Piano Boy

23

• Yoongi •

Hoseok
You awake?

I roll over to stretch slightly, my toes curling in the warmth of the blankets before I type my reply.

Yoongi
Yeah

Hoseok
Can I come over?

It's so unlike Hoseok to ask that I frown, sitting up, glancing at the clock. It's past noon; almost three, and he hasn't come to bother me or ask how last night with Jimin went.

Jimin. My cheeks heat as my mind returns to the dark living room, his leg pressed against mine, eyes crinkling at the corners as he reaches out, running his thumb over my lips.

I wanted him to kiss me.

The thought makes my stomach clench, anxious at just the thought, and I shake myself into the present, replying to Hoseok as I make my way into the living room.

Yoongi
Of course

Hoseok doesn't reply, and I stow my phone in my pocket, shuffling over to the small coffee maker, measuring out the grounds and starting a small pot of coffee. The fridge is practically empty when I open it, and my mind goes to the contents of my bank account, mentally calculating how much I spent last week and how much I can purchase this week.

The front door of the apartment slams and I startle slightly, glancing toward the entry hallway, and Hoseok appears. Something's off; his steps are slow, his eyes slightly red, and I tilt my head at the way his lips turn downward slightly.

Hoseok meets my eyes, the corners of his lips curving upward, and his voice is lower than normal, slightly hoarse. "How was last night with Jimin?"

The exhilaration filling my chest once more at the thought of his smile begs me to tell him, every little detail, and I turn to get a mug from the cabinet, pouring him a cup of coffee, my tone measured. "It was all right."

Hoseok nods, accepting the mug, and he makes his way to the sofa, flopping down with a soft breath, and I follow, sitting on the floor across from him, folding my legs up against my chest as I study him. Hoseok isn't looking at me, taking a small sip of his coffee, but he's either exhausted or sad, neither of which I've seen in Hoseok for a long time.

"Hoseok."

He glances up from the window to look at me. "Hm?"

I give him a long look, the happiness in my chest dissipating the longer I look at the slump of his shoulders, the lack of his usual bright grin. "You okay?"

The corner of Hoseok's lips curls upward, a half-smile that doesn't reach his eyes, and he shrugs slightly. "Taehyung and I are fighting."

I blink; they've been a perfect couple for years. "What?"

Hoseok nods, his eyes sad, and his eyes lower to his coffee cup as he turns it in his fingers contemplatively, his false smile disappearing. "Last night we went out for dinner, and I asked him what he thought of getting married." He lets out a soft breath, shaking his head. "He was saying that he didn't think this was the right time, but we've been together for years, so if now isn't the right time, when is?"