There he is again, Yoongi thinks as he stands in line to pay for his sandwich in the company cafeteria. He is the thin young man with dark hair and olive skin who Yoongi seems destined to run into no matter where he goes.

The first time Yoongi saw him was on the bus, the same bus he always takes with the same passengers, except that day… That day a new face appeared among the crowd of familiar strangers.

Yoongi is barely paying attention when the man boards the bus at the stop after his own. He is immersed in his phone, fiddling with some game that a co-worker recommended, but his attention is ripped away from the screen, his breath stolen right out of his lungs as the man’s steps inadvertently synchronise with the music blaring from Yoongi’s headphones.

It’s all Yoongi can do to keep himself from staring for the remainder of the ride, and he has to shake his head to clear his thoughts when they take the same stop and he catches himself nearly following the man in the wrong direction at the first intersection they reach.

There’s something about the stranger that makes Yoongi dread losing sight of him; something about the way he moves, fluid and graceful; something about the way the sunlight catches on the strands of gold in his chestnut hair, making it shimmer and glow; something about the sway of his hips when he walks, beckoning Yoongi like a siren. Whatever it is, it worms its way through Yoongi’s system like a drug, inhibiting his thoughts and ultimately causing him to be late for work for the first time in the six years he’s been with the company.

Yoongi finally reaches the front of the line and hands over a few bills to the cashier before making his way to an empty table in the far corner of the cafeteria. From here he can watch the squirrels through the floor to ceiling windows as they scavenge for the last acorns of the season under the shady oak trees that surround the outdoor patio. He’s startled by someone sliding a bottle of water under his nose, and when he directs his attention toward the person responsible he finds his cubicle-mate, Jimin, smiling down at him.

“You forgot to get a drink, and I know how dry those sandwiches are,” he explains. Yoongi grunts, his way of saying thank you, and he knows Jimin will understand because they’ve worked together for the better part of a decade. “Can I sit with you, or have you had enough of me being four feet away from you all day?”

Yoongi’s response is to shrug his shoulders and kick at the chair across from him to push it out. Jimin sits, and Yoongi goes back to watching the squirrels until his attention drifts to a reflection in the window a few tables over. He is sitting with a group of their co-workers, laughing at some joke the tall blonde across from him has told, or maybe he’s actually laughing at the tall blonde. It’s hard to tell sometimes. Tall blonde guy seems to blush, his ears and the back of his neck turning a splotchy pink, and yeah, he’s probably being laughed at.

“Hellooooo?” Jimin says, waving his stubby fingers in front of Yoongi’s face. “Earth to Yoongi, come in please. Are those little rats really so interesting that you can’t pay attention to me for five minutes?”

“They’re squirrels, not rats, and they’re cute. Just look how their little bushy tails twitch when they sniff the ground.” He points to a chubby, grey squirrel with both cheeks stuffed full of acorns. “You know, they’re smart too,” he adds. “When another squirrel is watching them they only pretend to hide their nuts and then run off somewhere else to bury them.”

“Riiiiiight,” Jimin says, giving him his best ‘you’re ing crazy but I’m going to ignore it and move on’ look. “Can we talk about something a little less urban wildlife documentary?”

Yoongi huffs and sneers at Jimin but motions for him to get on with it.

“As I was saying, there’s this girl up in human resources that I’ve been talking to, Lynette, and she’s so beautiful.” Jimin starts talking so fast Yoongi wonders if he has the lung capacity to support it or if he'll end up turning blue and passing out on the table. “She has long, curly blonde hair, like those natural waves that turn into ringlets at the tips, and her eyes are huge and bright green and they sparkle when she talks about something she’s excited about, and when she laughs it sounds like music, and she’s tall and curvy in all the right places, and-”

“Wait, did you say tall? Do you know how tall you are? Even a woman of average height towers over you. Why would you want to date someone tall?”

“Who said I'm talking about me? She’s perfect for you. She likes music and animals and-”

“I’m not that much taller than you, and I don't like animals.” Yoongi's eyes are set in a scowl, and for anyone but Jimin the look alone might hint that now is the time to shut up. Of course, Jimin knows him well enough not to be intimidated. Yoongi is deceptively fluffy, a sweet little puppy dressed up like a wolf.

“That's the second time you've interrupted me, so rude, and I'm totally taller than you!” Jimin squeaks, loud enough that Yoongi ducks his head in case they happen to catch his attention.

“Are not,” he mutters in the style of an eight year old child. It earns him an eye roll, but Jimin seems content to let him win this round of their perpetual height argument.

“If you don't like animals then why would you rather watch rats during lunch than talk to your friend?”

“For the last time, they are not rats. Maybe I just don’t like talking to you . Squirrels are far more interesting, especially when you keep trying to set me up with people I don’t even know.”

“Yoongiiiiii! Come on man! You need to get out, socialize. It doesn’t have to be with Lynette, but I’m telling you, she’s gorgeous! You’ll love her!”

“The answer is no, Jimin. N-O, no!” Yoongi makes a slashing motion with his hand, hoping that Jimin will read it as a definitive end to the conversation.

“Fine, I’ll take her out myself, show you what you’re missing.”

“You do that,” Yoongi scoffs. “I won’t be missing anything, trust me.”

The bodega two blocks from Yoongi's apartment sells the best kimchi in town. The owner, Mrs. Jung, makes it herself and serves it with everything in her little deli, but she also sells it in jars for those who aren't looking for a full meal. Yoongi buys one every week. It's a little taste of his childhood, sealed and packaged with a pretty sticker on the front… the next best thing to his Eomma’s home cooking. He stops by on Mondays on the way home from work, every week, like clockwork.

Except that sometime in the middle of February Yoongi catches the flu from Jimin (damn him to hell for being in Yoongi's personal space all the time) and spends nearly a week in bed. By the time he's well enough to leave the apartment again he's missed his standing date with Mrs. Jung, and though he's still feeling icky, he's also a bit homesick. So, he layers on sweaters and coats, a scarf, and a hat and braces himself against the winter wind to go get his kimchi on a Tuesday.

Most of Mrs. Jung's customers are regulars with a schedule, like Yoongi, and Tuesday is a slow day, leaving Yoongi nearly ten whole minutes to talk with the woman before they hear the bell over the door ring to announce another customer arriving. Yoongi is just about to say goodbye and brave the weather again when he looks up instinctively to see who is entering the store and it's him.

Of course Yoongi knows the man must live nearby since they often ride the same bus, but this is the first time he's seen him anywhere besides the bus or the office. It catches him off guard, his sentence trailing off as he turns to watch the man do his shopping. Yoongi is still staring by the time he reaches the counter to pay for his items, and when Yoongi realizes what he's doing he steps away, pretending to examine the selection of gum and candies on the rack opposite the register. He can't help being curious to see what the man is buying, and when he glances over he isn't surprised at all to find a jar of kimchi among the other groceries. He smiles to himself, wondering if the man buys it for the same reason he does, to feel a little closer to home.

Another bus ride home on another day, and he stands right next to Yoongi as they wait for the bus to arrive. He's a ball of energy, bouncing on the balls of his feet and humming some tune that's apparently in his head because Yoongi doesn't see any headphones in his ears. He never stops moving, tapping his fingers or swinging his arms whenever his feet are still, and Yoongi has the urge to reach out and pin his hands to his sides just to see what else would move if his arms were restrained.

The bus finally pulls to a stop in front of them and the doors fold open. Yoongi politely waits for everyone else to board before climbing the stairs and finding a seat, one which just happens to be facing him , and damn, does he ever need to learn this guy's name because simply calling him, him makes Yoongi feel like he's in an episode of the Powerpuff Girls.

Sunshine, he decides, is a much better name. It's not as good as his real name, Yoongi is sure, but it will do for now.

Sunshine is settled comfortably into his seat, one leg crossed over the other and his foot swinging in the air to the beat of the song in his head. Yoongi focuses on the foot, pointedly avoiding looking at Sunshine's face. He watches the rhythm that never falters, the smoothness of the bobbing motion, even as the bus jerks and bumps and starts and stops. It lulls him, along with the vibrations of the bus beneath him, and before he knows what has happened he's startled awake a stop too late. Sunshine is gone, and Yoongi's walk home has just doubled in distance.

As he makes the trek back to his building he wonders what kind of magic Sunshine must possess to have this effect on him. It’s not that Yoongi hasn’t ever felt attracted to a stranger, but he’s never had feelings like these. There’s never been this kind of pull, like a hook caught under his ribs, tugging him toward the man with a strength he can’t match, can’t fight, and maybe more importantly, he finds he doesn't want to fight it.

Sunshine has walked past Yoongi's cubicle a total of six times in the past hour, and Yoongi is just about to reach his breaking point. It's almost like it's planned. Every time Yoongi finally regains his concentration Sunshine appears again, sweeping down the hallway with graceful strides. Yoongi can hear him coming, his dress slacks swishing and the heels of his wingtips clicking against the tiles.

Yoongi is curious what Sunshine is doing. Working, obviously, but why here? They don't even work on the same floor. Based on his extensive observations Sunshine should be six floors up, in accounting, far away from Yoongi and his tiny cubicle in tech support… the workspace that he shares with Jimin who is growing increasingly more worried with each frustrated huff from Yoongi.

“Tough ticket, Yoongi?” he finally asks, rolling his chair back a few feet to see what Yoongi is working on, and no, it isn't tough at all. In fact, he should have had the issue resolved half an hour ago, but someone keeps distracting him.

“Just a little restless. Think I'm gonna go get some coffee.” Jimin eyes Yoongi's nearly full cup with concern.

“Yeah, okay. Want me to take the ticket for you while you're gone?” he offers, and who is Yoongi to turn him down? It's not like he's making any progress on it anyway.

“If you don't mind, yeah. Thanks.” Yoongi would ask if Jimin would like something from the kitchenette as well, but he really is getting kind of antsy. He grabs his coffee cup, the one that shows a meter for how much coffee he must have consumed before it's acceptable to speak to him, and slips down the hallway as quietly as possible.

He notices his own grey skinny jeans don't swish when he walks. His rubber soled shoes squeak against the floor instead of clicking, too, which is why he also notices the clicking of someone else's shoes, Sunshine's shoes, as he rounds the corner into the kitchenette. Yoongi stops, frozen in the doorway as he watches Sunshine putter back and forth, finding cream for his coffee in the refrigerator and then replacing it before going in search of a spoon.

“Oh!” Sunshine exclaims, startled. He jumps a bit, almost spilling coffee on the cuff of his sleeve, but he miraculously manages to maneuver the cup so that the splashing liquid lands inside. “Mr. Min, you scared me.”

Yoongi's brain stops working altogether. Too many questions trying to force their way out at once cause a pile up on his tongue, and all he manages to squeeze out through the bottleneck is a half-hearted, “Sorry,” before Sunshine is patting his shoulder on his way by and telling him not to worry about it.

Yoongi is left alone, standing still as a statue in the doorway, bewildered as to how Sunshine learned his name… and why.

Up until now Yoongi has put off the idea of asking about Sunshine at work. He knows they have a few mutual acquaintances. Hell, Jimin seems to know everyone, but he also knows that asking questions will call attention to his infatuation. Jimin is probably the last person on the planet he would want to ask. It would be like arming him with a gun and enough ammunition to keep firing until his trigger finger is blistered and Yoongi’s heart is riddled with bullets.

So no, asking Jimin is not an option, but the next best choice would probably be the tall blonde from the cafeteria. He obviously knows Sunshine since they sit together regularly. The only problem is that Yoongi doesn't know tall blonde guy's name either, and won't it be awkward to just walk up to him and say, "Hey, what's your name?" Well, that part wouldn't be as awkward as the follow-up question of, "Cool, cool. By the way, that guy you sit with at lunch... what's his name, ual orientation, and relationship status?" Yeah, a bit too awkward for Yoongi's taste, but it's all he has to work with right now.

He doesn't put his plan into action though, and it's definitely not because he's putting off the awkwardness, no. He's waiting for the tall blonde to be alone in the cafeteria, but it seems he never is. Tall blonde guy and Sunshine arrive together and leave together, and Yoongi notices they even eat the same food, tall blonde guy serving them both from large plastic containers he carries around in an insulated bag. The food looks good too. Yoongi is quite jealous when he compares it to his own lunch of dry sandwiches and instant noodles.

Yoongi hears snapping and a loud, "Yo!" and blinks at Jimin like he's just woken from a deep sleep. "Where is your head lately, man? You're always weird, but lately you've been... I don't know, distracted?"

"Just tired. Haven't been sleeping much." It's not entirely untrue. This past month Yoongi has found it nearly impossible to sleep, which is unusual because he's the type to be able to fall asleep in even the most uncomfortable places and positions... like sitting up at the kitchen table in the middle of eating dinner. Yes, like all those adorably hilarious videos of babies who can't keep their eyes open long enough to finish their meal, Yoongi has been startled awake on more than one occasion by inhaling cold soup when his face falls into his bowl.

Jimin seems to feel sympathy for his friend as his eyebrows draw together and he asks, "Something on your mind that's keeping you up?" Yoongi would answer, but this is just the kind of thing Jimin would for... relentlessly. Instead Yoongi just shakes his head.

"No, the bed is just lumpy," and cold and empty and lonely he adds in his mind.

Jimin accepts this excuse, nodding and continuing on with whatever he had originally wanted to talk about, and Yoongi rolls his eyes because the first words out of his mouth are, "So, there's this girl..." Yoongi tunes out again, preferring to watch the the bees outside buzzing around the azaleas.

“You're ignoring me again," Jimin states with zero finesse. "You're ignoring me for bees now? Or is it the flowers? You need to go on a hike or something and get this nature-lover stuff out of your system."

"It's not nature-lover stuff." Yoongi's voice is flat. "You just bore me."

Jimin huffs indignantly. "Whatever," he mutters. "Lunch is almost over anyway. We should get back to work." Yoongi nods and begins clearing the table of empty sandwich wrappers and water bottles and crumpled napkins. It's not until they're alone in the elevator that Jimin speaks again.

"I thought you were into women." He almost sounds offended, maybe a little surprised, but Yoongi is absolutely panicked. How did Jimin find out about Sunshine? Was I staring? Was it obvious? Did Sunshine notice? 

He tries to play dumb when his mouth finally catches up with his brain. "I am," he shrugs, but unfortunately he's hesitated just a moment too long and his uncertainty shows clearly when the words come out sounding a bit like a question.

"Well, maybe you are," Jimin agrees, "but you're also into guys, huh?"

"I am?" This time it is definitely a question, and Yoongi still isn't quite sure why he's asking Jimin.

"You are." Jimin sounds confident at first, but then, "Aren't you?" His voice rises in pitch at the end.

"I am," Yoongi says with a long sigh.

“Mmm,” Jimin hums, and it's almost like he hadn't expected it, hadn't expected Yoongi to say yes or to answer truthfully or to answer at all. “Well,” he continues after a short pause, “his name is Seokjin, but he goes by Jin.”

“I'm sorry?”

“The blonde with the pretty lips that you've been eyeing for ages,” Jimin clarifies. It's not at all who Yoongi has been eyeing, but he's not going to correct Jimin because at least now he knows tall blonde guy's name. That's a step in the right direction. Hell, at the pace Yoongi's been progressing it's a leap in the right direction.

“Oh. Is he single?” Why? Why would you ask that when you know Jimin is already going to take full advantage of his newfound knowledge and try to set you up with someone else who you're not remotely interested in? Only this time it'll be a guy! Yoongi is screaming inside his head, but he needs to know if Jin and Sunshine are a thing. This is a much easier way and just as effective as asking about Sunshine directly.

Jimin is obviously pleased, his eyes disappearing into tiny crescents as he smiles wider than Yoongi's ever seen him smile before. “I'm not sure, but I can find out!” Yoongi thinks this is a terrible idea. Jimin should not be allowed anywhere near his love life. Jimin can't even handle his own love life, and despite what he believes, Jimin makes a terrible matchmaker. He lacks the subtlety required for such a delicate job.

“No no, that's okay. I can find out myself. Now that I know his name it should be easy.” Jimin pouts, his lower lip sticking out so far it looks like he's been stung by one of those bees from the patio. Yoongi feels a little bad for denying Jimin, but he also doesn't want Sunshine to hear something and think that he's interested in Jin, you know, just in case.

“Alright,” Jimin gives a disappointed sigh, “but if you change your mind…”

Yoongi smiles and stretches his arm to pull Jimin into him in a side hug. “Yeah, I know where you’ll be. You’re never more than a few feet away from me anyway,” he jokes.

Yoongi doesn't understand how it's possible for any one person to have such rotten luck with technology, but at least once a week he winds up taking the elevator to the fourth floor to help his co-worker, Colleen, fix her computer.

"I don't know what happened," she whines as he crawls under the desk to check the cables. Normally Yoongi would begin with the computer itself, but Colleen has a tendency to call him when she's kicked the off switch on her power strip. He once spent 45 minutes trying to get her computer to start up only to realize it basically wasn't even plugged in. "I didn't even touch it this time. I just looked at it and the screen went black and then I called you and here we are."

"Yes," Yoongi groans. "Here we are indeed." All of the cables are secure so Yoongi backs out from under the desk and begins running through the rest of his checklist.

"Oh!" she exclaims with a clap. Colleen tends to talk with her hands, and Yoongi dodges a finger wagging dangerously close to his face as he rolls her chair back up to the desk to sit. "I did accidentally shock myself on the keyboard earlier. I thought it was just static electricity, but what if it fried something inside the computer?"

"I doubt that's what happened, Colleen. Static electricity wouldn't have much effect on a computer like this, especially if you were only touching the wireless keyboard," Yoongi calmly explains, even though internally he's rolling his eyes, wondering how a total moron like Colleen could even have been hired.

"But what if it wasn't static electricity? What if it was actually the computer shocking me and not the other way around? Maybe the shock was a symptom of the computer's virus! What if I catch the virus?" See, moron , Yoongi thinks as he heaves a loud, frustrated sigh and assures Colleen that even if it is a virus there's no way she can catch it from the computer. He decides to leave out any technical jargon about code and the like that will just further confuse the poor woman.

In only a few minutes Yoongi has determined the problem, and another few minutes after that he has the computer up and running again. Colleen thanks him profusely, her long, cherry red fingernails digging into the back of his hand as she shakes it overly enthusiastically. Suddenly his breath is knocked out of him, Colleen’s arms wrapped tightly around his ribs in a bone-crushing hug, and holy , how did this woman get so strong? 

"Colleen," he grunts and sputters, tapping on her back with one hand while the other tries to force Colleen away by pushing at her shoulder. "Colleen, I can't breathe," he coughs, but Colleen is in her own little hug world, rocking Yoongi back and forth as she repeatedly murmurs her thanks. "You're welcome, you're welcome," he squeaks. "Please, let me go."

"Ah, Mr. Min, there you are." The voice is unfamiliar, cheerful verging on bubbly, sweet and smooth. Yoongi would have expected Colleen to release him when the man entered her office, but she only holds him tighter, squeezing his waist until he's afraid his organs will be squished right out of his body. She looks over her shoulder from where her head rests on his chest, regarding the newcomer with something like jealousy.

"Hello, Jin." Yoongi's eyes snap up. He'd been so focused on trying to get a breath that he hadn't looked at the man, but sure enough, it's tall blonde guy - Jin. He wheezes as he surveys the man's features, his broad shoulders and full lips, the deep brown of his eyes and the bright blonde of his hair. Every bit of him is perfectly proportioned, the ideal balance between pretty and handsome.

"Colleen, let the man go. He's turning blue." Colleen pulls back just enough for Yoongi to get a deep gulp of air into his lungs, and he sways on his feet as the oxygen floods his brain. A firm hand grips his elbow, twisted fingers holding tight in an effort to keep him upright. Colleen glares at Jin, and Yoongi feels like he's caught in the middle of some ongoing battle between the two.

"I was just thanking him, Mr. Kim," she spits. Yoongi is thankful that Jin seems to be levelheaded and calm as he merely nods and subtly pulls Yoongi closer to himself.

"If your issue has been addressed, Mr. Min is needed elsewhere," he declares, guiding Yoongi out the door and into the hallway.

"You're welcome, Colleen," Yoongi calls over his shoulder as he's ushered away. He doesn't miss the frustrated growl or the slamming of the office door. "Thank you," he says to Jin once they're out of earshot. "I thought she was going to hug me to death."

"She probably could," Jin murmurs. "She's quite strong. We work out together sometimes. She thinks it's fun to challenge me, claiming she can run more miles on the treadmill or do more push-ups in a minute. She's very competitive, and truthfully, she usually wins." Jin is still leading Yoongi down the hall, his hand still on Yoongi's elbow, and Yoongi finally realizes that they're walking in the opposite direction of the elevators.

"Where are you taking me?" he asks, and for a moment his voice wavers. If Jin hears the wobble he doesn't let on.

"I said you were needed elsewhere, did I not? That wasn't just an excuse to help you escape Colleen. Mr. Jung needs some help connecting his tablet to the projector system for a presentation. I'm taking you to the conference room."

Yoongi nods, relaxing. The job should be easy enough, and it has saved him from the Thank You Hug of Doom.

They arrive at the end of a hallway in front of an open door. It's a large room with a table big enough to seat twenty people, and at the far end of the room, standing behind a podium and frowning at the tablet in his hands is, "Sunshine." Yoongi claps his hand over his mouth, praying that Jin didn't hear him.

"Hoseok," Jin calls, leaving Yoongi standing just inside the door and approaching Sunshine, "I brought Mr. Min to help you set this thing up." He looks back at Yoongi as he adds, "This presentation is very important. We need everything to go as smoothly as possible. Hoseok will tell you what he needs."

Jin exits through a door on the other side of the conference room, and Yoongi is left alone with Sunshine - Hoseok. He stares. He stares hard, but it's nothing he can really control. His legs have lost the ability to move on their own, and despite his brain reminding them that this is making him look extremely strange, they just won't respond to carry him across the room.

"Do you expect to fix this thing from all the way over there?" Hoseok asks, and Yoongi's knees almost give out because Sunshine's voice is everything he never knew he needed in his life. It's kind of low and just a tad rough and perfect in every possible ing way. Hoseok grins, and that's when Yoongi's ears register the whimper that just left the back of his throat. He wishes he could reach out and grab it, shove it back down into his chest where it belongs, and cover it with the heaviest anvil he can find so it can't escape again, but he can't. It's out there, floating in the air, and Hoseok already heard it. Yoongi is so screwed.

His legs finally decide to listen and propel him forward in short, shuffling steps. Hoseok is still smiling at him, offering him the tablet when he's within reach.

"It won't connect to the projector," he explains. "Do you know how to fix it?"

Does he know how to fix it? Does Yoongi know how to ing fix it? Yes, of course he does, but right now all he can think of is the way Hoseok smells like some sort of musky cologne, the way his voice sounds like there's sandpaper in his throat, and the way his smile reveals the tiniest of dimples surrounding his lips while at the same time sharpening his jaw and lifting his cheeks toward his eyes. Yes, Yoongi knows how to fix it, but he doesn't think he'll be able to.

Yoongi feels like he's making things uncomfortable. He has yet to speak. Not one single word has left his lips since Jin left the room. The air is heavy with tension... at least on Yoongi's side. Hoseok seems to be enjoying himself as he taps the screen of the tablet to wake it up and waits quietly for Yoongi to regain enough control to do his job.

Finally, finally, finally Yoongi shakes himself from his zombie-like state and pulls down the settings menu on the tablet.

“Well here's your problem,” he mumbles. He's not actually sure if the words are coherent when they come out, but his brain has formed a sentence and his throat and tongue have worked together to force it out of his mouth and damn if Yoongi isn't a little proud of himself. “Your Bluetooth was turned off.” His fingers tap the screen a few more times, and the projector comes to life, lighting up to display the screen of the tablet onto the white wall at the other end of the room.

"That should have you all fixed hhuuuup ." Yoongi hasn't been paying attention to Hoseok, having tuned him out in an effort to concentrate and do his job, which is why he's startled by Hoseok's voice just inches from his ear.

"It's not Jin, is it?" he whispers, and Yoongi's legs threaten to drop him directly to the floor as they turn all trembly.

"What?" His own voice is weak and breathy, and he knows Hoseok can tell how affected he is.

"It's not Jin who you've been staring at in the cafeteria... is it? You've been staring at me."

Yoongi doesn't trust himself to do anything other than squeak so he merely nods slowly, his eyes closed. He's waiting for the inevitable, unfavorable reaction, but it doesn't come. Instead he feels warm air rush against his neck and something soft press against the smooth skin behind his ear. “You like me too, mmm?” Hoseok purrs, and Yoongi can both hear and feel his smile.

He nods again before the full sentence actually takes root in his brain, and he turns to push Hoseok away, holding him at arm's length to study his face for any hint of teasing as he asks, "T-too?" Hoseok hums and bobs his head in confirmation.

Yoongi isn't sure what comes over him, and when he's reminded of it later he'll blush and deny it ever happened. His hand slides up from Hoseok's shoulder to cup his jaw and Yoongi leans in and slightly up to join their lips in a kiss that quickly turns from sweet and tender to rough and needy. Hoseok's fingers thread into his hair to firmly pull him closer while tilting his head back to gain a better angle, and Yoongi feels his cheeks burning, the flush due more to heavy arousal than embarrassment.

They part after a few breathless moments, panting, and Yoongi's head is swimming with confusion and desire and shock. "You like me... too?" he asks again because he just can't wrap his head around the idea that his dreams are becoming reality.

"Since the first moment I saw you," Hoseok says. "You were on the bus, and I could hear your music even though you had your earbuds in. You looked up at me as I passed, and I was a goner."

"But you never said anything," Yoongi argues, and then he wonders why he's arguing when he's just been handed the only thing he’s been hoping for since he first noticed Hoseok.

"Neither did you," Hoseok counters, "but it doesn't matter because now we know." He leans in for another kiss as if to prove his point, but stops when they hear a loud cough from the doorway.

“I really hate to interrupt, and I truly mean that,” Jin says, “but Mr. Jung's guests have arrived. I'll give you five minutes before I send them in.” Jin disappears around the corner again and Yoongi looks up at Hoseok, curious if he'll get that kiss now or if he's about to be dismissed.

Hoseok makes a frustrated noise somewhere between a whine and a groan and stomps his foot like a child who's just been told it's bedtime and he'll have to miss the second half of his favorite television program. Yoongi doesn't know whether to laugh or coo at the cute behavior.

“I guess we only have about four minutes left so I'll make this quick. Yoongi, would you like to have dinner with me tonight?”

Yoongi's face splits into a smile so broad it overtakes the entire lower half of his face, exposing his gums and his slight overbite and turning his eyes into tiny slits so small he can barely see Hoseok less than a foot away. A garbled mess of sound gurgles in his throat, and he finally gives up trying to speak in favor of nodding like a bobble head toy.

Hoseok's expression mirrors Yoongi's with the exception of his perfect white teeth and the crescent curve of his eyes as he says, “Really?”

Really ? Yoongi wonders. Really? Of course yes, you beautiful idiot! Hoseok finally leans in for that second kiss again, a brief one, just a soft press of his lips against Yoongi's own.

“I'll meet you at the bus stop after work,” he whispers, and Yoongi hears voices in the hallway approaching the conference room. He reluctantly backs away, slipping out the other door to return to his cubicle.

Hoseok finds it difficult to focus on his meeting, but at least he’s only in charge of the presentation portion. Jin takes over when it’s time for questions, and Hoseok can only do his best not to be caught staring into space as he remembers all the times since he first saw Yoongi that he’s wanted to speak to him.

There was the first day on the bus when he wanted to ask if the empty seat next to the irritated-looking stranger was taken. Instead he walked on by. When they took the same stop he tried to work up the courage to turn around and introduce himself, but by the time he glanced over his shoulder the man had turned and crossed the street, walking in the opposite direction.

Hoseok started working at the same company just a few weeks later, using his connection with his childhood friend to get himself an interview and again relying on Jin's reference to get the job. He stopped talking mid-sentence when the stranger from the bus entered the cafeteria on his first day of work, and Jin immediately offered the man's name to him, Yoongi.

He spent his lunch breaks alternating between eavesdropping on Yoongi's conversations and trying to keep up with his own, and after listening to Yoongi's friend pestering him to go on just one date with any single female employee he could think of, Hoseok nearly gave up the tiny sliver of hope he'd entertained about a possible future with Yoongi. Yoongi's friend hadn't offered to introduce him to even one man. He must be straight.

Jin insisted that the only place in town to get kimchi that tasted like home was Mrs. Jung's deli. They stopped by after work on nights when they were both exhausted and Jin didn't feel like cooking, and the woman laughed when she took Hoseok's credit card, thoroughly amused by the fact that they share the same family name. When he stepped into the store one freezing night in February to find Yoongi talking with Mrs. Jung his heart nearly burst with happiness. It had been a full week since he'd seen Yoongi. It was good to know he was still alive. The happiness fluttered its way to absolute glee when he noticed Yoongi staring, and his hope returned. Maybe it was possible after all.

Bus stops had always bored Hoseok until Yoongi came along. His body was never meant to be static. It was meant to move, to sway and bend, to glide and leap and spin. At least when Yoongi was around his mind was on other things besides the need to be still, as is socially acceptable. Instead of worrying about the bobbing of his foot bothering the other passengers Hoseok watched Yoongi's eyelids droop and his chin fall forward against his own chest. The bus reached Hoseok's stop, and without even thinking about it he gently ruffled Yoongi's hair as he passed him, whispering, “Goodnight, Yoongi. I hope you get some rest.”

It wasn't often Hoseok got to leave his office in the middle of the work day. With the exception of lunch and joint projects with Jin he spent most of his time standing behind his computer (yes, standing because a person with so much energy cannot be expected to sit in a chair all day). So when he was asked to pay a visit to Yoongi's floor to go over some figures with the department supervisor he made sure to take full advantage, strolling by Yoongi's desk as many times as he could.

It was on his third or fourth pass that he noticed the hunch of Yoongi's shoulders, the way they were crowding around his ears, and it looked like he was just staring at his computer screen without getting any actual work done. Hoseok wished he knew Yoongi better. If they were friends he would offer a relaxing shoulder massage (and maybe sneak a flask of whiskey to him), but instead he was left worrying about him from the hallway.

Hoseok's hope faded again when he finally caught Yoongi staring during lunch… Only he wasn't staring at Hoseok, but at Jin. Hoseok knew he was attractive. He had a nice smile and pretty eyes and he was in great shape, but there no way he could compete with Jin's natural beauty. If Yoongi was interested in Jin there was no way he'd settle for Hoseok, and his spirits sank even lower when Jin told him that Yoongi's friend had been asking around if Jin was single.

Hoseok had finally had enough of waiting around. He decided that the only way to find out who Yoongi was interested in was to ask him directly, so he switched the Bluetooth off on his tablet and waited for Jin to freak out about it. “Maybe Yoongi can help,” he suggested when Jin was about to call and cancel their presentation, and Jin giggled because then he understood what was going on.

It didn't take long for Jin to lead Yoongi to him. He fiddled with the graphics on his presentation slides while he waited, and when Yoongi entered the room he stopped dead in his tracks and his skin turned a rather unflattering shade of tomato red. Hoseok fully expected that once Jin left the room Yoongi would regain his normal coloring and loosen up enough to actually make introductions.

He didn't. It took him a ridiculous amount of time to begin moving again in ungraceful, choppy motions, avoiding eye contact the whole way across the room. That was when Hoseok knew, and he didn't have the self-restraint to wait for verbal confirmation. He needed to touch, and so he did. He shifted closer while Yoongi was busy fussing with the tablet, and by the time Yoongi knew what was happening Hoseok's lips were on his neck. The rest… that was all Yoongi. ”

So?” Jimin asks when Yoongi reaches their cubicle. For once, Yoongi is in such a good mood that he can't hold back the little chuckle as he watches his colleague bouncing in his seat. "Jin came looking for you. Did he find you? Is he single? Did you ask him out?"

"No," Yoongi answers calmly, the smile on his face still radiant.

"But... but I told him you were with Colleen. You should go find him."

This time Yoongi laughs outright and assures Jimin that Jin did find him, but the situation is not what he's expecting. "Jin just needed me to help Hoseok in the conference room."

"But did you talk? Did you tell him you like him?"

"Why would I tell him I like him when I don't?"

Jimin's expression is completely baffled and slightly offended. "You don't like Jin? Then you lied to me," he says, his tone a blend of hurt and accusation.

"I didn't lie. You assumed I liked him." Yoongi is enjoying this opportunity to tease since he rarely has the upperhand in their friendship.

"Because you were staring at him, Yoongi. What was I supposed to assume? And then you asked if he was single and that basically confirmed my suspicions, but if it's not Jin then..." Yoongi waits while he makes the connection, "You like Hoseok ?" There it is! Good job kiddo.

"Yes, and it turns out he likes me too. I have a date, and I didn't even need you to set me up."

Jimin pouts. He always pouts. It's his go-to face; even when he's getting his way he pouts. "But I liked setting you up. It gave my life purpose. What am I supposed to do now?"

Yoongi thinks seriously for a minute because Jimin seems genuinely disappointed that his matchmaking days may be over. "Why don't you try finding someone for yourself?" he suggests.

Jimin touches a finger to his still pouting lips in thought before words begin to flood from his mouth. "There's this bartender at the restaurant I frequent, you know the steakhouse I like? Tall and  thin with red hair and pretty skin and the cutest little freckle on the tip of his nose. Maybe I should talk to him. What do you think, Yoongi?"

“I think… ya know what? Go get him, Jiminie.”

As Yoongi approaches the bus stop he sees Hoseok shuffling his feet nervously, and can’t stop himself from breaking into a jog because even the few short seconds between them is more than he’s willing to wait. Hoseok looks up at him, a blinding smile curving his lips, and Yoongi knows this sunshine smile shines for him alone.

He bumps Hoseok's shoulder with his own as he turns to face the street and wait for their bus. Hoseok finds Yoongi's hand with his, threading their fingers together, and Yoongi thinks this is it. This is what he's been waiting for since that first day. They may not know anything about each other yet, but they have plenty of time to learn everything there is to know. Like the sun rising on a new day this is only the beginning.