Chapter Text
“Please refrain from calling me ever again,” Seokjin says to Hoseok, the latter’s laughter loud through the phone, “especially if it is to ruin my peace of mind”
He washes his hands, phone squeezed between his ear and shoulder, sighing as he eyes the meal he had prepared. Seokjin’s classes had ended early today, so he took the time to cook himself and his roommate a good meal. Hoseok was talking to him throughout it all, happily babbling about the date Namjoon had prepared for him a day ago. It was all fine until Hoseok began teasing him about the very roommate he was cooking for.
“Subtly courting him won't work, hyung,” Hoseok says, and Seokjin can picture the cheeky glint he’d have in his eyes, “Why don't you confess already? You told me you had your doubts. So, shoot your shot!"
“Yah! What are you even talking about? I’m not courting him. You know I don't do that... I’m just—ugh,” Seokjin almost whines, setting the small table for two in the living room.
Hoseok laughs hysterically again, and Seokjin rolls his eyes. A few minutes of Seokjin chastising Hoseok’s teasings ended, and the alpha found himself staring off into the floor. He sighs, walking to the kitchen to grab three tangerines. He opens his roommate’s bedroom door and quickly places the fruit on the work table and leaves. It was a new thing Seokjin started doing for no particular reason (what Hoseok likes to call "subtle courting"). He gets to see the way his roommate happily munches on the tangerine. It’s just the most adorable sight he doesn’t miss the opportunity to watch. A few minutes later, the tangerine muncher is back in the dorm. Yoongi sighs as soon as he enters the warm room, shutting the door behind him and undoing the big scarf that swallows him whole.
Seokjin watches, a fond smile on his lips, “Hi”
“Hi,” Yoongi grumbles, shimmying off his giant coat and hanging it on the coat hanger. He pulls off his black beanie, all the silky black hair escaping from its confines. Seokjin’s smile falters, noting Yoongi’s big frown.
“Bad day?” He asks, walking towards Yoongi who is pouting, eyes tired. Seokjin grabs Yoongi’s bag from his arm, “Go shower, hm? I made dinner”
Yoongi only hums, retiring tiredly to the bathroom. Seokjin watches the omega, sighing to himself—he’s been sighing a lot lately.
Yoongi does not take too long to come back, now dressed in his black pajamas that make him look somehow even paler. They don’t talk, comfortably having their meal in silence. Seokjin puts a lot of meat and stir-fried vegetables on Yoongi’s plate. They’re sometimes like that. There’s no need to talk or entertain each other. It’s a reason they bond so well, among many others, that makes them the perfect roommates. Seokjin knows that Yoongi needs this quietness, a break from the loud world that is constantly having him run without a break.
Yoongi silently washes the plates while Seokjin cleans the kitchen counters and dries the dishes. No words are spoken as Seokjin picks a terrible rom-com drama on his laptop for their weekly movie night every Friday. Nothing was said as Yoongi prepared a mini nest on their couch and when Seokjin placed the laptop on the little table in front of them, both of them comfortably settled in their space—Yoongi having a foot propped up on Seokjin’s lap.
However, they didn’t break the silence even to mock and laugh about the drama they were watching like usual. Yoongi broke the silence with a frustrated groan. Seokjin raised an eyebrow, waiting for the younger man to start spilling whatever he was holding on to, not looking at him because Yoongi preferred it that way.
“Hyung, I want to throw myself away”
“Okay, Yoongi-yah, up up. Let me toss you out of the window to help,” Seokjin responds, expression deadpan.
Yoongi whines, wiggling the feet he has on Seokjin’s lap. “I’m in a terrible situation”
That has Seokjin looking at Yoongi, a twinge of anxiety in his chest as he waits for him to continue.
“So, yeah. It's about going back to Daegu for Christmas. I always have this one fucking problem—a mate! Eomma and Appa go on and on about finding a mate, try to set me up with people, and ramble about how they wished I wasn’t cursed with defectiveness or whatever,” Yoongi huffs out, inhaling before he quickly continues, “I love them to death, don’t get me wrong—But recently it has gotten so annoying. I want to be left alone. I know they have good intentions and just want me to be happy and safe, but I do not want to even think about dating or mating or anything near that right now. I’ve told them to stop, but that’s pointless.”
The male lead in the drama gets hit by a car. "Ah, so the issue is that you're single and your parents don't like that," Seokjin says and sees Yoongi nod from the corner of his eye.
“It is so annoying. I can’t wait to go home and see them but I’m dreading those daily conversations,” Yoongi pouts, eyes on the laptop screen as he slumps further into the soft couch. “I don’t know why it’s stressing me out much more than usual”
Seokjin thinks for a minute, which has Yoongi looking at him with an eyebrow raised.
“Find a fake date” Seokjin taps his chin. This situation is like the beginning of a bad K-drama—like the one they were watching.
Yoongi’s eyes widen, incredulous. “Who on earth will be available to pretend to be my boyfriend, and that too during Christmas?” he rolls his eyes, gently nudging the side of Seokjin’s thigh.
Seokjin’s response to that slipped faster than he could fully process it. “Me”, he blurts. Both men turn to look at each other, eyes wide.
“Why the fuck are you shocked at what you said?” Yoongi exclaims, his mouth hung open in disbelief.
Seokjin hesitated, gathering his thoughts, “Well, I--“
“Okay,” Yoongi says, thoughtful. “Perhaps you could be the perfect candidate for that”
Seokjin stares at Yoongi, blinking profusely before he bursts into fits of laughter. Yoongi watches, unamused and unimpressed, yet feels a slight smile trying to tug at the corners of his lips. He supposes it’s not a bad idea. He feels most comfortable with Seokjin, and they’re best friends who have been living together for two years in their tiny dorm. There’s no need for all toil to avoid a few uncomfortable conversations with his parents. Maybe he’s going too far. But another side of Yoongi tells him about how peaceful it would be to not be bothered about a mate and see his parents excessively worry. And besides, Yoongi doesn't have to pretend much on his part.
After Yoongi turned 16, his parents were waiting for him to start his first heat. He turned 18, and it still hadn’t come. Omegas were supposed to have heats at least by the age of 18—but Yoongi never got his. And that was a rare case. Yoongi still vividly remembers the day when they went to the doctor to check his situation out. And they had told him that he was a “defective omega” according to tests. Yoongi’s mother’s face had fallen, and she looked really upset. But he did not care as much as he thought. It’s an advantage on its own, is it not? He doesn’t have to go through painful heats at all. He was taken to so many doctors, and only one of them had suggested Yoongi being a late bloomer despite the many tests where there was a concerning deficiency of certain hormones. But if 10 people tell you that you are a weed, and a single person tells you you’re a flower, one would usually believe the former.
His parents were already extremely protective of him, now they were 10x worse. Although Yoongi is grateful for his parents’ unconditional love and care, he wishes they’d just move on. Because Yoongi has accepted his case, he can still live happily and won’t miss out on anything extravagant because he isn’t particularly like the rest. It saddens him quite a bit that he has a very low possibility of bearing a child, but there are other means for him to have a child if he desires. But it’s also one reason he and Seokjin are perfect roommates. He is a defective omega, and Seokjin is a non-practicing alpha. They work well together, especially in a situation where they have to live together—they can put aside their sub-genders much more easily.
Sometimes, their worries get to him. Sometimes, he’d wish he was normal. Because who would want a defective omega? Seokjin wouldn't care, he knows. But Seokjin doesn't want him.
“Alright, so I’m your beloved fake boyfriend” Seokjin breaks Yoongi’s train of thoughts. Yoongi doesn’t say anything for a minute, staring off into Seokjin’s shoulder.
“Are you alright?” Seokjin asks, holding Yoongi’s ankle. His hand is incredibly warm.
“Yeah, just thinking,” Yoongi sighs, “You don’t have to do that. I’ll deal with them”
Seokjin smiles gently, reaching out to pause the show, “I’m up for it, though. I’m not going home for the holidays anyway, I was planning to game through it all after you leave”
Yoongi stares at the hand on his ankle. “I need to think about it” especially since Yoongi’s just causing trouble for his feelings, in a way.
The two immerse themselves in silence again, the laptop's noise serving as background for both of them to think. Yoongi’s heart is beating fast, especially when thinking of the prospect of pretending to be Seokjin’s mate—of being Seokjin’s. It would be unhealthy for his heart, akin to waking up from a dream when it ends. They’re just pretending to be lovey-dovey, maybe hug a lot—a kiss on the cheek—harmless and tame stuff. He doesn’t want to involve poor Seokjin in his family’s shenanigans. Although, the alpha doesn’t even seem to be troubled. Seokjin appears oddly excited—which puzzles Yoongi.
Thinking positively, it is something harmless. It could be fun. Seokjin and Yoongi are masters of the art of bullshitting. Yet, uncertainty is something Yoongi despises. He wonders if Seokjin truly understands what he’s getting into. And more importantly, does he know? Their relationship, whatever it may be, is a delicate balance, and Yoongi can’t shake the feeling that this could tip the scales.
Yoongi shakes his head, which startles Seokjin.
‘No’ Yoongi thinks, how would it change anything between them? It’s not like Seokjin likes him back.
Whatever could go wrong, though?
.
.
“Should I bring this coat or this one?” Seokjin shows Yoongi two coats and gazes at Yoongi’s face, waiting for his reply. Yoongi points at the brown one and continues packing his bag, and Seokjin simply stares at him.
“We have to prepare a proper story,” Yoongi says, not looking at Seokjin’s face as he neatly folds a T-shirt.
“Oh, yeah” Seokjin tilts his head. That’s right. They need to be prepared for anything and everything if they’re doing this seriously. Yoongi’s parents are sharp, just like him. It’s not something hard for them, surely. Again, Seokjin and Yoongi are known as the best bullshitters for a reason.
“Okay. Let’s start with the most common question—how did we meet?” Seokjin moves near Yoongi, sitting on the edge of his bed. Yoongi rolls his eyes. “What?”
“Hyung, they already know how we met. We’re roommates” Yoongi places the folded clothes into the bag, meticulously packing both their clothes. He resists the strange urge to bury his nose into one of Seokjin’s hoodies.
“Right, so” Seokjin clears his throat, “You obviously fall in love with my beautiful face—not surprising, I’m Kim Seokjin. Falling in love with the person you live with is not uncommon, therefore we already have it in the bag. You, Min Yoongi, couldn’t resist my lovely lips. So you kissed me and confessed your undying and unconditional love for me, and I fainted because I’ve been deflowered--“
Yoongi wishes it was like that. He needs to maintain composure—by acting weirded out.
“Can you... please stop?” Yoongi stares at Seokjin as if he’s seeing a cat sprouting wings. “Hyung, you know very well Eomma will pick up on the slightest mistake.”
“Then why don’t you come up with a better idea?” Seokjin lays down on the bed, turning his head to look at Yoongi with a mischievous smile.
Yoongi contemplates for a while. He zips the filled bag slowly, lips naturally in a pout as he thinks. It shouldn’t be hard to come up with something believable, even if his mother is someone hard to fool with things like this. Seokjin sends Yoongi a questioning look, probably smirking proudly because he thinks Yoongi can’t come up with anything better.
“Like you said, we’re living together so we fall in love,” Yoongi begins. “You, a non-practicing alpha, decide to pursue me, maybe court me but not really court me… and initially, I don’t notice. Our friends tease us a lot for acting like a married couple, and so I open my eyes and notice things—like my feelings”
Seokjin laughs at that, quite nervously. Yoongi raises an eyebrow before continuing, “My parents know I would avoid such confrontations, like confessing my feelings. So it’d be not Min Yoongi if he kissed you and confessed all by himself. Therefore, it should be a series of events that lead us to confess,” he holds his chin with his fingertips.
“Hm. Series of events like spin the bottle with our friends and we kiss,” Seokjin adds, “that changes things between us and creates tension.”
Yoongi smiles, “And us, being the type to communicate well and take no shit, talk about it”
Seokjin exclaims how boring that is. The man wants a full-fledged K-Drama and Yoongi is having none of it. He’s already having his heart trying to burst out of his chest in a simple scenario like this one.
“I ask you out on a date,” Seokjin pats the space next to him, “And we both, for the first time in our lives, are awkward. We have dinner together and have a walk in the park. It was a good first date and both of us had lots of fun”
Yoongi lays down next to the alpha, picturing what he said, “We sit on a bench and hold hands. Then you look into my eyes and tell me how amazing I am--“
“No, the other way around,” Seokjin interrupts.
Yoongi ignores him, “You ask me, ‘Do you feel it, Yoongi-yah?’”, he imitates Seokjin, and the latter kicks him gently in the calf.
“And you reply, ‘Of course I do, hyung. You’re far too beautiful to resist!’” Seokjin too imitates Yoongi, and Yoongi complains about how he sounds like a dollar-store Batman. And the story goes on that they kiss again and decide to be boyfriends, and as of now they’ve been together for 5 months.
“June” Yoongi stares at the ceiling, “June 13th”
Seokjin raises an eyebrow, “Why 13th?”
He notices Yoongi’s cheeks redden slightly and how he presses his lips into a thin, refusing to speak about the meaning of 13 because there’s definitely a reason. Seokjin pouts, elbowing Yoongi hard enough that he hisses like a cat, “Tell me”
“I-it’s our birth dates added. Nine plus four...which is thirteen. So, June 13th” Yoongi’s gaze is stubbornly fixed on the ceiling. Especially since Seokjin is looking right at him, taking in his side profile.
“Aw, Yoongichi... who knew you were such an adorable sap?” Seokjin teases, despite praying that his ears aren’t red and Yoongi’s gaze stays where it is and nowhere near his stupid ears.
Yoongi gets up quickly, throwing the nearby pillow at Seokjin’s face and stretching. Seokjin stares at Yoongi’s back—he even stretches like a cat sometimes. Yoongi says he needs to pack other essentials and his parents' presents as well. He bought the bag his mother had kept ranting to him about when she called a few weeks ago, and his dad a new watch because the old man will use his watch till it shatters into pieces on its own.
“Should I also get a gift? I probably should” Seokjin puts the pillow he was thrown at in place, looking at Yoongi’s retreating figure. Even if Yoongi told him not to and they can say one of Yoongi’s presents is Seokjin’s contribution, he decides to make an effort, anyway. Even if Yoongi isn’t his real boyfriend. They’re still going to host him. Yoongi brings a plate of cut apples and pears and places it on Seokjin’s bed stand. He sits down and then pushes Seokjin to eat. Seokjin knows this is nothing new between them, especially Yoongi, who shows love through minor acts of service—but it still makes his heart flutter. He picks a slice and brings it near Yoongi’s mouth, to which Yoongi immediately opens his mouth, letting him feed him the slice.
“We need to, um, discuss boundaries,” Yoongi says, chewing. Seokjin nearly choked on the fruit. “or else there’ll be misunderstandings”
“Right,” Seokjin swallows, “boundaries like? I don’t think we need to do anything extra. Our friends already say we give married couple vibes” Why did Seokjin say that?
Yoongi huffs, “Boundaries like physical touch, hyung. Our friends know we aren’t dating, they’re just being menaces. My parents are a different case. We are already comfortable holding hands and hugging, even cuddling. You nest with me sometimes, so it wouldn’t be foreign either”
Seokjin inhales in a forced breath, “Are you implying things like kissing?”
“Yeah,” Yoongi rasps out, “If there was a situation where we must, would you be okay with it?” he’s digging himself a hole.
“Would you?” Seokjin asks back, staring hard at the floor and he knows Yoongi’s probably looking up at the ceiling. The floor and the ceiling are in fact, very interesting.
“I asked first”
“I’d be fine with it” Seokjin tried not to scream. He sees Yoongi nod from the corner of his eye, the room suddenly having a strange tension. His trusty nose doesn’t fortunately smell any aroused scents—even if both of them wear scent blockers during the day for some unspoken reason. There are a lot of times a hope ignites within Seokjin about Yoongi liking him back. Damn Hoseok and his contagious hope—especially when Hoseok comforts Seokjin with words that indicate Yoongi likes him back. Sometimes he wonders why his psychology major doesn’t grand him mind-reading abilities. Yoongi is way too good at masking things, especially since his scent isn’t strong and he wears scent blockers. Seokjin takes pride in being able to read Yoongi the best.
Confessing to Yoongi is a conflicting thought, one that he’s too tired to think about.
“Occasional cheek and forehead kisses should be fine if necessary, right?” Yoongi bringing an apple slice to his mouth and poking it at his lips breaks Seokjin’s thoughts.
“Yeah. It’s not like we have to give a making out show to your parents” Seokjin is setting himself up, imagining Yoongi and him making out—okay. Yoongi throws him a disgusted look as self-defense which Seokjin is unaware of, and he finds himself laughing at his misery. “What about... scenting?”
Yoongi clears his throat. “Well, that’s fine. Scents don’t affect me as much. And It’s you, anyway”
Seokjin nods, not letting his stupid alpha instincts imagine marking Yoongi with his scent—he isn’t one to do that.
“Well, that’s settled,” Yoongi mumbles. He decided to just tell his mother that Seokjin was joining him since the latter’s parents were out of the country. And Yoongi’s mom was more than happy, promising to cook Seokjin's favorite dish.
Later, Hoseok and Seokjin head out for a library study session. They have a research paper to do together on “Psychology of sleep” and Yoongi is half certain he was one of the test subjects for that. They plan to do half of it before Seokjin leaves with Yoongi. Hoseok had squeezed the living daylights out of him when the omega hugged and gave him a sloppy forehead kiss before they left.
Yoongi decides to work on some beats for the time being, sighing to himself when he’s way too distracted to focus. He flops onto the bed, hugging his pillow and closing his eyes. He loves the idea of having Seokjin by his side. Even if it was just for show, it brought a sense of relief he hadn’t realized he craved. He especially was no stranger to the relentless torture of his thoughts, the endless loop of ‘what ifs’ that seemed to plague his mind at the most inconvenient times. As a professional overthinker, he couldn’t help but think of stupid scenarios, each one more ludicrous than the last. What if this fake relationship somehow spiraled out of control, leading to consequences neither of them would expect? What if Seokjin somehow finds out Yoongi’s feelings for him and feels uncomfortable? What if Seokjin doesn’t want to be with Yoongi in any way?
Despite his fragile certainty that Seokjin didn’t harbor any romantic feelings for him, Yoongi couldn’t shake the niggling doubt that lurked in the back of his mind. He’d rather die than ruin what he has with Seokjin because of his stupid feelings.
But even as these doubts gnawed his brain, Yoongi couldn’t deny the excitement (which he would never admit) that sparked within him at the thought of spending the holidays with Seokjin by his side. Perhaps, he reasoned, it was worth the risk. He can pretend it’s real, he can experience what it would be like to be Seokjin’s. Again, what harm could a little make-believe do?