the sixth love language

Yoongi was contemplating his life decisions. Why was he suddenly the giver of diffusers to a certain someone? How did diffusers somehow became their love language? A love language. God, Yoongi could do so much better than that. Flowers, chocolate covered strawberries, a dedicated song!
(or, the one where Yoongi is so down bad for Jungkook that he hears him talk about diffusers once and suddenly he's gifting him 20 diffusers)

Notes:

In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the Sugakookie Fest Round 2 collection.

Prompt:

Jeon Jungkook only had 2 diffusers at his house. Really. But then he mentioned it at one of their group dinners, and all of a sudden Yoongi starts leaving one at his house every time he comes over. "oh I just saw it on sale," "oh I tried it but didn't like the scent, do you want it?" "oh I got it for Taehyung but Tannie doesn't like unfamiliar smells. Here, you take it."
So now he has 20.
DW: yoongi thinks he's subtle but he's Not, jungkook can read him like a book or be totally oblivious either one
DNW: lots of angst
____
hi!! i must say that i was absolutely drawn to this prompt because that whole diffuser tidbit during the festa dinner gave me so much cute aggression (and was among the... happier... parts of that dinner), but i did not expect the amount of research that would be needed for this and now i think i know too much about diffusers that should be healthy. i hope this fic makes you happy! also please ignore any timeline inaccuracies despite this being canon compliant, i didn't want to follow everything that's happening irl cos, you know.
anyway, please enjoy!! <3

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

(=)

“You guys never want to have dinner at my place,” Jungkook pouted as he carried over a huge pot of freshly cooked ramen to the dining table.

“That’s because your place is furnished like a newly graduated frat boy with nothing but a TV and massage chair in tow,” Jin commented, laying out all the utensils and nearly body-checking Jungkook in the process.

“I have more than that and you know it! And I just also like having a lot of open space.”

“For the zoomies!” Jimin shouted from afar, lying haphazardly on Taehyung’s lap, lounging peacefully on the big couch a few meters away from the dining area.

They were having their weekly group dinners, or as weekly as they could get with their varying schedules. Ever since announcing their short break as a group, all the members launched themselves straight into their own projects, whether that be work-related or anything personal.

It’s been a while since they all moved out from their shared dorm, each house from the seven of them slowly getting furnished with their individual styles. Today, they were at Yoongi’s house, which was honestly the most frequent choice for group dinners, seeing as it was the one that resembled the closest thing to your typical put-together successful adult home.

“Do you even have a dining table big enough to fit seven grown men with the appetite of 20 human beings?” Namjoon asked Jungkook, already seated at Yoongi’s glass and granite table, ready to eat after a long day of meetings at the company.

“You know my couch is big enough to fit all of us,” Jungkook continued to argue his case.

“Last time we ate there, Taehyung knocked over Hoseok’s bowl of jajangmyeon all over the couch and Hobi freaked out about the stains,” Yoongi noted, settling down in a seat beside Jungkook.

“That wasn’t my fault by the way!” Taehyung said, pulling Jimin towards the dining table with him, “Kookie was poking my ribs for no reason, I got startled.”

“The holes on your tank top were so deep,” Jungkook shrugged. Everyone knew he got fascinated over the most random things, learning not to question it anymore.

“Point is, maybe once you have proper furnishing, we’d have more dinners at your place, ‘kay?” Jin said, sending a smirk at the grumbling man.

“I have proper furnishing.”

“Ten mattresses and twenty diffusers don’t count.”

“It’s two diffusers! Two!” Jungkook exclaimed, still pouting hard, the rest of them unable to hide their fond eyes at their youngest friend.

“And we would never judge you for it,” Jimin cooed, gently rubbing his hand through Jungkook’s hair.

The group started to finally dig into the feast Yoongi and Seokjin prepared, with Jungkook having hung around the kitchen as their ever-present helper. Also because he really wanted to show off his new and improved ramen sauce.

“I think diffusers are great additions to any household,” Yoongi said quietly, only really speaking to Jungkook as he put a few pieces of perilla leaves on Jungkook’s plate.

“They are, aren’t they? I like how they remove the stuffiness in a room and give the space a cleaner scent,” Jungkook agreed, brows furrowed as he took bite after bite of his ramen, “I do really only have two at the moment but I was planning to buy more for other rooms in the house. So far I’ve just kept one in the living room and the other in my bedroom.”

“I can get you a few I’ve seen online. I know all the reliable places to shop for home goods,” Yoongi offered.

“Oh hyung, that’s okay! I can just buy some for myself since, clearly, the others don’t deem my place habitable and I need to buy other stuff anyway.”

“I want to. Let hyung help you, yeah?”

With that, Jungkook looked at Yoongi with those big brown eyes full of gratitude. He always loved the way his hyungs doted on him, but most especially the way Yoongi did. It was so quietly loud, wherein actions spoke louder than words, but on the few occasions he needed to verbally feel reassured, Yoongi was always there to give him that too.

What Jungkook didn’t know was that all the acts of service Yoongi did for Jungkook had shifted from being big brotherly to outright care and a deep love for the man.

With a touch of down bad-ness, as Seokijn would gleefully point out.

Yoongi didn’t know the moment his urges to take care of Jungkook turned from wanting to baby him to wanting to be the number one person in his life. He didn’t know how his tenderness went from affection to attraction. Maybe it came with how Jungkook grew into himself, how he matured through all the hardships life brought him, how he found himself and gained the confidence to express who he is without caring what other people thought.

Maybe it was when he noticed how the boy turned into a man — a man who took care of his hyungs too, cared for them like they cared for him.

And maybe it was also partially because Jungkook grew into a buff man who could definitely throw him against a wall, with tattoos and piercings that Yoongi wanted nothing more but to lick and suck till the other was bruised like a peach.

Shut up, Yoongi grumbled to the voice in his head that sounded eerily like his oldest member. He didn’t need a reminder.

(+3)

Yoongi started searching for the perfect standard home diffuser in an embarrassingly short amount of time. He was sitting in his studio, his production softwares open and glaring at him from the side monitor as he neglected his work in favor of scrolling through various home goods sites. So far, he had three diffusers in his cart with different features, settings, and purposes. The first one was a regular white spherical diffuser, plain enough that it could fit in any room of Jungkook’s home. Another one was made of wood, shaped in a somewhat teardrop form with the mist spouting out the top. The last was the simplest: a regular reed diffuser that came with complementary essential oils. Yoongi only picked the softest scents because Jungkook is sensitive to smells.

There was a plan, Yoongi liked to believe. Just get simple but effective diffusers, don’t go too overboard, but make sure these are things that Jungkook will actually use, all without making it look like Yoongi was trying too hard.

Yoongi had scrolled through 50 pages of diffusers with 30 different tabs opened of diffuser research. He was definitely trying too hard.

Sighing, Yoongi decided to finally check out the items in his cart (which included a set of kitchen towels with bunnies on them, for absolutely no specific reason). He was halfway through the payment process when loud knocks on his door nearly gave him the fright of his life.

“Hyung! Hyung!”

“For fuck’s sake, Namjoon, why are you shouting?” Yoongi shouted back, exasperated as he quickly finished his order.

“Damn, you could actually hear me this time?” Namjoon questioned, still standing outside the translucent glass door like a looming figure.

“I didn’t hear you one time and suddenly you think shouting your way in is more effective than using the buzzer I installed,” Yoongi had gotten up and opened the door to welcome Namjoon in his studio.

They had planned to work on a few songs today, something to co-produce for either of their upcoming solo projects, keeping the tradition of featuring each other on at least one song off of their albums. The added pressure of another person in his studio was probably good for Yoongi, since he’d gotten zero work done in the past hour.

“And yet here I am, inside, so it is effective. I wouldn’t have to shout if you just-” Namjoon paused, catching sight of what was on Yoongi’s screen.

“If I just what?” Yoongi prodded.

“I didn’t know you were so passionate about diffusers,” Namjoon asked, eyebrows raised as he looked at his hyung bundled up in his chair. Shit, he left the 30 tabs open.

“It’s not for me,” Yoongi responded meekly, almost curling into himself, “they’re for Jungkook.”

“Doesn’t he already have, like, ten diffusers?”

“Just two, actually, and I promised to gift him more since he wants one in every room.”

“Oh, hyung,” it was the tone of Namjoon’s voice that made Yoongi look up at the other man, still standing with a gentle but concerned look on his face.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Yoongi questioned, knowing he actually didn’t want to hear the answer.

“You know you don’t have to buy Jungkook a shit ton of house accessories and furniture to win him over, right? Just tell him how you feel,” Namjoon said calmly, sitting down on the chair beside Yoongi’s.

“That’s not what this is about,” Yoongi grumbled, refusing to meet Namjoon’s eyes.

“It’s not? Because ever since we all moved out of our dorm, you have bought each of us one housewarming gift. You bought Jungkook five, and counting.”

Yoongi groaned, burying his head into the palms of his hands, “I swear I’m not usually this emotionally constipated.”

“You’re one of the most ‘in-tune with your emotions’ people I know,” Namjoon admits, “which makes this all the more embarrassing for you.”

“I know. But, you know how difficult it is to pursue romantic relationships with the lives we lead. I don’t want to jeopardize what I already have with Jungkook, what I have with our dynamic as a group. What we all have is good, so good. We just need to be here for each other in these times, as a group, as friends ,” Yoongi was saying all these words almost like he was trying to convince himself more than he was trying to convince Namjoon.

Namjoon looked at him like he had just grown five heads.

“Whatever you say, hyung. I’ll always be here to support you. But also, maybe those three diffusers should be enough.”

“I know, I know, this isn’t a big deal anyway. Can we start working now?”

“You didn’t seem eager to work before,” Namjoon teased him, staring at the open program with 0 progress.

Yoongi lightly shoved the giggling man. Namjoon nearly fell off the seat. He stopped giggling.

______

The three diffusers Yoongi ordered arrived within a week. Honestly, for a while Yoongi had forgotten about his purchase, throwing himself fully in his album making process. He hadn’t left the Hybe building for three days straight. One of the staff had to deliver his packages straight to his studio door. He was running on a grand total of 15 hours of sleep spread throughout the past five days, so maybe being reminded of the diffusers was a good break to his current music spiral.

So now Yoongi finally got his ass up and out of his dark cave to walk to the nearest store that sells those pretty paper gift bags. Once he has procured said gift bags, he neatly placed the diffusers in them after quality checking each one. He was moving on autopilot, packing the gifts meticulously before tucking his hair under a beanie to hide the fact that he hasn’t washed his hair in a few days, heading towards the youngest one’s studio a few hallways away from his own.

“Hyung!” Jungkook greeted the disheveled man with an exuberance Yoongi’s ears weren’t ready to hear.

“Hey, Jungkook-ah,” Yoongi replied, smiling softly.

“Hyung, you look like shit.”

Yoongi laughed, walking past Jungkook into his studio. Jungkook’s was a lot brighter than his, walls lined with colorful lights bouncing across the room. He loved how unabashedly himself Jungkook has become.

“Thanks, I’m well aware I’m severely lacking in sleep and in need of a shower.”

“I have shampoo and soap here if you want to borrow,” Jungkook offered with those big brown doe eyes. Yoongi almost couldn't say no. Almost.

“That's okay, I have my own,” Yoongi chuckled. He remembered the bags he had in his hand and gestured for the other to take them, “Here, for you.”

Yoongi could see the way Jungkook’s gaze immediately brightened at the prospect of his hyung giving him new gifts, “Hyung, you didn't have to-”

“But I wanted to.”

“But you wanted to, and who am I to say no?” Jungkook grinned, happily taking the bags and peering inside, “Oh my god hyung, you got me the diffusers!”

“You said you wanted more around your house, so…” Yoongi shrugged, attempting to appear calm and cool the way he hoped Jungkook perceived him (and not the pathetic lovesick fool he actually is).

Jungkook's eyes softened, placing the bags on the table next to them and pulling the older one into a hug. Yoongi's heart burst, as it always did around Jungkook.

“Thank you, hyung,” Jungkook mumbled into the crook of Yoongi's neck, burying his nose further into his warmth, “you will always know me best.”

Yoongi doubted that, but he was always just happy to give Jungkook what he wanted because he listens. He always listens.

He sinks further into Jungkook's embrace, savoring their moment, the same way he always does.

(+5)

“Woah!”

Yoongi’s hand slipped on his keyboard, accidentally shoving his fingers onto the wrong keys, causing a tragic cacophony of sounds to echo around the enclosed space of his studio. He closed his eyes, breathed in deeply, and breathed out.

Jungkook winced, only looking slightly apologetic. “Sorry hyung. But look at this! Isn’t it cool?”

Yoongi had been drowning in his own workload all week to the point that Jungkook really started to worry for his tiny hyung. Most days, he didn’t actually need to go to the company, but he wanted to check in on him from time to time. And by that, he meant coming into the rapper’s studio unannounced at random times of the day, punching in the code he knew by heart, and settling in the well-worn couch as he watched Yoongi produce magic.

It was nice, being there in the presence of Yoongi and getting to observe how he worked, the same way he loved to watch his process throughout the many years they’ve been in a group together. This afternoon, like many afternoons, Yoongi asked Jungkook to sing some guide vocals for him. The singer loved to do this for his hyung, always feeling a small flutter in his stomach knowing he was the one to hear Yoongi’s music first and he was the one always honored to bring that music to life with his own voice.

They finished recording the guide vocals quickly, the elder claiming that Jungkook always gets it right within the first two tries at most, so Jungkook had returned to his mindless scrolling on Tiktok. So maybe Yoongi’s gifts the other day sent Jungkook into a spiral and he slowly found himself on diffuser-tok, and as much as he himself had been a long-time advocate for diffusers, he didn’t know there were that many different kinds of them?

“Look, this diffuser has orange light in it and it sprays the air out in a line and it looks like lava spilling out of a volcano! It’s so pretty, right?” Jungkook all but shoved his phone into Yoongi’s face, the elder having to slip his headphones off his head before the over-excited man jostled them off him himself.

“It looks really cool, Jungkookie,” Yoongi responded kindly, keenly observing the video of the volcano diffuser as it looped itself.

“It is. Man, it would be so cool to have a bunch of them and line them up on a long counter, have the diffused air spill over the edge,” Jungkook mumbled to himself, his big eyes still watching the video.

Neither one of them noticed how much closer their chairs have scooted over, too engrossed in the advancements of home goods on the screen. By the time Jungkook looked up to say something to Yoongi, the other was already looking at him.

Jungkook’s breath hitched, the words he was about to speak caught in his throat. Yoongi looked at him so tenderly. Even with the tiredness etched beneath his eyes, he was still gentle, as if Jungkook eased his weary body just by being there. Maybe Jungkook was overthinking it. Maybe Jungkook was projecting, not really knowing exactly what he wanted from his hyung.

But maybe Jungkook was right.

(He was, more than Yoongi could ever explain in words, and more than Jungkook could ever know.)

Yoongi reached out, a calloused finger brushing a stray lock of hair away from Jungkook’s face, tucking it gently behind his ear, “You should do whatever you think would look cool, Kook-ah.”

“Ah, it was just a silly idea,” Jungkook shrugged, desperately hoping Yoongi would ignore the redness of Jungkook’s ear.

His hyung shook his head, smiling his signature axolotl smile, “Your ideas are always wonderful.”

If Jungkook could transform into goo and melt into a puddle right then and there and soak into the hardwood floor of Yoongi’s studio, he would.

What was Yoongi doing to him?

_____

Jungkook actually loved when his hyungs showed up at his place unannounced. Like today, for instance, when Jungkook was in the middle of loading his laundry machine, Bam circled around his crouched figure, when the beeps of his intercom had alerted him that Jimin and Yoongi were at his door.

Jimin being Jimin threw himself at his youngest member the moment he was welcomed inside.

"I missed you, my Jungkookie," Jimin said, still hanging off of the other man's frame.

"We literally saw each other two days ago," Jungkook remarked teasingly.

"Brat. I'm setting up a movie!" Jimin hollered, already halfway into Jungkook's home with Bam trailing behind him.

Jungkook turned back towards the door to see Yoongi just standing there with his fond smile. He's always smiling around them, it seems. How he has never gotten tired of their antics beats him.

"So," Jungkook started, making sure the older one was looking at him, "do you miss me too?"

“Of course,” Yoongi replied without hesitation. He was never one to beat around the bush. Over the years, he’s learned to be more open about his emotions, especially towards his members.

“Oh,” Jungkook said quietly. Every time, Yoongi manages to still catch him off guard, “then where's my hug?”

Yoongi chuckled before burying himself in Jungkook's arms. The singer always loved when Yoongi became smaller next to him, while simultaneously being Jungkook’s stronghold, finding his safe space in the crook of his hyung’s neck.

“Come on, Jimin-ssi is waiting,” Jungkook beckoned them into the living area.

The evening was nice, the trio bundled up under one of Jungkook's many comforters as they watched About Time for probably the 50th time since Jimin discovered it. They didn't speak much, just enjoying being in each other's company.

Yoongi got up towards the end, Jungkook barely registering the rustling of a few paper bags he brought with him. The rapper disappeared towards the other side of his home, probably to use the bathroom.

“He talks a lot about you, you know,” Jimin said without looking away from the screen.

“Who, Yoongi hyung?”

“No, Bam,” Jimin replied sarcastically. Jungkook just furrowed his brows. “Yes, Yoongi hyung, who else?”

“And you're telling me why?”

“I just think he misses you more than he lets on.”

Jungkook got even more confused. He spent so much time with his tiny hyung, sometimes even feeling like he was overstepping with how much he hangs around in his studio. “But… I’m always with him.”

“Yeah but you don't always get to do anything together, right? Not that that's bad, just being with each other, that's exactly what we're doing now, but I think he wants to try doing more things with each of us. More of the things most friends get to do with each other without the burden of being busy idols who are around each other for years due to work.”

“I see,” Jungkook thinks for a while, looking back at his time with his group. He wouldn't change a thing for the world, and he's lucky to have these six men in his life. They shaped him in a way, with every hurdle they went through, they went through it together.

But Jungkook also understands that they’ve missed out on so much because of the path they all chose. He wants to be with Yoongi more than just in each other's houses or at the company building. He wants to relearn everything there is to know about Yoongi.

“Just think about it, yeah?” Jimin said, eyeing his side as Yoongi stepped back in the room, throwing himself down on the couch.

The movie had ended by now, credits rolling as Jimin got up and stretched, turning towards Jungkook again, “Hey, Kook-ah, do you mind if I use your desktop? I promised Tae we’d play something tonight but I kinda forgot about it and now he’s demanding we start now since he has an early schedule tomorrow morning.”

“Yeah, sure,” Jungkook accepted.

After the youngest set everything up and left Jimin to start screaming at the screen as he and Taehyung played, Jungkook rejoined Yoongi on the couch. Another movie started playing in the background, neither of them paying any attention to it.

“Hyung?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you think we take our life for granted sometimes?”

Yoongi turned to face the younger, humming a little, “I think there are many things that go on in one’s life that makes it difficult to ever fully appreciate what we have. For us in particular, we have so much to be grateful for, and we worked so hard for it too, but that doesn't take away the moments that make it difficult to be grateful.”

“I just wish we had less expectations,” Jungkook confessed, “I wish I could spend more of my time being me, doing what I want without anyone trying to rationalize why I do so when they don't even know me.”

“But you do that already, Kook. You're so confident in your skin, and now we’ve gotten to a point where we don't have anything to prove.”

“I know, I know,” Jungkook agreed, smiling softly at his hyung. Yoongi always praised him somehow, he didn't even know why. “I just wanna take a pause from life sometimes, do mundane things for a long while. But then I also think, I got to do so many extraordinary things that most could never even dream of. Hell, I never thought I’d be half of what I am now ten years ago.”

“Wanting other people's mundane freedom doesn't mean you take for granted the life you live now. Their normal is our special, and vice versa.”

“Maybe their normal can be our normal, even for a day,” Jungkook daydreamed. After all, if there was any time to go after the simple things, it would be now.

“It could be for more than a day, you know that right? Nothing is stopping you.”

Yoongi said it so simply, so easily. Yoongi saw life so broadly, like an endless road that had so many opportunities ahead. Jungkook wished he were the same, he wished he could view the world the way his hyung did, with so many possibilities even in the darkest hours.

It wasn't like this, at first. Yoongi had to undergo a lot of painful growth to reach the level of ease he's at now. Jungkook was there to witness it; young, naive, newly exposed to the horrors the world could put on a bunch of young boys just trying to reach their dreams. Jungkook was there to see his hyungs try to shield him from the brunt of the pain. They couldn't, and it wasn't their role to do so anyway.

That's why Jungkook was cautious now, even in the simplest of things. Sure, he's grown into his own skin, he doesn't get affected by how most people see him anymore, doesn't let their words linger in his head and drown him. But to an extent, he cares about how he feels about himself. In exchange, he puts so much pressure on himself so he knows he's who he wants to be when he grows older.

And then there's Yoongi, the hand on his shoulder to tell him to slow down. The voice tickling his ears to tell him that he's done a good job. The warmth in his heart that makes him feel like he's floating too far for the sharp daggers of his worries to reach him.

That's his Yoongi hyung. Gentle, gentle, gentle.

“Can we be normal together?” Jungkook whispers, like he's revealing a secret when really, there's nothing to hide.

Yoongi reaches out, intertwining their hands so his long fingers could brush against the soft pads of Jungkook's palms, “Just call me whenever, Jungkook, for anything. I'll always make time for you.”

He smiled, that same soft smile that Jungkook imagined smelled like sweet tangerines and clean cotton.

Later, after Jungkook closed the door behind himself, having said goodbye to Yoongi and Jimin, he passed by the counter along his hallway and stopped dead in his tracks.

Lined up perfectly, soft ebbs of mist floating down slowly, illuminated by the orange glow emanating from within, there sat five diffusers. The exact volcano diffusers Jungkook had very quickly mentioned in passing.

Jungkook speaks, Yoongi listens. Jungkook feels warm all over, so warm.

(+3)

“I'm terrible at this.”

“That's impossible. You're good at everything you do.”

Jungkook looked down at his pile of scraggly dough and thought that couldn't possibly be true, especially looking at Yoongi's perfectly plush, smooth, round ball of dough in comparison. It's times like this when the younger one wonders if Yoongi says this on purpose just to make Jungkook feel the flush of warmth rise beneath his cheeks, or if he genuinely means it.

(Yoongi genuinely thinks Jungkook can do no wrong.)

“How did you get your dough to be that smooth?” Jungkook pouts.

The older man chuckles, terribly endeared at Jungkook's pink bottom lip jutting out in frustration. “You just need to knead it more. You can do that, yeah? With your big arms,” Yoongi trailed off, absentmindedly staring at Jungkook's biceps as they flexed along with the kneading motion. Thankfully, Jungkook didn't notice.

“Okay!” Jungkook said, determined to make his hyung proud.

When Jungkook opened up about wanting to do more normal mundane things, Yoongi had immediately gone home that day to figure out what they could do together that was both fun and calming at the same time. He first thought of woodwork, but remembered that Jungkook wasn't too fond of dust, deciding to do that himself in his own time to make a few things for his members. He also thought of a pottery class, recalling back to when they went to their first class as a group for Run BTS, but ultimately decided against it because Jungkook would be too much of a perfectionist and personally, Yoongi's not too sure how far his sanity could withstand watching Jungkook cone clay into various phallic shapes (completely procedural and necessary in the process of pottery, but nevertheless lethal to Yoongi's weak and gay heart).

So he settled on a simple bread-making class, already having contacts to a local bakery that allowed them to reserve the whole shop for a few hours. Baking had always been something he was fond of, especially with more time to himself at home, he got to explore the wonders of bread and pastries and all of their calming properties.

The only thing Yoongi found more enjoyable about this whole thing was getting to spend time with Jungkook. The younger had eagerly accepted, just happy to actually see his hyung outside his studio or his own house.

“How long does this need to proof?” Jungkook asked after getting his dough to the perfect round smoothness Yoongi knew he could.

“Around an hour? We can get lunch then come back to finish baking the bread before we head home.”

“Sounds good! Where are we eating?” Jungkook was already excitedly bouncing at the prospect of food. Yoongi didn't even know when the younger put both their doughs in the proofing chamber and managed to wash his hands.

“There's a Thai place nearby that I wanted to take you to.”

“You're paying?” Jungkook questioned with a shit-eating grin. It was basically a declaration Yoongi couldn't contest.

Yoongi rolled his eyes, knowing Jungkook is well and fully capable of buying his own meals but enjoys getting his hyungs to treat him just to assert his baby status (only with them, though. He wants to be a Big Boy™ to everyone else).

“I feel like I don't have any other choice,” Yoongi sighed dramatically.

The only staff watching over the bakery had come by to help clear out the counters they used, quietly observing their exchange.

“You boys go ahead, I'll clean up here and prepare for the next part of the baking process while you have lunch,” the woman said sweetly, smiling at the two artists.

“Thank you so much. We won't take too long,” Yoongi replied, slightly bowing.

“Nonsense, go have fun on your date. And don't worry about your bread over-proofing, I'll take it out and prepare it for the next stage in case you boys aren't back yet. Go, enjoy!”

Bless this woman's soul, as she was completely oblivious to the bright pink blushes that bloomed on the pair's cheeks.

Your date. She said it so nonchalantly too. Is that what this looked like to others? Is that what they looked like? Was Yoongi so terrible at concealing his painfully fond eyes towards Jungkook that anyone could just see past his glass closet walls and easily deduce that he was utterly in love with this man?

Well, shit.

(Not that Jungkook was doing any better. He coughed and nearly tripped over nothing. Totally normal.)

___

Thankfully, their lunch (date) went smoothly. Conversations always felt so easy with Jungkook. They finally got to fully catch up on their plans and upcoming projects, Jungkook ecstatic about Yoongi’s tour and Yoongi once again subtly (it wasn’t subtle at all) offering to produce a song for the singer’s album. They discussed things that had nothing to do with their idol lives, like Bam’s new favorite snack, how Yoongi was so close to giving in and adopting a cat, and so many more random tidbits about their day to day lives that made Yoongi all warm and fuzzy inside.

Before they knew it, it was time to return to the bakery to finish up making their bread. The rest of the process went by rather quickly, the pair choosing to work in comfortable silence, following the instructor’s steps to a tee.

As they were waiting for their breads to cool, Yoongi walked around the shop, reading the labels of different breads, condiments, and ingredients they had on sale. He was pleasantly surprised to see a small nook with some merchandise on display.

“Wow,” the rapper chuckled to himself, “they have bread diffusers.”

Yoongi glanced up to see Jungkook scarfing down the free bread samplers that were laid out for them, that little eyebrow crease making its presence once again. It was so infuriatingly adorable Yoongi wanted to punch a wall.

“We have three types,” the friendly staff said as she seemed to have appeared beside Yoongi out of nowhere, “they all have the same fresh bread scent, though, but they do come in different shapes: the loaf of bread, the croissant, and the muffin. Would you like to take them?”

“Oh, no, that’s okay,” Yoongi sheepishly hesitated.

“Aish, take it. Every home deserves to smell like freshly baked bread every once in a while,” the woman swiftly packed the three diffusers into a paper bag, not giving the rapper any more time to refuse her offer. Yoongi bowed as he accepted the gift, unsure of how diffusers seem to be ending up in his hands nowadays.

Not that he ever keeps them, soon enough he knows exactly what he’s going to do with these new ones anyway.

“Hyung, I packed our bread, we can go now!” Jungkook called out, already standing by the door, “Seonsaengnim! Thank you for accommodating us today!” The younger one was always so polite, bowing a full 90 degrees towards the kind staff.

“Come back anytime, boys,” she replied warmly.

By the time the pair arrived back at Yoongi’s studio, Yoongi had almost forgotten the bag he carried in his hand.

“What do you have there, hyung?” Jungkook asked, peering down at the extra white bag.

“Oh,” Yoongi started. He knew that he personally didn’t have a place for three realistic looking breads that shot out steam in his house. And he also knew that he had given Jungkook an embarrassing amount of diffusers already. The younger hadn’t brought up the five volcano diffusers Yoongi left for him in his home, but the long hug that he gave his hyung when they saw each other the next day was enough of an indicator to know that he appreciated it a lot.

Still, Yoongi wasn’t sure what the appropriate number of diffusers to give to the man you have been secretly pining for over the years is, not to mention that he wasn’t even doing all this giving of diffusers on purpose. But then he looks at Jungkook, sees those big brown eyes he could just drown in forever, and thinks Why should I ever have to stop giving him the world? Much less diffusers?

“They’re for you,” Yoongi handed Jungkook the bag with as much determination as he could muster up. If he believed that he was simply making the world a better place by making Jungkook happy and not that he had the backbone of an eclair when it comes to anything related to Jungkook, this should all be fine. Normal friend shenanigans. Bros loving bros, if you will.

The smile that lit up Jungkook's face upon seeing what was inside the face definitely did not make Yoongi feel just bros feelings. The fuzzies were back again, fluttering under Yoongi’s skin, making his hairs stand, it was just so bad for his heart. He would go into an early coma. Death by beautiful gorgeous pearly whites.

“They look like bread! And smell like bread!” Jungkook basically squealed as he took each diffuser out and inspected them one by one against the fluorescent studio lights, “Are you sure these are all for me?”

“I wanted to give them to you, sort of like a remembrance of today,” Yoongi watched as Jungkook’s excitement softened to something akin to fondness, watched as Jungkook placed the diffusers down on a table to gather up his hyung’s hands in his own.

“Thank you, really. I always remember each day with you,” the singer admitted, looking down a little sheepishly.

“Me too,” Yoongi responded quietly.

(Since then, every time Jungkook smelled the wafting air of a bakery, he would think of a certain someone’s warm presence instead. Fluffy flaky buttery bread be damned.)

(+1)

“One last song!” Jungkook giggled, microphone in hand as he booted up yet another song on his TV, peering at the tiny screen filled with comments going by too quickly for him to ever read.

His fans knew the drill by now — when Jungkook says one last song, he doesn’t necessarily mean one. It could be four, ten, or thirty depending on his mood. He really did need to leave whenever he started declaring this statement but he was never good at self-control. He loves these late night lives with Armys anyway. If his body hated him the next day, well… that was a problem for future him.

Today, he sang two more last songs, one trot song and one girl group song, before sitting back down to nurse his beer and say his farewells.

“Army, please make sure to rest well! Take care of your health, don’t get- what?” Jungkook stopped for a moment, peering at a comment that caught his eye.

“ Why is your bread spitting out smoke? Oh! Hold on!” Jungkook let out a loud cackle, getting up to bring his loaf diffuser nearer to the camera. He had set it on his kitchen counter on a plate, much like where one would set a normal loaf of bread, not realizing it was in frame, “It’s a diffuser! It makes my house smell like a bakery. Suga hyung gave it to me!”

At the mention of his beloved group member, the chat exploded with excited chatter and the occasional Yoongi marry me! (It was getting old, to be honest. It was only funny if he himself said it.)

“Yeah, he’s so nice, right? The best hyung,” Jungkook rambled, smiling just thinking about the older one, “I’ve been loving diffusers lately and it feels like Yoongi hyung is the only one who I can talk about this with. He knows so much about interior decorating and home goods, you know, so I trust his taste.”

The comments continued to flood with praises about Yoongi, which was honestly Jungkook's intention. He leaned forward and touched the screen to manage the scrolling, reading more carefully.

“What other diffusers do I want? Well, I’m not sure if this exists but it would be cool to have one that lights up and I could sync to the lights around my house. Not that I need any more diffusers though, why are you guys enabling me?” The man teased his audience, grinning as he saw many people telling him that he can get as many diffusers as he wants.

The night had slowly but surely turned to dawn, and Jungkook could sense that he had probably once again overstayed on this live. The poor staff monitoring his lives… oh he definitely needs to talk to HR to raise their salaries for dealing with him at these hours.

The singer was saying his actual final goodbyes when he saw the little green notification pop up on the side. An artist message.

“Oh, Yoongiiii!!” Jungkook shouted obnoxiously, in the way he had taken a liking to saying his hyung’s name out loud, “Hyung, why are you awake at this hour?”

Jungkook's grin was so wide and all the sleepiness he was starting to feel had suddenly left his body. It was currently 4 AM, and contrary to popular belief, the other members have actually started to attempt to fix their sleeping patterns now that they were no longer on such hectic schedules.

Except for Jungkook, of course, who kind of just sleeps whenever he feels like it. It's most definitely not good for his body but hey, live laugh love?

💬 SUGA: I just finished work. You should sleep, Kook-ah.

“I was about to, but now that you're here, I’m wide awake! I miss you, when was the last time you left that studio and saw the sun, huh?” Jungkook teased, immediately forgetting the millions of people watching him. No offense to his beloved Army, but his Yoongi hyung commands his attention no matter what.

💬 SUGA: We had lunch together the other day.

“That doesn't count, we were in the Hybe cafeteria,” Jungkook whined, “You need to come over again, hyung. I got new lights I want to show you!”

💬 SUGA: ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Okay, Jungkookie. I’m serious though, you really need to sleep. I won't comment anymore so you actually turn this off. Goodnight.

“Well, you heard him folks! Or read…” Jungkook giggled, “He wants me to leave you guys.”

So maybe Jungkook pouted for the added effect. He hoped that Yoongi was still watching. “Bye, Army, love you guys! Don't worry, I’ll get Yoongi hyung to see the sun real soon. Maybe we’ll show up live together next time! Okay bye!”

______

“You actually came, oh my god.”

“When have I ever broken a promise to you, huh?” Yoongi had a point. There was never a moment in time when he broke a promise, much less to Jungkook.

The plan for the day was really just to show Yoongi his new light fixtures, especially the specialty ones he had installed over his brand new dining table. The older one actually helped pick that one out, so it meant everything to hear Yoongi's excited squeak upon seeing it actually there, like a mix between a purr and meow.

Here's where Jungkook was at right now. Picture it: it's 5 PM, golden hour seeping through the windows, painting the interiors a soft orange, dog sleeping peacefully on the couch, one of your most beautiful best friends roaming around your living room as he inspects your new lighting fixtures, most of which he got from his recommendations.

It hit Jungkook then, that this is what he wants his forever to look like. Maybe this didn't need to just be a fleeting moment in time, this could be his future, all wrapped up in this space just for them. It almost scared the singer, because he always had so much to give, so much love for the people in his life that it was almost hard for him to distinguish the different kinds of love he could hold. Not that it always had to have an explanation, but somehow, for Yoongi, he felt like he owed the man an explanation.

But not yet. Much like Yoongi would always tell him, there was no rush.

“Jungkook?” Shit. Yoongi has been calling his name again, hasn't he?

“Yeah, hyung?”

“You spaced out again,” Yoongi chuckled, and Jungkook wanted to inhale that sound and keep it in the recesses of his brain forever.

“Oh.”

Yoongi couldn't keep the giggles from escaping his body. God, he was so painfully fond of the boy.

“I wanted to give this to you, by the way,” Yoongi mentioned, unpacking a bag and taking out boxes as he set them down on the dining table. He seemed to always be bringing something every time he visited Jungkook. Not that Jungkook was complaining, quite the opposite actually. He was practically falling over himself to get closer.

“Ooohh, what are they?”

“You know how you mentioned color-changing diffusers? I remembered the brand of strip lights you have installed and searched their catalog. Turns out those diffusers do exist, you just have to connect them to their app together with the lights, and you can control the colors so they're in sync. Isn't that cool?”

Perhaps it was actually at this moment that Jungkook realized he had to keep Yoongi. In his pocket, in his life, everything. Oftentimes, Jungkook gets insecure about all his ramblings. He’s getting better at being more self-assured as he grows older, but there are times when he fears that people aren’t really listening to him.

Never Yoongi. He always listens.

“Hyung…” Jungkook trailed off, still so wide-eyed at the diffuser now unboxed on his table. It was simple: cylindrical, still a plain white as it was turned off, sleek. But Yoongi went out of his way to look for something that Jungkook mentioned off-handedly on a livestream that he didn’t even know the older one was watching.

“Or… oh, is this not what you wanted? I’m sorry, I should have checked with you first, if you even actually wanted this. God, I’m too impulsive sometimes, I just thought-”

“Hyung, no, that’s not it,” Jungkook interrupted before Yoongi started spiraling, “I’m just shocked that you even remembered.”

“You know I always remember what you have to say.”

“I do, yet it surprises me every time.”

Jungkook pulled Yoongi to sit with him on his couch, immediately propping up his phone on the stand he permanently kept on his table.

“Jungkook, what are you doing?”

“We’re going live.”

“What?! I look like shit!”

Jungkook snorted, knowing damn well that Yoongi doesn’t give a shit about looking presentable in front of Armys. “First of all, you could never look less than stunning. Second of all, you never cared about that with our fans. Besides, it’s been a while since you did a live, and definitely years since we did one together. I need to show them what you got me!”

As expected, Yoongi was just being his silly goose self for the dramatics and was a genuine natural during the live with Jungkook. They really hadn’t done a live together in years and it was exciting for both the pair and their fans.

“Yoongi is so cool you guys.”

“I’m really not.”

“He got me a diffuser! That lights up! With my own lights!”

“That just makes me a nerd.”

“Nerds are cool.”

“I feel like you think everyone is cool.”

“Nuh-uh. I have very high standards, hyung. You just happen to exceed all of them.”

“Well, I think you’re very cool too, Kook-ah, diffusers and all.”

(The two men were lost in conversation, in each other, barely looking at the camera, so focused on what the other had to say. They didn’t see the barrage of I feel like I’m interrupting something and should we leave? comments flooding the chat. Not that it mattered anyway.)

(+3)

There were only a few things in this world that really tested Yoongi’s patience. One of them being right-wing capitalists. Another being people who are mean to dogs. Another being people who partake in excessive PDA.

The last one was kind of a lie. He usually doesn’t mind PDA that much and can often just tune it out. However, it seems like Jimin and Taehyung are frequently on a mission to test his threshold every time they’re together, because someone please tell him why they need to be up in each other’s face, Jimin straddling Taehyung, biting his neck, while Yoongi was in the room?

“Was I only invited to your house to watch you guys eat each other?” Yoongi asked in the calmest tone he could muster.

Jimin pulled away from Taehyung slightly, the taller one still mouthing at the blonde’s neck fervently. “We never know when you’ll finally accept our offer for a threesome.”

“We’re trying to prime you.”

“Taehyung, none of this will work because I’m never going to accept that offer.”

“Right, we forgot you’re so terribly in love with our maknae that you no longer want to feel the touch of a man if it isn’t him,” Jimin sighed dramatically.

Yoongi dutifully ignored the blush rising on his cheeks, thank you very much.

“Hyung, okay,” Taehyung started, slightly shifting to the side to look at Yoongi over Jimin’s shoulder, “May you look for Tannie please? He’s probably under a chair in my bedroom or something and I wanna hold him. Then we can watch a movie?”

The eldest rolled his eyes, scoffing at the infamous Tata mic face the younger pulled because he knew Yoongi would always fall victim to it. Predictably, Yoongi got up to look for the small dog, shaking his head at the mix of giggles and sloppy kissing sounds that he left behind.

It didn’t take long for Yeontan to show up, easily allowing Yoongi to carry him in his arms. On the way back to the living room, along the hallway, the rapper stopped in his tracks. Taehyung has an… eclectic taste in furniture, if you will. He bought one butt chair and never looked back. So it really shouldn’t surprise Yoongi to see a set of three glowing plastic wolf heads sitting atop his counter.

“They’re diffusers, you know?”

Yoongi nearly jumped out of his own skin at the sudden voice behind him, causing the dog in his arms to start wiggling.

“Jesus, Tae, I need to put a bell on you.”

“He’d like that,” Jimin hollered from where he was sitting on the couch. The rapper inwardly groaned. It was never a good time to be reminded of their pet play kink.

“Sorry, you were taking too long to fetch my son,” Taehyung said as he reached over and plucked the pomeranian right out of Yoongi’s grasp, Yeontan instantly reaching up to lick Taehyung’s chin.

The man tried to lick back as well, to nobody’s surprise.

“I never use them,” Taehyung continued, plopping down next to his soulmate on the couch, settling Yeontan on his lap, “Tannie gets sniffly whenever I turn them on. You can have them if you want. Or better yet, you can give them to someone.”

Yoongi did not appreciate the matching wiggling eyebrows of the pair, thank you very much.

“Why are they even shaped like geometric wolf heads?”

“It’s the alpha/beta/omega Wild Wolf set, of course! Wasn’t that obvious?” the way Taehyung said it was concerning, because it sounded like this was supposed to be the most normal piece of home decor one could buy at the local Ikea store. This is just normal… Taehyung decor.

“Of course you would buy omegaverse diffusers,” Yoongi muttered lowly, resigning himself to sinking into the couch as Taehyung got the movie started.

The film in itself was nice, one of the more indie introspective foreign ones from the 80’s that Taehyung likes. At least it was interesting enough to distract Yoongi from the pair beside him. They weren’t being crude or anything, they were just cuddling after all. This was nothing new, all of them in the group cuddled, it was almost impossible to find a moment of them all together where their hands weren't all over each other.

What Jimin and Taehyung had, however, was different, deeper. Yoongi was well aware that he would never have that kind of relationship — the telepathic soulmate kind that ran through their veins. It didn’t stop him from yearning, though.

The yearning was never bad, never truly envious, but if he watched the pair for too long, it would soon morph into a picture of him in the arms of someone with big tattooed arms, warmth enveloping him everywhere, hot breath tickling his ears every time the other would giggle at something he said.

He wanted Jungkook to want him in a way that ran through his veins too.

“Are you sleeping over, hyung?” Jimin asked later on in the night, already dressed in his sleepwear because of course he had a set of his own clothes at Taehyung’s place.

“Nah, I have to go to my studio to meet with a producer early tomorrow morning and my place is nearer. Besides, I didn’t bring any extra clothes.”

“You know Taetae would have lent you clothes in a heartbeat, right? But anyway, stay safe, text us when you get home?” Jimin requested kindly, pulling his hyung into his arms for a hug.

“Sure, Jiminie. Be good.”

“I’m always good.”

“I beg to differ.”

“You just don’t deserve my goodness,” Jimin huffed. They could go on bickering for hours if not for Taehyung literally tumbling into the foyer with a huge paper bag.

“Hyung! Bring this home, please. No, I will not allow you to decline my gift,” the brunette pouted, handing Yoongi the bag.

The rapper peered inside the bag. “What am I supposed to do with wolf diffusers?”

“You know exactly what to do with them.”

____

Yoongi knew exactly what to do with them. He just didn’t want to do what he knew was the most predictable thing to do with them.

So here he was, sat at his studio with a bunch of wolf head diffusers sitting on his coffee table. The producers he worked with that morning did look at them for a while, not as discreetly as they probably wanted to be, but thankfully didn’t bring them up.

Yoongi was contemplating his life decisions, why he couldn’t say no to Taehyung, why he was suddenly the giver of diffusers to a certain someone, how diffusers somehow became their love language. A love language. God, Yoongi could do so much better than diffusers. Flowers, chocolate covered strawberries, a dedicated song!

In the midst of his pitiful crisis, the rapper had his head buried deep in his hands when the door opened. Which means that could only be one person besides himself.

“Honey, I’m home!” Jungkook sang gleefully, throwing his arms in the air and walking in the studio. At this rate, it could genuinely be his second home, and Yoongi would never complain.

“Hi, Jungkook-ah. Did you have lessons today?” Yoongi asked, taking his head out of his hands to look at the boy.

He really should be used to looking at Jungkook by now, after over a decade growing up with him. But no. Somehow, seeing Jungkook barefaced with his soft unstyled brown hair in a full set of sweats still manages to knock the breath out of him.

“English lessons, unfortunately. Then I met up with some producers to discuss Dreamers, and now I’m here! Miss me?” Jungkook responded, settling down on Yoongi’s couch which basically had Jungkook’s butt crease imprinted on it.

Yoongi rolled his eyes (fondly) again, “Yeah, yeah. I could use your help, actually. I need some tweaking with the vocal guide for this song and-”

“Oh yeah, what the fuck, hyung? Why didn’t you tell me that you’re working with IU sunbaenim again? You need to tell me everythi- Oh. What are these?”

Yoongi turned in his seat to follow the direction of Jungkook’s gaze. Ah, those.

“Alpha/Beta/Omega Wild Wolf diffusers,” Yoongi said in the most monotonous tone he could muster.

“Oh,” Jungkook breathed, eyes getting bigger than they already are, “and why exactly do you have omegaverse themed diffusers?”

“Taehyung,” the elder sighed.

“Explains everything,” Jungkook giggled. He moved closer to inspect each of them. “It’s quite cool, actually, the geometric pattern. I also like that you can tell which wolf head is the alpha, beta, and omega. This alpha head is definitely giving Namjoon vibes.”

“I’ll tell him you said that.”

“I’d like that,” the brunette smiled, completely shameless, “Look! Don’t you think this one resembles you?”

Jungkook was now holding up the omega wolf diffuser, much to Yoongi’s mortification, and much to Jungkook’s amusement.

“Let’s go back to calling me a cat, shall we?”

“You are! But I think you would also be a great omega,” Jungkook pondered. If Yoongi were drinking water right now, he would’ve done a spit take. “Hyung, do you think I’d be an alpha, beta, or omega?”

“Jungkook, why do you even want to know about my thoughts on this? I don’t even like the heteronormative allosexual premise of the omegaverse,” Yoongi whined, wanting so desperately to get out of this topic.

“I like to think I’m an alpha, you know, big and strong, but if I’m being completely honest, I would probably be an omega. But omegas can be big and strong too! Right, hyung?”

Yoongi couldn’t even hide the pained look on his face. “Yeah, sure, whatever you think.”

Jungkook’s small laugh almost made this conversation worth it. Almost. “Don’t worry, I get you. I don’t like how it confines people into another set of made up gender norms. Imagine if the omegaverse were real, and we were both omegas. If we became a couple in that universe, we’d still be oppressed! Terrible.”

The flush that rose on Yoongi’s cheeks were at the mere prospect of Jungkook assigning them as two omegas, and not because he entertained the thought of them being a couple. Totally just the weirdness of this whole conversation.

“Mmhmm,” Yoongi nodded meekly, “Look, I don’t exactly think these diffusers would fit in my home or my studio, they’re not exactly my style. Would you maybe want to keep them?”

Jungkook’s eyes lit up instantly. God, it was so cute. “Really? But Tae-hyung gave them to you,” the younger man said.

“He knew it wouldn’t stay with me for long, trust me. Take them home, please.”

“Hyung, you spoil me,” Jungkook giggled, gathering the wolf head diffusers and placing them into their respective boxes that were also on the table. “Thank you, really. For always being so generous with me. I don’t think I’ve ever properly thanked you for that.”

Yoongi’s face softened. He never really thought about all the times he gave parts of him away, whether that be material things, his time, his care . People have always called him a naturally giving person, and perhaps he is. But Jungkook makes it so easy, especially when the other also gives so much of himself to Yoongi in ways he doesn’t even realize.

“It’s no big deal,” Yoongi nodded, smiling back before turning back to his keyboard, “Now, about the vocal guide I need tweaking…”

“What do you need me to do?” The singer was already up and walking, pulling up the extra chair to sit beside Yoongi.

Yoongi looked at Jungkook and smiled as he recognized the familiar fire and passion for music he had in his eyes (and no, it’s not the eyeliner this time). At the end of the day, their real love language would always be music.

(+2)

Jungkook wasn’t too fond of parties. Small ones with his closest friends, sure. But big ragers with blasting music and hundreds of inebriated people milling around in the confines of a space that’s meant to fit a fraction of that number of people in it? An absolute nightmare.

Namjoon, unfortunately, enjoyed such parties. Due to their schedules being so unaligned lately, with each member pursuing their own individual projects, it was hard for them to get together as a complete group often. Hence why they decided to hold a joint birthday party for both Namjoon and Jungkook at Namjoon’s house. The youngest was hesitant at first, but when the members heard that he had been invited to perform at the FIFA World Cup, they hyped him up so much and insisted that this called for a huge celebration.

So, here he was, surrounded by a bunch of sweaty bodies in Namjoon’s kitchen (it was barely a hallway. How did he survive with this?). He just wanted to get a glass of water, the number of shots that were shoved in his hands as congratulations was starting to get to his head.

Jungkook lost Jimin and Taehyung nearly an hour ago, Namjoon was surrounded by his own other close group of friends he hadn’t seen in a very long time so Jungkook didn’t want to interrupt their time together. Jin and Hobi had gone out to a balcony to drink wine and talk, and from the looks of it, it was probably a deep discussion between just them two.

Don’t get him wrong, Jungkook wasn’t alone for most of the night. He had a lot of friends come up to him in congratulations, he ate, drank, and danced with his fellow ‘97 line bros. He was also able to catch up with some of his university friends that showed up at the last minute. Jungkook was pleasantly happy with the night he was having.

But he only wanted to see one person.

Where was he?

“Hyung!” Jungkook called out to Namjoon, who was walking up to the kitchen counter with two glasses to be filled, “I’m sorry to take your time, but-”

“Hey, Kook, you never have to apologize. What’s up?” Oh man, he busted out the dimpled smile he’s so perfect and charming and-

Focus, Jungkook, now is not the time to rehash your ever-present homosexual tendencies towards your leader.

“I was wondering if you knew where Yoongi hyung is? I haven’t seen him all night and he told me he would be here…” Jungkook trailed off, looking down with furrowed brows.

“Oh, he didn’t tell you?” Namjoon started, putting down the glasses to place a reassuring hand on the younger one’s shoulder, “He just got held up at work finalizing a song with Yijeong. He’s on his way now, though.”

“Oh, him,” if Namjoon could sense the slump in his shoulders, he thankfully didn’t mention it either, “yeah, okay, I’ll just wait for hyung to arrive then. Can I maybe stay in your guest room for a bit? The noise is just…”

“Jungkook, yeah, of course! Come on, I’ll take you. Take this glass of water with you too.”

The gentleness Namjoon gave Jungkook in that moment was the one thing holding him together. Glass in one hand, the other on the small of Jungkook’s back, the leader led the younger one to his guest room. Thankfully, he kept his private rooms locked to avoid having random people go in and do god knows what in his quarters.

After unlocking the door, Namjoon let Jungkook settle in. The room itself was cozy for a guest room, two paintings that probably cost a fortune were hung up on the walls, shelves lined with books and a few house plants. The room also had a comfortable twin-sized bed with what looked like the softest sheets to exist. The thread count on that thing must be insane.

“You gonna be okay here?” Namjoon asked, concerned.

“Yeah, I’ll just chill for a bit.”

“Okay, let me know if you need anything. Text me,” with one last nod, Namjoon stepped out of the door, leaving Jungkook in the peace and quiet of this room. He could finally breathe.

Jungkook tried his best to quiet his mind as well, trying not to overthink everything. He just needed to recharge his social battery. Surely that was it. Right?

He was mostly successful, lying spread out on the bed for a few peaceful minutes, before there was a knock on the door.

“Who is it?” Jungkook called out, barely lifting his head.

The door opened slightly to reveal the one person Jungkook had been waiting for all night.

“Hey, Namjoon said you’d be here,” Yoongi replied almost timidly, “Can I come in?”

The singer nodded, sitting up to face his hyung. God, he looked good.

His outfit was simple: a plain white shirt layered with a leather jacket, ripped jeans, and sneakers. He had obviously come from a long studio session, but also looked like he took the time to look presentable. His long hair was styled prettily and Jungkook could see the faintest hint of eyeshadow on his lids.

Jungkook could barely speak.

“You’re stunning,” Jungkook blurted out. Well, guess he could speak, lack of brain-to-mouth filter accounted for. It was worth it, though, because the pink blush on Yoongi’s cheeks at those words made him go from stunning to beautiful.

“Aha, thanks Kook-ah. You look really good too,” Yoongi acknowledged shyly, scratching the back of his head, “can I?”

The older one gestured to the space beside Jungkook on the bed, to which the brunette immediately made more space, urging Yoongi to sit beside him.

“I’m sorry I was late, you know how it gets when a song is so close to finishing and you can’t really stop in the middle or else all the creative flow will just get interrupted and it ruins the whole process and-”

“Hyung, I get it, you don’t need to apologize. I see how hard you work, your songs deserve the utmost care and attention.”

Yoongi nodded, breathing out a sigh of relief. He had no reason to be worried, of course Jungkook, the best artist he ever knew, would understand. But still…

“You always get me,” Yoongi smiled, “Anyway, happy birthday! And congratulations on your FIFA gig! You know I’m your biggest fan, I’ll be shouting all over social media about my superstar!”

That was definitely one way to get Jungkook completely red, cheeks heating up in slight embarrassment. “Aish, hyung… You already greeted me and congratulated me a dozen times.”

“But not yet in person. I’m sorry again I was holed up in my studio for the past few days.”

“How many times do I have to tell you that you don’t need to apologize for working on your music?”

“Right, right,” Yoongi seemed nervous, and Jungkook couldn’t really understand why. Jungkook watched as Yoongi bit down on his lips, looking down at his hands and- oh. He was holding on to two neatly wrapped boxes.

Jungkook moved a bit closer, smiling softly as he gestured towards the gifts in Yoongi’s hands, “And what’s this?” he asked curiously, eyes wide and bright.

“Oh, yes! I wanted to get you something and I actually found these at a second-hand shop,” Yoongi handed the boxes to the other, “Here, for you. Hope you like them.”

“I like everything you give me,” Jungkook mentioned, eagerly taking the gifts and immediately opening them.

“They’re disco ball diffusers! Kind of to allude to you being a shining star and all,” Yoongi explained, adorably meek as if his explanation were embarrassing, “You can actually hang them up and the mist would shoot out from the holes across their centers. I tested it out and it looked really fascinating. It would be best actually in a room where you have lots of colorful lights, which I think is all your rooms actually… uhm, Jungkook?”

Jungkook looked at the twin spheres he had unpacked as Yoongi talked, then carefully placed them back in their boxes and deposited them on the bedside table, turning to look back at Yoongi with eyes full of intent. And stars, probably.

“Hyung, can I kiss you?”

Shit. He wasn’t supposed to ask that right now. Maybe now would be a good time to get alcohol poisoning.

It’s just that… in the moments that Jungkook felt alone in a sea of so many, Yoongi never failed to see him, to understand him. Yoongi was caring, attentive, and in reality, it was really only a matter of time before all of this came to head and Jungkook would break.

Break his resolve to deny himself from accepting what he’s known all this time. He likes Yoongi, so much, in ways he thinks go so much deeper than any surface-level romance.

He also just really thinks Yoongi is so pretty, especially at this moment, bearing more gifts in the form of diffusers and holy shit were these courting gifts? Maybe Yoongi is an alpha after all…

“Kook-”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry if I crossed the line. Brain-to-mouth filter is non-existent apparently! Forget I asked that! Thank you for the diffusers, they’re so nice and would look so pretty with my lights. Let me go home actually and set these up and-”

“Jungkook,” Yoongi interrupted Jungkook’s tangent, firm but still caring, “Come here.”

One hand on his face and Jungkook was a goner. One gentle tilt of the head to slot their lips together and Jungkook was drowning. Yoongi kissed the same way he loved: softly, intentionally, grounded. The way he bit down on the younger one’s lower lip was mesmerizing, causing Jungkook to let out a small gasp, creating a gap for the other’s tongue to slip in tentatively. Just a small lick, curious and borderline playful.

If this is what it felt to hold Yoongi, to have him, Jungkook never wanted to let go. This feeling was indescribable, unlike anything he’s ever felt in his life. It felt like a dam broke and flowed into the gentle tidal waves of the sea. Excitement and calmness, like this is where he belonged all along.

There was no way Jungkook would be able to contain himself now, not when Yoongi was climbing into his lap and pushing Jungkook’s hair back with his long fingers, pushing deeper into Jungkook. Not when Jungkook pushed his hands up and under Yoongi’s shirt, feeling the warmth of skin and how goosebumps rose with his touch.

They separated briefly to breathe, pressing their foreheads together, inhaling and exhaling rhythmically, still left stunned at what was happening.

“Shit, Yoongi,” Jungkook whimpered at the feeling of the other’s soft lips trailing down his jawline, “Come home with me please.”

Yoongi groaned, leaning closer as Jungkook tightened his grip on the smaller one’s waist. The elder had to stop himself from rolling his hips down languidly, already feeling the weight underneath him grow. “Yeah? And what will we be doing?”

“I’ll make you feel good. So good.”

“You’ll be good for hyung?”

“The best.”

Navigating their way out of Namjoon’s house was a blur, the pair slipping through the crowd unnoticed. The drive to Jungkook’s place was definitely a test of patience, with Yoongi’s hand never leaving his thigh, slipping up higher and higher by the minute. It was a miracle they didn’t get into a car accident.

The rest of the night was a haze of passion, an outpouring of repressed emotions finally being set free. There were so many words still left unspoken between them, and they really did have to talk, but it was also an unspoken decision to leave that for another time. The only thing Jungkook wanted to focus on was taking Yoongi apart, and putting him back all together again.

And he did, with all the care he could have for a lover. There was care in the way he divested them of their clothes, how he laid Yoongi down on his bed, lips leaving a map all over his milky skin.

Jungkook couldn’t believe this was real, yet Yoongi made sure to remind him of just how real this all was. His whimpers and sighs echoed across the room as Jungkook opened him up slowly, body on body bathed in the faint galaxy lights bouncing on the walls. It was all real.

Each eye contact they shared was real, how Yoongi was here in Jungkook’s arms, warm and gasping in pleasure as the brunette entered him. They fit so perfectly, dips and grooves of their bodies slotting into each other like they were made to be a pair.

Even though Jungkook promised to make Yoongi feel good, it was impossible for him not to feel utterly amazing as well. He was surrounded in Yoongi, all over him, his clean woody scent enveloping them as they moved in tandem. Everything felt perfect; the man of his dreams reaching a point of pure ecstasy because of him, trembling in his arms. Everything went white; Yoongi’s arms wrapped around him, holding him to ground him in return.

Breathe in, breathe out.

“Jungkook, you’re perfect.”

If moments could be bottled up, preserved, and treasured like gems, Jungkook would choose this moment. Jungkook would choose Yoongi, time and time again, always.

(+1)

Yoongi hasn’t talked to Jungkook in almost a week.

And no, it wasn’t about anything that… happened between them, to say the least. Yoongi wasn’t even fully convinced that that whole night wasn’t just a dream, a pure figment of his imagination spawned from the depths of his desires.

Work, however, did not wait for Yoongi to calm down from his near mental breakdown upon waking up naked in the arms of an also very naked Jungkook, his phone blaring with calls and messages from his manager.

So here’s the thing. Yoongi just happened to sleep with the love of his life the night before he was supposed to fly to the US for a week-long promotional shoot and recording session. And of course he forgot all about that because Jungkook had literally blown his back out and taken him apart from the inside out.

Suffice to say, the morning after wasn’t exactly pleasant. The rapper was frantically throwing his clothes on and rushing out the door just to catch his flight, barely having time to quickly leave a peck on Jungkook’s lips with a promise to talk about all that had just transpired, the sleep-addled boy still squinting and definitely not awake enough to process what was even happening.

So it’s been a week, and Yoongi hasn’t talked to Jungkook.

They attempted to text each other, sending updates so short they could not even constitute as sentences, the random picture of a cat on the sidewalk or a meme (on Jungkook’s end). This died down by around day 3, neither of them being particularly good texters anyway.

All Yoongi could do was hope that Jungkook would understand. His schedules were extremely packed, back-to-back shoots and meetings and recordings left him feeling boneless every time he returned to his lifeless hotel room. It was a curse that came with their lifestyle, the chaos condensed into small pockets of time to reach deadlines. He knows Jungkook would understand.

Deep down, however, he couldn’t help feeling so damn lonely. The phantom touch of Jungkook’s lips on his skin plagued his thoughts constantly. The whispers of a promise with each praise that left Jungkook’s lips ricocheted in the recesses of his brain. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure where this was headed. He didn’t know where Jungkook stood, not yet.

Yoongi was the kind of man that was built for forevers. Jungkook was the kind of man that dove headfirst and always gave his 100%. Theoretically, they should work. But, in practice? What did that even look like? All the complications of their fame aside, there were still Yoongi’s own personal fears. Did they do this in the wrong order? Should they have waited before getting physically intimate? Is this even going to work if they were always so busy? Did Jungkook even love him the way he did?

There was no use drowning himself in the voices that talked back at him. Yoongi had gone through a lot of shit by now to know that all they needed to do was communicate, completely honest and vulnerable enough to let each other in.

It was finally his last day in the US and all Yoongi wanted to do now was go home. This entire time, it felt like he was ripped away too quickly from something so beautiful, and they were left at a standstill, frozen in time.

Yoongi was antsy, leg shaking up and down as he looked at the time, waiting for when they could finally take off. There was apparently some kind of complication with the private jet’s engine that needed to be looked at. Normally, Yoongi was a patient guy, but it was times like this that made it impossible for him to sit still.

Mask and hat on, Yoongi decided to check the souvenir shop nearby, taking with him his manager and one bodyguard. He had to move around and do something productive or so help him he might do something drastic like tell Jungkook he loves him over text. Disgusting.

After a few minutes of perusing, he bought a few gifts for his members, his family and friends, along with an assortment of American snacks to fill up his pantry for when the group came over. He was about to head to the cashier, having heard word that he would be able to board his jet soon, when he spotted it.

It had a clear base but had the cutest cloud suspended right above, the air diffusing downwards to look like it was raining. It was so adorable and calming, with the finest mist and light clean scent. It was like Yoongi had found the diffuser that would perfectly represent Jungkook.

He bought it right away. He was almost late for his flight.

_____

It took everything for Yoongi’s manager to convince him to at least drop off most of his luggage at home before going straight to Jungkook’s place. The moment he stepped foot back in Seoul, he could feel the tug towards the man, the yearning to be with him, talk to him, figure this all out.

With Yoongi’s urgency, he was able to drop everything off at his house in his semi-neat manner (mixed with his manic antsy-ness) before waving his team off and rushing over to Jungkook in record time, diffuser on the passenger seat.

Now that he was here, standing at Jungkook’s front door, he was nervous. He’s grown enough to be able to manage a heartbreak, mature enough to realize that everything that would come with pursuing a romantic relationship with a member would be tough as hell. And yet, all he wanted to know was that Jungkook would be happy, and how Yoongi would do everything in his power to keep him happy.

Thankfully, he wasn’t given enough time to steep in his worries as the door was thrown open.

“You’re not Jungkook.”

“I’m so happy to see you too, hyung. My week was great, thanks for asking.”

Yoongi rolled his eyes fondly, a smile threatening to form on his lips. “I’m happy to see you, Hobi. But, why are you answering Jungkook’s door? He didn’t tell me you had come over.”

To this, Hoseok raised an eyebrow pointedly, his face stoic and firm, the same one he’d make when one of them made a mistake in their choreography. Except this was worse somehow.

“Maybe if you talked to him while you were away, he would have told you,” Hoseok responded.

“How is he?” Yoongi asked, eyes downcast. Shit, he should have made more of an effort.

Hobi sighed, firmness melting into concern as he moved forward to take Yoongi by the arm and lead him inside, closing the door behind them. “He’s just… down right now. You know how he gets when his bad thoughts get to him.”

Yoongi nodded, frustrated at himself because he knew this, he should have done better to keep the constant communication open, especially after something big happened to change the trajectory of their relationship.

“I can practically hear you blaming yourself,” Hobi noted, “Look, I know you were very busy. We all understand what that’s like, having back-to-back schedules with barely any time and energy to do anything else but eat, work, and sleep. I don’t blame you and neither does Jungkook. It was just heartbreaking to try and visit him because he wasn’t responding to any of our calls and texts, only to find him basically locking himself in this place for three days straight.”

“I need to talk to him.”

“That you should,” Hoseok nodded, getting up and gathering his things, “I don’t know much of the details, he didn’t tell me the specifics of what’s been going on between you two recently, but I’ve known him for a long time, and I’ve known you for a long time. You’re good for each other. I know you won’t fuck this up.”

“Thanks, Hobah,” Yoongi genuinely was grateful for his friend, Hoseok being one of the most reliable and emotionally intelligent among the seven of them.

With one last hug, Hobi headed towards the exit, turning back just to leave Yoongi with one last piece of advice, “Next time, if you’re gonna fuck my precious dongsaeng, don’t fly to a whole nother continent without giving him at least 6 hours of post-sex cuddles. Please make sure you give him proper aftercare, yeah?”

Hoseok was quite proud of closing the door at the sight of his spluttering friend.

____

Jungkook could hear their voices in the living room. He couldn’t deny the rush of endorphins at the sound of his deep voice. But he also couldn’t fight back at the voices in his head.

Logically, Jungook knew Yoongi. He doesn’t sugarcoat anything. He tells you what you need to hear in the gentlest way. He learned to be completely open about his feelings to the people he trusts.

He also knows that Yoongi would never have gone through with the night they had if it didn’t go deeper.

So why, why, was he so afraid? Why did his brain not allow himself to remember that he deserves good things? Why did the distance and time leave him wondering if this could last before it even started?

It was quiet outside for a while. Jungkook made no effort to move from under his three comforters, bundling himself up even smaller, trying to focus on the sounds of Bam breathing soundly beside his bed.

There was a knock at the door.

“Kook-ah? Can I come in?”

Jungkook nodded, taking a good ten seconds to realize that Yoongi couldn’t see him before croaking out a timid yeah , trying to at least sit up straighter, running his hand through his day 3 hair.

It was no surprise that the sight of Yoongi in front of him knocked the breath out of his lungs. He was dressed so simply in a plain white sweater, shorts, and those damn Tadao sandals (the Jesus slippers). He had darker circles under his eyes, but cheeks were still full and flushed. He was as beautiful as ever.

“Hi.”

“Can I…” Yoongi stepped closer, gesturing to the empty space on Jungkook’s bed, so hesitant even though he spread bare on those sheets a week ago.

Jungkook nodded, sitting up fully and moving to accommodate Yoongi. The older one set another paper bag down at the foot of the bed before settling down to face him, a smile etched on his face that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“How are you?” his question startled out a dry chuckle from Jungkook’s mouth. Yoongi winced, “Sorry, wrong question.”

Jungkook shrugged, “It’s okay. I should be asking you that, actually. I’m excited for all the projects you have lined up. How was the trip?”

“It was… productive. Yeah, lots of stuff done. You know, the usual, recordings and photoshoots. An annoying amount of meetings.”

“Mmhmm. Will you let me hear the album before you release it?”

“You know I always do.”

They stayed in silence for a while, drinking in each other after not having seen each other in a while. It felt nice, the quiet, the presence, the now. The voices in Jungkook’s head were finally silent.

“Jungkook, can I ask you something?”

“Hmm?”

“That night… you don’t regret it, do you?”

Jungkook’s head snapped up, eyes widening in bafflement, “Yoongi, I could never regret one of the best nights of my life. I will never regret any moment I have with you.”

The smile on Yoongi’s face, though small, made him glow. Golden. He nodded, really letting Jungkook’s words sink in before taking in a long breath, exhaling slowly.

“Okay, okay, that’s good. Me too, Kook-ah, me too. The only thing I regret is not being able to be with you after. I’m really sorry about that. It slipped my mind in the moment because, well, obviously my mind was otherwise preoccupied with other things. ”

Jungkook giggled. Yoongi’s smile grew wider.

“Hyung, that couldn’t be helped. Sure, I would have liked a heads up with your schedule, but I understand the chaos of it all.”

“But I should have done more to communicate with you, even while we were apart. I apologize for that.”

Jungkook shook his head, moving closer until he could take Yoongi’s hand in his. “Communication is a two-way street. I had more time than you, I should have reached out more.”

“We’re really shit at texting, aren’t we?” Jungkook laughed at Yoongi’s statement, knowing terribly well how true it is.

“It’s not the same as having you here, with me,” Jungkook said.

“I know,” the older one agreed. A beat passed, Yoongi brushed over Jungkook’s knuckles, tracing the lines of his tattoos carefully. “I want to be completely honest with you, Kook. You mean so, so, much to me, more than you could ever know. I like you, I have for a while now. Honestly, I was pretty obvious about it, I’m surprised you didn’t notice sooner.”

“I mean, you’ve always been the most giving person I know. You don’t hold back when you love someone, so I just thought that you were treating me the same way you do with all your loved ones,” Jungkook mumbled, still not accepting that this was really happening.

Yoongi liked him.

“I should rephrase my sentence then. Jungkook, I love you. I’m in love with you,” Yoongi was looking right in Jungkook’s eyes by now, wanting him to see all the sincerity reflected in them. “I don’t treat love lightly. You know everything I’ve been through, you know how many times I’ve been scarred by the people I gave my love to. And yet, I never doubted that you would hold my love in the palm of your hands and treasure it for life.”

Yoongi loved him.

Jungkook loved Yoongi.

“I love you too, hyung,” Jungkook responded. His voice came out wetly, not even knowing that he had already started to tear up. “I love you so much that it scares me. I love you so much that I don’t know what to do with it.”

“I’ll take care of you, know that right?” Yoongi lifted his hand to trace the tears that had fallen along Jungkook’s cheeks. “And I know you’ll take care of me.”

“Always.”

“It’s not going to be easy, being together.”

“I know. I feel like I’m going to ruin anything good we could have.”

Yoongi shook his head profusely, reaching up to press a featherlight kiss to the brunette’s forehead, “You could never ruin this. I’m not going to be naive and say that this would be smooth-sailing. We’re both gonna fuck up a little along the way. But we’ll learn from it, and we’ll stay by each other’s side.”

“I can’t believe you’re real, and that someone as good as you loves me.”

“You’re good too, baby. You deserve good things, too.”

Jungkook didn’t know how much he needed to hear those words from Yoongi’s mouth until this very moment.

The sob that broke out of Jungkook immediately brought the warmth of Yoongi’s arms around him, pulling him in closer. This finally felt like home.

They stayed like that until Jungkook’s cries had died down, Yoongi whispering sweet nothings in his ear the entire time. Bam, who had witnessed the entire confession, figured he had enough dramatics and emotional outbursts for the day and walked out of the room.

Jungkook lifted his head from the crook of Yoongi’s neck to look him in the eye, “You know what parents do when the kids are finally away,” Jungkook wiggled his eyebrows.

“We are not having sex mere minutes after you literally cried your eyes out.”

“You know I can’t control these damn tear ducts!”

“And somehow I love that about you.”

Jungkook quite literally melted back into Yoongi’s arms, “I’ll never get tired of you telling me you love me,” the younger sighed dreamily. He knows he still has a lot of emotions and insecurities to sort through on his own (and with his therapist), but for now, the voices are well and gone and he can finally bask in this.

“I love you,” Yoongi repeated.

“And I love you,” Jungkook whispered as he sat up and aligned their mouths together, finally breathing Yoongi in with a kiss.

Their first kiss felt like a burning flame, so fueled with desire finally alight and spreading like wildfire. This kiss felt like a promise, so grounded in the present and in each other despite the uncertainty of the future. Jungkook moved them both to fit together easier, still pressing soft kisses to Yoongi’s plush lips, each kiss a different promise.

“Hold on, before I forget,” Yoongi breathed out after a few minutes, trying his best to keep himself together (and failing) as the singer traced kisses along the edge of his ear and down his jawline, “Wait, baby, I brought something for you.”

“A gift?” Jungkook’s eyes lit up excitedly, bouncing a little, just like a happy bunny.

“Oh so now it’s easy to stop kissing me.”

“You give me the gift and I thank you with a million more kisses.”

Yoongi rolled his eyes (fondly, as always), “You would do that without the gift anyway.”

“I would, but now I’m curious. Come on, gimme.”

Jungkook was making grabby hands in the air, so Yoongi, the weak, weak man he is, reached down for the paper bag and took out the white box inside.

“Here,” Yoongi said, handing out the box into the eager boy’s hands.

“Let me guess, another diffuser?”

Yoongi groaned, causing Jungkook to laugh heartily, already opening the box in even more excitement, “Am I that predictable?”

“I basically grew the balls to ask to kiss you that first time over the small hope that these diffusers were truly your niche version of courting gifts.”

“Please stop using omegaverse terms.”

“Just be happy I’m not into pet play like the other hyungs,” Jungkook leaned in to give Yoongi a quick peck, knowing that he was imagining Jimin and Taehyung in his head with the disgusted look on his face.

“Hyung! Oh my god, she’s so cute!” Jungkook exclaimed when he finally pulled out the cloud diffuser from its box.

“I saw it and it reminded me of you. Round, clean. Though, to be fair, I couldn’t stop thinking of you the whole time we were apart so maybe I was projecting…”

“God, you’re so cute I’m gonna squish you,” Jungkook set the diffuser on his bedside table. It was truly an adorable gift, and Jungkook will definitely be experimenting with it later with different scents, but right now, he wanted to do nothing but devour Yoongi.

Yoongi wasn’t prepared for the kiss Jungkook planted on him, but nevertheless kissed back just as fiercely, tangling his fingers in Jungkook’s hair. There was a lot of lip biting, longing whines and small noises of pleasure exchanged between the pair.

“Wait,” Jungkook interrupted this time, Yoongi groaning because he was already on Jungkook’s lap at this point and halfway to getting Jungkook out of his shirt, “does this mean we’re boyfriends now?”

“Hmm,” Yoongi teased, leaning to sit back on Jungkook’s thighs, pretending to be deep in thought, “maybe if somebody asked me this time. After all, I did bring all the courting gifts, it’s only fair if we have equality in this relationship.”

“You’re so unfunny.”

“You know that’s a lie.”

“It is, unfortunately,” Jungkook sighed. He pressed a kiss to the smaller one’s right cheek, then to his left cheek, then right on top of his button nose. “Will you, Min Yoongi, be my boyfriend?”

There was that smile that Yoongi had that reached his eyes, so much that it would reveal his pretty pink gums and the gorgeous crinkles by his eyes. That smile that Jungkook always longed to bring out of this man.

“Yes, of course,” Yoongi answered, kissing his boyfriend so deeply, as if to convey every ounce of love he had in his heart to him, “you will always have me, in whatever way you want.”

Yoongi loves Jungkook. Jungkook loves Yoongi. At the end of the day, they’ll make it work. Somehow. Trust that they will.

(+2)

The day after Jungkook touched down back in Seoul, he immediately called all his work off for the next day. He had just performed at one of the biggest events in the world on his own, his song was a huge success, and he was filled with gratitude for everyone who has helped him along the way.

But by God, he just wants to go on a date with his boyfriend.

It’s common knowledge that Jungkook is a bit of a romantic. Okay, he’s a huge romantic. He believes in hearing bells when you meet your soulmate and wants to kiss in the rain and have silly dates that would make for a cute montage those romcoms seem to always have. So yes, he was going to woo the pants off of Yoongi if it’s the last thing he’s gonna do on this green earth.

At 2 PM on the dot, Jungkook was standing outside Yoongi’s door with a bouquet of peonies and chrysanthemums in hand.

“You’re early,” was the first thing Yoongi said when he answered the door.

“I’m on time,” Jungkook huffed, “also, wow, not even a Hi baby! Oh, are those flowers for me? They’re beautiful! Just a judgment of my punctual nature.”

“You’re insufferable,” Yoongi shakes his head, but nevertheless takes the flowers and tilts his head up to kiss his boyfriend in greeting, “Hi baby, these flowers are so beautiful. Happy now?”

“Do you mean it?” Jungkook pouts.

The smaller one chuckles, pulling Jungkook into his home as they walk to the kitchen so he could put the flowers in a vase before leaving. “Of course I mean it baby. Do you know that when peonies bloom yellow, it means a fresh start, and these white chrysanthemums mean devoted love and loyalty, its name coming from the Greek word of honesty.”

It was Jungkook’s turn to roll his eyes at Yoongi (fondly), because of course Yoongi would already know all about flower symbolism in his brain that somehow had a billion random facts stored in it. “Hyung, I did all this flower research and I didn’t even get to be the one to explain it to you? How rude,” Jungkook complained playfully.

“You like my fun facts,” Yoongi said, “You’re basically still in love with Namjoon, the smartest man we know, and you love when I talk your ear off about any topic under the sun. One would say you’re sapiosexual.”

When Jungkook crossed his arms in defiance, pout still ever-present on his pink lips, Yoongi couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him. “You’re making fun of me,” Jungkook whined.

“Awww, baby, I would never. I love you, come here,” Yoongi beckoned Jungkook closer, wrapping his arms around the other’s waist, Jungkook refusing to uncross his arms, “Come on, gimme kisses.”

Jungkook was, as previously mentioned, a weak, weak man. The moment Yoongi puckered his lips, he looked all the more like a steamed dumpling. He was a goner. He finally brought one hand to Yoongi’s shoulder and the other to cup his cheek, pulling him in to kiss him deeply.

They stood there in the middle of the kitchen, exchanging casual kisses in the afternoon sunlight. Jungkook could get used to this, the ease of it all. How nothing much has changed between them except now, there was the bonus of getting to waste time just nibbling on his hyung’s lips, tasting him in the most casual way.

Unfortunately, that did remind him that they were indeed wasting time.

“Shit, Yoongi, we need to go!” Jungkook exclaimed, pulling apart even when Yoongi tried to chase after his lips.

“Can’t we just stay inside and make out? You were gone for so long,” now it was Yoongi’s turn to whine. They communicated in pout about 60% of the time, to be honest.

“Exactly why we need to do something fun now! We’re too busy to use an off day just staying indoors! Besides, we reserved the place from 3-4 PM. It would be rude to the staff if we didn’t show up.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Yoongi sighed, extricating himself from Jungkook’s hold and gathering his stuff before leading them both out the door.

On the same quest to do normal people things along with wooing the pants off of Yoongi, Jungkook would never take his date to the movies. Too typical, too public.

So he rented a whole paintball park for the two of them.

At first, Yoongi was grumbling that he didn't want to run around and get all messy, but one shot of pink paint right at the center of his tummy brought his competitive streak to the surface, chasing a giggling Jungkook around the entire obstacle course screaming bloody murder.

Jungkook, naturally, was good at this. Sharp aim, quick reflexes, sneaky tactics; all of it infuriated Yoongi and turned him on at the same time. The disparity between the mess made on their protective suits was a clear indication of who was winning, and while one part of the older one resented that his old man knees betrayed him this time, he did kind of just like being chased around by Jungkook as well.

It took one shot of paint near his neck that caused Yoongi to genuinely wince, the impact grazing sensitive exposed skin and it kind of burned.

“Shit, hyung, I’m sorry!” Jungkook immediately dropped his paintball gun and ran up to Yoongi, pulling him close to inspect his neck.

“It’s okay,” Yoongi tried to appease the younger, but Jungkook was adamant in checking on his boyfriend, leaning in to carefully caress the slightly bruised skin.

“We can stop now, it's okay, time is almost up anyway.”

“Kook, I promise, I'm okay, it's just-” the moment Yoongi looked up to look at the younger, he noticed that the concern on his face had morphed into something more akin to daze, the pad of his thumb mindlessly spreading the paint from Yoongi's neck down to his collarbone.

All Yoongi had to do was step closer, reach up to grab the back of Jungkook's neck, and pull. It took a split second for Jungkook to snap out of his daze before his lips had been captured by Yoongi's.

Kissing Yoongi felt like something new to explore every time. Placing his hands on the small of Yoongi's back, pressing their chests together as if they couldn't stand to be apart, it all felt so good. Just the way Yoongi nibbled on his bottom lip to coax his mouth open, slipping his tongue into Jungkook's mouth, Jungkook couldn't understand how this one person could make him feel everything at once, like he's walking through fire and floating in the clouds at the same time.

They stood there for a while in the middle of the field. It probably looked funny, and mildly inappropriate, having two grown men make out while covered in various colors of paint splatters. In hindsight, they probably should have kept this to a more private area but they'll blame it on the honeymoon phase for now.

(It was a baseless excuse. They would never stop the PDA, much to Seokjin's chagrin and Taehyung's delight.)

Eventually, they separated and left the venue, thanking the staff for their kind accommodation, and moved to the next part of their date.

“Twenty! Twenty-two! PSY coming baaaack!”

“Is this really the first thing you want to sing?”

Jungkook paused the song and turned back to Yoongi, frowning as he saw the rapper still seated on the couch.

“I rent out this fancy ass noraebang for us and you won't even sing our song?” Jungkook frowned.

“Baby, I would like to think our song would be something a bit more meaningful, romantic even?”

“Nuh-uh, this has been my anthem since forever and I have never been able to have a duet with Thee BTS Suga since it's been released and I think that in itself is a crime against me.”

Yoongi sighed, dropping the fried chicken he had been tucking into, taking a swig of beer, before grabbing the other mic and getting up to join Jungkook right in front of the screen. “Restart the song.”

Jungkook was having the absolute time of his fucking life. After finally, finally, getting to sing his most awaited That That duet with Yoongi, they alternated between singing various BTS songs, Jungkook rapping to Yoongi's favorite hip-hop classics, Yoongi playfully belting to the saddest ballads he could find, and finding more songs that they could actually sing seriously together.

Today, Jungkook learned that no, he didn't need to go over the top to woo the pants off of Yoongi, because Yoongi was already so deeply in love with Jungkook that spending any time with him was the best gift he could give him. Yoongi was grateful for the effort it took Jungkook to organize everything, despite the fact that he had just gotten back from Qatar, despite the fact that they had to push back their big superstar lives to make time for each other.

They could make it, definitely.

____

“Fuck, Jungkook, right there!” Yoongi groaned, throwing his head back as Jungkook angled his hips to hit just the right spot inside him, and then doing it over and over again.

Jungkook only had sex with Yoongi a few times by now, despite the fact that they've been dating for a month already. They had a lot of talking to do during the early days, laying out all their insecurities, clearing everything with management, telling all the members (nobody was surprised), and just sorting everything out given the lives they lived. Then, Jungkook had to fly to Qatar for a few weeks to shoot his music video then actually perform at the World Cup. None of that quite got the horny juices flowing.

During the times they did find time together, they took their time, tried out a few things, found out some things they didn't like and a lot of what they liked.

While they did sometimes like to go hard and fast, they both found that they liked this. Slow movements, languid kisses all over each other's skin, time standing still as they explored each other's bodies. Yoongi rolled his body to meet Jungkook's deep thrusts, the younger's hands clawing at Yoongi's ass, bruising them the prettiest shade of red.

“I'm so close, baby,” Jungkook moaned right into Yoongi's mouth, kissing him desperately, shaking and on edge.

“Me too. Come for me,” Yoongi breathed. With one last searing kiss, Jungkook hit his high, pleasure zinging throughout his body. It only took a few more bounces and two strokes to his cock for Yoongi to follow suit, collapsing limply on the sturdy body that was holding him up this entire time.

They took a few moments to catch their breath, Yoongi running his hands through Jungkook's hair, Jungkook's fingers tracing lines on his boyfriend's back.

“Shit, Jungkook. I hate you,” Yoongi huffed without any bite, causing Jungkook to chuckle lightly.

“My stroke game wear you out that much?”

The rapper lightly slapped at Jungkook's (perfect, grippable, bouncy) pec, “No, you doofus. Why did you fuck me before I even got to give you my first date gift?!”

“How was I supposed to know you were going to give me a gift?” Jungkook laughed, “Besides, I didn't hear you complaining an hour ago.”

Yoongi was no longer listening to him, getting up until Jungkook slipped out of him, reaching for the tissues on the bedside table to quickly wipe himself down before walking towards his desk over at the other side of the room.

Jungkook wolf-whistled.

“My ass is great, I know,” Yoongi said, giving it a little shake before turning back with two boxes in hand.

The singer was courteous enough to finish cleaning both himself and his boyfriend with a damp washcloth before they both got properly situated on Yoongi's bed, sitting side by side.

“So, you probably know what these are by now.”

“Diffusers!” Jungkook clapped joyfully, resembling a happy seal presented with treats.

“Yes,” Yoongi nodded, “I promise I'll get you other things besides diffusers other times, but I thought, we just had our first proper date as boyfriends, so why not keep up my unintentional tradition?”

“You're such a sap.”

Yoongi didn't try to deny the statement, choosing instead to hand the boxes over to Jungkook for him to open. He loved watching the way Jungkook’s eyes would grow wide as he opened them, then his eyebrows would furrow as he saw what they are, then suddenly his eyes get teary because he’s a crier.

“Matching cat and bunny diffusers?” Jungkook choked out, not even sure why this is getting him so emotional.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s us,” Yoongi blushed, scratching the back of his neck. He knew that Jungkook liked cute things, and leaned heavily into their cat-bunny representations, always finding it adorable. “I got the mini sized ones, so that they could fit on your bedside table if you wanted, or anywhere in your house, really. I just thought they could be some kind of symbol of us, somehow, in some silly way.”

Jungkook stayed quiet for a while, just looking at both of them together, before he held them to his chest, looking at Yoongi with those big brown eyes, “God, I love you.”

“And you know I love you, right?” Yoongi replied, cupping both of his boyfriend’s cheeks in the palms of his hands.

“It’s the only thing I know,” Jungkook whispered right before their lips met in a gentle kiss. Another kiss, another promise.

A promise to stay.

(=)

“Jungkook, why did you prepare enough food to feed 20 protein-crazed gym bros?” Seokjin questioned as he walked around the kitchen, observing what was happening before dinner started.

“You say that as if the seven of us aren’t completely capable of devouring all of this,” Jungkook countered as he carried a platter of rose tteokbokki to his dining table.

And yes, he is finally hosting their group dinner tonight. Yes, he has enough proper furniture now.

(“Who knew he just needed to finally bag Yoongi hyung to get him to furnish his house more?”

“You literally cannot talk, your house is more bare than mine was.”

“I’m at Tae’s place more often anyway. He has enough eclectic furniture to last me a lifetime.”

“I’m still scarred about walking in on you guys fucking on the butt chair.”

“You brought that up, not me! That’s on you!”)

The group of seven chose to spend the holidays together. Or at least reserved one night to have dinner before most of them traveled home to their families. Jungkook had successfully convinced them to let him host their dinner, with much of Yoongi’s help, and you know damn well Jungkook is going to do the most to impress them all.

They gathered at Jungkook’s dining table (it fits all seven of them!) and happily enjoyed the feast that was in front of them, cracking open a few bottles of soju, updating each other on their own endeavors. Most of them were working on albums, Hoseok and Jin having just finished their own music promotions, others having just signed with a few luxury brands, attending events abroad.

It was so nice to spend all their time together. When they were all together, they all felt the same glow, the same warmth, the invisible string of fate alight.

Also, Jungkook always missed the chaos all of them brought to the table.

He didn’t think he could possibly get happier than he was before, but having Yoongi as his, having his love, and getting to love him, and then being able to share that with the very special people in this very room? Pure joy.

“Uhm, Jungkook?”

“Hmm?” the youngest responded, turning around on his seat, looking over his own arm that was braced over the backrest of Yoongi’s seat.

He looked at Namjoon who had just come back from using the bathroom, and he was holding one of the wolf head diffusers in his hands.

“Hey, that’s the alpha!” Taehyung exclaimed.

“Namjoon is the alpha?” Seokjin asked, confused as to why this word was suddenly uttered on his night of peace.

“Why are you even questioning it?” Hoseok asked back, appalled.

“Jungkook, why do you have like, 20 diffusers all over your house?” Namjoon finally said.

“Oh, they’re all Yoongi hyung’s courting gifts for me!”

Yoongi groaned, burying his face in his hands. This was gonna be a long night.

Notes:

if you can tell me the exact number of diffusers jungkook has by the end of this fic, i'll give you a cookie

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