Chapter Text
"Yoongi's great with kids. He's kind of quiet, so people often assume he's super serious and grumpy and stuff. But he likes people who are outgoing and loud and really different from himself, because we give him energy." Hoseok was interrupted by Tae's tug on his sleeve, quietly demanding he return his full attention back to their building-block village, and away from Tae's father.
Hoseok obliged. "You'll just have to make sure you pester Yoongi extra hard, okay? He won't admit it, but he loves attention. Can you take care of him while I'm gone, Tae-Tae?"
Tae frowned. "But I don't want you to," he said. "If you leave, who makes the dance studio?"
Hoseok sent an aww face over his shoulder at Namjoon, who clutched at his heart as though someone had shot him.
He went back to the building-block dance studio. "Don't worry," Hoseok said. "Yoongi's an excellent builder. He's in school for architecture."
"Really?" Namjoon asked, from his place on the couch, a safe distance from the construction. ("Appa, can you help from over there?" Taehyung had said when Namjoon offered. "Me and Hoseokie-hyung can build. You can help when we knock it down.")
"What's ark-iten-sure?" Taehyung asked.
"Architecture is the study of building design," Namjoon said, right as the doorbell rang. He stood, rubbing Tae's hair on the way to the door. "You're an awesome architect."
When Namjoon opened the door, he locked eyes with Min Yoongi. Hoseok said he was 20, but with his small doll face and short stature he looked even younger. "Mr. Kim?" Yoongi said, holding out his hand. Namjoon took it, returning Yoongi's gentle smile and stepping aside to let him in.
"Yoongi!" Hoseok called brightly, smiling big even by his standards. Yoongi's polite expression melted to something just a couple shades warmer when his eyes landed on Hoseok. Interesting.
"Hobi," he said. "You told me you wanted to introduce me to your friend?"
Taehyung was not often a shy child, but he wasn't a big fan of change. He gave Yoongi a wary look, ducking behind Hoseok's legs when Hoseok stood. Tae tugged on Hoseok's shirt until Hoseok hoisted him onto his hip. When he tilted his ear, Tae whispered something into it through cupped hands.
"Why'd he call me 'Hobi'?" Hoseok repeated aloud. Tae sent a furtive look toward Yoongi, as though embarrassed he knew Tae asked about him, and hid his face by wrapping his arms around Hoseok's neck. "Great question. Do you want to explain or should I?" Hoseok brought Tae within a close-ish distance to Yoongi.
"I can, if you'd like," Yoongi said. His voice was quite low, and gentle. Tae peeked under his own arm at the intruder, head resting on Hoseok's collarbone. "You know how Hoseok loves to dance?" Tae nodded furiously, still hanging on for dear life. "Well, the other dancers gave him cool dancer nicknames, and they always seemed to have the word Hope, cause he's so hopeful, and it kinda sounds like Hoseok. Do you think that's a fitting word for him, too?"
Tae seemed to deliberate on this for a moment longer, before sending Hoseok a quick look and nodding, ducking further under his neck. His arms relaxed, and Hoseok's face wore a fond smile, although Namjoon couldn't tell if it was for Yoongi or Tae or both.
"Well, anyway, I got jealous of everyone else having hope-nicknames for him, so I made up my own. I think Hobi's cute, so it fits. But you can use it too if you want."
Tae sat up in Hoseok's arms, looking into his face, and then back to Yoongi again. Eventually, he shook his head. "That's okay. Do you know ark-iten-sure?"
Namjoon chuckled quietly. It never took Tae long to forget these temporary bouts of shyness. Yoongi took advantage of the opening, stepping forward. "I do. Do you want me to tell you about it?"
Tae gave his signature wiggle that meant down now, please; Hoseok obliged. Tae grabbed both their hands and dragged them toward the area of the living room that had been a designated building zone. "Yes please. I need to know where to put Jimin's house."
Later, after Hoseok had walked Yoongi through Taehyung's goodnight routine and said goodbye, Namjoon sat down with Yoongi and a cup of tea at the kitchen table. "Hoseok told you I need a substitute babysitter?"
Yoongi nodded, sipping on his freshly-brewed coffee. "Yeah. He's the reason I started babysitting at all. I always liked kids, but I just never thought I'd be any good at it, until he had me sub in for him every once in a while. As you can imagine, he's the kind of person that people meet and instantly want to shove their kids in his arms," he said, no small amount of softness on his face, "so he started referring parents to me when the schedules work out. Somehow, from there it became my main job outside of school—but that's Hoseok for you." Yoongi hid his smile with his coffee mug.
Namjoon hummed. "So, how long have you been together?"
Yoongi choked on a mouthful of coffee, liquid flying over the mug before he could put it down and cough it out. Namjoon shot to his feet in alarm, getting paper towels and later water when Yoongi kept coughing. "Sorry," Yoongi croaked. "You just caught me off guard. We're not dating."
Namjoon couldn't say he was entirely surprised to hear that, although it did make him feel bad that he'd still asked when Yoongi was drinking. "Really?" he said instead. "Sorry, it's not my business. You're just... familiar. With each other. That's all."
Yoongi cleared his throat, taking another sip of the water. "Aha. Yeah. I guess. Ahem." His face was quite pink: although, that was to be expected after choking on hot coffee. Joon shook his head.
"Um. Anyways. So, obviously I need you for the two weeks after next while Hoseok's out of town. Although... do you have any space for another kid in your schedule? I have this friend Jin and he's also a single dad, and his kid Jimin is, like, the sweetest child alive? However, he's also really attached to Jin and the only person who's been able to watch Jimin for an extended period of time without a full meltdown is me, since Jimin knows me and Tae. But you have this kind of relaxed vibe, and I think a regular babysitter would help with the whole attachment thing. It would be awesome if Hoseok could do it but I know he has a schedule conflict—"
"Mr. Kim," Yoongi said (Hyung is fine, Namjoon insisted). The serene expression had returned, and he took a sip of coffee. "I have space, depending on when he needs me. I'm no Hoseok, but he tells me I often have a calming energy on anxious kids." Yoongi snorted. "He even calls me the baby-whisperer, which is ridiculous coming from him."
Namjoon let out a breath. "Really? That's great news. I mean, I love Jiminie, and if it were up to Tae they would be attached by a red string tied to their pinkies at all times—which they sometimes do, fair warning—but I was going crazy taking care of two toddlers during work hours so often. Are you free this week? We could set up a park playdate with you and Hoseok again while he's still in town, get Tae and Jimin both more familiar with you while Hoseok and I are there as mediating presences. Although, I don't know how necessary it is for Tae considering I think he would already wear shoes if you asked, but." Namjoon shrugged one shoulder, sipping his tea. "Red string."
Yoongi smiled and nodded. "No problem. I'm excited to meet him, and your friend Jin. He must have been really convincing to get you to watch Jimin during work hours so many times, since Hoseok tells me you're very diligent about keeping work and kids separate."
It was Namjoon's turn to try not to choke, but he managed far more success than Yoongi had. "You'll see when you meet them," Namjoon replied, clearing his throat. "They have faces that are very hard to say no to."