Piano Boy

10

• Jimin•

"Honestly, I kind of wonder sometimes about Taehyung," I grin, balancing on the low curb as Yoongi and I walk down the street slowly. "He's either the weirdest person I've ever met, or just an alien."

Yoongi slips his hands in his pockets, eyes scanning the dark street, the glow of the lamps making his skin golden. "I only know Taehyung through Hoseok," he murmurs, and I nod.

"I figured. He's a great guy, honestly, when he's not making out with Hoseok." I laugh. "We used to get up to so much trouble in high school."

Yoongi nods, and I step down from the curb to fall into step beside him, glancing sideways at his profile. "What about you and Hoseok? How long have you known each other?"

Yoongi's quiet for a minute. "Ten years," he says finally, his voice hesitant. "He's all that got me through school. The only reason I'm here right now."

"It sounds like you guys are really close."

Yoongi nods, and I can see the tension leaving his shoulders as he speaks, each word careful. "He's always been here for me. Through everything."

I smile a bit. "He sounds really important to you."

"He is." And it's talking about Hoseok that removes the hesitancy from Yoongi's voice, the words flowing slightly more easily. "We met when I was in a bad place. He's been here since, I guess. The most important person in my life."

I glance at him, and he looks away, his breath visible in the cool air, voice softer. "Sorry."

"No, I think it's amazing how much you two mean to each other." I slip my hands into my jacket pockets, hunching my shoulders against the cool air.

"Yeah," Yoongi says quietly, his tone slightly more subdued, and I slow my steps as we draw near his apartment building.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

Yoongi nods, turning toward the gate, then turns back to face me, hesitant, his face pink from the cold. "I...do you..." He lets out a soft breath, inaudible but visible in the cold air. "Inside," he murmurs, and I tilt my head, a grin pulling at my lips.

"Inside?"

Yoongi's face becomes more deeply pigmented, this time definitely not due to the cold, and he looks away, hunching his shoulders slightly, voice low, hesitant. "Come inside for a bit." He meets my eyes again, shy, and I wonder at the feeling in my stomach as his soft voice reaches me again. "It's cold."

I can't help the smile tugging at my lips as Yoongi looks away again, and I let out a breath, my chest fluttery. "I'd like that."

Yoongi's shoulders visibly relax and he nods slightly, turning to open the low gate, leading the way into the dimly lit apartment building. There's no elevator, so we take several flights of stairs, walking to the end of the hallway where Yoongi unlocks a door, leading the way inside, slipping his shoes off.

"There are - house slippers," he tilts his head toward the neat rows next to the rack for shoes, and I smile, slipping my feet into a pair.

"Thanks. I like your apartment, how long have you lived here?"

"Year," Yoongi replies, stepping further into the apartment, and it's only as I follow that I realize how truly small this place is, the living room cramped with a single two-seat sofa, the tiny upright piano partially blocked by a small television, the kitchen not separate from the living room, two doors close enough to each other on the same wall that the bedrooms can't be even decently sized.

Yoongi notices me looking around and his cheeks redden slightly as he looks away from me. "I know."

"No, it's nice." And it is; even though it's small, it's tidy, organized and sparsely decorated. I flash Yoongi a grin, sitting on the sofa. "It's cozy."

He nods, and it's quiet for a minute as Yoongi looks as if he's about to speak, then hesitates, biting his lip. One of the two doors creaks open and I startle, glancing toward the sound, confused at a tall, slim boy closing the door behind him.

"Oh! Sorry, didn't realize you had a friend over." The boy grins at Yoongi. "Who's this?"

"Jimin," Yoongi replies quietly, and he turns to make eye contact with me as he tilts his head toward the other boy. "Jae. My roommate."

"He's the guy Hoseok told me about, isn't he?" Yoongi reddens as I glance at him, and Jae grins widely. "I'm just heading out now, sorry Yoongi."

"Nice to meet you," I say, realizing I still haven't replied, and Yoongi's ears are visible through his hair as they redden more at the wink Jae throws him.

"You too! See you, Yoongi." Jae waves over his shoulder as he disappears out the door, and Yoongi lets out a soft breath.

"I know," he says, making eye contact with me, and I tilt my head, waiting for him to continue. "He's just - him."

"No, he seems really cool." Yoongi shrugs, looking uncomfortable, and I want to relieve the light tension in the room. "So, are you the clean freak or is that Jae?" I give him a grin, and it only grows wider as his cheeks deepen in color before he turns away from me, a smile in his voice.

"Me."

"I love that. I wish I had whatever that is," I laugh and Yoongi nods, walking over to the stove.

"Tea?"

"Sure! Thanks, Yoon."

He nods, starting a kettle, then glancing at the spot next to me on the sofa and deciding better of it, instead sitting on a low stool by the edge of the chair.

"You can sit next to me, I don't usually bite," I grin at him and Yoongi shakes his head, cheeks red yet again.

"Not worried about..." His voice trails off and he bites his lip, brown eyes meeting mine. "I'm- kind of nervous."

I blink at him, a smile tugging at my lips. "Nervous, huh?" Yoongi's pink, his fingers picking at a string in his sweater, unable to meet my eyes.

"Have you not had house guests in a while?"

"No, it's just - " Yoongi stops abruptly, letting out a breath, his voice softer. "Nothing."

"Do I make you nervous?"

His ears turn bright, burning red again, and he stands, turning his back to me to loft the kettle off the stove even though it hasn't whistled, hasn't started to steam at all, and I can't help my bright smile, my entire body buzzing with happiness.

I make Min Yoongi nervous.

~

I love this chapter so much, it made me smile as I wrote.

Thanks for reading, loves!