BTS Fluff Party

stuck with me - Taegi

Yoongi was NOT prepared to have a roommate.

Taehyung wasn't intrusive or noisy or disruptive or bratty, but he was still another human being in a space that, while built to house two people, was previously occupied by one, solitary, introverted guy who was very, very fine with living alone. Taehyung was a perfectly good roommate, an excellent roommate, actually, but Yoongi was still not ready for him.

He wasn't ready for soft smiles in the morning or soft goodnights in the evening. He wasn't prepared for soft conversations over dinner or soft comments interjected into conversations with his friends. He wasn't prepared for Taehyung's general softness, compared to his hardness. Yoongi wasn't a mean person, but he wasn't soft around anyone other than his closest friends or deserving professors, and here came Taehyung, this new, very soft kid, into his life, and he really wasn't prepared for him.

What he was prepared for was leaning on Seokjin and the rest to support him and befriend Taehyung while he was focusing on his classes as much as ever and getting used to this roommate thing. The housing staff was totally fine with the switch, being all charmed by Taehyung's soft smiles and comments and fluffy, blonde hair. Yoongi had gotten in the habit of running his fingers through it when he was on the couch and Taehyung on the floor, stretching out his long legs and leaning against Yoongi's knee.

Yoongi hadn't been prepared for all the skinship, either. Jungkook and Jimin were both very clingy, cuddly people, so he was used to hugs, but Taehyung seemed to be always wanting a touch, either on his head or his shoulder or a thumb across his knuckles. Yoongi had a suspicion that this had to do with neglectful parents, especially given the whole rebelling and being an art student thing, but he never brought it up, and just adapted as best he could, because Taehyung was too soft to turn down and Yoongi was too soft to even think about it. He was finding softness in himself that he never knew existed. Jungkook complained occasionally, when he'd catch Yoongi holding Taehyung's hand. "You never hold my hand!" He'd say with a scowl. Jimin would try to hold his hand and Jungkook would turn into a big baby right in front of them all.

Everybody turned into a baby where Jimin was concerned, either a baby or a mom. Taehyung always reached for Yoongi's hand first, gripping on to it like a lifeline. He'd done it the first time he'd met the gang and still did it any time they met for lunch or dinner. Taehyung was decidedly an introvert too, but was totally soft whereas Yoongi still have some hard edges.

The edges made an appearance when, after the first week and Seokjin not giving him any updates on how it was going with stopping Taehyung's bullies, the kid showed up at the dorm with a split lip and scratched up palms. He tried to hide it from Yoongi, eyes sorrowful and ashamed as Yoongi inspected the scrapes carefully.

"Who did this to you, Taehyung?" Yoongi asked as he washed each hand, gently applying bandages. "Tell me so I can stop them."

"Hyung, it's okay. I was just late with some homework."

"Homework you shouldn't be doing."

"I'm used to it, really."

"You think I like seeing you exhausted all the time? Jimin is going to start asking questions and once he starts he doesn't stop. Seokjin can take care of this for you, but you have to help him out a bit. There're a lot of students here."

Taehyung bit his lip, then hissed when he opened the cut afresh. Yoongi pressed a tissue to the area without comment. When the bleeding had stopped, Taehyung mumbled, "you don't need to care so much."

Yoongi frowned. "Well, too late, 'cause I already do. I don't care very easily, but I care, so let me help you, alright? Tell me names so I can."

Taehyung pulled a pad of sticky notes from his backpack and Yoongi handed him a pen. He wrote down three names and handed the note to Yoongi with a doubtful expression. "These are the guys that did this to me," he said, clearly holding something back. "Stop them without hurting them, please. I don't like violence."