Work Text:
Namjoon hits the ‘answer call’ button on the center console, glad for the company on his long drive.
“Taehyung!”
“Hyung! How’s the drive?”
Namjoon sighs, louder than necessary. “You know, sometimes I think I should have been a farmer or an electrician or something. Some good, honest work, where I’m not bound by the fucking whims of some writer.”
Taehyung just laughs. “Did I tell you? My boyfriend’s uncle grows strawberries. We went down to visit his farm a couple weeks ago.”
“That sounds like a nice life,” Namjoon says wistfully.
Taehyung laughs again. “You love books and words and all that stuff though! You’re always talking about how amazing it is that people can just create whole novels out of nothing! I think you can forgive them for being a little eccentric at times.”
Namjoon rolls his eyes, because Taehyung is right. But still. “Eccentricities are one thing, but there are schedules! And deadlines! And now I have to drive all the way down to Daegu because the amazing Min Yoongi hasn’t submitted his draft on time and the publisher is starting to freak out! Because his muse is being finicky! I mean, what kind of excuse is that?”
He stops for breath and Taehyung just offers a halfway-sympathetic “Writers, man.”
Yoongi’s having a problem with his muse. He sighs, crouching down in his bedroom so he’s low enough to see under the bed. Like this, he can just make out a pair of eyes in the dark.
“Seokseok, you have to come out from under there at some point.”
The eyes blink at him, and then turn away, as Hoseok buries his face into the carpeted floor.
“No I don’t,” Hoseok mumbles into the carpet. “You’re too nice to let me starve.”
Yoongi looks at the plate of gimbap he brought up, and sighs a little louder. Hoseok knows him too well.
“At least come a little closer? So you can eat?”
After a very long minute, Hoseok does scoot toward the edge of the bed—still underneath but close enough to snatch one of the little snacks off the plate and start eating it.
Well, it’s progress, Yoongi supposes.
“Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”
Hoseok ignores him, instead reaching for another gimbap. Yoongi lets him. It’s no use trying to get Hoseok to talk when he doesn’t want to.
So much for getting any writing done today. Namjoon will be upset for sure—Yoongi’s already running late with this draft. But with his muse hiding under the bed and refusing to tell him why, he’s not exactly feeling inspired to write.
Of course, Namjoon doesn’t exactly know about Hoseok. Yoongi mentions ‘his muse’ often enough, but he’s never really elaborated, and he’s pretty sure Namjoon thinks he means it in the ‘nebulous feelings of inspiration’ way instead of the ‘supernatural being that magically helps the writing process’ way. It seems a bit challenging to explain. And maybe even more challenging to get Namjoon to believe him. Easier to just leave Namjoon mildly confused and annoyed with his ‘excuses’.
Sometimes he really wishes he could explain. Because it feels so strange, to have the two most important people in his writing (and honestly his life) stay completely separate. Hoseok knows about Namjoon, at least. But Yoongi really wishes he could introduce them. It feels mean to keep Namjoon out of the loop.
But where would he even begin? Hey Namjoon, remember when you first signed that contract with me, and I told you I was moving into my great-aunt’s old house? Well, turns out there was a muse living there—a real life supernatural being. And now this muse is bound to me, which has been great for my writing, except he gets supernatural mood swings that sometimes interfere with my deadlines. Neat, huh?
Very believable. Namjoon would definitely understand and not choose to terminate the contract and blacklist Yoongi from the publishing industry. Namjoon does seem like a sweet, reasonable person, but Yoongi can sense there is deeply petty energy buried somewhere in that man. Much like when vampires can sense their kin, Yoongi can feel that they have similar souls.
All of the gimbap have disappeared while Yoongi was lost in thought, and Hoseok has scooted himself back to the middle of his little safe space. Yoongi tries not to worry about him too much. Hoseok always comes back out eventually.
By the time Namjoon is finally pulling up to Yoongi’s house, he’s had time to feel and let go of all of his peeved energy. While he’s still annoyed about having to come all the way down here (just because Yoongi can’t keep to his very reasonable deadlines, or even offer up an understandable excuse! Maybe Namjoon is still more annoyed than he thought) he does feel a little calmer and more understanding.
After all, he’s not the one who has to write an entire novel. And considering how intricate and thoughtful his last book was—while still being approachable and enjoyable—Yoongi must be putting so much work into ensuring this next book doesn’t disappoint.
So Namjoon is ready to be understanding but insistent that Yoongi tell him what the problem actually is. As his agent, Namjoon deserves a reason that isn’t completely vague and slightly cryptic. He spends the short walk from the car to the front door trying to get into the correct firm but patient headspace.
And then when he rings the bell it occurs to him that he might have actually forgotten to let Yoongi know he was coming. Oh well, an unexpected visit might get more honest results. And if Yoongi wanted advance warning maybe he shouldn’t rush Namjoon off the phone or ignore his calls. Hopefully Yoongi’s home.
It isn’t long after ringing the bell that he hears footsteps approaching.
Who the hell is at the door?
Yoongi had just brought the empty plate down to the kitchen, and was about to start cleaning up, when the bell rang.
He doesn’t have a lot of friends or neighbors out here—another reason he’s so glad to have Hoseok around. So, confused, he dries off his hands to go to the door and see who it is.
And when he opens the door, Namjoon is standing on the other side. Perhaps not the last person he expected, considering he wasn’t expecting anyone, but not not the last person he was expecting.
Namjoon smiles at him. “Sorry, I meant to phone ahead. But you know, you didn’t pick up the last time I called you, so I guess I just forgot. Hi, Yoongi-ssi.”
Yoongi looks at Namjoon, and thinks about Hoseok who is still upstairs hiding under his bed, and unintentionally grimaces. He tries to cover it with a polite smile, but Namjoon definitely noticed.
“Did I come at a bad time?” he asks, and at least he sounds genuinely concerned.
Yoongi fidgets, unsure how to answer that question.
There’s a thud from upstairs. Namjoon’s eyes widen. “Sorry, do you have company?” He sounds hesitant though, maybe a little suspicious, and Yoongi knows that Namjoon knows that he’s by himself out here, and he doesn’t really get visitors.
He wonders what Namjoon suspects it is. Some kind of long-distance booty call? Maybe a different literary agent that he’s working with behind Namjoon’s back. Or a dog that Yoongi has selfishly chosen not to share pictures of. Whatever Namjoon suspects, it’s probably still a long way from the truth.
And then it gets worse. The house is suddenly full of the sound of chimes, faint and echoey, to the tune of Twice’s Cheer Up. Over the chimes, Hoseok shouts “Sorry, hyung!”
“It’s fine,” he shouts back. Then he turns to Namjoon. “It’s fine. It’s, well… Do you want to come in?”
Namjoon smiles hesitantly and nods, stepping in through the door.
Namjoon hasn’t been in this house since Yoongi first inherited it, and invited him to the housewarming. They had just barely signed their contract then, and Namjoon remembers that was when he felt, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that signing Yoongi had been the right choice.
He hadn’t even been writing, or saying anything particularly profound at the time. There was just something about the way he moved around the house, puttering around like he was at peace and could solve anything. And Namjoon trailed behind him and thought to himself, this is someone whose words I would always treasure.
And now, a few years later, Namjoon follows Yoongi deeper into the house and smiles as he remembers that moment.
Yoongi’s speaking again, and he shakes himself out of his thoughts to listen. “I think I’d like for you to meet someone. I think, as long as you’re here and it’s probably too late to keep hiding it, this might help to explain some things. So I want to introduce you to my muse.”
Namjoon is confused. He had assumed the sulking muse excuses were about Yoongi not feeling inspired or whatever. Did he actually have someone in his life that he hadn’t told Namjoon about?
They make it all the way upstairs and into a bedroom, and there’s no one in there. At least, no one Namjoon can see.
“I’m not sure how to explain him to you,” Yoongi starts. “But I, um, have a muse. Like the mythical being that helps people with their creativity—that sort of muse. He was inhabiting the house when I got here, and then we kind of sealed a contract with each other.” He crouches down as he’s explaining, and gestures under the bed. “Seokseok-ah, I’d like you to meet Kim Namjoon,” he says, much softer.
So Namjoon crouches down next to him and looks under the bed, where Yoongi is pointing. And there’s a pair of glowing golden-brown eyes looking back at him.
The eyes are on a face, also faintly glowing, framed by slightly wavy, dark hair, that looks like it has something in it, catching the light and sparkling.
“This is Hoseok,” Yoongi says, still in a soft voice. “This is my muse.”
Namjoon turns to stare blankly at Yoongi, who is smiling at the figure under the bed.
“I think he likes you,” Yoongi murmurs to Namjoon without looking up. “He’s been so dull and gloomy all week, but as soon as you get here, look at him! He’s glowing.”
From under the bed, Hoseok ducks his head down in embarrassment. Yoongi chuckles at him.
“Does this mean you’ll finally come out from under there if Namjoon stays for dinner?” Yoongi turns to look at him. “You are staying for dinner, right?”
Namjoon nods helplessly. “I would love to.”
Yoongi guides them back out of the bedroom after getting Hoseok to agree to come out for dinner.
“If you have questions, I’d be happy to answer them,” he says, as he leads them back down to the living room and seats himself in a comfy looking armchair. “Or, I mean, I’m sure you drove all the way down here for a reason. I don’t mean to distract you.”
Namjoon sits down on the couch, across from him. “I… well. I came here to see why you haven’t been meeting your deadlines recently. But that question has maybe already been answered?”
Yoongi frowns at him. “I thought I told you my muse was feeling temperamental?”
Namjoon can’t help but roll his eyes. “You know that I clearly thought you meant you didn’t feel like writing or you weren’t inspired or something. Not that there was a glowing person hiding under your bed!” He takes a breath and notices that Yoongi’s frown has stretched out into a smile, and he’s barely containing his laugh. “You’re mocking me,” me pouts.
“You make it so easy, Namjoon-ssi.”
He isn’t sure how to respond to that, so he changes the topic. “So what is the deal with the glowing… muse? Under your bed?”
Yoongi nods at him. “Muse, yeah. I found him here when I moved into the house, and long story short, we’re now contractually bound to each other. I write a lot better when he’s around, but I guess the flip side is that when he’s like this, I really can’t write at all. But the tradeoff is still worth it, usually.”
Namjoon takes a minute to file the existence of supernatural entities away for later panicking, preferably in private. “I see,” is all he says.
“Honestly it’s just nice having someone else around the house,” Yoongi keeps going. “I’m glad I moved out here and all that. But I forgot, living in the city, what it was like to really be alone. I like a little solitude, you know, but I’m not cut out for it like this. So it’s nice to have Hoseok.”
Namjoon really understands that. For as much as he thinks it would be great to have the kind of peace and quiet that only comes in a place like this, he needs to have people around him. Maybe not a lot of people, but he knows he needs someone, at least.
So he’s glad Yoongi has someone. And he’s not going to think too deeply or pry too much about what exactly they are to each other. It’s not his business that Yoongi became almost a different person when he was talking to Hoseok, gentler than Namjoon would ever have expected. Or the way Yoongi is practically glowing now, almost like his muse. As colleagues with a good professional working relationship, maybe even a friendship, Namjoon is just glad to see that Yoongi is happy.
But Yoongi does look very cute when he’s happy. It’s a different side of him, one Namjoon hasn’t really seen before. Of course, he’s seen Yoongi happy—when his first book was a success, when he moved into this place. And the two of them have had some great late-night drinking sessions. But this is a soft happy. The kind of happy people save for the places they feel safest, with the people they feel closest to.
And Namjoon doesn’t think he really qualifies to see Yoongi like that, but god does he wish he could see Yoongi like this all the time.
Fortunately for Namjoon’s professionalism, Yoongi changes topics. And for a while the two of them chat about other writers they both know, the more interesting projects Namjoon’s agency is representing, anything they have a shared interest in. Easy topics, that aren’t related to Yoongi’s deadline. Namjoon knows he can use a break from worrying about it, even if it’s probably still on the forefront of both of their minds.
He offers to help Yoongi with dinner, but he’s secretly grateful that Yoongi declines, refusing to let his guest help. Namjoon chooses not to point out that he was an uninvited guest, and should probably help out just to make up for his unwelcome presence.
Mostly, Namjoon just feels lucky that he doesn’t have to reveal how bad he actually is at cooking. He’s found that there’s a pretty big gap between joking with someone that he can’t cut an onion, and actually failing to correctly chop up an onion in front of them. And today is not the day to bridge that gap with Yoongi. He’s probably going to embarrass himself enough just eating dinner with Yoongi’s muse, no need to make it worse.
Instead, he goes outside to call Taehyung, promising Yoongi—even though he didn’t ask—that he won’t mention anything supernatural.
Taehyung picks up quickly. “Hyung! How are things going with the writer?”
“They’re… They’re okay. I’m staying for dinner. I wanted to let you know.”
He can hear Taehyung laughing through the phone. “Have you forgiven him already? That’s even faster than I was expecting.”
“I—wait, what does that mean?” Namjoon narrows his eyes, swatting a lone fly away from his face.
“You’re only ever mad at Min Yoongi when you’re not around him.” Taehyung laughs again. “But then you see him and hear him talk again and you’re foiled by his hotness.”
Namjoon frowns and wonders if maybe he should stop giving Taehyung so much material to embarrass him with. “It wasn’t like that. He’s got—” Namjoon tries to think of a good way to explain it without raising questions. “He’s got a roommate now. And his roommate had some stuff going on, so he’s been kind of occupied with that. That’s why he’s been behind on his deadlines. He just didn’t want to overshare someone else’s problems, I think.”
“Ah,” Taehyung says. There’s a pause, and then he adds, “Is that like… totally platonic roommates?”
“I really don’t know,” Namjoon answers truthfully. “They didn’t say, but I met his roommate and he’s really hot. Like, so pretty it’s unreal.” Which is not a lie, Namjoon thinks, looking back at the house. Even from under the bed Hoseok was incredibly beautiful. And he doubts they’re currently dating, but it wouldn’t really surprise him if they ended up like that. If muses do that. Namjoon doesn’t want to assume, but with the way the two of them were looking at each other, it seems very possible.
They end their call so Namjoon can go back inside and see how Yoongi is doing with dinner, and maybe help with setting the table. He could at least manage that.
Namjoon has just finished setting out the bowls of rice when Hoseok enters the kitchen. And Namjoon is reminded that yes, Hoseok really is that pretty. It’s much easier to see when he’s standing up and not hiding under a dark bed, but there’s something almost otherworldly and delicate about him. It’s in the way he moves, the way he walks and the way his hands reach for glasses to set out on the table. The glow emanating from him is faint, and much easier to miss in the well-lit kitchen. But it’s still there, a curious contrast to the way he hums and makes small noises when he sets the glasses down.
He looks up at Namjoon when they both sit down and smiles at him and he’s radiant—dimpled and glowing and utterly cute. The stray shimmers in his hair catch the light much better out here, and while Namjoon doesn’t like to throw around words like ‘ethereal’ too much without good reason, this seems like a justifiable use.
Yoongi joins them, setting down the pot of stew in the middle of the table, and Namjoon finds something to distract him from the enchanting muse sitting across from him—the food smells amazing. He’s suddenly reminded of Yoongi describing himself as an ‘adequate’ cook, and Namjoon doesn’t think that’s the word he would use. Well, he might not be a professional chef but Namjoon is amazed all the same.
He makes sure to compliment everything he tastes, and tries not to overanalyze the way Yoongi carefully picks out choice pieces to put in Hoseok’s bowl, or directly into the muse’s mouth.
He’s also trying not to get too distracted by the way Hoseok keeps looking at him while they’re talking.
He and Yoongi are doing most of the talking. Namjoon didn’t want to put Hoseok on the spot after meeting him while the muse was hiding under a bed. So he asks Yoongi about the house; he’s made some changes since the last time Namjoon was here, put up some new lighting fixtures and rearranged the living room. And he knows Yoongi enjoys talking about that stuff. And he loves hearing Yoongi talk.
And that leads into the two of them discussing a recent novel, one with a lot of metaphors about old houses that Namjoon deeply enjoyed. He does feel a little bad, as his discussion with Yoongi gets more intense and Hoseok gets left out, probably hasn’t read the book and can’t really follow all the specific references.
But Namjoon keeps catching him from the corner of his eye, watching Namjoon with an expression on his face that Namjoon isn’t quite sure how to categorize. He’s guessing, from the way Hoseok is glimmering much more now than when they first met, that it’s not bad. He really hopes it’s not bad. He wants to see that bright, wondering almost-smile all the time.
He loves talking to Yoongi, getting into serious discussions like these, because Yoongi always gives him so much to think about and respond to. But for once, he’s just a little bit less focused on Yoongi, distracted with trying to impress Hoseok. He wants to make a good first impression, he tells himself, ignoring how many times he’s used the word ‘cute’ to describe Hoseok in his head since he first saw him.
Yoongi probably notices, because Yoongi tends to notice everything, even when he doesn’t respond to it. But, well, Namjoon notices things too. And he can’t be that embarrassed when Hoseok is smiling the way he is.
It’s hard to leave, after dinner. But it’s a long drive home and he really needs to start before it gets too late. Hoseok is still standing behind Yoongi in the doorway as they say goodbye, but he’s smiling and he touches Namjoon’s arm as he wishes him a safe drive home. And when Yoongi gruffly tells him thanks without specifying what he’s thanking him for, Namjoon can assume that his finicky muse problem is better now.
He sighs once he’s back in the car. If Yoongi’s back to meeting his deadlines, they probably won’t see each other in person for a while. And he’ll have no reason to drive all the way back down here and see Hoseok again. Well, at least his job will be easier. But he’s still frowning as he drives away.
It’s barely two weeks later that Yoongi opens the door to find Namjoon standing there again. At least this time he doesn’t have to worry about explaining the disembodied chimes playing a very unsettling version of exid’s hot pink. Instead, he gives Namjoon a tired greeting and ushers him inside. “How was the drive?”
“Not too bad. How are things… here?”
“No fireworks yet, so it could be worse.” Yoongi laughs and leads Namjoon into the living room. As soon as Namjoon is inside the house the chimes stop, and Yoongi wonders if Hoseok can sense Namjoon or if he just heard the door. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Yes, please. Some water would be nice,” Namjoon says, sitting down on the couch.
Yoongi nods and heads off to the kitchen, and on his way past the stairs he yells up, “Hoseok-ah! Your new friend is here! Come down and say hello.” He can hear a tiny surprised grunt from Namjoon and smiles, knowing he’s managed to embarrass both Hoseok and Namjoon with that.
He didn’t warn Hoseok that Namjoon might be coming. He only told Namjoon he was having muse problems. Getting his own hopes up is bad enough; he couldn’t bear to get Hoseok’s hopes up if Namjoon wasn’t actually going to come. But somehow Namjoon’s presence made everything better last time. And even if he’s trying not to, he can’t help but hope Namjoon would be able to do the same thing this time.
And not only so he can write again. He does have a deadline, and that’s probably why Namjoon’s here, because he’s worried about Yoongi finishing in time. But more than that, Yoongi just doesn’t like seeing Hoseok all out of sorts like this.
Even more than inspiring him, Hoseok energizes him. It’s like having a little grow lamp in the form of a glowing, dimpled man. And he can’t help but fret when he can’t seem to do the same for Hoseok. Hoseok deserves the same happiness that he gives to Yoongi, and Yoongi will do whatever he needs to so he can give Hoseok that happiness.
He’s only a little bit surprised when he hears Hoseok hissing behind him, “Why is Namjoon here?” Even if Hoseok is permanently corporeal now, he’s still very light on his feet, more than capable of sneaking down the stairs and past Namjoon into the kitchen.
“Well,” Yoongi says, turning. “I think he was a little worried about you.”
“Oh,” says Hoseok. “You two talk about me?” He’s starting to glow just a little bit, faint golden light radiating from his cheeks like a blush, and Yoongi starts to melt.
That’s how Hoseok should be. Everything is better when he’s happy.
He taps the underside of Hoseok’s chin with a single finger. “Yeah. Namjoon said you’re really pretty.” He smiles at the way Hoseok starts to glow more, and wriggles a little bit, like he’s shy and trying to escape. So Yoongi pushes a little further. “I said he was right. That you’re the prettiest thing in the whole world. And he said ‘yeah’ with that big brooding voice he uses when he’s serious about something. So you know he meant it.”
The glow has spread enough that Hoseok looks almost back to his normal self, even if he’s flustered and won’t look straight at Yoongi anymore.
And it’s true, the first time they talked on the phone after Namjoon left, that was the conversation. Although Yoongi left out the part where Namjoon was practically blushing through the phone while talking. And the part that came next, when Namjoon—clumsy and earnest like he hadn’t meant to actually say it out loud—called both Yoongi and his writing ‘so beautiful it’s unreal’ and said that of course his muse would be someone like Hoseok—they made so much sense together.
But Yoongi keeps that part of the conversation, and his own terrible blush, to himself for now.
Instead he picks up the glasses of water and gestures towards the living room. “Coming?” he asks Hoseok.
Yoongi at least feels better prepared for the second dinner the three of them share. He didn’t want to get his hopes up about Namjoon coming, but he did make sure to have extra ingredients on hand. Even if Namjoon was very nice about the last dinner, and Hoseok never complains about his cooking, he still wants to feel like he’s done his best. He likes sharing food with other people, and he wants it to be good.
Namjoon and Hoseok both offer to help, and although Yoongi is tempted to shoo them off to the living room again, he likes when they’re in the same room. So he lets Hoseok cook the rice and gives Namjoon some green onions to slice.
And apparently Namjoon was not kidding about his lack of cooking experience. He doesn’t do a bad job of cutting the onions, but that’s only because of how slowly he’s cutting them, with a concentrated frown on his face and his jaw coming forward with his effort to be careful.
It is… well it’s very cute. He wants to tell Namjoon that the onions really don’t have to be perfect, but he doesn’t want to take this away from Namjoon.
“They look perfect,” he says, as he retrieves the cutting board once the noodles he’s cooking are done. The smile Namjoon gives him in return glows almost as bright as Hoseok.
And speaking of Hoseok… the muse sits at the table across from Namjoon, chin cupped in his hands as he laughs at whatever Namjoon was saying before. And he looks the brightest he’s looked since the last time Namjoon was here.
Yoongi’s happy to see that, he really is. Even as he starts to wonder if Hoseok would be happier with Namjoon instead of him. Maybe that’s what’s been wrong with him, maybe he’s tired of Yoongi and wishes he could break their bond and move on to Namjoon.
The thought lingers, but it gets pushed further and further to the back of his mind as dinner is served and Hoseok insists on feeding Yoongi half of his serving. And both Hoseok and Namjoon hang on his every word as he talks through the ending of his book, even if they’ve both already heard it before.
It’s been weeks and Namjoon hasn’t come back down again, not since his second visit. But he and Yoongi have been talking quite a lot over the phone. And it’s nice. Yoongi hadn’t anticipated thinking of Namjoon as his best friend when they first met. He just thought he’d gotten really lucky with a good working relationship. Honestly, he was just glad his agent didn’t make him want to rip his hair out, or quit writing entirely and take up woodworking instead. Because he’s met other agents that definitely had that effect on him.
Although when he joked about the woodworking thing while he was video calling Namjoon one night, both he and Hoseok had turned a little bit pink. Hoseok had been holding one of his hands at the time, and held it up thoughtfully in front of the camera, fingers extended, before abruptly dropping it. Namjoon had coughed and awkwardly changed the subject. And Yoongi thinks maybe he should be considering taking up woodworking as a hobby.
But the point is that Yoongi and Namjoon are closer than Yoongi had ever expected them to be. And since the phone calls started, Hoseok has been doing better than he was before. It’s like his magic is a little more stable now.
Before, it felt like Yoongi and Hoseok were riding all the highs and lows of his inspiration together—when Yoongi was feeling good and Hoseok was glowing, he felt like he could write a whole novel in a day. But it would always dip, and Hoseok would get dull, and Yoongi would fret, until he was passing Hoseok’s meals to him from where he was hiding under the bed and wondering if they shouldn’t just both curl up down there until the inspiration hit again.
But now, with Namjoon it’s like Hoseok is always glowing. Yoongi doesn’t get the same feeling of writing everything in one day, because that would surely cut into his almost-nightly phone call with Namjoon. But it’s like now he always feels recharged around Hoseok—there’s always a little inspiration to spare.
He asks Hoseok about it, sprawled across the couch next to him after a late lunch one afternoon.
And Hoseok tells him, “Well, my magic comes from you, you know? I take your inspiration and feed it back to you, but amplified. And I can only do so much when there’s only you to pull from, but with Namjoon around, I can pull from him too.”
“Oh.” And while he’s facing away from Hoseok, he asks, “So it’s not just that you’re happier around Namjoon?”
Hoseok laughs, a nice bright sound. “I’m happier around Namjoon because you’re happier around Namjoon. And Namjoon is happy around you too.”
Yoongi leans up on his elbow to turn to Hoseok. “He’s happy around you too. You know that right?”
Hoseok just hums at that.
The next time Namjoon comes down to visit is not because Yoongi is having muse problems. Yoongi’s draft is finished. His editor is (mostly) happy with it, and he asked Namjoon to come down so they could eat dinner together and celebrate.
And Namjoon is trying not to get his hopes up about seeing the two of them in person again. But the three of them talk almost every day. And Namjoon, more and more, has been feeling like there might be something new brewing in their relationship. The friendship alone is worth so much to him. But the way Yoongi and Hoseok talk to him—he doesn’t think he’s imagining that they might also want something more.
He tries not to be nervous, when he’s ringing the doorbell. He did dress up, just a little. But it’s a celebration isn’t it? He also stopped for flowers on the way—because, again, it’s a celebration. Even if he’s totally been reading all these signs wrong, they’re still appropriate for a celebration.
But when Yoongi opens the door, he’s standing there with Hoseok who is also holding a bouquet of flowers, although his are wildflowers, not like the neat little roses Namjoon bought in town. And he thrusts them at Namjoon while Yoongi grins hopefully and ushers him inside, taking Namjoon’s bouquet so he can take Hoseok’s. And Namjoon thinks that he probably did read the signs right.
Dinner is perfect. Yoongi insists on cooking again, says he likes taking care of them. And Namjoon is surprised by how emotional he feels, being included in the people Yoongi likes to take care of. They drink the champagne Namjoon brought, and after half a glass (when Yoongi cuts him off) Hoseok is lit up like a red, giggly flashlight. Namjoon and Yoongi catch each other looking at Hoseok with matching fond expressions, and both awkwardly look away from each other, tiny smiles on each of their faces.
It’s Yoongi who actually asks the question, after dinner when they’re all sitting cozy in the living room. Asks Namjoon if he’d like to go on a date, all three of them, and the smile on his face when Namjoon says yes is the best thing Namjoon has ever seen.
Well, it might be tied with the sight of Hoseok falling over himself to reach Namjoon so he can give him a loud kiss right on the side of his nose. Then he blushes and tries again, kissing Namjoon on the cheek this time.
Yoongi just gets up from his armchair to sit on the other side of Namjoon and take Namjoon’s hand in his, lacing their fingers together with a little smile.
Namjoon spends the night on their couch, and gets to be woken up to the smell of coffee and the sounds of Yoongi puttering about
They go on their first official date that afternoon. They decide on a nice hike in the mountains, because Namjoon loves hiking and it’s a good way to get out of the house without attracting too much attention to Hoseok. And Namjoon has never seen a prettier sunset than the one highlighting Yoongi and Hoseok’s faces, as they eat their picnic at the summit.