"Hyung!" Jungkook yelped, turning red. "It's not what you think!"

"Oh yeah?" Hoseok sneered, growing angrier by the minute. "What the hell, Yoongi? I thought you liked Jimin!" He glared at his best friend.

"I do!" Yoongi protested, ears red. "Look, it really isn't like whatever weird situtation you're imagining up, ok? Jeez, don't glare at me like that Hobi, you're scaring me," he tried to joke, but Hoseok was having none of it.

"Oh yeah? he repeated sarcastically. "Tell me what was going on, then, because to me it sounded very much like Jungkook just asked you out and you ing agreed."

Jungkook started down at his shoes, looking abashed. Hoseok tapped his foot impatiently, arms crossed and a deep scowl on his face.

"I'm waiting," he snapped.

Jungkook was mortified, to say the least. He wondered distractedly just how this entire situation had gone so wrong as he bit his lips, mentally preparing himself to explain. Hoseok looked angrier than he had ever seen him before, and he had to admit he was terrified of the normally happy-go-lucky boy's transformation. Hoseok was scary when he was mad.

The day had started off normal. He'd wandered into the training hall after breakfast and almost had a heart attack when he discovered Yoongi napping, of all places, on one of the wooden beams criss-crossing the ceiling of the hall. He'd yelped in alarm when he'd first noticed the older boy lying flat on his back on the narrow beam, worried he might fall off in his sleep and hurtle to his death, but Yoongi had just waved him off when he'd climbed up to wake him up, saying he liked it up here and wouldn't fall, don't worry kiddo. Jungkook had watched in awe as he then re-closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, still balanced precariously on the narrow strip of wood twenty feet above the ground.

He'd eventually left the other boy to his nap, returning to the floor and starting to practice fighting with a spear. He'd discovered that it was fun fighting with the long metal-tipped stick a few days ago and had been practicing diligently ever since, whacking down straw dummies with enough force to burst them open, whirling the spear around like an acrobat whirling his baton.

That day, he was practicing actually throwing the spear. He'd been completely focused on perfecting his aim when Yoongi had finally woken up.

"You're holding it wrong," a sleepy voice sounded from behind his back, startling him and making him drop the weapon.

"Oh, hyung, you scared me," Jungkook said weakly, bending down to pick up the fallen stick. "What am I doing wrong?"

"You're supposed to hold it like this," Yoongi instructed, moving around to show him the correct position. "You're gripping it too hard. Too much force will make it go off-course when you throw it." With Yoongi's help, he finally managed to throw the spear halfway across the hall, impaling a dummy straight through where its stuffed straw heart should be. Jungkook cheered in triumph and flopped down on the thick mat lining the combat ring. Yoongi ruffled his hair proudly and sat down beside him.

"Hyung," Jungkook said then, voicing a thought he'd been struggling with for the past few days. "How do you confess to someone you think you like?"

Yoongi glanced at the younger boy, taken aback. Jungkook was lying on his back, an arm thrown over his eyes as if embarassed by his sudden question.

"You think you like them?" he asked, just to clarify things. 

Jungkook blushed. He lowered his arm slowly. "Yeah," he admitted in a low voice. "I don't know if how I feel is really liking them or not. I don't recall ever liking someone in that way before. I had a crush on my teacher when I was in third grade, but that's kinda it for my nonexistant love life."

He paused before continuing, his voice slightly vulnerable. "You know what happened with my parents, hyung. After that, I just... I promised myself I wouldn't trust anyone, let alone love anyone." He barked a bitter laugh. "I didn't even want to make friends, 'cause I thought they'd leave me anyway. But ever since I became a Shadowhunter I've been thinking a lot, and I kinda found myself thinking, living like this isn't that bad, you know? All of you were so nice to me from the very beginning, even when you didn't know anything about me. And Yugyeom made me promise to give other people a chance before we left the Academy, as well. And I found myself thinking, you could all be my friends too if I just let you guys in a little. And.. this one person kept catching my attention."

He smiled fondly. "He didn't pry, or ask about my past like the girls did - I know they didn't mean any harm, but it was hard anyway - and he understood that I didn't feel at home here just yet and didn't push himself on me. He - god, he was so adorable when he brought kittens, kittens hyung, to my room to cheer me up that night we met the goblin. He didn't even know what had happened but he noticed I was upset and he came looking for me that night when everyone else was asleep. He knocked on my door holding a basket with two kittens and a tub of ice cream inside, and hyung - I think that was when I first realised I might just like him more than anyone else in this Institute." He paused. "No offence," he grinned, then continued. "He didn't ask why I was upset, he just handed me a spoon and told me to eat, ice cream makes everyone feel better when they're down." He smiled again at the memory. "I don't know much about liking someone, hyung, but I want to try to become normal again. I'm tired of building walls to keep everyone out."

He sat up and stared at the far wall. "Namjoon hyung told me once, loving takes more effort than hating, but there's nothing more worth that effort. He said that it takes bravery to take the plunge and give someone your love, be it friendship or romantic love. Everyone throws the word love around so easily," he mused. "I don't think that many people actually pause to think about all the pain and struggles that comes with caring for someone. I know my parents didn't. They said they loved me all the time, but I could tell they didn't, not really." His voice held a tiny waver.

"Namjoon hyung said it was why he likes Seokjin hyung so much. Seokjin hyung can find it in himself to truly care for so many others, to really love them." He shook his head lightly. "I can't do that so easily, you know. I don't see how he can open himself up so easily to all the hurt people could throw at him. The more you care, the more you get hurt, so it's best if you just don't care - I've always thought that way. But Seokjin hyung keeps telling me that it doesn't always have to be that way. He also told me he loves all of us just the same, no matter what we do, and that he loves me, too. He said you guys could become my family if I just let you in, if I just opened my heart a little." His voice cracked slightly. "And I thought, I want to try. I want to be brave, hyung, I want to be able to love others. And I just, I just thought, if there was anyone in the world I wanted to try to learn how to love for, it would be... him." His voice faltered and petered out, leaving the hall in silence.

Yoongi looked down at the broken boy lying next to him, and felt ashamed of himself. Even Jungkook was willing to take the risk of being rejected. Jungkook was brave. Yoongi was a coward.

He'd liked Jimin for a long time, and had even noticed that Jimin acted slightly differently when he was around him, leading him to harbor a tiny secret hope that maybe the younger boy liked him back. But he was too afraid to take the first step, too afraid of rejection and just maybe, even more afraid of not being rejected, then disappointing Jimin. He didn't think he was worthy of someone as precious as Jimin. Jimin needed someone kind, someone who would shower him with love and praise, someone who would look right standing next to him. Yoongi was gruff, he found it hard to talk about his feelings and all in all he just wasn't exactly the best boyfriend material. He didn't deserve Jimin, he'd decided that a long time ago. And yet, listening to Jungkook, he felt shame burn him to the very core. Was denying his feelings really the best thing to do? If Jimin did like him too, was it being selfish to think he would disappoint the younger and give up without even trying, first? If love was effort, shouldn't he at least be trying to become the person Jiminnie deserved? He looked down at Jungkook again, and opened his mouth.

"You should just tell him exactly what you just told me," he replied to the youngster. "Tell him you like him first. Ask him out, then when you two feel more comfortable with each other, tell him what you said to me." Jungkook groaned and leaned back on his hands.

"But how do I ask him out, hyung?" he complained, exasperated. Yoongi raised an eyebrow.

"You say, Will you go out with me, of course," he deadpanned. Jungkook blushed and grumbled under his breath about it being easier said than done. Yoongi grinned.

"Practice with me, then," he said, his grin widening at the expression of dismay on Jungkook's face. "Go on, pretend I'm Taehyung."

Jungkook choked and spluttered, face bright red. "I- I never said-" Yoongi rolled his eyes.

"That it was Taehyung? Please. What other idiot would smuggle kittens into the institute? Now stop spluttering, and pretend I'm Taehyung." He the mat to properly face Jungkook, who looked just about ready to die.

"Ok," he said finally, blushing harder than ever. He cleared his throat. "Ok. Taehyungie hyung. I know I haven't known you for all that long, but I think I like you, hyung. Will you... go out with me?" He cringed at his own words and Yoongi grinned again. "Sure," he drawled, teasing the younger boy. "Of course I will."

And then, of course, everything had gone wrong when Hoseok had heard that last exchange.