‘I should just enjoy having a free day,’ Hoseok scolded himself mentally. “It’s not like it’s really different from any other day.’ Out the window, the sky was the color of wet cement. It hadn’t snowed in a few days and what had at first been a pretty overlay of crisp white on the rooftops and along the edges of the sidewalk was now a disappointing, grey slush.

Hoseok sighed, resting his chin on his folded hands. One day off wasn’t enough time to justify a visit to his hometown. He’d expected to spend New Year’s day with Jungkook or Jimin, or some of his other friends whose families weren’t in Seoul. One by one, they’d all somehow ended up with other plans, even Jimin whose parents had decided at the last minute to make the trip to Seoul to see their son. That was how Hoseok ended up alone on New Year’s day for the first time in his life.
“Booooooooring,” he complained aloud. He glanced at his phone for the umpteenth time that day, not really expecting anything. He certainly wasn’t going  disrupt his friends’ time with their families with whiny texts  either. He had plenty of things to do, really. There were video games he could play. Taehyung had forever been getting him try Overwatch. There was music he could finally get around to listening to. There was a whole shelf of unopened DVD and Blue Ray discs, many of them sent be fans who felt that he’d appreciate some movie or other.

‘Plenty to do,’ he thought. Nevertheless, he remained gazing discontentedly out the window, watching the  grey slush and the grey sky, and feeling just a little sorry for himself.  Things just weren’t fun without someone else to do them with.

A buzzing emanating from where his elbow rested on the windowsill broke the quietude so unexpectedly that Hoseok jumped. “Ugh!” he groaned, putting a hand over his thundering heart. “Oh!” His look of shock transformed into surprise as he picked up his buzzing phone.

Happy New Year, Hobi. Hanging in there on your own? 
          - Min Yoongi

Hoseok texted his reply rapidly.

Happy New Year, hyung. I’m good, just bored out of my skull. Are you eating well with your family? Save me some chicken! 
                          - Hobi \(:D)/~~

 Sure 
                           -Min Yoongi

 
Hoseok laughed at the taciturn  reply, so typical of Yoongi. “Guess I’ll watch a movie, he said to himself. There was a new smile on his face and he couldn’t deny that even that  small amount of human contact from his close friend had improved his mood by a mile.

Half an hour  later, Hoseok’s mood had fallen even lower than it was before. The fifth movie he’d tried to start had also ended in failure. Nothing was working out. The first few scenes of the ‘Mission Impossible’ movie he’d popped in had made him queasy with vertigo.  He desperately wished he could get back the ten minutes he’d spent on John Carter. Gone Girl was just ed up.  “I give up with this,” he gave in. “staring out the window was the better option after all.”

He’d just tossed the offending films into his “give to Jungkook” box, with the exception of John Carter which he tossed in the trash,  when his doorbell rang. ‘Did I order noodles and forget about it?’ he thought, a little nonplussed. “I,” he started, opening the door. “...Yoongi-hyung!?” 
“Hnn,” The shorter man grunted,  holding up a plastic bag with take-out containers that smelled enticing. “I brought you  chicken,” he stated, not waiting for Hoseok to invite him as he stepped in.

“Hyung...” Hoseok was at a loss for words. He gazed at Yoongi with a kind of awe. “I didn’t mean you had to actually bring me some.” His eyes watered dangerously.
Yoongi shrugged, shedding his heavy winter coat and boots. “I thought you could use some company too,” he explained. “Also I brought beer.”
“I,” Hoseok didn’t know how to start. His friends and family had done many wonderful things for him over the years,  but somehow he felt he’d never experienced anything quite as, well, sweet as this. And from Yoongi! Hoseok had learned over his years of friendship with the other man that though he loved those around him deeply, he hid it like an embarrassing bad habit. Instead of asking Jungkook if he’d eaten, he’d shove a plate of food towards him without a word. Rather than hugging Jimin when he cried, he’d toss a package of tissues at his head. Showing up at his doorstep with chicken and beer was something he might expect from the other members, but not from Yoongi.

“Yoongi, thank you!” he finally managed, tossing himself into Yoongi for a brief, enthusiastic hug.

“Yeah yeah,” Yoongi said, looking down. “You want beer or not?”

Two hours hours later, the two men lay  sprawled across the floor. They had somehow ended up laying head to head in a straight line, both staring up at the white ceiling. The top of Hoseok’s head pushed irritatingly against the top of Yoongi’s head whenever either one of them breathed too deeply. Several empty cans of beer and white take-out containers that now contained only crumbs and the smell of fried chicken lay within arms reach. Hoseok was feeling pleasantly buzzed.  He twisted his head around to catch sight of Yoongi’s hair.

“This was the best. Thanks, Yoongi-hyung.”

Yoongi merely grunted in response.

“I mean it, if were a girl, I’d fall in love with you over this. Really. I should kiss you,” Hoseok said, voice slightly slurred. He puckered his lips out as far as they would go and made  exaggerated smooching sounds.

“You’re drunk.”

“So are you.”

“Not enough to kiss me.”

Hoseok snorted with laughter. A long moment of silence stretched between them comfortably. Eventually, a huge smile spread across his face. He rolled over onto his stomach and wriggled his way forward. His bangs and eventually his eyes slowly came into Yoongi’s view. Hoseok giggled at the bizarre sight of Yoongi’s disapproving face upside down.

“Yeah you’re definitely drunk.”

“Yep. Hey look, your frown upside down is a smile!” Hoseok wriggled further forward over Yoongi’s face.

“Right. You’re trying to suffocate me aren’t you? After all I’ve done for you.”

“Maybe, but first I feel like I really owe you a kiss.” He smacked his lips noisily before leaning his face down and sloppily planting his lips on Yoongi’s.
The feeling was strange, but good, Hoseok decided. He could distinctly feel  Yoongi’s bottom lip pressed against his top lip, and Yoongi’s top lip pressed against his bottom one. Curious at the new sensation, Hoseok pressed his lips down harder, letting his tongue sneak out to taste. Yoongi’s lips were warm and tasted like beer. Yoongi let out a tiny puff of air.

“You’re no fun,” Hoseok pouted, pulling away, having failed to elicit any kind of dramatic response from Yoongi. He flopped over onto his back so that he was lying flat alongside the other man. “Namjoon would have screamed.”

“If you want a response to your kisses, at least kiss properly,” came the response. Hoseok was surprised when Yoongi moved, sliding an arm and a leg over his body to lay on top of him.

“You’re heavy,” Hoseok complained, but he could feel his face reddening at the unexpected closeness and the solid weight of Yoongi’s body pressing his into the floor. Yoongi didn’t answer but pressed his lips firmly down on Hoseok’s. He pulled away slowly and looked Hoseok in the eyes for a long, silent moment.

Hoseok’s face was definitely not getting any less red at this attention, and he was relieved when Yoongi broke their gaze and laid his head back  on the ground over Hoseok’s shoulder. His nose was precariously close to Hoseok’s bare neck and Hoseok could feel warm breath on his skin.

“You don’t have to be a girl.”

“Huh?”

“You don’t have to be a girl to fall in love with me.”

Hoseok blinked, and then slowly, wonderingly, slid his hands over Yoongi’s back, holding him there. “No,” he answered, his eyes shifting from the ceiling to gaze at the side of Yoongi’s face. “I suppose I don’t.”