Quiet | BTS ✓

15

"Wow," Yoongi says as he leans back in his chair. "That was so good, Hoseok."

"Thank you," Hoseok says, smiling his usual bright grin. "But please, I told you to call me Hobi."

Aria looks up from her empty plate with a confused expression, moving her gaze from one man to the other.

"What? Do you not want him to call me that?" Hoseok asks, frowning slightly.

Aria frowns back at him and shakes her hands in front of her, signaling that wasn't what she meant.

"Was it weird hearing that name after so long, then?" Hoseok asks her, his frown morphing into a small smile.

She returns his smile immediately and nods her head.

"I can just call you Hoseok. I don't want to butt into your friendship like that," Yoongi says, awkwardly playing with his fork and keeping his gaze away from the people seated at the table with him.

"Our friendship is also yours now, Yoongs. You're our friend, even if Aria is too stubborn to open herself up to the possibility of making a new friend," Hoseok says, smiling when Yoongi looks up to meet the younger's gaze.

Yoongi smiles back and then turns his gaze to Aria, who is watching him with her usual guarded expression on her face.

"I would like to be considered your friend," Yoongi says to her.

Aria looks between the two men for a moment before sighing loudly and nodding her head.

"Wow. You must be special to her, Yoongs. She's usually completely closed off to everyone but me," Hoseok says and Aria rolls her eyes and throws her fork at him, which he easily dodges.

"Don't be rude," Hoseok says. "Sometimes I forget that you're a year older than me because I'm always the mature one in situations."

Aria sticks her tongue out and Yoongi laughs, which is a welcome feeling for him to have after so long of only feeling negative emotions.

Aria looks over at Yoongi, who is looking back at her and smiling brightly. She smiles back, and Yoongi feels his heart skip a beat at the beauty of the girl next to him.

It wasn't one of those polite, fake smiles he has seen so many times since he met her. It is genuine; a smile so real and bright, he'd swear he was actually looking at a twinkling star in the night sky.

"So, what do your parents do, Yoongs?" Hoseok asks, bringing Yoongi's attention back to reality.

"Oh, uh... business," Yoongi says dismissively, suddenly feeling uneasy with where the conversation is headed.

"Do you get to visit them a lot?" He asks, tilting his head to the side in curiosity.

Yoongi takes a deep breath and leans forward, placing his elbows on the table and clasping his hands together.

"I don't speak to them," he says.

"Oh, wow. I'm so sorry. I wouldn't have asked if I knew," Hoseok says, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"No, it's okay. It's been three years since I chose music over the family business and it didn't go over well with them. Long story short, they disowned me and I've been alone until now. I moved away, but my uncle talked me into moving back here to finish my degree," Yoongi explains as Hoseok and Aria watch him, listening intently.

"Your uncle, the professor?" Hoseok asks and Yoongi nods.

"He's the reason I fell in love with music in the first place. I really owe everything to him," he says, a small smile ghosting across his lips at the thought of his uncle, who was more of a father figure to him than his own father was.

Yoongi looks down at his arm when he feels someone touch him, and he sees that Aria has laid her hand on his forearm, squeezing it gently.

He looks up and sees her watching him with a soft smile on her face.

"Wow, I'm exhausted! I'm going to head to bed because I have an early morning practice for my dance recital this weekend," Hoseok says, standing up and stretching. "Oh, you're more than welcome to come, Yoongs. It's at the school's auditorium. Aria will be there, and my parents will be there as well. I'd love for them to meet you."

"Oh, yeah. I'd love to be there," Yoongi says, smiling up at Hoseok.

"Great! Saturday at 6 PM," he says, sending them both a small wave before making his way to the bottom of the stairs.

"Goodnight, you two! Oh, and you'd better do the dishes, Aria. I was nice enough to cook for you; it's the least you can do," Hoseok says, winking at her before making his way upstairs.

Yoongi laughs. "You two really are like siblings."

Aria rolls her eyes and then looks down at her hand that is still resting on Yoongi's arm. She quickly retracts her hand before standing and grabbing the dirty plates and utensils from the table, placing them in the sink to wash.

"Here, let me help," Yoongi offers and reaches out to grab the dish soap, but Aria gently smacks his hand away and shakes her head.

"Don't be ridiculous, Aria. I want to help."

She sighs before turning around to face Yoongi, glaring at him.

"What?" He asks, raising his eyebrow.

She points to a small clock hanging on the wall and he realizes how late it's getting.

"Oh, wow. I've been here for a while. I should probably go since I have an early morning class to get to," Yoongi says.

Aria nods, confirming that's the point she was trying to get across; that it's getting late and Yoongi needs to go home to get some rest.

"You're becoming easier for me to understand, you know," he says quietly and she raises her eyebrows at him.

"I mean, when we first met, I had no idea what was going on in your head; I had no idea what you were thinking. I can hear you so clearly when you play, but without instruments, you've been such a mystery to me because of that wall you put up to keep people out," Yoongi explains. "But now, it's getting easier. Your facial expressions and the emotions in your eyes... I'm finding it easier to understand. Maybe because you're not shutting me out anymore."

Aria looks taken aback for a moment. Yoongi thinks that maybe she's not used to someone speaking so openly with her, especially since she's so used to shutting out everyone except for Hoseok.

Yoongi braces himself for whatever storm he has brought upon himself for being so bold with her.

But he doesn't regret it. He can't keep treating Aria like a stranger anymore because she's not a stranger. She's his friend, and he hopes that she meant it when she accepted that he is her friend as well.

Aria has a lost expression on her face again, like she did that night when the two of them played together for the first time.

To Yoongi, it feels like she's trying to hold herself back behind the wall she has so sturdily built. She is afraid to let him in, but it seems like she's starting to find it less and less frightening.

So, in a moment of pure bravery, he pulls her into his arms and hugs her.

"I'm not going anywhere. Just... let me in. Please, let me be your friend," Yoongi whispers as he rests his head on top of hers.

After a few tense moments, Aria's body slowly relaxes and she wraps her arms around his torso and gives him a gentle squeeze, and Yoongi understands.

As clearly as if it was spoken... she's finally let him break her wall down.