Archive of Our Own ^beta

It was midday, and Yoongi was making his way home, cutting through the trees and following the riverside, looking for animals to chat with (yeah, he talked to animals, sue him. Only-children learnt to find company and talk to literally anything, just so they wouldn't feel alone -especially only-children from overworking, single mothers-, and no , the animals didn't answer him, he wasn't magical (or crazy) - even though he did try to understand them sometimes), when he saw.

Yoongi didn't really need to cross the woods (his house was near the Main Street, so he could just follow it, take a left and walk past the library and the Choi’s), but he liked to. He loved animals, and walking around all that nature allowed him to see different kinds, even though most would hide when humans were around. All except, for some reason, ducks.Yoogi liked ducks, and ducks seemed to like Yoongi, so he always ended up finding friendly ones around the river area -which was good, he loved the sound of running water.

After finding some -oh my god that's so exciting- new ducks, whom he hadn't met before, he kept walking, talking about his day, and making his way into the city park, when he heard a laugh, and his peripheral vision caught movement on the other margin. He turned his head and found a boy sitting in front of a tree and talking, like they were long lost friends. The boy had his back turned to Yoongi, but Yoongi knew who he was even so. It was the boy who lived down the street from Yoongi's house, his name was Hoseok, and he was -and Yoongi would never admit this- the one person Yoongi truly wanted to be friends with. He felt a warmth grow in his chest as he watched Hoseok, the vibrant orange of his hair reflecting the sunlight. He briefly wondered how the heck had the boy managed to get to the other side of the river, but this was Hoseok he was talking about. The boy was magical -well, at least in Yoongi's eyes. He talked to trees, had a smile so bright that it put the sun to shame, and had the best laugh Yoongi had ever heard. Yoongi didn't knew why he felt like he needed Hoseok in his life, but he did. He wanted nothing more than being near Hoseok. Well, except for maybe, being his best friend; Damn, he could even introduce some ducks to Hoseok's trees, he didn't care, it would be beautiful.

Now, Yoongi isn't a creeper, but he would be lying if he said he didn't watch Hoseok every time the boy was outside. There was something about the way that his obviously free spirit roamed around, the way he whispered to plants, and the way his face lit up every time new flowers would grow, that made Yoongi wish he was a daffodil (as weird as that sounds).

He noticed that Hoseok seemed to be in the midst of a deep conversation with his tree friend (not that he was judging, he once had a real talk with a gecko) and was amused at how the other shifted positions, lying with his back on the grass, looking at the sky, and making hand motions that probably matched whatever he was talking about. Despite not being able to see the boy’s face, Yoongi knew (don’t ask how, he just knew) Hoseok was telling a happy story, and that fact alone made him feel better. Upon seeing the happy boy chatting away with the softwood, Yoongi decided that, no matter what, he would be friends with Hoseok; And what better time to make friends with someone than when you are both alone, in the middle of the woods?

Mustering all the courage he had -and didn’t have-, as well as some cheer-on quacks from his newest duck friends (he would have to name them later, he always did), Yoongi took a deep breath, raised his hands to his face in a cupping motion and yelled

“Hey! How did you get to the other side?”

~*~                                                              ~*~                                                                    ~*~

It was only the first day of classes, and Yoongi already felt sick to his stomach. He was nervous, extremely nervous, and his feet were stomping rapidly on the floor, trying to release some stress. He pushed the orange strand in his hair -a symbol that he had found his soulmate-, and sighed loudly, but stopping abruptly when he felt a hand slip on his own.

“Good morning”, Hoseok said, smiling widely, and Yoongi felt a little of the nervousness settle down. He stepped back to have a full view of the boy’s first day attire: Hoseok was wearing jeans, black tennis shoes and a simple, green T-shirt. There was a wreath of flowers, bellflowers and heliotropes , laced in his hair -a habit that he had started a few years back, and that Yoongi particularly loved. The silver strand in Hoseok’s hair ( a constant reminder that not only had Yoongi made friends with the one person he actually wanted to, but that the boy was also his soulmate) was wrapped around the petals, creating perfect contrast against the blue, and Yoongi felt the familiar warmth on his chest -that he now recognised as fondness- grow impossibly stronger and pool in his stomach.

“Morning”, he said, leaning against Hoseok’s side.

“Ready?”, the boy asked, looking hopeful at the building in front of them. They had always lived on the same street, but it was the first time they would go to the same school, and even though they wanted to deny it, they were scared of what the reactions would be. Soulmates aren't a rare occurrence but, with seven million people in the world, finding the one was difficult and quite unexpected, especially for such young people. Finding your soulmate was almost so impossible that it became a taboo. The whole romantic aspect of it slowly turned into jealousy and unneeded hatred coming from those that did not find their supposed other half.

Yoongi took a deep breath, whatever they had to face here, it wouldn’t be any different than what they had already gone through in the two years since they had first talked.

“As I'll ever be”, Yoongi answered, and the both pressed against each other, trying to be as near as possible, and followed the flow of students into the building.

“Yoongo…”, Hoseok called, voice expectant, as he looked up from the microscope where he was looking a maple leaf.

“Yes…?”, Yoongi rolled his eyes at the nickname. Hoseok had called him that since the beginning, and he never really knew why -he used to pretend he was offended, but he really didn't mind it (in all honesty, Hoseok could call him dickhead and Yoongi would still answer right away).

“So...do you know how I said the flowers on green patch needed more fertilizer?, Hoseok asked and Yoongi nodded. Hoseok really had. He really had. The boy had spent almost the entire weekend talking about it.

“...Yes?”, Yoongi asked, he knew where this was going.

“I was wondering...”, Hoseok was playing with his fingers, pretending to be shy, and Yoongi knew he was gone. Whatever it was -and Yoongi knew exactly what it was- he would do it. “Could you, maybe…I don't know, give me a lift to the town?”, There you go. Yoongi got it right once again. He shifted in his chair, pretending to be in deep thought.

“Well… I guess that maybe I could give you a lift”, (and by lift, he meant yeah, I'll catch a three hour bus with you to buy plant stuff ), Yoongi said, purposely dragging  his voice, and Hoseok hit his shoulder playfully, making a little victory noise.

“Argh... why am I so weak for you?”, Yoongi asked, shaking his head and lowering his shoulder on defeat (even though it was a joke, it was also one of life's mysteries... why, in heaven's name was Yoongi so damn weak for Hoseok? It couldn't only be the soulmate thing, right? Was that something so strong and influential? Yoongi remembered that Hoseok's mom once said that soulmates met each other in hundreds of lifetimes, so maybe that was the case... Either way, Yoongi figured he was just a fool in love ) .

“ Because...,”, Hoseok said, turning completely and staring into Yoongi's eyes, “I'm weak for you too”, he smiled, and Yoong wished the butterflies in his stomach to settle the heck down (even after two years, Hoseok's smile still killed Yoongi a little bit).

Yoongi sighed, “I know you are”.  And he really was. Hoseok had once spent a whole night holding a lantern, in the middle of the woods, just so Yoongi could help a fox pup out of a hunter trap.

“So…around 3pm?”, Hoseok asked, tilting his head cutely to the side, making Yoongi groan, because this little shit knows exactly what he is doing.

“ Sure, 3pm works for me”,Yoongi nodded.

“Thank you, my beautiful buttercup ”, Hoseok cooed, pinching Yoongi's cheek

If anyone was listening their ramble, Yoongi was sure they were grossed out at Hoseok's ‘sweet talk’.  But, to anyone that knows them (and that meant only themselves), it would be a normal, everyday talk. Buttercup wasn't a cute pet name. Noooo. It was a flower. Hoseok had the weird habit of calling Yoongi different flower names everyday and Yoongi was used to it by now. Especially because every time Hoseok called him a flower, Yoongi would answer calling Hoseok the scientific name of an animal -because, when Yoongi asked ‘how would you feel if I called you an animal name?, Hoseok just shrugged and said ‘go for it’. And so it began. Every time they saw each other, Hoseok would call Yoongi a flower name and Yoongi would retort with an animal one. Golly Gee, maybe they were weirdos.

“You're welcome, my lovely Phascolarctos cinereus”, Yoongi copied Hoseok, pinching the boy's cheeks as he said the scientific name -or, as Hoseok called it, fancy name- for koala.

“You know, one day you will run out of cute animals to call me”, Hoseok commented, one eyebrow raised on a playful way

“How do you know I hadn't already and had just been calling weird ones?” Yoongi asked, and the boy fake gasped.

“You would never!”, he said, placing a hand on top of his heart.

“Really now, my sweet, sweet maggot?”, Yoongi asked, crossing his arms and staring at Hoseok.

“You wouldn't dare”, Hoseok answered, pretend anger dripping from his voice.

“How are you so sure?”, Yoongi did his best to look smug, holding his laugh as Hoseok looked at him with at least 12% of uncertainty.

“Hmm”, he hummed, his face lighting up as the solution hit him.Raising his hand and looking at Yoongi in a way smugger manner than the silver haired boy managed, he asked “Mr. Hon, what's the scientific name for maggot?”

Yoongi groaned. He lost again (not that he cared anyway. From his point of view, Hoseok could win him every time and he was still the biggest winner. Hoseok was his soulmate)

°

They ended up leaving school early -they called Yoongi's mom and Hoseok's parents and got permission- and decided to have lunch in the city. They walked together to the bus stop, hand in hand, and Hoseok was humming an old tune and doing little bits of the dance, making Yoongi smile.

The bus didn't take too long to arrive, and was almost full (there were only hourly buses, so it was always filled with people coming and going to the town). Hoseok chose a seat in the back, and Yoongi plopped down next to him, already making himself comfortable for the long ride. The bus was old and a bit rusty and, quite frankly, Yoongi wouldn’t be surprised if it broke down suddenly. He decided not to focus on that, he instead tried to enjoy the view from the dirty window (and by view he meant a Hoseok leaning against the glass, trying to make out what type each tree was). He figured he fell asleep after a while, because he woke up when they were only thirty minutes away from the city, and Hoseok was leaning on his shoulder, soft puffs leaving his parted lips and Yoongi wanted to die because oh my gosh he is beautiful even asleep this isn't fair how will I ever-- ugh .

He shook Hoseok's shoulder slightly, “Hobi, hey, wake up time”, he whispered in a sing songy way, and Hoseok groaned, turning and burying his face in Yoongi's shoulder and Yoongi wants nothing more than seeing that cute expression for the rest of his life.

They end up finding a flower shop relatively easily, and Yoongi has to practically hold Hoseok so they wouldn't return with three bags of fertilizer and twenty five new plants (he promised Hoseok they would return when they had a car of their own and get all the plant friends Hoseok wanted). It takes longer than they had planned, since they also took some time to walk around the city.

“The thing with big cities...is that they never have enough nature”, Yoongi said as they exited a supermarket they've walked into just to satisfy their curiosity.

“Oh my god”, Hoseok turns to him, smiling widely, “you really are my soulmate! I say that to people and they never agree!”, he chirped excitedly.

“Wait...you had doubts about me being your soulmate? I literally almost fell out of a tree the first time we touched!”, Yoongi laughed.

“You understood me”, Hoseok said, pushing him slightly.

Yoongi laughed at the memory. He really had almost fallen out of a tree the first time they touched.

::

He had asked Hoseok how had he managed to get to the other side of the river and the boy had pointed at a giant tree that linked branches with the trees on the other side. Yoongi froze, he wasn't a big fan of trees, nor heights. Maybe trying to be friends with the boy wasn't a good idea after all. Yoongi didn't really do hardcore tree climbing.

“Are you not coming?”, Hoseok’s voiced was expectant, there was a bit of something laced on it...maybe hope? Yoongi wasn't sure, but when he realized he was already climbing the tree (what can he say,the intriguing, almost unreal person that he believed Hoseok to be was calling him and, as Yoongi would learn later on, it's really difficult to say no to Hoseok).

But he didn't think that one through. He hated heights, and maybe he shouldn't have reminded himself of that on top of a seven foot tree, and maybe he shouldn't have looked down and made sure that yeah, he really did hate heights. And maybe, just maybe, he slightly froze in his spot and had to scream for help (if Hoseok tells anyone that, he'll deny it to his core).

Hoseok climbed the tree on the other side with a professional ability (could people be professional tree climbers? Yoongi would bet yes on that, the world is weird) and got to the linked branch where Yoongi was -pathetically- holding his whole chest against.

“Here”, he said, reaching out a hand, and Yoongi hesitantly let go of the tree and held the boys hand.

It was like a shock. An electric current running through both of them, causing them to lose their balance and almost fall. They both stared at each other, silently asking what the hell was that , when Hoseok made a surprised sound and covered his mouth with a hand, while pointing at Yoongi with the other one

“What?”, Yoongi asked, had he really been shocked? Why was Hoseok looking at him as if he had seen a ghost?

He stared at the boy in question, looking to any hint of why was Hoseok acting so weirdly, when his eyes flew to the boy's hair, and that's when he noticed. There, against the wild flock of bright orange hair, now laid a strand of shiny silver.

“Woah”, Yoongi said, and Hoseok nodded.

They stared at each other for what it seemed like too long, neither of them knowing what to say or do. School didn't really prepare you to meet your soulmate in the middle of the woods when you're thirteen. Young soulmates were extremely rare, and Yoongi would never have thought himself to be one.

“Soulmate...uh...Yoongi, right?”, Hoseok asked, shifting, looking unsure.

“Yeah...and you're Hoseok?”, the boy nodded, eyes still a bit wide in shock. Yoongi guessed he was probably mirroring the same expression.

“So I guess we're uh...meant to be and all”, Yoongi said, his nonchalance making Hoseok giggle a bit.

“Yeah, and all…”, Hoseok looked up, a glimpse of something in his eyes, and Yoongi felt his throat dry, “I never imagined my soulmate would suck at climbing trees.”

“Hey! It's hard, okay? Not everyone has a degree in climbing trees”, Yoongi said, and they both laughed loudly.

“I like plants”, Hoseok waved a hand dismissively, as if liking plants resulted in having freaking Tarzan’s climbing skills.

“Maybe that's it. I'm not too good with plants”, Yoongi reasoned, and Hoseok smiled

“What are you good at?”, he asked, reaching his hand out for Yoongi once more

“Animals. I like them, they're easy to be around”, Yoongi answered, taking a hold of the boys hand. The electric current passed through them again, but this time not as strong and unexpected as the first. “Like the ducks on the pound, they’re really nice ducks, very good listeners”

“You speak to ducks?”, Hoseok asked, looking at Yoongi with wide eyes.

“Oh…”, Yoongi said, ( dammit, what a time to admit your weirdness, Yoongi), “Yeah...I”

“I talk to trees!” Hoseok exclaimed excitedly.

“Yeah...I saw you”

“Oh”, Hoseok blushed, “Sorry if I seemed weird”, he said.

Yoongi laughed, “No way! It seemed like you were having fun, that’s what matters”

Hoseok smiled, looking relieved, “So…”, he said, “Animals, uh? They are nice too”, Hoseok answered, stepping back and showing Yoongi exactly where to put his feet in order to get to the ground safely.

“So are plants, I just don't want to like, hurt them or something”, Yoongi said as soon as his feet touched the grass of the margin.

“Don't worry! I can show you how to handle them and you can show me how to handle animals, okay?”, Hoseok chirped loudly, jumping around and plopping down in front of the tree like he was previously.

Yoongi smiled. He already liked his soulmate, “Yeah,  sure thing”.

It was amazing to both of them how easily they felt comfortable around each other, how easily they could joke. The soulmate bond really wasn't a joke.

::

The sweet memory always brought a smile to Yoongi's face. He already figured the attraction he always had towards Hoseok was the bond , but still didn't make the memory any less special.

They stopped in front of a small, worn out diner, and Yoongi's stomach rumbled.

“Want to eat something before we go?”, he asked Hoseok, who looked at the diner and nodded, a thankful expression on his face, he must've been hungry as well.

They walked inside and settled for the table on the far left, next to the window, with the obnoxious red seats and the least sticky table.

“What do you want?”, Yoongi asked, “My treat”.

Hoseok blushed slightly, whispering a quick thanks before looking at the menu the waitress had placed in his hands. “Scrambled eggs! Sounds good”.

“Breakfast food? Are we fancy enough for brunch?”, Yoongi joked, and both boys giggled.

“We sure are fancy enough for a second lunch”, Hoseok remarked, eliciting more giggles from the table on the far left.

“Hey…”, Yoongi said, looking serious.

“What happened, desert pea , Is everything alright?”, Hoseok asked, concerned about the sudden change on the atmosphere.

“Yeas, yes, everything’s more than alright, it’s just...This, uh...is kinda like a date”, Yoongi turned to face the window, in a desperate attempt to hide the red that was quickly placing on his cheeks.

“Oh”, Hoseok said simply, and stretched his hand out, holding Yoongi’s that was resting on the table, “it kinda is”.

“Our first date”, Yoongi interlaced his fingers with Hoseok’s..

“The first of many, I hope”, now it was Hoseok’s turn to try and hide his blushing.

“If it depends on me...the first of millions”, Yoongi said sincerely, and Hoseok smiled, the butterflies of uncertainty in his stomach being quickly replaced by ones of adoration.

“I don’t think I’ve ever said this, but… I’m glad you’re my soulmate. Even with…”, he gestured in the air, as if trying to make sense without having to actually speak, “everything, I...I wouldn’t ever want another soulmate”.

Yoongi was catatonic. He was sure his brain had packed up and left his head ( I don’t need this. This damned boy keeps making me fall for him more and more ). Hoseok had just said all that Yoongi always wanted to say. Except that he put it into words. And vocalized them. To Yoongi. Poor, dumbfounded Yoongi, who was smiling like a perfect idiot because of simple words. He was so screwed. Hoseok had him wrapped around his little finger and they weren’t technically a couple yet. This was the first couple thing they did (besides holding hands), and Yoongi was already a stupid ball of mush. He could only imagine how he’ll act when they kiss - If they kiss. Not that Yoongi had thought about kissing Hoseok, no no, don’t misunderstand, he….okay, it's better to move on.

“Hobi, I...I feel the same. Honestly, I didn’t know you felt like that too, I’m so relieved. I...I alway knew there was something about you that pulled me like a magnet. When I found out you were my soulmate, I was scared, super scared, but so, so happy. I never thought I’d find my soulmate, but now I can’t imagine my life without you”.

Hoseok felt happy. He almost always felt happy near Yoongi, but this time he was the happiest he’s ever been. His mom had said that being with your soulmate was a bet, it could work or not. Just because you’re soulmates, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to work on your relationship. He liked to think Yoongi and him were more than destined. They met when they were 12, and had been together since. Yeah, it had only been two years but he knew there would be many more; and to know that Yoongi felt the same was all he needed. All the reassurance and certainty that he sometimes wasn’t so certain of. To know that his soulmate, his destiny , felt the same, he could only expect the happy times ahead of them.

Yoongi held their hands tightly, looking at Hoseok lovingly. The waitress, a young woman nearing her 20`s, stopped by the table to get their orders. She looked rapidly over them and wrinkled her nose, no doubt noticing the soulmate flocks in their hair. “So…”, she said, straightening herself and sniffing, trying out her ‘professional’ look, “Ready to order?”

Hoseok looked at the menu, smiling. Always the upbeat person, he never thought much on any looks or whispered comments, but Yoongi knew. He saw the way the lady looked at him, the tone in her words. Good old prejudice, like most of the people in the old generation. But she was young, so why? Why did she feel like that? Yoongi didn't know, he never understood it. He never understood the hate and the disgusted looks. They were soulmates, for God’s sake, why, just why did people act like that? His mom always said that if someone was lucky enough to find their soulmate, other people should feel happy for them. Yeah, he could understand why people were bitter about it, but taking it out on the few soulmates you see seemed like the wrong solution.

He sighed loudly and ordered his double cheeseburger and soft drink, while Hoseok -ever the civilized human- very politely asked for a veggie salad and sweet tea.

The service wasn't the best at the diner, but it was at least  fast. They got their food in no time and proceeded to eat, being hungrier than either had realized. Hoseok talked about how pretty the flowers in green patch would look after the fertilizer, and wonder excitedly about the next school day.

They went home after lunch, talking about their rather eventful day and, after they arrived, Hoseok rushed to green patch -Yoongi on his tail like the lost puppy he is- to show the flowers what he got. The place where they had first met had been named, by them, as ‘Green Patch’ because no matter what time of the year it was, it was always green. Even in winter, when it would snow and the entire city was covered in white, Green Patch remained...well... green. The name made even more sense when once, after climbing a mountain near the city during the winter (bad idea, they know), Hoseok and Yoongi looked down and saw a giant white blanket, with only one green patch on it.

They both worked on putting the fertilizer in and fluffing up the soil then watering, and only left after Hoseok made sure everything was A+ and looking perfect (which had been after three very thorough inspections).

They went home holding hands, and Yoongi was dropping Hoseok off when the younger stopped suddenly.

“What happened?”, Yoongi asked, worried in Hoseok's sudden change of behavior.

Hoseok didn't answer. Instead, he leaned in and pecked Yoongi's lips very lightly, murmuring “Thank you. For going with me and helping and...everything. I'll...I'll see you tomorrow”’, before turning on his heels and running off, blush creeping on his cheeks.

To say Yoongi was dumbfounded was an understatement, the boy had stopped working. He wasn't going to lie, he had thought about kissing Hoseok (well who wouldn't want to kiss Hoseok?) but he never thought it'd happen on that day. He was freaking out, standing in the middle of the street, all by himself. It had been his first kiss. If he could call it a kiss. It had been so fast that Yoongi wasn't sure if it happened or not -but nothing was going to stop him from thinking it did.

He went home after managing to remember how to wobble, uh… walk, and entered the house running. He passed by his mom and into his room, before dropping on his bed and kept replaying what happened in his head over and over. Every time he remembered a new detail -or maybe imagined, he wasn't too sure at this point- the way Hoseok's cheeks were flushed, the quick spark he felt when their lips touched, the way Hoseok's eyes shone under the moonlight, the words he said...everything. It may not have been a “real” first kiss yet, but Yoongi was sure it would be a cherished memory forever. The strange thing he felt, though, was that he didn't have the need to kiss Hoseok again the next day. Not that he didn't want to kiss him ever again. It just had been such a spontaneous, in the moment thing, that Yoongi thought it was more special, and he knew they would kiss again when the time came. He knew he didn't need -or want- to rush anything. Hoseok had only been in his life for a couple of years but he had become extremely important to him, and Yoongi wouldn't want to screw things up by pushing something that neither of them wanted.

He fell asleep with the overwhelming sensation of happiness mixed with excitement for the future, and although he didn't remember in the morning, he was sure he dreamt of Hoseok.

~*~                                                            ~*~                                                                ~*~

“Second day! I hear it's a charm”, Hoseok's voice rambled through the walls of the science classroom as he sat down next to Yoongi.

“Didn't the saying go ‘third time’s a charm’?”, Yoongi asked and Hoseok waved a hand in the air dismissively.

“Potato,tomato, lobster-claw ”, he joked, and opened his notebook, continuing the drawing of a tree he had been working on since the day before.

“You really suck at sayings”, Yoongi said, and both boys laughed loudly, causing other students to look at them judgingly.

“Oops”, Hoseok feigned regret, which only caused more laughter, but this time muffled.

Yoongi sighed in delight and relief. He had been worried they would be awkward after the kiss but, to his surprise, acting normally around Hoseok was probably one of the easiest things to do. They just fit each other's personalities perfectly, and nothing was forced or faked, and Yoongi loved that. He looked over to Hoseok, still giggling lightly, the crescent that his eyes made when he smiled his heart-shaped smile settled perfectly against his face. His skin tone was beautiful. How did a fifteen year old have such flawless skin? Unfair -but fitting-if you ask Yoongi (maybe don't ask him, he's biased). The boy was a painting. Boy, Yoongi thought to himself again, I am so screwed.

The first three periods went by rather calmly, but it was P.E. that worried Yoongi. He sucked at it, and so did Hoseok, and most of the time consisted of him making a poor attempt at basketball and Hoseok - who spent most of the class walking around the gym, pretending to exercise- cheering him on from the corner (that is, until Yoongi gave up and joined him). But, due to ‘unexpected events’ (read, the teacher got pass-out drunk in the teacher's lounge again), they ended up with a free period. Hoseok went to the bathroom, to fix the white lilies and baby’s breath wreath he was displaying that day, and Yoongi waited for him outside (on a big rock they had found the day before and made it “their meeting place”). But half an hour had passed and Hoseok was nowhere to be seen. Yoongi was worried, he knew something was wrong. Hoseok shouldn’t be taking this long. Yoongi felt sick to his stomach, he needed to find Hoseok.

Yoongi was going nuts, something was definitely wrong. He looked in all the classrooms, labs and restrooms (even the girl’s ones, which had been very embarrassing), but nothing. There was no sign of Hoseok in the school, it was as if he had vanished in thin air. He stepped outside, going to the sports courts, the cold twist in his stomach growing more and more.

“Hobi?”, he called out, but had no answer. He walked more into the basketball areas and stopped when he heard it. Sniffing. He didn’t need to see the person to know who it was. Turning to the direction the sniffing was coming from, he found Hoseok crouched on the floor, white lilies and baby’s breath on his feet, and he was crying. “Hobi!”, he exclaimed and ran to his aid, holding the boy, who wrapped his arms on Yoongi’s waist tightly. “What happened?”, yoongi asked, worry dripping in his voice as he petted Hoseok’s hair in a calming manner.

“They...they....they said I was pathetic, Yoongi, they said I was an eccentric homo, that I was ridiculous and shouldn’t be allowed here...I”, he sniffed loudly, tears flooding down his face “they punched me, what...why...what did I do?”, Yoongi fell to the floor, his knees giving out with the shock, Hoseok tightly glued to him as they collapsed. What the heck? Yoongi wanted to scream. How could anyone, anyone, think of doing such a cruel thing, especially to the sweetest person in the world? This wasn’t right, and he would make sure that it never happened again. No matter what, Hoseok wouldn’t ever feel like this again. Yoongi wouldn’t allow it, even if he had to become the school’s biggest jackass.

~*~                                                            ~*~                                                                   ~*~

“First day of third year~~”, Hoseok’s voice ranged loudly, “Well, first day of the second semester, but still....” , he argued with himself, receiving a grunt as an answer.

“Yeah, I know, I know, school sucks, we hate it and all, but we  have to go through it if you want to be a successful veterinarian, especially a veterinarian that one day marries a hot piece of ass botanist”, he joked, hitting Yoongi’s side with his butt.

“Oh, we’re getting married now?”, Yoongi joked, and Hoseok laughed, leaning in to hug him.

“Well not now,   red hot poker , now we I have english, and you have…”, he pulled Yoongi’s schedule out of his hands, “Wow…math first period….that sucks”.

“Yeah..thanks”.

“Well, what do you want me to say? ‘Have fun’? I’m not a sadist”, Hoseok shrugged, turning to enter the school.

“Hey”, Yoongi called, holding Hoseok’s hand before the boy could follow the other students into the building, “Meet up for lunch?”

Hoseok smiled, “Sure thing, Hooker's Lips ”, he said, then disappeared into the crowd.

Yoongi facepalmed. Another year, hell, he hoped it was a good one. Either way, it was one with Hoseok.

°

“Please ask your parent to sign this paper. We’re giving you a two-week heads up, so no complaints will be accepted about ‘not enough time’”, the teacher said loudly, and waited for the student’s half murmured, half grunted “yeses” and “alrights”.

“So”, Hoseok asked after the teacher left the room,  turning on his seat so he could face Yoongi, candytufts and morning glories swaying in his orange hair,  “are you going?”, he played with the small sheet of paper on his hand, waving it in front of Yoongi.

“Are you going?”, Yoongi asked, crooking an eyebrow. He knew the answer already.

“Hell yeah I am!”, Hoseok exclaimed excitedly, “Botanical Garden, are you kidding me? Have you met me? Of course I’m going, Yoongo”

“Well, just making sure, you could’ve had a sudden epiphany during the night, discovered you want to be a pianist and not have told me about it, I dunno”.

“I talk to plants, Yoongi”.

“You have a point there”, Yoongi said, playing with his pen, “but to answer your first question, yeah, I’m going. Well, at least I hope I am, my mom might not want me to go”.

“Why wouldn’t she want you to go?”

“She might think you’re a bad influence, again, I dunno”, Yoongi shrugged.

“I talk to plants, Yoongi. The most influence I am on you is learning a ton of plant names”, Hoseok said, voice serious, “and besides, your mom loves me”.

“I’m pretty sure she loves you more than she does me”, Yoongi says determinedly.

“Of course she does, I’m great”, Hoseok grinning widely and opened his arms, gesturing himself.

“yeah...you are”, Yoongi said, lovingly, and Hoseok blushed slightly.

“Awww”, Hoseok crossed his fingers in front of his face and exaggerated a smile, “You like meee”, he sing-songed.

Yoongi rolled his eyes so hard Hoseok almost heard it. “What if I told you….”, he said, grabbing Hoseok’s hand and placing it on top of the first page of his notebook, “I can draw a turkey with nothing but your hand”.

Hoseok giggled. “Is that from a show?”

“What? Noo, of course not”, Yoongi answered, dragging his words.

“It is! It’s from ‘the Cleveland Show’! We watched it together”.

"It was supposed to be an excuse to hold your hand... but sure, it's from the Cleveland Show and now you ruined it", Yoongi  crossed his arms and pouted, feigning anger.

Hoseok laughed loudly, “I’m sorry I ruined your moment. I guess you’ll have to hold my hand some other time”, he said, wiggling his eyebrows intensely

“What are you suggesting?”, Yoongi asked, mimicking his expression

“I have no idea, I saw it in a movie”, Hoseok shrugged and both laughed.

“Well… back to the start of the conversation, will you sit next to me on the bus?”,

“Hm...I’ll have to think about your case”.

“Yoongo…”.

“I thought about it. i’ll sit next to you”, Yoongi said, showing his tongue to Hoseok.

-

The rest of class went by fast, as well as the two weeks leading up to the excursion day, and they had no major problems in school. Ever since the ‘incident’ on the second day of first year, Yoongi had started to act tougher and scowled more. The other kids called him ‘hothead’ and he got a not-so-great reputation, but at least Hoseok was okay, and had been since that day. He didn’t care what the others thought of him, what mattered was what Hoseok thought of him; and Hoseok was the only one Yoongi showed his true, duck-talking nature to, s̶o̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶g̶u̶e̶s̶s̶e̶d̶ ̶(̶h̶o̶p̶e̶d̶)̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶l̶r̶i̶g̶h̶t̶.

“It’s field trip day, it’s field trip dayy”, Hoseok sang as he sat in the window seat of the school bus.

Yoongi smiled, taking a seat next to his and opening the book he had brought along to read as soon as Hoseok feel asleep (he knew Hoseok, and if there was one sure thing about him it was: put him in any moving vehicle and he’ll fall asleep in no time). He touched the makeshift bookmark Hoseok had gave him, made out of a dried out daisies glued together in a hard paper thin rectangle.

Hoseok watched him attentively, “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“You have no idea”, Yoongi said, looking up at his soulmate.  

Hoseok smiled, “Of course I have!”, he moved his head, pointing the yellow daisies and white heliotropes wreath he was wearing that day to Yoongi (Yoongi still hadn’t figured out how Hoseok had managed to make such huge flowers stick to such small ones. When he asked Hoseok, he had said some secrets were better kept).

“Yeah...I know you know, my flower boy”, Yoongi said, still admiring the dried white petals, touching them softly.  

“Wow that’s cheesy. What’s gotten into you?”

Yoongi exhaled loudly, “Can’t a guy be romantic anymore?”

“I wasn’t complaining…”, Hoseok whispered, laying his head on Yoongi’s shoulder, “I like cheesy you, he should show up more often”.

“I’m afraid he only comes once a year, my Oryctolagus cuniculus”, Yoongi said.

“Can I make a petition against that? And I’m pretty sure that was a dirty word in the middle of that fancy name, what animal is it?”

“You can try, and bunny, the dirtiest of the animals, of course”.

“Ohh bunny!”, Hoseok sounded disappointed, “I should’ve known that one, you called me bunny before”.

“I did, yes”, Yoongi said, putting the flower -that he was still holding- back in the book.

“Well... next time I’ll know it. For sure ”, Hoseok said, adjusting himself on his cushion (otherwise known as Yoongi’s shoulder. Not that he was complaining, he had the best view to Hoseok’s freckles! Gosh, he was weird).

Yoongi hummed in response, turning to hear the teacher -who had stood up and was calling all the student’s names to make sure they didn’t lose anyone- and waiting for her to call his name.

Not even five minutes later, Hoseok was asleep on his shoulder and the bus was leaving. Yoongi took looked to his soulmate and smiled, opening his book.

~

“We’re here~”, Yoongi’s shook Hoseok’s shoulder lightly -as he always did when trying to wake people up, it was a weird habit- and waited for response.

“UH? We’re here? Already?”, Hoseok opened his eyes, startled, “I slept the whole way?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure you’ve beat your record”, Yoongi giggled, tapping the other in the shoulder, “Up and running, Folivora”.

“Hey! Don’t call me a sloth!”, Hoseok said as he got up, grabbing his backpack and camera.

“So that one you recognise but bunny is a no-go?”, Yoongi giggled, “I’m in awe”.

“That one is only one word, bunny isn’t”, Hoseok defended, and both followed their classmates to outside of the bus, that was parked in front of a huge grey building, with round glass ceiling. In front of it, a big sign written in red capital letters announced the botanical garden’s name and working hours.

“Gather along here!” the teacher said, signaling for all students to make a semi-circle around her. “It is now two pm. We have until six pm to walk around the garden, see the plants and take notes. Please, don’t leave the garden’s facilities before that. We’ll assemble here when the clock hits six and wait half an hour for everyone. You won’t be in groups, but we ask you to only enter the parts separated by glass door with a guide, since they’re huge and easy to get lost in. Apart from that, you’re free to wander around and be amazed by the beauties in the garden. You can go now, meet here at six pm, don’t forget”.

To say Hoseok’s eyes were glowing as he walked inside the garden was an understatement. To say Yoongi’s eyes were glowing just by seeing the pure happiness on Hoseok’s face was another. Both were correct.

“Do you see this?”, Hoseok asked, looking amazedly at everything . He opened his arms and took a deep breath, letting the sunlight coming from the glass ceiling touch his face, and Yoongi -very non discretely, but he thought he was- took a picture. “Are we sure this is real? Am I dreaming? I could be dreaming. I bet I’m dreaming”.

“You’re not dreaming, want me to pinch you?”, Yoongi giggled, pulling Hoseok from the entrance hall and deeper into the building, following the signs for the flower’s section.

“Oh my God, Bat Flowers ! I’ve never seen one before”, Hoseok glued his face to the glass wall, looking like a child in a candy store. He walked through the hallway, pointing and naming different flowers, only to come back to the start of it again and look each and every specimen with a careful, attentive look, never forgetting to take pictures. At some point, he had dropped his backpack and didn’t realize it, too lost in his dream world to care, and Yoongi had to go from exposition to exposition carrying two backpacks, one on his back and one on his belly. But that was the last thing in his mind. Seeing Hoseok like this, amazed and happy as he looked and was, Yoongi was more sure than ever that they needed to be together. He never doubted it, but every now and then he got small moments that only made him more certain that, no matter where he went, as long as he had Hoseok with him, he was going to be fine.

They were walking with a rather large group, that was following one of the guides, when  Hoseok held Yoongi’s hand.

“What?”, Yoongi whispered, trying not to call attention to themselves.

“What if I told you...I can draw a turkey with nothing but your hand”, Hoseok whispered back, and Yoongi rolled his eyes playfully, interlacing their fingers.

“What is it?”, he tried again, and Hoseok nudged his head to one of the doors to the left of the hallway the group was headed. Yoongi tried to read what was written on it but he couldn’t make out the words. Hoseok started to walk in the direction of the door, Yoongi with him, and only stopped when they were in front of it.

“Rare plants section”, Yoongi read out loud, and Hoseok pulled on his arm, without ever untangling their fingers

“Please?”, he asked, and Yoongi sighed.

“What wouldn’t I do for you?” He asked rhetorically, before looking around and pushing the door open, gesturing Hoseok to follow him inside the room.

The rare plants section was different than the hallways of the garden. They could walk around in the middle of the nature, and touch the plants (which Hoseok very much loved). Hundreds and hundreds of exotic plants of all kinds, from Parachute Flowers to Waterwheel Plants ,  were at hands reach, the place was filled with vibrant colors and different shades of green.

They walked around until their feet hurt, talking about the flowers and how different they looked, Hoseok always popping a fun fact or two about plants.

“That one looks like a butterfly", Yoongi said, pointing to a particularly colorful specimen, “Did you know that some butterflies species live for a only day?”, he turned his head, looking into Hoseok's eyes expectantly

Hoseok shook his head, "No way!", he said. And Yoongi had a feeling that yes, Hoseok knew about the short lifespan of some unlucky butterflies but, since Yoongi had asked, he would hear about it all over again.

After getting lost twice and finding their way again after only slight panic, they decide to stop (or drop down) in a small grass patch on the middle of the section, perfectly placed under the ceiling glass, surrounded by trees and a few park benches (where they placed their backpacks).

They laid down in the grass, the sun warming their cheeks, looking at the sky through the glass and playing the cloud guessing game (which Hoseok totally won -even though it’s not really a winning game- because he found a ‘ corpse flower shaped cloud!).

No one else was in that section, so it was like a small piece of their own  heaven in...heaven. Well, almost-heaven. Had they added a few animals, for Yoongi’s sake, they would have never left the place.

“I could lay here forever”, Hoseok said after a while, a smile clear in his voice.

“So could I”, Yoongi agreed, sprawling his arms and taking a deep breath.

“Isn’t this the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?”, Hoseok asked, pulling himself up and sitting crossed-legged, signaling the plants around them with his hand.

Yoongi shifted in his position, mimicking the other, so he was facing Hoseok, “I’ve seen prettier”.

Hoseok blushed, and Yoongi took in the view in front of him. Against the sunlight, Hoseok looked as perfect as ever. Yoongi felt something inside of him grow. Something different from the warmth that he normally felt, something dizzying, that made his skin prickle and his heart thump faster than ever. He felt himself moving closer and closer to Hoseok -his eyes were fixed on the boy's lips. Hoseok noticed the change in the atmosphere and looked at Yoongi, questioning, but expectant. There was something in his eyes, but Yoongi couldn't decipher it.

They were centimeters apart, and Yoongi  could feel Hoseok's warm breath against his face, the smell of mint leaves fuzzing his senses.

"Can...can I...", Yoongi whispered, stuttering over the words, "can...I, maybe..."

Suddenly, Hoseok's lips were on his. It lasted only for a few seconds, but Yoongi felt like he had went to the moon and back.

"Yes...", Hoseok said, smiling and touching his forehead against Yoongi's, "yes, you can".

Yoongi felt himself smile and chuckle. The hand that Yoongi had ghosting over Hoseok's neck (when did that happen?) finally taking it's place, as they locked their lips sweetly in their first real kiss.

It was different from the first time their lips touched, that time, Yoongi wasn’t sure what to do or how to act, frozen in the middle of the street as a blushing Hoseok ran off to his house. That time, it had been rushed and unexpected. This time, it was as if both of them knew exactly what to do and time had frozen. They were the only people on earth, sharing their love, their destined love, in their own almost-heaven.

Unfortunately, time started again as soon as they heard the teacher’s voice calling out for them.

“Oh no, what time is it?”, Yoongi asked rushedly, standing up to get their backpacks.

“I have no idea”, Hoseok answered, getting his own backpack from Yoongi’s hands.

“We gotta go, I think we’re late”, Yoongi said and started to walk in the direction of the door, when Hoseok grabbed his arm. “Wha-”

He was cut by Hoseok’s lips on his, and his hands found their way into his soulmate’s waist as they had one last kiss before having to face reality again. And reality was a really angry teacher, if the tone on her voice said anything about it.

“What was that for?”, Yoongi asked, smiling against Hoseok’s lips.

“Just making sure”.

“Making sure of what?”

Hoseok touched their foreheads as he had done just seconds before, “If all of this didn’t really happen and was just a dream...I wanted to do that one more time before I wake up”.

Yoongi smiled, stealing a small kiss from Hoseok’s lips, “Not a dream”, he said.

“Not a dream...promise? It’s too perfect for it not to be…”, Hoseok said, closing his eyes, still touching his forehead against Yoongi’s.

Yoongi touched their lips once again, “Not a dream… I promise”

“Good”, Hoseok said, and Yoongi hummed in agreement.

“But it’ll be a nightmare if we don’t go soon”, Yoongi said, reluctantly moving from his spot.

Hoseok giggled, holding Yoongi’s hands, and they walked towards the door.

“Oh! There you are!”, the teacher ran to them, looking at both boys from top to bottom and stopping at their interlaced fingers. She frowned slightly and they quickly let go, not wanting to get on her bad side more than they already had. “Come, everyone is on the bus waiting for you”, she said, pulling them from outside the rare plants section and walking towards the exit, mumbling things about ‘kids these days…’. Hoseok and yoongi turned around, stealing one last glance at their almost-heaven, and followed her outside and into the bus back to reality.

~*~                                                           ~*~                                                                     ~*~

Yoongi was freaking out. He was past freaking out. Freak out time had been an hour before, he was about to explode.

It was graduation day, and he was standing in front of the Jung’s house (they were going to give him a ride because his mom would have to meet up with them later), trying to remind himself how to ring a bell, since his mind had just about turned into goo half an hour prior. When he finally gathered the courage - and the state of mind- to do it, he stood back and waited, whispering some cheers to himself like the lovestruck dummy he was. He even had stopped by the pond to talk to his duck friends and cool off (which earned him many cheer on quacks), but nothing, nothing, could’ve prepared him for when the door finally opened and Hoseok walked out, dressed in an all black suit, his hair braided in a different style than usual, exposing his forehead (aka Yoongi’s weakness), adorned with the most beautiful sunflowers, gardenias and daffodils Yoongi has ever seen, looking like the human version of a god, and don’t get him wrong, Yoongi would’ve complimented him, -he wanted to compliment him because, damn- but he lost all that was left of his capability of speech as soon as Hoseok smiled.

“Hi”, Hoseok said shyly, looking at Yoongi and blushing.

Oh, right, talk, functionate (aka function + communicate). “I...you….I mean...wow”, okay, he tried.

Hoseok giggled, “I’ll take that as a compliment”, he said, his eyes forming crescents as he smiled widely.

Yoongi cleared his throat and adjusted himself, -finally- remembering how humans are supposed to act. “You look….just...stunning”, he said, unable to not stare at Hoseok.

“Oh! Thanks...I’m glad you liked”, Hoseok said, blushing even more.

“I-”, Yoongi was cut by the sound of Hoseok’s family walking outside the door and greeting him very cheerfully, Hoseok’s mom cooing as she placed them in a side-by-side position to take pictures, while commenting, with a fond look on her face, about  ‘how cute they look!’ and ‘aren’t they the cutest couple there is?!”, to which Hoseok father answered with short nods or smiles (Yoongi was sure Hoseok had gotten his personality from his mother's side, his father was so quiet -it was a contrast).

After about a thousand pictures (Yoongi was sure it was less, but it sure felt like it), Hoseok's mom told them to wait on the porch, while they got the car got the car.

“So…”, Hoseok said, rocking back and forth on his feet, watching as his parents disappeared inside the garage. As soon as they were out of sight, he turned to Yoongi, kissing him quickly.

“Sorry about my mom...she's super excited”, he said, rubbing his arms.

“No, it's fine”, Yoongi shrugged.

“What? Why are you staring at me, is there something in my teeth?”, Hoseok asked, licking over his front teeth.

Yoongi smiled (had he been starting? Probably) . “You just...wow. You look so incredible, Hobi, I mean...you're always beautiful, but...this?”, he said, gesturing to Hoseok from top to bottom, “This exceeds the limit”

Hoseok blushed and giggled, leaning in and kissing Yoongi lightly on the lips then hugging him tightly. “We did it”, he said, and Yoongi smiled, taking a deep breath and kissing Hoseok on the cheek.

“We really did”

They arrived at graduation shortly after that (considering it was only a three minute ride, they lived on the street behind the school), and were called to go dress in their graduation gowns and join the rest of the class in the chairs. The ceremony was outside, and it was a sunny afternoon, the weather was perfect, almost as if it was hand picked. Yoongi smiled widely when Hoseok was called, watching as his soulmate went across the stage and accepted his diploma, always keeping a huge grin in his face. Yoongi quickly wiped the tears that may or may not have escaped his eyes (he’ll never admit) and laughed when Hoseok was posing for his picture, one hand in the air and jumping, holding his diploma with so much care it looked precious. We really did it , Yoongi thought. He was happy, Hoseok was happy, they were graduating and both have gotten accepted in the same college, they were moving in together by the end of the summer...everything was in it’s place, as it should be. It was a new -and very awaited- chapter for them, and he hoped they would be the happiest they’ve ever been.

After taking his diploma and going back to his seat (unfortunately not next to Hoseok’s because of alphabetical order), Yoongi barely heard the valedictorian’s speech as his mind ran with plans and expectations for them in the future. Moving in together and going to college, him graduating as a veterinarian and Hoseok graduating as a botanist, working and saving money, buying a house...hopefully, one day, get married… doing everything in the book, but in their own, unusual way and pace. He wanted a future, but most importantly, he wanted a future with Hoseok.

When the speech ended and the teacher finished the ceremony, Hoseok ran to Yoongi, hugging him strongly and, for the first time in front of people, they kissed. It was so cliche Yoongi was sure it looked like a movie scene, but he didn’t mind. They threw the hats with the rest of the students and screamed like everyone did when hell...uh, school, was over (only to add even more to the clicheness), talked to people who had never even spared a glance at them during the school years, then to people who actually knew their names, and didn’t call them ‘the weird soulmate ones’ (translating: their families),and waved goodbye to everyone, getting into the car (Thanks, Yoongi’s mom) and driving to the city, where they had plans for dinner.

“So, where are we going?”, Hoseok asked as he got into the passenger’s seat.

“You’ll see, but don’t worry, it’s the best restaurant there is”, Yoongi answered, fastening his seatbelt (safety first, y’all) and starting the car.

“Ohh, I’m curious now”.

“You mean you weren’t curious before when you asked me, about a thousand times, where we would go?”

Hoseok laughed, “I never knew it was ‘the best restaurant there is’”, he imitated Yoongi’s voice.

Yoongi laughed, kissing Hoseok as they waited for a traffic light to go green. “I told you, you’ll see. Now go to sleep, I know you will anyway”

“Whaaat? I've never slept in cars before”.

“You slept from your house to the graduation, and that’s only three minutes away”, Yoongi argued, and Hoseok rolled his eyes.

“I was tired, okay? It takes time to look as beautiful as this”, he gestured himself.

“Well, it surely paid off”, Yoongi murmured, and Hoseok smiled.

“What? Sorry, I didn’t hear you, could you speak up?”, he played, dragging his voice on purpose.

“I said”, Yoongi screamed, “you look beautiful”.

“Awww”, Hoseok cooed, holding his hands in front of his face and making doey eyes, “You likeee me”.

No , Yoongi thought to himself, glancing at the flower bouquet that was (thankfully) still unnoticed in the backseat, I love you.

Yoongi thanked heaven (and Hoseok’s weird disposition to fall asleep easily), when they arrived in the diner, because he had time to think - and, most importantly- not pass out from nervousness. Courage , he though, I can do this . They were soulmates, he figured it was kind of obvious that he’d had to do this someday, and he was ready, he was more than ready, but he was also way, way , more than nervous.

One, two, three deep breaths, and an awakened Hoseok later and they were walking inside what had become their favorite diner, the same place they had went on their first date, a few years before, when they had gone to the city to buy fertilizer.

“Your table, milady”, Yoongi, said, making an exaggerated bow and gesturing to the same table on the far left, next to the window, where they had sat that first day.

Hosek giggled, “Why thank you, kind sir”.

They sat facing each other, and placed their others, since service was still fast and slightly rude.

Hoseok looked around the diner, smiling fondly when his eyes met Yoongi’s. “I love this place, this is perfect. A perfect day”.

Yoongi smiled, taking Hoseok’s hand on his. “Hobi...I...I have something for you, he said, fishing in his coat for the well hidden, hopefully still intact, flower bouquet he had on the backseat of the car.

He had researched this a lot. He wanted this moment to be special for Hoseok, because it was for him, so he had spent literally hours, searching for meanings, flower types,the best flower shops in the state... everything to find the best combination for what he wanted to say, and that was it, it was time, and he couldn’t be more sure of it if he tried.

He handed to Hoseok, with very shaky hands,  the small bundle of lilacs , sweet peas and red tulips he had carefully chosen (and then shoved in a coat. Smart move, Yoongi) and waited for his soulmate’s reaction with a hammering heart.

Hoseok took the bouquet and his face immediately lighted up. He grabbed Yoongi, from the other side of the table, and kissed him deeply. Yoongi had been right, from knowing

Hoseok all those years, he was sure that his soulmate would understand his message instantly. And Hoseok did know. He knew, from his extense research on flowers and their history and meanings, that the lilacs said ‘first love’, the sweet peas said ‘shyness’, and the tulips said ‘declaration of love’. Yoongi’s perfect way to say ‘I love you’.

“I love you too”, Hoseok said, between the kiss, and Yoongi was sure his heart would break out of his chest and make a run for it.

When they separated (only because their food had arrived), both had wet eyes and huge smiles. As dinner went on, every time their eye locked, the words ‘I love you’ were mouthed, in silent happiness.

And, when the night was over, before Yoongi dropped Hoseok off at his house (after many goodbye kisses), he pulled his soulmate inside the car one more time, kissing him fondly.

“I love you, I love you, I love you”, he said, in between kisses.

“I love you too, my dear forget me not”.

ADDED SCENES:

~Alternative first kiss scene~

"...that's why Cubs play like that", Yoongi said, and Hoseok, who had been listening to everything with so much attention it was as if his life depended on it, chuckled.

"Like this?", he asked, throwing a leg over Yoongi's hips and forcing the boy, who was sitting, onto the floor.

"Kind of", Yoongi chuckled.

Hoseok just looked at him, as if he was expecting Yoongi's next move, getting ready to be rolled onto the grass against Yoongi's weight. But Yoongi didn't move, instead, he laid completely still, staring into Hoseok's eyes, a small smile sprawled across his face.

"What?", Hoseok asked, placing both hands on top of Yoongi's chest.

"I love you", Yoongi said, snaking a hand around the boy's waist and pulling himself up, "I love you", he repeated, until their foreheads were touching, "I love you".

"I love you too", Hoseok whispered, smiling, and Yoongi felt his heart stop and his brain melt, the only thing he could do was smile and kiss the boy in front of him. His soulmate... the one person he ever wanted to be friends with… his Hoseok.

They ended up hugging like that, legs on top of each other's and hands roaming around their bodies as they kiss, the sounds of the nature making every motion even more perfect, more surreal, more magical.

They stayed in each other's arms until the night fell, whispering small bits of 'I love you' every now and then, as if to make sure it wasn't a dream, they wouldn't wake up the next day without the warmth, the laughs, the love.

That was the night that, even after years of being together, Yoongi finally realized he wasn't alone anymore. He would never be alone anymore, and he hadn't been alone in years. That was the night that Yoongi knew it was worth it. It was worth every trip to the city, every single day scraping his knees while hunting for flowers, just so he could see the most precious smile ever. The smile of his soul mate, of his Hoseok.

~Proposal scene~  (Rated T)

“Yoongo...please, tell me where we’re going”, Hoseok said, looking from the car window, trying to get hints.

“I can't, Hobi, it’ll ruin the surprise! Calm down, we’re almost there”, Yoongi said, taking a turn and entering a small, soil road.

“Did we arrive?”, Hoseok asked, bouncing excitedly up and down, the black hellebores ,   jasmines and marigolds in his hair moving crazily, but staying firm (seven years and Yoongi still didn’t know how he kept those always in place).

“Okay…”, Yoongi said, pulling the break and walking out of the car, Hoseok hot in his tail.

They were in a large, very beautiful glade, perfectly cut grass full of flowers and well lit. “Wow…”, Hoseok said, turning around, trying to take in the view, “this is beautiful”.

“Yeah…”, Yoongi said, stopping next to Hoseok and taking his hand, “So, I was imagining something like, a greenhouse here, we could have a two story house over there, not too big, it's only us anyway... and a small fenced area here because I kind of want to raise bunnies...".

Hoseok turned to him, gasping, “This...is this ours?”, he asked, looking to Yoongi in awe. Yoongi nodded and took his hands into his own.

“Yoongi...I”, Hoseok said, sounding emotional, and hugging Yoongi strongly, “I…”, he didn’t finish his sentence, instead preferring to let go of his soulmate after the long embrace and spin around the glade, arms open and smiling. When he stopped, or better, tripped over his own feet and fell, almost hitting his face on the floor, but stopping with his hands protecting his fall. Yoongi was kneeling on the floor, looking at him with an a smile that was a mix of nervous and expectant, a small, black box,  made out of velvet, with a golden band inside of it in his hand. He had a clear ‘don’t laugh’ expression in his face, which normally would have made Hoseok crack up but the realization of what the situation was made him gasp instead.

Yoongi tried to even his breathing (that wasn’t too great, giving the fact that he was about to propose and his -hopefully- soon to be fianceé just almost fell on his face). Serious face, Yoongi, keep a serious face… When he deemed his breath to be alright, Yoongi started speaking the words he had rehearsed a thousand times before. “Jung Hoseok,”, he said, “My soulmate, my best friend, love of my life... Will you do me the honor of becoming my husband?"

“Yes!”, Hoseok exclaimed, half standing and walking, half throwing himself on Yoongi’s arms, making both fall on the floor in a bundle of laughter, “Yoongi, oh my God, yes, yes, yes, I’ll marry you, a million times, yes”.

Yoongi had tears in his eyes (this time, he’d always admit) as he got the ring, that had fallen on the floor when his now fianceé had flung himself at him, and holding out the ring for Hoseok to see..

“I got it engraved”, he said, handing Hoseok the band so he could read the inside of it.

“Yoongo…”, he said, tears falling from his eyes, “ducks...and trees...it’s perfect, just...perfect”.

“Like the first time we met”, Yoongi said, and Hoseok nodded eagerly.

Yoongi took Hoseok’s hand and the ring, slipping it on his finger. “Perfect fit”, Hoseok said, admiring his hand with a smile. He pulled Yoongi for a kiss, “Just like us”.

Yoongi caressed Hoseok’s face with his hand, “I love you”, he said, “So, so much”.

“I love you too”, Hoseok said, touching his forehead to Yoongi’s. “God, I can’t believe I fell on my face a moment before my boyfriend proposed”, he said, facepalming.

“ Almost fell on your face”, Yoongi corrected, and Hoseok pushed Yoongi playfully to the floor, falling on top of him, causing another fit of laughter. They stayed like that, tangled in each other, sharing their love until the night fell upon them and, even if they had planned it, it wouldn't be as perfect. Against the light of the full moon, Hoseok looked magical, just like he always did in Yoongi's eyes.

When the time came, they were quiet as their bodies became one and they shared their warmth, the only sounds elicited by them were faint gasps and moans, consumed by the night sky. All they needed was each other, they were together, as they would always be, an that was all that mattered to them.

~Mary the duck has her babies~

“It’s happening! It’s happening!”, Yoongi screamed, breaking into Hoseok’s room.

“What? What is happening?”, Hoseok asked, turning his head from side to side nervously.

“Mary! Mary is having her ducklings, Hobi, come!”, Yoongi screamed excitedly, pulling Hoseok by the hand.

They were back home for break, and Yoongi had discovered duck eggs by the pond on Green Patch and, being the weirdo -and animal anatomy genius- he is, timed the gestation period and estimated when the eggs would hatch. When he discovered the eggs were Mary’s, one of Yoongi’s favorite duck friends (Don’t tell Bynhyuk that), his excitement only doubled, and he had spent almost two weeks going to check on them, waiting for the day the miracle of life would finally happen.

“Hobi, c'mon! We can’t miss this!”, Yoongi screamed (he was screaming a lot that day).

“Okay, okay”, Hoseok said, one shoe one while he hopped desperately, trying to make the other one fit.

They drove rapidly to near the pond (Hoseok was sure Yoongi broke some laws...and some records) and, when they arrived, Yoongi pulled Hoseok behind a bush, kneeling and looking over the leaves at the small scene happening in front of them.

Hoseok mimicked Yoongi's position, kneeling and  looking over the bush as well. In front of them there was three eggs in a nest, two of them already hatched and the last one was breaking the shell. From inside the nest, wobbling their way to their mother, two yellow ducklings stepped their first steps into the world.

“Oh my god, they're adorable”, Hoseok squealed, motioning to move, so he could have a better view.

Yoongi grabbed his arm, pulling him back into their hiding spot, “Don't leave the bush, Hobi! Mary needs to be the first thing they see otherwise they won't imprint on her”, he said, watching curiously as the ducklings quaked to their mother.

“Okay, Okay, I’m sorry”, Hoseok said, reassuming his position next to Yoongi, “But, for the record, I'd be a great duck mommy”

“You can be their duck auntie”, Yoongi offered and Hoseok squealed again.

“Promise?”, he said, voice slightly higher than normal, “Oh, look”, he said as he shook Yoongi's arm, “the last one is joining them! That's so cute, Yoongi...I want one”.

Yoongi laughed, “Tell you what, you get to name them, how does that sound?”

“Oh my god, oh my god, really?”, Hoseok asked, Yoongi was glad he was enjoying this as much as he was.

“Sure, name away”, he said, wavering one hand in the direction of Mary’s new family.

Hoseok furrowed his forehead, deep in thought, “Hm...what should their names be? Wait! What genders are they?”, he asked, turning to Yoongi.

“I could check, but I don't want to go there right now, it might scare them off”, Yoongi said, still focused on the ducklings, that were now following their mommy into the pond.

“Oh, okay then”, Hoseok said, “I'll just give them gender neutral names”

While Hoseok considered his options (without ever taking his eyes off the three baby ducks, that were now swimming around the water), Yoongi pulled out his camera and took a few pictures, to take back and show to his classmates at university -he knew they'd freak out when they saw how his break went.

“I got it!”, Hoseok exclaimed, standing up, “Oxalis, Ironweed and Periwinkle!”, he said, pointing to each duckling and placing a hand on his hips, looking satisfied with himself.

Of course , Yoongi thought, should've seen that one coming . He laughed, shaking his head. “Perfect!”, he agreed, and Hoseok smiled widely.

“Glad you liked it”, he said shyly.

“I loved it. And I love you, thanks for coming with me”, Yoongi said, getting closer to Hoseok, his hand meeting the boy's on his hips.

“Anytime, swaddled baby ”, he said, leaning in for a kiss. Yoongi sighed against his lips, smiling with himself. Boy, he really was lucky.