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“Are you seeing anyone?”
“The answer is still no hyung.”
“You sister-in-law has baby number two on the way.”
“Well I guess being the youngest has its perks in that mom will be too busy running after them to come after me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Seokjoong says. The golden band on his fourth finger shimmers under the restaurant lights. “You’re handsome, and successful. You could have anyone you wanted.”
Jin sighs.
Talking to married people as a singleton is never fun.
“Yeah,” Jin agrees, forcing a smile, "you're probably right."
Seokjin does not, as a rule, think Seokjoong is right. But ever since the day Seokjoong had whispered his vows in that little white church in Namsan, it became inconceivable to him that Jin could be partnerless, and still happy .
Jin learned the hard way not to argue with him.
“Bring someone home for Chuseok, Jinnie," Seokjoong is saying, "you know we worry about you.”
Jin nods, fingers crossed firmly behind his back.
It’s not like he'd meant to stumble into the ripe old age of thirty without ever having dated.
In middle school, one of his classmates had invited him over to her house while her parents were away. When Seokjoong, the little tattletale found out, Seokjin had been grounded for months.
The incident was scarring enough to put him off of girls. Female or not, it didn't seem worth it to forgo months of snowboarding or arcade privileges in exchange for a sloppy, awkward kiss on the cheek.
It was serendipitous of course, because months of staying home meant Seokjin had nothing to do. And that's how he'd met his one true love… Maple Story.
After that, girls were the furthest thing from Jin's mind.
By the time Seokjin's disinterest in the fairer sex melted into grudging curiosity, he was enrolled in one of Seoul's most prestigious high schools.
Even if he’d wanted to date, both he and his classmates were too preoccupied with endless projects and internships and examinations to do anything about it.
The years plodded on. Seokjin's baby fat melted away and puberty blessed him with long legs that ate up the pavement and to the envy of Seokjoong, incredibly broad shoulders. Jin had always been an adorable baby, but as he grew into his skin, he began collecting double takes on the street and giggles followed him around school like the sound of bells.
College rolled around, and Seokjin figured this was finally his chance!
Except, everyone said college was a time for experimentation, and that he was far too young to be considering anything serious.
And just like that, Jin drifted into his adult working life without nary a notch on his dating resume. He was no prude for sure, and he'd certainly enjoyed his fair share of groping in dark bathrooms and makeouts at fratty drinking parties.
But a relationship.
That seemed adult, and far away from him.
He'd never fallen asleep next to someone long enough to remember the scent of their hair, never shared a bucket of buttery popcorn at a cinema, never interlaced his fingers in someone else's to keep them warm. He'd never learned to share a life with someone.
Unsurprisingly, Seokjin excelled in his acting and academic endeavors, his dating profile however remained woefully blank.
As he ditched his movie star dreams to work in the corporate offices of Bang, Lee and Park, Jin soon realized that he'd missed the golden ages of dating. It was hard to befriend people in the working world, who seemed so eager to rush off to their other halves once six o’clock hit.
Jin had briefly considered dating apps, but as a self declared introvert, found himself canceling on all his dates to stay home in his comfy apartment, watching Netflix and playing video games in his pajamas.
Weekends were reserved for Hoseok, Namjoon and their roommates, and after falling into this comfortable routine, Jin’s thirtieth birthday snuck up on him without him even noticing it.
Saturday rolled around, just like any other unextraordinary weekend. Out of nostalgia, Jin logged into his Maplestory account, then promptly spent the next six hours engrossed in the game.
It was almost seven o'clock by the time Jin dragged himself out of the house and into some comfy sweats, grumbling the entire way. His fingers flew across the keyboard 'I hope you know I'm showing up under duress. It's -10C out and your dinky love nest is 10 stops away.'' he grumbles. Yoongi sends back a curt but comprehensive '-__-'.
Jin grumbled under his breath as he made the walk down to the subway, grumbled as it rattled and jostled him around, the cold air from the outside stealing into his scarf and turning his ears pink.
He vowed this would be the last time he left his house willingly in the winter, he only did it because he was out of groceries, and Yoongi, the only other decent cook in the group was hosting this round.
The cold promptly melted out of his bones when Hoseok greeted him at the door with a hug.
“Hyung,” he said brightly, “you made it. Come inside you must be freezing to death.”
Aside from the one week his kitchen had almost burned down, Jin hadn’t missed one of these gatherings in years.
Taehyung, on the other hand, was a serial gathering-skipper. He did make up for it by popping by their houses randomly and unannounced. Jin had become used to waking up to Taehyung in his bed sometimes because Taehyung liked cuddling and Jin's was the only bed that was reliably partner-free.
"Taehyung's not coming," Yoongi informs him.
Taehyung had missed the last two gatherings, a record even for him. Jin had been sincerely worried until Hoseok confessed he was dating.
“It’s all very hush hush,” Hoseok grinned, “apparently it’s someone famous. He–”
The oven dings and Hoseok shoots Jin an apologetic look before he disappears into the kitchen to attend to it.
Namjoon’s already settled on the couch, a bottle of beer nestled in his hands. He brightens up when Jin settles down next to him, squeezing his knee.
“Thank god you’re here,” he murmurs, “I thought I was going to be the fifth wheel.”
“You still are,” Jin says, “and I’m sixth.”
Namjoon smiles. "Did Hoseok get you, with the stories about Taehyung's boyfriend?"
"No," Jin says, "thank God. You know how giddy he gets when he thinks any of us are dating."
"We're still going to have to hear about it over dinner," Namjoon says wryly, "you know that right?"
"Small price to pay for Yoongi's jiggae, I'd say."
Namjoon leans in, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Yours is better though."
Jin laughs, and Namjoon dimples back, eyes crinkling .
Jungkook and Jimin arrive in predictable Jungkook and Jimin fashion, which is to say, on piggyback. They’re giggly and handsy which is nothing out of the ordinary, except Jimin jumps off with a little twirl and holds his hands out.
“Notice anything different?” he asks, beaming while Jungkook stares adoringly at him.
“You changed your hair color,” Namjoon guesses.
“Nope!”
“You got a new tattoo?” Jin ventures.
“I did,” Jimin giggles, “but it’s not that.”
“You guys finally got married,” Hoseok squeals.
He bounces over to them, grabbing Jimin’s hand and inspecting the ring.
Jungkook and Jimin were the antithesis of Jin's life. They had met at ages three and five, and Jungkook, who is genetically half puppy, fell in instant and enthusiastic love with Jimin at first sight.
"Not at first sight," Jimin protests, flushing hotly.
"At first sight," Jungkook confirms, brushing his mouth gently over Jimin's knuckles. "Hyung, the moment I saw you in your spotted cow onesie. I just knew."
Jin makes gagging noises on the side, but they ignore him in favor of sealing the vow with a sappy kiss.
("So you've only ever been with Jungkook?" Jin ventures to ask one day and Jimin nods dreamily.
"Yeah."
Jin fidgets. "Don't you ever wonder?"
Jimin blinks at him. "About?"
"I don't know," Jin says, "other guys. How they kiss. How they fuck. How their dicks look."
Jimin props his chin up on his hand, staring at Jungkook with what can only be medically termed as heart-eyes where he's ordering them drinks across the bar. Jungkook has his sleeves rolled up to the elbow, showcasing dark swerves of ink against his skin and the incredibly toned forearms that come attached. More than a few girls are eyeing him with predatory eyes.
"Never," Jimin sighs, disgustingly lovesick. "I don't think there's anyone better."
But truly, Jimin is the wrong person to ask.
Because Jungkook really is that wonderful. He cooks, he cleans, he even does the laundry beautifully. He can sing and write songs and play the guitar and draw beautiful things and to top that all of, he has dreamy doe eyes and an eight pack that looks like it could be on display at the Louvre. All that, but the most important thing is that he looks at Jimin like he hung the stars, like even after twenty years of living and breathing the same air, that he can’t stand a moment Jimins not around.
Even though Jin’s loath to admit it aloud, Jimin probably would never find a better first, or second, or last love. Even Disney princes would have a tough time beating the competition with Jungkook, bratty as he is.
The party ends earlier than usual because Jungkook and Jimin keep shooting each other scorching thirsty looks across the table and after Hoseok yelps, “Jimin that’s my foot.” for the seventh time, looking extremely pink and very scandalized they all scatter.
Jungkook and Jimin back to their apartments to be disgusting newlyweds and Hoseok and Yoongi to their bed to lay down together and discuss how cute (Hoseok) and seriously do we have to talk about this right now, I'm trying to seduce you, (Yoongi) their friends are.
Namjoon and Jin, the only singletons, retreat back to Jin’s gorgeous airy “this has such newly wed vibes hyung”, single guy house to lick their wounds.
They settle on Jin’s couch the way they always do - their usual single guy post mortem after a gathering with their stupidly in love coupled up friends.
“I just can’t help but feel like something’s wrong with me,” Jin mumbles after his third scotch.
Namjoon sits across him, cross legged and looking cuddly in a white sweater that makes his shoulders look extremely wide and extremely huggable. Jin dreads the day Namjoon will show up to Yoongi’s with a petite bubbly girl in tow who’ll finally put them to good use.
He sighs, pushing the depressing thought away,
“Is dating supposed to be this hard? People keep telling me I need to get out more, but I’m just so used to being on my own, and what if that is catching? What if I get so used to being alone I never let anyone else i? Then one day I’ll wake up, seventy years old and living alone in a dinky one-room apartment flat while all my friends are living with their grandkids.”
Jin shudders. “Fuck, that terrifies me.”
“Hyung,” Namjoon begins gently, “that’s–”
“Ridiculous?” Seokjin scoffs, “come off it. I know it's a lie we tell ourselves to feel better. To think something is going to eventually come along. But Namjoon-ah, if it hasn’t happened in thirty years, what are the odds it’ll happen now?”
Namjoon chuckles, “hyung, I think when you’re ready to date, the guys’ll be lining out the door.”
“That’s what they all say,” Jin says somberly, “but look at you, you’re handsome and successful and stupidly smart. And I don’t see you dating anyone.”
“That’s,” Namjoon hesitates, his finger tracing the rim of the scotch Jin’s noticed he hasn’t touched in a while.
He sighs, “yeah. Well, it’s probably a bit different for me.”
“Different how?” Seokjin wants to know.
“It’s just… different,” Namjoon says, “trust me.”
His eyes are warm when he squeezes Jin’s knee. “I think you just haven’t figured out what it is you’re looking for. But when you do, we’ll all be fighting them off.”
They sit there in peaceable silence, each sipping their drinks. In the background, the TV blares, probably some entertainment show neither of them are paying much attention to. But Jin likes this, likes their little get-togethers after dinners with Hoseok, likes having Namjoon in his space, likes that Namjoon is good company whether they’re talking or not. Jin glances at the clock and sees it’s almost nearing midnight which means Namjoon will have to leave soon if he wants to catch the metro.
And that will mean Jin will be alone again, until their next gathering, whenever that is.
"So," Seokjin says. “I was kind of thinking.”
“Mm.”
Jin’s palms are sweaty. "So I have this plan."”
“Okayyyy,” Namjoon says, pushing his glasses up his nose. “Um, I don't really like the sound of that.”
“Just hear me out.”
Namjoon sighs, long sufferingly and puts his drink down. "There, you have my full attention, hyung.”
“So,” Jin says, “I was thinking.”
Namjoon raises an eyebrow and Jin ignores in favor of barreling on.
“You’re single.”
“Right,” Namjoon says carefully. “We did establish that.”
“And I’m single.”
“Uh huh…”
“And your point?”
“So… we should date.”
Namjoon chokes. More specifically, he proceeds to hack his lungs out and almost trip over his knees and tumble over his own feet and send himself onto the ground.
It’s a giant spectacle.
“Okay, Joonie,” Jin says huffily, “I just said we should date, you don't have to act like I’m force feeding you Taehyung’s cooking.”
“It’s... it’s just,” Namjoon wheezes, “I just.”
“How hard could it be?” Jin says, “it’s just going on dates right? Like watching movies, or having dinner out or me cooking for you which I always do anyways.”
“Right,” Namjoon says, he still looks a bit wobbly. “And then what?”
“And then we go home and text each other about how good it was,” Jin says. “Which we already do most of the time, when you don’t lose your phone.”
“Hyung, I don't really think that's how dating works–”
“And if we were dating,” Jin says hastily, barreling ahead, “then on nights we were out together you wouldn’t need to trudge through all that cold wind and snow to go home.”
He looks at Namjoon earnestly, hopefully. With those dark eyes framed by long lashes that Namjoon already has problems saying no to on the regular.
“You wouldn’t ever need to leave. You could just stay here… with me.
“Hyung,” Namjoon says quietly, “I don’t think you really know what you’re asking for.”
“Of course I do,” Jin insists, “if we were dating–”
“I have to catch my train hyung,” Namjoon says, hating the way Jin’s face falls. “Let’s table this till when we’re both sober huh?”
Jin nods, and for the first time, the silence between them feels stilted and tense.
When he reaches the door, Jin’s leaning against the doorframe, watching him put on his shoes and looking crestfallen.
“Hey,” Namjoon says. “You okay?”
Jin shakes his head, pouting and puppy eyed. “No. I don’t mind that you don’t want to date me, I just wish you’d tell me why. So I could work on it, you know? Become more dateable.”
“Hyung,” Namjoon says softly.
Jin’s still looking at the ground, sad and lonely in a way Namjoon hasn’t seem in a while. Without thinking, he reaches for Jin’s cheek, knuckles grazing the soft skin before he catches himself and pulls away.
“If we were dating,” Jin says softly from beneath his lashes, “you could've done that. I would’ve let you.”
“Hyung…”
“Is it really that bad,” Jin asks, “the idea of dating me?”
And if he wasn’t looking at Namjoon that particular way, and if it wasn’t a cold winter evening, and if Namjoon hadn’t had three scotches and a whole evening curled up to Jin, talking and laughing, he might’ve answered better.
But all Namjoon says is, “no, it isn’t. And that’s the problem.”
And just before Jin can say anything more, Namjoon closes the distance between them and kisses him.