A couple of floors down, Jimin perked up from where he was laying across Jungkook's lap when he saw Taehyung had replied, but immediately deflated again. "They're not back yet," he said with a pout. "Shouldn't be long though. And Jin hasn't answered my text yet, so I guess we're on our own for food."

"Not too surprised by that." Hoseok was sitting on the floor not far away, legs stretched out in front of him and on his phone. "Jin wasn't back at his place last night, was he Jungkook? Probably rolling in the sheets with Namjoon."

"He doesn't come home much, no," Jungkook said, running a hand through Jimin's hair. "Is it weird that it kind of seems like they've always been together, even if I know they haven't?"

"Nope, they've always been married," Jimin chuckled. "Just took them long enough to realize it."

"If they hadn't figured it out by the end of the semester, it would have been so tempting to just shove them both in a closet and leave them there," Hoseok said. "Or play, like... seven minutes in heaven or something. Why didn't we ever do that?"

"Because Namjoon would have killed us," Jimin said with a laugh. "But it would have been worth it to see their faces."

"Why does everyone want to piss Namjoon off?" Jungkook said, sighing a little.

"By everyone you mean Yoongi," Jimin said, looking up at Jungkook with a smile. "Namjoon wouldn't hurt a fly, I don't know why you're so terrified of him."

"That is a good question," Hoseok looked up from his phone. "Why are you so scared of Namjoon? If anything you should be scared of Yoongi, he's the one who's beat your face in multiple times. Namjoon just stares disapprovingly."

Looking between the two, Jungkook frowned and shifted a little uncomfortably. "You guys told me these stories, about... Namjoon and how if there's trouble and he shows up, he pretty takes care of it single-handedly. It's intimidating."

"Well yeah, he can handle himself pretty easily in a fight, but he doesn't go looking for a fight, or want to hit anyone," Jimin said, shifting to sit up. "He's really against physical violence unless he's backed into a corner."

"He is the guy you want on your side in a fistfight though," Hoseok stretched his arms out. "Which is kinda funny considering how clumsy he is the rest of the time. It's good for us he has such a low temper though. With his brains, wouldn't even need to lay a finger on someone to kill them."

"This isn't really making me less afraid of him," Jungkook frowned. "He's just... scary."

"Jin's scarier, we know he won't hit anyone even in a fight, but I do not want to piss him off," Jimin said, glancing at his phone again. "Oh, isn't your class soon?" he looked at Jungkook.

"Shit, I forgot," Jungkook sprang up off the couch. "I'll be back after class, save me food!" he yelled on his way out the door.

Hoseok watched him run out. "Don't even know what food is," he snorted quietly, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the wall. "Don't think there's much in the fridge. So, delivery?"

"Yeah, I'm not really in the mood to try and cook anyway," Jimin said, curling up in the corner of the couch. "Hobi hyung, why are you on the floor, come sit with me."

"Cause you and your boytoy were taking up the whole couch." But Hoseok stood up from the floor, dropping down onto the couch next to him and opening his arms in invitation.

"It's a big enough couch, we can always cuddle all three of us," Jimin said, sliding into Hoseok's lap and nuzzling into him. "I'm so glad we got days off from dance classes to rest, I think the director knew how dead we were all going to be this week if she didn't give us time off."

"Yeah. And don't need anyone injured from pushing themselves too hard." Hoseok smoothed his hand through Jimin's hair automatically, closing his eyes. "There were already a good amount of pulled muscles and sprains after the showcase."

"I'm surprised neither of us sprained anything during our stage," Jimin said, smiling up at him. "I'm never letting you talk me into doing anything blindfolded again."

"But you looked really good in the recording," Hoseok said. "Had the whole audience captivated, both blindfolded and in your solo."

Jimin couldn't help but smile shyly at that, hiding his face against Hoseok's chest. "I barely remember the solo," he said. "I was so exhausted, all I remember is turning around and seeing Jungkook. Why'd you let him get on stage like that?"

"He had a strange look in his eyes," Hoseok said, opening his eyes to look down at Jimin against his chest. "He usually has this awestruck look whenever he's watching you perform, but this was something else. Guess I just wanted to see what he was going to do. Should I have stopped him?"

"... I didn't say that," Jimin replied. "I don't think he would have said what he did if he'd been stopped. But, it was still a little embarrassing in front of all those people. Good thing the director wasn't mad."

"I think most people thought it was part of your solo," Hoseok said. "It fit in a way. There was some huffing and puffing, but from what I heard the director was able to spin it as an artsy thing." He smoothed his thumb along Jimin's cheek. "...You doing alright, Min?"

"Hm? Yeah, I'm fine," Jimin nodded against Hoseok's shirt. "Things are really good now."

"...That's good," Hoseok murmured. "I just want you to be happy, that's all. You're my best friend, you know that, right?"

"Of course, you're my best friend too," Jimin said, though he pulled back to look up at Hoseok, his brow furrowed. "Is everything okay?"

"Course," Hoseok said automatically, though his smile had slipped. A soft sigh escaped, and he smoothed one hand through Jimin's hair again, like doing so calmed him down as much as it did for Jimin. It wasn't an easy thing for him to talk about after all, the words sticking in his throat before he cleared it, gaze averting. "Well... no. Not really. I haven't been taking my meds for a while."

Jimin's eyes widened a little and he sat up, taking Hoseok's hand in both of his own. "What? Why would you stop? How long is a while?" he asked, keeping his tone as level as possible.

Hoseok drew in a breath, looking down at their hands rather than Jimin's face. "About a year now. Things were going fine, I thought maybe I didn't need them anymore, and they were just... I couldn't dance with them. Not the way I wanted to, enough to get into the industry. So I thought I'd see how things went without them for a while."

It was clear Jimin was concerned by his expression and he tightened his grip on Hoseok's hands. "Hobi hyung, you know you can't just stop, the doctor said it's not something that's going to go away... you're slipping aren't you?"

Hoseok nodded, free hand pushing his hair back out of his face. "Mostly it's just been the manic episodes, a couple of down moments but they've always been pretty short. This one, it's... lasting a while," he said quietly.

"Hoseok, you have to tell me the truth," Jimin said, tugging on his hands to get him to look up. "Are you thinking of killing yourself?" It was a blunt question, but Hoseok's doctor had told him the best way to get Hoseok to answer was to ask direct questions to avoid Hoseok trying to deflect.

Hoseok flinched, eyes slowly lifting to Jimin's face. "Not right now," he said, even though he knew that wasn't really what Jimin had meant. "...Can't say the same about yesterday." Yesterday he had sat on the bathroom floor for a good half hour, the one place in the apartment he could be alone. Just sat there and stared blankly at the wall until he'd heard Jimin and Jungkook come back.

"But I didn't. I wouldn't. Yoongi ending up in the hospital was... a bit of a wake-up call. I don't want to do that to you again."

Jimin took in a slow deep breath, trying to keep the memories at bay. He did not want to remember finding Hoseok on the bathroom floor, foaming at the mouth and convulsing. Those were very dark days and weeks that he'd help Hoseok recover from not only the attempt, but working on his mental health.

He was irritated at himself for not seeing what was going on with Hoseok, too wrapped up in his own stupid issues to see his best friend was hurting. There had been signs, but he'd dismissed them, been brushed aside by Hoseok's words.

"Where's the number for your doctor?" he asked finally. "We're calling him, and you're going to talk to him. You're going to tell him everything, and you're going to let him treat you. Not for me, and not for anyone else, but for you, because you want to get better? You told me that once, so say it again."

Hoseok's throat worked before he nodded. "...I want to get better," he said, voice cracking a little. The back of his eyes were burning, vision unclear. "I'm sorry, Chimchim." He leaned forward, resting his forehead against Jimin's shoulder and closing his eyes.

"No, there's nothing to apologize for," Jimin said, wrapping his arms around Hoseok's shoulders, running a hand through his best friend's hair. "You stumbled, that's all. Everyone stumbles once in a while. But I'm here to hold your hand and help, like I promised I would."

"Thank you," Hoseok murmured, just soaking in the comfort offered by the younger man. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"And I feel the same way, you're the best person I've ever known," Jimin said, closing his eyes as he pressed a kiss to the crown of his best friend's head. "I know I've said it before, and joked about it, but I love you so much, more than Kookie. You're the most important person in my life and I can't stand seeing you hurt."

Hoseok's lower lip trembled a little and his arms wrapped around Jimin's skinny frame, burying his face against the younger man's shirt. "I owe you my life," he whispered. "I know there's... the obvious time, but even besides that. The number of times you saved me without even realizing it. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'll never have to worry, cause I'm here for you for life," Jimin said softly. "And if you ever get yourself a worthy girlfriend, she'll have to accept me as well. Cause you're my Hobi hyung."

"Are you kidding? I'm not dating anyone who hasn't been vetted and approved by my Chimchim first." Hoseok smiled tiredly, hand smoothing along Jimin's back. "Just like I've got your back whenever your boytoy decides to be an asshole."

"Hopefully we've moved past that," Jimin said with a soft laugh. "And I hope he can be your friend too, cause you're both important to me. When he's not being an idiot, he's great, you know that. We talked a lot yesterday when you were out, he said he's going to come out to his parents and tell them about me."

"He said that?" Hoseok pulled back a little, scrubbing his eyes with one hand before looking up at Jimin. "That's... great. That's really great, but is he ready for the shitstorm that might come?"

"He thinks so, but I'm not so sure it's the best timing," Jimin said, shaking his head. "I told him it was too soon, but I was glad he wanted to make that effort. At the very least, he said he wants us to be... open. Hold hands, go on dates, not hide anymore."

"Good." Hoseok smiled up at him. "You deserve that. Someone who can treat you properly." He cupped Jimin's face lightly. "It's going to take me a while to trust him again, but if he can make you happy and keep a smile on your face, then he and I'll be fine."

"I know he can do it, I trust him," Jimin said, tilting a little into the hand. "I know he's a good kid deep down, he's just really conflicted about himself, and his orientation. Some people have a harder time coming to terms with it than others."

"Yeah. Especially with a family attitude about it like his," Hoseok sighed, smoothing his thumb against Jimin's cheek before bundling his best friend up in his arms to cuddle again. "We'll be there for him, he's part of the group now."

"He is, long as his hyungs support him," Jimin said, nuzzling into Hoseok. "So what are going to do about food, I'm starving."

"Mmmm... let's order fried chicken and beer," Hoseok chuckled, smoothing his fingers through Jimin's hair. "And get extras for whenever the others wander down here. Sound good?"

"Sounds great," Jimin nodded. "I'm glad we got the place to ourselves for a bit, we haven't hung out much lately."

"Yeah. I miss having you all to myself." Hoseok was happy to nuzzle into Jimin, closing his eyes. As long as he had his best friend, he knew he could get through this.

**********************

It had been a while since Taehyung had gone on a date. Even then, he wasn't so sure his past dating experience would help in this situation. Yoongi wasn't a dainty girl who liked shopping, sappy romance movies and couple selfies. If Taehyung even mentioned any of the above Yoongi would probably laugh at him. Even choosing what to wear was difficult. He finally picked out something that wasn't so over the top Yoongi would look at him strangely, but a nice blazer and black jeans with a few accessories, even making use of his single ear piercing for a small black stud. He put a small amount of eyeliner on, covering up any blemishes and finding his cologne buried in the bottom of his suitcase.

He had to do all this while Yoongi was at the studio, the two agreeing to meet up after Taehyung's class. At least, that had been the plan. It remained to be seen if Taehyung would have to track Yoongi down, but first he needed a second opinion on if he was going to be a laughing stock when he got there.

"Eomma?" Taehyung knocked on Namjoon's door, having sent a text a few minutes earlier.

The door opened a moment later, Jin smiling brightly at Taehyung, and if it was possible his expression grew even brighter at seeing him all dressed up for his date. "Oh my gosh Taehyung, you look so handsome," he said, beckoning the other to come in. "Yoongi's going to be blown away."

Taehyung's expression perked up as he stepped in, not removing his shoes. He wasn't staying long. "You think so? It's not too much?" He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"No, not even a little," Jin said, squinting a little at him. "In fact, something needs to be done about your hair. You have a couple minutes and I can do it for you."

"My hair?" Taehyung blinked, running his fingers through the purple locks. "Like what?" He slid off his shoes to step inside.

"It just needs a little oomph," Jin said, taking Taehyung by the shoulders and steering him to a chair. "You're going to be in a hot club surrounded by sweaty people, last thing you want is your hair matted to your forehead and in your eyes." He rummaged through a bag of things, pulling out a comb and some hair spray.

Teasing out some of the locks, Jin separated the hair into sections and worked at giving Taehyung's hair some volume and style. His bangs were swept out of the way, a hint of his forehead showing under the waves. "You look nervous," he said, combing out another section and setting it with the spray.

"A little," Taehyung admitted, tapping his fingers against his knees. "It's been awhile since I've been on a date, and the last time it was... well... with a girl. Yoongi hyung isn't interested in any of the things she was, so that's not really helpful."

"Interested in things like what?" Jin asked, giving another couple of sprays over Taehyung's hair. He found a small hand mirror and showed Taehyung the final result.

"Like romantic movies and couple charms and hitting up all the scenic spots for cute selfies," Taehyung said, perking up when he saw his hair in the mirror. "That looks really good, thank you eomma!"

"Hmm.. yeah he wouldn't like anything like that," Jin said tilting his head a little. "But don't let his prickly side fool you, he's still a marshmallow. Just because he says he doesn't want to take a selca with you, doesn't mean he won't if you just hold up the phone and tell him to pose."

"Really?" Taehyung blinked. "I guess I could do that. Take some surprise photos with him." He smiled wider at the idea. "What did you and Namjoon hyung do on your date?"

"Watch Namjoon fall in a pond," Jin said, chuckling a little. "He took me to a restaurant that I'd been wanting to go to. Then we just walked home and talked. Dates don't have to be about anything special, just being with the other person and making good memories."

Making good memories. That was what Taehyung wanted out of tonight, more than anything. "Right," he looked up at Jin with a smile. "I should go, I'm supposed to be meeting him soon." He stood up. "Thanks for your help, eomma."

"You're welcome, and I expect to hear all the details tomorrow," Jin said. "Also, remember, don't let Yoongi drink, or get on stage."

"I'll remember," Taehyung grinned, giving him a hug. "See you later!" He pushed his shoes back on before heading out the door, smoothing down his blazer once he was in the elevator before stepping out.

It was a quick trek to the campus gate, where they'd agreed to meet up. When Taehyung got there, he didn't see Yoongi anywhere. But he was still a few minutes early. So he leaned back against the brick to wait, smiling at some sparrows hopping around in the grass and mimicking their chirps in short whistles. He wished he'd brought something to share with them.

To everyone's surprise, Yoongi's included, Yoongi was on time for once. He'd even set himself an alarm because was not going to be late for today. He really did not want to disappoint Taehyung. Seeing Taehyung waiting for him, Yoongi couldn't help but smile, though the closer he got, the more he felt like an idiot. Taehyung had obviously spent a lot of time thinking over what to wear and looked... really good. So good that Yoongi was sure Taehyung wouldn't want to be seen with a scrub like him in his faded and ripped jeans, white t shirt and leather jacket.

"Yah, who told you to look so good?" Yoongi said when he was close enough not to have to yell. He fussed with the beanie he had on, feeling a little self conscious.

Taehyung looked up from the sparrows at Yoongi's voice. The moment he spotted the older man his wide smile nearly made his eyes disappear. "Sorry, is it too much?" He had to resist fussing with his hair self-consciously, pushing away from the wall to face Yoongi. "You made it! How's work going?"

"Of course I made it, I said I'd be here," Yoongi said, looking Taehyung up and down properly. "You didn't have to dress up, but... it's not too much. You... look really good. Jin did your hair didn't he."

"He did," Taehyung nodded, eyes bright when Yoongi complimented his appearance instead of laughing. "It's a bit early to head to the club, huh?" he tilted his head a little. "Want to get some ice cream or something?"

"... Ice cream before a hip hop club," Yoongi said, making a face at Taehyung. "Fine, but this is totally not hip hop."

"Oh, it's not?" Had he messed up already? "We can get something else if you want," Taehyung tried sheepishly. He started to walk, only to accidentally scare of the sparrows away from his feet. "Oops, sorry."

"I'm kidding, it's fine," Yoongi snorted, taking Taehyung's hand in his own and pulled him down the sidewalk. "If it's something you want to do, we'll do it."

"I like a lot of things." Taehyung looked down at their hands, smiling wider. His fingers curled around Yoongi's in return, walking along comfortably beside him. "So? What were you working on?"

"The festival song," Yoongi said, his lips quirking a little. "There was a verse missing still, had to get it done so I could finally be done and we can start practicing for it."

"Oh? So we can practice soon?" Taehyung grinned. "Singing on stage with everyone is going to be so much fun."

"You say that now, but it's going to be chaos," Yoongi sighed. "Getting just one person to pay attention for long enough to sing is child's play against getting everyone to pay attention at the same time. We're still a couple weeks away before the song will be done though, need to rent out one of the performance halls.. Figure out what we're wearing. Probably going to need Jin's help with some of this since he has free time."

"I can help too," Taehyung offered. "And I think it'll be fun! It's always more fun singing with other people. Once the music starts playing, I'm sure everyone will be paying attention."

"And I know better," Yoongi laughed. "Hoseok for sure won't be paying attention and if he's not paying attention he'll be riling up Jimin and Jungkook and I just know they'll rope you into it. It's going to be chaos."

"But it'll still be fun chaos," Taehyung amended with a smile, looking over at him. It was nice, just walking and chatting with Yoongi like this. "I know you have fun working with them."

"Yeah, they're good kids," Yoongi nodded. "Even if they need a kick in the ass sometimes. I never imagined when I started school that I would make any friends, let alone those idiots."

"How did you meet them all, anyways?" Taehyung asked. "I can see eomma and Namjoon cause they're on the same floor, but what about the other three?"

"Oh geez, well, Hoseok and Jimin used to live just down the hall from me and Jin, before Namjoon moved in," Yoongi said. "I met them on the elevator, Jimin was three sheets to the wind drunk and Hoseok was trying to keep him from crawling all over him. I thought they were a couple for a while with the way they acted. So, we weren't really that good of friends at that point, but I kept seeing Jimin bring guys home and thought he was cheating on Hoseok, so I told Hoseok... he laughed so hard at me. Kind of pissed me off. How the hell was I supposed to know? They're always hugging and kissing each other even now."

Taehyung blinked, then started laughing. He could see where the confusion came from; if he hadn't have met Jungkook at the same time as them, he would have assumed they were dating too. "So you weren't very good friends back then? How'd you become friends with them?"

"After that, whenever Jimin brought someone home, Hoseok came and bothered me until he was done," Yoongi said. "After that, Jimin started hanging out too and Jin had to adopt them both because they were cute."

"How did Jin find them?" Taehyung asked, curious how the sheltered Jin (even more sheltered than Taehyung in some ways) had taken seeing Hoseok and Jimin all over each other, coupled with their very crass sense of humour.

"Jin had the benefit of meeting them when they were sober, and Jimin knows his audience, so he played up that cute kid act," Yoongi snorted. "Jin had no idea how vulgar he really was for at least a month. Then we went drinking and Jimin was trying to put his tongue down my throat and get into Hoseok's pants at the same time. Jin just thought Hoseok was loud."

Giggling, Taehyung shook his head. "Poor eomma. Jimin must have really good acting skills to keep it up for a whole month." Taehyung had found out basically first day just how bad Jimin could be. Granted, again, Jungkook had been there. "And Jungkook? How did he come in?"

"Jimin brought him in, they met when Jungkook did a tour of the school before he graduated," Yoongi said, looking around as they walked. "I guess they kept in contact and Jungkook visited over a break and stayed with them. That's when their whole arrangement began, and before the next year started they moved to the bigger apartment so Jimin and Jungkook could have a locking door, not that it really made a difference. I don't even want to mention the amount of times we've been over at their place and I look over and Jimin was either giving Jungkook a blow job or grinding on his lap... I just hope they'll tone it down for you sake."

Taehyung winced a little at that. "They've been okay lately, but I think they're gonna be taking it slow for a while. Jimin, he knows I'm not really comfortable with that sort of thing."

"He'll take it easy on you, he does with Jin, most of the time," Yoongi said, seeing the ice cream shop ahead. "I make no guarantees if they've been drinking. I'll cover your eyes if I see anything starting."

Taehyung laughed again, eyes crinkling. "Oh, I wasn't counting when they're drunk anyways. I just won't look." He'd spotted the shop by then too, tucking Yoongi up to the counter and peering up at the menu. "What flavor do you want? I'm getting strawberry."

"I thought I was just going to share off yours," Yoongi said, poking at his side.

"Oh?" A pink tinge appeared in Taehyung's cheeks. "We can do that, do you even like strawberry though?"

"Strawberry's fine," Yoongi laughed at Taehyung's expression. "We don't have to share if you want it all for your own."

"That wasn't what I meant, don't laugh," Taehyung pouted, fumbling for his wallet before ordering. He perked up at the strawberry sitting to the side of the ice cream when they got it, pulling Yoongi away from the counter to sit on a bench.

With a grin, Taehyung plucked the strawberry off and pressed it against Yoongi's lips.

Yoongi made a face at him, but opened his mouth and took a bite out of the strawberry. "You're not paying for anything else tonight, I know you're pretty strapped for money. Let hyung treat you," he said, chewing on the fruit.

"You sure?" Taehyung asked. "I don't mind paying." They seemed to be in the same boat financially. He leaned against Yoongi's side, nibbling on the other half of the strawberry and holding the ice cream bowl between them.

"I know you don't mind, but I don't have as much school left as you do, save every bit you got okay?" Yoongi said, spooning out a bit of the ice cream and eating it. "You never know when you'll need that extra few dollars you just spent on ice cream."

"Maybe," Taehyung said, picking up the second spoon. "But for special occasions, it's nice to treat yourself or someone else. This is a special occasion."

"It is," Yoongi nodded, glancing at Taehyung with a little bit of a smile. "That's why I'm treating you the rest of the night. I asked you out remember? Next time, you pay."

Taehyung looked up at Yoongi, before smiling widely in return. "...Okay. Sounds fair."

Then while Yoongi was still distracted by their conversation, Taehyung snuck one finger into the ice cream and dabbed it onto Yoongi's nose.

Yoongi just blinked at him for that, wiping at his nose. "Really shouldn't waste food, and you know I can't retaliate cause I'd mess up that pretty face of yours."

"You sure that's why?" Taehyung grinned cheekily at him.

"Yeah, pretty sure," Yoongi said, leaning in to give him a light kiss before pulling back. "You almost done with that, we should get going."

Taehyung returned the kiss, smiling at Yoongi. "Mhm. Have some more," he nudged Yoongi's arm as he popped some more of the ice cream into his mouth. "You didn't have much."

"Just a couple more, then we gotta go," Yoongi said, rolling his eyes a little as he took another spoonful.

Chuckling, Taehyung focused on finishing the ice cream, enjoying how their arms brushed together. Once it was done he tried to lick any stray ice cream from his lips, hopping up from the bench to toss the empty bowl into a nearby trash can. "Club time?" he asked, holding out one hand to help Yoongi up.

"Yes, please," Yoongi said, taking Taehyung's hand and getting to his feet. He didn't let go of the other's hand as he started to walk down the sidewalk again. "You sure you're up for this? I seem to recall you weren't so keen on going to a club the last time we went."

"Not for what you were going there for," Taehyung chuckled, their hands swinging back and forth slowly. "It's something you like, so I want to check it out."

"I just hope you really understand what we're walking into," Yoongi said. "This isn't a club in Itaewon."

"Are you trying to talk me out of going?" Taehyung blinked, looking over at him. "If you don't want to go, we don't have to."

"No, I'm just making sure you're okay with this," Yoongi said, squeezing his hand. "I want to share this part of my life with you, cause it's important. But if you're uncomfortable at any point, then we leave."

"Then that's all I need," Taehyung smiled widely. "Let's go."

It still took a bit of time and a long walk to get to the club. Which really wasn't anything more than a warehouse in a not so great part of Seoul, but Yoongi wasn't worried. He'd been there often enough and most people left him alone. Especially after that one incident.

Yoongi paid for both their covers, ushering Taehyung inside with a strong grip on the other's shoulder. He couldn't lose track of Taehyung in this kind of crowd. He muscled his way through to the bar, the club already getting pretty full. He could tell by the stage set up in the middle of the room like a boxing ring that there was an event planned.

"You want something to drink?" Yoongi asked Taehyung over the loud music, waving one of the bartenders down.

Taehyung had been looking around the club with wide eyes, taking everything in. He almost didn't hear Yoongi over the music, looking back at him just in time. "Ah.. eomma said..." One or two drinks was fine though, right? It wasn't like Yoongi couldn't hold his alcohol. Taehyung had seen how many he could put away. "I guess just a beer?" Something with lower alcohol content for himself, because Taehyung was nowhere near as good a drinker as Yoongi.

"Is someone performing tonight?" He pointed at the stage curiously.

"Looks like they're setting up a battle," Yoongi said, ordering two beers. He paid for the drinks when the bottles were placed on the bar and he handed one to Taehyung. "Probably not going to start for another hour or so. What do you think so far? Can you see yourself coming here every weekend?" he asked with a laugh.

Taehyung sipped from his beer, looking around. "You usually come here every weekend?" He asked, sticking close to Yoongi's side. Not that he had much choice, it was very crowded and it was either keep close to Yoongi or accidentally elbow the guy on his other side.

"No, used to though," Yoongi said, looking around at the crowd. "After that uh... incident I don't come by as often. There were a couple people pretty mad at me, and Namjoon. But last time we came here we wiped the floor with them."

"Oh, do you think some people might still be mad?" Taehyung asked, looking back at Yoongi and watching his expression.

"If they are, that's their problem," Yoongi said, smirking at him. "Don't worry, I doubt anyone's going to recognize me." He took a long pull off his beer, savoring the taste. "You wanna dance a little bit before the show really starts?"

Taehyung's whole expression brightened at that. "Yeah, let's go!" He drank some more of his beer before placing the glass down and taking Yoongi's hand.

Yoongi finished off his drink, setting it down before he was pulled towards where others were kind of dancing. The music was loud and a little intense, the kind of music that rattled your rib cage when the bass dropped. "I'm not as good a dancer as Jimin," he said into Taehyung's ear, his other arm going around Taehyung's waist.

"Who says you need to be?" Taehyung asked, heart thudding at how close Yoongi was, breath ghosting over his ear. His arms wrapped around Yoongi's shoulders, smiling at him in the flickering lights. "You're a great dancer." He could feel the rhythm and started to move, body swaying against Yoongi's. The beer hadn't hit him yet but he felt relaxed, resting his forehead against Yoongi's.

Yoongi just smiled at that, a true smile that spread from ear to ear as he moved along with Taehyung. He wasn't really caring about any of the looks they may have been getting. For the most part, people in this scene were cool with just about anything, though there were some that took offense at two men dancing together. As long as they didn't say anything to Yoongi, there wouldn't be any problems.

He wasn't sure how long they'd been dancing for, but Yoongi could feel the sweat traveling down his back. "Hey... let's get something to drink," he said, nuzzling into Taehyung's neck a little.

Taehyung had been having fun. The music may have been too loud and there may have been far more people than he would have liked, but Yoongi's body was solid against him and he liked dancing with his boyfriend, as much as Yoongi protested his dancing skills. He blinked at the words spoken into his ear, only realizing then how thirsty he was. Jin's handiwork prevented his bangs from matting to his forehead, but he could still feel the dampness of sweat against his collarbones.

"Sure," he said, hands smoothing along Yoongi's shoulders before finding the older man's hand. "Are you having fun?"

"A little too much," Yoongi said, his tongue wetting his lips nervously as he pulled Taehyung towards the bar. The thing about clubs and drinking was the association to sex that Yoongi was having trouble thinking of anything else, especially with how gorgeous Taehyung looked and how great it had been pressed against him. So, he really just needed something cold to drink to calm him down.

"You want another beer?" Yoongi asked, though he ordered something a little stronger when the bartender showed up.

"Ah, sure," Taehyung said, sitting down on the stool next to Yoongi. He looked around the club before returning his attention to Yoongi with a wide smile. "I can kinda see why you like coming here, it's pretty fun."

"This isn't the part I find fun," Yoongi said, sipping a his drink that was a lot stronger than he had thought it would be. "I don't usually do the dancing bit. I'm usually an absolute nervous mess waiting for the real show to start."

Taehyung looked back at the bar when his beer appeared, thanking the bartender with a wide smile before turning back to Yoongi. "The real show, you mean the rap battles? Why a nervous mess?" He leaned into Yoongi's arm a little, sipping his drink.

"Freestyling is not easy, especially when you've got a crowd crying for you to spill metaphorical blood of someone you met two seconds before," Yoongi said, taking another sip of the drink. "First time I tried to battle, I locked myself in the bathroom and didn't come out. Completely chickened out."

"Oh. Well I guess nerves are normal. But I don't think you have anything to be nervous about," Taehyung grinned. "You're an amazing rapper, and an amazing freestyler too. Never heard anything like it before." He remembered what had happened during karaoke.

"That was playing, and it's easy to dig at someone you know," Yoongi waved off the compliments, finishing off his drink and motioning for another. "I'm really out of practice." But he couldn't help how his eyes were drifting to the stage.

"Doubt it," Taehyung chuckled, drinking some more of his beer. Yoongi was just a perfectionist. That had been one of the easiest things to find out about his boyfriend.

Yoongi's third drink had just arrived when someone else approached the bar. Taehyung didn't pay them any mind, thinking they were just ordering drinks. But then the new arrival started to talk to them, and he looked up to see a young man around their age with squinty eyes and a wide smirk. "Look who's finally decided to show his face? Been a while."

Taking a sip of his new drink, Yoongi looked the new arrival up and down. "Sorry, am I supposed to know who you are?" he asked, his tone bored. He vaguely remembered this squinty eyed shit. Well, vaguely remembers punching him between those squinty eyes, but that's about it.

"The guy who tore you to shreds last time you were here, remember now? Or did the trauma block it from memory." The guy looked at Taehyung, snorting at the confused expression. "Got yourself some new arm candy to watch your shit rhymes?"

"I think you're mistaken, I've never been beaten by a little shit stain like you," Yoongi said, standing a little taller. "Oh wait, now I remember you... didn't recognize you since you're standing and blood isn't pouring from your nose. I think that look suits you better."

"Big talk for someone too chicken to show his face for months," a sneer curled the stranger's face. "But then you were always just talk, weren't you?" Taehyung frowned at the man's tone, hand finding Yoongi's arm.

"No, you wish I was all talk," Yoongi said, ignoring Taehyung's hand. "But you know I beat your ass on stage, and off. So not sure why you're trying to be in my face right now unless you want me to straighten out that crooked nose."

"Prove it," the other man snorted, pushing one finger against Yoongi's shoulder. "Get on that stage and put your money where your mouth is."

Yoongi thought long and hard about it, glancing towards the stage before looking back at Taehyung. This isn't why he was here, he was here to have fun with Taehyung, not placate his ego. "Nah, you're really not worth my time shit stain."

"Chicken shit," the stranger sneered. "Slinking back in here with your head down, knew you didn't have it in you."

Yoongi was really about done with this kid, but punching him would upset Taehyung. He really wanted to punch him. "Sorry, but I walk in here with my head up high, because little shits like you aren't going to win over me. And you know what? Fuck it, you want your match, you got it."

Taehyung blinked, not really sure what was going on. The second beer had dulled his senses a little. "Hyung?"

A large smirk curled the other guy's mouth. "Then let's go. Stage is empty, bring it." He crooked one finger at Yoongi as he backed up towards the stage.

Yoongi downed the rest of his drink and set the glass back on the bar. "This won't take long," he said, barely glancing at Taehyung as he started after the guy. "I'm going to fucking kill him."

Taehyung's hand slipped off Yoongi's arm as the older man walked away. "But– hyung, wait," Taehyung tried to call after him, but his words were quickly lost against the loud music, people getting between him and Yoongi until he couldn't see his boyfriend in the crowd. Leaning up on his toes in an effort to spot him, Taehyung winced and moved back up against the bar when someone jostled his shoulder. His fingers curled tighter around his beer bottle as he watched the stage worriedly.

It was a few minutes before the show began, the house music cutting off. The MC hopped up onto the stage and announced the beginning of the battle, announcing the two who had followed him up onto the stage. There were a few cheers for Yoongi's opponent, he had built up a bit of a following it seemed.

Yoongi looked out across the audience, but couldn't see Taehyung the lights making it hard to see. He lifted his chin a little when his stage name was called, the 'AgustD sending a hush of excitement over the crowd. Yoongi smirked at seeing the scowl of anger from his opponent, obviously not expecting his name to have any weight still.

Rules of a rap battle were more like guidelines. There was no set amount of time for each opponent; you could take as much time as you needed to tear the other down until you had no more words left. If you couldn't respond, you were done. Yoongi had never been unable to respond, which is why he let the other start, holding the mic loosely in his hand, his head bobbing a little to the beat.

The squinty eyed shit wasn't bad, but he wasn't that good either. He couldn't stay on the beat, and his words were old, tired, and predictable. Nothing he was saying landed a direct hit, because who really went after someone's fashion sense these days? The crowd didn't appreciate that one either, and Yoongi laughed. Ripped jeans and a beanie were always in fashion in hip hop.

Sensing the crowd was turning on him, the squinty eyed shit sneered and went low. "At least I didn't show up with arm candy, looking like a tranny."

Yoongi saw red, and his expression went grim, eyes narrowing. This little shit was going to go after Taehyung? No, fuck that. He didn't even wait for the squinty eyed mother fucker to finish, lifting his mic and started in.

Yoongi might not have been able to see Taehyung with all the lights in the way, but Taehyung could see him just fine. Even if the whole situation ate at his stomach a little, he had to admit his boyfriend did look pretty cool up there, calm and collected and staring at his opponent with that look that meant he was sizing up the best way to tear him down limb by limb. Maybe there hadn't been anything to worry about after all.

Taehyung hadn't really been paying attention to the stranger's rhymes, but he did catch the part about him. He noticed in the corner of his eyes a few of those who'd been lingering around the bar glance at him, having noticed him and Yoongi together probably. Chewing on his lower lip, Taehyung avoided their eyes and looked back up at the stage. He was just in time to see Yoongi lift up his mic, then... spit out fire, words heated and sharp like a blacksmith at the forge.

The mood of the crowd changed as Yoongi went in, barely taking a breath between lines. There was a nervous hum that grew louder, excitement crackling the longer Yoongi went without stopping. Each rhyme stung, the opponent having to back up when Yoongi got in his face, with narrowed eyes and a look that could kill. He had the squinty eyed shit on the ropes and he'd barely broken a sweat.

It was over, the crowd knew it by the way they cheered, hollering at each line Yoong slapped at the other, beating him down into submission. The kid looked nervous now, squinty eyes darting around, looking for an exit. Yoongi wasn't quite ready to let him go yet, pulling his attention back as he delivered the last line.

"How was that little shit stain? You still think you're on my same plane?"

Yoongi only stopped because he was out of breath. The mic fell to his side as he panted, nose close to touching the others. "How was that? Still think you can tear me to shreds?"

His answer was an angry scowl; the kid knew he'd lost, even if he didn't want to admit it out loud. He had nothing to reply with, and after a second of silence the MC called the end of the match. The kid shoved Yoongi back away from him as AgustD was called the winner, the crowd breaking out into cheers.

Taehyung couldn't help but cheer too, placing his bottle down just so he could put two fingers to his mouth and whistle, the only way he could possibly make himself heard over the deafening din.

Yoongi turned back to the audience when his name was announced, smiling a little nervously. He handed the mic back to the MC and climbed down off the stage. Getting back to the bar was a lot harder than it had been getting to the stage, buffeted by people who were cheering for him on all sides. That had probably been the best performance he'd ever had, and he was a little sad Namjoon hadn't got to see it. But Taehyung had, and that meant more to Yoongi than he had imagined it would.

Getting clear of the crowd finally, he tried to find Taehyung at the bar, losing track of where he had left him.

Unfortunately, by that time the kid's comment towards Taehyung had gotten him some unwanted attention. Attention in the form of a tall, muscular guy leaning up against the bar beside him and crowding Taehyung who couldn't escape in the opposite direction because of how many people were at the bar. Nor could he leave the bar entirely, because he didn't know his way around this place and he'd never find Yoongi that way.

"And does a cute thing like you have a name?" the guy was asking. Taehyung could smell the strong alcohol on his breath.

"U-uh... Taehyung?" he said, looking around for any sign of Yoongi and working nervously on his lower lip. He missed the guy leaning in to play with a few locks of purple hair, the touch of fingers against his jaw making Taehyung's skin crawl. He tried to lean away, but the fingers just followed.

"Taehyung, huh? What do you say we ditch this place and find somewhere quieter?"

Quieter would be nice, but not with this guy. "I'm not really i-interested," Taehyung's voice stuttered nervously when the fingers trailed down his sweat-streaked neck. "Could you please stop that?"

"Yah, he asked you nicely, stop touching him," Yoongi, who had taken a lot longer to find Taehyung than he would have liked, was stepping up beside them. His arm instinctively went around Taehyung and pulled the younger behind him. "Go find someone else to hit on, he's not interested."

"Hyung." There was a breath of relief in Taehyung's words as he found himself behind Yoongi. His hands slid into the older man's. "Can we go? Please?"

"Says who?" The other guy was too drunk to back down, and he towered over Yoongi by a full head.

"Says me," Yoongi said, not letting the height or muscle mass intimidate him. His hand found Taehyung's and held it tight. "Now back the fuck off before you're on the ground crying."

"I don't think you realize who you're talking to," the giant snorted, reaching out to grab Yoongi by the shirt and drag him closer.

Yoongi laughed a little at this macho display. "Yeah, don't really give a shit," he said with a shrug. Putting his hand on the taller man's shoulder to use as leverage, Yoongi slammed his knee up between the man's legs as hard as he could. Might as well put his knobby knees to good use. Backing up before the behemoth fell on him, Yoongi looked at Taehyung with a wild eyed smile. "Run," he laughed, pulling Taehyung away from the bar and in the direction of the doors.

Taehyung yelped when he was yanked away from the bar, stumbling before he lengthened his stride to keep pace with Yoongi. They ducked and pushed their way through the crowd of dancers in the middle of the floor, Taehyung wincing a little when an elbow clipped his side. He didn't let go of Yoongi's hand, even when they burst out the doors and into the cooler night air, the sudden change of temperature a blessing.

They didn't stop running until they were a block away, Taehyung panting a little and looking back where they'd came from. "I don't think he's gonna be running after us," he said once he'd caught his breath a little.

"I hope not," Yoongi laughed breathlessly. "I don't feel like getting murdered today." He had a wide grin, looking at Taehyung. "Well, did you have fun?"

"Besides that guy?" Taehyung had to laugh at that, jittered nerves calming at the look on Yoongi's face. He didn't think he'd ever seen Yoongi so excited, so happy before. "Yeah... yeah, I had a lot of fun. You were so amazing up there. That guy didn't even know what hit him."

"Well, now he knows," Yoongi said, pulling Taehyung a little closer and resting his forehead against the younger's. "I don't even know half of what I said I was so pissed at what he said about you."

Taehyung's arms wrapped loosely around Yoongi's neck, looking up into Yoongi's eyes. He smiled widely. "...Thank you. I wish I'd thought to record it, you were really on fire."

"I'm sure someone did, probably on all the portal sites by now," Yoongi said, the giddy smile still hovering on his lips as he leaned into give Taehyung a light kiss. "So, what should we do now?"

"I don't know," Taehyung admitted after returning the kiss. "I don't know what could top that. I just want to spend more time alone with you." No matter what they were doing, as long as he was with Yoongi, Taehyung already knew he was going to have fun. "I guess we could just walk?" Though the alcohol was catching up to him and he would much rather just keep leaning against Yoongi, fingers brushing against a bit of hair poking out from under Yoongi's beanie.

"Alright, we can do that," Yoongi nodded, giving him another quick kiss. "Are you hungry? We should get some food to take home later."

"Okay," Taehyung nodded, humming happily. "Let's see what we find." He looked at Yoongi with bright eyes before leaning in to kiss a little firmer, lingering against his mouth.

As he leaned back so they could walk, his fingers slipped Yoongi's beanie off his head, transferring it onto his own without care for how the material squashed Jin's efforts to give his hair volume, or how silly it looked to be wearing such nice clothes with a ratty beanie on top. Looking back up at Yoongi with a wide grin, he took Yoongi's hand and started down the sidewalk.

"... You little brat," Yoongi huffed, running his hands through his sweaty hair that was now in complete disarray. He didn't mind as much as he protested, thinking Taehyung looked kind of cute wearing his hat. It was a good thing he really didn't care so much about how he looked, or that the streets were pretty empty.

It was nice just walking in silence, Yoongi brushing his thumb over the back of Taehyung's hand. This dating thing was so new to him, and he was so sure he would screw it up at some point. But this odd feeling of contentment had settled, happy to just be walking next to Taehyung, listen to his laugh and see that odd boxy smile he had. As far as dates were concerned, Yoongi was pretty sure he could get used to going on them, as long as they were with Taehyung.