Yoongi mingled easily the moment he'd set foot in the building. He smiled and clinked glasses with new faces, making sure they would remember him when he left their presence. Namjoon stuck to his side, settling next to him for, what seemed like, the rest of the night, "How have you been, new guy?" He joked, knocking shoulders with Yoongi to grasp his attention. Halfhearted but effective.

"Never been better." Yoongi said, bowing as he was offered a glass of wine by one of his new competitors, "What's the point of these things again?" He asked, savoring the first glass of an already terribly long night. Namjoon looked unbothered to acknowledge the question, shrugging instead as an answer. Helpful Namjoon, as always, answering questions thoroughly. The only time he really paid attention was when Yoongi would bring up the man’s assistant, Jin, whom Namjoon had a childish crush on.

"I've been to three of these and I still don't know. I guess it's to scope out any competition." Namjoon said, attention landing on a pair making out heavily in the far corner, "Or to get laid." He joked as he tilted his head, watching the action with intent and questionable.

Yoongi hummed with the glass pressed to his lips, tight with eyes hovering along the crowd. No competition in sight, not one being who would bring his business down by even a centimeter. All he saw was opportunity—opportunities to take others down and, in the process, take himself up. He rolled his eyes at himself, a playful smirk thrown onto his lips effortlessly and nonchalantly. Though he'd been told the only way to get to the top was through struggle and fighting, he found himself walking up the golden stairs with leisure. The only fighting he'd encountered was while watching those battling for second place.

Camera shutters sounding hastily and bright beams flashing heavily just outside the front entrance across the way brought Yoongi back to earth—the boring and stale earth he walked too many times a day. Curiosity had gotten the best of him, it whispered into his ear and guided him through a maze he'd gotten lost in. He straightened his back, making himself taller as he attempted to look over the crowd with slight success.

Competition. Raw, authentic, heavy, and nail-biting competition with a cocked brow that made Yoongi sigh contently. The ride wasn't going to be a boring one after all, he thought to himself while watching, the so-called legend that was, Jeon Jungkook settle into a lone corner. His eyes were knowing and smug and his mind was most likely at ease as he ran a slow thumb across his bottom lip. Yoongi visibly stood straighter, pulling at the top button of his shirt, popping it open.

"Gorgeous. Every inch." Yoongi mumbled to himself, taking a sip from the wine glass, savoring the taste as he stared at the man. He watched him and then smirked to himself, nodding softly, "That's a problem." He finished and Namjoon looked at him questionably. Truthfully, the man had no idea what Yoongi meant. He never did, which made Yoongi want to keep him around, Namjoon made him look and feel wise in more ways than twenty.

"Why is that a problem?" Namjoon asked and Yoongi truly believed he asked the simplest of questions just to keep him talking—most likely due to the crush he had on Yoongi's voice. Everyone, without a doubt, had a small kink for his voice.

"Because he knows every inch of him is gorgeous." He shrugged and lifted a finger from his glass, pointing it in the air, accusingly. While downing the rest of his wine he turned his attention back to Namjoon, "And that's dangerous, tall yet naive Namjoon." He tutted, tone mimicking wisdom and cunning knowledge he possibly didn't really have.

"Danger is fun, you love it," Namjoon said and, as much as Yoongi loved to admit it, he was right.

Yoongi pondered for a moment, eyes squinted and gears grinding before clicking his tongue in acceptance, "He'll come to me." He concluded, waving his fingers in the air gracefully at a waitress for a new glass of wine—only God knew he'd be needing it, along with many more, heavily.

Namjoon scoffed, "You obviously don't know who that is."

"I'm not going to lie, Namjoon. I really am offended that you'd think that low of me." Yoongi said, his voice was monotone and stiff and obviously not offended as he arched his brows and gave Namjoon his best hurt look. He sipped the fresh wine, unphased, "I've done my research. Which is why I'm confident he'll come to me." He finished.

❧

The night dragged on with Yoongi stealing solemn glances at Jungkook—though it wasn't part of his plan and he hadn't meant to watch for so long. He felt like a hawk watching its prey, which wasn't so far off of reality. The frame of the barely younger man was captivating, his eyes were challenging, and his body had Yoongi salivating—unknowingly and drool-less, of course. He'd made eye contact for a brief moment with the man glued to Jungkook's side, making Yoongi turn away nonchalantly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Yoongi saw them begin to speak to one another and he hid his smile by pressing the wine glass to his lips tightly, "I hope you're taking notes." He mumbled towards Namjoon, who'd just given him a confused expression. He was too cocky for his own taste, but that's how he was raised. Not only to be better than everyone but to show why you were better than everyone, he was good at both tasks.

"Why am I associated with you, again?" Namjoon asked, almost like he was talking to himself. And it wasn't an odd thing for Namjoon to do, the more he did it, the more Yoongi felt that they were genuine friends.

Yoongi his teeth and slumped his shoulders for a minute, "Does it hurt you so much to say we're friends?" He asked, almost genuinely annoyed.

Namjoon laughed, "If I said that, it would make it real." He had his brows strung together like he was in deep thought as he spoke. His eyes rolled at the realization when he took another glass of wine from a passing waiter—apparently, his brain had told him to strap in for the bumpy ride.

"Ah." Yoongi drew out with a sigh, punching Namjoon's shoulder.

❧

It took Jungkook exactly twenty-two minutes to begin making his way through the crowd, not like Yoongi was counting but there did happen to be a conveniently placed clock in his sights the whole night. Yoongi's heart raced—something he wasn't accustomed to feeling or even acknowledging—as Jungkook inched closer and closer. He nodded his head at every greeting he got while making his way, smiling a bit wider for certain men he passed. Yoongi kept the small detail locked away.

Jungkook was taller than him, by mere inches, though it wasn't noticeable—which, why would it be? They'd only just met, barely uttered a word to one another, shrugging away small glances as they silently judged each other. Namjoon, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of Yoongi's calm behavior. He began to hyperventilate and attempted to hit Yoongi's arm as nonchalantly as he could, silently and violently just before Jungkook settled in front of them with a semi-forced smile.

Apparently, Jungkook was a huge role model to Namjoon.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir." Namjoon's shaky voice rang out as he shook Jungkook's hand hastily and gave him a full ninety-degree bow. Yoongi’s eyes had rolled on impulse and involuntarily, giving Namjoon a pitiful look immediately after. 

Jungkook hummed, bowing half-heartedly before taking his hand from Namjoon's tight grip, "And your friend? What's his name?" He asked making Yoongi scoff senselessly. He had the type of tone in his voice that had Yoongi's gut curling in on itself.

"I can speak for myself." Yoongi began, swirling the wine in his hand gracefully and uncaring of the man's presence, "I'm Min Yoongi, and you are?" He asked, smiling as Jungkook pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek with a tilted head in slight frustration at Yoongi's carefree attitude. The annoyance in his eyes made Yoongi's heart pick up with excitement.

"Jeon Jungkook." He said and Yoongi studied him, "I find it hard to believe you didn't know already that." They shook hands for longer than normal, or what was considered normal. Yoongi's palm was rough against Jungkook's soft one—a feeling Jungkook found himself becoming too fond of, found himself wishing those palms traveled across his body. Though it was a thought he'd thought many times, this time was too different  from any other to forget.

"Must to be that full of yourself." Yoongi scoffed.

"Will you-" Namjoon began, but Yoongi just rose a single finger in the air to silence him, not sparing him a glance. Namjoon had always been one to keep Yoongi in line, well, as straight of a line he could manage without completely going insane.

"Will you excuse us?" He asked, finally looking at him with a raised brow. His eyes read something that Namjoon wouldn't even repeat to his own mother.

"Is it disrespectful that I didn't know your name?" Yoongi asked, looking genuinely concerned though he absolutely wasn't.

"It's fine. You'll know it by the end of the night." Jungkook mumbled, fixing his jacket, "I've never seen you at one of these before." He said.

"I'm nothing special, just a new competitor." Yoongi shrugged, careless and small. They were being watched, more so, Jungkook was being watched—being watched hungrily by more than half the women and men around the sadly average ballroom. Yoongi's mind cranked, the sound ringing in his ears as a plan was written out on the whiteboards of his eyes. He pulled out a cigarette then, thanking whoever was up there that this place allowed people to smoke inside as he lit it.

Jungkook's brows rose, cocking his head to the side briefly and teasingly, "Oh? I've never had competition before." His voice was a game, taunting Yoongi's claims and demeanor already ten minutes after their first meeting. It made his ears tick as he stared back at Jungkook. Yoongi blew the smoke out of the side of his mouth, flicking the ash from it with a sly smile.

"There's a first time for everything," Yoongi said as he turned to put the cigarette out on the all too elegant ashtray. When he faced Jungkook again, he wrapped a possessive arm around his waist, pulling him close, "Shall we dance?" He whispered as his eyes pierced Jungkook's, but Jungkook was unphased by the act, a number of times a man who thought he was superior over Jungkook had touched him, in the same way, were above one hundred already.

Jungkook chuckled, "I don't dance." He lied, crossing his arms in the tight space between their chests in a guarded manner as he looked at Yoongi and tilted his head.

Yoongi spared a glance at the bodies on the dance floor and the people surrounding them in deep conversations. He knew Jungkook was cocky the second he'd laid eyes on him, but, he had always loved challenges. "Tonight you do." He said, pulling Jungkook to the dance floor.

❧

Jungkook did dance, even though it was only for one song and said song was slow, he moved elegantly and slowly. Yoongi had a tight grip on his waist with their hands joined at their sides. He watched as Jungkook's eyes avoided his, instead scanning the people around them while they swayed in the middle of the dance floor. Yoongi saw him do this for too long, unlocking the small secrets and weaknesses of Jeon Jungkook, slowly but surely.

Yoongi moved forward, close to Jungkook's ear, "Is there a problem? I thought you liked the attention." He whispered. It was a tease but it seemed to be more real than Yoongi had originally thought. When he was watching Jungkook from across the room, he'd still pay more attention to the people watching him rather than anything else.

Jungkook's eyes locked on Yoongi's—they had a little hint of something he couldn't quite place yet—looking up at him like a deer caught in headlights that moved too quick to be hit. He looked lost for just a moment before heading back to his stone cold act that seemed to be an automatic protective strategy, "What?" He asked, his grip on Yoongi's shoulder had gotten tighter for a second.

"You seem more concerned with the people around us than, well, us." Yoongi was sincere, feeling for the man. Why did he feel for him? He couldn't answer that. Not because it was a secret but because he truly just didn't know. It was a sort of affect Jungkook had on him, one he had the feeling wouldn't be wearing off anytime soon. Yoongi couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

And with that, Jungkook was back with the stark type comments, "Do I? Then, tell me why I should be concerned with you." He spoke in a hushed tone. They turned together swiftly, their feet creating a circle around the floor, stopping abruptly in front a set of glass doors that led out to a porch—one that seemed to be taken over by plants. The door decorated with a style only seen in over the top movies with over the top people.

Yoongi pulled him through the door and away.