BEAUTIFUL

009

"hey, taehyung-ah?"

the younger looked up after pausing the video game they were playing. "yeah?"

hoseok shifted so that his arm was propped up on the armrest. his other arm went up to rake through his messy hair. today was a free day, meaning no therapy sessions so the patients were free to lounge around and socialize. jimin and jeongguk were gone for a walk, so hoseok had suggested to taehyung that they go to the lounge.

"do you like anyone?"

taehyung's eyes widened, almost like a child who's been caught stealing from the candy jar. "a-ah, no?"

hoseok chuckled, "it's okay, tae, i won't tell anyone."

taehyung exhaled, casting his eyes toward the white ceiling. "promise?" he shot hoseok his best puppy eyes.

"promise."

taehyung nodded. "it's um, it's jimin."

hoseok's lips split into a huge heart-shaped grin as he jumped up from the couch and squealed, "i knew it! i knew it!"

"aish, hyung, shut up. it's pointless, anyway. i'm just chasing a fantasy."

hoseok stopped jumping, tilting his head to the side in confusion, "why would you say that?"

taehyung pulled his knees up to his chest, frowning. "i don't think jimin's ready for another relationship. the split with yoongi hyung really took a toll on him. besides, i'm positive he likes jeongguk."

hoseok had to hold back the massive laugh that threatened to burst from his lips. how funny it was, that both boys thought the other didn't feel the same.

hoseok reached over and patted taehyung on the shoulder. "ah, tae, i'm sure it'll be fine. just give it time, and you'll see everything will work out."

as they resumed the game, hoseok's focus was elsewhere, forming a plan in his mind.

and of course, taehyung didn't mind winning every single round.

✧

later, hoseok made his way to yoongi's room with an apple in one hand and a banana in the other. yoongi hadn't made an appearance at lunch, so hoseok thought it would be nice to bring the elder something.

he knocked lightly on the open door before walking in, smiling softly at yoongi's form curled up on the bed. making his way over, hoseok set the fruits down on the side table before gently and carefully laying down beside yoongi.

the blonde grunted, stirring in his sleep and unconsciously pulling hoseok against his warm, bare chest, arm wrapping around the younger's waist. hoseok blushed furiously, laying his head on the pillow and letting his eyes drift shut.

when he finally reopened them later, the sky outside the window showed a setting sun. hoseok groaned as he stretched, no longer feeling yoongi's arm around him. he sat up, looking around the semi-dark room for the older boy. he finally set his gaze upon a curled up form in the chair by the window; yoongi had pulled his knees to his chest as he stared out into the evening sky.

"hyung? you okay?" hoseok asked, his voice slightly rough from sleep. he cleared his throat and waited for yoongi's answer.

"yeah, just... thinking," was yoongi's response, a hint of emotion laced in the blonde's words. hoseok furrowed his brows and slid his legs out of bed, walking over to the chair. yoongi unfolded his legs and allowed the younger to seat himself on the elder's thighs, wrapping his arms loosely around yoongi's neck. hoseok rested his head in the space between yoongi's shoulder and neck, pressing a comforting kiss to the pale boy's collarbone.

"about?" hoseok encouraged, continuing to press soft kisses all over yoongi's bare chest.

yoongi sighed, "um, pretty much everything. my parents, my childhood, all that bullshit."

hoseok's lips paused, the younger's head lifting to look yoongi in the eyes. "are you okay, yoongi hyung?" he repeated his question from before, but this time yoongi knew he expected a different answer.

"my whole life, i was told that everything i did was wrong, not good enough. even as a kid, i would bring home pictures i drew for my parents and they would crumple them up and toss them in the garbage, right in front of me."

"as i got older, it got worse. i'd learned to just keep out of the way, not ask for anything, and not cause trouble. but when i was fourteen, my parents divorced, my mom took off with some new guy she'd apparently been seeing for years, and my siblings and i were left with my dad. he worked long hours, and every night when he came home he took out his stress and frustration on me."

yoongi paused to take a shaky breath and wipe away a stray tear that had fallen from his eyes. hoseok rubbed the elder's back in a soothing circle pattern, not saying a word.

"the hits i could take, that was nothing. but–" yoongi's voice cracked. "when he started to t-touch me, i..."

hoseok's heart felt like it had shattered into a million unfixable pieces. "oh, hyung," he murmured and pulled yoongi into a hug. the blonde broke down, his resolve cracking as he let the tears fall. his hands clutched the fabric of hoseok's shirt, holding on tight like he was scared of hoseok leaving. "it's okay, i'm here with you. he'll never touch you again," hoseok spoke into yoongi's ear.

"i felt so dirty, and he told me i d-deserved it, because i was a useless f-fag who should have d-died a long t-time ago," yoongi cried into hoseok's shoulder, his words slightly muffled. "t-that's why i am how i am t-today..." he took another wavering breath, "i convinced myself the only way i would p-please anybody is if i disappeared forever."

a quiet fell over the two, the only sounds in the room being yoongi's crying and hoseok's shushing. finally, after a few minutes yoongi pulled his face away from hoseok's chest and wiped the tear tracks from his puffy and red face.

"and my relationship with jimin, it fell apart because of me. he wanted to have sex but i just couldn't, i tried telling him i wasn't comfortable. he... he got mad and thought i was saying he wasn't good enough and broke up with me." yoongi chewed his lip, biting down. "so, i'm sorry that i can't ever give you that, at least not right now. i'm not ready."

hoseok shook his head, "that's okay, yoongi. i don't need sex to have a meaningful relationship. it's kinda like getting whipped cream on a milkshake. the milkshake is still good without the cream. some people don't care for whipped cream at all, but that doesn't stop them from having a milkshake, does it?"

he looked up at the elder, who smiled a wide, gummy smile and leaned down, cupping hoseok's face between his hands. "you are the cutest fucking thing i've ever met," yoongi whispered before placing his lips on hoseok's in a sweet kiss that had no urgency, no haste. it was just the two of them, content in each other's arms as their lips moved in sync.

the two of them needed air at some point, so they pulled apart, both panting and smiling with their swollen lips. yoongi pulled hoseok close again, resting his chin on the younger's head. his arms wrapped securely around the brunette's waist, yoongi allowed himself to relax.

"thank you for that, seok," yoongi murmured into the younger's soft hair. "i've never had someone i could trust before."

hoseok looked up, smiling that gorgeous smile that made yoongi's knees weak and stomach flutter. "let me be that person for you."