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"You're really leaving me?" Seokjin asks, his most devastating pout on display.
He had his evening all planned out. He and his little brother, Jungkook, were finally going to spend some quality time together at their favorite Chinese restaurant. They were going to catch up with each other and eat delicious food while he forced Jungkook to laugh at his puns. Jungkook wasn't supposed to abandon him.
"I'm sorry," Jungkook says. Or at least that's what Seokjin assumes he says because Jungkook's in the process of cramming as much jajangmyeon into his mouth as he possibly can. Jungkook swallows and checks his phone for the third time. "But I need to get back before whatever they've done gets worse."
"But I've haven't seen you in weeks," Seokjin whines. "And it's not my fault you agreed to a prank war against Jimin and Taehyung. We can all agree that was a terrible decision on your part."
"Not if I win. And I'll make it up to you," Jungkook promises, shoving the last of the jajangmyeon into his mouth before getting to his feet.
"You better," Seokjin grumbles, but he gets out of chair and pulls Jungkook into a hug. Jungkook wraps his arms around him, and though they don't see each other as often now that Jungkook's started university, he's happy they still get moments like this, even if they're cut woefully short by the two chaos demons Jungkook calls his roommates.
Seokjin slumps back down into his seat after Jungkook's departure and eyes the multiple half-finished dishes covering the table. There's no way he's letting any of the food they ordered go to waste. So Seokjin digs in, starting in on the kkanpung sae that hasn't even been touched yet.
The restaurant is busy even at this time of night, but Seokjin is only vaguely aware of the other patrons. Jungkook always chooses to sit at the same table -- one by the counter that's mostly hidden from the rest of the restaurant by a partition -- as it affords them some privacy. Still, he hears it, loud and clear, when someone says, "Come on, Namjoon. We both know you're not really gay."
Seokjin freezes, chopsticks halfway to his mouth. Because what?
Someone else -- presumably Namjoon -- sighs audibly. "Yes, I am."
"No, you're just saying this again to get out of more blind dates."
There's another sigh. "Do you still think I came out to you and mom just to avoid going on a few dates?"
The voices are coming from a booth on the other side of the partition. Seokjin isn't sure how long Namjoon and the person who's probably his sister have been sitting there, but he leans closer to the partition as if that will help him hear better.
"You've never dated a man," Namjoon's sister says with a snort, and Seokjin can't imagine dealing with this kind of bullshit from his family. He viciously stabs a shrimp with his chopsticks. Or at least tries to. He frowns when it flies off his plate.
"Whether or not I've dated a man doesn't matter. I'm still gay."
"Oh yeah? Prove it," Namjoon's sister challenges.
"I don't have to prove anything," Namjoon says, and Seokjin wants to applaud Namjoon for standing up to his sister like this, but then Namjoon adds, in the least convincing voice he's ever heard, "Besides, I... I have a boyfriend..."
His voice breaks in the middle of the word "boyfriend". It would be funny if the situation was different, but the situation being what it is, it makes it sound like Namjoon was asking a question rather than stating a fact and it makes Seokjin almost choke on his escapee seafood.
Of course, Seokjin isn't the only one who remains unconvinced. Namjoon's sister laughs, and the sound is dismissive in a way that sets Seokjin on edge more than anything else that she's said. "No, you don't."
"Uh. Yes, I do," Namjoon says, but his earlier confidence is absent.
"Then prove it. I want to meet him. Get your boyfriend to come here right now."
"I told you. I don't have to prove anything. Besides... I can't just call him and... expect him to drop everything he's, uh, doing right now."
Seokjin winces. Namjoon isn't a very good liar.
His sister is clearly also aware of this fact. "Uh huh. Does your fictional boyfriend even have a name?"
"Look. I'll text him," Namjoon says. There's silence for a moment, and then the sound of a phone being slapped down on a tabletop. "Happy now?"
"You just texted Yoongi. He's your best friend. He doesn't count."
"I did not text Yoongi."
"Anyway, you should give Jeonghwa a chance," his sister says suddenly. "She listens to the same music as you and I know you'll like her."
The aggravated noise of frustration that escapes Namjoon's mouth mirrors the noise Seokjin wants to make listening to this conversation. Again, he wonders why Namjoon is even putting up with this, but then, after his sister finally finishes her laundry list of Jeonghwa's positive traits, Namjoon asks softly, "Has Hyuntae tried anything recently?"
Namjoon's sister doesn't reply right away. In the silence that follows, Namjoon calls for a waiter to take their orders, and it's only afterwards that Namjoon's sister finally answers. Her voice is noticeably quieter and more timid when she says, "No, he's finally staying away." Seokjin starts to regret that he's still eavesdropping when she tells Namjoon that he's been obeying the restraining order against him.
Namjoon asks her how she's holding up and it becomes increasingly clear that she was recently stalked by an ex-boyfriend, and that Namjoon is trying to make sure she's okay.
She seems to be, but Seokjin just sits there for a moment, chewing silently as it hits him that Namjoon willingly endured having his sexuality dismissed and denied because he wanted to check on his sister's safety and well-being.
Seokjin feels something tighten in his chest -- something that's probably not heartburn despite the sheer quantity of food he's just consumed.
When Namjoon and his sister start talking about dramas they've been watching recently, Seokjin stops listening in on their conversations like some sort of overly-invested creep. He finishes up the last of the food on the table and sends a photo of the empty dishware to Jungkook with multiple bicep flexing emojis and also a sad crying face because he's still a little peeved that Jungkook deserted him.
He pays his bill and makes it half-way to the door of the restaurant before he decides that it can't be that much creepier than eavesdropping to at least put faces to the voices he's been listening to for the past half hour. He pokes his head around the partition that separated their tables and there's only one booth still occupied in this section of the restaurant. A woman with a head of long, dark hair is sitting with her back to Seokjin, but across from her is a young man who looks to be about his age. He has broad shoulders and his ice-blond hair is styled artfully above a kind-looking face. This has to be Namjoon.
Seokjin's movements must catch his attention, because Namjoon's gaze snaps up towards him and their eyes meet. Seokjin sucks in a breath, and then his feet are moving before he's fully processed what he's about to do.
Namjoon's eyes widen as Seokjin makes his way towards their table, causing his sister to look over her shoulder at what has Namjoon looking so surprised. She startles at the sight of him, the same way people do sometimes coming face-to-face for the first time with his level of handsomeness, and she gives Seokjin an appreciative once-over.
That she finds him attractive only adds to the satisfaction he feels when he smiles at Namjoon and says, "Hey, Joon. Sorry, it took me so long. I got here as fast as I could."
Namjoon opens his mouth and closes it again, like some kind of fish, as Seokjin slides easily into the booth next to him and swats at his arm affectionately. "Don't look so surprised. It's a little sudden, but of course I want to meet your sister." Seokjin lowers his head into a respectful bow but also offers his hand to her to shake. "It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Seokjin."
She makes no move to bow in return or accept his offer. Instead, she frowns as she looks between Namjoon's gaping expression, Seokjin's face, and Seokjin's outstretched hand. "And who are you exactly?"
Seokjin lets his hand drop, and makes sure his anger doesn't show when he mockingly glares at Namjoon. "You still haven't told her about me?" He gently kicks Namjoon under the table. It has the added benefit of making Namjoon wince, so he looks less like a deer in headlights. "We've been dating for two months."
"You?" Namjoon's sister stares at him. "You're dating my brother?"
Next to him, Namjoon sinks deeper into his seat, and it's that, just as much as the clear disbelief in her tone, that has something vengeful sizzling through his nerve endings. He throws an arm over Namjoon's shoulders and tugs him closer. "What? You think I'm not handsome enough? How dare you?" Seokjin lifts his chin and gestures at himself with a flick of his other hand. "Look at this face. It's an excellent face."
He startles a laugh out of Namjoon. It's barely a huff of air, but Seokjin smiles at him as he feels him relax the slightest bit against his side.
His sister leans back in her seat, folding her arms over her chest. Like her brother, her features are sharp, but unlike him, they're twisted into something unfriendly, especially as she regards the two of them with a critical eye. "Hmm... is that true, Namjoon?"
Namjoon's answering nod comes after a pause and it's hesitant. Namjoon's sister raises an eyebrow. "Are you one of Yoongi's friends?" she asks Seokjin.
Seokjin shakes his head. "I actually haven't had a chance to meet Yoongi yet." He bites his bottom lip and lowers his head so he can look up at her through his lashes. "You're actually the first person Namjoon's introduced me to."
Her eyes flicker with something but her skeptical tone doesn't change when she asks, "How did you two meet?"
Seokjin smiles. This answer is easy. "We met at a restaurant just like this one. I remember thinking that Namjoon was a really nice person. Then I decided we should date."
She shifts her gaze to Namjoon. "Is that true?"
Namjoon fidgets for a moment, squeezing his hands together in his lap, but then he surprises Seokjin by asking, "Why don't you ever believe me?"
"Because I'm not convinced."
"Convinced?" Seokjin asks, tilting his head and feigning ignorance.
She turns to him and asks with renewed vigor, "What do you like about my brother?"
Seokjin removes his arm from where it's fallen across Namjoon's back so he can turn towards him fully. Namjoon still looks a little like his eyes are about to pop out of his head, but his brows are furrowed, and there's something vulnerable about the way he's looking back at Seokjin. "He cares a lot about the people he loves," Seokjin tells him, not missing the way Namjoon rears back the slightest bit at the words. "Also, why do watermelons have fancy weddings?"
"Uh..." Namjoon says, his brows furrowing even more.
"Because they cantaloupe." It's a bad joke and the delivery is downright terrible, but Seokjin doesn't just laugh, he laughs so hard that he leans into Namjoon's side, his weight pressing against him.
He's ready with an answer about Namjoon putting up with his puns, but then the corners of Namjoon's mouth quirk upwards into a smile, and Seokjin experiences that not-heartburn sensation in his chest again. It gets worse when he notices that Namjoon has dimples. He immediately pokes the one closest to him with his pointer finger and answers instead, "This, this right here." He smiles back at Namjoon. "He's really cute."
Namjoon ducks his head, his ears turning adorably red. When he looks up at Seokjin, he takes a deep breath and Seokjin watches in real time as his lingering shock and uncertainty fade. His expression hardens, and he takes Seokjin's hand in his and intertwines their fingers, resting them next to the plate containing the last bites of Namjoon's meal. Namjoon's skin is a little clammy, and Seokjin can feel how he's shaking a little, but Namjoon turns to his sister and tells her, "You really need to stop doubting me."
Her eyes are wide and focused on their joined hands, and she's also scowling, her mouth curved unpleasantly. Her arms are still crossed, but the atmosphere at the table has changed alongside Namjoon's demeanor. She no longer seems as intimidating as she did earlier. If anything, she now gives off the impression of a child throwing a tantrum.
"Doubting?" Seokjin asks, blinking innocently at her.
"She doesn't..." Namjoon starts, and his hand jerks in Seokjin's. He's quiet for a moment, as if collecting his thoughts, and then he tells Seokjin, "She doesn't think... I have a boyfriend."
Seokjin squeezes his hand as he remembers the first words he ever heard Namjoon's sister say: "We both know you're not really gay."
Seokjin scoffs. "What am I then?"
"A friend of his or Yoongi's that's doing him a favor," Namjoon's sister says, but she doesn't make eye contact with either of them as she says it, and it's her first major sign of weakness.
Seokjin capitalizes on it by boggling at her. "You're serious?"
She nods and Namjoon's mouth flattens into a thin, unhappy line. The tension mounts again, uncomfortable, and Seokjin lets it rise for a few unpleasant seconds before throwing his head back and laughing his most obnoxious laugh -- the one Jungkook tells him sounds like squeaky windshield wipers. It's not an entirely fake laugh either. It's partially genuine, because the more he gets to know Namjoon, the more ridiculous it is to think that he couldn't easily be dating any guy he wanted. Anyone would be lucky to date him.
"Did you hear her?" he asks between fits of giggles, shaking his head and slamming his palm against Namjoon's chest. "Oh my god, I am definitely, one-hundred percent not your friend."
Seokjin straightens then, but it's only so he can cup Namjoon's face between his hands and lean in to press a chaste kiss against his lips. Namjoon startles a little, but mostly he looks awed as Seokjin pulls back and rests his cheek against Namjoon's shoulder, still giggling quietly.
Namjoon puts his arm around Seokjin and pats him on the back. "I think you're going to give poor Seokjin a heart attack."
Namjoon's sister still won't meet their eyes and she doesn't say anything. She fidgets like Namjoon did earlier, her hands twisting together in her lap, unsure where she was before confident and smug.
It doesn't feel like a victory though. Not really. This, after all, is Namjoon's sister, and it's obvious that Namjoon loves her deeply. He wants her acceptance and support, not her antagonism. Seokjin hopes, for his sake, that her uncertainty allows her to question her misconceptions. After all, it's clear she cares about Namjoon too, even as she hurts him.
It's what makes him say, "You should trust your brother. He's a good man."
To his surprise, she sits up straighter at his words, but she doesn't say anything. She continues to fidget, her nails digging into the backs of her hands.
Namjoon has gone stiff again, and Seokjin sighs. He uses Namjoon's chopsticks to pick up a pickled radish from the bowls of side dishes and chews it as loudly and obnoxiously as he can. "I'm hungry," he whines. He turns his head just enough to look up at Namjoon. "You should be a good boyfriend and get me a menu."
Namjoon jolts upwards, dislodging Seokjin's head and knocking it in his haste. He waves down a waiter who does a double-take at the sight of Seokjin and wisely doesn't mention that he just watched Seokjin eat enough food for two grown adults.
As Seokjin makes a show of looking over the menu, too full to order anything except something small, Namjoon asks his sister about someone named Hani. Her answers are a little clipped but seem genuine, and when Namjoon explains to Seokjin that Hani is his sister's best friend, Seokjin squeezes his thigh in gratitude.
Seokjin ends up getting a small order of dumplings, but before they arrive, Namjoon's sister checks her phone and says that Hani herself has messaged her and that she has to run suddenly. As excuses go, it's as flimsy and transparent as they come, but Namjoon gets up to give her a hug. She hugs him back, if a little stiffly. When they pull apart, Seokjin offers her his hand again. She stares at it for too long and she seems wary, but she takes it. It's only for a moment, and her grip is tentative and weak, but it's something.
They watch her go, and she doesn't look back as she rushes out the door. When they sit down again, Namjoon lets out a deep sigh and closes his eyes as his head falls back against the booth. He's still for a second, barely moving, but then he rolls his head to the side to look at Seokjin.
"I don't know what Yoongi did to get you to come all the way here, but I owe you one."
The waiter puts Seokjin's dumplings down on the table in front of him. Seokjin shoves one into his mouth, savoring its taste, before telling Namjoon, "I don't actually know any Yoongis."
Namjoon blinks. "What?"
Seokjin shrugs. "I mean, I didn't know he existed before your sister mentioned him."
Namjoon blinks some more. "But if Yoongi didn't... then how did you..."
Seokjin eats another dumpling. "So, funny story. I was here for dinner with my brother at the table next to this one." He points at the partition with his chopsticks. "After he ran off to make sure his roommates didn't set a live lobster loose in his bed again, I overheard you doing a really, really bad job of convincing your sister you weren't single."
"Wait. What?" Namjoon snaps, jolting upright.
"You're a terrible liar," Seokjin tells him affectionately, but then he puts his chopsticks down. He wants Namjoon to know he's serious when he adds, "I kept trying to figure out why you were putting up with the things she was saying to you."
Namjoon frowns.
"I mean, it was clear you knew she was wrong and that you hated the words coming out of her mouth, but then... then I heard you ask her about her ex. Then I realized what was going on."
"And what was going on?" Namjoon asks, his frown deepening, but Seokjin can't help but smile fondly at him.
"You were suffering through her nonsense to make sure she was safe."
"You... you came over here because..." Namjoon's throat bobs as he swallows. "You didn't have to do that."
"I know," Seokjin says. "I wanted to." And it's true. When their eyes met that first time, all he could think about was how much he wanted to help Namjoon -- how much he wanted to get to know him. And he's glad he did.
"Thank you." There's a small smile on Namjoon's face and there's a softness around his eyes as he stares at Seokjin. Seokjin finds himself smiling back and doesn't mind the now familiar tightening in his chest that seems to accompany being in Namjoon's presence.
He turns his attention back to his food and Namjoon is quiet next to him. The silence isn't oppressive though. It's calm, pleasant even, and he doesn't want them to go their separate ways when they leave here tonight. He doesn't want to be a one-time savior. He wants to be something else. He wants Namjoon to never have to pretend to have a boyfriend again.
Before he can even open his mouth to voice the thought, Namjoon says, "She's going to want to see you again." He has his chin propped up on his hand with his elbow on the table, and from the way his brows are creased, it's clear he sees this as a thorny problem that he has no idea how to solve.
Seokjin wants to laugh, because the solution is obvious, if it's something Namjoon wants too. "So we see her again."
"She's going to want to see that we're really dating," Namjoon clarifies.
"So we go on a date," he replies easily.
"No, you don't understand." Namjoon pinches the bridge of his nose. "I can't ask you to pretend more than you already have."
Seokjin nudges Namjoon with his elbow until he lowers his hand from his face. "So how about this: we go on a date that has nothing to do with your sister and that is not pretend."
Namjoon freezes. "What are you saying?"
Seokjin grins, even though for the first time tonight, he's nervous. "What are you doing tomorrow night?"
Namjoon's jaw drops. "You... you want to date me?"
Seokjin shakes his head and sighs but he's still smiling as he says, "Come on now, we covered this." He starts counting his points off with his fingers. "You're cute, you're nice... and when we met at a restaurant just like this one, I decided we should start seeing each other."
"Oh," Namjoon says and the corners of his mouth start curving upwards. "Oh."
Seokjin waggles his eyebrows. "So what do you say? Are you willing to let this truly excellent face take you to dinner?"
"Yes!" Namjoon says, eager and too quickly. Then he laughs and smiles so wide that his dimples are on display again, and Seokjin knows, then and there, that he is the luckiest man alive.