It's 8am and Yoongi is fighting to keep his eyes open on the train, body cramped between two unnecessarily tall business men. He can just about see the door, seven rows of tightly-packed, sour-faced people standing in between him and freedom. He knows his stop is soon so he doesn't have a lot of time to figure out a way of reaching the exit before the doors open. He contemplates elbowing his way out but his eyes dart up, taking in the broad shoulders of the two men blocking him and not for the first time Yoongi wishes he bothered to work out. He revises his strategy, maybe using his small frame to his advantage would be better. He could try squeezing out under their arms but that still left the rest of the people standing in his way. He sighs, eyes glaring forlornly at the door.

"Do you need to get off?" A voice behind him says, startling Yoongi and he turns around to find a smiling boy standing there, face just inches from his own. He jerks back, surprised, and the boy's smile just grows wider, eyes turning into little slits.

"Yeah." He says and Yoongi can see that the other boy is wearing a school uniform, shirt crumpled and tie haphazardly swung around his neck.

"I can help you." The boy says and Yoongi has to suppress a laugh. The kid looks even shorter than him and Yoongi highly doubts he'll be of any help to him.

"And how will you do that?" Yoongi asks despite himself.

"I'm stronger than I look." The boy replies, voice a little smug, and this time Yoongi can't hold back the laugh that bubbles out of his chest. The boy just grins though, like he enjoyed the reaction, and Yoongi realises just how close they're standing, so close he can count every pimple on the boy's chubby cheeks.

"Oh, really? You're welcome to try then." Yoongi finds himself saying and he isn't sure why he's accepting this kid's help but something about that smile, toothy and eyes like crescents, stirs something in him. The bus jolts to a halt and the boy's smile falls. Yoongi only has a second to register it before he feels fingers circling his wrist and then he's yanked. He let's out a surprised squawk, almost tripping over his own feet as the boy jumps in front of him, dragging him along. He's forcibly pulled out from in between the business men and the boy keeps going, shoving his way through the mass of people and pulling Yoongi along with him. The grip on Yoongi's wrist never falters and he stares, awed, at the back of the boy's messy, black hair. He barely notices he's off the train until he feels the sun hit his face, the sudden light almost blinding.

"There. I told you, didn't I?" The boy says, fingers still wrapped around Yoongi's wrist and that grin on his face again. Yoongi wants to make a smart reply but all he can think about is how warm the boy's skin feels against his own.

"Thanks." Is all he manages to mumble out, pulling his hand free and ignoring the wave of disappointment that hits him at the loss because it's too early to be thinking about what that could mean.

"No problem. I'm Jimin, by the way." The boy says and Yoongi doesn't really want to give this kid his name but there's a hopeful look in Jimin's eyes that he finds himself unable to ignore.

"Yoongi." He says and Jimin's face nearly cracks in half at the huge grin that takes over it and Yoongi finds himself smiling back. His phone suddenly buzzes with a message, it's from Namjoon, he can already tell, and Yoongi finally remembers he actually has somewhere to be.

"I have to go now or I'll be late." He says and Jimin's face falls.

"Okay, I'll see you around. Have a good day, Yoongi-hyung." He replies, waving him off and Yoongi doesn't have time to ask what Jimin means by 'see you around'.

It isn't until Yoongi is out of the station and half-walking, half-running to campus that he realises that Jimin had still been standing on the platform when he left, as if waiting for the next train and Yoongi decides it really is too early to think about whether that wasn't actually Jimin's stop.

-

The next time he spots Jimin, it's a few days later on the same train and Yoongi is standing by the door this time, having learnt his lesson. He sees Jimin sitting a few rows away, uniform in the same state of disarray as last time, and Yoongi is caught between greeting the kid or just ignoring him. He's saved from deciding, however, when Jimin whips his head round, smiling brightly when he spots Yoongi.

"Hyung!" He almost shouts and Yoongi wants to duck his head out of embarrassment when the whole train turns to stare at Jimin.

"Don't come near me." He hisses, pointedly glaring at Jimin who just bounds over like he didn't hear him.

"Yoongi-hyung, did you manage to get to your class on time that day?" Jimin asks and the familiarity with which he speaks, like they've known each other for years, sets something off inside Yoongi. And then the question finally registers.

"How do you even know I was going to class?" He asks, eyebrows furrowed because he's pretty sure he didn't say more than two words to Jimin that day.

"You were carrying a folder that said 'Introduction to Music Theory'". Jimin replies innocently, as if the answer is obvious, and Yoongi just stares at him. He should probably question how Jimin remembers such a specific thing and Yoongi knows the writing on his folder is too small to be read from a distance so you need to really look at it to read it and okay, what exactly did this Jimin kid want?

"Are you a stalker?" He asks, eyes narrowed in suspicion and he covers the folder he's currently carrying to prevent Jimin gaining anymore information with his laser eyes. Jimin doesn't seem to notice, though, and completely ignores the question.

"Do you study music, hyung? That is so cool! What's it like? It sounds so exciting. Do you play any instruments? What kind?." Jimin is talking a mile a minute, excitement making his voice come out in a breathless tumble, and Yoongi can barely keep up.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down." Yoongi says, trying to step back and away but the crestfallen look on the younger boy's face has him quickly adding. "Why do you want to know so much?"

"Because I want to know more about you, hyung." Jimin answers, voice honest and face open. Yoongi feels himself crumbling under the younger's earnest gaze and he sighs.

"Okay, what do you want to know first?" He says and Jimin practically jumps in joy.

-
The next few weeks continue like this, Yoongi getting on the train to find Jimin already there, empty seat and bright smile waiting for him. He learns that Jimin is in his final year of high school, an avid dancer and hoping to get into a dance academy. Yoongi first snorts when Jimin says he's a dancer but then he remembers the nimble strength he'd used to pull him out of the train that time and it kind of makes sense.

"What do you want to do when you finish college?" Jimin asks, eyes bright and that eager look in his eyes like there's nothing more in the world he'd want to know.

"I don't know," Yoongi answers and he isn't sure why he's being so honest with this kid but the words come out before he can stop them. "I just know I want to keep doing music. There's nothing else I can even see myself doing. Music is basically my life." He flushes a little at the confession but he looks up to find Jimin smiling sweetly at him, eyes soft. It makes something warm bloom in Yoongi's chest and he has to ruffle Jimin's hair to dispel the moment.

"Tell me more about what a brilliant dancer you are, brat."

-

Then one day, Jimin is not there. Yoongi scans the entire train carriage but the other boy is nowhere in sight. This continues for the whole week and Yoongi ignores the twist of disappointment in his gut every time he isn't greeted by crinkling smiles and messy uniforms.


"Where the have you been?" Yoongi asks before he can stop himself the moment he sees Jimin sitting in his usual seat in the train the next week.

"Aw, did you miss me, hyung?" Jimin replies, smirk on his face and Yoongi regrets ever asking.

"I thought you'd died or something, you brat." Yoongi grumbled, slipping into the seat next to him.

"I got the flu and it was horrible." Jimin whined, head falling onto Yoongi's shoulder. Yoongi wants to shove him off but Jimin's hair is tickling his cheek and he smells of strawberry shampoo. Yoongi decided to let him rest there for a little while longer.

-
It's late afternoon and Yoongi's classes ended early so when he gets on the train it's packed with shrieking shool children. He silently curses, clinging onto the handrail to stop himself being jostled, and when did high schoolers get so tall?

"Hyung!" A familiar voice reaches him over the noise and he looks up to find Jimin waving at him. His uniform is somehow even messier than it usually is, blazer falling off his shoulder.

"What are you doing here so early?" Jimin asks.

"My classes finished early."

"Oh," Jimin replies, eyes on the floor. He's playing with the straps on his backpack and looking more nervous than Yoongi had ever seen him.

"Are you okay, Jimin?"

"Yeah, I was just wondering if- if you're free right now?" Jimin finally looks up at him and the moment Yoongi sees the hope in younger boy's eyes he already knows the answer.

They end up going to karaoke and Yoongi feels like a teenager again, sneaking off after classes as Jimin pulls him along by the hand, laughing as they trudge up the street. They make it to the karaoke place and Yoongi discovers Jimin has a really good voice, husky and strong, and Yoongi decides he really likes it. Of course, he doesn't say this to Jimin, instead grabbing him in a headlock and muttering 'You sound like a dying cat' into his hair. When it's Yoongi's turn he flies through a Dynamic Duo classic, Jimin staring at him, eyes bright with awe, and Yoongi feels himself grinning through every verse.

"You're an amazing rapper, hyung!" Jimin exclaims when Yoongi finally flops down on the couch. Jimin's taken off his tie, ing his school shirt and Yoongi's eyes are glued to the exposed skin of his collarbone. He wants to touch, see if the skin is as smooth as it looks but he fights the urge, getting up instead.

"Want to try a duet?" He asks and the way Jimin scrambles to reach for a microphone has him smiling harder than he can remember in months.

They shriek and shout their way through old songs and it isn't until they've practically gone through every rapper/singer duet on the karaoke database that Yoongi realises how late it is.

", aren't your parents going to worry?" He asks and Yoongi remembers just how young Jimin is.

"I'm 18, hyung. Don't worry about it." Jimin answers but Yoongi isn't sold. Jimin must be able to see it on his face because he adds. "I told them I was staying over at a friend's tonight."

"Sneaky, Park Jimin." Yoongi says, flashing Jimin a smirk that the younger boy returns.

They swap numbers before they part ways and Yoongi almost regrets it when his phone buzzes with messages for the rest of the night.

-

After that day, they end up spending more time together outside of the train. They go for coffee, Yoongi's choice, and Jimin burns his tongue on the first sip trying to prove how adult he is.

"This kid." He laughs, ruffling Jimin's hair and the other grumbles in annoyance, muttering "I'm not a kid!" under his breath. Yoongi just laughs into his coffee.

It turns out spending time with Jimin is fun and Yoongi spends more and more evenings hanging out with him. They go to see a horror movie at the cinema and Yoongi spends the entire time cackling as Jimin cowers under his seat during every scene.

"You're such a baby." He laughs when they get out and Jimin protests but instantly perks up when Yoongi offers to buy him ice cream.

Jimin's eyes light up the moment they get to the ice cream palour and Yoongi watches with fondness as he spends ten minutes trying to decide which flavour to get.

"Choose as many as you want." Yoongi says and Jimin practically jumps onto him in joy.

"Thank you, hyung! You're the best!" He exclaims, pressing a quick kiss to older boy's cheek that Yoongi pretends he doesn't think about for the rest of the evening.

-

It's 8am and Yoongi is knackered. He's on his usual train, blearily clutching onto the handrail. He's been preparing for a rap show for the past two weeks and it's been away at his sleep.

"Hyung," Jimin's voice reaches him through the sleepy fog in his mind and he looks up to find the younger boy looking at him in concern. "Are you okay."

"Yeah, I'm just tired." He replies, rubbing at his eyes. "I've been preparing for a show."

"A show?" Jimin asks and Yoongi rummages around in his bag for a flyer that he hands to the younger boy."

"Oh my god!" Jimin shrieks and Yoongi flinches.

"What? What happened?"

"You're doing a show with J-Hope?!" The younger boy asks and he looks more excited than Yoongi has ever seen him.

"Yeah and?"

"What do you mean and?!, hyung I've been a fan of his for ages! I've always wanted to watch him dance." Jimin says, looking sad and Yoongi finds himself wanting to get rid of the expression on the younger boy's face.

"I can introduce you to him if you want."

The hug Jimin gives him is tight enough to crush his ribs but Yoongi doesn't want him to let go.


-

It's the day of the show and Yoongi is backstage so immersed in last minute practicing he doesn't notice someone coming up behind him.

"Hyung, is that you?" Yoongi whips his head around at the familiar voice and almost jumps when he spots Jimin. The younger boy is dressed in a vest, tanned arms on full display and Yoongi never knew he was that toned, muscles rippling under the flashing lights of the club. He's wearing a snapback, bill pulled to the back and dark bangs tickling his khol rimmed eyes. He looks older, more mature and Yoongi doesn't know how he feels about it.

"You look...different." Yoongi offers, brain still processing this new Jimin in front of him and trying his best not let his eyes linger on those arms.

"I could say the same for you." Jimin replies, small smile on his face as his eyes rake over the older boy's form. Yoongi knows he looks different too in his stage outfit, eyes smokey and bandana tied around his head.

"Oh, who is this?" A voice cuts in and Yoongi spots Hoseok coming to them.

"This is Jimin and for some reason he's a fan of yours." Yoongi says, grinning at the way Jimin almost jumps in surprise when Hoseok sidles up to them.

"Hi, nice to meet you!." Jimin squeaks, bowing and Hoseok laughs at the greeting.

"You're cute." Hoseok grins, ruffling Jimin's hair and the younger boy blushes so hard that Yoongi has to agree with Hoseok's statement.

After Yoongi is done with his performance he's still riding high on the adrenaline when he finds Jimin near the bar.

"Hyung, you were amazing! Jimin yells the moment he sees him, tugging Yoongi into a hug.

"Thanks." He mumbles, feeling that familiar warmth at Jimin's words.

He orders a drink for him and Jimin and Yoongi laughs at the disgusted face Jimin pulls after his drowns his.

"Come on, hyung, let's dance." the younger boy says, heading to the dance floor. Yoongi is about to protest because he doesn't dance when Jimin drags him along and suddenly Yoongi is back to that first day, Jimin's hand warm in his as he pulls him out of the packed train.

Jimin is a natural of course and Yoongi feels awkward. Jimin looks so happy though, grinning stupidly at him, and Yoongi will blame it on the one drink he's had or the fact that the club is so dark you can barely see anything, but he leans down to press their lips together. Jimin freezes, body tense, and Yoongi is a millisecond away from pulling away when the younger boy finally kisses back. Yoongi feels like his heart is in his throat but he's smiling into the kiss, Jimin's arms sliding around his neck and it all feels so right.

They stay on the dance floor, pressed together under the flashing lights and Yoongi doesn't remember ever feeling happier.

-

"Hey, hyung." Jimin is as chipper as always, sleazy smile plastered on his face as he squeezes past the throngs of people to get close to him.

It's 8am on a Monday and the train is packed but Yoongi doesn't mind because Jimin is squished up next to him. He's talking way too loud and Yoongi wants to tell him to shut up but Jimin tangles their fingers together and Yoongi finds he doesn't so much.