Note: I should have updated this chapter like a week ago I'm so sorry (I'm losing my sense of time lol) but I hope you enjoy <3
___
Stepping off the plane Yoongi was greeted by Namjoon and Seokjin's welcoming arms, "Hyung! Oh my god, Hyung we missed you!" The two of them cried as Yoongi was enveloped with the warmth of his friends.
He was still tired from the plane and the rather previous late night, but he still managed to smile, "Yah, your acting like I died or something" causing the three of them to laugh as Yoongi hugged his friends back, mumbling, "But I missed you guys too."
_
It had been way, way too long since Yoongi had had Seokjin's famous kimchi fried rice, and he noticed from the seat across Namjoon, that the olders café was busier than he'd remembered it.
Namjoon noticed with a chuckle, "Yeah, business has been booming lately, they let me advertise his café in our paper." Yoongi noticed the youngers gaze shifting towards the counter not too far from where they sat, Namjoon's boyfriend, alive with laughter, bustling with energy and a smile as he made drinks for the guests. Namjoon beamed a fond smile, "You know, we've been talking and..."
Yoongi smirked, "And...?"
The youngers gaze returned to Yoongi's, dimples carving into his cheeks like canyons, "I think Jin and I are going to move in together."
Yoongi almost choked on his drink, "Y-you what?! But...I mean I'm happy for you, and it's about damn time too...but...but woah..." After a moment, once the initial shock had passed the smile that rested on Yoongi's features was gum filled and spilling into his eyes, "I'm happy for you Joon. I mean it, it's about damn time." The two boys laughed.
But then, not a moment later, Namjoon started, "So you found someone over there huh? What's she like? Tell me you at least agreed to write eachother?"
Yoongi, this time, did choke on his drink, speaking through coughs, "Wh-what?! Who-who told you that?!"
Namjoon just smiled proudly, "Nobody, hyung. But ever since you came back you've been..." He trailed off a moment, searching for the right words, "Happier? Like, your glowing. Honestly, I only see you like this when you're looking at Holly, but it's like...all the time now." He laughed, "Either your just really happy to be back, or your in love."
The older didn't deny either, before he could say anything, Seokjin swooped in, sitting in the chair next to Namjoon, "Aish, it's finally slowed down a bit," His smile turned a little more intrigued, "I heard the word love and came immediately. Has our little Yoongi finally found a girl?"
Yoongi could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, could feel their knowing and curious smiles burning into his skin. He looked down, he wasn't afraid to tell his friends, wasn't afraid to tell the two people before him anything, really, but this...he didn't know how. Where to start really, so he settled on, "He. Um..."
"HE?!" Seokjin barked from across the table, eyes wide and the smile on his face contagious as Namjoon was wearing the same expression, "I knew it. God Yoongi, why didn't you just tell us?"
And Yoongi chuckled, "What's there to tell about that? I wasn't...I wasn't looking for it in any certain way...and I certainly wasn't expecting it, it just kinda...happened?"
His two friends who sat across from him wore warm smiles, and Yoongi wondered, he wondered how he had them, how lucky he had gotten to have them in his life. He smiled back.
Seokjin's voice was kind when he spoke, endearing, almost, "Tell us about him."
And Yoongi didn't know how to fit his thoughts, his emotions, the universe that was Hoseok into words, didn't know if it was possible, didn't know if he necessarily wanted too. But there was an excitement that washed over him as he couldn't contain his gum filled smile, "Well, God where do I even start? He's an idiot first and foremost, he laughs too loud, never stops talking, gets scared of his own shadow not to mention he's just so. Damn. Bright. All the time."
The boy could feel his smile only growing as he let a giggle slip through his lips, "But he's also sweet, he can be strong yet he can be soft, he listens, looks at you like you matter, like...like you really matter, he's funny and somehow he thinks I'm funny, oh and he's selfless." Yoongi laughed, "It's going to get him killed one day I swear."
But then, as soon as he heard the words leave his mouth, his smile dropped along with his heart, "No. No I didn't mean that, he's coming back soon. He wants to meet you two."
Seokjin and Namjoon's smiles were bittersweet, joyous and kind all until the end, until the bitterness of reality came creeping into their conversation. Namjoon was the first to speak, "He sounds like a good man, really, like...the complete opposite of you but you know what they say,"
"Opposites attract." Seokjin finished, smiling towards his boyfriend before returning his gaze to Yoongi, "He'll come back. We have to meet him someday, that's just a fact."
Yoongi smiled, relieved, but not completely, he figured that he never would be until he had Hoseok back with him, safe, both of them. Seokjin continued, "But wait, have you told him how you feel? Does he feel the same way??"
The boy gave an awkward kind of laugh, "Ah...yeah...about that, well," Noticing his friends eager expressions he sighed, "Well, the last day I was there we had a few drinks, just us, and he...well, we, kinda kissed." Yoongi's blush was full on now as he noticed his friends, literally, on the edge of their seats, "He kinda confessed that night, but I-"
"Did you tell him how you felt?" An eager Namjoon asked.
"See, that's the thing. I was really just overwhelmed, I didn't even know that I liked him, you know, in that way. But when we kissed it was like...it was like the stars were in line, we were meant to fit and all it took was a kiss to know. To feel full, not the kind that you feel after eating, but the kind you feel after a good laugh, like, he filled my heart...completely."
Yoongi hadn't notice himself digressing, or his unfocused gaze as he thought about the heart shaped smiling boy a sea away, not until Seokjin snapped him out of his thoughts, "Yoongi, what happened after you two kissed?"
The boy's smile dropped a little, "Well, a little bit after that we were just enjoying each other's company, but eventually I dragged him to bed, you see he's a lightweight. He can't really hold his alcohol."
"Oh no..." Namjoon whispered.
"Yep. In the morning, he didn't remember a thing. He was completely drunk the night before I guess, who knows if he even felt that way." Yoongi spoke, his smile turning bittersweet, but a smile nonetheless.
Seokjin, however, was still confused, "Wait, so he didn't remember a thing? He woke up acting like everything was normal? Why are you smiling are you okay with that?"
Namjoon laughed, "Woah, slow down there tiger, one question at a time, he just came back from war remember?"
Yoongi playfully rolled his eyes, "Oh hush, no he didn't remember a thing, or at least, he acted like he didn't. He saw me off with the rest of the group before I left, he looked like he was about to cry but I'm pretty sure he would cry if anyone in our group left."
"Then why are you still smiling? You basically just said he wasn't conscious when he kissed you?"
"Because now I know how I feel." Yoongi looked up, more determined than he'd ever felt in his entire life, more sure than anything, "And when he comes back, I'm going to tell him. He's going to be completely sober and I'm going to tell him exactly how I feel."
His two friends looked towards each other before looking back towards Yoongi, soft smiles on their features as Namjoon spoke, "Yoongi, we're so happy for you. Really, we've never seen you smile this much and we want to help in any way we can. We're here for you, always."
That caused Yoongi to smile even more, less bitter and a lot more sweet, honest, "I know."
Seokjin questioned this time, "So when is lover boy coming back home?"
Half of Yoongi's smile fell as he looked down, "See, that's the thing. We have no idea."
_
"Min Yoongi, congratulations on your promotion. Your photos and story were really something, stirred up a lot of attention, you did good." The man who was standing in front of Yoongi's desk spoke, his boss, to be exact.
Yoongi smirked, "Thanks Kyung-soo, looks like all you gotta do is sell some generic good vs evil story to get promoted around here. Not a bad deal."
Kyung-soo narrowed his eyes, "Yoongi I don't like that attitude. You know who you still work for correct." His voice, more of a statement than a question, "And you know you're not the only one working here. We sell stories, we sell what people want to hear." He began to walk out of Yoongi's new office, the heavy air making the room feel bigger than its actual size, before walking through the door the man spoke, "And Yoongi, some of us have families too feed."
Yoongi sighed as soon as the man left, heavy and tired as he looked out the window of his new office, showcasing the grey New York sky's and the bustling streets below it. He wondered...he wondered what he was doing.
_
Checking the mail after a long day of work Yoongi smiled, a letter from Hoseok. The boy practically ran up the stairs to his apartment, greeted by an energetic little Min Holly, "Hey there boy, I missed you too, Seok-ah sent us something!" Yoongi smiled, sheding his jacket and things before excitedly walking out in his balcony, taking a deep breath as he sat on his bench, letting the cities waves wash over him as Holly curled up in his lap.
He stared at the unopened letter in his hand, mindlessly petting the little animal, "God...so much has changed Holly. So much has happened, a promotion at work, we moved into this bigger apartment, Jin and Namjoon are moving in together." But he sighed, than, looking up towards the clouded sky, the cold wind demanding to be felt, "But then again, I guess some things never change Holly." He could feel his voice shake, waver in the wind but he didn't mind, not when it was just his dog there, when he was alone, it was okay, "I still think about him every day..."
After a moment of attempting to let the cold wind carry away the heaviness in his heart, he finally gave up, taking a deep breath, and went back inside. Holly following right behind.
_
Later that night, Yoongi woke up, rolling on his side to check the clock, four in the morning, just like every night.
An aggravated sigh left his lips, as he weakly punched the bed. Holly seemed to notice, jumping up to lick Yoongi's nose, which worked in relieving some of the anger that spilled through his veins like hot lava. Not all, but some.
"Holly, why is it, every night even though he's an ocean away, I wake up to his nightmares? But I'm not even there? Holly why do I keep waking up at the same time? I know he's over there, waking up from some unimaginable dream...like every night...but why aren't I there with him?"
The dog just lay in front of Yoongi, his eyes falling to a close as Yoongi closed his own eyes and smirked, petting the little animal, "Yeah, I guess you don't know either."
He waited for sleep to find him, he waited and waited, tried to blow his thoughts away from Hoseok but, it was as if his mind was a car that would drive in endless circles before parking in the same parking spot named Hoseok, every time.
Giving up on sleep, a fickle thing really, he reached across his bed side table to retrieve the letter. The one he'd mindlessly held close to him the whole night, unable to read it's contents. But now, now he just needed confirmation that he didn't completely make Hoseok up, that he was okay. He took a deep breath before letting his eyes adjust to the moonlight, and opened the letter,
Dear Min Yoongi,
Hey...you just left a few days ago, but your absence is felt by our whole group, we miss you. Especially me. But more than anything, we're happy that your safe, it gives us a sense of comfort that's indescribable.
Ever since you left it feels like the missions have become more frequent and tense, the tension between the north and us is rising, and sleep has been more difficult lately. I wish it wasn't like this, I wish I could see you again, but I know I have a duty, and you have yours. You're safe, hyung, that's all we could ask for.
Also...I don't know if I should say this in a letter, but I think the night before you left, I may have said some things or done some things that I shouldn't have. I can't remember much, and I don't know if it was a dream or not honestly...but whatever happened, I hope that you can forgive me.
I miss you.
You're friend,
Seok-ah
It wasn't until Yoongi saw the water filled dots sprinkle the page that he realized he was crying, a bittersweet taste filling his mouth and spreading to his chest as he just sat there with the letter clutched tightly in his hands,
And cried.
_
"Woah Yoongi you look like shit." Namjoon spoke, peeking his head through Yoongi's office door.
Yoongi waved him off with his hand, "What do you want Joon."
Namjoon walked in, sitting in the chair by Yoongi's desk, "You know the boss talked to me earlier about you, gave the whole, 'your position doesn't just affect you we have other people in the company who are relying on you to do well.' speech, told me to talk to you about it."
The boy didn't say anything, just continued editing the photos on his computer screen.
Sighing, Namjoon continued, "I know it's been hard for you ever since you got back, but you gotta trust Hoseok. He'll come back. But until then you can't just-"
"Namjoon. I'm going back."
The boys eyes grew wide, "W-what?! Your joking. Hyung they'll never send you back there it's too dangerous right now, haven't you seen the headlines? Ever since you left it's like, complete chaos over there."
"Exactly." Yoongi spoke, the determination spilling out of his eyes and into his voice, "I have to go back."
Namjoon wove his brows together in confusion, "I...I'm sorry I still don't understand, you already got your story, Hoseok will come back soon hopefully I don't understand-"
"Namjoon." Yoongi said one last time, almost forcing the younger to look into his eyes, and it seemed like that was enough, because the look of understanding began to flood the boy's face. Slowly at first, and then all at once, "Oh...I get it. Okay. I'll talk to the boss. But Yoongi you know he's going to want more than just an oil leakage story if he sends you over there again. He wants stuff that's more controversial, stuff that's more good versus evil, you sure you're going to be able to write about how that boy you love is a killer?"
Yoongi smirked, "If that's what he wants, then I'll write him a whole novel."
"It'll never sell."
"A guide on how to get fired."
The two laughed, it was refreshing, laughing with Namjoon was something Yoongi missed dearly, once they'd calmed down, the two gazed out the window, the sun just setting beyond the horizon of buildings, it looked like snow was going to fall when Namjoon spoke, "We're going to miss you hyung. But whatever you do, you better get back here safe. And bring that boy with you too."
Yoongi smiled up at his friend, and nodded. He was grateful, really, and he tried to show that through his smile as best he could.
"You promise?"
"I promise."