It’s a late autumn day and leaves are crunching under their feet. The park is silent except for silent melody Jungkook is humming to himself while jumping from one puddle to another and then running through a pile of colourful maple leaves which, undoubtedly, was a real struggle to get together for the lady that took care of the park.

Eh it’s no big deal, Yoongi thinks to himself as he watches his kid happily make a total mess of himself and the surroundings. Not that his surroundings were neat and clean anyway to begin with. There is mud everywhere and the fallen leaves quelch wetly under their boots with every step. Autumn this year is so damn wet.

All of the leaves haven’t fallen off yet, she will have to do this all over again anyway.

A deep breath to his right brings him back from his thoughts about how hard it will be washing Kookie’s clothes from mud to his friend. His hair are messed up by an occasional breeze of the wind and his nose is red. There’s a small smile on his lips as he breathes deeply a few more times. 

Yoongi stares at his upturned lip corners from over his oversized scarf and feels his heart stutter in his chest. He knows if he’d be on his other side he’d probably be staring at the little mole he had on his upper lip. 

Yoongi blinks and looks away.

- It’s so weird how summer passed this quickly, - Hoseok starts as he smiles at Jungkook, who has somehow gotten his rubber boots caked with leaves like a second skin and trying to shake them off without touching them. Leaves stick to them like a glue and Jungkook looks a bit red in his face.

- Yeah, - Yoongi sighs and pulls his scarf down so he could talk more clearly.

- Feels like only last week I was wrestling Kookie into his swim shorts at the beach.

- Well you could’ve just let him run as he wanted and you wouldn’t have had any scratches on your arms I needed to disinfect, - Hoseok laughs and lightly slaps him on his arm. 

The touch is light and fleeting but Yoongi feels the weight of it in his skin as if it still was there. He also feels pathetic as his heart stills for a milisecond every time Hoseok touches or smiles at him. 

Yoongi frowns and looks at his smiling friend. This stupid crush has been messing with him for the last two months. Okay, about four months but the two latest ones have been the hardest on him.

- Well you’re a nurse, it’s your job to help the injured, - Yoongi grumbles and rubs at his nose. It’s too damn cold for an autumn day. - And how the hell would I have let him go on a beach full of people? Running around and letting people think I’ve raised a Neanderthal.

Hoseok laughs watching Kookie trying to rub the leaves off of his boots on the side of a tree. From the side he just looks like trying to climb it. Unsuccessfully.

- You sound like your sister so much sometimes, - Hoseok says bumping his shoulder against Yoongi’s while trying to avoid stepping in a puddle. - ‘Like a Neanderthal’, - he scoffs and puts his hands deeper in the pockets of his jacket. - I think I’ve been called a Neanderthal like 4 times by her since I’ve started to work in the hospital.

- You probably deserved it, dork, - Yoongi avoids looking in the general direction of Hoseok, because he knows he has just earned a puppy eyed look with the lower lip sticking out - the complete guilt trip set. He wouldn’t be able to look away if he saw him like that, he has learned from his past mistakes. 

- How could you say that to your only friend, Suga, - or maybe he hasn’t learned anything at all, because he turns his frowning face to Hoseok just in time to see him stick out his tongue and run away laughing.

- HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT? - Yoongi shouts at his back as he tries to keep up.

Once on the rare occasion Hoseok had visited them in their apartment he had discovered Yoongi’s old mixtape CD’s with ‘SUGA’ written on each and every of them. Embarrassingly enough there were so many CD’s, Yoongi hadn’t noticed Hoseok taking 3 of them while he wasn’t looking. 

Turns out not only he had listened to them all, he had ripped all songs on his computer and to an extreme mortification of Yoongi had called him Suga for the next three weeks.

Well, his sister got a hit out of that for sure. She thought it was hilarious and sweet how he blushed every time Hoseok said ‘Suga’.

- Stop running, damn Hoseok, - Yoongi puffs leaning on his knees to catch his breath. He wasn’t made for running. Or walking. Or interacting with people. He had to remind that to his run-happy friend who skidded to a halt a couple meters away from him grinning.

Yoongi straightened his back and looked at his kid five of seven trees away who was still struggling with his dirty boots. He had resolved that maybe rubbing them against the roots of the tree might work better. 

Kookie was weird in his random bursts of cleanliness. One moment he could walk around with guache color smeared in his hair and one nostril, the other demanding he should clean up the room and dad cut his nails.

- Hey, sorry for running, old man, - Yoongi was brought back to Hoseok who smirked at him. It was unfair, really. His breathing hadn’t even gotten heavier, only his cheeks gotten more pink, which only succeeded in Yoongi feeling kind of annoyed.

- I’m only one year older than you, doofus.

- And still, - Hoseok makes a gesture at the whole of Yoongi, who had only just gotten control of his breathing back. 

- Ughh, whatever, man.

Yoongi gets back on the side of Hoseok and they start walking again. Good thing the small park of his apartment building was made in a circle. They could walk around on the sidewalk while still keeping eye on Kookie.

He looks up at the sky. Trough the almost tree branches the darkening grey clouds are looking as bleak as ever. Yoongi sighs.

- I guess we can say goodbye to sunshine, huh. 

They get to step only three more steps and Hoseok is just opening his mouth to say something as Jungkook runs barelling in the back of his legs. 

- Please don’t go yet, - his hat is slipping on his eyes, he’s missing one boot and snot is slowly trickling out of his nose as he stares up at Hoseok teary eyed.

- What’s wrong Kookie? - Hoseok squats down and pulls out a tissue Yoongi foggily remembers Hoseok grabbing from the neighborhood burger joint to wipe his nose and in process get his beanie out of his eyes.

- Where is your other boot, kid? - Yoongi can only sigh as he looks at his child’s left sock soaking in mud. The ilustrated Iron Man on it now looks like he’s lost a battle with a bog. 

Jungkook’s Iron Man collection now could scratch out a pair of socks.

- Dad was saying we should say bye to you, but we haven’t even gone to the fountain yet, - Jungkook explains voice going nasal as Hoseok wipes the snot off. He’s still giving his best sad puppy look at the same time trying to frown defiantly at Yoongi.

Hoseok frowns as he looks at Yoongi, who only shrugs in return. He didn’t understand what Kookie was talking about 20% of the time, maybe this was one of the instances.

- Kookie, no one said I was leaving yet, stop worrying, - Hoseok smiles at the kid and then looks around to see if there are any half clean benches where they could sit. He picks him up and they start walking to the nearest one.

- No, I heard dad, - Jungkook wraps his small hand around Hoseok’s neck as they near the bench, which upon a closer look, is graffitied with names of random people and numbers. At least it’s not wet. - He said ‘say goodbye to Sunshine’, which means you’re going home and we’re not seeing the fountain today, because we never do if you’re not coming with us, - he ends with a frown and one finger up in the air.

Hoseok still looks confused while Yoongi has a dawning idea what his kid is talking about. Not good, not good, abort mission, little Min he pleads in his head.

- What are you talking about Kookie, I don’t understand you, little dude, - Hoseok sits down with the five year old in his lap, successfully avoiding getting mud on his jeans.

Jungkook huffs out a breath and looks impatient at this slow adult. 

- I am saying that I heard dad. I heard him saying ‘say goodbye to Sunshine’, - the kid pauses for effect and Yoongi lightly wonders through his rising nerve levels who did he get this sass from. 

- And you’re, - he pokes his small finger in Hoseok’s chest, - you’re Sunshine. Do you understand now? I don’t want to say goodbye yet, I want to see the fountain too. - He purses his lips and crosses his arms as far his puffy jacket allows him. Which is not much.

Hoseok lets a small breathy laugh at the kid with disbelief in his eyes.

- Why, - he pauses because his grin is getting bigger, - why are you calling me Sunshine all of a sudden, little man? Where did the ‘Hobi’ go?

Yoongi suddenly gets a strong urge to turn on the spot and be anywhere else than here. He meets the eyes of his son and slowly shakes his head. 

Kookie looks at him and shakes his head with him, - At home dad calls you Sunshine all the time, I thought it’s your other name, like Hope and Hobi… Dad, stop shaking your head, you look weird.

Hoseok turns his wide eyes to Yoongi, whose face drains of colour only to return full force back in his cheeks. His heart feels like drumming a tribal rhythm and he points back at the trees with his tumb.

- Um yeah I’m gonna, I’m gonna get his boot, - he turns 90 degrees on the spot and stiffly marches for the trees he last saw Kookie stand by.

Oh God, , damn it. Damn. 

He scrunches up his face and rubs his cold hands all over it. He can feel the heat in his cheeks which only makes him more embarrassed.

What if Hoseok thought he was weird now? Friends don’t call each other Sunshine, don’t they? Oh, , what if he doesn’t want to be friends anymore?

The drop of his heart wakes him up of his stress inducing reverie. He’s standing by the trees already, staring at the red rubber boot that seems to be stuck inbetween the roots of one of the trees. 

Ugh, what am I doing staring at a tree. He already thinks I am weird and now I am staring at a damn piece of bark.

He agrily pulls out the boot and stares at it for a second. - It’s okay. I’m an adult. I can do this. - He says to the boot.

Dragging a calming breath he turns and starts walking back to the pair still sitting on the bench. Jungkook is telling something to Hoseok, hands flying around animatedly and voice raising in volume at times. He catches a random ‘and then he used his propers and flew over him and BAM..’ and Yoongi understands Jungkook is retelling the last episode of Iron Man cartoon he saw this morning. His son knows a lot of complicated words, but somehow the word ‘propeller’ escapes him. It’s not even a hard word. Maybe it’s the double L’s in the middle of it?

- Propellers.

Both Jungkook and Hoseok look at him like he’s lost his mind. He’s back with the boot and standing in front of them. And he’s made a fool of himself yet again. 

I think I saw a ditch behind those trees, there’s still time to go and drown myself in it.

- What? - Hoseok’s lips are twitching like he’s trying hard not to laugh at him and kind of failing because he starts grinning from ear to ear.

Yoongi’s cheeks flood with warmth yet again and he half burries his face in his scarf, - Nothing. It’s a word Kookie can’t spell yet. The propers he was speaking about.

- Ah, - Hoseok laughs and Yoongi can’t look away. The way his eyes crinkle and his cheeks form those damn dimples is just mesmerizing to him.

He realizes he’s staring when Hoseok’s laughter dies down to a small smile and he suddenly remembers the boot he’s holding in his hand.

- Found it, - he lamely says as if they couldn’t see it already. He pulls of the muddy sock off of his son’s foot and frowns at it. He won’t just stick the boot on a bare foot, his toes are gonna freeze off. He takes off one of his gloves out of his pocket and pulls it over the bare wiggling toes. It looks more like a weird alien hand than a foot of a five year old kid and Jungkook can’t stop laughing at it like tickled.

- Dad, gloves are for hands, - he moves his foot so the long fingers flop around like they’re waving, which only makes him giggle more. 

Yoongi sticks the boot on top of it, - It’s okay. If you don’t have a sock at the time and you don’t want your foot to get cold, you can use a glove.

Jungkook jumps off of Hoseoks lap and tests out walking two steps front and back. Apparently the glove gets his sign of approval, because next they know he’s back and pulling at the bottom of Yoongi’s jacket.

- Dad, Sunshine isn’t going home yet, can we go to the fountain still? - He juts out his lower lip and widens his eyes.

- Oh God, - Yoongi slaps a hand over his eyes and rubs at them tiredly. Just how many times does his son plan on embarrassing him today? - You just don’t quit, don’t you?

Jungkook grins showing his two missing canines, - No dad, teacher V. said I have perse.. vur.. perservi.. - he scrunches up his face trying to remember the word, but seems to drop it fast. - He said I don’t quit fast. 

Yoongi drags his fingers down his face and looks up to see Hoseok smirking at him.

- Yeah, Yoongi. Sunshine isn’t going home. Can we go to the fountain? - Hoseok raises up to his feet and looks at him with a twinkle in his eyes, - Please.

He doesn’t know if he’s on the verge of running away or is it just his lungs running out of oxigen. Kookie is still pulling on the strings of his jacket whining and Hoseok stands in a distance of a stretched out hand with a look on his face.

Yoongi sighs.

- Yeah. Yeah okay, okay. We can go to the fountain, - Jungkook is already five steps ahead of them happily stomping and talking to himself about the dolphin statues he’s about to see. They’re his favourite animals. - To the fountain.

Yoongi unwillingly falls in step with Hoseok and stares at the pebbles crunching under his feet. He feels like this should be uncomfortable and awkward, but it seems that his body is incapable of feeling uncomfortable in the presence of Hoseok. Now he only feels like a comfortable and incredibly awkward turtle half hidden in his large knitted scarf. 

Hoseok is humming a small melody which sounds weirdly similar to one of the songs in his old mixtapes. Yoongi is about to ask him about it against his better judgement, but a strong breeze blows and rises the small bit of the dry fallen leaves up in a swirl. 

Yoongi opens his eyes he’d squeezed shut during the wind and half wishes he had kept them closed. 

The clowds have parted and sun is shining in streaks trough the trees on their path. The previously grey and muddy puddles now look light and sparkling as well as the moisture hanging from the trees and bushes wizzle in the sunlight.

Yoongi covers his face with his palms, - Oh my ing God, - he can only weakly mutter because his cheeks are prickling with heat again and there’s no way Hoseok can ignore this now.

A loud obnoxious laugh to his left and a soft prying hand peals one of his hands off of his face. 

- See, Yoongi? Sunshine isn’t going anywhere, - and he can only stare helpessly at Hoseok’s grinning face and the small mole on his upper lip. In the bright light he looks like he doesn’t belong in this grey city or this grey Earth at all. 

Hoseok twines his long and warm fingers with his and Yoongi’s breath catches in his throat. 

- I’m not going anywhere, - Hoseok is now earnestly looking in his eyes with the warmest smile playing on his lips. 

Yoongi’s eyes flicker from his eyes to his lips and back.

- Yeah, - he breathes as his own corners of his lips start twitching in an answering shy smile, - Yeah.

——-

Two days later all of Jungkook’s socks have misteriously disappeared. He scrapes his knee on the corner of the kitchen table while running with gloves on his feet and singing ‘you are my sunshine’ on the top of his lungs.

Yoongi is already regretting telling anything to his sister.