Bargain (Not Met) (JungHope)

Due Deal: Demon and Manager

After learning that he would be stuck with the world's worst match-maker for three entire months ("Less than that, actually, since it's been two weeks already," Jimin supplied oh so helpfully), Hoseok quickly began constructing his back-up plan in case he ended up following through with his fantasy of shoving Jungkook back into Hell himself so that he could leave him alone. The idea was plain and simple, but surprisingly difficult to follow through with since it required at least twenty times more courage than Hoseok would ever be able to conjure up to follow through with.

The plan in question went a little something like this: Hoseok needed to stick around with Taehyung long enough to make a person under different circumstances fall in love with the manager. Hoseok refused the thought that it took three entire months to fall in love with a person, and he tried to communicate his refusal to Jungkook when the demon said he would be sticking around until the three months were up. But Jungkook was stubborn and "law-abiding" in terms of following through with his deals with his clients, so he denied Hoseok's pleas of leaving with a wicked grin.

And Hoseok hated him for it.

Fortunately enough, Hoseok was also insistently stubborn, so he came up with his cunning plan in retaliation to Jungkook's unexpected, prolonged stay. The only obstacle that stood in Hoseok's way was the risk of actually falling in love with Taehyung.

Hoseok wasn't a fool and he wasn't stubborn enough to deny apparent facts, so he could say with utmost confidence (to himself, of course) that Kim Taehyung was a wonderful person that could easily make people infatuated with him. Falling in love with him wouldn't be all that hard if a person let their guard down, given the easy-going demeanor the manager carried with him and his gorgeous looks that dazzled everyone around him. But Hoseok was dead-set on fighting against all of Taehyung's good qualities and refused to even think about letting his feelings control his likelihood of surviving Jungkook's deal.

But Hoseok couldn't help but find it a bit unfair.

Falling in love with Taehyung would be so unbelievably easy. He was an absolute saint to anybody and everybody, regardless of how well-acquainted he was with them, and he had that particular sort of vibe about him that spread natural cheer throughout a person's body. He also seemed to just naturally flirt with anybody who happened to catch his interest (not that Hoseok would have ever experienced that himself. Of course, not) so he would be able to snatch anyone who was easy prey.

But Hoseok wasn't allowed to fall for him, so it was all irrelevant, anyway.

--

"Hoseokie-hyung, it's time to research!"

"Ah, okay, Taehyung-ah."

"Is that a date I hear?"

"Leave hyung alone, Jungkook-ah."

--

Hoseok and Taehyung trudged through the foot of snow that had fallen the previous night in near silence, the only thing passing between them being their labored breaths and slight shudders against the bitter wind. They entered the library and set their material and items near the same area they had settled down at during their last visit. Jungkook and Jimin trailed behind them with slight hesitance, probably worried they would set Hoseok off as that seemed to be happening much more frequently ever since Jungkook's official announcement of his extended stay.