Archive of Our Own ^beta

Before you forget: Budget meeting at 3 PM! Pls don’t be late. :) 

“Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.” Seokjin states, unfazed as Yoongi drops into the chair beside him and immediately proceeds to crumple the yellow sticky note in his fist. 

“Seokjin hyung, I’m not in the mood.” Yoongi snarls, so different from the way he usually greets Seokjin. His deskmate is still, however, unfazed, and simply stops typing, instead reaching for something further away on his desk. Yoongi, not noticing this, continues his frustrated rant, punctuated by the  unnecessarily aggressive way he starts his computer. “I overslept my alarm, Holly, for some reason, decided it would be nice to play a game of hide and seek with me and almost gave me a damned heart attack thinking I had lost him, and of course the traffic was fucking impossible today like it is every day -“ 

Yoongi stops. Looks down and stares. 

Beside him, Seokjin snorts. “Cat got your tongue, Yoongichi?” he teases, finally turning to address Yoongi. His outstretched arm still holds the mug of coffee, still hot enough that Yoongi can see the smoke. 

“Wha.” is Yoongi’s very eloquent response as he cups the mug with both of his hands, staring at it as a cat would a red laser point. “You?”

“Messaged you at about 8 AM, I think.” Seokjin says in lieu of a response. Yoongi’s eyes catch the display on his computer screen - if he’s right, and he probably is, it’s a script for another of their upcoming episodes - before turning back to Seokjin. “You didn’t reply. I know you’re usually up by then so I thought you’d probably be late. Made you a mug as soon as I arrived.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry, hyung, I -“ Yoongi starts to apologize before Seokjin waves him away. 

“Pft, don’t act as if you’ve never not answered to my texts before.” Seokjin grins. “You’re just feeling guilty because I got you a cup of coffee - you’ll be back to swearing at me in no time.” 

“Oh, fuck you, hyung.” Yoongi complains before he can stop himself. He continues to grumble as Seokjin laughs that signature windshield wiper laugh of his, and does his best not to follow Seokjin with his eyes when the latter stands up. 

“I’m just gonna go check up with Taehyung. We still on for lunch?” 

Yoongi grins, settling back in his chair, mug still in hand. “If you’re paying.” 

Seokjin rolls his eyes, but the matching grin on his face makes Yoongi sure that his hyung isn’t disagreeing with him. “I spoil you too much, Yoongichi.” he says fondly before leaving with his phone in his hand - 

“Is your heart in his hand, too?” asks a cheeky voice right beside Yoongi. 

“Namjoon, will you shut the fuck -“ 

“Uh, Yoongi hyung?” 

Yoongi looks up, and sees Namjoon do the same. Standing behind Yoongi’s seat is Hoseok, and he’s frowning at Yoongi in a way that makes Yoongi feel he’s done something very wrong. 

“I, was, uh, looking for Seokjin hyung?” he asks, still looking confused and concerned at the same time. 

“Taehyung.” is what Yoongi provides as an answer. From behind Hoseok, he can see several of his coworkers peering around to look at him and at the desk around him, and then turning back to their deskmates to whisper about whatever they saw. 

Or didn’t see. Because when Hoseok asks, “Who were you talking to, by the way, Yoongi hyung?”, Yoongi is suddenly, once again, very much aware of the fact that not everyone can see the person sitting beside him, even if he is obnoxiously smirking at Yoongi and obviously sitting right there. Yoongi makes an excuse about thinking out loud, waits until Hoseok leaves and his coworkers are no longer interested in him, and stuffs his headphones over his ears before oh so subtly turning to Namjoon and whispering, “Shut the fuck up.” 

Because, right, oops, “Did you forget, Yoongi-ssi?” Namjoon teases. “It’s only you I’m haunting - no one else can see or hear me but you.” 

If Yoongi’s going to be very honest with himself, it’s really no surprise he’s being haunted by a ghost.

First of all, he’s Min Yoongi. Yes, the Min Yoongi of BuzzFeed’s Unsolved, co-host to the one and only Kim Seokjin, and his whole job practically revolves around what Seokjin claims are ghosts and demons, and what Yoongi believes is the wind. They even have a whole dynamic - they go to haunted places, Seokjin attempts to prove the existence of the supernatural and scares himself shitless, and Yoongi makes fun of said attempts while trying to disprove their existence by daring them to rip out his heart, amongst other things. 

(Yoongi also attempts to hide how fucking head over heels he is for Seokjin in every single episode, but that’s not really part of the dynamic. Or, well, Hoseok repeatedly reminds him it’s not part of the dynamic, and hey , Yoongi tries to keep it quiet, but there’s only so much you can hide from the fans' prying eyes.) 

In every single place they’ve been to, Seokjin and Yoongi have done the same thing without fail - tell the history of the place, give some (sometimes inappropriate) side remarks, and fuck around the place with Go Pros strapped to their chest to hopefully catch solid evidence of the supernatural. 

Or not. Really, Seokjin’s the one who wants to catch evidence. Yoongi’s proud to say his evidence is literally the lack of evidence that Seokjin doesn’t have. 

So, normally, the story of this bizarre haunting (heh, that would make a pretty good Unsolved episode, wouldn’t it? Yoongi’s gotta suggest that to Seokjin sometime) starts with a location shoot. 

There are only a few locations they’ve been to that have really set the spooky vibe for Yoongi. Most locations do it for Seokjin as soon as they step out of the car, but this one...

This one sends shivers down even Yoongi’s spine. 

“So this is the Mikrokosmos .” Seokjin murmurs softly as he comes to stand beside Yoongi. 

“You said there was a fire, right?” Yoongi asks, turning to face Seokjin. He sees Taehyung with his camera not far from where he and Seokjin are standing, Jimin and Hoseok right behind him, and pretends that he didn’t notice they were there. 

Seokjin nods, not once looking away from the top half of the two-storey building. “Just back in 2010, yeah.” His voice is still soft, and Yoongi knows, realistically, that they have microphones pinned to the collars of their shirts, but it’s nice to think it’s just him and Seokjin, just for a little while. “The fire was only contained to one room in the top half of the building, though.” 

“Intentionally?” 

“You’ll see.” 

They enter the bar, the door creaking as Seokjin tries to open it as gently as he can. Yoongi looks around the bar in awe as the rest of their crew squeeze into the once famous café, all their gazes turned upwards to gawk at the constellations mapped onto the ceiling. It’s a deep midnight blue, the color matching the night sky aesthetic perfectly - but Yoongi can see the black of the burned wood threatening to cover up some of the night sky, even touching some of the constellations. 

One of the constellations, however, seems to sparkle and shine, no matter how cliché that sounds. It has its place in the center of the ceiling’s night sky, each individual star shining so bright, maybe too bright - 

“Yoongi.” 

Jimin’s staring at him expectantly, standing near where he and Hoseok have set up two chairs facing Taehyung’s ever ready camera. 

Seokjin smiles from where he’s seated - to the left facing the camera, where he always sits. “Let’s get this show on the road.” he grins at Yoongi. 

Yoongi answers with a snort, shuffling to his seat with his hands in his pockets. “You’re insufferable, hyung.” 

“You love me.” Seokjin answers back every so quickly, sticking out a tongue at Yoongi and snickering quietly when Hoseok gestures for them to be ready, effectively rendering Yoongi quiet and unable to answer in any way. 

As Seokjin starts with their usual opening to their episodes - introducing themselves, the show, and the location they’re at - Yoongi feels a shiver down his spine yet again, and jolts when he feels a strange breeze pass through on his shoulders. 

(He hears what he thinks might be two people laughing at him, but he brushes that thought away and doesn’t tell Seokjin anything, only playing the part of the skeptic asshole when Seokjin turns to him for his comments. It’s just the wind, anyway. Nothing for Seokjin to be worried about.) 

“I don’t get it,” Yoongi confesses once Seokjin mentions that the café had been incredibly popular as soon as it opened, “if everyone loved it why would someone intentionally harm the owners? Are we really looking at a homicide here?” 

Seokjin offers a tight-lipped smile as he passes Yoongi a picture of the two owners of the café - Jeon Jungkook and Kim Namjoon , it says under a photo of two smiling men in tuxedos. Owners of the Mikrokosmos café. “It wasn’t a move to harm the business . Which makes sense - why not burn down the place itself if you’re planning on just ruining someone’s business?” 

“So you think someone really had been planning to kill them.” 

Seokjin scoffs, turning away from Yoongi. Hoseok and Jimin exchange looks behind the camera - Yoongi’s fairly certain this portion of the episode might be converted into one of the audio scenes. “It’s obvious enough. Autopsy came back and Jungkook and Namjoon’s bodies were burned hours before it had started to spread to the floor. It’s.” 

Yoongi looks up from the smiling pair, leaning ever so closely to Seokjin when he hears his co-host hesitate. “It’s what, hyung?” 

“It’s a hate crime, plain and simple.” Seokjin murmurs. “Jungkook and Namjoon - there,” he points at the picture, “that’s their wedding photo. They were husbands. Frequent customers testified that they had heard Jungkook tell Namjoon that they were receiving threats regarding their ‘lifestyle’ and how it affected the community, and this was only a few days before the fire happened.” 

Yoongi pauses, and stares back down at the photo in his hand. It flutters in his hand, the breeze running almost a bit unnaturally over and around it a couple of times. 

He sighs, looking back up to meet Seokjin’s gaze. “I don’t like this case, hyung.” 

(Yoongi swears he hears a sniffle near his ear, and feels what might be a touch to his shoulder, but he ignores it to give Seokjin a small, sad smile.) 

After that fairly dramatic and sad scene (as Taehyung insists on calling it, claiming it as the only time he had ever seen Yoongi express emotion other than “idiotic bravery” during a shoot, to which Yoongi had rightfully threatened to hit him with the camera), Yoongi and Seokjin fall into their regular dynamic, cracking jokes here and there and threatening the apparent ghost of the murderer to come out and burn them alive. 

Or, well, Yoongi dares the murderer to burn them alive. Seokjin stands there and screams “Fuck you, Yoongi!” amidst Yoongi’s dares. “You’re always dragging me into your stupid bullshit!” 

“It’s you and me, hyung!” Yoongi had cackled, not even flinching as Seokjin had fallen into a spiel of panic. “We’re gonna burn together like the Bible said we would!”

Eventually, they make it to the stairwell up to the second floor (“Ooh, you think Namjoon and Jungkook ever did...you know what...here.” “It’s 2019, you’re an adult, you can say sex, hyung.”), and into the bedroom (“Knock knock, are you two decent?” “Oh, wow, I’d love it if the thing that got me to believe in ghosts was ghost sex.”) before finally, they make it to the living room, where Yoongi sees, bright as day, just how damaged by fire the room was, and the darkest charred spots on the floor where Jungkook and Namjoon supposedly met their death. 

As Seokjin sets up their equipment, Yoongi feels the same breeze pass over his shoulders. There’s a mirror near the wall - even if it’s charred, Yoongi can still see his reflection, and what seems like a white shadow hovering near his shoulders. 

“Ready?” Seokjin asks, voice settling down to a whisper like he always does when he’s about to turn on that damned spirit box. 

“Yeah.” Yoongi forces himself to tear his gaze away from the mirror. “Yeah, go ahead.” 

At the same time the spirit box turns on, the familiar static meeting Yoongi’s ears, he feels a weight lift off his shoulders - a physical weight, as if something was clinging to him and just decided to let go. 

“If anyone’s here with us,” Seokjin begins, “please say something so we know you’re here.” 

“Present.” Yoongi dares to joke, raising his voice a couple of pitches higher. Seokjin makes a move to hit him - 

“- he-llo -“ 

- but meets Yoongi’s gaze with a wide-eyed one instead. 

Now, Yoongi’s the first to rebuke the spirit box and all it’s so called evidence, but that had clearly sounded like a hello from a man about Jungkook or Namjoon’s age. Nevertheless, he’s not hosting this show with Seokjin for no reason, so he opens his mouth to argue - 

“- hy-ung-t-oo -“ 

No. Fuck this. 

Seokjin is pale and shaking, even with the look of excitement on his face. Yoongi reaches for his hand, and Seokjin immediately grabs it, clutching it tight. 

“J-Jungkook?” Seokjin stutters. Yoongi meets his gaze and nods subtly - why the fuck are they nodding subtly? The ghosts can see them either way. “You said you’re with ‘hyung’, and Namjoon was older. Is this Jungkook I’m speaking to?” 

“- kook-hy-ung -“ 

That breaks the tension, and Yoongi’s face splits into a grin as he turns to Seokjin. “Yeah, where are your manners, hyung?” he teases. “Jungkook and Namjoon were both older than us, you have to call them hyung!” 

“Shut up, Yoongi.” Seokjin says, but Yoongi can see some of the tension visibly leave his body. “You have to call them hyung, too - you’re younger than all three of us.” 

The spirit box crackles louder. Through the static, something akin to laughter can be heard, but Seokjin's too focused on the spirit box to really notice it in the moment. 

(Later, though, Yoongi knows Seokjin will point this out as they’re adding on extra commentary to the episode. Yoongi will scoff and say that it’s just the sound of the spirit box going through multiple frequencies at once, and Hoseok will roll his eyes as they enter into another round of arguments.)

“People say you were just caught in the fire of the café, that your deaths were an accident.” Seokjin adds. Yoongi is still very much aware of his hand’s extended presence in Yoongi’s own, clutching him tight as if Seokjin is drawing the courage to ask the question from Yoongi’s hand. “But your customers swear it was murder. Can you tell us what happened?” 

For a minute or so, there is silence from the spirit box - or, well, just static. Seokjin looks disappointed, and if Yoongi is honest, he’s feeling a little let down himself. There had been such concrete evidence the first time around, he was this close to believing (something Seokjin will never know if Yoongi has anything to do with it), but maybe it is just a hoax, maybe it was just a coincidence - 

“- burned-us -“ comes a voice from the spirit box. It’s angry, it’s loud, and most importantly, it’s different from what Jungkook (or what was probably Jungkook) had sounded like. “- killed-us-diff-er-ent -“ 

“They killed you because you were different?” Yoongi asks, eyeing how pale Seokjin has gotten, and looking back at the rest of their crew. All three of them are gesturing for Yoongi to continue (who could blame them, what the fuck , this is good evidence). Hoseok sends him two thumbs up before pointing to his watch - finish this session and I’ll make sure Seokjin’s okay - so Yoongi continues, going “Namjoon?” when there’s still no answer. 

And then - 

- loud as day - 

“- Jung-kook-fi-rst -“ the voice is livid, angry, and Seokjin gulps for air, “- made-me-watch -“ is Yoongi breathing? He must be, he should be “- he-died-help-less -“ is Hoseok shouting? That isn’t right, Hoseok rarely shouts “- make-the-m-pa-y -“ turn it off? turn it off, what, why, why “- make-the-m-PA-Y -“ 

“ HYUNG !”

“Fuck!” Yoongi gasps, gulping for air. His hands are shaking as he stares down at them, he’s pretty sure he’s paler than a sheet of paper, and Hoseok’s crouched down in front of him, face the perfect picture of worry. 

“Alright, calm down, hyung.” Hoseok says, voice soft as he maneuvers Yoongi into a nearby chair. “Breathe with me.” he adds, grabbing Yoongi’s hands. 

Wait. 

His hands? 

“Seokjin hyung!” Yoongi exclaims, looking around frantically. Fuck , he can’t focus, where’s Seokjin, what -

“Hyung, hyung , he’s fine!” Hoseok protests, grabbing Yoongi by the shoulders this time. “There, look. See?” 

Yoongi does see - off on the other end of the room, Taehyung and Jimin are making sure Seokjin’s okay. Yoongi’s heart sinks as he takes in his hyung’s condition- he’s pale, shaking, and there are tear tracks running down his face. Yoongi can see that Jimin’s still trying to get him to calm down, gripping both his hands and asking Seokjin to mimic his breathing, like Yoongi does every time one of their episodes is a bit too much for Seokjin. 

Like this one, Yoongi realizes, his heart dropping down to his stomach. Except this time it was too much for him, too, and he couldn’t jump in and help Seokjin like he usually does, like Seokjin expects him to. 

Fuck, why couldn’t he do it this time? Why was he so freaked out? 

“Hey, no, look, they’ve got it under control.” Hoseok’s voice interrupts Yoongi’s train of thought, causing him to look back at the director. “You were both freaked out - we don’t know why, but -“ 

“Wait, what?” Yoongi cuts Hoseok’s ‘it’s okay’ speech off, frowning at him. “What do you mean , you don’t know why? Didn’t you hear all that shit? That’s the strongest evidence we have!” 

He’s still very much agitated by what he and Seokjin had heard - fuck, who wouldn’t be? Even if Yoongi didn’t believe in ghosts, how was he supposed to deny any of that happened? - and Hoseok can probably tell, because he grabs Yoongi by the arms and stares him in the eye, face serious and giving Yoongi the Look he’s used to seeing whenever Yoongi’s gone too far in teasing Seokjin or whoever else they have on the show. 

“Hyung.” comes Hoseok’s voice, steady, non-syllabicated, warm, familiar and real - nothing like Jungkook’s voice had been. Especially nothing like Namjoon’s voice had been, too. “After Seokjin hyung asked the question, you guys just went silent, and then Taehyung had to stop recording because we noticed you weren’t even breathing .” 

Yoongi’s eyes go to where Hoseok is massaging his hand, kneading it gently. It’s a nervous tactic, one Hoseok had picked up back when he had first taken on the job as their director. Hoseok’s just as much a believer as Seokjin is, so it’s natural that the shoots that they go on sometimes spook him as much as they spook Seokjin. He had started lightly massaging Seokjin’s hand when they had both gotten their first big spook on the season (was it the first episode? Probably, Yoongi isn’t sure but he’ll bet money on it being that one) and it helped him calm down as much as it helped Seokjin calm down. 

“Hobi.” Yoongi mutters, hoping he looks as sorry as he feels. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shout at you.” 

Hoseok smiles - a small, pathetic little thing that just makes Yoongi feel more guilty. “Not your fault, hyung. It’s the first time I’ve seen you that spooked out. I was just -”

“Worried.” Yoongi nods, pursing his lips. “Yeah.” 

He turns to look for the rest of their crew, and finds Seokjin held tight in Taehyung’s arms, Jimin behind them with a concerned expression and his hand running up and down Seokjin’s back. There’s a big, huge part of him that wants to go over and engulf Seokjin in his arms, too, but he holds back and instead walks to where he and Seokjin had just been sitting and talking to what was possibly Jungkook and Namjoon’s spirits through the - 

The spirit box. 

An involuntary noise leaves Yoongi’s mouth as he bends down to pick up the spirit box, careful to gather the wire that was laying haphazardly on the floor along with it. It still feels like a normal spirit box, feels like the one they’ve been using ever since they started this whole shindig, and Yoongi has faith that Seokjin wouldn’t tamper the spirit box, not when he looks like that after hearing what Jungkook and Namjoon had to say.

“Did one of you guys turn it off?” Yoongi asks, turning to Hoseok. He’s confused why he’s asked the question as soon as it leaves his mouth - duh, Yoongi, someone probably turned it off. It’s either that or the damned thing is finally broken, which Yoongi would personally not really care about. It’s Seokjin that treats the tools like they’re his babies, and not something they bought with the budget BuzzFeed had given them. 

Which is why Yoongi’s so confused about his attitude toward this whole thing. He shouldn’t care about whether or not the spirit box is broken, so why is he asking? 

And why is Hoseok looking at him like that? 

“Hyung, maybe you should sit down.” Hoseok says, slowly, like he’s talking to a child (or a very drunk man - which, to be fair, Yoongi has been around Hoseok). “Take a breath? I’ll get some water?” 

“Hoseok.” Yoongi snaps, feeling the irritation creep back into his body. “I don’t have time for this, just tell me if this piece of crap is broken or not so I can tell hyung to file a report to BuzzFeed.” 

Hoseok winces, and yep, there we go, Yoongi’s feeling guilty for that again , but before he can apologize, Hoseok takes the spirit box from Yoongi’s hand and fiddles with it ‘till it turns back on, the static filling the room, and immediately turning it back off when Yoongi gives an instinctive scowl at the loud sound. 

“It’s not broken.” Hoseok says, sounding defeated. A part of Yoongi feels really guilty for being the reason for him being tired, another part of Yoongi, the one he’s actually listening to, is going what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck as Hoseok hands him back the spirit box. “Hyung, like I said - after Seokjin hyung asked his question, you both just stopped breathing. The spirit box turned off by itself, we thought you were just freaking out about that, but then it had been too long.” 

Yoongi feels as if someone has dumped an ice cold bucket of water all over him, and then thrown some ice cubes into his face exactly after. “You mean -”

“If you heard anything, hyung, we didn’t hear it.” Hoseok sends a wary look towards the spirit box in Yoongi’s hands. “I’m gonna go get a breath of fresh air so I can give you time to talk to Seokjin hyung, ‘cause I think you two need to talk about whether or not you’re still spending the night here.” 

“You alright, Yoongichi?” 

“Should be asking you that.” Yoongi mumbles, sitting down beside Seokjin as soon as the elder asks him the question. He doesn’t look at Seokjin yet, just sits close enough that their knees are touching, and stares off into where Jimin and Taehyung left them alone. “You okay?” 

Seokjin’s a little pale when Yoongi finally turns to look at him, but he manages a small smile - a genuine one, not the bright ecstatic one he always manages to pull of for the audience, even in the middle of a genuinely terrifying episode. “I asked first.” he says in that stupid teasing voice that Yoongi hates (and loves, is what their fans say. Yoongi thinks the fans can keep their stupid mouths shut). 

“What are we, six?” Yoongi scoffs. “You gonna tell me who has a crush on me next?” 

“No one has a crush on you, Yoongichi. They’re all busy having a crush on me .” 

“Oh, shut up.” Yoongi rolls his eyes as Seokjin’s laughter echoes throughout the room. “Seriously, though.” 

“Seriously?” Seokjin mimics - his laugh is much more hollow this time around, though, and Yoongi frowns upon hearing it. “I don’t know, Yoongichi. Did Hoseok say -”

“He didn’t hear it.” Yoongi murmurs. He offers one side of the blanket that Hoseok had thrown to him to Seokjin, and is glad when his co-host snuggles under it, pressed close to Yoongi’s side. “Jimin and Taehyung?” 

Seokjin shakes his head. “They said the spirit box turned off as soon as I asked about their death.” he answers, his voice as low in volume as Yoongi’s was. “So that means they didn’t hear Namjoon, just Jungkook.” 

“If that even was Jungkook.” Yoongi says. 

Which is stupid , because if there ever was an instance that made Yoongi believe in the supernatural, it’s definitely what happened just minutes ago. 

And Seokjin know it’s stupid, because he gives Yoongi such an incredulous glare that Yoongi can’t help but find himself laughing, even after Seokjin angrily shoves his side of the blanket into Yoongi’s face. 

“Don’t laugh at me, Min Yoongi!” Seokjin shouts, and it does nothing but make Yoongi laugh louder. “You heard Namjoon and Jungkook as well as I did, that’s the most solid evidence we’ve had ever ! And you’re telling me you still doubt it? What explanation do you have for that now ?” 

“It wasn’t that clear.” Yoongi grins, still goading Seokjin on. “Could have been a coincidence.” 

“Oh yeah?” Seokjin raises an eyebrow at Yoongi. “Maybe if I strangle you, you can ask them and then tell me if it was a coincidence or not through the spirit box.” 

“How can I tell you if I’ll be dead? Remember, hyung - ghosts don’t exist.” 

Seokjin throws his arms up in the air and glares at him. “You know what? Fine ! If you think it was such a coincidence after all that evidence, why don’t we stay the night? Maybe then you’ll see what Jungkook and Namjoon-ssi have to say to you not believing they exist.” 

“Jungkook and Namjoon- ssi ?” 

“You have to be respectful if you’re asking for a favor.” Seokjin shrugs. 

“ And cut !” 

Yoongi and Seokjin jolt apart at the loud shout, and they both turn their heads to stare, wide-eyed, at their crew standing in the room’s doorway, Taehyung’s camera on and clearly recording. 

“We needed extra content in case this episode ever really does push through, sorry.” Jimin says, but the grin he has on his face doesn’t exactly push the whole sorry thing they’re trying to pull off. 

“So you two are gonna stay the night?” Hoseok asks - and honestly, the way he has his hands on his hips and his eyebrow raised reminds Yoongi of his mother, which is what pushes him to obediently nod his head. 

“Seokjin hyung wants to go crazy, I think.” Yoongi shrugs in a cool, nonchalant tone, which vanishes into a yelp of pain when Seokjin nudges him sharply with his elbow. 

“What I want is for Yoongi to admit what we heard from the spirit box earlier was Jungkook.” the elder pouts. “So yes, we’re sticking with the original plan.” 

“We better go get your guys’ stuff then, right, Jimin?” Taehyung says, camera still in his hands. 

Jimin seems to perk up at that, nodding enthusiastically. “Yeah, we’re gonna go get it, don’t worry, we don’t need help, be right back!” he shouts over his shoulder as he runs out of the room, Taehyung in tow. 

Yoongi, Seokjin, and Hoseok all exchange looks.

“Do they think we don’t know, or…” Seokjin mutters. 

Hoseok visibly cringes. “Let’s, uh, let them tell us on their own time.” he suggests. 

Seokjin nods, and just as he does that, an idea forms in Yoongi’s mind, one that has him cupping his hands around his mouth and shouting, “You heard that, Jungkook-ssi, Namjoon-ssi? Don’t tell anyone that we know Jimin and Taehyung are probably fucking!” 

Hoseok snorts at that, and Seokjin hisses and swats at his arm. 

“Don’t do that!” he groans. “I swear, you’re gonna get me mixed up in your shit, Yoongi, I want no part in it!” 

“Seokjin hyung specifically is the one who doesn’t want you guys to tell that to anyone!” is what Yoongi shouts instead. “Remember that! Seokjin hyung doesn’t want you telling any ghost hunters about good ol’ Park Jimin and Kim Taehyung smooching !” 

“I’m gonna die.” Seokjin mourns into Hoseok’s arms. “I’m gonna die and it’s going to be Yoongi’s fault.” 

“At least it’ll be on the internet, hyung.” Hoseok tries to comfort him. “And at least it’ll be with Yoongi hyung.” 

(Yoongi’s not going to say anything about how exactly that makes him feel, just as how he’s not going to say anything about the silhouette he thinks he sees pass in front of the mirror behind Seokjin and Hoseok).

They decide to forego the individual investigations into something much, much more sinister - spending the night in separate rooms. 

Seokjin’s staying in the master bedroom, where Jungkook and Namjoon used to sleep. Yoongi had a hilariously fun time teasing Seokjin about hearing ghostly moans, about not giving the dead couple their privacy, and basically anything and everything that he could think of saying, before Hoseok was gently tugging him out the door. 

“Good night, Seokjin hyung!” Yoongi had said cheekily, grin wide. “Sweet dreams!” 

“I will literally kill you, Min Yoongi.” Seokjin had glowered, and that was that. 

Now, Yoongi’s seated on his sleeping bag, phone in hand as he happily munches on a pack of peanuts he had brought along. He’s sleeping in the house’s mini library-slash-study, where Namjoon had been known to stay. The vast number of books arranged on the shelves really do add to the stereotypical horror feel of the place, but as soon as he had entered, Yoongi had grabbed one of the books at random and found out what it was (“It’s a manga !” he had grinned, and the camera had shaken as Taehyung tried to stifle his giggles, “Jungkook-ssi, Namjoon-ssi, you two had great taste.”) and the room got gradually less terrifying. 

Seokjin’s not that far away from him - if Yoongi got up and walked to the bedroom, it’d probably take him, what? A minute, two minutes? - but Yoongi can’t help but feel weird that Seokjin’s sleeping bag isn’t placed next to his, that he can’t see Seokjin’s nervous silhouette right beside him, and that unless something happens, Seokjin won’t be waking him up every .2 seconds to ask if he had heard a noise, face pale with worry, hand grappling for something, usually Yoongi’s hand, and seeking comfort in Yoongi’s presence, not knowing that Yoongi finds an entirely different comfort in him - 

Ping. 

Yoongi jumps slightly, the small noise and now brightly illuminated screen jolting him out of his thoughts. He squints down at it, sight blurry with his contacts gone, and isn’t really that surprised to see the newly received message. 

Seokjin hyung 

Are you still awake? 

A fond smile graces Yoongi’s features as he types a message back. He can imagine just what Seokjin looks like right now, hunched over his phone and frantically looking left and right for any so-called ghouls, everything about him calling Yoongi to cuddle him and press a kiss to his forehead and - 

Wait, what? No, no , they’re just friends . If Yoongi wants to cuddle him, it’ll be a platonic cuddle, not a romantic one. Not - not because Yoongi wants to be his boyfriend or something. 

He shakes his head, huffing out a breath before he presses send 

heh you can’t sleep without your yoongichi by your side? ;) 

Oh fuck. 

“What the fuck, Min Yoongi!” Yoongi hisses, fumbling to turn on airplane mode, delete his message, do something before the message sends - 

BANG. 

Something that is definitely not a squeaky scream leaves Yoongi’s mouth. His phone clatters to the ground as he stares at what he supposes had caused the sound - the window to the library, previously open because Yoongi had liked the fresh air coming into the room, is now completely shut, the lock even holding it in place.

Despite that, a chill still runs over Yoongi’s shoulders, making him shiver and turn to glare at - at what? 

There’s nothing there. There shouldn’t be anything there, not with them being the only people allowed inside the Mikrokosmos and the rest of their crew besides Seokjin and Yoongi asleep in a nearby hotel. And there’s no way Seokjin’s gonna come over to Yoongi’s side of the house - if he really needs Yoongi’s help, he’ll text - 

Text! Right, right - Yoongi reaches for his phone, the one now lying screen first on the ground, picks it up - 

Only to have it fall from his hands again in horror. 

Yoongi is 100% sure he was texting Seokjin when his phone had fallen. He’s a hundred and one percent sure that if they review the camera footage - which they have, because they’re still filming - it’ll show the bright white and blue of his phone as he had typed back a message to Seokjin. 

So why the fuck is his phone going through all of his and Seokjin’s pictures together? And why is it running through the pictures as if someone is frantically swiping them as soon as they see them? 

A ghost, a voice suspiciously like Seokjin’s whispers enthusiastically in his head. Yoongichi, a ghost! He recognized who we are and he’s looking through our pictures to find out more! 

NO, a more frantic, striving-to-be-logical voice argues in his head. No, that is NOT a ghost, that’s just my phone freaking out, it’s broken and I’ve been planning to buy a new one. Ghosts aren’t real . 

“Ghosts aren’t real.” Yoongi repeats, out loud, inching closer to his still glitching phone. “Get it together, Min Yoongi, you aren’t Seokjin or Hoseok. Ghosts aren’t real.” 

Miraculously, that’s when the pictures stop. 

Horrifyingly, they’ve decided to stop on a picture of Yoongi and Seokjin in suits, their arms around each other’s shoulders, eternally captured mid-laugh as they look at each other. 

Yoongi freezes, stomach sinking as he sees the photo, remembers exactly when it was taken, remembers exactly what had turned his mood sour not long after the picture had been taken. 

That’s when - 

The sound of static fills the room, angry and loud, making Yoongi shout and fall and immediately cover his ears as soon as he can. From the corner of his eye, he can see the previously closed window open wide, hears the sounds of books falling from behind him, and even hears the faint sound of his phone locking shut on its own accord, but he’s only staring and focused on one thing. 

The spirit box, turned on, and floating in mid-air. 

The static crackles louder, and Yoongi starts running through every prayer he knows, his hands grasping at his shirt as he stares, wide-eyed, at the floating object. 

And then - 

“ -seok-jin-” comes through the spirit box, clear as day, nothing like the half-assed ones Seokjin usually claims are evidence. No, this one even sounds like it’s asking a question , asking for - 

Yoongi’s eyes grow wide, and an indescribable feeling runs through his body, foreign even to Yoongi himself. He doesn’t know why he’s technically standing up to something that might be able to throw him around the room like a doll, but if this ghoul spirit whatever wants to mess with Seokjin - 

He’ll have to get through Yoongi first. 

By some miracle, Yoongi finds himself standing, arms stretched wide, guarding the door out of the library. “Hey!” he screeches. 

The spirit box turns to him, tilts this way and that as if it’s eyeing him from head to toe. Immediately, Yoongi feels the coldest he’s ever been, instinct screaming at him to run away, to huddle, to escape, but he stands his ground, gritting his teeth and glaring at the invisible presence.

“You want Seokjin hyung?” he yells. “Over my dead body, you demon fuck !” 

Again, there’s static - this time, softer, quieter, and - well, it confuses Yoongi, to be honest. He’d expected books to be thrown into his face, for him to be thrown into the books , but this - is the spirit surprised he’s standing up for Seokjin? 

“Aren’t you - aren’t you going to - to, I dunno, torture me or something?” Yoongi asks, hesitantly. It registers in his mind that maybe he shouldn’t be suggesting that a supernatural being inflict pain on him, but Yoongi will reason later that nothing about the situation at hand really screamed logical . 

Besides, he’s more focused on the “- what-you-seok-jin -” is what he gets in response.

Yoongi feels his face grow red, hands tightening into fists. The response might have been distorted, but he’s been asked the same thing by nosy coworkers and fans. What are you and Seokjin, anyway ? 

Normally, Yoongi would give a sarcastic response about how they’re both humans and refuse to answer further. It’s led to speculation that they’re together, so maybe it’s a bit counterproductive, whatever, but Yoongi’s really gotten tired of the questions. 

“We’re just friends .” he snaps, mood turned sour once again. “Nothing more, okay? Fuck off.” 

Because that’s the truth, isn’t it? They’re friends, and that’s how they’ll stay. He’s seen Seokjin get tired of the same question, too, seen the way his co-host has awkwardly averted his gaze and refused to look Yoongi’s way whenever someone tries to imply that there’s something else going on between them. How Yoongi feels about that doesn’t really matter.

The temperature in the room shifts to something a bit more warmer after Yoongi’s response, eliciting a bitter laugh from him. “What, do you feel sorry for me, or something?” he scoffs. “Don’t be. There’s nothing you can do about it, anyway.” 

Yoongi regrets the sentence as soon as he says it. 

All of a sudden, the room bursts into activity. The books start flying off the shelves, one after the other, the window opens and then closes, and a wind starts swirling around the room, making Yoongi’s clothes flutter and for him to press himself into the corner near the doorway, his eyes glancing towards the camera tucked into the opposite corner of the room before turning back to the commotion happening in the center. 

The spirit box is moving left and right, as if being tugged between two people. To Yoongi’s horror, he can see two figures forming, one of them shorter than the other. It looks like two men, engaged in a shouting match, their hands tugging on the spirit box -

The static grows angry, loud, frantic, desperate,  “-hyung-” 

Yoongi’s mouth falls open. Wait, it can’t be - 

“- Jungkook, no-” 

- they look exactly like -

“- hyung, let me, please-” 

- but it can’t be - 

“ -don’t leave me, Kook, don’t you dare-” 

- ghosts aren’t real -

“ -it’s gonna work, I promise-” 

- they aren’t real - 

“ -JUNGKOOK-” 

- they aren’t real.

Silence. 

Everything stops. Yoongi gasps for breath, looking around the room, at the scattered books, the slightly open window, his cracked phone, the spirit box lying in the middle of the room. 

Yoongi feels like his heart is running a hundred miles a minute, his head spinning as he falls down to the ground with a thump. 

Still, it’s silent. 

And then, in the distance - an ear-splitting scream. 

Yoongi scrambles to his feet, mind working on autopilot as he yanks the door wide open. The window outside the living room shows an amazing view of the stars shining in the pitch black sky - it’s still night - but Yoongi doesn’t stop, doesn’t stop running until he’s yanked the bedroom door open, doesn’t let himself breathe until he’s gathered a shaking Seokjin into his arms, grip tight. 

“Yoongi.” Seokjin sobs, grasping and clutching at Yoongi’s shirt. “Yoongi, oh my god, he, they - I can’t -” 

“Hyung.” Yoongi manages to say, running a hand through Seokjin’s hair, pressing him closer, letting himself drown in Seokjin Seokjin Seokjin you’re safe . “Shh, I’m here.” 

Seokjin’s only answer is a sob, and Yoongi grabs Seokjin’s phone, hands shaking as he dials a familiar number. 

“Hoseok?” Yoongi asks, as soon as he picks up. Seokjin’s still sobbing, and Yoongi’s trying very, very hard not to cry, too. “ Get us out of here .” 

It’s raining.

It’s the first thing Yoongi registers in his mind as soon as water from the shower hits his face. The sound of the water in the shower hitting the tiled floor makes it seem as if Yoongi’s imagining it, but the sound of thunder booming across the town kind of cemented the fact he wasn’t crazy. 

Which , Yoongi thinks, willing his hand to stop shaking as he reaches for shampoo, is a fucking miracle after everything that’s happened. 

As soon as Hoseok had reassured Yoongi they were on their way, Yoongi had spent the entire time waiting by being as close to Seokjin as possible, holding him close and reassuring both Seokjin and himself that they were alright, that everything was fine, it was probably just a bad dream, Seokjin hyung, that’s right, it’s just a coincidence they had the same dream, maybe something in the house is making them hallucinate, no one’s been here for so long, hyung, it’s alright, we’re fine, we’re fine - 

By the time Hoseok had arrived, Seokjin was fast asleep, face buried in the crook of Yoongi’s neck, tear tracks evident on his face. Yoongi had shaken his head as soon as Jimin and Taehyung had tried to make a move towards Seokjin, and had carried Seokjin down all the way to their car, out of the car, into the hotel room, until he could finally lay Seokjin down on the hotel bed and make his way into the shower. 

It registers, slowly, in Yoongi’s mind how Hoseok hadn’t even asked what had happened. Neither had Jimin or Taehyung. If Yoongi tries to remember, he thinks he can remember all three of them sharing a look when they opened Seokjin and Yoongi’s hotel room door. 

Did they even say good night? 

A shuddery breath escapes Yoongi’s mouth and he bites his lip, reaching to turn the shower off. “Get it together, Min Yoongi.” he murmurs, staring at his hands, clenching them tight when he finds he can’t really get them to stop shaking. 

Seems like his mind won’t shut up, either, because he finds himself replaying the scene in the mini library over and over again in his head, even as he towels his hair dry and starts to put on clothes. The small conversation he had with God knows what, the way they had mentioned Seokjin, the fight that had ensued between two spirits he had no idea even were , and then hearing Seokjin scream exactly after - 

“Yoongi?” 

Seokjin . 

“Hyung!” Yoongi pants, breathless after running out of the shower and frantically putting on a shirt. “Hyung, hey, I’m here, are you okay?” he asks, not hesitating to sit on the edge of Seokjin’s bed (just in case Seokjin needs him, okay? Just in case). 

“I -” Seokjin hesitates. There’s a small frown on his face as he looks around the hotel room. “Are we - I don’t remember -” 

“I think you tired yourself out, hyung.” Yoongi interrupts softly. “You were asleep the whole ride here.” 

“Oh.” A blush appears high on Seokjin’s cheeks. “Ah, so you -” 

Oh. Shit. Yoongi looks away, fairly certain his face is rapidly turning a bright shade of pink, too. “It, uh, wasn’t any trouble, hyung. Not like you’re that heavy, or something.” 

“Still.” Yoongi’s breath hitches in his throat as he feels Seokjin’s hand suddenly come to hold his. He looks up, and finds Seokjin smiling at him, albeit shyly. “Thank you, Yoongi.” 

“Yeah.” is all Yoongi can say. He feels himself squeezing Seokjin’s hand back. “Yeah, I. Of course, hyung. I just wanted to make sure that. That you were okay, you know?” 

Seokjin’s smile seems to grow tighter. “I guess maybe I’m not as brave as we thought, huh?” he laughs bitterly. “Even with all the seasons we’ve done of this, a nightmare still gets me running out the door.” 

Yoongi blinks. “A - a nightmare ?” he asks. 

Seokjin nods, letting go of Yoongi’s hand to run his hand through his hair. “I can’t even remember what it was about.” he confesses. “I don’t even remember falling asleep, but I just.” A shaky breath. Every inch of Yoongi’s body is itching to reach out to Seokjin and hold his hand tight, but he (barely) resists. “I just woke up feeling like something was on my chest, and I was just. Really scared?” Another bitter laugh. “Sorry, that sounds. Stupid.” 

“No, no, hyung, it’s.” 

“It's. It’s what, Yoongi?” 

And shit , it’s what , Yoongi? What does he say to Seokjin? That it’s okay because, hyung, before you woke up screaming I saw Jungkook and Namjoon fight for the spirit box? It’s okay, hyung, because it’s not at all that weird compared to me telling a spiritual entity that I love you? Yeah, hyung, don’t worry about it, I know I said I don’t believe in the supernatural and our whole show is riding on that fact, but I promise I believe in them now because I just threatened a possible demon to torture me in order to protect you? 

Seokjin would think he’d gone nuts . And that was the best case scenario - worst case was that he’d think Yoongi was ridiculing him, and that could easily turn into something terrible, ending up in Seokjin possibly getting someone else to host with him and never talking to him again. 

Besides, Yoongi doesn’t even know if what he saw wasn’t a nightmare, too. Even if he knows deep down that that was too messed up for even his mind to come up with, there’s a small possibility there’s something rational about this whole thing, right? 

“It’s just. Not stupid, hyung.” he finally finishes. “Just because it wasn’t real doesn’t make it less terrifying. Our fears don’t have to be rational for our brain to make us think we’re in danger, you know?” 

“Gee, when did you get so philosophical and wise?” Seokjin grins. 

“College makes you take a lot of things that aren’t related to your degree, you know.” is what Yoongi says instead. Seokjin laughs at that, and honestly, in the history of Unsolved, that’s not even the funniest joke he’s pulled, but he finds himself laughing along, tears blurring his vision but never, not even once , tearing his eyes away from Seokjin. 

“Ah, Yoongichi.” Seokjin giggles. “What would I do without you, hm?” 

“Have Taehyung be jealous of you when Jimin carries you in his arms, maybe?” 

Seokjin snorts. “Like Taehyung wouldn’t be the one carrying me.” 

“Oh, so we’re arguing about who’s stronger again? Seokjin hyung, with all due respect, Jimin might be the size of a smurf but I definitely think he’s stronger than Taehyung!” 

“Jimin’s the same height as you!” 

“He is not! ” 

Thump thump. “Shut the fuck up and go to sleep!” comes what is undeniably Jimin shouting from the other room. “Not all of us want to hear your old couple flirting!”

“We’re traumatized, we deserve this!” Yoongi shouts back, shooting Seokjin a grin even as the older host rolls his eyes and shoves him hard enough that he falls onto the bed. 

“Sorry, yeah, we’ll keep it down!” is what Seokjin shouts before continuing to shove Yoongi off the bed. “ Off, you tiny gremlin, I’m gonna go get some beauty sleep.” 

“ Gremlin ?” Yoongi gasps, trying to sound affronted. 

“Hey, fans’ words, not mine!” Seokjin laughs, hands up and palms facing outwards in defense. “ Seriously though - I want to fall the fuck asleep . Let me recharge before I have to view the fucked up evidence we have from today.” 

“Bold of you to assume we have evidence.” Yoongi snorts, but he dutifully crawls off of Seokjin’s bed and makes the short walk over to his own. “Goodnight, hyung.” 

“Goodnight, Yoongi.” 

There’s silence, but it’s not the comfortable one Yoongi and Seokjin always carry around with them. This silence is uncomfortable, makes Yoongi squirm inside his blanket as he faces away from Seokjin’s bed, staring up at the lights that are still on and neither of them will say anything about.

“Yoongi?” comes Seokjin’s voice about five minutes (or an eternity) later, when Yoongi’s started to debate whether or not he should grab his phone and scroll through Twitter until his eyes give up. 

“Yeah, hyung?” he asks, voice as soft as Seokjin’s. As if someone else can hear them. As if they don’t want to be overheard. 

Hesitation. Then - 

“Thank you. For a while back. I’m sorry if I freaked you out.” 

“Don’t mention it, hyung. It’s fine. We’re,” a small, barely heard sigh, a clutch of fingers into a soft pillow, “we’re friends, you know?” 

“Yeah. Of course.” 

Silence. Yoongi forces his eyes shut, forces himself to think about sheep jumping a short fence, trying not to think about anything else but one, two, three, four, five, let’s give them a bow, six - 

“You’d tell me, right?” 

The sheep disappear. Yoongi opens his eyes to a well-lit hotel room and clutches the pillow harder. “Tell you what, hyung?” 

“If anything happened. If anything scared you?” 

The spirit box is moving left and right - it looks like two men, engaged in a shouting match - “don’t leave me, Kook, don’t you dare” -

“Of course. Yeah.” 

“Yeah?” 

(“ We found your phone and the spirit box in the library, Yoongi hyung. What - what happened, in there?” 

“Nothing.” Yoongi says, quickly grabbing the equipment from Hoseok’s hands. “Must have stepped on it when I ran to check on Seokjin hyung, that’s all. Don’t worry about it.”)

“Yeah.” 

( “You sure?” Yoongi can see Hoseok’s worried frown, even as he’s distracted with opening his phone. “‘Cause I understand if you won’t tell me, but at least tell Seokjin hyung, please?”

“Yeah.” Yoongi forces himself to say, locking the phone and pocketing it before sending Hoseok a tight-lipped smile. “I will, Hoseok.”) 

“Okay. Goodnight. Again.” 

(He doesn’t say anything about how his phone had opened to a picture of their crew, but zoomed into him and Seokjin, side by side with their arms around one another.)

“Night, hyung.” 

(He’s definitely not telling Seokjin.)

The thing is, because of Yoongi’s whole obsession with not letting Seokjin know what he had seen that night, the whole haunting thing turned out to be the least scariest thing that could have happened to him. 

Or at least Namjoon had expected Yoongi to be a bit more scared than he actually was. 

But then again, Yoongi and Seokjin had traveled back to their office the next day, wanting to get as far away from Mikrokosmos as possible. They had reviewed footage as soon as they arrived, and, lo and behold - all their files had been corrupted. Everything after Hoseok, Jimin, and Taehyung had left were unviewable, basically non-existent, and while Seokjin had swore up and down that it was because of demonic influence (which, he would have been surprised to know, Yoongi silently agreed with), they had no choice but to scrap the episode. 

And then word had spread that their files had been corrupted and of course it had been Seokjin talking about how it was because ghosts hadn’t wanted them to see evidence, so Yoongi had found himself swarmed by coworkers and interns, all asking him if they really did see anything supernatural that they didn’t catch on tape, all while keeping in mind that he had to word his explanation in such a way that assholes who were looking for a chance to pick on Seokjin wouldn’t be able to twist his words to their pathetic needs. 

And then he had had to sit and attend a meeting with everyone else that worked on Unsolved, brainstorming new places for their finale, and then they had to both contact the current owners of Mikrokosmos because they were “ professionals, Yoongi”, and then he had had to pick up dinner for both him and Holly, and then he had to endure the heavy traffic on the way home, and then he had to eat and shower and be a decent human being and check on Holly and check on Seokjin and answer calls going “yeah, mom, your son’s fine, don’t worry about me, Seokjin just believes in ghosts, you know that” before he could even fall asleep. 

All that while not letting Seokjin out of his sight in fear that Jungkook or Namjoon or whatever were ready to possess his friend. 

(Because yeah, he could definitely do something about it when it came to that. Amazing, Yoongi. Pat on the back for you.) 

So when he wakes up the next morning, feeling like he had slept for only five minutes despite sleeping for a whopping six hours (which was a feat for a Min Yoongi sleeping schedule), seeing a translucent, floating man that is clearly a ghost petting his dog probably doesn’t elicit the reaction in Yoongi that it should have. 

Instead, he takes one, bleary-eyed look at the man, shrugs, and murmurs, “Why the fuck not.” before shuffling out of the room to make coffee. 

By the time he finishes making said coffee, the translucent man is standing (floating?) in his doorway, gaping at him in disbelief. 

“Uhm.” the ghost (demon? ghoul? Seokjin was better at this) frowns. “Do I have to prove that I’m a real ghost before you go freak out? I know you’re the one that doesn’t believe I exist.” 

“Nah.” Yoongi shrugs, taking a sip from his mug. The heat from the coffee travels quickly down his throat and spreads through his chest, making him sigh happily. “Pretty sure you’re real. Saw you and someone else fighting with the spirit box, remember?” 

“You’re not. You’re not gonna freak out?”

Holly’s walked into the kitchen. He’s sitting, staring up at the ghost, tail wagging back and forth, and Yoongi smirks. “Dunno, my dog seems to like you and he’s a pretty good judge of character.” he points out to the ghost. 

“I’m literally a ghost?” 

“Okay, good, ‘cause I didn’t know what to call you in my head. By the way,” the mug sloshes in Yoongi’s cup as he points it toward the ghost’s figure, “Jungkook? Or Namjoon? Money’s on Namjoon.” 

The ghost smiles, tucking his hand behind his back. “Kim Namjoon.” Then he seems to register exactly what he is, because then he frowns and floats close enough that Yoongi can confirm that he really isn’t breathing, and says, “Literally, how are you not scared right now? You were scared a few days ago!” 

“Oh, so that was you.” Yoongi nods. He places the mug back down on the table, and stares back up at Namjoon. “Listen, I’m really tired, it’s been a long couple of days, and a lot of that is because of you. This might as well happen, and honestly, this doesn’t mean I’m supposed to believe in ghosts. I might be hallucinating, I might be having a fever dream, I might be being filmed for a reality show, whatever . As long as you’re not fucking with Seokjin? Fine by me.” He picks up the mug, deposits it in the sink for future Yoongi to worry about, and walks back to his bedroom, Holly running after him. “I’ll be in my room. Just float on in if you have something else to say to me.” 

“It’s about Kim Seokjin.” 

That gets Yoongi’s attention. Holly seems to know what gets Yoongi’s attention, too, because he runs up to Yoongi’s sofa and curls up there, head peeking out as Yoongi stomps back over to Namjoon, who, at this point, has decided to sit on the kitchen counters.

“If you’re trying to imply that you’re going to go after Seokjin just because you can’t get an entertaining enough reaction from me -”

“Woah, woah, no!” Namjoon puts up his hands in defense, but he doesn’t move an inch from where he’s sitting, which is understandable since, well - he’s a ghost . “Fine. Let’s skip the whole you’re supposed to be scared of me thing. Can you please sit down so we can talk about this?” 

“Tell me what the fuck you meant when you mentioned Seokjin first.” 

Namjoon sighs and runs his hand through his hair. Yoongi would think about how the fuck that works, considering everything about Namjoon is transluscent, but his mind can’t think of anything else when it’s Seokjin that’s involved. 

“I don’t like this situation better than you do, okay. This is the only time I’ve been separated from Jungkook ever since we,” Yoongi has no idea why he hears an audible gulp, but he hears it, “ever since we were killed. I have no idea how he did it, I didn’t even know he could do something like that, but Jungkook. He’s.” 

“You’re not with him.” Yoongi realizes. “When I saw you in Mikrokosmos . That was both of you. And now -”

“- now he did something and I can’t sense him. At all.” Saying the fact out loud makes Namjoon look sick, or as a sick as a ghost can look. “Yoongi-ssi -”

“Just. Yoongi. Not that Yoongi-ssi shit.” 

“...Fine. Yoongi. Jungkook - the first time he saw you and Seokjin walk into our home, he knew . We generally like fucking around with whoever thinks it’s a nice idea to speculate about us in a place we used to call home, but you - you got it right. You’re the first ones aside from out customers who ever got it right. And he was so happy, and you guys made him laugh, and - Jungkook’s always been so kind, he’s always wanted to help, as cheesy as it sounds and as much as he doesn’t want to admit it he’s always wanted to get people to believe in their happily ever after, and he thought he could -” 

Yoongi feels all the heat leave his face. He’s barely aware of Holly scratching at his legs in an attempt to get his attention. “Please do not tell me -” 

“If you faint I am literally not able to help you -” 

“Jungkook.” Yoongi snaps, and he knows Namjoon well enough by now to know that Jungkook’s name has the same effect on Namjoon as Seokjin’s name has on Yoongi. “He’s trying to get me and Seokjin together. Is that what you’re trying to say?” 

“And I have no idea where he is.” Namjoon adds. “If it’s any consolation I feel as miserable as you are. I can’t sense him. At all. And I’m sorry, Yoongi, but if getting you and Seokjin together is what it takes to get me and Jungkook back together, then I guess you’re stuck with me ‘till you get your heads out of your asses.” 

“Great.” Yoongi croaks out. “Fan- fucking -tastic. Excuse me for a moment, will you? Holly, stay .” 

Both Holly and Namjoon watch Yoongi walk briskly away from them to where the glass doors to his balcony is, open them in one swift motion, and close them with another. He gives one last tight smile to the poodle and ghost curiously watching him, before he turns his back on them and lets his feelings known to the whole apartment complex. 

(“Can you even feel this, Holly?” Namjoon wonders as he rubs the toy poodle’s belly.

“- I CAN’T EVEN GET ONE DAY OF REST? ONE FUCKING DAY? THAT’S ALL I ASK AND INSTEAD YOU GIVE ME A GHOST? WHAT KIND OF FUCKING BULLSHIT IS THIS -”

“You’re a pretty good actor, if you’re not feeling this. Sweet little poodle.”)

Getting haunted, Yoongi finds, is a lot worse than he had tried to play off it to be, and that was saying something. 

He had thought it was bad enough that he was being haunted because he couldn't keep his stupid, heroic wannabe mouth shut and basically confessed his love to the people (are ghosts people?) that he definitely should not have confessed his love to, and, yeah he wanted to sleep for a thousand years instead of go to work when he realized Namjoon had the capability to go to work with him, but he had taken that all in stride, chin up, staying proud, not backing down from a challenge - 

And then Namjoon had started doing that. 

That being making side comments whenever Seokjin was anywhere near Yoongi, manipulating whatever it was he was manipulating to make either Yoongi and Seokjin as physically close as possible to each other without getting them to actually kiss (because apparently Namjoon had some form of conscience in his ghostly body), teasing Yoongi about how obviously lovestruck he was until he snapped at Namjoon and, obviously, made himself look like a fool since no one else could see Namjoon, great - 

He was going crazy . 

So as soon as everyone had obviously been busy and hopefully forgotten about what had happened, Yoongi had made a vague comment about going to the bathroom and hightailed it to a stockroom closet, where he glared up at Namjoon as soon as the door is locked.

"Clearly I pushed some buttons." Namjoon grins. He's so smug , Yoongi just wants to punch that stupid grin off his face -

A deep breath. 

Alright. Calm down. He's a ghost. You'll either hurt yourself or look stupid trying to punch him. Also, you're better than this.

“Let’s get some things clear.” he growls.

“As clear as your love for Seokjin?” Namjoon smirks.

Alright. Never mind.

“Shut the fuck up, or I’ll find a way to hurt your ghostly apparition somehow . If I find Jungkook without putting my friendship with Seokjin in danger, will you leave me the fuck alone?”

That seems to get a more serious reaction out of Namjoon (who, for the most part, has just been talking to Yoongi and driving him crazy the whole day he’s been back at the office). He crosses his arms over his chest, and stares at Yoongi like he’s one of the big bosses. “Like I said, I’m only in this because I’m assuming getting you and Seokjin together will get me and Jungkook back together.”

“But if I find another way.” Yoongi insists. “Will you leave us alone?”

Namjoon looks doubtful, but he nods his head. “Yeah. No offense, but like I said - Jungkook. He’s my priority here. Whether or not you want to fuck up what could be a perfectly nice relationship with Seokjin is all up to you.”

“Then that’s settled.” Yoongi extends his hand, ignoring the Seokjin comment. “I find him, you guys get together again, end of story. Leave us alone. Deal?”

Surprisingly, a look of hesitance comes upon Namjoon’s face. “Yoongi.” he says, gently, as if he’s Yoongi’s older brother or some shit, gross , “look, I really didn’t mean to offend you, and if I did, I’m sorry, but you know - Jungkook didn’t make that conclusion all on his own.”

“I really don’t want to be discussing this, Namjoon -”

“I understand, okay? Jungkook and I were like that too, before we got together.”

“Namjoon, shut up-”

“And really, I know it gets annoying, people wanting you to get together, but -”

“ You don’t know!” Yoongi explodes, finally, finally done with this whole dating thing. “You don’t , because you’re not me, you’ll never be me, you don’t have a thousand something people constantly implying something that’s real, you don’t know what it’s like to have the person you love constantly deny that he likes you in any way other than his best friend who was kind enough to host with him, ha ha! You’re just here because you want me to get together so you can spend an afterlife with your husband, so don’t assume that you know me, because you don’t . And I’m tired , so I’ll just fuck off and find Jungkook, so you can stop acting like you care just so you can see me ruin everything I have with Seokjin just so you can be with Jungkook again. Deal ?”

There’s silence. Namjoon looks at him, and there’s something there, something Yoongi can’t quite describe -

But Yoongi has better things to do than wonder about the emotions of a ghost who literally is only around to torture him. So. 

"Deal." Namjoon says, quietly, as if he regrets it. As if this isn't what he wanted from this whole thing. 

His grip is surprisingly tight when he reaches out to shake Yoongi's hand - but it's cold, and it reminds Yoongi of what exactly this is. 

"Good. 'Cause I have a pretty good idea of where he is." 

"You know, Seokjin and I don't really. Do this whole helping ghosts thing. That's not what our show is about." 

"You're talking to me again, huh?" 

Yoongi sighs and turns his stove off. "See, usually I don't have to coexist in the same apartment with someone I just had an argument with, but you're," he makes a vague notion in Namjoon's direction with his wooden spoon, "stuck haunting me. So, here." Arms spread out, a grimace on his face. "I'm sorry." 

From where he's floating near Yoongi's bookshelf, Namjoon gives him a small smile - a genuine one, Yoongi decides. Not at all sinister or smug or holding any sort of malice. "I'm sorry I had to. Do this to you, too. I really just want Jungkook back, you know. Plus, Seokjin -" 

"- leeet's not go there." Yoongi smiles. He guesses Namjoon must finally get it, must finally see how much Yoongi has had to push and keep secret for his and Seokjin's sake, because the ghost says nothing. 

Instead, he floats over to where Yoongi's sitting, lowering himself enough that it looks like he's sitting on the couch beside him. 

"I think we would have been friends, if we were still alive." 

Yoongi snorts. "Yeah? Why's that?" 

"Hey, don't act offended ." There's a grin on Namjoon's face that is a bit more friendly, a bit more. Human . "We'd just get along. I mean, yeah, maybe we'd try to kill each other first -" 

"- that's fair, actually -" 

"- but we're too much alike for me not to want to get along with you. Plus. You know. I saw the rap files on your laptop." 

Yoongi is suddenly very glad there was nothing in his mouth, because he would have spit it out and sprayed rice straight through Namjoon's face and all over the couch and carpet. " Namjoon !" he squeaks, face turning hot hot hot as he buries it in his hands. 

"I'm sorry , I was just curious! Look, hey, it's okay , before I died I used to rap, too -" 

"- what did I do to deserve this punishment -" 

"- I didn't even know they were yours , but hey, you're good -" 

"- is there a way we can switch spots because I kinda wanna die now -" 

"- oh, c'mon, hyung, they're not that bad!" 

Hyung? 

Yoongi's breath catches in his throat. Slowly, he looks up. "Namjoon." 

Namjoon seems to realize what Yoongi's getting at, because he looks away. There's - if Yoongi isn't going crazy that's an actual blush on Namjoon's face, like he's embarrassed. "I forget. Sorry." he mumbles.

Logically, rationally , Yoongi really shouldn't care about a ghost's feelings, especially not if said ghost has been tormenting his life and trying to get him together with his longtime crush, which woud possibly ruin his life. Logically, rationally, supposedly if Yoongi was still sane, he'd shrug it off and sit in uncomfortable silence until he could run off to his bedroom and message Seokjin and try not to think about how bad he felt for a ghost. 

But. 

"You spoke to us." Namjoon looks up, and Yoongi looks away and tries not to think about how ghostly tears exist . "You spoke to us, through the spirit box. That was you." 

Namjoon nods, takes a deep breath despite the fact that he doesn't need it. "Jungkook's usually the one messing with the guests. I just stand around and make sure he doesn't get too carried away. I mean. I don't know if there's any way we could still get hurt when we're dead, but I don't want to take any chances." 

"But you spoke then. When we asked how you died." 

The apartment falls oddly silent. Yoongi's only sure Namjoon hasn't done anything to the time (can he do that?) because Holly continues to breathe softly beside him. Namjoon looks angry, his hands clenched into fists, but oddly enough, Yoongi's not scared. 

Instead, he just feels a huge amount of hopelessness. 

" We had been getting threats. Jungkook was scared, and I was, too, but we didn't wanna give up Mikrokosmos. It was everything to us, it was our home, it was our dreams, and we wanted to prove we were stronger than the threats, we wanted to prove that. That we could be happy. Thay we could have. This." 

Slowly, surely, an image forms in Yoongi's mind. It's not at all complete, and it's a little blurry, almost as if Yoongi is viewing the whole thing without his glasses, but he knows what this is, knows, surprisingly , what it feels like to see someone's memories through his own eyes. 

To see the flash of a camera, to hear the overjoyed shouts of their friends and family, to feel the warmth and sheer joy from simply cutting a ribbon, to be surrounded by customers that loved them and felt like family - 

"And then one night," loud, loud, loud, "they snuck in, I don't know how," on your knees, hold his hand, it's going to be okay, " the next thing I know, I was tied up," not him, please God, no, please, take me instead, "and I couldn't do anything," JUNGKOOK NO PLEASE, "they made me sit there and watch," NONONONONONONONONO - 

"And then they killed you, too." Yoongi whispers, voice hoarse. 

The scene disappears from in front of him. Sound comes rushing back - the wind, the ticking clock, the cars outside - and Yoongi spares a look at Namjoon. 

"They're in jail." Namjoon mutters. "About a month after we died, we found out from one of our customers passing by that someone had caught them, that they were arrested for something - but not for killing me and Jungkook." 

"And then they closed the case." 

Namjoon's laugh is bitter - it echoes throughout the room, even if it technically doesn't exist anymore. "Even if they did open the case. So what, right? Jungkook and I - we're dead . No law, no sentence, no anything is going to change that. We're dead, they're aliv e, and Jungkook - Jungkook -" 

"Does he forget, sometimes?" Yoongi's voice is soft, sincere, every syllable carrying a weight that is the truth of how Namjoon and Jungkook came to die. "That's why you answered, instead of him. He forgets, doesn't he. That he's - that you're dead." 

If Namjoon hadn't died, he'd be older than Yoongi is now. He'd be the one Yoongi called hyung - but now, as a ghost, he's stuck looking younger, he'll stay looking the same age forever. 

And now, when Namjoon looks down at the ground, gaze all too sorrowful and all too real , whispering "I forget, too." - 

- Yoongi remembers just how young. Just how unfair.

And really, all logical signs point to not feeling guilty for a ghost that's haunting you . All signs point to definitely not befriending the ghost, or inviting it into your house, or letting it pet your dog and play with it.

But, well. It's not like there are rules to how you should treat a ghost when it starts haunting you. And even if there were - Yoongi thinks he can ignore them, considering this haunting isn't even done wholeheartedly (whole...spiritedly? Does the word still stand the same for ghosts?), so when Namjoon moves in a way that seems like he's about to start another conversation, Yoongi doesn't hesitate.

"If you want to call me hyung, go ahead." he shrugs, trying not to think too much about how Namjoon's gaping at him like a dead fish (too soon?). "Not like you're not annoying me enough already."

And really, it says something about Yoongi's so called "cold demeanor" when it's not believable even to a ghost , and instead earns him a playful ghostly shove to the shoulders.

That, unfortunately, ends up having the same effect as a playful human shove to the shoulders.

Namjoon's sheepish apologies for spilling Yoongi's dinner all over the floor might just make up for it, though.

(And if it isn't enough, the sight of Namjoon looking distraught as he tries (and fails) to pick up the fallen rice and pork definitely sells his apology.)

The only downside to Namjoon knowing he's on Yoongi's good side is that when Namjoon teases him now, he isn't really affected by Yoongi's threats, and Yoongi doesn't really have the energy or heart to shout at a lovesick ghost trying to get back to his husband.

(So Yoongi's a romantic - sue him. But not actually, because that would cost him, and the current economy is just. Well. Depressing is an understatement.)

Which brings us to now - Yoongi sitting on his couch, trying to compose a message to Seokjin, and Namjoon hovering above him, grinning like he knows too much.

(And he does. Oh, he does. Yoongi's suddenly very glad no one else can see or hear him.)

"You know, I'm pretty sure even I didn't take a whole half hour to ask Jungkook out on a date." Namjoon basically purrs, floating chest down with his face resting in his hands. "You sure this is a friendly date?"

"This is different and you know it." Yoongi hisses. The unimpressed look Namjoon gives him back is enough to tell him the ghost really doesn't think he's at all terrifying, so he retreats back to his phone. "I'm just trying to not make it sound like I'm setting something up."

He regrets it as soon as it leaves his mouth, and can only grimace as Namjoon sings, "Like a date?"

"Shut the fuck up, Namjoon."

Eventually, miraculously , Yoongi gets to ignore Namjoon enough that he types out a decent, innocent looking message to Seokjin. 

Seokjin hyung  

hey hyung, it’s yoongi. ik things have been weird after everything so i was wondering if you wanted to go out for dinner tomorrow??? just tryin to go back to normal haha

i also need to tell you smth 

“You know you both have each other’s numbers, right?” Namjoon asks, face the picture of innocence - but Yoongi damn well knows it isn’t. “Why’d you need to introduce yourself?” 

“It’s just. Just want to make sure.” Yoongi says, keeping himself composed and not at all acting like he’s just realized he did that and is now fighting back the urge to hurl his phone at the wall and move to Antarctica. 

Either way, Namjoon doesn’t buy it. He just quirks up an eyebrow at Yoongi until Holly runs by with a squeaky toy in his mouth, and suddenly he is far away from Yoongi and not thinking about him, Seokjin, or him and Seokjin.

Which. Okay. Obviously, Yoongi likes Namjoon. To be fair, how can anyone not like Namjoon? The guy’s too polite, he’s not overly serious and is fun to hang around with, and after that little bonding moment, Yoongi honestly admits that he thinks it’s a shame Namjoon died before all this, because he’s sure they would have been friends. Maybe Jungkook would have been their friend, too. Maybe, instead of just the five of them, there would have been seven. 

But then again - that’s exactly why he needs Namjoon to stop pushing for this nonsense. The man means well, that’s true, but.

Yoongi sighs and exits his message thread with Seokjin, finding himself staring at the messages that have piled up underneath it. 

Hobi - hyung i swear he likes u !!!!

Tae - just??? ask him out???

Jiminnie - hyung :(( i promise he won’t do that 

“You all don’t know what you’re talking about.” Yoongi mutters under his breath, locking his phone and setting it face down. 

“What was that, hyung?” Namjoon calls, raising his head up from where he had been lying next to Holly, scratching the poodle’s tummy. There’s a wide smile on his face, and joy in his eyes that shouldn’t be present on a ghost’s expression. 

Is that what he looks like with Jungkook? Is that what I’d look like, with Seokjin? 

“Nothing, Joon.” Yoongi smiles, walking away from the couch to make his way to his dog and his friend - friend. How weird. “Don’t go making yourself Holly’s favorite or I’m kicking you out.” 

Namjoon scoffs. “Good luck with kicking a ghost out of the house. I’ll just slip back in through the walls.” 

(There’s a small, soft buzz that’s almost silent over the sound of Namjoon and Yoongi arguing, and Holly’s excited yapping. But it’s not quiet enough that Yoongi doesn’t hear it, and he sends a quick glance to where his phone is still lying, face down, on the couch. 

He only dares to open the message later that night, just as he’s about to go to sleep. 

Seokjin hyung 

Yoongichi!!! Sounds like something’s wrong?? I hope not!! But if something is wrong, I’m right here to help you. 

And of course I’m okay with dinner tomorrow. 

Anything for my best friend. )

Yoongi’s successful in keeping the dinner date (wait, shit, not a date !) from Namjoon. Really, it’s fairly easy - for someone as smart as Namjoon is, he gets distracted fairly easily. That, coupled by the fact that Namjoon had fallen head over heels in love with Holly, made for a perfect distraction while Yoongi tried to get ready and leave for the day without getting Namjoon to ask him any questions. 

(Miraculously, Namjoon voluntarily asks to stay home that day. 

Okay, well, it might have been Holly’s doing, but Yoongi counts anything Holly does in his favor a miracle, so. Miraculously stands.) 

However, the rest of his friends aren’t ghosts that he’s shouted at in storage closets and are enamored with his cute little toy poodle, and Seokjin isn’t exactly one for secrecy (and it’s not like he’d hide this from their friends, it’s not a date ), so as soon as Yoongi walks through the doors of the office, he’s bombarded with an armful of Park Jimin. 

“Hyung! I can’t believe you finally asked Seokjin hyung out!” his tinier ( yes , tinier, shut the fuck up ) friend says, clinging to his arm. “And all on your own? I’m so proud of you, hyung!” 

“It’s not a date.” Yoongi groans, not even trying to shake Jimin off as he makes his way to his desk (it’s a lost cause - Jimin is impossible to shake off). “It’s just a dinner. We need to talk about something - adults only .” 

“Hey, that’s bullying.” Jimin pouts, barely removing himself from Yoongi’s arm. “And is this about Unsolved? Why isn’t the rest of the team involved?” 

“It’s about the incident.” Yoongi says, not even elaborating - they all know what ‘the incident’ is. He’s banking on the possibility that maybe (just maybe ) if he mentions it, his three nosy friends will stop asking him. 

It works - or at least, he thinks it does, considering Jimin winces and leaves him alone for the morning. There’s no Seokjin beside him on his office desk, too (his co-host had texted him saying he was going to a meeting for a potential venue), so he’s thankfully free of awkward conversations that somehow get him into situations that just make Jimin, Taehyung, and Hoseok further push the idea that he should confess because they think Seokjin feels the same way and they think it’s going to end up in a relationship when it’s not , so this way, even if he’d rather that Seokjin was here - because as whipped as he is, he does mean it on the rare moments that he says he loves being friends with Seokjin - it’s nice to have a moment of relief, considering he also doesn’t trust himself to stay calm on the morning before he potentially ruins his friendship with Seokjin, and that would result in a whole day of having to ignore pointed glances whenever Seokjin so much as looks at him for more than one second. 

And considering the fact that he’s attacked by Taehyung, Hoseok, and a sheepish Jimin as soon as he walks into the set of Unsolved, he thinks he’s valid in having been relieved the previous morning. 

“So.” Hoseok grins, hands flat on the table and smiling down at Yoongi as soon as he takes his seat. “A little birdie told me that you and Seokjin hyung are having dinner later.” 

“Did the little birdie also tell you that I clarified it was because we’re going to have a personal talk about something that was traumatic to the both of us, and is in no way a date.” Yoongi deadpans, not even so much as glancing in Jimin’s direction. Jimin still grins apologetically, though, and Yoongi decides that’s all he’s getting from this whole thing.

“Okay, maybe, but !” Taehyung exclaims from where he’s seated in Seokjin’s chair. “There’s no telling what the rest of the night will be like, right? Who knows what will happen?” 

Hoseok nods in agreement. “Could be a perfect time to tell Seokjin how much he means to you, and for him to tell you how much you mean to him.” 

“And don’t pretend that there’s nothing going on, hyung.” Taehyung sighs. “‘Cause I heard you and Seokjin hyung in that hotel room, and the way you two were talking was friendly, yeah, but it sounded like there was so much you wanted to say that you didn’t.” 

Hoseok frowns and turns his gaze to Taehyung. “You never told me about the talking.” 

Taehyung gapes up at Hoseok. “I didn’t think I needed to, you were in the other room beside them!” 

“Hey, unlike the rest of you , I need my sleep ! And it had been a tiring day, sue me for not paying attention to my flirting friends, huh?” 

“ Guys .” Yoongi grits out. Taehyung and Hoseok stop. From the corner of Yoongi’s peripheral view, he can see Jimin shift guiltily from one foot to another. “Please stop.” 

“Sorry, hyung.” Taehyung apologizes, voice soft. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, and I’m not forcing you into doing anything you don’t want. It’s just - it’d be nice, you know?” 

“It’s been forever since you told us you liked him.” Hoseok adds on, gentler than he was a few moments ago. “I’m willing to bet it’s been even longer since you realized you liked him.” 

“We just want to see you happy.” Jimin speaks up. “Both you and Seokjin hyung. We just think it’d be nice if you told him. You never know what would happen.” 

“‘ Never know what would happen ’?”  Yoongi repeats, incredulous. He stands up, staring at his friends in disbelief. “Do you seriously think that? You think I haven’t run every possible scenario in my mind? You think I haven’t thought about telling him? You think I haven’t wondered, every time he’s laughed in the face of every single person who’s implied that we’re a couple, if there was a chance that he’d like me? That he wouldn’t reject me if I told him I loved him? That he wouldn’t be so disappointed that his best friend couldn’t control his feelings and respect that he didn’t like me that way?”

“Hyung -” Jimin tries to warn, gaze on the door behind Yoongi that leads to the rest of the office. To be fair to Jimin, this isn’t the first time Yoongi has lashed out in anger after keeping all his emotions bottled up, and it certainly won’t be the last (he’s working on finding a better, healthier coping mechanism, but he hasn’t been successful yet), and sure, the whole of Buzzfeed might hear Yoongi’s frustrated confession, but, to be fair to Yoongi, he doesn’t care . Not anymore. 

“Because I have!” he laughs, a sick smile on his face. “I have! I’ve tried to lie to myself, too, tried to make myself believe that, ‘ hey, there’s a chance he loves you back! ’, but that’s all that is - a big, fat lie ! You guys want to see me confess, because you’ve got it in your heads that Seokjin likes me back, that he’ll confess to loving me as much as I love him, and you’ll finally be able to be proud of yourselves for getting your hyungs together, right? That’s what you think is gonna happen, and you’ve never once considered the truth, never once considered what’s right in front of you!” 

“Yoongi hyung -” Taehyung tries to reach out, visibly worried, but Yoongi just tucks his arm back into himself, refusing to let anyone stop him. 

“Well, I’ve got news for you: Seokjin hyung doesn’t love me !” he shouts. The admission echoes into the room, bouncing off the walls and hurtling back towards Yoongi, seemingly decided in torturing him with the truth over and over now that he’s said it out loud. “He doesn’t see me in that way, he doesn’t even want to entertain the fact that we should be in a relationship! You’re just like every other viewer out there - you want to believe, so badly , that we’re hiding something, that there’s something more. And fine, yeah, I fell in love with my best friend, with my co-host, but that’s all there is, and that’s all that’ll ever be , because Seokjin hyung doesn’t see me that way, and he’ll never see me that way, and I’ve worked so hard just to ignore that and continue being his friend and being there for him the way he needs me to be, and I know you just want to help, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’ll never love me that way, even though I love him in every way possible.”

Silence. Yoongi’s chest heaves with exertion from everything he’s just spat out. Jimin, Taehyung, and Hoseok are staring at him with matching looks of worry, but they stay silent. 

And then - 

“You love me?” asks a voice that is definitely not supposed to be here, fuck . 

“That’s why you were trying to stop me.” Yoongi whispers, looking back at his friends. The three of them don’t respond, but Yoongi recognizes where they’re looking at now. 

Not at him. Past him. At someone else, standing behind him. 

“Yoongi.” 

Don’t turn around don’t turn around don’t turn around - 

Yoongi turns around. 

Fuck . 

“You’re in love with me?” Seokjin asks. There’s tears in his eyes, threatening to spill over, threatening to make Yoongi feel even more like shit. “Are you serious?” 

And somehow, this is worse than everything Yoongi could have imagined. Somehow, even if he’d imagined Seokjin rejecting him, even if he’d memorized everything Seokjin could have said, even if he’d imagined Seokjin going so far as to laughing in his face, he hadn’t imagined this . He hadn’t imagined Seokjin hating the idea of loving him so much that he cries . 

And really, he doesn’t want to see what happens next. 

So amidst his friends trying to stop him, amidst Seokjin calling out his name, amidst the worrying looks and concerned questions he gets from his coworkers, Yoongi runs: out the door, out the office, into the parking lot, into his car, and starts driving, mind hazy, eyes blurring with tears that just won’t slip out, not until he’s home, not until he’s safe inside, not until he’s far away from everyone, from Seokjin, shit shit shit shit how could you have been so stupid - 

“You’re back early!” Namjoon calls out, looking up from his spot on the floor with Holly as soon as Yoongi pushes the door open. “Why - oh shit. Hyung?” 

“Leave me alone, Namjoon.” Yoongi manages to choke out, tears already staining his cheeks. “Don’t you dare go into my room.” 

He slams the bedroom door shut as soon as he gets in, and flings himself onto his bed, face down as he sobs into his pillow. If this were any other situation, if this was happening because of anything else, Yoongi would’ve laughed at just how ‘high school romcom’-esque this all is, especially considering he’s crying over a boy , of all things, but. 

He hadn’t considered just how much it actually hurt.

God , he’d worked so hard just to not have it come to this. He’d joined Unsolved as Seokjin’s best friend, as his snarky co-host that didn’t believe in all the supernatural bullshit he was spouting, as the person who would ground him when he was scared, make him laugh and remind him of the extra bit of courage Seokjin always forgot he had. And he had tried , so much, even after he had fallen in love, to just ignore everything he was feeling and just be there for Seokjin, in any way he was needed. 

And he could blame so many people - he could blame Jimin and Taehyung and Hoseok for pushing him to the edge, he could blame Namjoon and Jungkook for trying to get them together, he could blame all their coworkers and fans for constantly reminding him of what he couldn’t have, but when it came down to it, if Yoongi was really honest - this is all his fault. 

And doesn’t that just hurt more ? 

Are you serious ? Seokjin had asked him. In love with his best friend, Yoongi, are you serious?  

“I’m sorry.” Yoongi croaks out, fingers gripping into his pillow as he cries. “I’m sorry, Seokjin hyung, I tried, but I couldn’t. I’m sorry.” 

There’s no one to hear him. 

The unspoken apology repeats in his head like a mantra, over and over, until sleep slowly takes him, and Yoongi allows himself to drift off, far away from his mess of a mistake. 

Yoongi wakes up way too soon to the image of a frantic ghost waving his ringing phone in his face. 

“Thought I told you to leave me alone.” Yoongi snaps, but there’s no real malice to it, mostly due to the lack of having the energy than anything else. 

“Yeah, I know, and I respect that, but your friends have been calling, and I think it’s really important.” Namjoon shoves the phone into Yoongi’s hands. “Answer it.” 

Yoongi stares down at the phone. Hoseok’s face and bright smile look back up at him. Yoongi looks back up at Namjoon. “I thought you couldn’t pick up things.” 

Namjoon waves a hand dismissively. “It’s more of a ‘do I really want to pick it up’ thing. Doesn’t work on food, before you ask.” he explains, and then goes back to staring at the still ringing phone. “ Answer it .” 

Yoongi frowns. “It’s just gonna be my friends trying to make me feel better for what happened. I don’t wanna talk to them right now.” 

“I don’t think it’s that.” Namjoon insists. “I don’t know what happened, but all your friends are trying to call you, except Seokjin. Something feels off. Answer it .” 

Yoongi didn’t think it was possible to feel worse, but now he knows it is. “There’s a reason Seokjin hyung wouldn’t be calling me.” he mutters, facing away from Namjoon. The pillow he had cried in seems to have dried from being wet with his tears. He wishes it were that easy for him to just forget everything that had happened. 

“That’s not it.” Namjoon frowns, clearly not happy. “Please, hyung, just for a peace of mind. Answer it.”

Yoongi sighs. It’s clear Namjoon won’t stop, so he presses ‘ Accept ’ on the call and brings the phone up to his ear. 

“Hyung.” comes Hoseok’s voice, wobbly and desperate. Has he been crying ? 

“Hobi.” Yoongi sighs, running his hand through his hair. He hates making people feel bad, but he especially hates it when it’s any of the four of his best friends. “Are you crying? Look, hyung’s sorry -”

“It’s Seokjin hyung.” 

Yoongi’s blood grows cold. There’s something about Hoseok’s tone that doesn’t sit well with him, and as much as he wants to avoid anything that has to do with Seokjin, he’s not going to hang up on his distraught friend. “What’s going on, Hobi?”

“As soon as you left,” Yoongi can hear just how much Hoseok’s trying to keep it together, “as soon as you left, hyung, he tried to follow you out, but -”

“But?” Yoongi presses.

“He - he had a seizure.” Hoseok sobs, and Yoongi’s mind just stops working. “Or - or we think it was. I don’t know, hyung, he just collapsed and he was shaking so badly and he didn’t even recognize us, hyung, it was so bad -”

“Which hospital are you at, Hoseok.” Yoongi says, already getting out and grabbing whatever his muddled mind can tell him he needs to stay as long as he can with Seokjin. Namjoon hovers anxiously behind him - Yoongi isn’t sure if he can hear what Hoseok is saying, but either way, Namjoon can possibly guess how dire the situation is if Yoongi’s mentioning a hospital. 

“We’re - we’re at the police station, hyung.”

Yoongi stops. Namjoon stops, just short of walking through him. 

“What do you mean, the police ?” Yoongi manages to ask. “What’s going on?” 

“Seokjin hyung’s gone, hyung.” Hoseok wails, and Namjoon yelps as Yoongi’s legs give out and land him on the floor. “He - I left him for a while, just to deal with his information, and there was a nurse, but when we got back, people were looking for him, and no one knows where he is, and the CCTV footage was corrupted, and he’s gone hyung, I don’t know where he is, I don’t know where he’s gone .” 

Hoseok goes on to inform Yoongi exactly where he is, and Yoongi doesn’t remember exactly what he says back, but it must have been something a stable enough person would say, because Hoseok promises to call back with news before ending the call. 

Gone - don’t know where he is - seizure - after you left - tried to run after you - 

“It’s all my fault.” Yoongi words out, staring down at shaking hands. “This is all my fault .” 

“What is?” Namjoon demands. “Yoongi hyung, what’s going on?”

Later, Yoongi will wonder if Namjoon had done something, if Namjoon was capable of doing something to make Yoongi tell him the truth. But either way, Yoongi comes clean - he tells Namjoon he had accidentally confessed, how Seokjin had been crying, how he had run out without a second thought and how Seokjin had apparently tried to run after him before his body betrayed him. 

“And now he’s gone.” Yoongi sobs. “And no one knows where he is, and it’s all my fault .” 

“It’s not , Yoongi hyung.” Namjoon snaps, and Yoongi’s suddenly aware of being hauled to his feet, of very solid hands gripping him and pulling him up by the shoulders. “But I think I know whose fault it actually is.” 

“What?” Yoongi’s mind spins, he’s pretty sure everything else is too considering he was hauled to his feet by a ghost, but he manages to focus on Namjoon and what he’s saying. 

“You said you thought you had an idea of where Jungkook was.” Namjoon says. “Can you tell me where?” 

“With Seokjin hyung.” Yoongi admits. “It would make sense - if you really were pulled away from each other to get me and Seokjin hyung together, then Jungkook would be with Seokjin hyung like how you’re with me. But I don’t understand -” 

“I think you’re right.” Namjoon looks up at him. 

And Yoongi understands.

“You think it’s Jungkook.” he says, legs threatening to give out again. He’s pretty sure he’s only running on sheer will, now, but it’ll hopefully hold him until the end of whatever it is that’s going on. 

“He’s always been a perfectionist.” Namjoon explains, every inch of him screaming ‘distraught husband’. “He’s always done things so perfectly, always expected the best from himself and whatever he did. When you ran out, when you confessed, he must have been so frustrated that he took over Seokjin’s body completely.”

“He possessed him?” Yoongi shrieks. 

Namjoon’s face is grim. “If my theory is correct, then yes, he did. This isn’t like him, I promise this isn’t like him, but it’s the biggest chance we have.” 

“Do you know where he could have taken Seokjin?” Yoongi demands. His body still isn’t cooperating with his will to find Seokjin, but it’ll stand, if it knows what’s good for it. “Seokjin’s still human , there’s no way his body is taking in what Jungkook’s doing to him.” 

“Tease me about this on a later time, please, but we have come across other ghosts.” Namjoon says. “Some of them had tried the whole possession thing, too - it’s why I’m pretty sure that’s what Jungkook’s done. They told me that if a ghost possessed someone for too long, soon enough both the spirit and the body it was occupying would be transported back to the place of the ghost’s death.” 

The Mikrokosmos. Yoongi’s heart sinks to his stomach. “We’re never going to get there in time, it’s a whole plane ride away.”

But Namjoon doesn’t look at all affected, instead gripping Yoongi tighter. “Not if you’re a ghost, and lucky enough, you have me.” 

“You can transport us there?” A small voice in Yoongi’s head laments about how Seokjin would have loved to ask more about ghostly abilities, but he pushes that away with the larger thought of saving Seokjin first. 

Namjoon nods, and holds out his hands. His face is grim, and that’s all it takes for Yoongi to hold his breath and reach out to grip them, nodding up at Namjoon. 

The world swirls dangerously. Holly yaps at his feet. Yoongi grips Namjoon’s hands tighter, focuses on the way he looks like he’s concentrating, closes his eyes and thinks of Seokjin Seokjin Seokjin - 

When he opens his eyes again, they’re back in the Mikrokosmos , on the second floor, and the darkest burn stain is right beneath his feet. He gasps, lets go of Namjoon’s hands and stumbles backward - 

“Yoongi hyung!” 

- and fuck . 

“ Seokjin !” Yoongi screams. 

Seokjin is floating in the middle of the room, hands outstretched, mouth open in what looks like a silent scream. His eyes are open - but, God , they’re pure white , as if pure light is seeping out of Seokjin’s eyes. 

And his face. Yoongi staggers forward, fighting against the wind blowing across the room. 

Seokjin is crying . 

“Namjoon!” Yoongi hollers, turning to the ghost. “Tell Jungkook to stop it, Seokjin can’t hold on much longer!” 

“I can’t!” Namjoon shouts back. “I tried before, and it’s the reason we’re in this mess! You have to convince him to leave Seokjin alone!” 

“Are you crazy?! ” Yoongi yells, eyes wide. “He’s not going to listen to me !” 

“He did before! Back in the library, that was him that you shouted at, that listened to you! Not me!” 

“Yeah, but he wasn’t possessing my best friend ! And either way, that was a stupid thing to do!” 

“Yoongi hyung, they’ll both die if Jungkook’s in there any longer!” Namjoon pleads. “You have to try! It’s our only hope!” 

You’re Seokjin’s only hope, whispers a voice in his ear. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted? You can save him! Be his knight in shining armor, Yoongi . 

Yoongi gulps, and takes another step forward. The wind whirls louder, louder, louder , and Yoongi strains to stand tall. 

Save him, the voice cheers. You know you want to .

“I -” 

He can be yours, Yoongi . 

“That’s - that’s not what I want, Jungkook.” 

The wind stops . 

“ What .” Seokjin snarls, but it’s wrong . It’s not Seokjin - it sounds more like the voice he had heard in the library, through the spirit box. More like Jungkook, except angry and monstrous and wrong . Yoongi doesn’t even need to look at Namjoon to confirm that. “But you love him!” 

“I do.” Yoongi admits, looking up at Seokjin, never wanting him to leave his sight. “I do love him, more than anything. I love everything about him - I love the way he looks when we play games, I love the ridiculous way he loves food, I love the way he sings, I love the way he clings to me when he’s scared, I love the way he works the hardest on anything he loves, and I love him in so many other ways and reasons. Unconditionally, wholeheartedly.” 

“Then why aren’t you taking what I’m giving you?” Jungkook snarls. There are still tears pouring from Seokjin’s eyes. “This is everything you’ve ever wanted!” 

“No. It’s not. Because the Seokjin hyung I fell in love with stood and fought and worked hard towards things he believed in, and I’m not going to force him to do something he doesn’t believe in.” 

“You don’t know that.” Jungkook protests. The monstrous, distorted sound to his voice is dying out, little by little. “You ran out before Seokjin hyung could get the chance to say anything.” 

Seokjin hyung, huh ? Yoongi smiles despite himself. Fuck, hyung, you have a soft spot for a ghost? 

“You’re right.” Yoongi admits. He’s closer now, Namjoon staying a far way back. “You’re right, as much as I know Seokjin hyung I can’t claim to know what he believes in, or what he thinks of me falling in love with him. He may hate it, he may love it, he may be okay with it, want to give it a try - but Jungkook. I’ll never know if you don’t give him back .” 

“For you to just never talk to him again?” Jungkook demands, but the light coming out of Seokjin’s eyes is lessening, now. “For you to just ignore this all happened?” 

Yoongi shakes his head. “For us to talk. Like we should have when we realized ghosts were haunting us and trying to get us together - fuck, hyung!” Yoongi chokes on something that’s mid-way between a sob and a laugh. “We - please, Seokjin hyung, please come back. I don’t care if you don’t love me, I don’t care if you don’t ever want to be with me romantically, but please. Just come back. I want my best friend back, no matter how he wants me. We’ll talk, I promise we’ll talk, but we’ll never talk if you don’t come back.” 

“Even if he doesn’t love you?” Jungkook’s voice is small, now, more innocent. “But - I don’t understand. You love him so much, enough that even I can sense it. And I don’t - Seokjin hyung never told me how he felt about you, Yoongi. You’d be willing, after everything, to have him back? Even if it meant nothing for you?” 

“Having Seokjin back and alive and himself means everything to me.” Yoongi laughs, tears cascading down his cheeks. Look, hyung, we match now! “I love him, Jungkook. If you - if you had to have Namjoon, and he loved you but he wasn’t all the things that made him Namjoon, would you be happy?” 

“No.” Jungkook says. “No, but I -”

“Kook.” Namjoon finally speaks up. “Hey, it’s okay. I know you were just trying to help. It’s okay, I forgive you.” 

“I -” the light is dying, slowly, and the features in Seokjin’s face are growing softer, more like the Seokjin that Yoongi had fallen in love with. “I just wanted to help .” 

“I forgive you, Jungkook.” Yoongi smiles. “It must be hard, wanting to have lived a life with Namjoon. You must have wanted to live through me and Seokjin, huh? You wanted us to be like you. It’s okay. I forgive you, and I know Seokjin hyung does, too.” 

“Come home, Kookie, please.” Namjoon begs, a hand outstretched. “I know the afterlife sucks, but I don’t want any version of life without you by my side. Please. Come back, Jungkook.” 

“I’m so sorry.” Jungkook whispers. There’s no light at all in Seokjin’s eyes - just his eyes, wide open and still white. They’re so close. “I don’t know what I was thinking, I -”

“I still love you, Jungkook.” Namjoon reassures him. “More than anything. For better or for worse, right? ‘Till Death do us part, except it hasn’t, and I don’t want to change that.” 

“Please, Jungkook.” Yoongi pleads one last time. Tries one last time. 

“Hyung!” Jungkook sobs. 

Everything happens all at once. 

A light leaves Seokjin’s body, and Namjoon rushes up to meet it. Yoongi would love to watch the reunion happen, but as Jungkook leaves Seokjin’s body, the light leaves his eyes completely, Yoongi sees his pupils for a moment before his eyes roll back and Seokjin falls to the ground, almost hitting it if not for Yoongi catching him just in time. 

There’s a brighter light, brighter than anything Yoongi has ever witnessed in this whole thing , and then - 

They’re alone. 

Seokjin is worryingly cold in his arms. 

“No no no no no no no.” Yoongi sobs, hoisting Seokjin up in his arms, maneuvering him so that Seokjin’s facing him. Fuck , is he too late? “No, Seokjin hyung, come on , don’t do this to me!” 

Nothing. Seokjin remains silent, not responding, unmoving. 

Yoongi’s barely aware of his trembling hand moving Seokjin’s head closer, close enough that he can press his forehead to Seokjin’s, close enough that he would feel his breath. 

“Please, hyung.” Yoongi whispers - a prayer. To Seokjin, to Namjoon and Jungkook, to anyone who’s listening. “ Please .” 

And then - 

Seokjin gasps, jolting in his arms. He coughs soon after, trying to deal with the sudden intake of air, and Yoongi holds him all the way through it, tears - happy tears, this time - running down his face as he laughs in relief, rubbing Seokjin’s back to help him and resisting the urge to hug him. 

“That. Actually happened?” Seokjin rasps. “I didn’t just dream it this time.” 

“Yeah, it did.” Yoongi laughs, still basking in the pure relief that Seokjin’s alive, that he’s here . “Either that or we’re both having the same dream.” 

“Ugh.” Seokjin groans, playfully shoving Yoongi away. “Get your own dream, Yoongichi.” 

“With all due respect, hyung,” Yoongi grins, “I don’t think I’m gonna leave your side just yet.” 

Oh. Shit. Shouldn’t have said that, huh?

“Uh, what I mean is -”

“Yoongi.” Seokjin says, trying to move and sit up. He winces - his body has certainly taken a toll when Jungkook inhabited it - and Yoongi automatically moves to support him, but he can’t bring himself to look at Seokjin just yet. 

He had meant it when he told Jungkook he’d have Seokjin back just the way he was, but he just can’t look at Seokjin in the eye knowing he finally knew Yoongi loved him. He doesn’t want to see how Seokjin looks back. 

“Yeah, hyung?” Yoongi manages to say. 

“Everything you said. Back at the office, and here, with Jungkook. Did you mean it?” 

Every word. Every single word. 

“Yoongi? Please, please look at me, Yoongi.” Seokjin pleads. 

And he’s never managed to say no to Seokjin. Not ever. 

Certainly not now. 

“Don’t hate me.” Yoongi pleads. “Don’t. I’ll leave Unsolved but please. Don’t hate me.” 

Hands on his face. Choked laughter. “Idiot. I’m trying to confess here.” 

What? 

“Wait, what?” Yoongi croaks out. He turns to Seokjin, eyes wide, mouth agape - he’s the picture of disbelief. Seokjin smiles back at him - teary eyed, clearly exhausted - but still beautiful. Always so beautiful. 

“I wanted to tell you.” Seokjin laughs, sinking into Yoongi’s arms. “Jungkook - I wouldn’t tell him how I felt about you, but I love you. So much , Yoongichi. I just. Wanted to find out how to tell you properly. I thought I would during our dinner tonight, and then this happened - but I love you. Wholeheartedly. With everything that I have.” 

“So a while back, in the office?” Yoongi asks incredulously. 

“I couldn’t believe you loved me back.” Seokjin admits, albeit nervously. “Jungkook must have sensed it, or something, and the next thing I knew he was possessing me.” 

“ Couldn’t believe -” Yoongi sputters. “Hyung, the whole office knows I’m in love with you! How didn’t you know?” 

“I thought people had somehow found out.” Seokjin confesses. “And they were teasing me about it and trying to get me to confess - well. Same boat as you, I guess.” 

“Yeah.” Yoongi nods, because that’s all he can do right now, because what the fuck Seokjin loves him . “Yeah. So Jungkook was with you -” 

“- and Namjoon with you.” Seokjin finishes. 

“And they were trying to get us together. And we both thought they were lying about how the other was feeling.” 

“Because we thought they were just desperate to be back with each other.” 

There’s silence between them. There’s so much Yoongi wants to say, so much that he should say, about how much he loves Seokjin, and how much he can’t believe this is happening, and how much this is his fault but - 

“So.” 

“So.” 

There’s only so much they can say, after everything. 

Yet in the end  -

as Seokjin reaches out for Yoongi, as Yoongi leans down to meet him halfway, as their lips meet and their hearts sing and their minds sigh in relief 

- whatever they can do and say is enough, for today. 

And as far as Yoongi is concerned, whatever Seokjin can offer him will always be enough for any day.

“I still can’t believe you’re doing this.” Yoongi groans, following Seokjin up familiar steps, hands shoved into his pockets. “After everything ?” 

“Don’t act like you don’t miss Namjoon.” Seokjin chides. The keys to Mikrokosmos jangle as he twirls the ring around his finger. “Besides, I think it’s only fair to recognize the role they had in all of this.”

“The role.” Yoongi deadpans. “Because they definitely didn’t almost get you killed.” 

“Little details.” Seokjin dismisses. “Besides, I’m fine now, right, Yoongichi? I had you to save me.” 

It says something about Yoongi, how after all these years, he still blushes every time Seokjin so much as implies at him being a good partner, at their amazing relationship. 

“I didn’t save you.” Yoongi grumbles. Seokjin merely smiles back before making his way to the center of the oh so familiar room. 

The burn stain is still as black as Yoongi had remembered it, yet there isn’t that spooky, shivery feel to the room (and the building) that it used to have. Yoongi wonders for a moment if it’s because Jungkook and Namjoon have finally moved on to heaven (or whatever sort of afterlife there is that ghosts want to go to, if there is one), or if it’s because he and Seokjin are no longer as scared as they once were, back when they first entered this place. 

Either way, he doesn’t have much time to think about it before he notices Seokjin’s already placing an envelope in the middle of the stain, and runs to stand beside him. 

“Namjoon, Jungkook.” Seokjin begins, as Yoongi finds his hand and grips it tight in support. “This isn’t...something you’re used to, I guess, but Yoongi and I. We.”

“We’re getting married.” Yoongi finishes, smiling at his fiancé. “Details and everything are in the invitations - Namjoon, you said you can pick up things if you want to, so. No excuse for not reading it.” 

“You can’t RSVP, but we’ll be reserving two seats for you.” They had told Hoseok to save two extra seats in case ‘some old friends decide to arrive’. 

Yoongi shrugs. “Or you could sit on someone’s lap, but that would get me really distracted right before I have to read my vows, and I’d rather not celebrate my wedding with a threat of divorce .” 

Seokjin gasps as if he’s taking offense and swats Yoongi’s arm lightly. “Hey! I won’t divorce you if you get your vows wrong!” 

Yoongi laughs, and only grips Seokjin’s hand tighter in response before turning back to...well, the open air. “So, yeah. You two are officially invited. In case ghosts are like vampires and can’t get anywhere without people inviting them in, although I bet that’s unlikely. See you at the wedding, hopefully.” 

There’s no response. Just the silent chatter of people passing by outside, and the soft wind that has made its way into the room. 

Yoongi isn’t really surprised. Neither, he thinks, is Seokjin. 

Nevertheless, Yoongi only starts to walk back down the old building when Seokjin squeezes his hand again. 

The steps creak under their weight, the old door creaking even louder when Seokjin finally shuts it as soon as they’re out the building. 

“You think they’ll come?” Seokjin asks. 

Yoongi looks back up at the building. He feels old - not in a bad way, no. But it’s been a few years since he’s looked back up at the Mikrokosmos like this, and everything was different, then. 

It’s different now, too. 

He settles for a smile. “I think they’ll do whatever they think is best.” He offers Seokjin his hand, and sidles in closer to Seokjin when his fiancé accepts. “You ready to go home?” 

Seokjin smiles back, and presses a kiss to Yoongi’s cheek. “Anywhere with you.” 

They walk, hand in hand, back to the car, and away from the Mikrokosmos . 

They don’t look back.