AGE ELEVEN
when hoseok returned back to school, he was quickly introduced to kim jin by an estatic namjoon and an appauled yoongi. hoseok, being the bright angel he was, immediately befriended namjoon's new crush and was completely content with the new additon to their trio. yoongi was disappointed in this, hoping hoseok would feel the same about seokjin. but of course, jin was very likeable and attractive and hoseok was just a really nice, nonjudgemental person. so things didn't turn out the way yoongi wanted. sigh. oh well.
about a year later, they and a bunch of their classmates were invited to seokjin's grand birthday party. yuck, thought yoongi. no way i'm going.
he went anyway, thanks to the annoying persuasiveness from hoseok and the nagging from his mother.
yoongi arrives at seokjin's large, expensive house with a giant frown and no birthday present. he doesn't care. seokjin probably wouldn't notice anyway, for the sprialing tower of endless presents seemed enough for a small boy like him.
his glare softens as he sees hoseok, standing with the others by the tower of gifts and examining the countless bundles of ribbon and patterns.
"hobi!" yoongi calls immediately, running over to his best friend.
"hello!" hoseok giggles and tackles yoongi into a hug. he swings his arm over yoongi's shoulders and they join the crowd of excited children.
after a few games with the other kids the two troublemakers find themselves away from the group, playing their own games while the others do their thing. that was yoongi's ideal way of spending his time; just him and hoseok together and blissfully lost in their own whimsical world of mischef and happiness.
"yoongi look!" hoseok squeals, tugging at yoongi's flimsy sleeve. the smaller boy tilts his head sideways and observes a bright, royal blue butterfly, lazily fluttering atop the creamy white petals of the flowers. its beautiful wings flap inward and outward, gently and slowly. almost like it was trying to secretly communicate a message.
"wow," yoongi utters, eyes widened at the miraculous insect.
"it's pretty, isn't it?" says hoseok in awe.
"mhm..."
hoseok looks up at yoongi, an amused heart-shaped smile mischievously plastered onto his face. "you're prettier though."
yoongi wants to combust.
"oh...?" he meekly squeaks, a flustered blush blooming rapidly across his pale cheeks.
hoseok giggles at yoongi's flusteredness and playfully nudges his shoulder.
a sudden shriek of apparent joy and the frantic whine of "namjoonie!" caused the two to turn their heads in curiosity.
not too far from them, namjoon hugs seokjin by his back, picks him up, and tries to twirl him around, earning jin's relentless and blissful laughter. he squeals in delight, stopping to lay his head into namjoon's shoulder and plant innocent kisses all over his cheeks.
ugh. yoongi imagines what would happen if he were to suddenly chuck a rock at them. would they stop being gross then? probably not. it's been only a year and they can never not flirt with each other. why won't they stop? god. what if he runs them over with a car? hmm maybe... what about a lawnmower?
yoongi snaps out of his daze as hoseok releases a dreamy sigh.
"how does it feel to love someone?" hoseok wonders dazedly as he admires his two friends.
"i-i um... you want to marry them! and you think they're pretty or handsome..." yoongi spoke, blushing as he subconsciously glanced at the enticed hoseok.
"oh!" the taller boy exclaims in realization, "....then i might wanna marry someone! mhm!"
yoongi almost immediately feels a strange spark inside him; a burning fire lit when hoseok spoke those words. he turns to his friend with a surprised, almost hopeful expression. he wonders nervously: is it me? is it me? does hobi love me?
"w-who?" yoongi asks curiously, his eyes wider than saucers.
the taller boy glances around the play yard before frowning, puzzled and turning back with a perplexed expression, "uh i dunno, namjoon...?"
WHAT?!
"n-namjoon-?" yoongi whimpers, all his hope diminishing at once. "b-but why? why namjoon?"
he doesn't understand. hoseok was just pleastantly smiling at seokjin and namjoon a minute ago, how can he want to marry someone when he wants that same person to marry a different person...? sometimes hoseok was so damn unreadable.
"i like him!" hoseok decides, nodding eagerly at his friend.
"b-but! is namjoon better than me?" yoongi asks, his voice cracking. he digs his fingernails into his palms angrily, furiously livid at the thought of hoseok paying more of his precious attention to someone other than him.
"huh?" hoseok replies distractedly.
"i'm better than namjoon! you have to love me more than namjoon!" yoongi argues.
"of course, you're my best friend!" hoseok flashes a goofy smile.
yoongi frantically shakes his head, even more befuddled. "so then you don't love namjoon!"
hoseok cocks his head to the side in confusion, bewildered by this.
"you have to love your crush more than anyone else in the world or you don't have a real crush on them," yoongi explains. "and since you love me more, you can't like namjoon!" obviously.
hoseok ponders this for a few seconds, before breaking into a giant grin. "i guess you're right yoonie! maybe i don't like him!"
yoongi lets out a long breath of relief. thank god hoseok believes everything yoongi says. even if he makes up complete bullshit anything he says is pretty plausible to his friend.
there's a diminutive flash of cobalt blue and yoongi quickly recognizes the vibrant, extended wings of the delicate butterfly gently flailing through the sweet air. the insect flies off of its perch and effortlessly twirls into the wide, open atomsphere.
the previous conversation is forgotten as the boys stare wide-eyed at the retreating creature, gazing in awe as it gracefully vanishes into the pale blue sky.
"i wonder where it's going ..." yoongi murmurs.
"i don't know, heaven maybe?"
"heaven?" yoongi questions, amused. "why? do you think it'll die?"
hoseok shrugs, "maybe. the worst is happening when you least expect it."
yoongi frowns.
—
a/n – was that last line even correct grammar lol