the stray (part 2/2)
Title: The Stray
Pairing: J-Hope/V
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 12,484
Summary: Hoseok decides to adopt a pet, and Taehyung needs a place to stay. This isn't what Hoseok had in mind.
Warnings: owner/pet relationship, non-explicit sexual content
part one
A few beers in, and Hoseok doesn't know why he'd resisted in the first place. Seokjin is screaming a love ballad into the microphone and Namjoon is waving his arms solemnly to the beat. Yoongi hasn't stopped smiling since they'd arrived, his arm slung around Hoseok's shoulders. Yoongi keeps Hoseok's glass full and his leg is warm against Hoseok's. He'd forgotten how much fun he had around Yoongi. No wonder he'd been so depressed since they broke up; Hoseok misses this, this crazy, out of control feeling of bliss he gets when Yoongi's laughing and pressing against his side.
Hoseok isn't sure what time it is when the two of them leave. Namjoon shoves Seokjin into a cab and, at the least minute, crawls in with him. Just in case, Namjoon says, but Hoseok and Yoongi scream cat calls until the cab's out of sight.
"I'll walk you home," Yoongi drawls when Hoseok almost falls flat on his face. Yoongi's arm around his waist is the only thing keeping Hoseok vertical for the first few blocks, but the cold night air clears his head bit by bit.
"You were right," he sighs happily. "I needed that."
"I haven't seen you this drunk since college," Yoongi laughs.
"It's been a rough week."
"Clearly." Yoongi grunts and shifts his hold on Hoseok. Hoseok throws his head back and laughs. It isn't until Yoongi stops walking and mutters, "The fuck is his problem?" that Hoseok's perfect night comes to an abrupt end. They're in front of Hoseok's building, and directly across is Taehyung, and the look on his face isn't friendly. He's not alone; a boy with round cheeks and a pouty mouth looks just as confused as Yoongi.
Hoseok doesn't know why, but in his inebriated state just seeing Taehyung in person comes as such a shock he can't process the situation at first. Taehyung looks healthy, a little tired maybe, but not starving or sick. "Taehyung!" he cries happily and breaks from Yoongi's hold. Taehyung's eyes widen as Hoseok stumbles across to wrap him in an unsteady hug. "Are you hungry? Want me to make you some dinner?" He pats Taehyung's cheek and giggles.
Taehyung returns the smile briefly before looking away. Hoseok follows his eyes to Yoongi, who looks like he's just been hit with a sack of bricks.
Right.
Shit.
"You're... Taehyung?" Yoongi's eyes narrow in a look Hoseok knows all too well and he almost starts denying everything, but Taehyung speaks first.
"I am," he replies calmly. Hoseok wobbles a little on his feet and Taehyung catches him. "Are you the one who made Hoseok hyung cry?"
That throws Yoongi off guard and he looks at Hoseok for a moment, speechless. Hoseok grabs hold of the opportunity, and as best he can, Taehyung, and begins making a break for the door to the building. "Wow, I'm really tired and drunk and need to go to sleep." He waves at Yoongi and the boy beside Taehyung. "Goodnight, Yoongi, see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Taehyung's friend, nice to kind of meet you."
Yoongi shouts something after them but Hoseok is already dragging Taehyung through the door and towards the elevator. To his relief, Yoongi doesn't follow. He drags Taehyung into the elevator after him. "Holy shit," he breathes.
"Guess the secret's out," Taehyung says, rubbing his wrist. The pink collar is there and seeing it makes Hoseok want to hug Taehyung all over again.
No. He needs to reestablish boundaries. Not until they're inside.
"Hyung, who was that?" Taehyung glances at Hoseok nervously. "That Yoongi person?"
Hoseok's mind struggles to keep up. Taehyung's never called him hyung before. Then again, a pet wouldn't. Different side of the door, different rules. Hoseok can't say he likes being on this side. The elevator doors slide open and he takes Taehyung by the wrist again to lead him down the hallway.
"He's my friend." He fumbles with his keys until Taehyung steps up and uses his instead. The door swings open and Hoseok feels relieved the second they're inside. He wants to hold Taehyung and scratch his head because he's there and in one piece, but Taehyung looks like he's about to cry. Hoseok moves to the couch and Taehyung follows after, but instead of sitting on the floor as per their usual routine he sits right beside Hoseok.
"But he's the one, right?" he asks again. His eyes are wide and searching and Hoseok can't look at him. "He's why you were so sad when we met, why you cried that night."
Hoseok groans and rubs his temples. "It's not important. You two shouldn't have even met." He tries to smile and fails. "Don't worry about it, alright?"
"But I am worried." Taehyung's face is red and his voice is too loud. He gets up from the couch and glares down at Hoseok. "I don't know anything about you, but I want to know. I want to know where you work and what you do. I want to know where you went to university. I want to know your friends and what you like to do for fun. I want to know when you're sad and why you're sad and who makes you sad." Taehyung sniffs, but holds back the tears welling in his eyes.
Hoseok's throat feels like sandpaper. Just this morning he'd been thinking the same about Taehyung, but now, with Taehyung saying it, he's scared. "That's breaking the rules, Taehyung," he croaks. Without the rules, Hoseok doesn't know what they are. Taehyung's face is all scrunched up and Hoseok's chest hurts just looking.
If it hurts this much now, how much will it hurt if he lets it go any further?
"Get some rest," he says and struggles to his feet. He reaches to touch Taehyung as he passes, but Taehyung flinches away. When he closes the bedroom door behind him, Hoseok hears Taehyung let out a sob.
-
Hoseok doesn't sleep much that night, and the sleep he does get is riddled with dreams. He dreams of Taehyung lying in a different trash pile, and a shadowy figure carrying him off. He dreams of Yoongi, flushed and drunk and leaning against Hoseok's arm. He dreams of college and the night the boy he loved punched him in the face for confessing. He dreams of work and numbers and endless piles of paperwork.
But most of all he dreams of Taehyung's smile, the fruity scent of Hoseok's shampoo in his hair and mint toothpaste on his breath. In his dreams Taehyung is sitting on the couch, not resting his head on Hoseok's thigh like a dog but holding his hand. Their legs press together and Taehyung is warm and comforting. Their eyes meet and Taehyung leans in, closer and closer. Taehyung's weight against Hoseok's chest is familiar but the hands sliding up his shirt are not. Their lips meet and Hoseok wakes up gasping for air. He's sweaty and confused and painfully hard.
Sunlight is just starting to filter through the curtains. Hoseok lies back and groans.
-
Taehyung is gone by the time Hoseok leaves his room the next morning. His things are still there, and Hoseok takes comfort in that. He doesn't think Taehyung is the type of person to run off without saying anything, but then again Hoseok doesn't really know Taehyung all that well. He gets ready for work as quickly as he can. The silence in the apartment is unnerving.
When Hoseok arrives, Yoongi is carrying a mug of coffee into his cubicle. Their eyes meet, but Yoongi doesn't return the greeting. Namjoon comes by later and declares the forecast, "frosty with a chance of death," which Hoseok may have found hilarious if he didn't already know whose death Yoongi had in mind.
A little before closing Hoseok pops into Seokjin's office, the hard copy of his end of the year report in hand. With everything else on his mind, getting it done turned out to not be such a big deal.
Seokjin accepts the report with a nod and sets it aside. "Thanks for coming last night," he says. "It's not the same without you. I could've killed Yoongi for dropping you like that."
Hoseok shrugs. "He said it was time. I think he was right."
"Yeah, well. It's better with you around."
"Thanks, hyung." It isn't much of a compliment, but it's more than he feels he deserves at the moment.
"You've been happier lately, am I right?" Seokjin leans forward and smiles. "Before this week anyway, but we'll blame that on these damn reports." He gestures to a mountain of folders identical to Hoseok's.
"I guess I have, yeah." He can tell Seokjin wants to know more and Hoseok barely escapes with a, "Goodnight, hyung!"
With that, he leaves Seokjin's office, and whatever good feelings he has left over are blown to smithereens when he finds Yoongi waiting for him just outside.
"We need to talk," is all he says, and he grabs Hoseok's arm before he can run away.
-
A cup of coffee sits between Hoseok's hands. It's warm, which is more than he can say about the look Yoongi's giving him. Yoongi sips his coffee like he's trying to inhale it all in one go. The cafeteria is all but deserted after hours.
"Your pet is a human," he says flatly.
Hoseok gulps. "Yes."
"The pet that you've been so happy about, that you bought a collar for, is some guy named Taehyung."
"Yes."
"Would this happen to be the same guy you found in the trash?"
Leave it to Yoongi to figure everything out in a single night. At this point, Hoseok sees no point in lying. "Yes."
Yoongi squints at him. "I had no idea you were into such kinky shit."
"It's not kin--" Hoseok lowers his voice and leans across the table to whisper, "There's nothing... kinky about it. He needed a place to stay."
"And in order to stay with you he had to act like a fucking dog?"
Hoseok hides his face in his hands. "It made sense at the time, I swear. He had nowhere to live and I wanted to help, but we'd just broken up and letting someone move in with me didn't feel right."
"Because he's hot."
"Excuse me?" Hoseok squeaks. "That's not--"
"You can't hide anything from me," Yoongi says, wagging his finger. "I remember that asshole you liked in college, and I've seen every asshole you've liked since. Taehyung's totally your type. Dull eyes, blank stare, mouth hangs open all the time." Yoongi does a grotesque imitation and Hoseok huffs.
"I don't have a type."
"We'll save that argument for later. For now let's talk about how you like him."
"I don't--"
"You don't like him, you just had him be your little pet because you wanted to help." Yoongi smirks. "I can smell the bullshit from here." Before Hoseok can respond, Yoongi raises his hand to stop him. "I'm going to tell you exactly what happened, because I'm your best friend and your ex and I know you better than anyone. You were lonely and didn't want to get hurt, so you set up a bunch of stupid rules which gave you control. Neither side would have feelings for the other beyond your fucked up pet-owner thing, am I right?"
The tips of Hoseok's ears burn, but he nods.
"Except you conveniently developed feelings all on your own, protected by your damn rules, which you used to try and keep Taehyung from getting to you."
"It wasn't intentional," he says suddenly despite himself. There's a flash of anger in Yoongi's eyes and Hoseok's mouth flies shut.
"But you're still an ass." He sighs and spins his empty coffee cup with one hand. "Christ, Hoseok, not everyone's going to hurt you. Maybe you'd have a functional relationship if you actually trusted someone."
The cold coffee tastes sour on Hoseok's tongue. "Is that why you dumped me?"
For some reason Hoseok can't hope to understand, Yoongi smiles. "I thought, if it was me, you'd relax a little. I liked you a lot, but it always felt like you were waiting for me to end it."
Hoseok wants to argue, but he knows better. He'd asked Yoongi out entirely because he was safe, because of all people Yoongi seemed the least likely to hurt him. Not exactly a good reason to try and love someone.
Then there's Taehyung, who's the opposite of safe. They hardly know each other and Hoseok has no idea what Taehyung wants from him, but Hoseok wants to be around him and find out. It makes him nauseous and sweaty and really, really fucking scared, but maybe that's exactly how he's supposed to feel.
"I need to go," he says and grabs his bag from under the table. He almost runs into a group of women making their way to the main doors.
"Hey, Hoseok!" Yoongi shouts from the table.
He turns and Yoongi is grinning from ear to ear.
"At least the sex was good, right?"
The group of women pause as Hoseok's face goes pink. Yoongi's still cackling when Hoseok steps outside.
-
The first thing Hoseok sees when he enters his apartment is a stranger in the most expensive looking suit he's ever seen. His bag hits the floor and the man turns. Taehyung's face sits above a crooked bow tie.
"Ah, good," he says and grabs Hoseok's arm. "We're almost late." He pulls Hoseok back toward the front door and ignores his stuttered protests. As he's locking the door behind them, he gives Hoseok an anxious look. "I really need to show you something, so just do as I say, okay?"
Hoseok opens his mouth to argue, then stops himself. "Lead the way," he replies, though he wishes he sounded more confident.
Taehyung beams, and Hoseok thinks that's good enough for now.
-
The gallery is massive and Hoseok finds himself severely under-dressed in his department store shirt and slacks. All around him art experts and students mingle and discuss the works on display, the culmination of the students' years of study and practice. A huge silk banner hangs through the center of the gallery, the name of Taehyung's university embroidered in rich colors.
Hoseok sips from his wineglass as Hoseok leads him through the gallery. They pause now and then for Taehyung to chat with his classmates. All of them give Hoseok curious stares and Taehyung introduces him as "Hoseok hyung." Everyone is friendly and intellectual and warm but Hoseok can't control the millions of butterflies wreaking havoc in his stomach.
"What do you think? Taehyung asks when they're alone beside a sign that reads, "Animation Students Presentation at 7PM."
"Everything is so beautiful," he wheezes and tries to look happy. That seems to make Taehyung happy and they're moving inside the door behind the sign.
Taehyung directs Hoseok to a seat in the front row and disappears somewhere behind him. "The show doesn't start for an hour, but I wanted you to be the first to see it." A screen at the front of the room brightens. A video starts playing: "Thank You, by Kim Taehyung."
"That's me," Taehyung chuckles and falls into the seat next to Hoseok. The film opens with a a city, a vast skyline that reaches into the clouds above. The animation is rough around the edges like a sketch, but it gives the scene a warm, familiar feeling.
Hoseok watches, and Taehyung's hand slides into his.
A dog is lost and alone in the city. His fur is thick and matted and there's something about his eyes that reminds Hoseok of Taehyung. He sleeps on the streets and has to dig in the trash to find food. He meets another dog who lets him share his alley. Together they roam the streets and find the best food to eat. They protect each other from other strays and sleep curled up under a cardboard box at night. When it rains, they keep each other dry. When the matted stray gets sick, the other brings him food until he's better.
The short ends with the two of them sitting side by side on the top of a building, looking out at the very same skyline from the beginning of the film.
The screen goes dark and Hoseok realizes he's blushing terribly. "What do you think?" Taehyung asks again. His hand feels clammy.
"That was... beautiful," he says, and laughs because he can't find any better words. "Amazing. Seriously."
Taehyung is smiling so wide Hoseok can't help but smile back, and then Taehyung's kissing him, and something in the back of Hoseok's brain sighs, Finally. His lips are just as messy and hard to follow as the rest of him, but Hoseok does his best to keep up. He licks at Taehyung's lips and they part eagerly. A low groan escapes Taehyung's mouth and Hoseok shivers.
There's a creak and a beam of light falls across the two of them. A small group of guests stare at them, hands over their mouths to stifle their giggles. They leap to their feet and straighten their clothes with nervous laughter. Taehyung grabs Hoseok's hand and leads him back through the door. "Let's get out of here," he says over his shoulder.
Hoseok falters. "What about the presentation?"
Something dark glints in Taehyung's eyes. "Fuck it, I've already passed the class."
Hoseok sees no reason to argue with that.
-
Taehyung kisses Hoseok again before he has the front door closed. His iron grip on Hoseok's shirt only relaxes when Hoseok goes to push his jacket down and off. He can feel Taehyung's familiar warmth through the material of his dress shirt and it makes him want more. Hoseok breaks the kiss to lick the skin on Taehyung's neck right above the collar of his shirt. They stumble through the living room towards Hoseok's bedroom and pause at the door. Hoseok presses Taehyung against the wood and nips at his ear. His fingers find the sensitive spots beneath Taehyung's ears and Taehyung moans.
"A-are you sure about this?" Taehyung stammers. "The rules--"
"Fuck the rules. You're not my pet anymore, Taehyung."
For a second, Taehyung looks scared.
"I don't want any boundaries," he explains, breathless and messy. "I want to be the same outside the apartment as we are inside. Is that okay with you?"
His heart pounds against his rib cage. He hardly knows Taehyung and this could be the exact opposite of what he wants. Hoseok looks into Taehyung's eyes and feels a pull in his gut that tells him he's in danger, but he doesn't care.
Taehyung opens the bedroom door and they fall inside. The look in Taehyung's eyes as he shoves Hoseok onto the bed is all the answer he needs.
-
Yoongi's head appears above the partition. "You really need to stop," he says with obvious disgust. "You're gonna make me puke."
Tapping his fingers on his desk to a rhythm all his own, Hoseok looks up with a bright, oblivious smile. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You're fucking singing."
Hoseok shrugs and spins in his rolling chair. "Ah, sorry about that. Didn't even notice."
"Your singing is terrible by the way."
A stack of finished forms sits on Hoseok's desk and he cheerfully hops to his feet to deliver them to Namjoon. "Then I'll make myself scarce." He bows dramatically and sweeps out of his cubicle. A hand stops him as he passes by Yoongi's door.
Yoongi smiles and shakes his head. "I'm really happy for you, man."
Hoseok blushes to the tips of his ears. "Thanks."
-
As soon as Hoseok steps through the door Taehyung pulls him into a kiss that Hoseok's feels all the way to his toes. "I'm glad you're home," Taehyung mumbles against his mouth.
Hoseok is, too.
Pairing: J-Hope/V
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 12,484
Summary: Hoseok decides to adopt a pet, and Taehyung needs a place to stay. This isn't what Hoseok had in mind.
Warnings: owner/pet relationship, non-explicit sexual content
part one
A few beers in, and Hoseok doesn't know why he'd resisted in the first place. Seokjin is screaming a love ballad into the microphone and Namjoon is waving his arms solemnly to the beat. Yoongi hasn't stopped smiling since they'd arrived, his arm slung around Hoseok's shoulders. Yoongi keeps Hoseok's glass full and his leg is warm against Hoseok's. He'd forgotten how much fun he had around Yoongi. No wonder he'd been so depressed since they broke up; Hoseok misses this, this crazy, out of control feeling of bliss he gets when Yoongi's laughing and pressing against his side.
Hoseok isn't sure what time it is when the two of them leave. Namjoon shoves Seokjin into a cab and, at the least minute, crawls in with him. Just in case, Namjoon says, but Hoseok and Yoongi scream cat calls until the cab's out of sight.
"I'll walk you home," Yoongi drawls when Hoseok almost falls flat on his face. Yoongi's arm around his waist is the only thing keeping Hoseok vertical for the first few blocks, but the cold night air clears his head bit by bit.
"You were right," he sighs happily. "I needed that."
"I haven't seen you this drunk since college," Yoongi laughs.
"It's been a rough week."
"Clearly." Yoongi grunts and shifts his hold on Hoseok. Hoseok throws his head back and laughs. It isn't until Yoongi stops walking and mutters, "The fuck is his problem?" that Hoseok's perfect night comes to an abrupt end. They're in front of Hoseok's building, and directly across is Taehyung, and the look on his face isn't friendly. He's not alone; a boy with round cheeks and a pouty mouth looks just as confused as Yoongi.
Hoseok doesn't know why, but in his inebriated state just seeing Taehyung in person comes as such a shock he can't process the situation at first. Taehyung looks healthy, a little tired maybe, but not starving or sick. "Taehyung!" he cries happily and breaks from Yoongi's hold. Taehyung's eyes widen as Hoseok stumbles across to wrap him in an unsteady hug. "Are you hungry? Want me to make you some dinner?" He pats Taehyung's cheek and giggles.
Taehyung returns the smile briefly before looking away. Hoseok follows his eyes to Yoongi, who looks like he's just been hit with a sack of bricks.
Right.
Shit.
"You're... Taehyung?" Yoongi's eyes narrow in a look Hoseok knows all too well and he almost starts denying everything, but Taehyung speaks first.
"I am," he replies calmly. Hoseok wobbles a little on his feet and Taehyung catches him. "Are you the one who made Hoseok hyung cry?"
That throws Yoongi off guard and he looks at Hoseok for a moment, speechless. Hoseok grabs hold of the opportunity, and as best he can, Taehyung, and begins making a break for the door to the building. "Wow, I'm really tired and drunk and need to go to sleep." He waves at Yoongi and the boy beside Taehyung. "Goodnight, Yoongi, see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Taehyung's friend, nice to kind of meet you."
Yoongi shouts something after them but Hoseok is already dragging Taehyung through the door and towards the elevator. To his relief, Yoongi doesn't follow. He drags Taehyung into the elevator after him. "Holy shit," he breathes.
"Guess the secret's out," Taehyung says, rubbing his wrist. The pink collar is there and seeing it makes Hoseok want to hug Taehyung all over again.
No. He needs to reestablish boundaries. Not until they're inside.
"Hyung, who was that?" Taehyung glances at Hoseok nervously. "That Yoongi person?"
Hoseok's mind struggles to keep up. Taehyung's never called him hyung before. Then again, a pet wouldn't. Different side of the door, different rules. Hoseok can't say he likes being on this side. The elevator doors slide open and he takes Taehyung by the wrist again to lead him down the hallway.
"He's my friend." He fumbles with his keys until Taehyung steps up and uses his instead. The door swings open and Hoseok feels relieved the second they're inside. He wants to hold Taehyung and scratch his head because he's there and in one piece, but Taehyung looks like he's about to cry. Hoseok moves to the couch and Taehyung follows after, but instead of sitting on the floor as per their usual routine he sits right beside Hoseok.
"But he's the one, right?" he asks again. His eyes are wide and searching and Hoseok can't look at him. "He's why you were so sad when we met, why you cried that night."
Hoseok groans and rubs his temples. "It's not important. You two shouldn't have even met." He tries to smile and fails. "Don't worry about it, alright?"
"But I am worried." Taehyung's face is red and his voice is too loud. He gets up from the couch and glares down at Hoseok. "I don't know anything about you, but I want to know. I want to know where you work and what you do. I want to know where you went to university. I want to know your friends and what you like to do for fun. I want to know when you're sad and why you're sad and who makes you sad." Taehyung sniffs, but holds back the tears welling in his eyes.
Hoseok's throat feels like sandpaper. Just this morning he'd been thinking the same about Taehyung, but now, with Taehyung saying it, he's scared. "That's breaking the rules, Taehyung," he croaks. Without the rules, Hoseok doesn't know what they are. Taehyung's face is all scrunched up and Hoseok's chest hurts just looking.
If it hurts this much now, how much will it hurt if he lets it go any further?
"Get some rest," he says and struggles to his feet. He reaches to touch Taehyung as he passes, but Taehyung flinches away. When he closes the bedroom door behind him, Hoseok hears Taehyung let out a sob.
-
Hoseok doesn't sleep much that night, and the sleep he does get is riddled with dreams. He dreams of Taehyung lying in a different trash pile, and a shadowy figure carrying him off. He dreams of Yoongi, flushed and drunk and leaning against Hoseok's arm. He dreams of college and the night the boy he loved punched him in the face for confessing. He dreams of work and numbers and endless piles of paperwork.
But most of all he dreams of Taehyung's smile, the fruity scent of Hoseok's shampoo in his hair and mint toothpaste on his breath. In his dreams Taehyung is sitting on the couch, not resting his head on Hoseok's thigh like a dog but holding his hand. Their legs press together and Taehyung is warm and comforting. Their eyes meet and Taehyung leans in, closer and closer. Taehyung's weight against Hoseok's chest is familiar but the hands sliding up his shirt are not. Their lips meet and Hoseok wakes up gasping for air. He's sweaty and confused and painfully hard.
Sunlight is just starting to filter through the curtains. Hoseok lies back and groans.
-
Taehyung is gone by the time Hoseok leaves his room the next morning. His things are still there, and Hoseok takes comfort in that. He doesn't think Taehyung is the type of person to run off without saying anything, but then again Hoseok doesn't really know Taehyung all that well. He gets ready for work as quickly as he can. The silence in the apartment is unnerving.
When Hoseok arrives, Yoongi is carrying a mug of coffee into his cubicle. Their eyes meet, but Yoongi doesn't return the greeting. Namjoon comes by later and declares the forecast, "frosty with a chance of death," which Hoseok may have found hilarious if he didn't already know whose death Yoongi had in mind.
A little before closing Hoseok pops into Seokjin's office, the hard copy of his end of the year report in hand. With everything else on his mind, getting it done turned out to not be such a big deal.
Seokjin accepts the report with a nod and sets it aside. "Thanks for coming last night," he says. "It's not the same without you. I could've killed Yoongi for dropping you like that."
Hoseok shrugs. "He said it was time. I think he was right."
"Yeah, well. It's better with you around."
"Thanks, hyung." It isn't much of a compliment, but it's more than he feels he deserves at the moment.
"You've been happier lately, am I right?" Seokjin leans forward and smiles. "Before this week anyway, but we'll blame that on these damn reports." He gestures to a mountain of folders identical to Hoseok's.
"I guess I have, yeah." He can tell Seokjin wants to know more and Hoseok barely escapes with a, "Goodnight, hyung!"
With that, he leaves Seokjin's office, and whatever good feelings he has left over are blown to smithereens when he finds Yoongi waiting for him just outside.
"We need to talk," is all he says, and he grabs Hoseok's arm before he can run away.
-
A cup of coffee sits between Hoseok's hands. It's warm, which is more than he can say about the look Yoongi's giving him. Yoongi sips his coffee like he's trying to inhale it all in one go. The cafeteria is all but deserted after hours.
"Your pet is a human," he says flatly.
Hoseok gulps. "Yes."
"The pet that you've been so happy about, that you bought a collar for, is some guy named Taehyung."
"Yes."
"Would this happen to be the same guy you found in the trash?"
Leave it to Yoongi to figure everything out in a single night. At this point, Hoseok sees no point in lying. "Yes."
Yoongi squints at him. "I had no idea you were into such kinky shit."
"It's not kin--" Hoseok lowers his voice and leans across the table to whisper, "There's nothing... kinky about it. He needed a place to stay."
"And in order to stay with you he had to act like a fucking dog?"
Hoseok hides his face in his hands. "It made sense at the time, I swear. He had nowhere to live and I wanted to help, but we'd just broken up and letting someone move in with me didn't feel right."
"Because he's hot."
"Excuse me?" Hoseok squeaks. "That's not--"
"You can't hide anything from me," Yoongi says, wagging his finger. "I remember that asshole you liked in college, and I've seen every asshole you've liked since. Taehyung's totally your type. Dull eyes, blank stare, mouth hangs open all the time." Yoongi does a grotesque imitation and Hoseok huffs.
"I don't have a type."
"We'll save that argument for later. For now let's talk about how you like him."
"I don't--"
"You don't like him, you just had him be your little pet because you wanted to help." Yoongi smirks. "I can smell the bullshit from here." Before Hoseok can respond, Yoongi raises his hand to stop him. "I'm going to tell you exactly what happened, because I'm your best friend and your ex and I know you better than anyone. You were lonely and didn't want to get hurt, so you set up a bunch of stupid rules which gave you control. Neither side would have feelings for the other beyond your fucked up pet-owner thing, am I right?"
The tips of Hoseok's ears burn, but he nods.
"Except you conveniently developed feelings all on your own, protected by your damn rules, which you used to try and keep Taehyung from getting to you."
"It wasn't intentional," he says suddenly despite himself. There's a flash of anger in Yoongi's eyes and Hoseok's mouth flies shut.
"But you're still an ass." He sighs and spins his empty coffee cup with one hand. "Christ, Hoseok, not everyone's going to hurt you. Maybe you'd have a functional relationship if you actually trusted someone."
The cold coffee tastes sour on Hoseok's tongue. "Is that why you dumped me?"
For some reason Hoseok can't hope to understand, Yoongi smiles. "I thought, if it was me, you'd relax a little. I liked you a lot, but it always felt like you were waiting for me to end it."
Hoseok wants to argue, but he knows better. He'd asked Yoongi out entirely because he was safe, because of all people Yoongi seemed the least likely to hurt him. Not exactly a good reason to try and love someone.
Then there's Taehyung, who's the opposite of safe. They hardly know each other and Hoseok has no idea what Taehyung wants from him, but Hoseok wants to be around him and find out. It makes him nauseous and sweaty and really, really fucking scared, but maybe that's exactly how he's supposed to feel.
"I need to go," he says and grabs his bag from under the table. He almost runs into a group of women making their way to the main doors.
"Hey, Hoseok!" Yoongi shouts from the table.
He turns and Yoongi is grinning from ear to ear.
"At least the sex was good, right?"
The group of women pause as Hoseok's face goes pink. Yoongi's still cackling when Hoseok steps outside.
-
The first thing Hoseok sees when he enters his apartment is a stranger in the most expensive looking suit he's ever seen. His bag hits the floor and the man turns. Taehyung's face sits above a crooked bow tie.
"Ah, good," he says and grabs Hoseok's arm. "We're almost late." He pulls Hoseok back toward the front door and ignores his stuttered protests. As he's locking the door behind them, he gives Hoseok an anxious look. "I really need to show you something, so just do as I say, okay?"
Hoseok opens his mouth to argue, then stops himself. "Lead the way," he replies, though he wishes he sounded more confident.
Taehyung beams, and Hoseok thinks that's good enough for now.
-
The gallery is massive and Hoseok finds himself severely under-dressed in his department store shirt and slacks. All around him art experts and students mingle and discuss the works on display, the culmination of the students' years of study and practice. A huge silk banner hangs through the center of the gallery, the name of Taehyung's university embroidered in rich colors.
Hoseok sips from his wineglass as Hoseok leads him through the gallery. They pause now and then for Taehyung to chat with his classmates. All of them give Hoseok curious stares and Taehyung introduces him as "Hoseok hyung." Everyone is friendly and intellectual and warm but Hoseok can't control the millions of butterflies wreaking havoc in his stomach.
"What do you think? Taehyung asks when they're alone beside a sign that reads, "Animation Students Presentation at 7PM."
"Everything is so beautiful," he wheezes and tries to look happy. That seems to make Taehyung happy and they're moving inside the door behind the sign.
Taehyung directs Hoseok to a seat in the front row and disappears somewhere behind him. "The show doesn't start for an hour, but I wanted you to be the first to see it." A screen at the front of the room brightens. A video starts playing: "Thank You, by Kim Taehyung."
"That's me," Taehyung chuckles and falls into the seat next to Hoseok. The film opens with a a city, a vast skyline that reaches into the clouds above. The animation is rough around the edges like a sketch, but it gives the scene a warm, familiar feeling.
Hoseok watches, and Taehyung's hand slides into his.
A dog is lost and alone in the city. His fur is thick and matted and there's something about his eyes that reminds Hoseok of Taehyung. He sleeps on the streets and has to dig in the trash to find food. He meets another dog who lets him share his alley. Together they roam the streets and find the best food to eat. They protect each other from other strays and sleep curled up under a cardboard box at night. When it rains, they keep each other dry. When the matted stray gets sick, the other brings him food until he's better.
The short ends with the two of them sitting side by side on the top of a building, looking out at the very same skyline from the beginning of the film.
The screen goes dark and Hoseok realizes he's blushing terribly. "What do you think?" Taehyung asks again. His hand feels clammy.
"That was... beautiful," he says, and laughs because he can't find any better words. "Amazing. Seriously."
Taehyung is smiling so wide Hoseok can't help but smile back, and then Taehyung's kissing him, and something in the back of Hoseok's brain sighs, Finally. His lips are just as messy and hard to follow as the rest of him, but Hoseok does his best to keep up. He licks at Taehyung's lips and they part eagerly. A low groan escapes Taehyung's mouth and Hoseok shivers.
There's a creak and a beam of light falls across the two of them. A small group of guests stare at them, hands over their mouths to stifle their giggles. They leap to their feet and straighten their clothes with nervous laughter. Taehyung grabs Hoseok's hand and leads him back through the door. "Let's get out of here," he says over his shoulder.
Hoseok falters. "What about the presentation?"
Something dark glints in Taehyung's eyes. "Fuck it, I've already passed the class."
Hoseok sees no reason to argue with that.
-
Taehyung kisses Hoseok again before he has the front door closed. His iron grip on Hoseok's shirt only relaxes when Hoseok goes to push his jacket down and off. He can feel Taehyung's familiar warmth through the material of his dress shirt and it makes him want more. Hoseok breaks the kiss to lick the skin on Taehyung's neck right above the collar of his shirt. They stumble through the living room towards Hoseok's bedroom and pause at the door. Hoseok presses Taehyung against the wood and nips at his ear. His fingers find the sensitive spots beneath Taehyung's ears and Taehyung moans.
"A-are you sure about this?" Taehyung stammers. "The rules--"
"Fuck the rules. You're not my pet anymore, Taehyung."
For a second, Taehyung looks scared.
"I don't want any boundaries," he explains, breathless and messy. "I want to be the same outside the apartment as we are inside. Is that okay with you?"
His heart pounds against his rib cage. He hardly knows Taehyung and this could be the exact opposite of what he wants. Hoseok looks into Taehyung's eyes and feels a pull in his gut that tells him he's in danger, but he doesn't care.
Taehyung opens the bedroom door and they fall inside. The look in Taehyung's eyes as he shoves Hoseok onto the bed is all the answer he needs.
-
Yoongi's head appears above the partition. "You really need to stop," he says with obvious disgust. "You're gonna make me puke."
Tapping his fingers on his desk to a rhythm all his own, Hoseok looks up with a bright, oblivious smile. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You're fucking singing."
Hoseok shrugs and spins in his rolling chair. "Ah, sorry about that. Didn't even notice."
"Your singing is terrible by the way."
A stack of finished forms sits on Hoseok's desk and he cheerfully hops to his feet to deliver them to Namjoon. "Then I'll make myself scarce." He bows dramatically and sweeps out of his cubicle. A hand stops him as he passes by Yoongi's door.
Yoongi smiles and shakes his head. "I'm really happy for you, man."
Hoseok blushes to the tips of his ears. "Thanks."
-
As soon as Hoseok steps through the door Taehyung pulls him into a kiss that Hoseok's feels all the way to his toes. "I'm glad you're home," Taehyung mumbles against his mouth.
Hoseok is, too.