Really, Baby (I Will Be Just Fine)

19

Hoseok visits Taehyung at work whenever he doesn’t have papers to write or people to save. He likes to think he’s some kind of a superhero, but he hasn’t exactly gotten around to saving anyone, not yet. Vice versa, Taehyung hasn’t ever swung by the pool, but it’s okay. He can’t even begin to imagine Taehyung and Seokjin being in the same vicinity.

But as fate has it, Jimin’s familiar face is entering the pool gates while Hoseok is on guard today. Following close behind is Taehyung, and Hoseok almost falls off his high chair and drowns from surprise.

“What are you guys doing here?” Hoseok finally asks when he’s done with the first rotation of guard duty, practically sprinting off to confront Jimin.

Jimin and Taehyung are sitting beside the pool on their towels, a bag of what looks like ten more bags of gummie worms in Taehyung’s lap, all of which are opened and none of them remotely close to being finished.

“Just watching you guys suffer since we both got off early today,” Jimin says casually, shrugging a shoulder before looking up at Hoseok and grinning. Taehyung seems to be occupied with the candy and doesn’t look at him once.

It’s been awhile since he last saw Taehyung, the last time being the time they went jogging with Jimin and Yoongi. After the conversation in the car, Taehyung had pulled off of him completely and climbed out of the door, putting on a smile and pretending to enjoy the nice weather like nothing had happened, like Hoseok hadn’t just friend zoned him after a blowjob.

The way his smile doesn’t reach his eyes let’s Hoseok know he’d fucked up. They never actually find Jimin and Yoongi, so Hoseok heads to his car and Taehyung moves to the front of his own. They drive away in opposite directions, only a few short words exchanged, but Hoseok can’t help to wonder what the rest of the evening could have been like had he just let it happen.

Instead Taehyung avoids him and blames work and homework for not being able to hang out or talk. Hoseok isn’t allowed to have a problem with it.

Seeing Taehyung here at the pool, Hoseok longs to reach out and grab him. It’s been so long since he last saw Taehyung’s beautiful face, and now that he’s here, Hoseok feels the weight of Taehyung’s absence from days of not seeing him. He realizes that-

“I missed you,” Hoseok blurts from his thoughts, biting his tongue after the words slip like syrup from his mouth. He feels his face heat up as blood rushes to his cheeks. “You guys. I missed you guys,” he tries to correct, but the way Taehyung finally looks up at him, eyes calm and knowing, tells him he’s been caught.

“I just saw you the other day,” Jimin says, oblivious to the thick air that surrounds only him and Taehyung.

“Yeah, I know,” Hoseok says, smiling and ruffling Jimin’s hair. He glances at Taehyung, waiting for some kind of an acknowledgment.