he slid along. Hoseok cheered at him from up the beach, while Jimin’s eyes stayed glued to Taehyung, trailing behind him. Seokjin smiled to himself. It was only a matter of time.
WAIST
People were still filtering into the room for dance practice. Hoseok was late again, but Seokjin didn’t mind. He would rather talk to his friends than embarrass himself in front of them.
“I think you make a good Princess Peach,” Jungkook said to Irene as she checked out the back of her dress in the mirror. Everyone had several quick-changes throughout Seokjin’s performance. They had managed to scrounge up a couple more people to move props and help backstage, but the dancers still had a lot of characters to play.
When Hoseok ran blocking he seemed stressed. Seokjin tried not to let it get to him. He was just happy someone had a vision for this awful mess.
And Irene did make a good Princess Peach.
“Thank you,” Irene said, adjusting her crown. She straightened the pieces of hair by her face. “I don’t usually like wearing pink, but I think in this case it looks nice.”
“I’m into this Koopa Troopa outfit,” Jungkook said, shaking his turtle-shell backpack in the mirror. In the corner of the room, Yoongi was laughing at Namjoon as he struggled with the tie of his Donkey Kong costume. Jimin and Taehyung were already dressed in their Mario and Luigi costumes. Everyone looked silly. Seokjin was glad his costume was just a white t-shirt and jeans.
Hoseok burst into the room.
A burst of cold air followed him. The weather was chilly again, and Hoseok’s cheeks were flushed. Seokjin adjusted his cap a little lower on his head. Hoseok looked distressed.
“Jin, you okay?” Jungkook asked, staring at him in the mirror.
“One second,” Seokjin answered. He walked over to Hoseok. When he put a hand on Hoseok’s elbow, Hoseok nearly jumped out of his skin. “Woah,” Seokjin said. “Are you all right? You kind of look like... like you’re freaking out.”
“I’m fine,” Hoseok said.
“Long day again?”
“Yes. No. I’m-“ Hoseok cut himself off with a choking noise, and Seokjin realized with a start that he was crying.
Seokjin’s hands hovered awkwardly. Hoseok buried his face in his hands, and Seokjin realized that he needed to do something, and he needed to do something now.
Seokjin wrapped an arm around Hoseok’s shoulders and lead him out of the room. As the studio door closed behind them, the chatter of the dancers fell away, so that Seokjin and Hoseok were left in the quiet hallway. Hoseok looked like he was struggling to hold himself together.
“Hey... You’re okay.”
“I’m late again,” Hoseok squeaked.
“Yeah, and I don’t mind. No one minds. It’s okay,” Seokjin promised.
“I just... I can’t... I’m having trouble pulling myself together, and I’m so sorry that it looks like I don’t care about this performance or about this time that you —or Jimin— I guess is helping to pay for because I do care. This is just a really hard time, and I’m still in school, and my sister’s too young to do anything on her own, so I have to take her everywhere, and sometimes when I’m driving, it’s like I hit every red light and every road is under construction, and maybe you don’t mind, but it’s not professional, and—“
“Hey, hey, hey,” Seokjin cut Hoseok off. “You can’t beat yourself up like that.”
“But I’m sorry,” Hoseok said.
“Well, don’t be,” Seokjin answered, not sure what else to say. Tentatively, he leaned forward and pulled Hoseok into a hug. His arms wrapped around his tiny waist, and Hoseok almost seemed to disappear in his hold. He was so tiny.
He was also shaking.
“Just take a deep breath,” Seokjin said. “Relax. You’re okay. No one is mad. Everyone in that room knows how seriously you’re taking this performance; you’ve been doing a great job so far. Sometimes, you can’t help being late.”
“Yeah,” Hoseok agreed weakly, pulling away. “I can’t help it.”
“Okay,” Seokjin said. “So... so just relax. You can’t teach dance when you’re crying, and we can all wait.”
Hoseok narrowed his eyes and sniffled his nose. “I’m not crying.”
“Okay well you are panicking, so just take a moment,” Seokjin said. This time, Hoseok didn’t have an argument. Instead, he just breathed heavily, watching everyone mill about in the studio through the glass door.
Seokjin followed his gaze. Jungkook had found Namjoon. He was helping him with his tie while Namjoon smiled down at him. Yoongi had pulled his hat down in front of his eyes, his tongue sticking out.
“Do you ever—“ Hoseok started and then seemed to think better of it.
“Do I ever what?”
Hoseok turned to look at him. “Do you ever wish things could be that easy?” he asked.
Seokjin’s heart tensed and then melted. “You have no idea,” he answered. “Jimin brought all these people to come to my dance, but for the most part it feels like... like I’m sort of on my own.”
“I’m on my own, too,” Hoseok agreed, his eyes still watering.
Seokjin was quiet for a moment. He stared at Hoseok’s hand before taking it in his own. “Well, you don’t have to be alone. You have me.”
“We can be friends?” Hoseok asked.
“We already are,” Seokjin answered definitively, giving Hoseok’s hand a squeeze. Hoseok smiled at him gratefully. Seokjin wasn’t always the best with words, but at least he had managed to cheer Hoseok up.
SHOULDERS
“And five, six, seven, eight. One, two, three-and-four-and five, six, seven, eight,” Hoseok counted.
Seokjin watched his shoulders shimmy in the mirror and tried not to drool.
Seokjin wasn’t sure if Jimin was paying Hoseok for all of the one-on-one lessons Hoseok had offered him, but Seokjin was pretty sure he’d been practicing the same sixteen beats for the past hour.
Seokjin hadn’t been lying when he said he was a bad dancer. Hoseok kept teaching him the footwork and arm movements individually, but he couldn’t put them together no matter how much he tried. It all muddled together in his head, and he ended up flailing in front of the mirror.
Meanwhile, Hoseok’s slender figure moved fluidly in front of him. Seokjin had held Hoseok only once, but he wished he had taken the opportunity to hold Hoseok by his slim shoulders.
Abruptly, Hoseok stopped dancing. “Are you even paying attention?”
“No,” Seokjin answered.
Hoseok looked incredulous for a split second before breaking into laughter. “Well, at least you’re honest.”
“We’ve been at this for ages,” Seokjin complained.
Hoseok laughed, hiding his smirk behind his hand. “It’s been like an hour.”
“That’s an age.”
“Oh my god,” Hoseok said, smiling. It was so easy to make him giggly like this. “Why don’t you take a break and get some water.”
“Yes,” Seokjin said, stepping away. His shirt clung to his back and armpits with sweat. Seokjin grabbed his water bottle and noticed Hoseok hovering by the speakers. “What about you?” Seokjin asked.
“Actually, I have a solo I think I’m gonna practice. Gotta use every available second.” Hoseok switched the music from “When Can I See You Again” by Owl City to something more sultry with a heavy bass and slow beat.
Seokjin didn’t pay much attention. The song pounded through the first verse, and Hoseok didn’t do much outside of tap his knuckles against his leg, gearing up. But the second the chorus dropped, Hoseok fell onto his knees.
Seokjin choked on his water.
Hoseok’s whole body rolled, his knees spread wide as he knelt on the floor. His head fell back as he ran a hand through his hair. At first, the movement was agonizingly slow, and Seokjin had to snap his mouth closed before he started drooling. But then, Hoseok’s leg shot out to the side, his hand grazing the side of his face, and Seokjin had to look down at his hands.
Hoseok was so slender in some ways, but so strong in others, and seeing him dance brought all of it to Seokjin’s attention. He pulled at the collar of his t-shirt. He felt like he was burning alive.
An eternity later, the song ended.
“You ready to get back into it?” Hoseok asked, moving toward the speaker again, “Or do you need more time?”
“I’m-I’m ready,” Seokjin said, even though his legs felt like jelly and he’d rather die than dance for another second. But some things were worse than death, and watching Hoseok practice his dance solo again without being allowed to run and touch him was one of them.
“Cool.”
The music started back up again, and Seokjin squinted as he tried to focus. He was mostly focused on his feet, and Hoseok had to keep reminding him what to do with his arms. He could feel the pool of sweat on the back of his neck beading up and rolling down his spine.
Hoseok helped him with his dance a couple more times before dissolving into laughter. “Okay, yeah, you look spent,” he said. Seokjin didn’t need to look at his face to know he was flushed and gross. He could feel his sweat dripping into his eyes. “Let’s call it.”
“Thank you,” Seokjin gushed. He went to grab his things, but Hoseok only changed his music back over again. “Hey, wait,” Seokjin said. “You’ve been here for ages, too. Come with me.”
“And do what?” Hoseok asked.
“I’m hot, I’m sweaty, I just burned 8 million calories—” Seokjin said, ignoring Hoseok’s snort. “Let’s go get ice cream.”
Hoseok smiled down at his feet. “Yeah, I don’t know about that.”
“Come on,” Seokjin said. “I’ll pay.”
“Listen, I have a lot of work to do.”
“Yes, but what feels better than procrastinating?” Seokjin asked, and Hoseok laughed again. “Come out with me.”
Hoseok looked at him for a minute before his shoulders slumped, caving. He looked tiny. “Fine,” he agreed. He rubbed the back of his neck. “You are paying, though, right?”
“Of course,” Seokjin agreed. “I owe you.”
“You don’t owe me,” Hoseok said, blushing.
“Well, then I want to,” Seokjin compromised. Hoseok deserved a reward for all of his effort, and Seokjin was going to give it to him. After all, an ice cream cone was the least he could do.
ARMS
The Super Smash Bros OST was playing in the dance studio so loudly, Seokjin couldn’t help but pick up the beat to the song.
The fight choreography was much easier than the closing dance. It didn’t have to be realistic. Seokjin could throw a goofy, unbalanced upper-cut, and as long as Jimin pinwheeled his arms and fell away, the audience would understand the message.
The Super Smash Bros fight was Seokjin’s favorite part of his routine: he liked anything where he got to beat up Jimin. There was only one part that sometimes got dicy.
Inwardly, Seokjin tried to count out the beat to the song. On the sixth beat, he felt Hoseok’s hand fall around his waist. He braced himself. Hoseok lifted, and Seokjin’s feet left the ground. As Hoseok held him up in the air, Seokjin delivered a fake-kick to Jungkook’s head.
Jungkook stumbled away, and Hoseok set Seokjin down to finish the routine. Seokjin, meanwhile, felt breathless.
Hoseok was so strong.
Seokjin knew he should be focused on Jungkook so he didn’t actually kick him in the head, but whenever it came time for their lift, his eyes dropped to watch Hoseok’s arms flex and straighten.
Seokjin was taller than Hoseok, but Hoseok could still lift him, despite his thin arms. He wasn’t beefy, but he was strong. Seokjin was addicted to watching Hoseok’s biceps bulge against his t-shirt sleeves.
Yoongi approached him after the rehearsal. “Are you trying to be subtle? Because your staring is obvious.”
“What staring?” Seokjin asked.
“What staring?!” Jungkook chirped, coming up from behind and draping himself over Seokjin’s back. “Your staring at Hoseok! That staring.”
Yoongi made a face. “God, even the baby has noticed.”
“Jungkook’s not a baby,” Namjoon argued, never one to drift more than a few feet away from his boyfriend. “He’s highly perceptive.”
Jungkook puckered his lips, asking for a kiss, and Seokjin shook him off before he and Namjoon could get too gross too close to him. Yoongi didn’t even have the will to complain, he just sighed heavily as Jungkook and Namjoon got caught up in each other.
“It’s just a phase, right?” Seokjin asked. “It’s puppy love. It’s not forever.”
“You haven’t known Namjoon as long as I have,” Yoongi said. His voice sounded tired as he looked at Jungkook and Namjoon through bleary eyes. “He’s a hopeless romantic. He’s going to be a gooey mess over Jungkook until the day he dies.”
Seokjin groaned.
“That, plus Jungkook is a child. He’ll always be like this,” Yoongi continued.
“You’re painting a bleak picture,” Seokjin said.
“Stop talking about our love life like we’re not standing two feet away from you,” Jungkook complained, giggling as Namjoon kissed behind his ear. His bunny smile was cute. Almost as cute as his crinkled nose. It only made Seokjin feel more despairing.
“Stop being gross like I’m not two feet away from you,” Yoongi complained.
Seokjin knew how to tell when Yoongi was looking for an argument, and the set of his jaw was a clear indicator. Seokjin exited the conversation. Instead, he made his way over to where Jimin and Hoseok were talking.
“Hey, nice work today,” Jimin said as Seokjin approached.
“Thank you,” Seokjin said. “And thank you for letting me punch you in the face.”
Jimin held up a hand for their secret handshake. “Any time.”
Hoseok cleared his throat. “Hey, um… Jimin and I were just talking about maybe going to grab some crab fries and then hitting the beach. You in?”
“Sure,” Seokjin said. “I still have Yoongi’s skimboard in my car from last time.” Seokjin tried to ignore the prickling in his fingertips reminding him how long it had been since he had touched his 3DS. Lately, he’d been distracted from gaming by all the dance practices and beach trips. Every sports celebrity had an off-season, but video games came and went. Players beat each other by narrow margins and through hours of plowing away at small monsters and side quests.
Seokjin should really be ducking his head down and maintaining his spot on the Mario Kart leader boards, but Hoseok was tempting. Seokjin couldn’t help but eat up every second of Hoseok’s available time. He was desperate.
At least all of the exercise and fresh air was probably good for him.
“I’ll go tell Tae where we’re going,” Jimin said.
“Should we invite those three?” Hoseok asked, looking over Seokjin’s shoulder where Namjoon and Yoongi had shifted into an argument about the nature of humanity and whether or not romance was necessary to a healthy lifestyle. Jungkook looked lost.
“I dunno. Seems like they’re being existential.”
“Then let’s just go the four of us,” Hoseok said. “Like a double date.”
Seokjin nodded before realizing what Hoseok had implied. He turned his head sharply, and Hoseok laughed at the expression on his face. “Like a double date,” Seokjin repeated, feeling lightheaded. Hoseok just linked their arms together. At least one of them was smooth enough to keep things moving forward. Seokjin was just along for the ride.
JAWLINE
Seokjin sat on the floor with a beach towel around his neck. He was still waiting for his turn in the shower. Taehyung was on the floor next to him, playing the Cappy to his Mario during a game of Super Mario Odyssey. Jimin was on the couch above them, squeaky clean.
Hoseok was in the bathroom.
“You’re really good at this,” Taehyung said offhandedly as they raced through the map.
“Honestly, I’m not, really,” Seokjin said. “I haven’t really figured the Swtich out, yet. There’s a lot of people out there who use it a lot better than me. I’m better on my DS.”
Taehyung hummed. “Still, you’re much better than most people.”
The bathroom door opened, and Hoseok stuck his head out. His hair dropped water onto his shoulders, and Seokjin could tell that he was shirtless with nothing but a towel from the waist down. “Hey, Jimin? Can I still get those clothes you offered?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Jimin said, standing up fast. Jimin lead Hoseok into his bedroom.
Taehyung watched him go.
“Is he still mad at you?” Seokjin asked.
“I’m not sure,” Taehyung answered. Hoseok and Jimin never wanted to join them in the water, so Taehyung and Seokjin had taken matters into their own hands. Hoseok had laughed when they threw him into the ocean. Jimin hadn’t found it quite as funny. “I don’t think so, though. He usually doesn’t stay mad at me for very long.”
“Because he likes you,” Seokjin said.
Taehyung blushed. “Shut up.”
“I still don’t think there’d be any harm in asking him out,” Seokjin said. “I know Jimin can be prickly, but I think he would say yes.”
“You do?” Taehyung asked, his eyes wide, and for the first time ever, Seokjin thought that maybe Taehyung was listening to his advice.
He paused the game.
“I definitely do. He’d be crazy to pass up the opportunity to date a guy like you.”
“Really?” Taehyung asked.
“Really.”
“Really really?”
“Really really.”
“Really really?”
“Yes, geez, Taehyung, just go for it. He’s all fresh from the shower and cute, now is the perfect time. You can do it.”
“Okay,” Taehyung said, popping up to his feet. He looked nervous, his knees shaking.
Hoseok emerged from Jimin’s bedroom, fully clothed, and Taehyung took his spot, closing the door behind him. Hoseok frowned over his shoulder, towel drying his hair with one hand. “What’s going on with him?” Hoseok asked, stealing Taehyung’s spot next to Seokjin.
“He’s confessing,” Seokjin answered, passing Hoseok Taehyung’s controller.
Hoseok smiled to himself. “That’s sweet.”
Seokjin smiled, too. “Oh, to be young and in love.” Hoseok giggled and Seokjin unpaused the game. He tried to keep his eyes glued to the screen, but it was hard with Hoseok sitting next to him, water dripping from his hair and down his jawline. His cheeks were pink from the sun, and the bridge of his nose was burned and peeling. It was still spring, but Hoseok looked like Seokjin had caught him midsummer.
Hoseok caught his gaze.
“You’re staring,” Hoseok teased, stealing Seokjin’s water bottle from the coffee table. Seokjin watched his throat work, observing the tense of his jaw.
“I’m not,” he lied.
“You are,” Hoseok argued.
“Maybe you’re the one staring,” Seokjin countered. “Have you ever thought of that?”
“Oh, I’m definitely staring,” Hoseok said with pointed eye contact. Seokjin gulped. Hoseok took another slow sip of water and then turned to Seokjin. His hand slipped up to cup Seokjin’s cheek, and Seokjin paused the game again.
Their heads tilted together, and Seokjin’s knuckles came up to brush against Hoseok’s jawline, the same angular chin that had been giving him problems since day one. His lips parted.
Jimin’s door flew open with a bang.
“Guess where we’re going!” Taehyung exclaimed. He was riding Jimin’s back like a two year old. Even though Jimin was smaller, he was still giving Taehyung a piggyback ride, and Taehyung was smiling like everything had gone well (like he hadn’t just interrupted the moment). Seokjin bit back a groan, but Hoseok indulged him.
“Where?”
“Don’t tell them,” Jimin hissed, but when Taehyung pouted, Jimin caved. “Fine. Tell them.”
“On a date!” Taehyung chirped.
“You’re still all sandy,” Jimin whined.
“Worth it,” Taehyung said. “Let’s go get pizza.”
“Congratulations,” Hoseok called behind them as they exited the apartment, the door closing behind them. Hoseok turned to Seokjin, an apologetic smile written on his face. “Seems like they have it all figured out.”
“Yeah,” Seokjin agreed. “Seems like they do.”
FEET
Seokjin knew something was wrong before Hoseok even landed.
They were in the middle of their dress rehearsal. Everyone was together for the final practice, and there was a moment in the fight choreography where Hoseok had an elaborate leap with a run up, aimed to attack Seokjin. Seokjin had been watching his face —as always— and he had seen Hoseok’s nose crinkle as he jumped up from the the ground on a wobbly anke.
It wasn’t surprising when Hoseok landed wrong; however, Hoseok’s immediate scream was definitely a shock.
“Ah!” Hoseok crumpled to the ground, banging his knee, but by the look on his face, the new soon-to-be bruise was the least of his concern. “Ow, ow, ow!”
Someone stopped the music. Seokjin rushed to Hoseok’s side. “Where does it hurt?” he asked. Hoseok’s face was pinched in pain, and Seokjin had to look away. Instead, he searched Hoseok’s leg for an injury.
“My… my ankle.”
“Okay,” Seokjin said. As Jimin’s older brother, Seokjin knew how to handle an ankle injury. If it wasn’t Jimin’s ankle, it was one of his friends’. Seokjin was constantly surrounded by disaster, and he was always the person to turn to in an emergency situation.
Seokjin gently pushed Hoseok’s sweatpants up and out of the way. His cute little toes wiggled and Seokjin tsked. “Don’t move, just rest for a moment,” he said. Hoseok bit his lip and squeaked.
His ankle was already swelling.
“Okay, yep, looks like we’re taking a quick trip to the hospital,” Seokjin said, turning to face his dancers. “Everyone, let’s pack up. Yoongi, can we take your car?”
“What?” Hoseok asked. “But Mr. Seaside is tomorrow.”
“And your ankle is hurt now,” Seokjin said. “We need a doctor to look at it.”
“I’m sure it’s just a sprain,” Hoseok said.
“Injuries like to add up,” Seokjin said. “If you don’t get it checked out now, it could turn into something worse later. And you’ve prepared us well. Now there’s an emergency, and you need to go to the hospital.”
“But what if I can’t dance?” Hoseok asked. “We’ll need to re-block everything. We can’t just leave.”
“Hoseok,” Seokjin said sternly. Hoseok shut his mouth and looked up at Seokjin. “I don’t care about the blocking. I don’t care about my performance. I care about you.”
Hosek floundered.
“We can take my car,” Yoongi cut in, and Seokjin looked up at him.
“Awesome. Don’t move, Hoseok, I’ll carry you.” And despite Seokjin’s limited arm strength, he reached behind Hoseok’s shoulders and under his knees to pick him up bridal style. Hoseok’s arms looped around his neck in surprise.
Hoseok was surprisingly light. For a second, Seokjin forgot what he was doing as he picked Hoseok up off the floor, too focused on the slope of Hoseok’s nose and the cute bow of his lip. Yoongi nudged him in the back to get him focused. “All right, let’s go.”
“Bye, Hobi!” Jimin chriped.
Yeri ruffled his hair as they walked by. “Good luck.”
“We’ll practice without you,” Irene said responsibly.
Hoseok smiled weakly. Namjoon followed them out to the car to open up the door for Seokjin and make sure he and Hoseok settled in properly in the back seat. “Hey, would you come with?” Yoongi asked Namjoon. “I’m gonna need someone to navigate.”
“I can do it,” Seokjin offered.
Yoongi looked at him through the rearview mirror, an unreadable expression on his face. “You’re looking after Hoseok,” he said, and Seokjin had no idea what that was supposed to mean. However, Hoseok’s hurt ankle was propped up in his lap, his eyebrows still drawn together in pain. Seokjin looked down at his cute little foot, and the slowly swelling ankle above it.
“I’ll come,” Namjoon said before Seokjin could argue. Namjoon climbed in the passenger seat, and they peeled out of the parking lot. Seokjin kept his eyes trained on Hoseok’s tiny feet. For a dancer, they looked dainty, and his toes curled and uncurled anxiously.
“I’ll find you a replacement for tomorrow,” Hoseok said suddenly. “Or… Or I’ll figure it out. Your showcase is going to be fine.”
“I’m really not worried,” Seokjin repeated.
Hoseok thunked his head back against the window. “I can’t believe this is happening.” He said it quietly, like it wasn’t meant to be overheard, and Seokjin pressed his lips together. Hoseok was a dance instructor; he needed to be able to walk to support his family. Seokjin could understand why he was stressed, but he couldn’t sit back and watch as Hoseok panicked over something that meant so little to Seokjin.
“Hey.” Seokjin held Hoseok’s hand. Namjoon and Yoongi were focused on the road in front of them, the GPS telling them which turns to take to get to the hospital. Seokjin pressed a daring kiss to the back of Hoseok’s hand. “One thing at a time. Let’s just get your ankle checked out first, all right? We’ll figure everything else out from there.”
“Okay,” Hoseok said, his nose slowly turning red, and Seokjin realized he was on the brink of tears.
“You’re okay, Hoseok,” Seokjin promised. “You’re really okay.”
“Okay,” Hoseok said again, squeezing his eyes up tight. Twin tears rolled down his cheeks, and Seokjin’s heart lurched. That’s when he realized: not only did he not care about his showcase, but he didn’t care about anything —not the boardwalk, not skimboarding, not pizza, not videogames— nearly as much as he cared about Hoseok.
“Don’t cry,” Seokjin said, his voice suddenly weak. “Don’t cry, Hoseok, you’re okay.”
“I’m just… I have too much to do for-for this. Too much is happening.”
“Okay, but it happened,and it’s going to be okay,” Seokjin promised. “I’m going to take care of you.”
Hoseok blinked at him, his eyes red and hazy with tears. “You will?”
Seokjin kissed Hoseok’s hand again. “Absolutely.”
PERSONALITY
The night of the pageant passes by in a blur. Seokjin is escorted onto the stage by his grandmother, who had flown up from Florida to see his performance. The audience had cooed over her sweet sequined dress and giant smile. She looked adorable, and Seokjin knew he had made the right choice choosing her to walk him onto the stage for his interview portion.
His performance went by without a hitch.
Jimin had stepped up to take Hoseok’s role, and while Seokjin knew Jimin was an amazing dancer, he had been surprised by how quickly his brother had adapted to the new routine. (He also knew, logically, that Jimin cared about him, but it was still disorienting when his brother stopped bossing everyone around long enough to prove that he was willing to go to the ends of the earth to make Seokjin happy.)
Seokjin won both on the judges score cards and the audience’s vote.
“Congratulations!” Jimin was the first to shout, or more like scream. He jumped on Seokjin’s back as the audience erupted in applause. Confetti poured from the ceiling. Jimin pounded on Seokjin’s spine with his fist, and Seokjin saw Jungkook and Namjoon kissing out of the corner of his eye. It didn’t bother him as much as it used to.
“You won!” Taehyung said excitedly.
Seokjin beamed. “I did.”
He accepted his trophy and flowers from the girl passing out ribbons. The applause died down and the house lights went up. Seokjin knew his parents and grandma probably wanted to see him, but as Seokjin walked down the stage steps, there was only one person on his mind.
“Jin!”
Seokjin picked out the sound of Hoseok’s voice among the campus’s entire student body screaming his name while he made his way through the crowd. Maybe it was just because he was looking for it, or maybe it was because he would always be able to find Hoseok, but Seokjin narrowed in on him immediately.
“Hoseok,” he said, wrapping Hoseok up in a hug before he even got the chance to look at him properly. Seokjin lifted him up of the ground; Hoseok’s bandaged foot banged against his shins. “You did so good.”
Hoseok laughed. “What? You’re the one who just won an all male beauty pageant. I should be congratulating you!”
“I never could have done it without your help,” Seokjin said, setting Hoseok down when he realized he was crushing the bouquet of flowers, Hoseok had bought for him. It was much smaller than the bouquet the judges had given him, and Seokjin knew Hoseok hadn’t been able to spend very much on it, but the sight of the five orange gerber daisies made Seokjin’s heart pound.
Hoseok was amazing. He worked so hard and he put so much pressure on himself, but he was so talented, and smart, and kind. He was funny, and he did well with his friends, and… and it was so convenient that Seokjin’s family was there that evening because Seokjin was desperate to introduce them to Hoseok, he knew his mom would fall in love with him instantly.
Seokjin didn’t dare let Hoseok go. He’d have to be crazy to let him slip away.
“You could have,” Hoseok said, like Seokjin wasn’t in the middle of falling so deeply in love he couldn’t see straight. He was even in love with the oil pooling on Hoseok’s nose after a long day. He was in love with all of Hoseok. From every inch of his body to every part of his personality.
“I couldn’t have,” Seokjin said. He reached up to run his hand through Hoseok’s hair. “Hoseok, I… I owe you so much.”
Hoseok’s expression shifted to something wary. “Yeah?”
Seokjin swallowed. “Everyone’s figured out, but not us.”
“What?” Hoseok asked, blinking.
Seokjin took a deep breath. “I know I’ve just won the only award at this school that matters—” Hoseok snorted, “But last night, when you hurt your foot… I wasn’t lying. I don’t care about this trophy.” It dangled from his hand uncaringly. Seokjin was more concerned about holding Hoseok. “I really and genuinely only care about you.”
Understanding passed over Hoseok’s features. “Seokjin…” he said, brushing prettily, and Seokjin bit his bottom lip.
“Hoseok, I…” Seokjin’s mouth gaped like a fish. He felt so much, but he couldn’t seem to say it. Seokjin loved with his full heart, but he had never confessed before, had never fallen for anyone the way he had fallen for Hoseok.
“Don’t worry,” Hoseok said when the words caught in Seokjin’s throat. “I think I know what you’re going to ask.”
Hoseok’s nose bumped against Seokjin’s as he dipped in for a kiss.
“Is that a yes?” Seokjin asked when Hoseok pulled away, a soft smile on his face like they were the only two in the room instead of being jostled by a sea of people.
“It’s an ‘absolutely,’” Hoseok corrected with a smile, quoting Seokjin from the night before. It took Seokjin a minute to catch it, but the second he did, a smile swept over his face. He dove back in to kiss the jawline he loved so much, the eyes he loved to meet, the smile that had first captured his attention, the hairline he loved so much… even down Hoseok’s neck to the shoulders he coveted from afar.
There were a thousand things Seokjin loved about Hoseok, but unfortunately, there was no way to kiss his sense of humor or his beautiful heart. Fortunately, Seokjin was content to love some parts of Hoseok from afar, as long as he also got to love him up close, too.