Yoongi slid off Hoseok. He didn't make eye contact with anyone as he walked out of the room. Jimin moved out of the way as he passed, then turned to Hoseok, mouth agape.

“I…” Hoseok wanted to say something but he couldn’t find a way to justify himself. He was an idiot. A idiot.

“Jimin can you leave us?” Taehyung spoke up.  

Jimin looked at Hoseok again, a mixture of confusion and anger framing his face before he nodded to Taehyung and left.

Hoseok looked at the floor as he heard Taehyung shut the door and approach him.

“Hyung, look at me.”

Hoseok looked up and flinched. Taehyung’s eyes were intense, boring into his skin and revealing the truth inside.

“You let you me kiss you.”

Hoseok flinched again.

Yes, he had.

Yes, he was an idiot. A big, big idiot.

“Y-Yoongi was done with me at the time.” Hoseok replied the excuse stupid, unjustifiable.

“So, anytime Yoongi is mad or done with you, you’ll come to me?” Taehyung raised his eyebrows.

He didn’t look mad, but Hoseok could see the disappointment in his gaze. He had expected better from him. Hoseok had been someone he had admired, placed on a pedestal.

Hoseok covered his face with his hands.

When had it gotten so complicated?!

“Hyung.”

Hoseok refused to look up.

Taehyung walked over and pulled Hoseok’s hands away.

“I want you to say it.”

“Say what?”

“Say who you love.” Taehyung said.  

Hoseok took a deep breath and met his eye.

He exhaled.

“Yoongi.”

Taehyung let go of his hands. He gave a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes and Hoseok felt guilt and shame wash over him like an ocean wave.

“Then that’s it.”

He turned to leave and Hoseok grabbed his hand, his warm big hand that had fit so nicely in his own.

“Taehyung.”

Taehyung seemed to wince at his name.

“I never wanted to hurt you.”

“I know.”

“Yet I did, in more ways than one.” Hoseok cast his eyes on Taehyung’s shirt, where underneath the last of the scars were. “I'll never forgive myself Tae.”

“Hyung that isn't what I wanted. I didn't want your pity or guilt or anything like that. I just wanted...” Taehyung’s eyes were soft and rounded with sadness.

Hoseok felt his heart ache. What he would do to feel as strong for Taehyung as Taehyung did for him.

“I don't regret the time I spent with you.” Hoseok replied. “And I don't regret liking you. I just regret leading you on. I'm sorry, you don’t have to if you don't want to, but I want to stay friends. And I want to keep training alongside you.”

Taehyung seemed to hesitate before nodding. “Just give me time.”

Take all the time in the world.

It was the least Hoseok could do. 

“Hey.”

Yoongi’s deep voice jolted Hoseok awake. After the catastrophe with Taehyung, Hoseok had grown tired. Whether emotionally or physically he didn’t know, all he knew was that he was going to take a nap.

He had barely shut his eyes for five minutes, when Yoongi slipped into his bed, cool hands rubbing at his bare torso.

Hoseok squirmed and shoved his ridden-up shirt, down. He turned to glare at him.

“Is this really the best time?”

“I wasn’t trying to…” Yoongi faltered. “I was trying to comfort you.”

“Keep it above the chest for comfort.” Hoseok chided.

Yoongi’s hands slid up to his neck, fingers dipping into his collarbone and chest. Hoseok pulled away, shame flooding him. All he could picture was Taehyung’s sad eyes.

“You know what, how about words.” He said, sitting up. “Words are very comforting.”

Yoongi looked confused and sat up beside him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Bull.” Yoongi glared. “You won’t even let me touch you.”

“Well don’t forget last time you touched me it got us in trouble!” Hoseok retorted.

“Do you still like Taehyung?”

Hoseok sighed and leaned his head against the bedframe. “It’s not that...I just can’t get over how much I hurt him. He really liked me Yoongi.”

“You really ed us over.” Yoongi agreed.

Hoseok gave him a withering look. “Thanks, I also really appreciated how you left as soon as we got caught. Talk about taking responsibility.”

Yoongi winced. And Hoseok could see the regret and sorrow in his eyes.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean it like that…”

“You’re right.” Yoongi shook his head. His fingers began to pull at the fibers of the blankets, nervously. “I was a coward. Taehyung was my rookie...it felt like I had taken something away from him.”

“I definitely took something away from him.” Hoseok cut in.

His humanity, his heart…his trust in me.

Yoongi smiled sadly. “That was my fault too. I should have been more upfront about my feelings. I let you drift away and find it in someone else.”

Hoseok grabbed at Yoongi’s jumpy fingers and interwove them with his. “You should talk to him.”

“Yeah.” Yoongi said quietly, staring at his fingers interlaced with Hoseok’s. “I should.”

It had been a few days now. Taehyung, Hoseok and Jimin were training together again and despite the reserved look on Taehyung’s face things had gone back to normal.

Or as normal as they could, considering the circumstances.

Hoseok wondered if Yoongi had talked to Taehyung. What exactly had Yoongi told him and what exactly had Taehyung said back. He hadn’t had a chance to talk to the older man since he was gone shortly after their agreement. He and Namjoon went on a mission that required two overnight stays. Hoseok didn’t hear what kind of monster, but Seokjin had assured him they would be fine.

They probably coming back today...Hoseok thought as he looked out the window from the study room.

A knock interrupted his thoughts and he swiveled his head to look at Taehyung.

“Hey.”

“Hey hyung.” The hesitant voice replied.

Hoseok watched him walk to the bookshelves and browse through them, his eyes heavy with sleep.

Hoseok glanced at the clock, it was almost midnight! No wonder Taehyung looked tired. At the sight of the time, he felt the beginning of an ache in his eyes.

“Why are you here so late?” The boy asked, not looking at him.

“Just studying as usual.” Hoseok responded, closing the book in his hands.

“Seokjin told me you took out all the werewolf books.”

“Ah…” Hoseok looked at his hands, embarrassed. They were calloused from all the rough equipment he was training with.

“You must feel obligated to me. I’m sorry.”

“No no!” Hoseok stood up and placed his hands up in surrender. “Please. I don’t feel obligated. I just wanted to understand your new...predicament a little better.”

“Predicament?” Taehyung gave a dry laugh. He still wasn’t quite looking at him. “Funny, Yoongi hyung called it the same thing.”

Hoseok looked startled at that. “So, Yoongi went to talk to you?”

“Yeah just before leaving.” Taehyung said, grabbing a book and putting it under his arm. “It sounded like he was trying to get my blessing or something.”

“I’m sorry. That was my idea. Well not the blessing, but the...talking to you.”

Taehyung gave a small smile. It was nearly a recollection of the box-shaped grins he would give Hoseok, but not quite.

“I’m happy for you hyung, he seems like he really cares about you. Yoongi hyung doesn’t seem to care about most things either so…”

There was no bitterness in Taehyung’s words, he seemed sincere and Hoseok felt his heart break a little.

“Thank you.” He replied.

Taehyung smiled again and left the room, book in hand.  Hoseok watched him go hoping someday, maybe they could truly be friends again.

“Everyone grab your coats!” Seokjin clapped his hands in the living room. Hoseok was sitting beside Jimin, who had since rekindled their friendship through the truth of Hoseok’s terrible decisions. Jimin had understood his predicament but tended to side with Taehyung more when it came to choosing his relationship.

“Yoongi hyung is nice and all but…”

Was all Jimin said before he smiled.

And Hoseok could understand why he would say that. Yoongi was difficult, annoying even at times.

Like now, as they sat in the living room Yoongi’s eyes were piercing him from across the couch. Hoseok turned to him a couple of times with a glare of his own before he gave up and let him have his way.

Whatever Yoongi wanted to tell him, he’d come out with it eventually.

“Where are we going hyung?” Jungkook indulged him since no one had reacted to the man’s command.

“We are going out to celebrate. Taehyung’s better and Hoseok is officially with us.” Namjoon answered coming to stand beside Seokjin in the hallway. He smiled brightly, his dimples coming out and making even Yoongi give a smirk.

“Where?” Yoongi asked.

“That BBQ place by the park.” Seokjin replied.

The youngest ones immediately cheered and raced to their rooms for their coats.

“The absolute cutest.” Namjoon chuckled to Seokjin. They exchanged soft smiles and Hoseok wondered if it was too soon to act like that with Yoongi.

He glanced over at him and saw he was back to staring.

He smiled.

Yoongi’s eyes widened and he looked away, but not before Hoseok saw the pink in his cheeks.

Well then… Hoseok smiled to himself. 

They took the van, Hoseok squishing in between Yoongi and Namjoon who eyed the hand Yoongi kept on Hoseok’s thigh with interest. Hoseok blushed when Namjoon smiled at him, but it was nice to have someone actually approve of his relationship with Yoongi for once.

Jungkook and Jimin had been fairly calm about it. Taehyung well...

Seokjin had apparently lectured Yoongi on the implications this would put on their group dynamics and how they had to be sure they fought quietly and discreetly. Yoongi had clapped back with how discreetly he had handled the situation with Namjoon before and Seokjin had replied with an eye roll and a goodbye. Further proving his thesis on how Seokjin was the Prince of Petty.

Anyway, Hoseok was grateful for Namjoon.

“Hey why were you staring at me before?” Hoseok whispered in Yoongi’s ear.

Yoongi whispered back. “Wanted you.”

Hoseok flushed and the hand on his thigh tightened its hold. Hoseok kept his eyes on the window for the rest of the ride.  

They arrived and were seated quickly. Hoseok took a seat beside Yoongi and Jungkook. In front of him was Taehyung.

He offered a small quirk of a smile before turning his body towards to Jimin who was chattering excitedly about something.

Progress. Hoseok thought turning to Yoongi who was arguing with Seokjin over who got to cook. This was progress.

“Yoongi-chiiiiii.”

Hoseok snorted.

Yoongi glared at Hoseok then at Seokjin who was holding onto him and whining.

“Yoongi-chi?”

“Hyung’s special nickname.” Jungkook whispered not so quietly to Hoseok.

“Seokjin stop it.” Yoongi scowled his face nearly hot pink.

“My Yoongi-chi.” Seokjin buried his face in his neck.

“Does he always get like this?” Hoseok asked.

The whole table nodded.

“Charming isn’t it?” Yoongi said in a scathing tone. He nudged Seokjin off again and pointed at Namjoon. “Look, your favorite baby boy!”

Namjoon turned red.

Clearly there was some power plays Hoseok had not been aware of that the whole group seemed to know because they cringed.

“Baby boy!” Seokjin beamed at the sight of Namjoon across from him and reached over the grill to grab him.

“Hyung no!” Jimin screeched and Hoseok, Yoongi and Namjoon grabbed at Seokjin before he could land on the hot grill.

Seokjin then sat back and pouted, his eyes watery.

“Taehyung switch seats with him.” Namjoon ordered.

Oh no…

Taehyung looked uneasily between Hoseok and Yoongi before obeying and going over to sit on Yoongi’s side. Seokjin content, pressed against Namjoon peppering his cheek with the occasional kiss that made Namjoon fluster.

“Gross.” Jungkook muttered.

Hoseok chuckled and nodded in agreement. He then caught Taehyung’s eye from over Yoongi’s cooking arm and he looked away.

“Why don’t you help hyung?” Yoongi suggested to Taehyung handing him the pincers.

“Sure.” Taehyung brightened a little. Overall, he didn’t seem to hold any grudges against Yoongi. He had known him longer and he was his mentor in the past. It had been Hoseok that had messed with him not Yoongi.

Hoseok let out a small huff of breath.

He looked around while waiting for the meat to cook.

The BBQ place was small and packed. It was a Friday night so there were a lot of people from work and college students who had decided to celebrate the kickoff of the weekend.

Hoseok’s eyes wandered to a group of girls who were all giggling amongst themselves. The amount of soju bottles on the table told Hoseok it wasn’t just over a joke.

One of them seemed familiar but her face was turned. Something about her slender frame and nose shape struck something in Hoseok.

An old classmate?

A dancer?

A cousin?

The girl turned forward.

A sister.

A rush of fear and sadness hit him, and he felt himself wanting to rush to her but also hide away.

Hoseok ducked into Yoongi’s lap instead, startling everyone.

“Whoa Hoseok save it for later.” Yoongi joked. Hoseok slapped his thigh.

“What are you doing hyung?” Jungkook asked peering under the table where Hoseok had decided to crouch in.

“Shh.”

Even Taehyung peered down with curious eyes.

“This is ridiculous, get up.” Yoongi demanded.

“Has the girl left?”

“Who?” Jimin called.

“You’re making yourself more noticeable by hiding down there.” Yoongi said sounding exasperated. “Get back in your chair.”

Hoseok sat back down. He glanced at the table noting she was missing.

Had she left or gone to the restroom?

His heart was still beating so loudly, and a rush of blood roared in his ears. Had she seen him?

His leg shook underneath the table and he felt Yoongi's hand clamp down on it. He stilled.

He then saw Taehyung eye the hand on his thigh and he began to shake again.

“Who are you even hiding from?” Yoongi asked.

“Someone…”

“Is it someone close?” Namjoon questioned, concern more than curiosity in his gaze.

“Just an old friend.” Hoseok lied. “Not close, but I still want to be sure.”

Namjoon nodded in understanding.

Hoseok flinched as he looked at the table again from over Seokjin’s shoulder. She had returned.

He ducked his head a little when she turned from chatting with the girl next to her and faced forward.

“Let’s go.” Yoongi said suddenly.

“I’m fine, hyung.” Hoseok reassured. He was far from fine. The anguish of having to leave his family and friends finally hit him again. Sure, he liked this group and he had started to feel like a part of them even with all the drama, but it wasn’t like his family.

They couldn’t replace his father, mother, and sister.

My sister.

He glanced at her noticing she was happy. She looked like she had lost some weight, but overall her demeanor exuded joy. He wondered what she was doing in Seoul though.

To look for me?

Hoseok then realized that must have been it. But then why did she look so happy? Had they really moved on so quick?

He felt tears pinprick his eyes. He drooped into his seat and concentrated on his meat.

“Alright that’s enough.” Yoongi grabbed his arm, stopping him from eating more.

“What are you doing?”

“We’re out. Goodnight.” Yoongi directed his goodbye to the others.

“Take a cab.” Namjoon called.

“Of course.” Yoongi replied, standing up and taking off his cap to shove it down on Hoseok’s face. “I’m not walking back like an idiot.”

“Right.” Namjoon smiled, more over the fact that Yoongi considered exercising as a form of idiocy. than him actually listening to what he had said. 

 He dragged Hoseok out and the cold air greeted them. Yoongi dragged him all the way down the street than crossed to a nearby park. When they came to a small bridge he finally let go.

Hoseok breathed out watching the cloud of air that floated below his nose.

“Who was that really?”

“I told you all, it was just a friend.” Hoseok tucked his hands in his pockets shivering slightly. He hadn’t noticed the changing of the weather. It felt like it had hit out of nowhere, just like his realization that he could never return to his old life ever again. He would miss the cool fall air now that cold winter days were coming.

And soon Christmas…

Memories of his family sitting around the dinner table eating and laughing flooded his mind.

Memories of he and his sister waiting up for Santa Claus and then failing to stay awake, of when she tripped and fell on the frozen driveway from playing tag in the snow and he hugged her until she stopped, of the when they made hot chocolate and took a sip of their parents’ whiskey while talking about their uncertain futures.

“See there’s that face again.” Yoongi reached a surprisingly warm hand onto Hoseok’s cheek. He wiped away a tear.

The action so simple, yet so meaningful Hoseok felt more tears come in its place.

“Was is your girlfriend?” Yoongi asked softly.

Hoseok sniffed and shook his head. He saw Yoongi visibly relax and he let out a laugh.

Yoongi smiled.

Hoseok then wiped his eyes and sniffed again before speaking. “It was my sister.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, she looked so happy though, I’m a little hurt.” Hoseok admitted. “I assume she’s here looking for me.”

“Actually.” Yoongi bit his bottom lip then turned away from him to look out at the river. “She’s here for your funeral.”

“W... what?”

“Yeah…”

Hoseok stunned looked out at the river. Frost already seemed to be curling around its edges. Soon it would be frozen. Soon Hoseok would be frozen from his emotions toward his old life.

But soon wasn’t now. He felt tears streak down his face and sobs escape his mouth.

“I’m sorry, I thought they told you.”

“T-They d-did. I m-mean I knew this would happen but...but I…” Hoseok choked out. He began hiccupping, his chest hurting.

Yoongi reached for a hug and Hoseok let himself cry on the shorter man’s shoulder. He finally calmed and wiped the tears and snot from his face.

“I can’t believe I’m dead…”

“If it’s any consolation I’ve been dead for 20 years myself.”

“I thought you joined 5 years ago?”

“I meant inside.”

Hoseok laughed again. The feeling bittersweet in his body. They stood in comfortable silence for a moment before Yoongi reached for his hand.

“You’ll feel better one day.” Yoongi said. “Or never.”

“Never is a long time.”

“Just give me time.”

He recalled Taehyung’s words.

Time was all he had now too. He couldn’t empathize with the werewolf boy enough.

“You’ll have me for a long time too.”

Hoseok turned to Yoongi to see the man’s cheeks were considerably pink. Whether from the cold or from the cheesy statement, he couldn’t tell. He felt a warm feeling spread in him and suddenly cold winter days weren’t looking so bad. If he could spend them with Yoongi and the others maybe he would be fine.

Maybe not happy, but fine.

And that seemed good enough for now.

“Thank you.” Hoseok told him.

He then leaned forward and kissed him softly. When he pulled away, Yoongi looked at him with wide eyes.

“I love you.”

Hoseok blinked.

Yoongi looked at the ground, face red now.

Maybe they were rushing into it now. But Hoseok couldn’t deny the feeling he felt when he looked, kissed or even held hands with Yoongi. Indebtment to Taehyung had been part of the reason he had stayed. Monster hunting had been the other part. But now he liked to think Yoongi was a big part of why he was still there. He could have left after Taehyung had healed or after letting Taehyung go or even after seeing his sister. Yet…he wanted to stay with Yoongi. He was willing to risk it.

“I love you too, Min Yoongi.”

Yoongi smiled and they held hands again.

They then walked back to the streets to hail for a cab.

A/N: I kind of struggled with this ending. I mean hopefully it was okay. I kind of wanted to leave it like simple, kind of like a oh well life goes on kind of feeling. If it didn't accomplish that I am very sorry.
Also the reason Hoseok's sister was so happy is because she was telling stories about her and Hoseok as kids. Cry with me :( lol
This monster hunting world, I created it a long time ago I had originally wrote it for a TVXQ fic that never saw the light of day and in it I had touched more on the rookie training and different monsters and how basically kpop idols were all monster hunters protecting Seoul lol. Maybe later on I can make a sequel of this and add more monster hunting elements to it cuz this seemed more drama based tbh.

Also screw it im adding the two chapters of the TVXQ fic I was writing so you guys could see more of the world if you guys are interested. Also some of this fic was taken from that such as the giant spider, the werewolf attack etc.