Chapter Text
It all started at a wedding.
Namjoon grumbled under his breath as he walked out into the garden, where the white chairs were set up elegantly along both sides, leaving enough room for the aisle and for people to walk. At the end of the garden, underneath the white tents, a makeshift bar and buffet were already set up, just awaiting guests to arrive. And right in the middle of it all, was a gazebo, under which a priest was just about finished with setting up a podium that held his notes and reading glasses.
He hated weddings. Absolutely despised them. He couldn't even remember if he had gotten an invite for this one or not. He couldn't have, because knowing him, he would have decline straight away. It's not like he had a choice anyway. This was his best friends wedding, and ironically enough, he was one of the groomsmen.
Why did he say yes again? Weddings were not his things, not by a long shot.
Weddings were a huge waste of time and money. He had better things to be doing than sitting out in the scorching heat, pretending like he was having fun and was happy to be there.
Sure, he was happy that his best friend finally decided that he was happy with the person that he was with, but Namjoon just didn't understand why he had to be subjected to this torture. He hated weddings and everyone knew it!
"Joon," He heard after a couple of taps of his shoulder.
"What is it, Tae?"
"Hobi wants to see you," Taehyung replied with wide, nervous doe eyes, biting the bottom of his lip, "Said it was something of a tie emergency?"
"You would think that after living 25 years he would learn how to have tied a windsor knot," Namjoon grumbled under his breath, sighing as he ascended the stairs up to Hoseok's dressing room.
He gave three quick knocks to the wooden door and entered anyway.
"Joon! You're supposed to wait-What if Yoongi saw?!" Hoseok whined, "It's bad luck to see each other before the wedding!"
"That's for brides," Namjoon said, closing the door behind him, "Plus, it's an urban legend. They only said that because in the olden times they had arranged marriages, and they were scared that if the groom saw them before, they would run away and not want to get married."
"Gee, thanks Joon, that really helps my nerves."
"You and Yoongi have been dating for 5 years now! If he wanted to run away, he would have!" Namjoon said pointedly as he finished tying Hoseok's black narrow tie, tightening it around his neck.
"Look," Hoseok said, more serious now, looking Namjoon dead in the eyes, "I know you hate weddings, and that they aren't your thing. But this is my special day. And you're my best friend. Do you think you could maybe try and be happy for me?"
Namjoon sighed. He was being a spoilt brat. He shouldn't be a Debbie Downer, at least not for today. He had the rest of his life to do it, but today, on Hoseok's special day, he should be happy. After all, this was the same person that held him through the night after his first heartbreak, and the same person who encouraged Namjoon to drop out of Business School and pursue his dreams and passions. If Namjoon couldn't be happy for his own best friend, then what kind of friend was he?
"You're right." He said, backing away, holding his hands up in surrender, "I'm sorry. I'll be nothing but loving and supportive."
"There's my best friend!" Hoseok said, the grin growing on his face, light returning back to his eyes.
Namjoon smiled at him, dimples deep, eyes scrunched up.
"Now, should I retie this, or go with the blue bowtie instead?" Hoseok said, turning back to the mirror.
~~~
Hoseok and Yoongi were stood opposite each other, hand in hand, tears welling up in their eyes, along with several of the groomsmen from each side.
"You two have prepared your own vows?" The priest asked, stepping back to let the couple do their own thing.
Yoongi took a deep breath, smiling at Hoseok who looked more in love than ever.
"Hobi, baby, you're my best friend. You're my mentor, my friend, my teacher, my everything. I promise to cry with you, even if you're crying at a Disney movie, to laugh with you, even if it's laughing at me, to dance, even though I am absolutely terrible at it, to stay up with you when you have work, and are frustrated that nothing is getting done. I promise to grow with you, and to make mistakes and fall, only to get back up and try and try again. To support your dreams, and help you work towards them, no matter how far away they seem. And I promise to love you, through the good nights, and the bad, and to never give up no matter what," Yoongi said, teary and wet, choking up in the middle, "Hobi, you're my soulmate and I will always love you."
Namjoon let out a small, quiet scoff, rolling his eyes at the word soulmate. He couldn't help but notice one of Yoongi's groomsmen, the tall one with his brown hair slicked back and broad shoulders look at him in confusion, cocking an eyebrow, as if he wasn't sure about something.
Namjoon let it pass, standing up straighter, and focusing on Hoseok.
"Yoongi, I practiced this speech for weeks on end, but standing here, in front of you right now, I can't begin to express just how much I love you. You have become more than just my boyfriend, or my fiancee. You're mean more to me than to give you those titles. You're my everything. And I promise to try and show you as much love as you have shown me. You've taught me to be a better person, and taught me how to love, how to live, how to be a good boyfriend...And so, so much more. I know that we can get through anything, as long as we have each other," Hoseok vowed, tears slipping from his eyes, "I love you, Yoongi. You're my soulmate."
Namjoon tried not to roll his eyes, instead scoffing quietly at the ground before raising his head. And again, he saw the same man, looking at him, almost quizzically, like he was trying to figure something out, but just couldn't.
The ceremony finished with a kiss and everyone clapped and cheered as Hoseok and Yoongi walked down the aisle, hand in hand, through the crowd for the first time as a married couple.
The crowd dispersed to get food and mingle as soon as the couple was out of sight.
Namjoon couldn't wait to get away from the gazebo and onto the bar. He moved quickly, avoiding everyone, and walked straight up to the bar.
"Gin and tonic, three cubes of ice, lemon not lime and don't even think about skimping on the gin," Namjoon ordered, leaning against the bar, still wound up from the ceremony.
As soon as his drink was served, he grabbed it, and let the smooth, clear liquid go down his throat. A sigh of relief left him, happy that he wouldn't have to attend another wedding for a very, very long time.
"So," He heard from beside him.
Namjoon couldn't help but roll his eyes. Of course there would be the 'hitting of the groomsman'. How could he forget about this cliche?
"Whose side are you from? The grooms or the grooms?"
"Let me know if that line ever works for you," Namjoon said, almost bitterly.
"Give me your number, and I will."
"Smooth." Namjoon said, taking a big gulp of the gin and tonic.
"Like that gin?" The man said, "Which reminds me - Hi. I'm Jin. Kim Seokjin."
"Lost." Namjoon replied, "Get lost."
"Oh, that one hurt," Jin said, unfazed.
"You're that groomsman, aren't you?" Namjoon said, pointing at him before bringing the almost empty glass to his lips and downing the rest of the drink. He passed the now empty glass to the bartender and asked for a top up.
"And you're looking to get drunk." Jin said.
"You should try it," Namjoon suggested, "Makes these things more bearable."
"Ah," Jin said, nodding, "You're one of those."
"One of what?" Namjoon said, his glass now refilled.
"You know," Jin said, ordering what Namjoon was having, "There are always the bitter singles amongst the crowd who can't stand the fact that someone else is getting married, and being happy. Those people."
"I'm not bitter." Namjoon said, bitterly.
"You certainly aren't the poster boy for happiness," Jin said with a smirk.
"I don't like weddings." Namjoon said, as if that was explanation enough.
"See," Jin said, bringing the glass to his lips, "One of those."
"Weddings are annoying."
"Ironic considering you're the groomsman of this one."
"He's my best friend." Namjoon said.
"And Yoongi's mine," Jin told him, "Yet, I'm over here, having a god time, and you aren't."
"Like I said-"
"You don't like weddings," Jin finished his sentence with a nod.
"I don't like weddings."
"Why?" Jin asked.
"Isn't it obvious?"
"If it was, would I be asking?" Jin asked him.
Namjoon let out a sigh, setting his glass down as he faced Jin, "Look, I'll be the first person to admit that weddings started out as a beautiful tradition. It used to be sacred and paramount that allowed a couple to be united forever in holy matrimony. But lately, especially these last few years, all weddings have become, are a sort of contest. Everyone wants to try and one up everyone else. It's become less of tradition and customs, and full of meaning. It's now just a meaningless display of pretense. Really if you think about it - weddings are just a farce. A facade, even. It's an expensive spectacle. And I for one, hate it."
Namjoon downed the rest of his drink, leaving nothing but the slice of lemon in it.
"Tell me, Mr...."
He sighed, "Namjoon. Kim Namjoon."
"Mr. Namjoon," Jin said, with a smile, "Were you born a cynic, or did something happen to make you this way?"
"Let me guess," Namjoon said, turning around to face the bartender, asking for another round, and then turning back to face Jin, "You're the hopeless romantic type? The one who loves weddings, who looks at the groom instead of the bride, who binge watches romantic comedies in hopes of finding your dear soulmate who will whisk you away on a white horse?"
"I'm an open book." Jin said, taking a gulp of his gin and tonic.
"Figures." Namjoon replied with a scoff.
"And you?"
"What about me?"
"The cynic who hates everything about love? Who believes that love is nothing but chemicals in the brain tricking us into believing that infatuation with a person really is love, when it's nothing more than a chemical imbalance?" Jin said, with a smirk.
"Maybe." Namjoon said, shocked that Jin almost nailed him down to a T.
"I'm guessing you're single?" Jin said with a smile. "More of the one night stand type of guy."
"And I'm guessing you're not?" Namjoon countered, "More of the making love type of guy."
"Well, well, Namjoon, seems like you aren't right about everything," Jin said, finishing the drinks in his glass.
"I know I am right about one thing, though," He said.
"And what is that?"
"That soulmates, and love, aren't real."