“Oh my god, really?”

“Yes, why not? You don’t like Italian food?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just it all sounds a little bit… fancy?”

Hoseok couldn’t help but laugh out loud, causing Jimin to get annoyed right away. He put his arms around his hyung’s neck, pulling him a little bit closer, trying to stop him from laughing with his serious face. They were still in the practice room, last group has left few minutes ago and now they’re at the stage of planning what to eat. Hoseok already told Taehyung to sleep early and not wait for him because of “extra classes” so the only problem left was picking out the place to go.

“Why are you laughing, I’m a simple guy, I don’t know how to behave in such classy restaurants…”

Jimin said almost apologetically, trying to maintain eye contact with Hoseok and not burst out with laugh himself. It was really hard to resist though as Hoseok’s laugh is really funny on its own, but Jimin was starting to feel humiliated, and if not Hoseok’s hands petting his back, he would have already got mad at him.

“It’s really just a small restaurant, family business, simple dishes, not really crowded on week days. Aaaand, I always order them for delivery and already have a discount card…”

Hoseok continued with a very serious face this time, causing Jimin to totally lose it, shaking uncontrollably, locked between Hoseok’s arms and his warm chest.

“You damn cheapskate, seriously! I though you go-“

„Hobi…?”

A quiet, dull voice cut through the air like a sharp knife. This one word was enough to immediately draw Jimin and Hoseok’s attention, who quickly turned their heads to the entrance door.

They saw him there. Taehyung was standing right at the door, a takeout box full of still steaming food in his trembling hands and eyes glued to men in the room. His face was pale white and mouth open in a silent protest, but no sound came out of it. He was just standing there, petrified by the sight of his beloved Hoseok with another man in his arms, and wishing he had never come there.

Atmosphere in the room changed completely. What had been a warm and safe environment for Hoseok and Jimin, changed into a cage, locking them with a intruded inside.

“Hoseok?”

Jimin’s own voice was weak and shaky, barely coming through his squeezed with fear throat. His hands resting on Hoseok’s neck suddenly felt like burning under Taehyung stare, like that wasn’t an appropriate place to keep them, and Jimin almost took them away before something in his head forced him to not move a muscle. Why would he do that in the first place? Hoseok is his as well, it’s not that Taehyung had more rights to him than he did. Jimin took a quick glance at Hoseok’s pale white face, then shifted his stare back to Taehyung, trying to shake off stress and look as emotionless as possible. He didn’t want to show that he’s scared of the situation. He knew that Hoseok had to handle it anyway, so he decided to stay quiet and not engage any interactions with Taehyung. All he could do was exhale calmly and move his body even closer to Hoseok’s chest.

Hoseok couldn’t even react. When his eyes met Taehyung, his heart sunk and mind went completely blank. He wasn’t able to move a single muscle even if he wanted to, especially that Jimin was still locked in his lose embrace. Everything was happening so quickly. He had had a plan for every possibility, but he would had never imagine that he’ll be ever caught red-handed.

And it wasn’t supposed to be like that. But it was already too late when Hoseok had realized that.

Taehyung was gone before Hoseok had managed to open his mouth. The only sound that met their ears was a loud slap when the container  full of food fell onto the floor. Hoseok and Jimin were alone again, and Taehyung’s appearance was so sudden and quick that they were both wondering if it had been real.

Hoseok was still completely paralyzed, and couldn’t take his eyes off from the entrance door where Taehyung had disappeared just a second ago. His arm were numb and body still tensed. If he could, he would cry, but the tears didn’t want to come.

“Hoseok?”

He didn’t reply. His dark eyes became shiny , looking around the practice room in panic, trying to find a clue or solution, or maybe just avoid Jimin’s face. Hoseok’s hands around younger’s waist were still there, now this position seemed to bother him rather than helping.

“Hey, Hoseok.”

Jimin’s voice was still soft and almost soothing, despite the fact that it kept cracking from time to time. Even when eyes of them both had finally met, Jimin still had a feeling that Hoseok was not there with him. Even though he kept pressing his body against his warm chest, his hyung seemed to pull away more and more with each second, finally releasing Jimin from the embrace.

Hoseok looked at Jimin’ face, trying to find an answer there but seeing only worry and sadness. He had to go after Taehyung, he just had to, right? How could he possibly let him leave after seeing them together? He stopped for one second, just like the last bit of hesitation was trying to prevent him from following Taehyung, but it wasn’t enough, and Hoseok was way more desperate that he himself would ever thought.

But before he even reached the entrance door, a loud scream and then pair of hands stopped him for another few seconds. Hoseok had never heard his name being shouted with such a determination like Jimin had just done, nor no one else’s hand was able to grab his arm as strongly as Jimin’s. He turned his hyung around in one swift move, not being able to sweep the anger off his face.

“Where do you think you’re going, uh?!”

Hoseok still remained silent, but the sudden outburst couldn’t just slip without leaving him in a quite surprised state. He looked at Jimin wish a shock painted all over his face, and didn’t even dare to try and shake off Jimin’s hand off his shoulder. He stood there staring at his lover, watching him coming closer, with a bit softer expression, but still looking at least disappointed.

“Why would you go after him?”

That was a good question, actually. Hoseok’s head was completely blank already, but Jimin actually made him tensed up again, feeling completely lost and stripped out of every bit of confidence that had been left in him. He felt Jimin’s hand caressing his cheeks, delicately forcing Hoseok to look him in the eyes, to meet and face his anger and disappointed. Jimin’s face was showing nothing but anger mixed with disbelief, because…

“You love me, right?”

Hoseok nodded even before Jimin finished the question, which surprised both of them, but Hoseok especially. He didn’t know himself anymore. He just wanted to run after Taehyung and explain everything, and now he’s confessing his feelings to another man, not even missing a beat.

“I do, Jimin. I love you.”

But I also love Taehyung, and you can’t even imagine how lost I am right now. Hoseok wished he had said that, but he was way too much of the coward, Jimin’s smile was way too bright to ruin it, and his lips way too sweet to try and fight back.

 ___

Yoongi took a deep breath placing his shaking hand on a doorknob. He tried to twist it but it was stuck. He sighed silently with a relief, trying to fool his own heart into thinking that he wanted Jimin to be gone for good. He didn’t want to get emotional, he didn’t want to be stuck in his empty apartment and cry for days because they didn’t make. He would rather forget that man and move on, before it would be already too late.

After entering his apartment, he looked around for a few seconds before taking steps towards the bathroom. Jimin’s toothbrush was gone, along with his towels and pyjamas, which absence made the shelfs took disgustingly empty.

“That’s better.”

Yoongi’s voice was quiet but harsh, just like he was forcing it not to express any emotions. Man proceeded to check the rest of the rooms, making sure that Jimin didn’t forget anything that could annoy Yoongi. His movements were slow and thoughtful, one could think that it was sort of ceremony for him, to send Jimin away, along with all the memories he left inside Yoongi’s head. He didn’t want to lie that he wasn’t hurt, because he couldn’t remember the time when someone ever hurt him more than now, but he didn’t want to allow himself to slip into depression, not again. He gave himself the right to be hurt, but not to be sad. He wasn’t weak, he could manage to get over this quickly, just like he had always done.

His apartment felt empty, but calm, like he would come home after a long trip. Everything was in order, there was no additional clutter lying around everywhere and annoying him, there was no stupid voice singing stupid songs about stupid love and greeting him before he would even open the door.

The was no one to make him tea, no one to listen to his music, no one to send to do groceries, no one to complain about traffic to. There was no one left for him.

And Yoongi fell asleep with a strong feeling that it’ better that way. He fell asleep on the couch, looking through old photos on his phone, with no one to cover him with blanket, with no one to kiss him goodnight.