Yoongi continued to meet with Jin's friends before and after the gala which came and went almost without him noticing. It was a big event to be sure but he wasn't invested this year so it held no interest for him. His brother had come, with a girlfriend on his arm according to Yoongi's sources but Yoongi hadn't seen him, nor had he wanted to.

The meetings started to gradually become more frequent and Jin's friends became Yoongi's sort-of friends at some point in a few short weeks. They'd exchanged numbers one night and now Hoseok called him at odd hours undoubtedly baked to talk about the universe, Taehyung would send him assorted emojis - never any words - and Jimin, Jimin would send him "accidental" selfies with "accidentally" increasing amounts of skin exposed in them. Namjoon and Yoongi mostly talked about music as they had the same taste in music: good ones. Jungkook rarely contacted him but then Jungkook didn't say much to him when they all hung out.

It became routine now, he'd meet up with Jin then they'd go to meet the guys and hang out. Yoongi liked too that though it became routine it didn't mean it became repetitive and boring. These were people he liked being around, people who liked being around him.

As an aside, Jiho wasn't overly fond of the new arrangement. He was still Yoongi's supplier but he claimed to miss seeing Yoongi when they partied. Yoongi suspected he missed Yoongi blowing too much money at his club.

The biggest change again had to do with Jin because that was the trend now.

A lot of questions had been answered. Yoongi knew now that Jin had been transferred to the academy only a few months before him, almost at the end of first year, by his parents when they'd caught him with Namjoon in Jin's room making out. It had been their brilliant idea to move him to a new place and a private school (AN ALL BOYS SCHOOL) where he could leave the grounds (HA) and Namjoon, 'and all the others', couldn't reach him (DOUBLE HA).

Yoongi smirked when he remembered the guys telling him this and Jin laughing as he sat in Namjoon's lap saying "It worked great."

Yoongi knew now that they all travelled by train each time just to see him and they have for years because they were like family and that's what family meant for them.

He also knew now that Jin swore when provoked to it. That he wasn't nearly as perfect as he seemed though he came frustratingly close. That he studied as hard as he he could so he'd get into the best medical school to then be a doctor and help people one day. That he really was disgustingly fond of following most of the school rules. That he was brilliant and quick and could read anyone unsettlingly well. That his eyes sparkled up close-

Yoongi groaned and pulled a pillow over his head. It was a Saturday afternoon and he was in bed like he should be. But he wasn't relaxed, no, he was slowly losing his because Kim Seokjin would not leave him alone. And by leave him alone he meant leave his thoughts alone because ever since he'd begun spending more time with him things Yoongi'd been adamant about refusing to examine were popping up everywhere.

As if to mock him, Yoongi's phone pinged and when he reached for it and read the notification there was the name - Jin - staring back at him.

>I'm bored. Why haven't you been up to anything?<

Yoongi laughed despite himself.

>Go a text book n let me sleep. Didn't u keep going on abt wanting peace?<

>we both know you weren't sleeping<

Yoongi scowled at the phone.

>go away<

>Meet me at your "secret spot" you still think I don't know about at nightfall<

Is nothing sacred? Yoongi looked heavenward and closed his eyes.

***

Yoongi scowled at everyone he passed and took a small satisfaction in the way they backed up. He wanted to be mad about Jin being in his space but when had Jin held abt regard for such things?

Yoongi closed the door behind him and leveled Jin with a halfhearted glare that he returned with a smile. Yoongi harrumphed and walked to the workbench Jin was occupying half of and plopped down.

"I'm gonna smoke. Whine from over there," Yoongi indicated the other side of the shed.

Jin shrugged and sat where he was when Yoongi lit up. Then he surprised Yoongi by taking the skinny cigar from his lips and putting it between his own and taking a drag.

Yoongi's thoughts short circuited.

Then the cigar was back between his own lips and he was left wondering if it had happened at all.

"Not bad," Jin commented then he turned away and leaved back against the lowest shelf. Yoongi couldn't say anything back so he followed suit, leaning back, and refusing to stare at the exposed column of throat. The moral dilemma he'd turned over in his head so often resurfaced with a vengeance - he liked Namjoon, he was a good guy and a friend now, Yoongi couldn't look at Jin like he'd been looking at him for so long now. Not when he was this close and there was no one else there.

They stayed like that for a long time, Jin talking about a new plan he wanted to implement before leaving the school for good that would fix the ed up detention system, and Yoongi listening for the most part and thinking for the rest.

"We should head back," Yoongi said eventually. He was out of weed and he was sleepy as and hungry too.

"Mhmm," Jin hummed his agreement but didn't move.

"C'mon," Yoongi got up and held a hand out for Jin to use as leverage. Jin tried and ended up pulling Yoongi forward instead leaving Yoongi flailing on top of him. It took a second for Yoongi to realize where he was and when he did he froze, staring wide-eyed down at Jin. Jin stares back. Neither of them moved. Then Yoongi looked down at Jin's lips, his brain screamed at him telling him to look away but it was too late. He'd been caught.

Jin's lips were slightly chapped but they looked soft, so soft, and pink, and all Yoongi had to do was lean forward just a bit and-

Goddammit, his brain was stunned into silence because he'd gone and done it. He'd kissed Kim Seokjin like he'd wanted to for so long and it was exactly like he'd imagined but so much better. Jin's lips were softer than they looked and Yoongi could die right now, in this moment, because this was perfect.

When Jin sighed and allowed his tongue inside his mouth was when Yoongi's brain snapped back into control.

He'd kissed Kim Seokjin.

Yoongi jumped back and slapped a hand over his treacherous mouth. Jin was looking at him, surprise etched in every inch of his face, mouth still open and lips a little bruised.

"Oh God..." Yoongi whispered, "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry," and then he bolted.