Yoongi didn’t manage to get a wink of sleep that night.

He’d like to say that his creative juices were flowing and he spent the entire night at his desk writing lyrics for songs that he’ll never produce with a mug of half drunken coffee beside him. But Yoongi knows that it is in no one’s best interest to lie.

In reality he spent the whole night sitting in his bed, his blankets tucked up under his chin to fight the cold, not bothering to get up and turn the heating on, staring at his wall as if it would give him the answers that he so desperately needed.

He thought about the fact that Tae finally invited him out. He thought about Namjoon, his only safety, ditching him to spend the entire night with one of Tae’s friends. He thought about Tae and Jungkook and how they both seemed so right for each other that it almost made him physically sick. He thought about Jimin and the way he hated how he’d looked down into his glass for most of the night.

He thought about the way Jimin’s smile caused butterflies to flit through his stomach.

He ended up screaming into his pillow, thankful that Tae never came home, when his thoughts went too off track.

He was mad; he knew that as a fact. But he also felt confusion mixed in which gave him an unsettled feeling in his stomach; one that sits heavily and is not easily removed.  

He felt cheated, that’s the only name he could think to label it with. He felt cheated by the fact that he never even knew Jungkook was coming. And maybe Tae and him knew each other from way back, but the timing almost seemed laughable to Yoongi. Because at the exact moment where he, though not intentionally, revealed his feelings to Tae, Jungkook was in the picture putting up a wall between them that Yoongi still hasn’t figured out how to knock down.

But it’s like he wasn’t even being given the choice. Tae and Jungkook were both there behind it, enforcing it for all they were worth. Yoongi felt defeated, rejected even. But he wasn’t about to let that show.

Reluctantly he heaves himself out of bed, throwing the covers from his body and immediately shivering from the cold that has settled it’s self in the apartment overnight. There’s a dull throbbing in the back of his head as he gets himself ready, showering rids him of the grime he feels on his body from the previous night, but it does nothing to disperse the ache of too many drinks.

He walks slowly through the apartment, getting himself a piece of toast as he pulls a sweater over his head, ruffling his hair to put it back in place. He leaves the apartment with his notebook and toast hanging out of his mouth with just enough time to get to his third lecture. He knows it’s the only class that if he doesn’t manage to make it he’s hounded for it.

He makes it through the lecture hall doors with five minutes to spare, too much time in his opinion, which gives the other an opportunity to talk to him. Today he’s just not in the mood to deal with an inquisition.

As luck would have it the whole back row is empty and he takes a seat by the far wall, hoping to remain as unnoticed as possible, as if he wasn’t even there to begin with. He’s just sitting down, placing his notebook on the small desk when his phone starts ringing. Cursing he pulls it out of his pocket, just barely catching the name Namjoon flashing across the screen before he rejects the call with a harsh jab of his finger.

He looks up to find the whole of the lecture theatre turned around to stare at him as if this kind of thing never happened. He’s only concerned about one pair of eyes staring at him, which causes him to sigh and slump in his seat. He closes his eyes, hoping that the elder isn’t going to make his way over to him, but knowing that it’s inevitable that he will.

Not surprisingly a few seconds later the seat beside him creaks as someone sits down. Reluctantly he cracks his eyes open immediately met with the curious dark eyes of Kim Seokjin. He groans, feeling his hangover coming back at the mere thought of having to talk to him right this second. All thoughts of leaving the lecture early long forgotten as he knows Seokjin won’t let him leave now. Something about protecting his future or some .

“Good Morning, Yoongi.” He greets casually, making himself comfortable in his seat as he pulls out his laptop and sits it on the tray connected to his chair.

“Morning,” Yoongi grumbles back, his head throbbing.

“Big night?” He asks with a chuckle, as if that wasn’t obvious. Namjoon would have told him that they were going out last night, but like the responsible adult he is, Seokjin would have refused to go during the middle of the week. Yoongi thinks now that he should have done the same thing, if he knew that he was going to drag his sorry body out of bed to go to this stupid lecture.

“Something like that,” He responds with a sigh, trying this best to not think about the previous night.

Their conversation ends when the lecturer takes his place on the centre of the stage, clearing his throat. He can see Seokjin paying close attention to the lecture, his fingers working their way over the keyboard every now and again as he takes notes. Yoongi can’t make himself concentrate long enough to get the words from the lecturer through his brain and into his notebook. He wishes Seokjin wasn’t sitting right next to him, blocking the exit he desperately wants to take. His head throbs and all he can do is put it down on his desk and pray for the hour to end soon.

Seokjin glances his way a few times, he can feel his gaze on the side of his head and he knows the elder wants to ask him what’s wrong, but they both know that there is no way that is going to happen while they’re stuck in here.

Yoongi checks the time on his phone under his desk to find that there is still twenty minutes of the lecture to go when the teacher is concluding his last slide. He sighs in relief when they’re dismissed and files out behind Seokjin quickly, if by any chance the lecturer changes his mind and calls them back in.

“Coffee?” Is all his friend has to say for Yoongi to nod enthusiastically and forget all about getting away from him. His hungover mind still playing catch up halfway through the day.

They head across campus to one of the cafés that is usually buzzing with students, yet today seems uncharacteristically uninhabited for the time of day. They order their drinks and sit down at a booth tucked towards the back of the shop, a seat Yoongi was surprised his friend led him to.

The silence between them drags on until the waitress brings them their coffees, Yoongi doesn’t even have the chance to bring it to his lips and take a hesitant sip before Seokjin is speaking, his eyes telling Yoongi all he needs to know about why he brought him here.

“How was last night?” He asks it in a way that any curious friend would, but Yoongi knows that someone else has been whispering in his ear and he’s not happy about the almost pitying gaze in the slightest.

“It was fine,” He replies casually taking a sip from his mug. “Got drunk.”

Seokjin makes a disapproving noise, which Yoongi pretends he doesn’t hear. He doesn’t want to give him the satisfaction of looking down on him, not that he would, Seokjin is too good of a person for that. But Yoongi as always expects there to be something hiding just beneath the exterior.

“No wonder you look terrible,” He finally says, prompting Yoongi to kick him harshly under the table.

The elder only laughs, taking a sip from his coffee before his eyes land on something over his shoulder. Yoongi raises his eyebrow in question before turning around, staring right at the approaching red hair of Jimin.

“Yoongi?” He greets his smile wide as always. “I thought that was you.”

Yoongi blinks, unsure how to approach the situation as Jimin stands in front of the chair between their booth waiting for a reply. Seokjin looks between the two of them, confusion etched into his features before he sticks his hand out towards Jimin.

“Kim Seokjin.” Jimin grasps his hand tightly, giving it a firm shake.

“Park Jimin.”

Seokjin smiles, gesturing to the seat between himself and Yoongi for Jimin to sit. Jimin looks to Yoongi as if unsure if he should take up the invitation or not, while the eyes of Seokjin urge him to sit down.

“Uhh-,” Jimin begins, uncomfortable in the setting. His eyes eventually come to settle on Yoongi once more who is looking at him curiously. “Did you sleep well last night?”

Taken aback by the question Yoongi blinks up at him, his mind racing to try and figure out why Jimin would even care over his lack of sleep or vice versa.

The question causes Yoongi to think back to last night, more specifically the almost kiss that he was so sue they both would have regretted, yet for some reason unknown to him he can’t stop thinking about it. About what Jimin’s lips would feel pressed up against his. With that question it’s almost as if Jimin’s knows and is mocking him for it. Making fun of him for his thoughts.

He watches Jimin’s smile slowly fade, realising he’d done something to cause the silence; he scratches the back of his neck awkwardly.

“It’s just because you look tired… Sorry I should have minded my own business.” He begins to turn away while Yoongi lets him when another voice calls out telling him to join them.

Yoongi stares at Seokjin wide eyed from across the table, trying to silently convey to him why he shouldn’t have done that. Seokjin shrugs, gesturing to Jimin with his head. Yoongi glares for another second before succumbing to the request of his friend. What harm can it do after all?

“Just sit, please,” Yoongi instructs, gesturing to the seat between them.

Jimin steps forward immediately placing himself on the seat, his drink nestled in between his hands on the table in front of them.

Not one of them speaks as they stare down at their own mugs, save for Seokjin whose curious gaze is still trying to figure out what’s going on between the two of them. In truth he brought Yoongi here to discuss what was going on with Tae and to see if there was any way he could help his friend through it. Namjoon has confided in him all that Yoongi has been going through, but looking at the two sitting with him at the table, Seokjin believes that maybe, just maybe Yoongi has already found himself someone to help him get over Tae.

If only he would realise it.

That thought brings a smile to his face, knowing that he won’t be blamed for intervening if Yoongi actually wants the smiling red haired man around. He leans forward, seeing that he is the one who will have to start the conversation.

“So Jimin, what are you studying?”

He smiles again, one that has Seokjin thinking could be highly infectious if around it long enough. Perhaps Yoongi could benefit from it.

“Fine arts, dance,” His eyes light up as he replies, showing true love for his studies.

“How do you two know each other?” Jumps, wanting to get past the pleasantries and to the real information.

Yoongi and Jimin both stare at each other before looking quickly away, this only piques his interest to find out details.

“I’m friends with Tae,” Jimin begins and Jin finds himself nodding along. “Actually we met officially last night.”

“Oh?” Jin breathes, glancing over at Yoongi for answers.

Yoongi looks back it him hesitantly, it’s not the fact that he’s embarrassed of what happened with Jimin, not that anything did. But he feels as though everyone is after an explanation from him that he doesn’t have. With a sigh he finally speaks, telling Jin what he wants to know.

“I told you I got drunk. I went to the club with Tae and met Jungkook and Jimin. Namjoon came with me, but he ditched me to spend the entire night with another guy -,“

“Hoseok.” Jimin interrupts, causing Yoongi to look at him in confusion. “His name is Jung Hoseok. He’s one of mine and Jungkook’s friends from dance.”

“Right, Hoseok,” Yoongi continues, glancing back to Jin. “Jimin and I got to talking and then we walked home.”

He glances at Jimin when finished to see if he had anything more to add, but the younger remains silent, his expression one that Yoongi can’t decipher. He hopes to god he’s not thinking about the almost kiss.

Jin begins to open his mouth to reply, when the shrill sound of his phone ringing causes him to close it. He checks the caller id and stands up.

“Sorry, I’ll catch you guys later.” And then he’s walking out the door.

They sit in silence as both of them watch Seokjin’s retreating back, neither sure where to go from here. Yoongi feels an overwhelming pressure weighing down on him, he’d only just met Jimin last night, drunk for that matter and already he feels as though everyone including the man himself is expecting so much from him.  

He feels as though he’s already made so many promises, that he doesn’t have a clue how to keep or if he even wants to. Promises are so much easier to be broken.

“So dance, huh?” He eventually asks in what they both know is a lame attempt to break the uncomfortable stretching silence.

Jimin scratches the back of his neck, a slight flush spreading across his cheeks that amuses Yoongi. “Yeah, I’m in a dance crew with Hoseok and Jungkook along with a few others.” He pauses for a second, and Yoongi can see he has more to say.

“What is it?”

“Oh, I was just thinking that it would be cool if you came and watched.” He responds with a small, almost weary smile.

Yoongi had not been expecting that. And the words almost sound as though Jimin was indirectly asking him out on a date. Yoongi shakes his head at that; once again he was allowing his mind to get too far ahead. He doesn’t even want to go on a date with Jimin.

He watches Jimin’s face fall, realising that he thinks the head shake was Yoongi silently rejecting him. He puts a smile on his face. “Maybe I will.”

Jimin’s reaction is instant, the light returning to his eyes causing them to once again shine bright and the grin that causes Yoongi’s stomach to flip uncomfortably stretches across his face.

 

Their conversation comes easier after that, Yoongi explains with great love his course and Jimin listens with great interest at everything that spills from the elder’s lips. Yoongi ends up finding it rather easy to talk to Jimin, glad that the younger isn’t actually as shy as he first thought carrying his half of the conversation quite well.

Yoongi finds how much he likes being in Jimin’s presence, and that terrifies him.  

“You know this wasn’t really what I had in mind when I said we should hang out,” Jimin suddenly says quietly, staring down into his half empty coffee mug, breaking Yoongi out of his thoughts.

“Oh?” He asks, eyebrow raised in question. “Is this not hanging out? Two guys sharing coffee and conversation though with the exception of a donut that one of them is still owed.” He means it as a joke of course but Jimin’s eyes stare up into his in panic, his hands already reaching for his wallet to pay Yoongi back.

“No, stop!” He says loudly, placing his hand over Jimin’s to stop him from getting any money out. The younger looks at him in confusion, no doubt the both of them can feel the heat rushing through their hands at the contact. “They don’t even sell any here. You can get me one next time.”

“Next time?” Jimin asks cautiously, as if he thought their chat wasn’t going too well. Yoongi slowly pulls his hand from Jimin’s placing it back around his coffee mug, trying desperately to ignore the cold ache that replaces the heat almost instantly.

“Yes, next time.”

Jimin smiles.

Yoongi can’t put a name to the sickness swirling through his gut. He enjoys Jimin’s company, no more and no less than he enjoys anybody else’s. But he cannot deny that there is something different, something he’s not too sure of that pulls him towards the younger, which has him fighting a smile at everything he says.

And that has Yoongi scared, because he’s only felt like this with one other person and even then it was different, because Jimin is not Taehyung.

Yoongi knows that.

But still…