Yoongi watches him quite often. He can get away with doing so because he’s always so quiet and doesn’t really draw any attention to himself. In a way, that kind of stings but in a numb way since not much really pierces him anymore. The only reason it’s something that he can feel to the point that he’s aware of it is because he would actually like a little attention. He doesn’t just want to keep staring at him, feeling as though the other doesn’t notice him.

 

“It shouldn’t hurt,” he blurts out, thinking aloud.

 

Well, that gets him attention. Not that he wants it at that very moment.

 

Jungkook looks at him and Yoongi doesn’t say anything else, which actually makes the situation a bit worse. Jungkook is known to like having his curiosity satisfied, especially in this particular case. Jungkook had thought that Yoongi had been apart of the conversation that he’d been having with Hoseok but that clearly wasn’t the case. Yoongi a brow, just noticeable enough at the look that the younger was suddenly giving him. Trying to escape, Yoongi moves to get up but Jungkook, unfortunately, doesn’t have intention on letting him get away easily.

 

Why is this always how it goes? Why can’t Jungkook just let him get away for once?

 

That would be much too easy and Jungkook doesn’t like to let his prey out of his sights.

 

Yoongi shudders as that thought runs through his head. He’s not Jungkook’s prey. He’s the hyung and he’s fed up with letting his thoughts of Jungkook consume him like they have been. A little freedom would be nice but he’s sure the other has no intention of giving him said freedom. Yoongi would say it but he’d be lying, to some degree. It’s not a feeling he can say he really enjoys but he can’t deny that it doesn’t feel, well, entirely terrible to feel like he’s under lock and key by the maknae.

 

Yoongi escapes, this time. He isn’t even sure where he’s going but laying down seems to be ideal. He doesn’t feel like eating and his computer is updating itself as well as some of the software and applications he has downloaded on it. He can’t believe he let the updates get behind like that but at least it’s forcing him to rest, something he hasn’t been getting much of at all lately.

~~~

 

The day goes by quietly, peacefully. Yoongi sleeps well for quite a few hours, somewhat in awe that nothing, specifically no one, has disturbed him. Sitting up, he isn’t sure how he’s feeling because things seem a little too quiet for his liking. He prefers the peace and quiet, sure, but something always feels off when their home is like that. Getting up, he doesn’t look anywhere or at anything as he heads to the bathroom. Coming back out though once he’s done has him questioning things again.

 

Considering calling out to someone, he retracts the words on the tip of his tongue, not daring ruin the peace but it’s wrong. Something has to be wrong.

 

As he makes his way to the kitchen, he decides to head to the door, wondering if he’ll spot any pair of shoes missing. It wouldn’t give too much of a clue as to who’s actually not there since they sometimes borrow one another’s shoes, among other things. On his way back to the kitchen though, he pauses, swearing that he could hear water coming from some direction.

 

Yoongi stops in his tracks, and tries to find the source of the sound. As he goes to a window, he opens up the curtains, staring out at the scenery. He backs away. Yeah, something is wrong.

 

Something is most definitely wrong here.

 

Outside of his window is the view of what looks like an island coast, bright blue water, clear enough that you can see the ocean floor even from where he is. He thinks it’s a joke or something but he opens up the window and sticks his arm out, the salty air curling around his arm and giving him goosebumps but in a good way. The sunlight is warm on his skin, a warmth that reaches his core and leaves him feeling like he’s glowing, feeling it even as he draws his arm back inside.

 

This is a dream, right? It has to be.

 

The hold that forms around his waist is strangely familiar, in that kind of way where you know that you know something from somewhere but you haven’t gotten the slightest clue why or how you know it but, deep down, you just do and you can’t deny it. Closing the window, he now comes to notice the reflection. The face next to his is smiling widely before those lips are tracing over his shoulder. The other has never done something like this but the more Yoongi’s kissed, the more Yoongi feels as though the other knows his body as if it were their own.

 

“Jungkook.”

 

Yoongi’s eyes are closed now as he breathes out the younger’s name, goosebumps finding the surface of his skin again. Jungkook’s kisses feel like the warmth the sun had just given him, the younger’s touch like the chill of the ocean air. The mix has his body feeling as though he’s caught in a whirlwind and twists his stomach in knots, knees weak.

 

Nothing extreme is happening, nothing that doesn’t feel like it should be happening. His body leans into Jungkook’s, melting against the heat and aura of the younger. His body is aching for some reason and, when he opens his eyes again, he sees Jungkook looking back at him in the reflection of the window, the kisses stopping for now as his chin rests on his hyung’s shoulder instead. His plush lips pull into a smile and Yoongi isn’t at all sure what shoots through his mind, everything going messy for a moment before it all feels clear. His thoughts are clear and, besides the other’s heartbeat, he hears his own, both rhythms pounding in his ears and thrumming through his body into one beautiful melody.

 

Yoongi has forgotten that this should be a dream because he feels right at home. He feels right at home in Jungkook’s arms.

 

“Hyung,” Jungkook whispers before he’s turning Yoongi around to face him, the latter easily complying.

 

Yoongi’s arms wrap around Jungkook, hanging loosely around his waist and, just as their lips meet, the world around him shatters and disappears.

 

Yoongi jolts awake at the sound of a slamming door, his mind hazy as he tries to figure out what’s going on. He tries to find some form of a clock and assess just what time it is.

 

Midnight. Well, just after.

 

Who’s coming in slamming doors at midnight?

 

Pulling himself from his bed, it almost feels like his dream. There’s no one around, at least that’s what it feels like. He takes a trip to the bathroom and, the second he’s out, he tries to figure out where he should go to figure out what the sound was. His feet begin to carry him though as if his body already knows where to go even if his mind isn’t in on it.

 

What he ends up finding is a curled up Jungkook sitting outside of The Genius Lab, head buried in his knees and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that he’s crying. Yoongi just stands there, staring at him for a moment before he’s tapping him with his foot to try and get his attention.

 

“I didn’t know where else to go,” Jungkook chokes out, not looking up but it’s clear that he knows just who it is, “I thought you would be inside but I didn’t get an answer.”

 

Yoongi glances at the door to his studio before he’s reaching out a hand to help Jungkook up, knowing to steady himself because he’s fully aware that Jungkook’s muscle makes him weigh twice as much as he appears. Thankfully, he manages to help the younger up without finding himself on the floor.

 

“I’ll get my hoodie and shoes on. Let’s go for a walk,” Yoongi states and Jungkook doesn’t fight him.

 

Soon enough, they’re both walking side by side, no actual destination in mind. Yoongi ends up managing to get them to the park, to his own surprise really, since he didn’t have a clue he even knew how to get there. Jungkook doesn’t seem to mind, the younger completely quiet for the entire walk there. Yoongi eventually reaches out, patting the top of Jungkook’s head, thankfully getting his attention.

 

“It’s hard to fall in love, isn’t it, hyung?”

 

Yoongi shakes his head, “It’s not hard to fall in love. Falling doesn’t take any effort. It’s everything else that’s hard.”

 

Jungkook doesn’t seem all too satisfied with the answer even though he knows that Yoongi is right, “Is it hard to fall out of love then?”

 

Yoongi goes quiet, a soft sigh leaving him but through his nose before he parts his lips to speak, “Falling out of love can be hard. Sometimes it’s accidental. Sometimes... Sometimes, you have to force it.”

 

“And what if you don’t want to fall out of love? But the other person already has?”

 

“I guess there isn’t much you can do when that happens. You can’t force someone to love you.”

 

“Do you love anyone, hyung?”

 

Yoongi goes quiet and although that isn’t exactly strange behavior, Jungkook easily sniffs out that there’s also something on Yoongi’s mind.

 

“Did you fall in love with someone,” Yoongi asks, directing attention away from the younger’s question, at least for now.

 

“I...I don’t know. I really wanted to be with them but...”

 

“Did they break your heart?”

 

“I guess that’s the best way to put it.”

 

“You still want to be with someone that broke your heart?”

 

Jungkook seems to freeze this time, trying to think of how to respond. The way his love was shattered shouldn’t make anyone want to go back to that person, want to associate with them in any way really. It would have been different if he had been let down gently but it had been far from that. He’d been strung along and led to believe, not that there could be but that it rang true, that his love was accepted and a relationship had already begun forming. Having someone laugh in your face, let alone when you’re asking them why they’re out on a date with someone else instead of you, is already a cold enough response that, no matter how dense you try to pretend you are, you can only act like you don’t understand for so long.

 

 

The thought has Jungkook almost in tears again and Yoongi glances over, suddenly feeling bad for even having said anything. He decides to change the subject again.

 

“I think...I think I might be in love.”

 

Jungkook’s thoughts, thankfully, derail and he’s now facing the other, watery eyes spilling over. Yoongi faces him and cups his face, wiping away the tears. His smile catches the younger off-guard but Jungkook finds himself smiling as well before he’s stealing a kiss from the older, catching Yoongi off-guard now. Yoongi doesn’t fight the kiss, even though he doesn’t feel like Jungkook’s entirely in his right mind. He can’t break away from the kiss. No one and nothing is stopping him.

 

It’s not much, but he simply doesn’t want the kiss to end.

 

When the kiss breaks, Jungkook takes Yoongi’s hand, slipping his fingers between the older’s.

 

“I always feel better talking to you,” Jungkook suddenly admits as they start walking again, the sleeves of both of their hoodies covering their hands a bit but Yoongi is still trying to look at them.

 

“I haven’t really said anything though,” Yoongi debates, confusion on his features as he looks ahead to wherever it is that they’re walking.

 

“You don’t have to,” the younger clarifies, “I think it’s just being around you. I always feel...lighter after spending some time with you.”

 

The older of the two bites his lip, finding it hard to fully bite back his smile but he’s doing his best. Suddenly, something crosses his mind, something that Jungkook had said to him before they kissed in his dream earlier.

 

“‘I’ll be your escape.’”

 

“Hm?”

 

“It’s something you said to me,” Yoongi says before he realizes what he’s saying.

 

“I told you that I would be your escape, hyung?”

 

Yoongi isn’t quite sure how to explain himself at this point, “Something like that...”

 

“It’s only fair since you’re my escape.”

 

The older exhales slowly, deeply. These are words from his dream.

 

 

He unintentionally grips at Jungkook’s hand a bit tighter and Jungkook chuckles. This feels like another dream to Yoongi but, regardless, he’s okay with that. Even if it’s all just a fantasy, he’ll make sure no one breaks Jungkook’s heart again.