Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

it was, to say the least, a painfully boring neighbourhood. 

Chapter Text

jeongguk slept through most of the first day in namjoon's absence. seokjin had successfully convinced jeongguk and the other three boys to let him plan a get-together for them all, as well as one other boy that jeongguk had not yet met. jimin set up a group chat to last for the week, while the younger boys silently feared that namjoon would not catch wind of this party, for they enjoyed their lives far too much to have them be cut short so soon. it was paranoia at it's finest, settled deep in their hearts, an impending doom should namjoon find out, but seokjin fanned it away so effortlessly, they followed.

seokjin knocked on jeongguk's door at 8pm on the second day after namjoon left, for his help to carry the food seokjin had cooked over to the trio's house. they had arranged for the party there, as seokjin's house was definitely off-limits, and jeongguk's house was still partially empty due to his own laziness about unpacking.

"ready to go?" seokjin asked, smile so large and bright, when jeongguk opened the door. he was drowning in a giant black sweater that fell down to his mid-thigh, sweater paws swinging at his sides. jeongguk's heart skipped a beat.

"yeah," jeongguk said, stepping to the porch and closing his door behind him, locking it and shoving the key in his pocket as seokjin watched. his beating heart picked up pace as the older boy led jeongguk across the street to his own home, the younger unsure of what he would find, or really, what he was expecting in the first place. as they stepped up to the porch, their phones dinged.

chimchim: we're going to the liquor store to pick some stuff up
chimchim: what do yall want

seokjin and jeongguk turned in unison to the house positioned diagonally from seokjin's, watching as the three other boys walked in a line out their front door. jeongguk whistled at them, and their heads snapped up simultaneously. hoseok hollered something undecipherable.

"you guys couldn't have gone earlier?!" seokjin yelled down the street, his voice surprisingly loud, making jeongguk jump slightly.

jimin and taehyung's laughter rang into the open. "sorry!" they shouted back, "we'll be quick!"

"text us what you want!" hoseok added, as he opened the driver's side door and slid in. seokjin rolled his eyes, turning back to lead jeongguk into his house, a sigh releasing from his mouth as he opened the front door.

jeongguk was in mild awe as he followed seokjin inside. the house was decorated in a modern art-deco style, mainly black and white with pops of pink and red. it was immaculately clean, polished and dusted, every pillow fluffed and every centerpiece positioned in just the right way. the walls were lined with bookshelves, hundreds, maybe thousands of books adorning them, ranging all the way from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer to interior design catalogues.

jeongguk stopped almost as soon as he inside enough for seokjin to close the door. he gawked at everything: the ornate lighting fixtures, the vast variety of books, the dark wooden floors layered with patterned grayscale rugs, the suede black couches peppered with pastel pink throw pillows... jeongguk had never seen anything like it. his mouth had dropped open, and his wide eyes wandered around in what he could see, soaking it all in, a deer caught in headlights.

seokjin giggled, catching jeongguk's amazed look as he turned to see why the other hadn't moved. jeongguk swore in the light shining from the chandelier, the older boy was blushing.

"i like... interior design," seokjin says shyly, looking around at his own creation proudly, hands tucked behind his back.

"this is amazing," jeongguk finally manages, his feet allowing him to move, drawing closer to seokjin as the other leads him to the kitchen, whispering out a small "thank you" on their way.

the kitchen was no exception to seokjin's artful eye. it was his domain, his kingdom, and jeongguk could tell from the minute that seokjin stepped in. seokjin's back straighted and his head lifted, his hands dropped to his sides and his shoulders almost seemed to get wider. his confidence radiated into the air. it brought a smile to jeongguk's face, looking around the kitchen, coloured mainly white, with all the utensils, bowls, and cooking equipment in pastel rainbows and childish hues.

"you didn't tell me minnie mouse lived here," jeongguk jokes, eyes focused on seokjin's pink oven mitts hanging on the wall, as the boy in question shot him an evil glare. jeongguk laughs, and seokjin breaks into a smile too, clearing his throat before answering.

"yeah, well, if minnie mouse lived here, she'd be helping me carry all this stuff instead of you," he fires back, pointing at the tupperware containers and tin foil packages of food stacked neatly on the kitchen table.

"minnie mouse ain't got shit on me," jeongguk huffs, lifting up one of the towers of food slightly off the table to test its weight.

"oh, shit," seokjin starts, startling jeongguk with his language, "we need to text those guys about what we want for liquor."

"right," jeongguk remembers, pulling his phone out of his back pocket and opening up the group chat.

jeonggy: what upppppp

seokjin snorts, watching jeongguk hit send from over his shoulder. seokjin rattles off that he likes wine the most, but he'll drink anything, mostly clear liquor, and jeongguk mashes it together with what he wants and begins typing, starting off with the most obvious question.

jeonggy: what do yall already have?
tae: we got a bottle of smirnoff back at the house and a 12 pack of yuengling
chimchim: took u long enough to answer
genjimain94: shut up jimin we just got here
genjimain94: what does seokjin want?
jeonggy: he basically said he'll drink anything but clear liquor is better
jeonggy: why are yall texting from diff phones just talk on one like we're doing
tae: and be each other's bitches?
genjimain94: yoongi what do you want

jeongguk narrows his eyes at his phone. "who the fuck is yoongi?"

"oh!" seokjin beams, clasping his hands together, "that's my next door neighbour, right there," he gestures to the wall on their right, "he's a hermit and doesn't really come out much but he's really cool."

"gotcha," jeongguk mumbles, watching as the group chat progresses.

agustd: i'm bringing over some jack and bombay, so i think i'm good
agustd: thanks though!
chimchim: damn okay mr loaded
agustd: you know it ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ
tae: we're picking up some bacardi too
tae: gotta keep all our bases covered
agustd: get some wine coolers for jimin since he's like 14
chimchim: wine coolers for a 14 year old is unrealistic
chimchim: four lokos still exist
tae: so you're saying you WANT four lokos?
chimchim: NO
jeonggy: if you guys bring four lokos i'm absolutely leaving
agustd: i'm more concerned about jimin not denying that he's 14
genjimain94: yall motherfuckers better hurry up and pick out something before i actually buy wine coolers
jeonggy: literally anything but
tae: so four lokos?
justpeachy: Just get that Bacardi and whatever else, and another 12 pack of beer. I'll pay back half.

jeongguk had been so immersed in the group chat, he didn't even notice that seokjin had also pulled out his phone to join in. he caught himself staring at seokjin's face illuminated by his phone screen, leaning against the counter in the kitchen that was growing darker with the fading sun. he quickly shifted his eyes back to his own phone when seokjin looked up at him, hoping the older boy had not noticed him so blatantly admiring.

genjimain94: okay we're about to check out
genjimain94: we'll be back in 10-15
justpeachy: Hey, Yoongi, would you like to come help carry some of this food? Pleeease?
agustd: sure i'll be over in a sec

seokjin set his phone down on the counter next to him, humming contentedly as jeongguk scrolled through twitter until they both heard the front door open. jeongguk looks up at seokjin, who straightened up and made his way out of the kitchen, the younger boy hot on his tail.

jeongguk comes face to face with who he presumes is yoongi in the main room, and he definitely isn't who jeongguk expected when seokjin had referred to him as a "hermit." the boy in front of him was quite small, cloaked in black clothing with a backpack slung over his shoulder, dark bangs brushed over his forehead that were just short enough to show his eyes, which immediately locked onto jeongguk when he came into view. he looked damn near intimidating, despite his little frame, until he flashed jeongguk a smile that rivaled hoseok's.

"you must be jeongguk," yoongi says, voice deeper than jeongguk had imagined, throwing out his hand for the other boy to meet. jeongguk clasped his hand and shook it, nodding quietly.

"that's me."

"it's nice to meet you," yoongi replies with a nod.

"likewise."

yoongi turns his attention to seokjin now, throwing his arms out for a hug. seokjin indulges him, embracing him tight, before they part and yoongi pats the other's shoulder. "you look good. how have you been?"

seokjin smiles, wide, with a tiny air of something that jeongguk can only describe as fake, as he answers. "i've been swell. just living, you know."

yoongi nods, in understanding. "yeah... same here. it's gonna be a good night."

seokjin brightens up more at this, a genuine happiness flowing off of him in visible waves. "i'm really excited to spend time with you all," he gushes, wringing his hands, "i made a lot of yummy food."

"like what?" yoongi asks, manuevering around seokjin to make his way to the kitchen, like he'd been a million times before, the other two following closely behind.

"i made some rice, cooked some meat, chicken, pork, beef, lots of it, too," seokjin rattles, yoongi humming when seokjin stops to catch his breath, "there's some sandwiches, a couple little snacks, and chocolate chip cookies and apple pie for dessert..."

"jesus christ, seokjin," yoongi chokes out, looking at all the containers of food as seokjin finishes his speal. seokjin flushes.

"i wanted to be prepared."

"it all looks amazing," yoongi smiles, shifting the food around and peering into what he could. "i can't wait."

their phones buzz again shortly after, hoseok alerting the others that they were pulling into the neighbourhood now. seokjin sorts the food into three towers, and they disperse them amongst themselves as they trail through seokjin's house, down his porch, and to the house across the street. yoongi almost gets hit in the driveway by hoseok's car, cursing loudly behind his stack of food containers as hoseok tosses his head out his open window and flashes a shit-eating grin, placing the car in park.

"please, guys, let's not kill anyone tonight," seokjin whines, watching as the other three boys tug their bottles of liquor out of the car. they all chuckle as seokjin's tower of food wiggles haphazardly in his hands.

"i can't make any promises," jimin grunts, lugging the 12 pack of whatever the hell they had decided on at the store up the driveway as hoseok unlocks the front door. they all file inside the house, hoseok throwing his bottle of Bacardi and keys down on the kitchen counter and flicking on all the lights, so all the other boys could set down their own individual items and get to business.

taehyung fishes the 12 pack of yuengling out of the fridge and replaces it with their warm 12 pack from the store, slamming the package on the kitchen counter and ripping off the cardboard. he roars, "it's booze time, bitches!", handing everyone a beer as they all laugh and give thanks, popping their caps off in various ways and taking the first delicious swig. seokjin tears open all his food, setting it up on the kitchen table in an orderly manner, as all the boys crowd around ooh-ing and aw-ing over the smell. jimin swipes napkins and plates from the cabinets, silverware from the drawer, and hands them all out like a chaperone.

the food is delicious, which would be a given with seokjin. they all chow down on rice and their meat of choice, inbetween bites of sandwiches, chasing it all down with yuengling as they eat more than talk. hoseok had opened netflix on the television, and decidedly clicked on the pilot of it's always sunny in philadelphia, as everyone gathers in the living room on the chairs, couches, and even on the floor when necessary, chewing and humming at seokjin's astounding cooking.

when their tummies lie full and their plates empty, hoseok turns down the volume and raises his beer up from his position on the lounge chair. "cheers to seokjin, for all that amazing, delicious food,"

everyone cheers, their beers pointed upward, as seokjin flushes from his seat on the rug, everyone adding their own praise and gratitude in little mumbles,

"cheers to jeongguk," hoseok continues, "for joining our little crew like the loser he is,"

jeongguk snorts as everyone jeers lightly, his ears filled with "yeahhhhh"s,

"cheers to us, for the liquor--"

"oh fuck you, i brought some too," yoongi barks, to which hoseok only responds with an overexaggerated eyeroll.

seokjin raises his beer high, and like it was on command, everyone stops and watches him. no more jeering, no more laughter, no more little mutters and jabs, but all eyes on him. jeongguk figured out, from this cause and effect, that seokjin was more than respected amongst them. it was not forced, not a requirement, but a choice: it was well-deserved, and when he spoke, all the boys listened. they willingly gave him their undivided attention, with all of their heart.

"cheers, to friends."

the house erupted in cheers, everyone raising their beers in unison to seokjin.

Chapter Text

it all begins with shots, doesn't it?

the boys had finished up their beers, and now taehyung had found his way to the counter to lift the bottle of bacardi up into the air from the kitchen. "we're all doing shots, whether you like it or not!"

seokjin groans, but he's the first one to get up.

"let me pour, fucker," yoongi says as he rises from the couch with the posture of an old man. taehyung shoots him a gleaming rectangular smile as the boys all mutter obscenities from their positions in the living room.

"of course, the resident bartender is in charge of that," hoseok dismisses with a wave of his hand. jeongguk's head whips toward yoongi at this.

"you're a bartender?"

yoongi grunts. "used to be, i did it for five years before i retired."

jimin laughs, joining taehyung in the kitchen, bringing the bacardi back down to the marble countertop. "you're like, 24. you can't retire yet."

"watch me," yoongi murmurs, pushing jimin out of the way of the bottle.

"plus, you're still our personal bartender," hoseok adds as he gets up from the lounge chair, grinning wildly as yoongi shoots him a look of pure evil. taehyung is already reaching for the shot glasses in the cabinet, pulling down six small glasses that looked to be all bought from souvenior shops, painted with bright colours that were chipping off from the wash. yoongi lines them up on the counter, and all the boys watch in awe as he expertly pours shots just short of the rim in one swift motion.

"watching him work," hoseok says sideways into jeongguk's ear, "it's like magic."

jeongguk nods in agreement.

yoongi hands out the shots, and jeongguk is given the glass with a skyline printed beneath a large "JACKSONVILLE, Florida". seokjin takes the one with a cat wearing sunglasses on the side, a grimance slightly lining his face. jeongguk giggles at the sight.

"do we have like, chasers or something?" seokjin whines, eyes glued to the clear liquid in his glass.

yoongi barks loudly, as the other boys join, already thumbing their shots in anticipation. "chasers? are we 12?"

seokjin groans again, and jeongguk gives him a hearty pat on the back coupled with a quick look of encouragement.

yoongi raises his shot glass, and all the others, crowded around the kitchen counter, follow suite. they cheers, glasses clinking together as some of taehyung's slops out onto the floor ("you're cleaning that up later," hoseok mutters), tap them on the counter, and throw them back.

seokjin coughs slightly after having trouble swallowing, as jeongguk frowns into his empty shot glass, liquor disgracing his taste buds, all the other boys seemingly unaffected and content with the shot.

there's a moment of silence before hoseok triumphantly shoves his shot glass out to yoongi and shouts, "another!"

nobody protests.

yoongi pours second shots. the initial blast was over, so seokjin instead embraces it instead of fighting it. there's a short interval, as everyone leans against the counters to give the alcohol the chance to settle in their stomachs before topping it with more, and hoseok rears up the conversation with something none of the other boys had expected to hear.

"so, seokjin," hoseok starts, chin resting on his hand, propped up against the countertop, "how's namjoon?"

jimin shoots him a look that reads to jeongguk something like "what-the-fuck-are-you-thinking", but says nothing. seokjin glances up from his phone and smiles wide, looking a tad bit surprised that anyone had bothered to ask.

"he's good," seokjin says, tucking his phone away, mirroring hoseok's pose from the other side of the counter, "he was actually just texting me."

"ah, where is he? if you don't mind me asking?"

"he's on a business trip in Germany," seokjin responds, eyes fixating on his full shot glass positioned in front of him, "he says it's really cool over there."

"that's neat," hoseok murmurs, eyes flickering here and there, "how long have you two been dating, again?"

yoongi interrupts as seokjin opens his mouth to answer with a shrill shriek that echoes in the kitchen, "TIME FOR SHOT NUMBER TWO!"

hoseok glares at him but picks up his shot glass anyway, the boys crowding to cheers once more and quickly down their shots. jeongguk's throat burns this time, and seokjin makes a face, but he answers as soon as they all set down their shot glasses.

"about three years now."

"three years," taehyung repeats, eyebrows shooting upward, "that's a long time."

"yeah, it is," and seokjin's voice goes quiet at the end, trailing off with a hint of sadness that didn't miss anyone else there. jimin looks down at the floor, as jeongguk's eyes wander around the room.

there's a heavy silence. not uncomfortable, but uncertain, as the boys shuffle around, before seokjin breaks it.

"i know how you all feel about him."

jimin speaks up this time, his voice careful, not challenging, but curious. "and how is that?"

"you don't like him," seokjin says, matter-of-factly. it did not come from anger, but acceptance. and it stung them all like a wasp in the summertime.

"should we not?" yoongi asks, fishing another beer from the box of yuenglings, eyes pinned to seokjin the entire time.

and seokjin is quiet. he looks shy, afraid, eyes cast down at the floor like he was ashamed of something he couldn't quite place. it takes him a moment to answer, for which the boys are patient.

"no, i understand why."

none of the other boys talk now, all wanting another to say something or for seokjin to continue. they all scramble for damage control in their heads, something to say without tensifying the situation or lighting a fuse. none of them wanted that weight on their shoulders.

jeongguk was the first to open his mouth, and he asks a question that might have been out of place, out of time. it was brave, bold, and maybe a little stupid, but he doesn't care.

"why does he hurt you?"

why does he hurt you?

it seems to echo in the kitchen. it's out in the open, like an ugly sore, acknowledged in the mind but never seeming to find its way into reality. it's taboo, the elephant in the room that stayed alive in imagination, but had died in spoken word. it was the disgusting truth of it, which everyone had accepted but just barely. seokjin looks up at jeongguk, eyes soft and calm. he does not look angry, or confused, or scared anymore. it takes his entire heart to answer the younger boy.

"he wasn't always like that, you know," seokjin says, sighing a little, "he's been very good to me."

jimin's eyes travel upwards, watching seokjin's face. yoongi fiddles with the wrapper on his beer bottle, the peeling of the paper cutting the quiet in the kitchen.

seokjin continues. "he's a really sweet guy, he's just..." his sentence fades, as does his expression, and his eyes sink to the ground again. "he's lost."

jeongguk clears his throat, prodding around without waking a sleeping beast. "we've all been lost," he murmurs, voice breaking somewhere inbetween, "but he shouldn't hurt you."

"i know," seokjin nods, "i know. but if he can change back into the man i met, i'll stick around."

this sets a fire in all of the boys' hearts. they all look up, casting glances at each other, looks of worry and panic.

"what if he doesn't change?" taehyung asks, eyes wide, perched across the kitchen away from the others, voice dangerously low.

"i mean," hoseok interjects, shifting his arm, "we don't mean to pry or, i don't know, overstep our boundaries." seokjin looks into hoseok's eyes, his own glistening with what jeongguk might recognize as the beginning of tears, "we're just really worried about you." hoseok finishes it with a bright grin, yoongi nodding beside him with a tight-lipped smile, "we want you to be safe. you're our friend."

seokjin's lips turn upward, his sad smile that jeongguk had seen before, dancing to a song that no one else could hear. "i know. i love you guys, but i also love him. you don't need to worry."

jeongguk's eyes flicker in the light at i love him.

"and when he comes back, we won't see you?" jimin pipes up, his own voice dripping with sorrow. seokjin shakes his head, smile melting away.

"we can't help but worry," yoongi tacks on after a sip of his beer.

taehyung's voice erupts from the back of the kitchen, and everyone turns at the sudden volume. "you never answered my question," he booms, tone tinged with something like nervousness, or fear, "what if he doesn't change?"

all eyes turn to seokjin now, who is silent. he stays silent, until yoongi pushes him forward with a gentle nudge.

"will you leave him?"

seokjin's silence continues. and it drags on, and on, and nobody dares say another word for a long stretch that makes jeongguk uncomfortable. so he shatters it, like ice with a hammer, placing a hand on seokjin's back and rubbing his shoulderblade reassuringly.

"we'll support you, no matter what. but let's not think about it now," jeongguk says, picking up his empty shotglass and wiggling it in front of yoongi's face, "it's time for good times and drinking."

hoseok bellows a single "FUCK YEAH!" and seokjin erupts into airy, light-hearted giggles that set jeongguk's heart on fire. yoongi shakes his head with a sly smirk plastered on his face, as he picks up the bacardi bottle and gets to pouring.

the third shot feels like it's going to burn a hole in jeongguk's stomach.

the fourth feels a bit like nausea.

and the fifth is the last. jeongguk decides to cut himself off after this one, for even with the food in his stomach, it doesn't sit quite right.

jeongguk finds himself reaching for a cigarette out of his pack, which he drew from his hoodie pocket, and upon seeing it, hoseok tells him he can smoke on the back porch.

"you sure?" jeongguk questions.

"yeah, of course!" hoseok says with a smile, gesturing him to the back door, opening up to the small screened-in porch adorned with wicker furniture and a plastic table. jeongguk thanks him and closes the door, taking a seat in one of the chairs as he lights his cigarette and listens to the bugs croak around him.

it's a bit chilly, and the cigarette keeps him company, until he hears the door open only a couple minutes later. he turns around and sees seokjin standing at the threshold with a blanket draped over his shoulders. he steps down, closes the door behind him, and joins jeongguk in the chair next to him.

there's a silence before seokjin speaks. his voice sounds like it belongs to a child, laced with innocence and sadness.

"do you think i'm a bad person?"

jeongguk shoots him a look, ashing his cigarette. seokjin's eyes remain focused on his knees, which knock against each other in the cold.

"no, of course not. why would i?"

seokjin reaches out a shaking hand to pick at a loose thread on his pants, eyes unwavering. "because of namjoon."

"because of him, why would i think you're a bad person?" jeongguk asks, mildly confused at seokjin's reasoning. he takes a draw, staring the older boy down.

"i don't know, i..." seokjin huffs, and it sounds so incredibly broken, "i feel like because he's that way, and because i'm with him, it makes me a bad person."

jeongguk almost feels his heart stop in his chest, from the wave of emotion that hit him so strongly. he's knocked under, and he feels tears pricking at his eyes born from sheer helplessness. because seokjin is so close yet so far away, and jeongguk knows it is not in his right place to intervene. but he argues with himself. should he? should he do it anyway, to save seokjin, or does he not know enough at all? but jeongguk is only able, at this point in time, to question seokjin just a tad further.

"why do you think that?"

seokjin looks up at this, eyes finding jeongguk's gaze in the light of the moon that shone into the patio. his lip quivers just slightly, and his voice cracks as he answers.

"because i can't escape."

Chapter Text

what seokjin had said to jeongguk that night haunted them both.

seokjin, coming to the realisation that he was, indeed, trapped. he was stuck, walking around in a rut, unsure of how to get out or even if he wanted to. he was confused, maybe the liquor had gotten to him, speaking words that lay dormant sober, but they had found their way out regardless. he felt scared, coming to terms with it, because deep in his heart, he still had a love for namjoon that was difficult to throw away so easily.

jeongguk, realising seokjin's predicament. seokjin hadn't said much about his inner turmoil, but jeongguk picked up on it very easily. he could read seokjin like an open book, looking at him and seeing the mix of feelings boiling inside him, uncertain of his next move.

jeongguk wasn't a homewrecker, but he knew he had to push seokjin in the right direction. even if that meant leaving behind a relationship three years in the making. jeongguk knew namjoon wouldn't change.

you can't tell an abusive person that they're abusive. they won't listen.

they'll either deny it, swearing up and down that what they're doing isn't actually abuse: "you're crazy, you know that?"

or they'll accept it, and they don't care, they don't see anything wrong with it: "yeah, so what?"

jeongguk feels that namjoon is the latter.

they had all trudged on back to their own homes when the party was over, after the cleanup was finished, half-drunk and exhausted, and jeongguk was unable to sleep. he lay awake that night, tossing and turning, beer sloshing around in his tummy, giving him a sickly feeling as waves of emotion rolled over him like the sea. it was only from the hum of the air conditioning unit did he fall asleep.

he's not sure what time it is when there's a knock on his front door. he hears the sound, jolting him from his deep sleep, and stumbles towards the door haphazardly with his eyes half-shut. he throws it open, and there seokjin stands.

looking a mess, really. there's bags under his eyes, his hair sticking up in every which way, he looks to be in his pyjamas, but his smile shines bright in the daylight, which forces jeongguk's eyes open wider in full grasp of the situation.

"hey," seokjin greets, throwing a hand up in a quick wave.

"hey," jeongguk croaks back, leaning up against the doorframe. "what time is it?"

"about 2 in the afternoon," seokjin answers, to which jeongguk responds with a groan, eyes still adjusting to the sunlight.

"yeah," seokjin replies with a hint of pity, stifling a giggle, "i just wanted to come over to see if you wanted to do anything."

jeongguk perks up at this, eyes opening fully and body visibly straightening. his mind races. "like what?"

"ah, i don't know," seokjin says, shuffling his feet, "maybe just hang out. watch a movie, have a glass of wine or something."

jeongguk glances back over his shoulder. his house isn't a total wreck, but there's still boxes strewn about the place like he had been squatting in it for weeks. nevertheless, it was cozy, comfortable, which is why jeongguk turns his body out of the doorframe and gestures for seokjin to come inside.

"oh, here?" seokjin's voice raises a few pitches, already making past jeongguk into the entryway. his eyes trail around the house as jeongguk follows him, subconsciously making their way to the kitchen, where the younger boy produces a bottle of pink moscato from the fridge.

"pink moscato, huh?" seokjin laughs, leaning up against the counter as jeongguk pulls wine glasses out of a box in the living room.

"listen..." jeongguk huffs, setting the glasses on the counter, seokjin next to him, "my father bought it when we moved in."

"so you're just going to drink it?" seokjin chuckles again, watching as jeongguk struggles to pop the cork out with the handheld wine opener.

"we're going to drink it," jeongguk corrects, pulling the cork out with a slight pop, tipping the bottle to pour, "now, i'm not as good as yoongi, but..." this earns a hearty laugh from seokjin, like a balloon releasing air, echoing in the kitchen like a birdsong. jeongguk grins to himself, filling up two glasses with enough pink moscato to most likely bring them past tipsy. he hands one to seokjin, who delicately takes it from him with a small "thank you", and they cheers at the kitchen counter.

and down it goes. sweet, bubbly, tingling their mouths, light sips to break away the morning cottonmouth they had held onto until then. ideas swarm in jeongguk's head until he settles on one.

"you wanna watch a movie?"

seokjin looks up from his wine glass, and nods silently.

jeongguk leads him to the couch, wine glasses still in hand, as jeongguk pops on the telly and collapses into the soft worn cloth, seokjin following in a more timid manner.

jeongguk looks over, and seokjin looks tired. not tired, like sleepy tired, but tired as in exhausted, mentally. the bags under his eyes ring a purplish hue, his face gaunt and movements withdrawn. the welt on his lip has nearly faded away, but it still serves as a reminder for something that jeongguk would prefer not to know the details of. he sips at his wine like it might kill him, and jeongguk almost relaxes him with a question.

"what would you like to watch?"

he phrases it that way, so gentle, it comes out almost a whisper, broken at the seams because jeongguk's heart aches. it hits him, and his mind comes a blur, racing with emotions and thoughts and ideas, as he looks at the older boy. he cannot imagine seokjin's pain, his anxiety, his worry,

his fear.

and jeongguk knows that seokjin is torn. he knows that seokjin carries a battle within himself that he alone is fighting. it all becomes clear because seokjin looks at him, and there is a pleading look set deep within his eyes that jeongguk looks right into, and his breath almost catches in his chest.

jeongguk already knows seokjin's answer. he knows it well, he had expected it, but it said more than it should have.

"you pick."

and jeongguk does.

Chapter Text

the days following, in namjoon's absence, it all ticked by, and with each passing hour, jeongguk's own fear grew within himself. he was fearful, mostly, for the time when namjoon would return home and everything would go back to the way it was. seokjin would be hidden within the house, never speaking to the other boys, and they would keep their distance.

the final day was the best one.

the party location was now jeongguk's house, and they had all gathered up their collective booze to lug through the youngest's front door. they had teased jeongguk for the array of boxes, empty, half-empty, full, lying around his house, which he countered with "fuck offs" and laughter. beer, shots, and conversation floated around the living room for hours on end, their giggles growing louder with each shot, sip, and well-placed joke.

seokjin seemed to be enjoying himself, but jeongguk knew he was thinking about namjoon returning the next day.

everyone was.

it was the elephant in the room. the curse that had been cast, the alcohol only a momentary distraction, for as soon as they sobered up even just a tad, it came rushing back to them. it weighed on them all heavily, but no one mentioned it in the open. no one wanted to publicly acknowledge it would be their last time like this, for awhile.

but what were they to do, after all?

when everyone became too tired, at roughly 2am, their bellies hurting with beer and jagermeister, they bid farewell. it was bitter. jeongguk noticed the pricking of tears at jimin's eyes when he hugged seokjin goodbye. yoongi's lips drew into a tight line. taehyung looked almost sad, for once, and hoseok's smile was a façade.

seokjin wasn't leaving, but he was.

"we'll see you soon."

it was empty, and hollow. it was laced with depression and a broken heart, and jeongguk grabbed it and held it close to him, for where the others only saw sorrow, jeongguk saw hope. he saw an opportunity.

and he wouldn't say it aloud, for he kept all his courage hidden inside of him, but jeongguk knew it wouldn't last forever. jeongguk knew the ending was near. and after endings, come new beginnings.

he knew this, and so did seokjin.

so when it was just them both, after the other four boys had trudged back to their homes, feet dragging, seokjin only smiled. and jeongguk smiled back.

and he wasn't sure how it would come to be. it was not a plan, and he knew if seokjin's predicament would come to an end, it would be entirely coincidential. that was what he believed. but he did not believe that seokjin already had an idea in his mind.

seokjin was braver than he seemed. he enjoyed this far too much to be kept away from it. which is why, when jeongguk and seokjin stood face-to-face in the younger's entryway, seokjin's hand on the doorknob, he said it.

"i'm going to break up with namjoon tomorrow."

jeongguk's throat goes dry. three years echoes in his head. seokjin's scar on his lip echoes in his head. seokjin's confessions of being trapped echo in his head. and he understands, but he doesn't at all.

"why?"

seokjin tilts his head. "why do you think?" he lets go of the doorknob, leaning against jeongguk's front door, crossing his arms and looking at the boy in front of him dead in the eyes.

jeongguk doesn't say a word.

"i've been trapped inside that house for three years," seokjin holds up three of his fingers, "and it's always when i leave that i have a better time."

"it took me a long time, but i've been doing a lot of thinking this week," seokjin's eyes travel down to the entryway floor, an indecipherable look flashing across his face, "but i think it's for the best."

jeongguk speaks now, voice cracking, "what about your house?"

"i own it all," seokjin says matter-of-factly. "namjoon just lives with me. he will have somewhere else to go."

jeongguk nods, looking down at the ground. a fear grows in his heart, and he's not sure why. just a minute ago, the idea of seokjin being with them constantly made him smile so wide it hurt, but now the reality of it comes crashing forward, and his only thought now was for seokjin's well-being.

and seokjin picks up on this, for he pushes himself off the door, and closes the distance between him and jeongguk. he wraps his arms around the younger tight, and jeongguk is frozen for a second, underneath seokjin's warmth, but he locks his arms around seokjin in a quiet reply. it sets him on fire when seokjin speaks into his ear, his chin on the other's shoulder.

"don't worry about me. i'll be fine." he tightens his embrace around jeongguk, letting forth a deep exhale, "i'm not going anywhere."

silence.

"the only person who's leaving will be him."

him.

jeongguk speaks once more when seokjin parts from him, jeongguk swearing that the eldest's hands lingered on his hips a little longer than they probably should have.

"do you want me to be with you when you do it?"

seokjin shakes his head, smiling a little.

"no. just watch."

Chapter Text

jeongguk tried so hard to qualm the worry in his heart; but still, seokjin's words and actions weighed very heavily on his mind.

seokjin's sudden independence shook jeongguk to his core; he had no idea why seokjin had pivoted so hard and so fast, when just earlier that week, he had spoken to them about how he loved namjoon, truly and wholeheartedly.

perhaps, it was a well-told lie. it was something seokjin had convinced himself; he told himself it was love when it was something far from it, the entire time. and he only held on because he had no where else to go.

that's the conclusion jeongguk tried to come to. but in reality, jeongguk wasn't sure what it was. he wasn't sure if seokjin would actually follow through, he wasn't sure what was going on seokjin's head, with the very abrupt change of heart. jeongguk wondered if seokjin was going to be okay, but what he did know was this: he was going to do what seokjin asked of him,

and watch.

jeongguk saw namjoon arrive as the sun was setting, and step out of the car onto the driveway across the road. seokjin waited at the front door with arms crossed, and it was hard for jeongguk not to stare.

namjoon carried his luggage inside and greeted seokjin, movements stiff and rigid, hauling his suitcases inside as seokjin moved to close the door behind them.

seokjin caught jeongguk's eyes in the window. he nodded, once, a small smirk playing on his lips, and closed the door.

jeongguk swallows, and he's scared for what will happen next.

roughly an hour passes, of jeongguk sitting at the window of his bedroom, eyes darting between the show he was watching on his computer, and towards seokjin's house. jeongguk's room is only illuminated by the light of his monitor; and the street outside was only illuminated by the light filtering through the windows of the eerily quiet house. jeongguk cracks his window open, scouring for any source of noise, and then,

he hears it.

the yells. glass shattering, echoing in the street. cries of pain.

jeongguk starts, standing upward, eyes narrowing towards the windows for any sign of struggle or fight. he is horrified by the shadows he sees crossing behind the curtains, raised hands and blows to the head.

jeongguk doesn't think, he only moves. he reaches for the baseball bat he had stored in the corner of his room when unpacking, almost trips running down the stairs, and rips his front door open while not even bothering to close it behind him.

he's barefoot, in pyjamas, his footsteps heavy, the baseball bat held tightly in his fist, scraping against the asphault of the street; a grinding noise overcoming the screams from inside the house. his shadow plays against the sidewalk, and up the lawn as he approaches.

he jolts the front door open, to the image of seokjin cowering against the wall, his face swollen, purple, covered in blood; and namjoon, fists bared. namjoon's nostrils flare as he lays his eyes upon jeongguk; and seokjin whines in relief.

"what the fuck, get out of my fucking hou-"

namjoon's demand is interrupted by jeongguk's baseball bat colliding with the side of his head, knocking him to the floor in an immediate state of near-unconsciousness. he groans loudly, limp, as seokjin pulls himself off the floor and wraps himself around jeongguk as tears fall from his eyes. he shakes with each sob, as jeongguk kisses him on his blood-stained cheek.

"i'm here now."

namjoon still rolls on the wooden floor as jeongguk approaches him and grabs him by his shirt collar. he drags the groggy namjoon out of the house, down the porch, and onto the front lawn, near throwing him at the end. namjoon slightly comes to, narrowing his eyes at jeongguk, as the younger shoves the end of his baseball bat in the offender's face, and gives a warning.

"you will leave now. you will never touch seokjin again. you will never come back. you will never contact him or ask anything of him ever again," jeongguk thinks he hears namjoon scoff, but he figures the benefit of the doubt might be in order to prevent death, "and if you do, i will fucking kill you."

jeongguk says this, his shadow from the light of the house splayed out over namjoon's body, sprawled in the grass, the eldest's head bleeding out into the plants and weeds. namjoon does not protest, he does not argue. he looks up at jeongguk in all of his furious glory,

and he nods, in silence.

he does not fight jeongguk, or the circumstance playing out before him. he drags himself up, stumbling, his eyes dilating, and makes his way to his car. the only thing he owned there. and jeongguk watches him drive away without another word.

jeongguk waits for namjoon to turn the last corner before he makes his way back inside, where seokjin had been waiting. he wipes his own face with a wet rag, washing away the blood, where it smears at the heaviest. jeongguk leaves kisses in its path, as seokjin bawled harder and harder with each passing minute.

"i can't believe i did that..."

"you did..."

"i can't believe..."

"i'm so proud of you."

"what will i do now?"

"i don't know, but i love you."

"i love you, too."

mumbles, more kisses are exchanged. seokjin cries, and jeongguk cries with him.

it was over.

there are more kisses waiting for seokjin as the other boys in the neighbourhood arrive; yoongi had seen the end of the battle from his window, silently cheering jeongguk onward, and had alerted the other boys to the aftermath. they all arrive in groups, kissing a black-eyed seokjin where it hurt the most. they cry with him, too.

not out of sadness, but of joy and relief. hoseok clings to seokjin for several minutes, and jimin stands wiping tears out of his eyes, trying to pretend like he hadn't been crying at all.

they wipe the rest of the blood from seokjin's face. they pat ointments and creams on his wounds. they soothe his tattered heart with words of love and optimism, promising a better future.

and though they are all close,

seokjin holds jeongguk the closest.