Suga Baby •Sope•

Thirteen

Jimin squinted at his brother in confusion. "Where have you been all morning? I thought we were going to see Mama. And why are your eyebrows so red?"

Hoseok scowled. That was the least of his problems. When the women he knew spoke of spa days, they made it sound like a treat. Instead he'd been assaulted by merciless men and women in white uniforms who had rubbed, plucked, tweezed, waxed, scrubbed, anointed and lacquered every square inch of him. He was fairly sure he'd lost several layers of his epidermis and he'd definitely lost every skerrick of body hair he'd ever possessed.

Even wearing his usual jeans, tee, hoodie combo he felt naked. His skin was raw and exposed, too hot and too cold all at once, every brush of fabric sweet as a caress, rough as a slap.

"Stupid work thing." He muttered in response to Jimin's question. "And yes, we're going to see Mama today. We'll go for the afternoon visiting hours, so be ready by two, ok?"

"Yeah, ok."

Hoseok took out his phone, checking to see if he'd gotten a response from his previous messages to Taehyung. Tae was a sweet kid, but he had a bit of a troubled home life. He tended to act out when things weren't going so well with his folks; which was how he'd ended up arrested for willful damage, sentenced to community service and placed in the Brothers From Other Mothers program about six months ago as part of his sentencing deal.

Hoseok had taken him out a few times just to get a feel for the kid. They'd hit it off really well. Hobi was a sucker for cute and Tae had fit the bill. So when he'd been called instead of his parents after he'd been ejected by security at a club, drunk and underage, he'd enrolled him in the dance class he taught at the community centre instead of reporting him like he probably should have. Turned out he had a talent for it.

Then he'd met Jimin and the two had been like peas in a pod ever since. Hoseok had encouraged the blossoming friendship between the two boys. Jimin was a good influence and Tae deserved a second chance.

"Oh and by the way, I got a message from Tae. Apparently, he's having a rough day at home, so I thought I might take him out for dinner." He informed the teen, watching his reaction carefully.

"Really? Can I come?" He practically bounced, so obvious.

"I don't know, can you?" Hoseok raised his eyebrows sardonically.

"Hobi." Jimin whined, smacking his arm half-heartedly.

"Abusing me is not helping your cause here." He arranged his features into mock sternness.

"Can I please come? Please, please, please?" Jimin begged cutely.

"Say it." He prompted.

Jimin rolled his eyes.

"Ok, guess you want to stay home tonight while I take Tae Tae to get potstickers and orange chicken at Panda Express and probably stop at that gelato place for dessert." He said loftily. "I'll just let him know you didn't want to come." He pulled out his phone.

"Ugh! Fine! Hoseok is the smartest, handsomest, most talented, kindest and tallest big brother in the whole wide world. And I, Jimin, am lucky to be graced with his presence in my otherwise dreary existence." He deadpanned.

Hoseok put his hand to his chest and feigned humility. "Aww, Jimin, stop, I'm blushing. That's so sweet. You didn't have to say that."

"Whatever. I want Panda Express." Jimin snarked.

"Uh huh. You're coming for the food. Right." Hoseok smirked.

Jimin flipped him off.

---

"Hoseokie." His mother smiled wanly in greeting.

"Hey Mama." He leant down to kiss her cheek before exchanging the flowers in the vase on her bedside with the bunch in his hands. Jimin had chosen them and they varied almost chaotically in shade, size and colour. But they were cheerful and lively and smelled sweet. A small push back against the dreary white of the hospital room and the cloying scent of medicine and illness.

"They're beautiful, baby, thank you." She said in her soft, melodic voice.

"Just like you." He grinned, refusing to be down in her presence.

"Hi Mama!" Jimin's enthusiastic words at odds with the gentle way he wrapped his arms around her.

"Hi Minnie." She graced him with the smile she reserved only for her youngest; indulgent; amused and full of love. For just a moment, she was reminiscent of the woman she'd been.

"So, what have my boys been up to?" She asked, clasping both their hands. Jimin perched beside her on the bed, Hoseok in the chair beside her.

"I have a new job." Hoseok informed her. "I'm a personal trainer and life coach for some rich guy." This was the lie he'd settled on for his family. It explained the weird hours and seemed plausible. He certainly wasn't going to tell them what he was really doing.

"Oh that's wonderful news, Hoseokie." She squeezed his hand.

"Uh huh, good pay, great hours so I can still go to uni. It's kind of a miracle, honestly." He agreed. "It even comes with health insurance, so I might be able to add you to my policy; get you some of those treatments the doctors have suggested."

"You don't have to worry about that, baby." She protested.

"I want to, Mama." He insisted.

When her face starting forming stubborn lines; he mercilessly threw his brother under the bus. "Jimin has a crush on my 'little brother'."

He felt absolutely no remorse as their mother turned her attention onto the embarrassed Jimin, grilling him for the rest of the visit about his love life.

"You're the actual worst." Jimin grumbled in the elevator on the way down to the car park.

"What was that? You have homework to finish and couldn't possibly make it to dinner with Taehyung and I tonight? Well, I'm disappointed but I understand." He threatened.

"Ugh! I'm coming and you'd better get me a salted macadamia and dulce de leche waffle cone or I'm telling our entire dance class you got a manzilian." He shot back.

Hobi went beet red, spluttering. "What? No, I didn't! I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Uh huh. So, your snail trail crawled off your stomach by itself then?"

"Fine. Panda Express, a waffle cone and I will invite Tae back home for a bit and we will never mention this again, deal?" He stuck out his hand as the elevator dinged.

Jimin took it immediately. "Deal."

A/N Just a bit of filler for now. Big brother Hobi is such a pain in the ass. I love him. Will be updating with some Sope goodness later tonight or tomorrow. I thought we might go to that kinkster party😳, maybe meet a few familiar faces👀. What do you think? Leave a comment. Don't forget to vote! I purple you! 💜