The first time they met was not memorable.

Taehyung was wandering through the first year dorms, too prideful to ask for directions because he was an adult now and adults solve their own problems. So he pushed his cart filled with 5 boxes of childhood deemed important enough for adult life -and a stuffed lion, lions are manly - wandering through the halls trying to remember if building B was next to the dorm convenient store or the sandwich shop.

Hoseok was playing with the exposure settings on his camera for his first official assignment for the Denver post. The accompanying article was about young adults reaching “a new chapter in their life” thus requiring the writer, someone as new to the professional scene as Hoseok, to visit the city colleges.  This was their first stop, Hoseok already has a film role of blurred pictures and maybe ten decent ones.

Nam Joon, the writer with the ink stained tie, waved at a group of wide eyed boys and asked them the basic questions: how do you feel right now? What are your goals for this year? Do you mind if we take a picture for our article?

And the group of boys all crowd around Taehyung’s cart and made the campus letters with their arms.

Hoseok played with the camera settings one last time before snapping the photo.

It became the cover image for the paper the next day, though Hoseok had to crop out the patched up lion since it was not the College’s mascot.

~~

The second time was in passing.

Hoseok and Nam Joon had spent the day at Home Depot, sent there only to buy a hammer, but returned with a stack of wood boards, a box full of nails, and printed instructions to make a bookshelf. 

Seokjin sighed when he saw the stack of wood. He held the squirming white puppy securely in his arms. Kookie was still at that age where she wouldn’t listen to anyone and would try to eat everything, Seokjin was not going to risk her swallowing a nail.

“Joonie, why do we need a bookshelf?”

“You buy a lot of books,” Nam Joon pointed to the coffee table where three stacks lay, “we can’t use the table anymore.”

“But you’ve never built anything in your life, you grew up in the city.”

“There’s a first time for everything,” Nam Joon began flipping through the instructions, “besides, Hoseok took woodshop in high school.”

“Don’t worry Jin, I got this,” Hoseok smiled.

“Did you at least buy the hammer?”

Hoseok’s smile fell.

Nam Joon scratched the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly, “I’ll buy it tomorrow?”

Seokjin hummed. “Taehyung should be coming over soon.”

“Who’s that?” Hoseok asked.

“The new guy at Seokjin’s job,” Nam Joon answered.

“We’re going apartment hunting today,” Seokjin held up the puppy to eye level and began cooing, “You’re going to be a good girl today, right? You can’t pee on anything, unless it’s a tree, then you can pee on it.”

Nam Joon rolled his eyes, but still smiled fondly. “You know, since this bookshelf is for you, you should make me food.”

Seokjin stopped playing with the puppy to glare at Nam Joon.

“Please?” he asked. He tilted his head, maybe to look cute but to Hoseok it looked terrifying.

Seokjin scoffed, “I’ll make you a sandwich.”

“With toasted bread?”

“Don’t push it,” Seokjin walked into the kitchen. The entrance was half blocked by one of those gates young parents buy so their babies don’t go tumbling down the stairs. Nam Joon put it up because Kookie still wasn’t toilet trained and the kitchen was the only part of the apartment, besides the balcony, without carpeting

“Thank you,” Nam Joon winked at Seokjin.                                                     

Seokjin stuck his tongue out, but he still blushed.

When Hoseok was introduced to Nam Joon’s then fiancée Seokjin, he thought he had a crush. Seokjin was handsome, that was Hoseok’s first impression. He was also kind of awkward, like how he stammered his apology for setting up a blind date coworkers for Hoseok with one of his cute little female. Hoseok hadn’t been offended, but was he really going to turn down homemade apology banana bread? Especially when it was made by Seokjin? Hoseok thought it was endearing how Seokjin would send Nam Joon texts during the middle of the day just to say “Work hard” or “Don’t fall asleep at your office.” And after three shots, Seokjin’s cheeks turned a nice shade of red and he would laugh at everything while leaning against Nam Joon’s shoulder. And sometimes when they were all hanging out together, Seokjin’s hand would just easily slip into Nam Joon’s and Yoongi would tease them for being “So married” and Hoseok would keep quiet and wonder if Seokjin’s hand would fit in his.

It didn’t take long for him to realize that he didn’t like Seokjin in the same way that Nam Joon did, that the constricting of his heart when he saw the two hug was because he was jealous of their relationship not because he wanted Seokjin. And that he wasn’t the only one feeling that way.

“They’re so disgusting,” Yoongi grumbled into his box of Chinese food.

Hoseok hummed in agreement.

“It’s like they’re showing off how in love they are to make us single losers upset.”

“They just got married, I think they’re allowed to show off,” Hoseok retaliated. The couple was at their honeymoon while Yoongi and Hoseok were watching Friday night football in Yoongi’s studio loft.

“Not the point Hobi” Yoongi sneered, “the point is that no one is allowed to be that happy.”

Hoseok blamed Nam Joon’s rocky first year of marriage on that drunken comment.

But now they were sickeningly sweet again.

And Nam Joon ditched reading the bookshelf instructions to distract Seokjin.

Hoseok could hear the laughter from his spot in the living room couch. Thank god the doorbell rang. They didn’t move to get it, so Hoseok took it upon himself to be polite.

There was a young man, Hoseok assumed he was Korean but the dirty blonde hair gave him doubts.  Social etiquette caught up with him, “Uh, Hi.”

“Hi, is Seokjin here?” the stranger asked uncertainly.

“Yeah, come in,” Hoseok opened the door wider, “You’re Jin’s coworker, right? Tae- Tae something.”

“Taehyung,” he bluntly answered, “Jin, where are you?”

Jin stepped out of the kitchen and handed the white puppy and a leash to Taehyung, “Could you hook her up?”

Taehyung’s serious expression turned into a giant box smile, “Sure.”

Seokjin slipped on his shoes and grabbed his jacket, “I’m taking the car, I should be home in time for dinner but I might not. Do you guys need anything?”

“I’ll call you if we think of anything,” Nam Joon kissed Seokjin’s temple.

“All right,” Seokjin smiled, “Hoseok, there’s a sandwich for you in the kitchen. Make sure you eat before Joonie does.”

“Thank you,” Hoseok waved, “Have fun.”

Taehyung lifted up Kookie’s paw and made her wave first at Nam Joon, then at Hoseok, before he and Seokjin walked out.

Hoseok and Nam Joon read the instructions again, and after a half hour of working they realized they needed the hammer, and that they had no idea what they were doing.

~~

After two weeks of apartment hunting, Seokjin introduced Taehyung to his last resort. His next door neighbor, Jimin, who’s roommate moved out two months ago. Jimin opened the door in sweat pants, messy hair, and no shirt. The inside of the apartment was in the same state of disarray, with empty Chinese takeout boxes lying on the floor stacked next to cans of energy drinks and textbooks and notebooks covering the living room table. He apologized, “I take the MCAT in three days, I’m kind of worried about it.”

“Don’t  worry about that,” Seokjin gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, “I’m going to make tea, please put on a shirt.”

“Sorry,” Jimin smiled, it was a nice smile, his eyes disappeared into black slits.

Taehyung found himself missing shirtless Jimin when he returned in a high school wrestling team shirt.

“So Taehyung, are you from here?”

“I grew up in Chicago and got out of there as soon as I graduated high school,” Taehyung answered, “You?”

“I’m from a small town in Indiana.”

“You must have been the only Korean at your school.”

“I was the only Asian, the only reason we lived there was because my dad was a pastor. My last roommate and I met because we were the only two Koreans at wrestling finals. We kept in touch and both got accepted to UC Denver’s biology program.”

“Why’d he move out?”

“His girlfriend has a bigger apartment,” Jimin joked.

Taehyung half laughed.

Jimin asked, “Are you a lawyer?”

“I’m a paralegal at Seokjin’s firm,” Taehyung answered.

“What does that mean?” Jimin yawned.

Taehyung pulled on his sweater sleeve, “It means I have a degree in criminal justice but was too lazy to go to law school.”

Jimin smiled again, “That’s cool, lawyers are a bunch of crooks anyway.”

“Remind me to never invite you to my company parties,” Seokjin walked in balancing two mugs in one hand and one in the other, “Mr. Johnson would find a reason to sue you if he heard that.”

Jimin furrowed his eyebrows, “Mr. Johnson?”

“My boss, the Johnson part of Bradbury and Johnson law firm.”

“How am I supposed to know that?” Jimin laughed.

Taehyung found himself laughing too.

The next week,  Taehyung was moving his stuff into the spare room of their apartment. Taehyung struggled with one box while Jimin easily carried three boxes.

“What witchcraft do you know?” Jimin asked as he places the boxes in the empty room.

“Witchcraft?”

“Why else would a guy pay your tuition?”

Taehyung shrugged. “Maybe because he was a rich old guy and I played the part of the cute exotic boytoy,” Taehyung tilted his head and blinked his eyes.

Jimin laughed.

“He also said I give good s,” Taehyung walked out of the room.

“Gross,” Jimin shouted, “I don’t need to know all the details of your gay life.”

“You asked!” Taehyung shouted back laughing.

There was something on the back patio, a stack of wood with nails sticking out at odd ends. “Jimin what is this?” Taehyung asked.

He heard Jimin laugh. “Nam Joon and his friend tried to build a bookshelf. He’s paying me to finish it since I actually know how to use powertools.”

~~

They third time they met, Taehyung looked handsome in his styled hair and button up shirt folded up to his elbows. Hoseok forgot how to speak.

“We’ve met before right?” Taehyung asked.

Hoseok could only nod.

By some of luck, they sit next to each other. By some joke of the universe, Taehyung lives next door with Jimin, a kid with a six pack and arm muscles that Hoseok could only ever have in his dreams.

“How much do you bench?” Yoongi asked.

“250,” Jimin smirked.

“Nice,”

“Yeah, nice,” Hoseok muttered.

 Hoseok accepts this dismal news and animatedly joined the conversation happening at the table. The universe must have a vendetta against Hoseok, because he knocked over Taehyung’s wine glass, and spilled it all on his white shirt. Thanks universe.

“Smooth,” Yoongi commented.

“I don’t appreciate sarcasm,” Hoseok glared as he buried his face in his arms.

He heard the sound of Seokjin and Taehyung walking back and sat upright. Taehyung sat down with a new glass of wine and turned to Hoseok, “Please don’t spill this one?”

Hoseok is proud of himself for not being too distracted by how the sweater is slipping off of Taehyung’s shoulder and being able to say, “No promises.”

Must have been the correct response because Taehyung smiles.

Hoseok’s night gets better when Jimin admits that he and Taehyung are not dating. And Hoseok learns that Taehyung makes an adorable pout when he’s embarrassed.

On the drive home, Yoongi snored in the passenger’s seat, but Hoseok didn’t hit any red lights, so maybe the universe doesn’t hate him.

This isn't going to be as long as To Be With You, but it's still a decent lenght so far ( I don't want to give a premature wordcount since editing always adds like 2k words.) Hopefully this will be done before my break is over so I can finish the Jungkook story. But, but this one's so much more adorable.

(the title gif is Xana's she makes a lot of cute edits and gifs, go love her)