AFFINITY.

fifteen

Hoseok was restless.

Small sparks were spouting from the tips of his fingers as he nervously moved about on his red pillow. Yoongi wondered if he should mention to his friend that he was dangerously close to falling off the counter but decided not to. Hoseok had just burned down a whole row of dried herbs above them, leaving the whole shop with an odor of burnt plants. Yoongi felt vindictive enough to make Hoseok fall to the floor for that one.

He couldn't help but turn to look at his friend. Hoseok was sleeping much better now he was allowed to creep back into Yoongi's bed whenever he had a nightmare. The dark smudges under his eyes were almost gone and he was slowly returning to his usual sunshine-ish self. Yet Yoongi still wanted the younger man to return to his own room. Yoongi wished there was a way he could make Hoseok understand that it wasn't personal, but that he was only trying to protect him. Or perhaps find a way for Hoseok to sleep through the night without him having cuddle up against Yoongi.

Yoongi didn't mind Hoseok sleeping in his bed. It was odd, but after a whole month of separation from the other, he had begun to miss the oddness of having the younger man in his bed. Sure, Yoongi had always been against them acting like that simply because it wasn't normal.

He had never expected to miss it.

"Hey, Yoongi, do I look okay?" Hoseok asked, the collar of his shirt beginning to smoke a little as he looked frantically at Yoongi.

"You look exactly like you did when you asked me five minutes ago," Yoongi said dryly, adjusting the vase of pond irises Jimin had dragged in a little while ago before he had disappeared back to the lake to find some new shiny seaweed and some shiny rocks he could try and slide to Jungkook.

Nymphs had some odd courting habits. Yoongi wasn't even sure how many different rocks and dried flowers Hoseok had worked up after having had Jimin half-flirting with him for two years.

"Now we're on the subject of your looks, Hoseok, why are you wearing a red bow in your hair?" Yoongi asked, having his own suspicions about what was about to happen. After all, Jimin always kept his promises. Taehyung was bound to show up sooner or later.

"Always look you best, Yoongi. Always look your best," Hoseok said poking a little at the big bright red, an almost cartoonish-looking bow on the top of his head. "And besides you never know who might stop by on a whim," he added shyly looking away.

"The someone wouldn't happen to be a tall, muscular, Elemental with an affinity for electricity and a scorched hat," Yoongi hummed with a narrow eyes glare in Hoseok's direction.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Hoseok rushed, wide-eyed as the collar of his shirt began to smoke.

"I'm sure you don't," Yoongi muttered with an eye roll as he stared at the bouquet of flowers on the counter. Seemed like poor Jungkook was gonna get the full Nymph courting experience and an awkward Hoseok on the side. "I'm just gonna get the revival potion ready then," Yoongi said with a sigh. He couldn't help but wonder if he should go up and get a pillow so Jungkook would have something to lie on when he inevitably fainted. That poor kid was weird enough without having to hit his head more.

"Is it okay?" Hoseok asked a little hesitant. Yoongi could practically feel his friend's eyes dig into his shoulders, but he didn't turn around, just fumbled a little with the first-aid kit under the counter. "I mean, after everything with..." Hoseok trailed off. He knew that Jungkook stopping by equaled Taehyung coming too. Hell, knowing Jimin it was probably Taehyung who had been asked to bring Jungkook over, because the younger boy had no business in the apothecary otherwise.

It had been more than a week since Taehyung had been by last. More than enough time for Yoongi to wallow in regret and realize just how much of a complete and utter shithead he had been. Sure, Yoongi had meant well, but now that he was looking back, he was thinking clearly enough to see just how badly he had treated a man, who in all honesty just wanted to be Yoongi's friend. Not that Taehyung wanted that anymore, Yoongi thought bitterly.