Chapter 3

Not an hour later and Hoseok found himself surrounded by people fiddling with his hair, telling him to close his eyes or stop moving. He opened his eyes the tiniest amount to glance across the room; the maknae line had already had their makeup done and were excitedly filming each other. The other members were all talking quietly around a table, so as soon as he was finished, he headed over to the younger members.

“Yah, Jiminnie!” He called out, grinning as he made his way over, “How do I look? Handsome, huh?”

Jimin eyed him and he tried to ignore the way his chest tightened. “You always look handsome, hyung. I don't know why you always ask me this, I always say the same thing.”

This time the wide smile that stretched over Hoseok's face was entirely real. He grabbed Jimin and ruffled his hair, not caring that it had taken at least ten minutes to style. “Ah! This friend, he is too kind!” He laughed, and Jimin began to squirm in his grasp, but he was giggling too so Hoseok didn't let up his grip and instead began to tickle his sides. Hearing Jimin's bubbly, gasping laugh was one of his favourite feelings, and knowing he was the cause, all he wanted was to make this boy laugh for the rest of his life. 

“Hyung, stop! Let go of me!” Jimin wriggled free, but remained with Hoseok's arm slung over his shoulder, smiling so sweetly at him that he couldn't help but reach out and pinch his cheek.

“Ah, I like this boy so much,” he sighed, shaking Jimin's cheek gently. Jimin made a half-hearted attempt at putting distance between them but they both knew he enjoyed the attention. 

“Well, I don't like you. I like our Jungkookie! Jungkookie! Come here!” He called over at the maknae. Jungkook flipped him off, and turned his attention back to Taehyung, ignoring the way Jimin gasped in mock hurt. “Aish, this maknae! He gets more rude as he gets older!”

“Ah, you were lying anyway. You know you love me!” Hoseok puckered up his lips in a ridiculous kissing face and leant towards Jimin, who frantically pushed him away with a hand. The seamless interactions between them were familiar and comforting. It was so easy for him to just forget everything in the moment, with Jimin beneath his arm, smiling, smiling at him, despite the protests and disgusted faces he was making. He knew part of it was all a charade, and act in front of the cameras, as was Jungkook's apparent rudeness, but he didn't care. He loved this feeling, and if he closed his eyes and wished hard enough, he could almost imagine that Jimin really was his boyfriend. 

When he opened his eyes, however, Namjoon's caught his own. The other hyungs were looking at him with... What was it? Disapproval? and Namjoon shook his head subtly. The message was clear. Stop. Get away from him. Don't touch him like that. We know what you are, and it's not okay. Everything wasn't okay. The warm feeling had gone, replaced by an unbearable burning. Maybe the younger had accepted him, but the idea of constantly having disapproving eyes watching him, judging him... The idea of his own brothers being uncomfortable with him. It was unbearable.

“Hoseok?” He looked back down at Jimin, who was no longer smiling but frowning at him in concern. “Are you okay?”

Hoseok stared at him detachedly for a second before removing his arm. “Fine,” he muttered, not looking at him properly, and when no reply came, he stood and went back to ask if they could style his hair again. He didn't look at anyone else for the rest of the morning.