He's sniffling again. For s sake he's sniffling.

Yoongi doesn't want to stare, especially after the whole spectacle a week ago where the ever sniffly Jeongguk stuck his hand around his shoulder and didn't let go (he only wanted to pat his back for comfort and leave. is that too much to ask for?)

"Are you gonna go and comfort him again? He seems like he needs it."

Hoseok winks at him as he grabs his tray of.. whatever the hell he's eating and makes his way towards their usual table.

Yoongi keeps staring until Jimins tray hits his own with a loud clunk and they both grumble.

"I'm not the counselor, okay? If he needs comfort he'll get it from his own friends."

Yoongi gives Jimin a sly glare and grabs his wobbly jello that's now covered in cocoa. Great.

"But he doesn't have any. Have you ever seen him with anyone else besides his seven hundred comic books?"

Hoseok's sitting down now, munching on an apple and doodling something on his notepad. Jimin is making his way over and Yoongi doesn't want to ask why he's just as grumpy as he is.

"Uhh.. well he's always around that weird energetic dude. Y'know the one in the marching band?"

Hoseok whimpers and almost chokes on his apple. "Tae? Come on Tae is sunshine and rainbows and puppies and.. he's not good with comforting someone as miserable as Mr. Jeon."

Jimin makes himself known with a loud sigh.

"That Mr. Jeon is my science partner for the next six months. I kind of don't know if I should jump in front of a bus right now or wait until he stops sniffling to do it."

They glance towards the now snotty boy as Jeongguk grabs his tray and moves towards the window sill he usually sits on.

"Maybe you want to trade partners with Yoongi?"

Hoseok winks at the both of them and Jimin lights up. Yoongi shoves his shoulder and decides on biting into his.. jello?.. to not respond.

"I mean It'd be good for all of us.. Yoongi needs help with science and Jeongguk is pretty smart. And I'm already smart enough."

He smiles and Yoongi glares into his jello and then at Jeongguk who's suddenly a lot less waily than before. Maybe it's the sunrise that's stuck in his lashes. Stuck in the pit of his stomach with the unceremounisouly not jelloish jello.

Jimin and Hoseok trade glances that Yoongi seems to miss.

*

"Why, for the love of god why are you always crying?"

Yoongi has cornered Jeongguk after science class which.. he must admit went better than he expected.

Jeongguk doesn't look at him, shyer than he was during the whole class.

"I'm not always crying. I'm just.. sensitive to things."

Yoongi huffs and Jeongguk gets a bit defensive at that.

"What? Am I not allowed to be upset over there not being any Cinnamon Toast Crunch in the cafeteria?"

Yoongi looks at him incredulously and snickers.

"Is that why you were crying today?"

Jeongguk doesn't meet his eyes but nods after a minute or two. Yoongi holds in his laughter for as long as he can.

"It's just.. I'm on new meds and they make me really sensitive to everything."

Yoongi doesn't want to ask why he's on meds but the look on his face probably says it all.

"For example I saw a ladybug being crushed by your friends' shoe yesterday and that had me in tears for half an hour. And ever since you changed the color of your hair I've been kind of breathless."

Jeongguk doesn't answer his questions instead making more of them.

"Breathless?"

Yoongi notices proffessor Seokjin staring at them through the classroom and shuffles away from view. Jeongguk shuffles along with him.

"Yeah. It suits you really well and the color is just so bright."

Yoongi nods as if it's the most normal thing he's heard in a week and grabs Jeongguk by the arm.

"You know I told my friends I wouldn't be here to comfort you but I gotta pass science so..ice cream?"

He doesn't do his trademark smile, all soft and gummy as he'd want to. Instead it's the one he's used on Jinyoung and Jenny so they'd let him cheat on a few tests.

Jeongguk feels soft and gummy under his touch after that.

*

"So you and sniffly kid a thing now?"

Hoseok winks at him as theyre having lunch the next day. Yoongi squints at him but doesn't say a word.

Jimin makes his way toward their table with Taehyung in hand and Hoseok shuts up about him and Jeongguk to make sly remarks about the two of them.

"I'm just here to help you all learn more about my beloved friend Jeongguk, who couldn't attend today because he was feeling a bit sick. I think it was the ice cream."

Taehyung winks at him too fast for anyone else to notice and Yoongi tries to hide his bewilderment.

"Why would we want to learn about him?"

Hoseok eats some sort of super healthy salad again and Yoongi holds in a gag. Also a ton of questions about the boy Taehyung is talking about.

"Because, he's now your friend too. And you should know him better."

Taehyung smiles brightly at them as he eats Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Yoongi wonders why it reminds him of Jeongguk all of a sudden.

"A) he has ADHD and the medicine is what makes him cry all the time. Second of all - he can't switch it yet so that's why everyone thinks he's got some issues. 3) He's really really nice and he loves comic books and ice cream and cinnamon cereal and doodling and oh you should see him in the gym!"

Taehyung seems fond of the guy he's talking so vividly about and something in the pit of Yoongi's stomach rumbles. Maybe it's the light of the sunrise turning into a sunset.

"Oh! He's also trying to get into the baseball team and the book club lead by our senior Namjoon. He's great friends with him. So if you want to 'break up with him'," Taehyung winks at him again and Yoongi is feeling flustered "You have to remember Namjoon's power over the schoolboard. Especially mister Seokjin."

The wink is meant for all of them this time, making Hoseok cackle into his bowl and Jimin turn bright red at the insinuation.

Yoongi sits back and slurps at his cocoa thinking of cinnamon and the specks of it in Jeongguks eyes.

*

"Am I really allowed to come in?"

Jeongguk seems overwhelmed to be at his doorstep. Scared of doing something wrong or maybe scared of crying again.

"Yeah. How else are we gonna study?"

Yoongi throws his backback up the staircase and hears it crashing down in a few seconds. It makes perpetually sad Jeongguk laugh and Yoongi's stomach rumbles for all the world to hear.

"You want something to eat?"

Jeongguk is making himself busy with taking off his shoes but nods vigorously as Yoongi picks up some Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

He doesn't mention how he bought them yesterday in preparation for his visit.

They eat in silence and for the first time in...ever really, Yoongi feels weird. He doesn't know where to put his hands or how to keep his back from becoming stiff. Doesn't know if he should run his fingers through the light blue roots of his hair or tangle them in the notebooks sprawled across the table. Or in Jeongguks own hands.

Yoongi coughs at his thought and Jeongguk looks up, eyes big and innocent and so childlike. Yet the bicep bulging through his uniform says that he isn't a child anymore. And Yoongi doesn't really want to think about that.

"So..this might be a weird question but.. when was the last time you cried?"

Jeongguk's chewing on his bottom lip after blurting the words out, a shy smile forming on his pale face. He's probably hoping for a really embarrassing answer. Maybe Yoongi also cries if his sisters eat the last of his cereal?

"At my grandpas funeral."

Jeongguk makes a face at that and Yoongi can feel the tension grow.

"Three years ago."

Jeongguk feels shocked instead of embarrassed now, eyebrows shooting up to his hairline.

"Are you serious?"

Yoongi nods with a smug smile and grabs a notebook to start doing what they actually intended to.

"Yeah. I didn't cry much but I was really close with him so it was hard."

He doesn't look at Jeongguk as he says it, deciding it's best to bury his hands and his thoughts in the books before him. Something sneaks up on him. A touch. Skin against skin and knuckles brushing against knuckles.

Maybe a feeling is sneaking up on him too.

"I'm sorry. I can't imagine what'd it be like to lose my grandparents."

There are tears in Jeongguks eyes and if Yoongi had known it'd come to this he would've never mentioned it.

Yoongi spends the rest of the afternoon drying his tears with his t-shirt. Feeling even more vulnerable and emotionally than the boy that's sitting in his arms on his couch. The boy that falls asleep there only to be awakened by Yoongi's sisters and the soft snores next to his ear.

Yoongi decides that something has really sneaked up on him and he needs to get rid of it.

*

"So why have you been ignoring Mr. Jeon?"

Hoseok is as observant as ever. Jimin is nowhere to be seen.

"I haven't. Science is only twice a week so I don't have to be sitting with him holding his hand 24/7 now do I?"

Hoseok gives him a look as he sips his smoothie, twirling his fingers around the straw until his eyes stop on someone across the hall.

"He isn't sitting with us anymore. Which means you did something."

Yoongi scoffs and tries his hardest not to turn around and look at him. He's probably crying again. Sunrise not even getting a chance to be stuck in his eyes since they're closed with tears.

"He only sat with us for three days. It was probably his own decision to go back to the window sill."

Yoongi doesn't feel like talking anymore.
 

*

Taehyung won't leave him be. He was kind of expecting it. But not during his study break in the library.

"What did you do to my friend?"

Yoongi doesn't realize someone's whisper yelling until he gets turned around roughly by a hand that's three times bigger than his.

"What are you talking about?"

Taehyung gives him a look before continuing. Yoongi just gulps.

"Jeongguk!! You were already friends, no need to deny it, but then you did something. Or did he do something? Because I'm pretty sure you're the one who did something."

Yoongi sighs as he fiddles with his hair and the now dark roots.

"I didn't do anything. He was crying at my place when we studied and I guess that kinda made him embarrassed or something? So yeah he's been ignoring me but it's not like we're friends or anything."

Taehyung grabs him by the wrist at that, eyebrows knit together in frustration.

"Min Yoongi. You need to fix this right now! Jeongguk would never stop talking to you! He's been dying to get to know you better for ages so fix whatever you did or so help me god."

Taehyung leaves with a huff and Yoongi with a tug in his chest.
 

*

"Ice cream?"

Jeongguks hurrying out the school gates and Yoongi decides it's time to man up. He still startles the boy almost into tears.

"No thank you."

Jeongguk turns to walk but Yoongi is faster than him. Probably because he's shorter.

"Look I'm.. I'm sorry I've been ignoring you. School's been busy and stuff. You know how it is."

Jeongguk huffs just like Taehyung and Yoongi wonders how good friends they are to mimic each other like this.

"It's not a good enough excuse Yoongi. I trusted you! I'm sorry I cried at your house and..."

He stops for a second, mumbling the next part as fast as he can.

"SorrythatIfellasleepinyourarms. But it's just who I am. So if you don't like me being so emotional or touchy then I guess it's better that you've been ignoring me."

Jeongguk turns around again, letting Yoongi see only a glimpse of a frown.

"It's not.. It's not that I'm uncomfortable with it. It's that I'm..I'm a bit too comfortable."

Jeongguk doesn't run at that. Doesn't say a single thing but Yoongi can see how fast he's breathing and wonders if he's crying again.

He turns around and wants to ask something. Say anything. But nothing comes out.

Yoongi still wonders if he's going to cry when Jeongguk jumps on him. Arms around his shoulders and cheek against his cheek.

Yoongi feels himself shiver, feels warmth move from his shoulders, where Jeongguks touching him, to every single part of his body. It engulfs him like the feeling in the pit of his stomach. The sunrise that's begging to get out.

"Is..is it okay if I like.. kiss you and stuff?"

Jeongguk is sniffling again but he seems happy for once. Yoongi doesn't even have strength to nod, returning Jeongguks smile with one of his own. Big and soft and gummy.

Jeongguk feels the same way under his fingertips as their mouths touch. Gentle and warm and exactly like the feeling that had been sneaking up on him.

He grazes the tip of his cheekbone and the start of his jawline, letting his hand slide around his neck to deepen the kiss. It's salty from Jeongguks tears but Yoongi doesn't mind it at all.

When they finally part, lips red and glistening, Jeongguk stares at him longingly and Yoongi feels that he wouldn't mind seeing the sun rise along with him every morning. Even with the stupid sniffles.