"Dude, check you out." Leaving his previous life behind hadn't been quite as difficult as he had once assumed it would be. It only seemed logical that he would also find a new career path. There wasn't much out there that made use of his skills, considering how limited they currently were. But he lived directly above a bar, and the owned had once made an offer if he was ever interested. All it had taken was saying that he was for him to practically be hired on the spot. The hours were long and grueling, but he made more money over a single weekend than he had in two weeks at the previous restaurant. It was enough to make being on his feet for sixteen hours straight completely worth it.
"Do you like it? I was afraid it would be too much." Perhaps the very best thing about taking that leap had been finding new friends. Hoseok shone as bright as the sun, a friendly, out going sort of person who made it his mission to become friends with everyone. They had hit it off quickly, with the other never allowing Seokjin to stay down for too long. But he had a such a gentle nature that it never felt like he was forcing it, never felt like he was trying to make him be something he wasn't. Just a soft force there to guide him into a new, improved and better him.
"It's so perfect, Jinnie." Lifting his hand, he ran it through the newly lightened strands, carefully rearranging them until they fell perfectly. He hadn't gone totally blond, more of a light caramel color the hair stylest had said would bring the warmth out in his skin tone and make him look even prettier. "You should let me take you out tonight."
"Where are we even going to go on a Tuesday?" It had been a while since he had actually gone out and did anything. In fact the last time had been that party, and he really didn't not feel like having some repeat of the misery that followed.
"Look, okay, just because I haven't thought of that yet doesn't mean you need to call me out. Now, go get that fine ass of yours looking like a four course meal and leave the rest to me." There was a distinct feeling settling over him that he shouldn't do this. That he didn't have nearly enough confidence to actually show himself off like that. But Hoseok was the kind of person you just couldn't say no to.
"Fine. But you're paying."
...
Digging those jeans out of his closet felt almost like going back in time, and for a moment he was transported back to that night. Could almost hear Taehyung's laughter as they went through his clothes and dressed him up. But then it was over, the real life flash back coming to an end and he was left with only his own meager options to choose from.
Those jeans were even tighter than he remembered, and he had to actually jump once to get them up over the swell of his hips and the roundness of his ass. Actually eating had made him gain a little bit of weight, but it had gone entirely to all of the right places, filling out his thighs until they looked so good you wanted to take a bite out of them. His ass had gotten even bigger, rounding out and firming up, until it looked like someone cut a basketball in half and slipped inside of his pants.
That he was wearing red lace beneath them seemed almost comical, and he tried to keep his mind away from the reasons he even owned them to begin with. Paired them with a light gray sweater with a series of blue and red stars adorning the front, and a black blazer left open to minimized the spread of his shoulders.
Kept his hair slightly messy and put on just enough make up to cover his flaws. Swiped on gloss and looked in the mirror like he couldn't quite believe that he was the same person who always stared back. Every once in a while he would catch just the right angle, would get just the right lighting and he would get a brief glimpse of what everyone saw.
Just for a moment. Just long enough for him to take a breath without that sense of overwhelming sadness constricting his chest. Just for a moment he would feel confident and sexy. Like he could take on the world.
It never lasted though. In fact it was gone by the time he walked out the door.
...
They had barely even been seated when he saw it. Just a quick glimpse through the crowd, as people parted like the sea before him. Over and done and he was certain that he was just seeing things.
But there it was again, and it was unmistakable. Everything within him actually sank at the sight, entire body seeming to sag in place. Something unspeakable welled up, heart clenching as the pain inside of his chest exploded. Emotions he didn't know the names of flaring wildly, like flames constantly being fed.
Stark blond hair, still looking like it was ready to fall off the head it belonged to at any moment, sat next to inky black. Across from bright red and mint green and he knew without even having to look any harder who it all belonged to.
It felt like betrayal. Rationally he was aware that it wasn't. That Taehyung and Yoongi weren't actually doing anything wrong. That reasonably Yoongi's actually loyalities were probably to Jungkook. They did live together, after all. It wasn't that hard to imagine that the two couples would do things together.
Couples. He couldn't breathe just thinking it.
