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Pearly grey clouds litter the sky, allowing nothing but feeble rays of moonlight to poke through as the citizens of Incheon hurry home to their families, guided by the streetlights.
Hoseok walks up to the library just as Yoongi is exiting with an elderly lady, and bows politely at the woman as she walks past.
"Scrub?" Hoseok pretends to be offended. "Who're you calling a scrub?"
"You," laughs Yoongi. "Scrub." With a playful roll of his eyes, Hoseok snorts in amusement as Yoongi asks, "So why'd you come over? The library just closed."
"Oh, um..." Warmth rushes to Hoseok's cheek as he looks at the ground and kicks a pebble. "I was just wondering- Do you wanna go grab dinner with me? Nothing fancy." He shrugs, biting the inside of his cheek. "You don't have to if you don't wanna."
Yoongi purses his lips. "Like a date?"
"Uh..." Hoseok swallows. "Only if you want it to be."
"I don't, really."
Hoseok feels his heart sink to the bottom of his stomach. "W-What?"
"I don't really like..." Yoongi pauses. "...this kind of thing. Like, dating and all that. It's not really my thing."
"Why not?"
"I prefer more casual hookups." He shrugs. "Less commitment, less heartbreak."
"But," Hoseok tries to reason, "what about love? What do you think of love? Being in love? You don't like it?"
Yoongi blinks. "Are you in love with me?"
"No-" Hoseok hastily shakes his head. "No, no, no, I'm just- just wondering."
"Well-" An unreadable shadow falls over Yoongi's face. "Do you want my... honest opinion?"
"Yes, please."
There's a pregnant pause before words, tinged with a bitterness, spill forth Yoongi's delicate lips.
❝Being in love is overrated. All the movies and books make it seem like it's such a fascinating and enthralling experience, but in the long run, it's just a waste of effort.❞
❝Then don't think about how being in love will affect you in the future. Think about how it affects you in the present.❞
Yoongi's brow furrows as he stares at the ground. "Well, that's just called being stupid. Why wouldn't you think about the future?"
"Okay," Hoseok exhales, looking at Yoongi with a determined gaze, "let's say that you're dating someone, and you really love them. From there, there's two options: you two spend the rest of your life together, or break up. Right?"
Yoongi nods.
"So," Hoseok continues, "if the person you're in love with really is... the one, for lack of better term, then great. If not, you're one step closer to finding- your soulmate. That's the word I was looking for." He nods. "Not thinking about the future would allow you to enjoy and appreciate the good times you're having with the person you're in love with at that moment. If you're always thinking about what might happen if the person isn't the right one for you, you'll never be happy with anyone." He examines Yoongi's face. "And you're never really happy if you keep hooking up with random people, either. You're always gonna feel like you're missing that emotional connection."
"You're a bit of a deep thinker yourself, Hoseok," Yoongi says, a hint of a smile on his face. "I get your point."
Hoseok nods happily. "Yeah, see? Dating isn't a waste of time!"
"Okay, hold up," Yoongi says quickly, "don't get too excited. I'm still not entirely convinced."
A soft groan escapes Hoseok's lips. "Come on- How am I supposed to convince you?"
Yoongi shrugs. "How should I know?"
There's an agonizingly awkward silence as the two think it over, the younger gnawing on his bottom lip.
"Oh," Hoseok says suddenly, remembering something, "I have a question."
"Go for it."
"So-" Hoseok rocks back and forth on his feet. "What you said yesterday- So you know I like you?"
"Wait, you like me?" Yoongi asks, his tone dripping sarcasm. "Oh, I had no idea! How could I be so dense?"
Hoseok hides his face in his scarf. "Okay, jeez- Now I'm even more embarrassed."
With a bark of laughter, Yoongi reaches over and gives Hoseok's forearm a gentle squeeze. "Stop acting like a child. Now, come on; I wanna eat."
"Okay," mumbles Hoseok, cheeks warm with embarrassment. He adjusts his arm and allows it to slip through Yoongi's, sending a nervous smile the male's way. "Let's go."
Yoongi looks at their intertwined arms. "Do you still wanna call this a date?"
"Only if you do."
"I wouldn't mind calling it a friendly date." Yoongi smiles softly, tugging Hoseok a little closer and sending his heart hammering a million times a second. "You've partially convinced me."
Hoseok's eyebrows shoot up. "My speech- My little monologue was that convincing?"
"It wasn't just your monologue," Yoongi admits, his fingers curling into Hoseok's arm as a biting gale of wind stings their exposed skin. "You also played a part."
Hoseok's heart flutters. "M-Me?"
"Yes." Yoongi says plainly, without of a shadow of doubt. He stares at Hoseok for several palpably awkward moments before clearing his throat. "Let's just go eat."
"Let's go eat," Hoseok parrots, praying that his palms won't get clammy.
Yoongi gives his arm a small squeeze again, a smile beginning to show on his lips. "Okay."
"Okay."
❤︎
istg if anyone comments the "maybe okay will be our always" bs imma kick you to Jupiter
