Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Hyung we don’t need all of this.” Jimin frowns at the amount of food in their shopping cart. They still have several aisles to go down and Yoongi is already going overboard.

“Just two more,” he promises, not making eye contact as he adds the packs of samgyeopsal.

“Hyung! You don’t have to feed them for the entire week!”

“A lot of this is for us,” Yoongi says, which is sort of true. He is good at stretching ingredients to last. Between what’s in the cart now and the meals they’ll eat with friends they should be fine. “Don’t be stingy, Jimin-ah, it’s for our dongsaengs.”

“Only two of them are my dongsaengs!” 

“Oh, and you’re not worried about your hyungs eating well?” Yoongi teases.

“Says the hyung who eats the least of any of us,” Jimin says pointedly.

“Watching my dongsaengs eat fills me up,” Yoongi says, just as Jimin knew he would. “Anyway, haven’t you noticed Taehyungie’s bread cheeks are looking more like flatbread? Or those dark circles Jungkookie is getting?”

“Aigoo you’re such a grandpa,” Jimin complains. He doesn’t mind, really, but he can’t let Yoongi win too easily.

“Pff, I’m not the grandpa you should be worrying about. Do you want to be the one to look Tae’s harabeoji in the face and explain why his grandson is wasting away?”

“No, but—”

“Exactly. Put the samgeyopsal back in the cart.”

“You ever notice how you only win when you take cheap shots like that?” Jimin observes, but it doesn’t make a dent in Yoongi’s smug expression.

---

Yoongi scowls at the packs of ramyeon Jimin is about to dump into the cart. “It’s just so much sodium and flour.”

Jimin rolls his eyes. “Now who isn’t thinking of their dongsaengs?”

“I am thinking about them!”

“You know you’re going to end up walking to the corner store for ramyeon anyway,” Jimin says.

“No I won’t! I have a will of steel,” Yoongi fibs.

“So you’re just going to avoid looking at Gguk all night?” Jimin can already see his resolve crumbling. It’s only going to take a little push now.

Yoongi frowns. “Don’t start with me.”

“You’re going to ignore him pouting for hours because his Yoongi hyung thinks ramyeon is unhealthy? With his big sad bunny eyes?”

“He eats enough ramyeon as it is.”

“Yeah? Then why did you just put it in the cart?”

“My hand slipped,” Yoongi says lightly. He adds a pack of Jimin’s favorite extra spicy flavor and continues down the aisle, humming a little.

Jimin laughs softly as he follows. “Right.”

---

“Hyung should we get ice cream?”

Yoongi doesn’t look up from his phone screen. He’s squinting at it since he forgot his glasses at home again. “Just get what you want Jimin-ah.”

Jimin hesitates in front of the glass, looking in at all the flavors. “But we’re already spending a lot...”

“Why would you ask about ice cream if you don’t want it? So just get some.”

“I want it, I just don’t know if we need it. We did buy a lot of fruit.”

Yoongi doesn’t look up from typing. He doesn’t need to; he knows exactly how Jimin is pouting and shifting his weight from the sound of his voice. “If you want me to talk you out of it you need to say so.”

“Hyuuuung!”

“You have free will for a reason,” Yoongi reminds him, tucking his phone back into his pocket. He can’t help smirking at Jimin. He’s seen him like this a thousand times, but it’s still cute.

“Well you’re going to eat all the tangerines anyway so the rest of us can have ice cream,” Jimin decides with a huff.

Yoongi makes a face. “I’m not going to eat all of them, I don’t even eat that much!”

“You do when it comes to tangerines, hyung.”

“Stop slandering my good name.”

“Taehyungie has video evidence.”

“Evidence of what?”

“You eating tangerines without even realizing.”

“That’s ridiculous. I always know what I’m doing.”

“Oh? Do you want to have a screening? I’ll have Jungkookie bring his projector.”

“You were going to have him bring it anyway,” Yoongi points out. They aren’t calling it movie night for nothing.

“Well now I’m definitely going to because you need to be aware of your crimes,” Jimin threatens, already pulling his phone out to text the maknae group chat.

“Oh I’m a criminal now, ok.”

Jimin cocks a hip out and gives him a superior look. “How many times have you found tangerines in your pockets, hyung?”

“I thought that was you being a caring dongsaeng,” Yoongi says. He finally looks like he might believe Jimin. Just a little bit.

“Maybe I would if you didn’t already do it yourself.”

Yoongi frowns. “Are you gaslighting me? This feels like gaslighting.”

“It’s okay hyung, it’s a harmless addiction.” He giggles at whatever responses he got from their friends, holding onto the cart so he doesn’t fall over from it.

“Yeah, yeah, pick out your ice cream and let’s go,” Yoongi says, turning away to hide his smile.

“Stop changing the subject every time I’m right,” Jimin whines cutely.

“What, you want me to throw a parade for you instead? Let’s go home already,” Yoongi grumbles. But as much as he pretends, the underlying softness far outweighs his grumpiness.

“Aww poor Yoongi hyung out past his bedtime. Fine, old man. Look, there’s even a sale. We can get three flavors! Cookies and cream, pistachio, and mintcho?”

Before Yoongi can respond, a noise of absolute disgust catches their attention. He and Jimin look toward the sound and freeze. An absurdly handsome man is waving a hand in protest.

“Mintcho? Why not just eat toothpaste?” He gestures emphatically at the aisle. “Look at all of these flavors! Any of them is better than that. Your body works so hard for you, helping you taste your food. You shouldn’t punish it!”

Yoongi is still trying to process what a living deity is doing in the frozen foods section of a medium size supermarket, but Jimin is cracking up.

The beautiful stranger puts a hand to his mouth as if startled by his own outburst. “Omo,” he murmurs. “Sorry, I don’t know why that just slipped out,” he says at a normal volume. He bows and tries to scurry off, but Yoongi’s brain is coming back online.

“Wait,” he calls after him. The stranger turns back. Yoongi is so hopelessly endeared by his bright red ears and the flush that’s creeping down his neck. “You can’t just leave without giving us some recommendations.”

“Yeah,” Jimin chimes in with a flirtatious smile, “Whatever you’re eating seems to be working out for you.”

He blushes even harder, but Yoongi catches him giving Jimin a wide-eyed look. 

“Um,” he stammers. “Well, chocolate is the best, obviously.”

“Choco is good, but adding mint makes it refreshing,” Yoongi teases. He’s not that fussed when it comes to ice cream flavors—he likes most food anyway—but he wants to keep this interaction going for some reason.

“Ah, no, no, no,” the stranger says. He’s still pink, but the argument seems to come naturally. “They should be kept separate! Choco is for eating, mint is for getting rid of the other flavors once you’re done eating.”

“People eat mint in other things,” Yoongi points out. “Have you had a mojito?”

“Only once. It was like getting drunk in my bathroom! The mint said toothpaste, the lime said tile cleaner, the rum said party time. Too confusing. Not for me.”

Jimin is laughing too hard to join in, but he looks absolutely delighted by this turn of events. He’d love to take a picture of Yoongi’s face, but it would be too rude to do the same to this stranger.

“Are you a person who only eats ingredients separately?” Yoongi wonders.

The stranger scoffs. “I eat things that go together together! But I don’t mix things that don’t belong! Do you clean your shower while you’re washing yourself? Do you eat chocolate while you brush your teeth?”

“So plain choco ice cream?” Yoongi says, redirecting. “What about toppings?”

He shakes his head. “Why overcomplicate perfection?” He gestures at his clothing: unembellished black jeans, snow boots, a soft white sweater, a shearling lined denim jacket. “When you have a face like mine you only have to add enough to prevent public indecency.”

Jimin really loses it at that. He lets go of the shopping cart and crouches on the floor, supporting himself with one hand so he doesn’t faceplant while giggling.

Yoongi shakes his head in disbelief, but he can’t help admiring his shamelessness. “Well you are handsome,” he agrees.

“I get that all over the market,” he says earnestly. “They call me Storewide Handsome.”

“Do they now?” Yoongi deadpans. He wonders if the stranger will blush again.

This time it’s just a little pink at the tips of his ears, but he smiles sheepishly and nods.

“Well, it’s been nice meeting you, Storewide Handsome,” Yoongi says back. He takes the mintcho out of their cart and replaces it with a carton of chocolate.

Jimin grabs onto Yoongi’s leg and uses it as an anchor to pull himself up. He beams at SWH. “We have to get home and start dinner, but I hope we’ll be seeing you around.”

“I’m here every week,” SWH mumbles, ducking his head to hide another spreading blush. “Um, have a good night.” 

“Good night,” they call after him as he turns his cart around. 

---

They don’t have to wait long to see him around. Yoongi is pushing the cart across the parking lot when he hears Jimin gasp, “Oh shit, Storewide Handsome!”

Yoongi looks where Jimin’s pointing and bleats out a noise that’s half dismay and half amusement. The handsome man from the ice cream aisle is caught in a battle with his shopping cart. The cart appears to be winning.

Jimin rushes over to help, but the cart overbalances and falls sideways before he can get there, dragging the man down with it. Yoongi hurries after, parking their cart on the walkway and starting to gather runaway groceries.

“Are you hurt? What happened? How can I help?” Jimin asks in a gasp.

SWH lets out a dramatic yell of frustration and embarrassment that startles both of his would-be rescuers. And then he starts laughing squeakily. “Ah, I think this cart is possessed.”

Yoongi chases down a final cup of ramyeon that had rolled awayand starts back toward them. Their voices echo in the quiet parking lot so he can hear clearly despite the distance.

Through laughter and occasional yips of pain he tells Jimin, “I slipped on a patch of ice and I thought I could use the cart to hold me up. Slide through it, you know? But these mini carts don’t have the right center of gravity and it started to tip. I think I tried to stabilize it with my foot? And my laces got caught, so here we are.”

“Here, I think I got everything,” Yoongi says when he gets close enough. Jimin is still disentangling shoelaces so he sets the erstwhile groceries in their own cart. “I haven’t seen a fall that dramatic in a while. You’ve got competition, Jimin-ah.”

“Hilarious, hyung,” Jimin says, but he’s grinning. “There, now you’re free! Are you hurt anywhere beside your ankle?”

“Oh, you know, wounded pride.” He grimaces and takes a moment to properly inventory himself. “I hit an elbow and my ass is sore as hell. I don’t think anything is broken, though.”

“At least it’s your left ankle,” Yoongi observes practically. “Can we help you to your car?”

SWH shakes his head. “I took the bus here. I’ll be all right. I just need to sit here for a day or two.” He tries to make a joke of it, but he looks like he’s starting to run through the implications of his injury and isn’t happy about it.

Jimin frowns. “You should get a taxi this time. You shouldn’t put any weight on that foot until someone takes a look at your ankle. You’ll probably need to wear a brace for a while; I think you twisted it pretty good.”

He spaces out for a minute before answering. “I live at the top of a hill,” he says quietly. “Even if I get a taxi there are hundreds of stairs...”

“Is there a friend you could stay with?” Yoongi suggests. “Or family nearby?”

“I moved here recently. I have coworkers I drink with, but no one I could spring this on. Shit. Maybe I should stay at a sauna or get a hotel room.” He looks up at them and hides his worries behind a polite expression. “Oh, sorry, you don’t have to hang around. I’ll figure something out.”

Jimin looks sad. He keeps moving his hands restlessly like he needs to help but he’s not sure what to do. Yoongi can’t have that.

“Our car is just over there,” he says, pointing. “We’ll get you somewhere safe, okay? What about the hospital first? You should really have that ankle looked at.”

SWH looks like he wants to decline on principle, but the ground is extremely cold and he does have groceries to take home. Then again, so do they. They mentioned dinner plans, didn’t they? “I can’t take up all your time like that,” he demurs. “I’ll just get a taxi.”

“I know this is what a cult recruiter or a murderer would say to lure you in, but we’d really like to help,” Jimin says with a little smile.

“Even if we were murderers, we’d let you heal up before we take you to a remote location and hunt you for sport,” Yoongi deadpans. “More fun that way.”

Jimin rolls his eyes “Oh my god hyung, no one is scared of you, you look like Apeach.”

“I bet Apeach could kill a man,” SWH jokes. “There’s something about her...”

Yoongi nods. “Peach pits do contain trace amounts of cyanide.”

“Okay, that’s enough. Let’s get you off the ground,” Jimin breaks in. “Here, grab my elbow.” He does the same and hoists SWH up with impressive ease. “Put your arm over my shoulder. You can at least sit in the car while you figure out what you want to do.”

“I’m Min Yoongi, by the way,” Yoongi offers. “And that’s Park Jimin.”

“Kim Seokjin,” SWH responds with a slight, automatic bow of his head. “I don’t recognize your names, so if you’re criminals you’re not very notorious ones.”

“Could be aliases,” Yoongi points out.

“How do you know I gave you a real name? What if I’m the murderer and this was an elaborate ploy?” Seokjin says loud enough they can both hear while Jimin helps him in and Yoongi pops the trunk.

Jimin scoffs. “Yeah, yeah, I’m sure you tied your own shoelaces to that shopping cart moments before we came outside. Real mastermind stuff.”

Yoongi loads their groceries and walks the empty carts to the return. When he gets back to the car, Jimin is tucking one of their emergency blankets around Seokjin’s leg so his ankle won’t move too much during the drive. He smiles at the sight.

“Ok, where to?” Jimin asks once they’re all safely buckled. “There’s a clinic nearby we’ve used before.”

Seokjin grimaces. “I’m not exactly flush with cash at the moment. Especially if my groceries go bad. Though, I guess it’s cold enough outside that they should be ok for a while.”

Yoongi frowns. “Jiminie could patch you up for now,” he offers as casually as he can.

Jimin nods enthusiastically. “I’m basically a pro with sprains. You really should get medical attention soon, but I know enough.”

Seokjin looks bemused. “Are you a nurse or something?”

Jimin giggles. “Oh, no, just a dancer. My physio taught me a lot of first aid over the years though. We have plenty of bandages and things at home. But if you’re not comfortable with that we can stop at a pharmacy for supplies instead. Doing it in the car isn’t ideal, but I can make it work.”

Yoongi and Seokjin both laugh and Jimin joins in a moment later.

“You know what I mean,” he wails in mock dismay.

“I don’t want to impose,” Seokjin insists. “Really, you can just drop me at a hotel. My stuff should survive a night in a mini-fridge and I can sort the rest out in the morning.”

“Sounds expensive,” Yoongi points out. “I know this is a weird situation, but we’d feel a lot better if we weren’t worried about you hobbling around somewhere.”

Seokjin mumbles something about an emergency credit card, but Jimin sighs deeply.

“I’d be suspicious if I were in your shoes,” he reasons. “But we’re having friends over tonight anyway. We’ve got way too much food because hyung doesn’t know when to quit, and plenty of extra bedding and stuff. I’ll bandage you up, you can sleep, and we’ll figure out how to get you home in the morning. Just for one night.”

“Why do you want to help me so much?” Seokjin asks. “Is it because of my dazzling good looks?”

Yoongi laughs in the soft, breathless way that’s more shaking shoulders than sound. “It doesn’t hurt,” he teases. “But we were all new here once. And we’re complete saps, honestly.”

“Yoongi hyung is the dad of our friend group,” Jimin says. “He looks out for all of us. And grandparents, kids, stray animals...”

“You do look kind of like a lost alpaca,” Yoongi says and smiles impishly at Seokjin in the rearview mirror.

Seokjin looks away, unable to respond because he can’t help smiling back. “Well, take me home, I guess,” he decides. “If I’m going to be murdered at least I’ll die pretty.”

“You’re as bad as Yoongi,” Jimin says with another eye roll.

“Hey, I said if I’m going to be murdered it should be somewhere with good architecture, that is not the same thing!”

“Priorities, hyung!”

“No, no, he has a point,” Seokjin says. “How’s your interior decorating?”

“I think you’ll approve,” Yoongi assures him. “It’s not fancy, but we have good taste.”

---

“So what is this place?” Seokjin uses his water glass to gesture at their surroundings. “It doesn’t seem like your typical apartment building.”

Yoongi pivots away from the counter where he’s prepping vegetables. “You know how the Ninja Turtles had the sewer system? This is our sewer.”

Jimin groans. “Hyung, I am begging you to stop saying that. No one is impressed that you know a foreign cartoon!” He checks that the ice pack is still in place on Seokjin’s ankle and finally sits down at the table with him. “We live and work here with our best friends. The building belonged to our friend Namjoon’s grandparents and he inherited it.”

“He’s very down-to-earth for a nepotism baby,” Yoongi adds.

“Hey, me too! But I’m not down-to-earth at all,” Seokjin jokes.

Jimin laughs brightly. “You work for family, then?”

Seokjin shrugs a little. “Not directly, but I got my job through family connections. You said you both work here?”

Yoongi continues chopping vegetables while he explains, “The ground floor was already a used bookshop, I just helped Namjoon digitize the inventory and add a small coffee bar. I’m still the bookkeeper and barista but I also freelance as a composer and producer.”

Seokjin gives a low whistle. “Is that last bit as impressive as it sounds?”

“No,” Yoongi says with a laugh. “I work out of our spare room.”

Jimin scoffs and insists, “Yes, it is. He can write anything. Game soundtracks, film scores, ad jingles, any genre of music. He usually has no problem bragging about it, either. I don’t know why he’s acting all modest tonight.”

“Did you say game soundtracks?” Seokjin asks, looking at Yoongi like his credits will start scrolling drown in front of his eyes.

Yoongi nods. “I’ve done a few. I can show you later if you want.” He carries the cutting board to the stove and carefully slides the vegetables into a bubbling pot. “Anyway, there used to be an electronic repair shop on the second floor here, but they got busted and had to shut down.”

“Busted?” Seokjin echoes. “For what, hacking?”

“Illegal lizard trading,” Jimin corrects with an amused glint in his eye. “It was their not-so-secret side hustle. Namjoon couldn’t find anyone to take over the lease at first. Then the studio where my dance crew used to practice flooded.”

“I think I see where this is going,” Seokjin says.

Jimin nods. “Namjoon and our dance captain Hobi are old friends. It was supposed to be a temporary move, but the owner of our old building went bankrupt. Hobi, his boyfriend Jungkook, and I had been planning to start our own studio anyway, so we decided to go for it. We took over the second floor and moved into one of the apartments.”

“So is that how you and Yoongi met?” Seokjin asks. He doesn’t seem bothered by the mention of boyfriends and they both relax considerably.

“Yeah, those three and the rest of their crew started coming in for coffees a lot,” Yoongi explains. “Jimin was our most annoying customer. Hands down.”

“Well, you were the worst employee, so,” Jimin shoots back.

“Namjoon was always reading or doing other stuff,” Yoongi says dismissively. “Employee morale was low.”

“He wasn’t even allowed to touch your barista station!”

“Because he’s a menace!”

“And you’re a grumpy old man!”

“Coffee tastes best when it’s made with sincerity and respect for tradition,” Yoongi says, effortlessly leaning into the image of the wise old master.

Jimin catches Seokjin’s eye and tells him, “He said that, but he made cute latte art for everyone else. He did custom orders and everything. Just not for me.”

“Oh?” Seokjin looks amused by their back and forth. “Why was that?”

“My hands shook too much when it was him,” Yoongi admits. His cheeks have the faintest touch of pink, but he looks more fond than shy. “I could barely remember how to make the normal drinks, and when I tried to do latte art it always turned into blobs.”

Seokjin raises an eyebrow. “You said he was annoying. That sounds more embarrassing than annoying, no?”

“He was annoying. I’m used to being excellent at my job. And he was always asking for weird shit like penguins made of foam. Then he wanted book recommendations and he hated everything I chose. Kept coming in and arguing with me about all of them.”

“I was trying to get to know you!” Jimin cries. He turns to Seokjin again. “You wouldn’t believe how dumb he was, Seokjin-ssi. I’d try to get him talking about the books and he’d be like ‘you should form your own opinions Park Jimin’. So I decided to come up with weird takes so he’d get annoyed and tell me what he really thought.”

“Devious,” Seokjin says and points approving finger guns at Jimin. “Who broke first?”

They exchange a look. “Our friends.”

Seokjin cackles delightedly. “Well don’t stop now.”

Yoongi sighs. “So we all lived on the third floor, right? By that time things were going well enough that Jimin moved out to give Hobi and Jungkook their own space. He leased a unit with his best friend Taehyung, and Taehyung turned the last unit into his art studio. Anyway, we started hearing weird noises, especially at night. Our doors wouldn’t stay shut, stuff would break or get rearranged without explanation, people felt like they were being watched. Poor Hobi almost had a nervous breakdown because he thought the place was haunted.”

Jimin gives Yoongi a scathing look and informs Seokjin, “This hyung was just as scared as Hobi hyung. We were all freaked out, but those two were on another level.”

Seokjin looks like he’s trying hard not to check for signs of paranormal activity. He sounds a little nervous when he asks, “You solved the mystery, right?”

They both nod. “It was my cat, Pekoe,” Jimin explains. “She’s really social and crazy smart. We didn’t think anything of it when she turned up in other apartments because the doors were open. Jungkook finally caught her opening the door one day and we realized she’d been breaking in when she wanted a change of scenery.”

“We upgraded our door handles and locks and the ‘haunting’ finally stopped.”

“But then she started meowing like crazy some days,” Jimin sighs. “She’d always been so quiet before that. Then suddenly she’d go to the door and start yelling her head off. We couldn’t get her to stop, so I finally broke and let her into the hall. She’d beeline for Yoongi’s door every time.”

“So the cat was your matchmaker?” Seokjin asks, laughing.

“Basically,” Yoongi agrees. “I’d let Pekoe nap with me for a while and then take her back to Jimin’s. But then she stopped letting me leave. I’d try to go home and she’d start attacking my feet until I got on their couch. We tried to figure it out, but there was a lot of collateral damage.”

“Hobi hyung never lets me forget what she did to his running tights,” Jimin sighs.

“Joon swears that scar on his ankle can tell when a storm is coming but I know he just looks at his weather app,” Yoongi commiserates.

Seokjin snickers. “Well, damn.”

“We’d all really bonded as a group at that point,” Yoongi continues. “I’d realized that Jimin wasn’t the worst person alive.”

“Also, Taehyungie and Namjoon hyung fell disgustingly in love and we got tired of crashing on each other’s couches while they switched off defiling our apartments. So we started sleeping in the same bed instead.”

“Pekoe was happy and we realized we were too. I moved in with Jimin, Tae moved in with Joon. The rest is pretty much history.”

Seokjin smiles softly. “Well that was disgustingly cute.”

They all look up at a sudden clattering sound. They hadn’t noticed the sound of the door opening, too wrapped up in each other. Jungkook stands in the doorway staring at the new arrival with round eyes.

“Hyungs?” he asks suspiciously. Pekoe peers at Seokjin from her perch on Jungkook’s shoulder and meows curiously. “Who is this?”

“This is Kim Seokjin,” Yoongi says without turning away from the soup pot. “We picked him up at the grocery store.”

Jungkook squints. “I would’ve noticed if they were selling lifelike androids.”

“Ggukie be serious,” Jimin laughs. “Seokjin-ssi is a real person.”

“So you just,” Jungkook says slowly, “put him in your cart?”

“For legal purposes he got into our car willingly,” Yoongi jokes.

“My cart tried to eat my foot and they rescued me,” Seojin adds. “Is this Pekoe?”

Jungkook holds his hands up like he’s trying to hide her from view, but she leaps from his shoulder to the table and sniffs at Seokjin’s sweater.

“You didn’t tell me she’s the prettiest cat in the world,” Seokjin murmurs. He holds a hand out for her to sniff, and when she doesn’t shy away, he carefully strokes her head. Pekoe butts her head against his hand and starts to purr. “That’s right, game recognizes game.”

The door opens again and everyone hears Hobi singing a little made up tune as he walks in. He goes silent for a second as he spots Seokjin before saying, “Oh? Who’s this?”

“They got him at the store,” Jungkook explains, only taking his eyes off Seokjin long enough to accept a kiss from Hobi.

“Huh? Like 30% more handsome for the same low price?”

Seokjin looks like he’s barely stifling a laugh when he asks, “30% more handsome? Than what?”

“Everyone,” Jimin says with a wickedly flirtatious smile.

“Ohh, Jimin,” Hobi crows while Seokjin blushes and ducks his head. “Jagiya, stop staring,” he adds when he realizes that Jungkook is still sizing him up.

“Hm,” Jungkook says suspiciously, but he finally tears himself away and goes to investigate what Yoongi is cooking.

“This is Hobi hyung and Jungkookie,” Jimin explains to Seokjin.

“Jung Hoseok, but everyone calls me Hobi or Hope,” he elaborates. “Gguk takes a while to warm up to new people, but he’s harmless.”

“No he’s not,” Jimin says with a laugh.

“No, he isn’t,” Hobi agrees. “As long as you’re not secretly here to murder everyone you’ll be fine.”

“You guys are really fixated on murder,” Seokjin observes. “Should I be concerned?”

Hobi laughs brightly and says “Oh, no, no!” while Jungkook mutters, “Yes.”

Taehyung arrives next. He skirts around the box of projection equipment and game controllers Jungkook dropped when he came in and scans the room. “I didn’t know you guys had other friends,” he says when he notices Seokjin. “What’s someone like you doing in a place like this?” he adds in English.

Seokjin looks thrown off by the sudden foreign language, but Jimin just laughs. “Watching old movies again, Taehyungie?”

He nods and starts miming smoking a cigarette and scowling handsomely. Seokjin isn’t sure what he’s referencing, but it seems noir-ish.

“Taehyung Kim,” he says, extending a hand to shake. “International man of mystery.”

“Seokjin Kim,” he responds and shakes his hand. “Handsome Korean guy. Um, English very no good.”

Taehyung cracks a boxy grin and drifts off to perform little skits for the others. 

Jimin laughs happily. “He likes you,” he explains to Seokjin. “Most people don’t play along.”

“I’m not late!” Namjoon calls from the hallway. He slides into the kitchen on sock feet and yells as he narrowly avoids tripping over Jungkook’s box of stuff. “How long has that been there?!”

“It’s new, like me,” Seokjin tells him.

Namjoon makes another startled noise. “Oh, um, sorry! You’re just unexpected!”

“Unexpectedly handsome, eh Namjoon-ah?” Hobi teases. “Ggukie thought he was a robot.”

“Android,” Jungkook corrects immediately. He catches Seokjin looking over at him and stares back, unblinking. He moves over a step like he’s trying to block Yoongi’s body from view.

Seokjin winks at Jungkook and turns to introduce himself to Namjoon. “Yoongi-ssi tells me you’re a fellow nepotism baby!”

“Ah, hyung,” Namjoon complains to Yoongi. “You’re ruining my reputation.”

“I’m just a truth teller,” Yoongi calls back. “Jungkook-ah, relax,” he says more quietly. “You’re going to get a headache if you keep staring like that.”

Jungkook leans in to whisper something to Yoongi, but he does seem to release a bit of tension.

“Don’t worry, I know capitalism is a farce,” Seokjin assures Namjoon.

“Oh, no wonder Yoongi hyung likes you,” Taehyung pipes up. He smiles up at Seokjin from where he’s resting his head on Jimin’s shoulder.

“Yah, stop harassing our guest,” Yoongi calls, waving a ladle at Taehyung.

“Ooh, you’re right,” Namjoon says happily. “So, why are we just meeting you now? Is there something we should know about?”

Jimin squirms in his seat and becomes very invested in petting Pekoe’s fur. She’s curled up on the tabletop between him and Seokjin, happy that they’ve both been paying attention to her.

“I had a little incident with some ice and a shopping cart,” Seokjin explains, gesturing to his bandaged ankle. “Jimin-ssi and Yoongi-ssi saved me from certain death.”

Namjoon shares a very unsubtle look of surprise and interest with Taehyung. “Wow,” he says with badly disguised amusement. “Usually these two avoid strangers at all costs.”

“Kim Namjoon,” Yoongi scolds, “no meddling in my kitchen.”

Seokjin looks on with interest. “You should sit next to me at dinner,” he says slyly. “I think we’re going to get along.”

Chapter Text

“Wait, you went to K– university?”

“Uh, well, yes,” Seokjin says with practiced lightness. He gives a little self-deprecating smile and adds, “Kind of a family tradition.”

“I knew it!” Taehyung calls triumphantly. When they all look at him for an explanation he says smugly, “He has the eyebrows for it.”

“SKYbrows?” Seokjin jokes tentatively.

Jimin and Hobi laugh the loudest but even Yoongi looks like he’s fighting a smile.

“So you studied acting?” Yoongi prompts.

“Only as a minor,” Seokjin clarifies. “I majored in Real Estate Studies.”

“Huh, that actually makes a lot of sense as a combination,” Namjoon muses. “Creating empathy with your audience and knowing how to make them believe an empty stage is a palace.”

Seokjin looks taken aback for a moment but it quickly gives way to an appreciative smirk. “Wow, I wish I met you before I tried to sell my parents on the idea!”

“Pretty sure Namjoon hyung just called you a con artist,” Jungkook mutters. He’s been quiet through most of the dinner, barely even fighting with Taehyung for larger portions of food.

Jimin is about to scold him but Seokjin just laughs, bright and squeaky.

“Well he’s not wrong,” Seokjin agrees. “I mean I don’t really show properties. I’m in client relations, which mostly means arranging gift baskets and flower deliveries during the day and charming rich assholes at night during dinners and charity events.”

“Like the pied piper,” Yoongi murmurs, eyes a little unfocused.

Jimin and Seokjin are looking at him, but the rest of them share looks of barely suppressed glee.

“Wow, hyung, let’s get you some water,” Namjoon says with a hint of a laugh in his voice.

“It’s a literary reference,” Yoongi whines at his tone. “I’m not talking nonsense. You should know that, Kim Namjoon! What do you own a bookstore for, huh?”

Hobi catches Seokjin’s eye and leans closer. “So, you probably have a lot of nice suits to wear to those events,” he says with a suggestive twinkle in his eyes. “You wouldn’t happen to have any pictures of that, would you?”

The tips of Seokjin’s ears turn pink but he nods demurely and unlocks his phone. He opens his instagram and slides it over to Hobi.

For all his wariness through the evening, Jungkook is the first to lean in and provide enthusiastic commentary as Hobi swipes through Seokjin’s pictures. 

“Holy shit.” Jungkook pulls the phone from his boyfriend’s hand and leans over to show Taehyung one image in particular.

Taehyung’s eyes go round as soon as he sees it. He snatches Seokjin’s phone from Jungkook and runs around the table to show Namjoon. “Hyung, quick, look at this with me so I don’t feel like I’m cheating!”

“Oh, wow,” Namjoon says and zooms in on something. “Is that a tattoo?”

“Ah, come on, you only asked about the suits,” Seokjin scolds, but he seems more bashful than upset. The blush has crept up his neck now too.

Namjoon moves to hand the phone back to Seokjin but Jimin clears his throat loudly.

“Aren’t you forgetting something, Namjoon hyung?” he says with poison-laced sweetness.

“Ah, I don’t know Jimin-ah, you’re not really one for racy pictures, you know?” Namjoon teases.

“Like hell I’m not!” Jimin protests. He climbs halfway out of his chair and leans across the table to reach for the phone but Taehyung snatches it back and gets up with a huge grin on his face. “Gotta catch me first!” he taunts.

Jimin practically growls as he starts after Taehyung. They scrap all through the kitchen, quickly resorting to dirty tactics like holding the phone out of reach (Taehyung), biting (Jimin), and tickling (both of them). When Jimin finally gets hold of the phone he quickly pushes his hair back into place, though he doesn’t bother tugging his shirt down.

“Unlock please,” Jimin says a little breathlessly.

Seokjin does as he asks and clearly tries not to let his eyes linger on Jimin’s partially exposed abs.

Jimin perches on Yoongi’s lap and they duck their heads together, scrolling through Seokjin’s photos. When they finally return Seokjin’s phone Jimin is wide eyed and Yoongi is completely blank faced, a classic defense technique.

“So…you said this is a movie night?” Seokjin asks after a few beats of silence.

“You’re very photogenic, Seokjin-ssi,” Yoongi says stiffly a second too late.

“Oh, hyung,” Jimin murmurs pityingly.

The others erupt into laughter while Seokjin blushes furiously and starts studying the label on a nearby wine bottle.

Yoongi shifts Jimin off his lap and starts clearing the table in a useless attempt to save face. Jimin collapses back into Yoongi’s empty seat and presses his face into his arms on the table while their friends cackle and egg each other on. 

Seokjin gets up to help Yoongi only to bump into him on the way into the kitchen. When his hand lands on Yoongi’s waist to steady him he lets out a high pitched noise that sends Seokjin into fits of laughter with the rest of them.

“I’ll just go in here to die,” Yoongi mutters. He slinks off to the living room to start setting up the projector and get some alone time with his embarrassment.

–

It’s very possible that they start the movie night with a Ghibli film. Maybe Ponyo, or was it Spirited Away? It’s difficult to pay attention to what’s being projected on the wall when something significantly more interesting is happening on the couch. Something interesting like Kim Seokjin in borrowed gray sweatpants and a bright blue sweater that shows off his collarbones and neck like the sculptures they are.

Something interesting like a blanket shared between Yoongi, Jimin, and Seokjin that keeps them pressed together and deliciously warm. And Pekoe, who happens to be sprawled between Jimin’s and Seokjin’s laps. She just keeps purring and purring. Every time they stop petting her for more than a minute she reaches out a paw and bats at Seokjin until he brings his hand back to her head. And if Yoongi reaches out to pet her too and keeps his eyes fixed on the screen so that sometimes he accidentally touches Jimin’s or Seokjin’s hand instead of fur, well, that’s an understandable mistake.

Pekoe finally grows bored of all the attention as the movie ends and saunters off to a corner to groom herself. The spell breaks just enough that Jimin shifts in his seat and runs a hand through his hair a few times, suddenly a bit anxious.

“How’s your ankle?” he asks Seokjin. “I can get you some ice!”

“Oh, it’s okay,” he assures Jimin. “I don’t even feel it right now. I mean, um, the movie was a good distraction?”

“You should have more medicine at least,” Yoongi says after he glances at his phone to check the time. “The first dose must be wearing off by now.”

Seokjin nods mutely. He doesn’t seem to notice that he and Jimin both follow Yoongi with their eyes.

“I thought he was a sugar daddy, but maybe he’s just another babygirl,” Jungkook tells Hobi. It doesn’t seem like he’s trying to whisper but it’s hard to tell if he meant to open a discussion for the whole group.

“I don’t know, Kookie, I think your first instincts are usually right,” Hobi replies. “Ah, jagiya, always slouching.” He bats at Jungkook until he sits up straighter before starting to massage his neck.

“Are those the only two options?” Namjoon muses. “And couldn’t one person be both of those things? People tend to think of a spectrum as a line but it’s more like a cloud.”

“Power dynamics and aesthetics don’t have to match in a conventional way,” Taehyung adds. “Who says babygirls can’t also be generous and powerful? And daddies can easily top from the bottom.”

Seokjin frowns. “Are we still talking about Kiki’s Delivery Service?”

The other four turn to stare at him. “We just watched My Neighbor Totoro,” Hobi corrects.

“That still doesn’t seem relevant,” Seokjin observes. “I mean the dad is clearly a babygirl through and through but no one had much socioeconomic capital in that film so I’m not sure where the sugar aspect comes in.”

“You’re all unbelievable,” Yoongi grumbles. He sets down a tray of freshly cut fruit and bowls of chips before waddling back to the couch to hand Seokjin some pills and a glass of water. “At least put on something you can pretend is relevant before you start with all your deviance. You’re ruining my childhood!”

“Hyung was a child once?” Taehyung asks innocently. “What were the hwarang really like? Which of the three kingdoms do you hail from?”

“Aigoo you rascal, you’re only two years younger than me,” Yoongi scolds. He collapses into Jimin’s lap with a huff and tucks his feet between the couch cushions.

“Tiny hyung,” Jimin murmurs, pleased. “Thank you for taking care of us.”

“Ah, I see what Taehyungie was saying,” Seokjin says just for them to hear.

Yoongi scrunches his face up in protest, but Jimin knows that Seokjin wasn’t referring to Taehyung’s latest comment. He smirks at Seokjin and mouths, “Sugar daddy babygirl.”

After a moment of hesitation Seokjin starts stroking Yoongi’s hair. He makes a contented noise and pushes his head against Seokjin’s fingers. Jimin shares another amused look with him.

There’s a round of bathroom breaks and fights over cushions and blankets and then it’s time to vote on the next movie.

Namjoon summarizes, “So that’s one vote for Titanic, one for Iron Man, two for Nameless Gangster, Yoongi hyung and Jiminie don’t count, what do you say Seokjin-ssi?”

“Why don’t they count?” Seokjin asks first.

“Hyung is going to fall asleep anyway and Jiminie only wants to watch The Notebook,” Hobi explains.

Seokjin raises an eyebrow and then does a Choi Min-sik impression so terrible it brings them all to their knees.

“Yah, was Yoda just here?” Yoongi asks from the floor. He’d fallen off the couch, half from his own helpless laughter and half because Jimin had slid down shortly after he’d started laughing.

“I thought you studied acting,” Taehyung accuses in between giggles.

“I did! I only got 30 points on impressions though,” Seokjin says, laughing with them.

“Out of a thousand?” Hobi teases.

Seokjin looks exaggeratedly offended at the comment. “Yah! Out of 100!”

“Aigoo” Hobi says, chastised. And then he spots Seokjin starting to laugh again and cracks a grin.

Bizarrely enough, the failed impersonation seems to be the key to Jungkook’s heart. He performs his own (much more accurate) version to Seokjin’s enthusiastic approval. “I’m changing my vote to Nameless Gangster,” he informs Namjoon and even goes as far as passing Seokjin the bowl of fruit.

“Well okay,” Namjoon says. “Taehyung-ah?”

“Me too,” he agrees, easily swayed by the happy shift in the atmosphere.

“Then it’s a consensus,” Namjoon declares.

In the end Yoongi does fall asleep with Jimin’s arm draped over his waist and Seokjin’s fingers carding through his hair. Seokjin and Jimin take turns feeding each other grapes and strawberries with their free hands, not even pretending to watch the screen.

Taehyung and Jungkook get a second wind after the movie ends and play a dozen rounds of rock paper scissors to decide who has to scoop ice cream for the group. Taehyung loses, but Jungkook goes anyway to ‘warm up his wrists for Mario Kart’. 

Yoongi wakes up partway through the first game from all the shouting and pouts until Jimin gets up and makes him a cup of decaf. As soon as he’s had a few sips of coffee he hums to himself while he quickly puts together a playlist and connects his phone to the speakers that aren’t otherwise occupied.

Seokjin insists on playing the winner and proceeds to win the next three rounds. Jungkook mutters about cheating but quickly perks up when Seokjin offers to show him some stage combat moves. Taehyung and Hobi take over the controllers, Taehyung winning easily and Hobi screaming through the whole thing.

Namjoon moves over to the couch and gives Jimin and Yoongi an evaluating look before commenting, “You seem happy.”

“He just…fits,” Jimin comments shyly.

“He’s good with all of you,” Yoongi agrees.

“And you think he might be good with you?” Namjoon suggests gently.

Jimin shrugs. He looks genuinely shy instead of pretending at it so Namjoon squeezes his knee in reassurance. “We’d have to talk about it.”

“I keep forgetting he’s only here for the night,” Yoongi adds, which isn’t quite an answer.

Namjoon adds, “I think he’d stay longer if you asked.”

Jimin looks hopeful for a moment before casting his eyes down. “Friends first, I hope.”

Yoongi takes Jimin’s hand and assures him, “Friends first. He doesn’t seem like he’s looking for something quick, Jimin-ah.”

Jimin nods slowly. “I hope not.”

“We’ll get through the night first,” Yoongi promises. “We’re not going to have any meaningful discussions in front of all these miscreants anyway.”

“Hyung.” Namjoon holds a hand to his heart in mock hurt but doesn’t bother hiding his smile.

–

Yoongi, as usual, is a bit psychic. The others insist on a group sleepover and disband only long enough to change clothes, do their evening routines, and grab extra bedding. They move furniture to the edges of the room until they’re able to spread out futons and blankets across the center. Seokjin gets the couch so his ankle won’t be jostled by anyone and Jimin and Yoongi claim the closest spot next to the couch. Taehyung protests at first, but Namjoon quickly persuades him away with a few whispers in his ear.

They settle gradually after Yoongi scolds everyone to pipe down so he can try to fall asleep before Namjoon and Jungkook start snoring. Whispers and giggles still break out every so often, but it’s warm and comfortable with everyone so close and one by one they drop off to sleep.

–

Morning comes a little too early with snoring and sleep-tossed limbs nudging the lighter sleepers out of their dreams. Yoongi takes a quick trip to his room to grab a warmer sweater and his slippers before starting to putter around the kitchen. Seokjin joins him shortly after, ignoring his protests that he should go back to sleep.

“I can’t spend the rest of my life on the couch,” Seokjin teases him, “I’ll freeze up like a statue.”

“Well, we could use some more art around here,” Yoongi teases back without thinking about it. They both blush and busy themselves with other things.

Hobi joins them soon after, refusing conversation but making espresso for all of them without comment.

Seokjin admits he prefers tea and Hobi pats him on the shoulder sympathetically before turning his own drink into a quad shot. Yoongi produces several varieties of tea without being asked and fills a mug from the espresso machine’s hot water dispenser for Seokjin.

“World’s Best Cat Dad,” he reads from the side of the mug.

“Ohh, Yoongi hyung must be really tired,” Hobi teases. “Usually he and Jiminie fight over that mug like it’s a daesang.”

“Why not buy a second one?” Seokjin says reasonably.

Yoongi shakes his head vehemently and makes several gestures that seem to emphasize the impossibility of such a task.

“Ah, okay, okay,” Seokjin concedes with a fond smile. “Yoongi-ssi, can I help with the cooking?”

“You can help from there,” he mumbles meaninglessly.

“Okay, Seokjin-ssi is on mental care,” Hobi interprets. “What about me, hyungnim?”

“Heat up rice?” Yoongi suggests. “See how many of the guys will actually be awake in the next ten minutes.”

Taehyung wakes with the smell of food, but the other three remain stubbornly asleep. Yoongi eats last as usual, and only after he’s made sure everyone has eaten their fill and any special requests have been seen to.

Jimin stumbles in an hour later with his eyes barely able to open and hair sticking up in the back. Yoongi has a coffee and a plate of food in front of him before he’s even attempted to say a word. He’s done with most of his breakfast before he looks around the table and nods greetings to everyone.

“Hungover?” Seokjin asks cheerfully. He already looks like he’s been awake for hours and never had a better night’s sleep.

“He’s always like this,” Yoongi clarifies. “He actually has the highest tolerance of any of us, so don’t get swindled into drinking games with him.”

“Hyung,” Jimin complains but his voice is still thick with sleep. “It’s more fun when people find that out the hard way.”

Seokjin smirks. “Maybe I like the hard way.”

“No innuendos before breakfast,” Namjoon complains from the doorway.

Hobi gives him some good natured side eye before informing him they already ate.

“And you don’t eat breakfast,” Yoongi points out. “Coffee?”

Namjoon nods gratefully and sits down next to Taehyung. “Sleep okay, baby?”

Taehyung guides Namjoon’s head to rest on his shoulder. “Yeah, you?”

“So good,” Namjoon assures him. “I dreamt I was swimming with sea turtles.”

“Someone wake up the little one,” Yoongi orders, already at the stove to cook another round of food. “Anyone who wants seconds speak up now because Jungkook will eat whatever’s left.”

A few people call out requests while Jimin goes to start the difficult task of dragging Jungkook back to consciousness.

–

“That’s a lot of stairs,” Taehyung says needlessly. They all gaze up the flights of shallow concrete treads that lead up to Seokjin’s apartment building with expressions of despair. Even Jungkook, who would normally relish the challenge, looks a bit dubious.

“It is,” Seokjin agrees. “The rent doesn’t feel like such a good deal now.”

“We’ll take turns piggybacking you,” Hobi decides. “You don’t look that heavy. Yoongi can spot.”

“That’s fine, I can just lean on someone’s shoulder,” Seokjin protests, but Jungkook is already hefting him into place. He grabs on to Jungkook’s shoulders with a little wail of apprehension and they all start climbing together.

They cycle through carrying him as promised and even then they have to take a break before they get to the top.

“Okay, new plan,” Yoongi announces since he’s the only one still breathing normally that isn’t Seokjin. “We get what you need for work and you come stay with us until you’re better.”

“That’s too much,” Seokjin protests. “It could be weeks!”

“It’s fine,” Jimin promises. “We’re not that far from your apartment, so we’re probably not much further from your job, right?”

Seokjin nods slowly.

“And we all have pretty flexible schedules. We can drive you to the office or appointments if you need it,” Hobi offers.

“Except me,” Namjoon interjects sheepishly. “Unless you want to roll up to a gala on my handlebars.”

“That would be memorable,” Seokjin says with a laugh. “Still, you really don’t have to rearrange your lives for me. I can do most of my work from my apartment and I’ll use the company’s car service for events.”

“Yeah, but who wants to deal with all that?” Jungkook scoffs. “We’re a lot more fun. And you still owe me so many rematches! When are we ever going to play if you’re always tired from hobbling up this mountain?”

“And you said you’d show me how to sword fight,” Taehyung pouts. “What if you slip on one of these stairs some night after work and roll down into the ditch and no one finds you for weeks?”

“Yah, Taehyung-ah,” Yoongi scolds, “We don’t coerce people into doing what we want by making morbid pseudo-prophecies, remember?”

“You don’t,” Taehyung mutters. “I do.”

“Just think about it,” Jimin says kindly. “We still have a few flights of stairs to go. You can decide when we get to the top.”

Seokjin doesn’t respond, but his expression softens a little as he climbs onto Jimin’s back.

–

Seokjin’s apartment is nice in a minimalistic sort of way. He has a couple framed photos and a vase with a fairly realistic fake fern to add a little color to the sleek neutrality of the space. It’s clean. It’s tastefully furnished. It’s very, very quiet.

The sudden addition of six other people transforms the rooms in unpredictable ways. Seokjin is undoubtedly an introvert, but seeing his apartment full of life is making him wonder if he’s allowed ‘peaceful’ to become a kinder substitute for ‘lonely’.

It doesn’t take him long to agree to Yoongi’s offer to stay with him and Jimin. The cheers from the group make him feel more accomplished than any praise he’s received from work and his heart warms even more watching them team up to help him pack.

Under his direction–and even without it–they gather up his clothes, toiletries, and perishable food in half an hour. Taehyung takes possession of a hat Seokjin has been meaning to get rid of and Jungkook steals his second nicest watch. Jungkook shamelessly insists that he’d been wearing the watch when they left this morning and it’s not his fault if Seokjin has misplaced his own.

They make the trip down the stairs more quickly despite the extra luggage and everyone is already calling out food suggestions as they load up the car and pile inside.

–

Later that evening everyone else drifts off back to their own apartments. Jimin opens a bottle of soju and pours what will become the first of many rounds of shots.

“To new roommates,” Yoongi toasts.

They clink glasses and swallow their shots. He doesn’t miss the competitive glint already appearing in Seokjin’s and Jimin’s eyes.

“If I pass out before the two of you, make yourself at home,” Yoongi tells Seokjin.

“Yeah, I think I will,” he replies softly. “Hyung will pour the next round,” he says with more of an edge.

“Oh, we’re on hyung terms now?” Jimin asks even as he relinquishes the bottle.

“I’m about to drink you under the table in your own home,” Seokjin boasts. “You’re definitely going to start calling me hyung.”

“And if I drink you under the table?” Jimin challenges.

“No one is calling you hyung, you have enough power as it is,” Yoongi complains.

Jimin gives him a sassy look he’s well acquainted with. “I’m sorry, did you want in on this bet?”

Yoongi grimaces. “No way, I’ve learned my lesson.”

“Sure, I’ll call you hyung if you can outdrink me,” Seokjin answers once there’s enough space in their bickering. “What do I get if I win? Since you have to call me hyung anyway.”

“I’ll call Yoongi hyung babygirl to his face for a week.”

Yoongi cringes. “How am I losing this game without even playing?”

Jimin stares him down. “Excuse me? Did you not hear the part where that’s only happening if I lose? Do you really not have faith in me?”

“I’m a neutral party,” Yoongi bluffs even as he pours the next round. “I’m just here to referee.”

“Whatever you say, babygirl,” Seokjin deadpans.

Jimin beams at him, rivalry momentarily forgotten. “You’re fun. I’m glad you decided to stay.”

“Me too,” Yoongi grumbles. He’s flushed pink, though he’d blame it on the alcohol in a second if they pointed it out.

“Yeah,” Seokjin sighs happily. “I think I’m already getting used to this.”