Chapter Text
The first time Yoongi saw Hoseok, he thought he was hearing, rather than seeing, wrong.
It was the second week of the semester away from home, away from Korea.
He was walking through campus to get to the library as fast as possible, the windy day making it almost impossible, but he made it just in time for the meeting with the person in charge of the exchange program, and to meet the counselor.
As soon as he crossed the wooden door, his eyes collided with a figure standing near the entrance, speaking in very fluent Korean. His initial thought was that it was a language student; that it was impossible for him to find someone from his country in the same program as him. But when the person turned, he was surprised to find someone looking just as nervous, or scared, as him.
“I gotta go now, I’m already late,” the heavy satoori slipping out of his tongue, “thank you noona. Talk to you later…”
Yoongi realized he had been staring when the guy smiled tentatively at him, and without a word, he slipped past him and onto the area the meeting was taking place, a small blush creeping on his cheeks.
'Calm down, Yoongi.'
He took a seat, just as the counselor introduced himself. In the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the guy from before, taking a chair a couple of seats away from him.
“Welcome to NYU. I’m Namjoon Kim, and I’ll be your counselor during your stay in New York,” a dimpled smile comforted more than one student feeling anxious about being alone, “I see a lot of faces from all over the world, and I’m truly happy to welcome you since I’m a foreigner myself.”
A soft murmur echoed around for a bit, “Why don’t we start introducing ourselves? Let’s break the ice before going to the rules,” Namjoon continued, and the murmur became louder.
A timid hand rose in the air, and Namjoon happily encouraged him to speak.
“Hello,” the guy cleared his throat and smiled hesitantly, “I’m Jung Hoseok or Hoseok Jung,” he struggled to say in awkward English, while he chuckled, “I’m from South Korea, and I’m a dance major.”
“Welcome, Hoseok. It’s nice seeing a familiar face,” Namjoon winked and went along with the introductions.
Yoongi, being the shy flower he was, only stared longingly at them, wanting to feel anchored to what was familiar to him.
By the time it was his turn, he stood and gave a tight-lipped smile, “Min Yoongi, music major,” he said, feeling like a robot.
Namjoon, once again, smiled and recited the ‘welcome’ words.
“I believe everyone has noticed by now,” Namjoon started once the introductions were done, “every one of you belongs to the Music and Performing Arts program, so that’s why I was assigned to you. I’m a music major and I’ve been around for two years now, please feel free to reach out to me if you have any problem or if you have any questions. We’ll be meeting every two weeks and…”
Yoongi tuned him out when he caught Hoseok staring at him.
Instead of turning and ignoring him, he stared back.
He quickly scanned Hoseok's features; brown-ish hair, a subtle sharp nose, small eyes, and lips that were somewhere between plump and thin. Pulling his eyes back to meet with the others', he saw how Hoseok eyed him in the same way that he did and smiled.
Feeling slightly flustered, he turned his attention back to the discussion, but in a blur, the meeting was over, and everyone made their way out; Hoseok now making his way towards him, and Yoongi felt himself panic.
“Hey…” Hoseok smiled.
“Hey,” Yoongi tried and failed to return the smile.
A minute passed without a word, only stares at each other until they were interrupted.
“Seokie,” Namjoon approached them both, “you should’ve told me you were in my group.”
“I didn’t know…”
“I’m Hoseok’s friend from back home,” he supplied at Yoongi’s confused expression.
“Nice to meet you,” Yoongi muttered feeling out of place, and turned to leave.
“Wait!” it was Hoseok who grabbed his hand, “I was wondering if you wanted to join us for dinner?”
Yoongi thought he was hearing, again, wrong. Seeing Hoseok still holding onto his hand, he asked in disbelief, “I’m sorry, what?”
“Dinner, Yoongi,” Hoseok looked funnily at him, and in Yoongi’s opinion, it did something just as funny to his stomach, “I asked if you wanted to join us for dinner.”
͌
What started as an invitation to one dinner eventually turned into a recurring thing between the three of them.
That night, after they left the building and made their way to the small dining outside of campus, Yoongi had been so incredibly nervous. Mostly because he truly wanted to get along with them.
However, in the middle of the laughs, of the sounds of their plates as they ate, in the middle of each bite, Yoongi felt his insecurities slip away. The comfort of talking in their native tongue, making him more comfortable as each second passed. Perhaps, his stay wasn't going to be so bad.
Despite having different schedules, they got to see each other pretty often.
He shared a couple of classes with Namjoon and the same dorms with Hoseok.
That first month, the formula was Namjoon + Yoongi + Hoseok.
Some days, it was Namjoon + Yoongi.
And some others, Yoongi + Hoseok.
Yoongi soon realized how much he liked the latter.
“Yoon?” Hoseok asked before placing himself in the seat opposite him, “Guess what?”
He made a sound indicating that he was listening while chewing on his sandwich.
“Natalia is hosting a Halloween party at the girls’ dorm.”
“The girl from our exchange group?” Hoseok nodded, “isn’t that illegal?”
“It is,” he smiled cheekily, “but they’re keeping it low.”
“And what does it has to do with me?” Yoongi raised an eyebrow.
“That you’re coming with me,” Hoseok declared with confidence, and Yoongi… Yoongi felt his heart jump in something that could be described as excitement.
“What about Joon? Can’t he go with you?” he tried not to show his true emotions but in the process, Hoseok ended up pouting.
“I mean, I can ask him…” he spoke softly, “but I’d be ruining his plans to take Jimin out… besides, I wanted to go with you…”
“Oh…” his heart was now doing summersaults.
“It’s a couple-costume party, I thought it’d be nice if we go together, but if you don’t want to, then it’s okay.”
“No. No,” Yoongi hurried to say, “I want to.”
“You do?” Hoseok shyly smiled before it spread into a huge grin.
Yoongi was enamored.
Seeing him laugh with excitement as he started to come with ideas for their costumes, Yoongi couldn’t keep his smile at bay.
He stared adoringly and listened (and agreed) to everything Hoseok said.
He was so gone for the boy it hadn’t occurred to him that all those butterflies, all those funny feelings were because he had a crush on him.
The first to notice was, of course, Namjoon.
They were writing lyrics in their notepads, sitting on the performing theater, as Hoseok practiced his routine.
Yoongi abruptly stopped when he couldn’t find the right word for the sentence, and instead, chose to stare at Hoseok in the hopes of getting more inspired.
He got lost on his moves, that he didn’t feel Namjoon creeping onto his shoulder, and whisper, “you like him, don’t you?”
“I. What. I…” he choked on his words, and Namjoon barked a laugh.
“You know,” he kept talking softly for Hoseok not to hear, “he keeps talking about that costume party… he just can’t keep you out of his mouth.”
“What does that mean?” Yoongi asked, the blush furiously showing on his cheeks.
“You know what it means,” Namjoon dismissed his notepad, “maybe, you should make a move. After all, it’s your turn since Hoseok put it on motion.”
“He doesn’t like me like that,” he croaked in response.
“Don’t be silly, Yoon,” again, he barked a laugh, and Yoongi turned to Hoseok in fear he had overheard their conversation.
“Keep it quiet, Joon,” he hissed.
“Come on, Yoongi. Just listen to me,” Namjoon whispered as Hoseok cut the music and was nearing them, “you’ll soon be thanking me.”
Seeing Hoseok approaching them, looking like the cutest boy on earth, despite being so sweaty, he wondered if indeed, he was going to be thanking Namjoon soon.
So Yoongi pondered his options for the next couple of days.
The rational part of him told him not to be stupid, that it was too risky.
The other part was craving Hoseok more. From their little moments sharing lunch to the ones when it was just the two of them being lazy on bed, he knew he wanted Hoseok in a more different way than just friends, so he was ready to spill the truth any minute.
Putting his fears aside, on Halloween night, he knocked on Hoseok’s room.
He waited for a bit and then, the boy was opening the door with a flirty gleam in his eyes and a lollipop close to his lips.
Hoseok looked stunning.
Yoongi gulped nervously as he took in the image of his crush in front of him dressed in all black; tight leather pants, a see-through shirt, and popping from next to him, a hot pink jacket.
“Hoseok,” it came out rather shaky.
“Tell me about it, stud,” Hoseok winked, full-on character, and came closer to Yoongi’s face to leave a soft peck on one of his cheeks.
It was then when he noticed the makeup on his face and the curls on his hair.
“You look so…” he was speechless, “so beautiful.”
He was hypnotized by Hoseok's beauty.
“Well, I had to look gorgeous for my Danny,” Hoseok shrugged and pushed him inside, “since he’s looking so handsome…” another wink that had Yoongi blushing all the way to his toes.
As promised, Yoongi had dressed as Danny Zuko and was holding a leather jacket and one cream sweater, “so which ones are we doing?” he asked, still mesmerized by Hoseok.
“Which one looks better?” Hoseok posed with the pink jacket and then with a leather one.
“Both,” Yoongi honestly replied, “You’re the best Sandy I have ever seen…” in my life, he wanted to add.
“Let’s go with leather, then,” Hoseok quickly put on the jacket as Yoongi did the same, “everyone’s going to be so jealous of me…” he said under his breath.
“Why?”
“Because I’ll be in your arms, Yoonie,” Hoseok squealed, and with that, they kicked off the night.
As soon as they sneaked into the girls’ dorm, all the oohs and aahs were on them.
“We’re the modern Danny and Sandy,” Hoseok explained to Jimin.
“You look really good together, Hobi,” the boy cooed, snapping one more photo of them.
Detaching from Yoongi’s hold, he hugged Jimin to his side and spoke into his ear, “can you please send them all to me? I don’t know if I’m brave enough to ask for a selfie myself.”
“Don’t worry,” Jimin pinched his cheek, “I’ll even frame them for you if you want.”
“Don’t give him ideas,” Namjoon said from behind them, scaring them in the process.
“Joonie,” his date for the night whined, “you’re lucky I like you so much. Otherwise…”
“He’ll drop your ass,” Hoseok finished for Jimin, before leaving them to place himself back at Yoongi’s side.
The living room of the dorm was small so the only guests had been the majority of the exchange group they were in, and their plus-ones, making the atmosphere more chill and enjoyable.
Sometime around midnight, was when Yoongi found that his crush on Hoseok was growing bigger than before and didn't know how to hide it.
He wasn’t very fond of dancing, but when Hoseok begged him to take him to the dance floor, he couldn’t say no.
Of course, he couldn’t say no to that face… Hoseok was indeed gorgeous at that moment. He had an aura around him that demanded the attention to be on him. He had this bright smile that put the others to shame, and the best part was that it was specially directed to him.
For a second, he wondered what it would feel to kiss Hoseok.
His lips looked so attractive and he wanted to just lean in and… but every time their bodies were flushed together as they continued dancing, it was either Hoseok or him, turning their heads in embarrassment before giving in to their desires.
Not even when they parted ways in their dorms, two hours later, they succumbed.
“Thank you so much for being my date I had so much fun,” Hoseok couldn’t stop smiling.
“Anything for you, Seokie,” he smiled just as big and, to be honest? They both looked like a pair of idiots in love.
“See you tomorrow?”
“Sure…”
Hoseok was leaning in, so close to him that Yoongi could feel the breaths coming out of him, but at last, a sweet kiss was delivered close to the corner of his mouth.
“Goodnight, Yoon.”
His heart was beating faster than possible, and for the rest of the night, he couldn’t forget the brush of his lips near his own.
͌
Yoongi wanted to scream.
It was now December and the winter break was coming.
Ever since Halloween, he hadn’t worked up the courage to confess.
Namjoon had encouraged him endless times, suggesting to do it over a song, or over a date. He gave him reassurance that Hoseok felt the same way and that it wouldn’t be in vain.
But he just couldn’t do it.
Standing right outside of the dressing rooms, holding the prettiest bouquet he could find, after witnessing Hoseok’s powerful performance for the winter showcase, he waited for the main character of his affections to come out.
Namjoon had flown the day before to Korea, so the formula for the holidays was going to be Yoongi + Hoseok, that's why he was standing by himself.
He waited patiently by the door, seeing face after face smile at him in knowledge until Hoseok was in front of him holding his bag.
Shaking just a tiny bit, he extended the flowers and puffed, “these are for you.”
“Yoon,” Hoseok breathed his name, the warmest smile on his face, before engulfing him in a tight hug, “I love them. Thank you so much.”
“You haven’t even take a look at them,” Yoongi relaxed and snaked his arms around the boy’s waist.
“They’re from you,” he said against his neck as if it was reason enough to love them.
“You were amazing, you are amazing,” Yoongi congratulated him and left a kiss on his forehead, causing them to blush profusely.
It was a cute scene.
Two boys, holding onto one another, blushing, and giggling to themselves… people around them were oblivious of what were they saying, considering they weren’t speaking in English, but the picture alone, suggested that they were having one of those moments. One of those moments in which you were with your beloved one. In which nothing else mattered but them.
Yoongi felt the words tickling on his tongue, ready to come out at the sight of Hoseok staring with adoration at him.
Instead of just confessing, in a moment of bravery, he leaned closer and left a kiss on his nose before saying, “let’s go home, sunshine.”
He didn’t know how or when he started calling Hoseok with pet names, but the more he said them, the more he seemed to come out with new ones.
They were back at the dorms, laying in Hoseok’s bed staring at the ceiling when Yoongi started to caress the wet hair out of his forehead and whisper sweet things, “you worked so hard, prince. Hyung is so proud of you.”
Hoseok hummed in content and closed the distance between their bodies to find comfort in Yoongi’s warmth, “I know you were watching so…” the unsaid words lingering in the air.
To say that it was surprising how they hadn’t even kissed once, despite both of them feeling the same way, was an understatement.
Yoongi felt his heart race in anticipation as Hoseok hid his face in the crook of his neck and started to leave light feather kisses, making a trail all the way up to his ear, “thank you for coming tonight, Yoonie. I loved seeing you there,” another kiss on the corner of his mouth.
“I'll be there always, angel... always ready to cheer you up.”
They just needed a small push in the right direction…
On Christmas Eve, they were gathered with the rest of the group, who couldn’t fly back to their respective homes, for a dinner party.
The invitation had clearly pointed to wear ugly sweaters, so Hoseok and Yoongi showed up wearing ones that formed a cute snowman when they stood next to each other and illuminated with a series of lights attached to the fabric.
“I think I’ve got enough showing the snowman,” Jimin put down his phone to instruct them into a new pose, “how about a hug now? Prom style.”
Hoseok had laughed while shaking his head in denial but without coercion, he hugged Yoongi tightly and laid his head on his chest. Yoongi quickly returning the hug, put one arm around his shoulders while the other was bopping Hoseok’s nose.
They were so entranced in their display of affection, that they didn’t notice Jimin snapping photo after photo; one that would end up being their favorite: Hoseok peeking shyly at Yoongi under his lashes, and Yoongi smiling so, so softly at the boy.
That night, Yoongi decided that it was the night.
He let the dinner take its course.
He wished everyone a Merry Christmas.
And when it was time to say their goodbyes, he held Hoseok’s hand as they bid their farewells and exited the building.
The long walk back to their dorm, they did it almost in silence.
Hoseok was smiling to himself, occasionally side hugging him, as if waiting for something.
When they entered Yoongi’s room, they quickly prepared for bed and Yoongi just couldn’t find the right moment.
Or the right words.
So when they laid in his bed and let themselves drift off to sleep, he kissed the sleeping form of Hoseok on his brow, and whispered, “I’m so gone for you, baby,” and closed his eyes, not noticing the huge grin that Hoseok couldn’t contain and the way he mouthed a ‘so am I’ against his neck.
͌
Yoongi woke up that Christmas morning with Hoseok tangled in his arms.
As the firsts rays of light sneaked through the only window in the room, Yoongi opened one eye to make sure the curtains were closed, but when he saw how Hoseok's lips were in a pout from squishing his face against his chest, he couldn’t go back to sleep.
Hoseok looked so peaceful in his sleep; light snoring coming out of his mouth, while his arms and legs pulled Yoongi to himself.
Minutes, hours… Yoongi didn’t know how long he admired the boy’s beauty in silence and wondered what had he done so right to be in this moment with the one that he loved the most.
Because yes.
Yoongi had made a truce with his feelings and admitted to being in love with Hoseok.
He just needed to confess.
No biggie.
Being so distracted in his thoughts, Yoongi didn’t notice Hoseok removing from his hold and scratching the sleep out of his eyes before saying, “Good morning, Yoon. Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas, Seokie,” a lazy smile spread on his face as Hoseok yawned and went to retrieve something from his bag.
“Here,” Hoseok placed a gift on his lap, “I hope you like it.”
It was a black oversized turtleneck sweater that Yoongi had eyed from the vintage store close to the train station.
“I saw how much you wanted it, so…”
“I love it,” Yoongi replied in a shriek, and gave him a tight hug, “thank you so much, sunshine.”
Now it was his turn.
Retrieving a small box from the bedside drawer, Yoongi took a shaky breath and gave him the present, “I know it’s not much but, I really, really, hope you like it.”
Hoseok, as eager as he was, took the box in his hands and slowly opened it.
Inside was a locket shaped in the form of an eclipse, a sun engulfing a moon. Unclasping it, Hoseok let a whine out when he saw the picture inside. A photo from three weeks ago, both of them squishing their cheeks to each other as they tried to get the Christmas tree from Rockefeller plaza in the frame.
“I, I, I love it,” Hoseok stuttered, eyes getting teary as he read the sentence that was engraved inside.
«My friend, my person, my desire, my pride… you become my heart, my one and only love».
“I’ve been meaning to tell you for quite a while, now,” Yoongi scratched the back of his head, a nervous habit Hoseok knew too well, “I can’t count how many times I’ve tried to tell you… to find the right moment or the right words, so…”
“I don’t think I’ve told you before but, thanks,” he continued, “if you hadn’t invited me to dinner that night we met, I don’t think we’ve been here…”
“Yoon,” Hoseok smiled softly, and Yoongi put a finger on his mouth.
“I know we had a lot of opportunities to cross paths again if you hadn’t invited me or if I had rejected you, and Joon, of course, but we don’t know for sure if that would have even worked… I’m just thankful… for that night, for Joon, for you…”
“There are tons of people here in New York City, and yet, I found you,” he continued as Hoseok listened intently, “Not even when we are in the same college back in Seoul, but here, thousands of miles away from home… I was in class the other day and the teacher put this song that resonated with me. It said that the best thing that you can do while being in New York City, is to fall in love… and I did. I fell in love with you.”
Hoseok gasped in surprise, and his eyes became even tearier than before.
“I fell in love with you, Seokie,” he got closer to him, “I fell in love with your smile,” a soft caress against his lips, “I fell in love with you over our weekly dinners with Joon,” one against his cheeks, “I fell in love with your passion for dance,” he put a strand of hair away from him, “I fell in love when I was next to you, and when you weren’t next to me. I fell in love with everything you are. I fell in love with your soul.”
“Yoongi,” Hoseok’s lip was quivering from containing all of his emotions.
“At this point, I just can’t imagine myself without you… I hope we can remain together even when we go back to Korea, because…”
“Don’t say it.”
“I…”
“Don’t.”
“I love you,” he finally confessed. Loud and clear.
“Yoongi!!” Hoseok let a squeal out before tackling Yoongi to his bed, “I told you not to say it,” he sobbed and refused to leave his neck.
“Why?” Yoongi asked fondly while his hand caressed his back and felt the breaths tickling on the sensitive skin of his neck, “Talk to me, baby.”
“Because I love you too,” the muffled sounds were clear enough but for clarification, Hoseok left his hiding place, and both their eyes collided, “because I love you too,” he repeated, “because I’m so in love with you that I can’t control myself with you confessing your love for me.”
In complete bliss, Yoongi switched positions, and he was now hovering over Hoseok, “my sweet, sweet Seokie. I love you so much,” and bathed him with kisses all over his face.
“Stop!!” Hoseok yelped.
“Sorry, I can’t,” more kisses were delivered.
“Please.”
“I will if you say it again.”
“Fine.”
“I’m waiting…”
“I love you, Yoonie. So much.”
Yeah… life at that moment was so incredibly sweet.
͌
Looking back in time, Yoongi couldn’t have asked for a better first kiss.
Despite having confessed that Christmas morning, they didn’t even share a peck that day, or the following ones, mainly because they were both too embarrassed to make the first move.
Yoongi rambled to Namjoon on the phone, looking for advice.
But the older only said, “don’t be silly, Yoon. Just go and kiss him. If you can’t, then do it on new year’s eve.”
So that was the plan.
On the last night of the year, they made plans to spend it on Times Square just like the movies.
But the reality came short of their expectations.
There were lots of people around them, noise, and a bone wrecker cold as they stood in the heart of Times Square to watch the ball drop.
They watched all the performances through the gigantic screen right in front of them.
They stood close to each other and held their hands when the crowd got bigger.
“Stick close, baby,” he whispered in one of Hoseok’s ear.
As the time got closer to midnight, people started searching and reaching for their loved ones. Yoongi smiling because he had his one and only in his arms.
Everything was ready to go.
The clock began its countdown and the fuss became louder.
Person after person pulled out their phones to catch the moment the ball would drop, but neither of them was exactly paying attention because they knew what was going to happen when the cheers for ‘Happy New Year’ erupted.
Thirty seconds.
Hoseok snapped a quick selfie.
Twenty-one seconds.
Yoongi took a photo on his phone for his family.
Fifteen seconds.
They stared into each other’s eyes.
Ten seconds.
And the crowd went crazy.
“Nine,” they cheered along.
“Eight.”
“Seven.”
“Six.”
“Five.”
“Four.”
“Three.”
“Two.”
“One.”
"HAPPY NEW YEAR."
Everyone shouted and all the screens turned to the banner before changing to the fireworks and the traditional ball drop.
Soft music started playing in the background as all the couples shared their kisses.
Hoseok smiled so, so fondly at Yoongi, who returned the smile with the same emotion, and then, their lips collided into a shattering kiss.
“Happy new year, my dear Seokie,” he said against his lips before kissing him again.
“Happy new year, love you so much,” Hoseok replied between kisses.
It was good.
It was great.
Maybe a little too cliché.
But Yoongi wouldn’t have it any other way.
He loved his Seokie that much to not care.
After all, it was one of Yoongi’s favorite memories.