Really, Baby (I Will Be Just Fine)

28

On his way back to the party that night, Hoseok had found Seokjin sitting on the front porch, party long over as five in the morning rolled around along with the sunrise.

“Finally decided to come back?” Seokjin had joked, patting the spot beside him.

“Sorry,” Hoseok responds and leaves it at that. He feels no obligation to explain himself.

“It’s all good,” Seokjin says, patting his knee.

Hoseok stares down at the hand, tender and warm on his knee. “How did you… why are you only noticing me now?” Hoseok asks fowardly, curiosity lacing his voice. He’s tired of beating around the bushes.

“What do you mean?” Seokjin says, startled. “I just thought you were cute.”

“Suddenly after a year? Listen,” Hoseok starts, sighing and looking at Seokjin straight on. “I know someone told you about my crush on you, or you overheard a conversation, but. I don’t think I can do this.”

There’s a pause of hesitation.

“You’re right,” Seokjin finally says, scratching his temple. “I… overheard Namjoon and Yoongi talking about it awhile ago, and I guess I kind of felt bad. Didn’t consider doing anything about it until recently, but I figured I’d at least give it a shot.”

“That’s so embarrassing,” Hoseok groans into his palms, dropping his head. “This wasn’t supposed to happen, and that crush I had is so old, honestly. Just. Could you please forget about all of this?”

“Only if you promise you’ll be fine afterwards,” Seokjin says, and Hoseok knows whoever comes along to steal Seokjin’s heart will be a very lucky person. He can see it in his eyes. “And that we’ll be friends from now on.”

“Promise,” Hoseok agrees, twining their pinkies together and touching their thumbs.

“I hope you know this means helping me clean up,” Seokjin says, glancing at Hoseok and grinning. “At least a little.”

“Deal,” Hoseok grins back, feeling the weight on his shoulders lift. “What are friends if you don’t suffer together, right?”

They don’t watch the sunrise together, but Hoseok is okay with that. He helps Seokjin throw solo cups into large trash bags, stepping around countless sleeping bodies and trying not to take pictures when he finds Yoongi and Jimin huddled close together on the couch, Jimin laying between his legs with his face against Yoongi’s chest. Hoseok grabs the small blanket hanging over the side of the couch and throws it over them. 

As he steps out into the morning, Hoseok sighs from deep within his chest. He never expected things to be like this, sitting side by side and talking to his former-crush like good friends, as if they’d been friends all along and not one-sided secret admirers. It’s natural now, and Hoseok doesn’t feel the need to act cool or to impress Seokjin anymore. It is all he could ever ask for, and for once, he feels comfortable in his own skin.

Now all he needed was Taehyung.