Really, Baby (I Will Be Just Fine)

11

“I seriously can’t believe she broke the slide.”

Work is a bit stressful today, and Hoseok thinks it’s just their luck that the second they open the small slide on the diving end of the pool, the first person who slides down thrusts herself too roughly into the entrance and ends up cracking a fraction of the plastic.

Yoongi seems to be the most disgruntled about this because he knows they'll be hearing about it from the manager.

“Really, though. Who even goes down a slide so hard the thing fucking cracks in half?” Yoongi says disbelievingly, crossing his arms and leaning back in the high chair.

“I think she might've mistaken the slide for a catapult,” Jimin adds, trying to lighten the mood, but mostly trying to keep Yoongi from slapping people wildly with his rescue tube. Yoongi is small, but he’s also a hothead, which is exactly why his harbored emotions exploded easily.

They’re all standing around the counter near the lockers and showers, Hoseok leaning his elbows on the surface near Jimin’s waist, who’s sitting on top of the counter next to Yoongi. Namjoon had taken it upon himself to try and do something about the slide before the owners of the property needed to throw down a few hundred just to replace it, taking pity and full responsibility for the accident. Namjoon is both a genius and a dork, and Hoseok hopes he’s doing something good and not painting the slide red to cover the obvious crack.

“It wasn’t our fault though,” Hoseok tries, grabbing a pen and twirling it between his fingers. He briefly thinks of tucking it behind his ear like Taehyung always did. “She would've blasted herself down the slide anyway, guard or not. I mean, unless we put up a sign that says ‘don’t fucking catapult down this slide’.”

Yoongi scoffs. “If I owned this pool, I would put up ten of those signs.” He rests his head on Jimin’s leg, pressing his cheek against the thigh and groaning quietly into Jimin’s black swim shorts.

“Don’t worry so much,” Jimin reassures, threading his fingers through Yoongi’s scarlet colored hair. Jimin is the exception to Yoongi’s temper, Hoseok thinks, the only one allowed to touch him when he’s even the slightest bit aggravated. Hoseok figures they balance each other out. “Hoseok’s right, it’s not your guys’ fault.”

“Yeah, I know,” Yoongi says, exhaling and running palms down his face. “We’ll deal with it when we deal with it.”

No one says anything after that, Yoongi’s words a conclusion to the conversation. Hoseok takes this chance to watch Seokjin perched up on the tall lifeguard chair, eyes hidden behind sunglasses as he sits calmly with his rescue tube laying across his lap. The sunlight catches his left leg as it rests beyond the boundaries of the umbrella’s shade, and Hoseok trails his gaze over the toned thigh.

It’s both a blessing and a curse working with Seokjin as lifeguards. He gets to see Seokjin half naked for hours almost everyday, and although it’s a sight for sore eyes, Hoseok has to physically tear his eyes away each time he finds himself staring and pretend like he didn’t just imagine running his hands all over Seokjin’s torso.

“So,” Yoongi starts, interrupting Hoseok’s thoughts. He straightens up and looks at Hoseok with an unreadable expression. “Jimin tells me you went to Larkburger yesterday looking for Taehyung.”

“Do you guys just narrate my life over dinner dates or something?” Hoseok says incredulously, ears turning red from the embarrassment.

“Maybe,” Jimin shrugs, and Hoseok looks at him with a raised brow. “Okay, sometimes? But that’s only when Yoongi isn’t-“

“-isn’t talking about new tracks I’m working on,” Yoongi finishes, giving Jimin a look of warning and nudging his leg with his elbow.

“Indirect TMI,” Hoseok frowns, trying not to ponder about what Jimin would have said. “And anyway, I went there because Taehyung happened to recommend something off the menu, not because I was looking for him.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Jimin grins.

“Remind me to never visit you at work again, you ungrateful little shit,” Hoseok says, jabbing a finger in Jimin’s side and watching him squirm ticklishly.

“Hey, we have nothing against Taehyung,” Yoongi says, holding his palms up in defense. “I’m- we’re low-key all for it.”

Hoseok sighs and rolls his eyes slightly, “Good to know, I’ll keep your support in mind.”

Hoseok glances back at Seokjin again. He’s still watching the swimmers with unfazed concentration, sunglasses blocking half his face, but something in the way his head is cocked to the left towards their direction makes it hard to understand where his gaze is.

When Hoseok looks away, he thinks he feels a pair of eyes on his back, but as he turns one last time to look at Seokjin, he’s already stepping down from the lifeguard chair and switching places with Jeongguk. Hoseok tries not to regret breaking his healthy eating streak after seeing their bodies.