Thread by @afuzzyowl

#taekookau where Hoseok has a crush on his coworker Jungkook, who only has eyes (massive heart-shaped ones) for Director Kim Taehyung. Sadly for Jungkook, and luckily for Hoseok, Taehyung doesn't know Jungkook exists.

Hoseok decides it's time to become Jungkook's white knight.

➺ short
➺ romance, humour, fluff
➺ mentions of sexual content bc koo is thirsty af, but no explicit nsfw 😂
➺ also the word slut is used like once (consensual) 😂😂

Hoseok only really starts noticing Jungkook when the newbie is transferred to the same team as him, approximately half a year after Jungkook’s hiring.

In hindsight, Hoseok doesn’t know why it took this long for his radar to go off, because Jungkook is cute and competent and genuinely a fun guy to be around. He looks like an adorable chipmunk when he eats,

his eyes get all round and sparkly when Hoseok updates him on the latest office gossip, he gets mad on Hoseok’s behalf if anyone acts like an ass to him even though Jungkook’s younger.

All in all, he’s a catch, and Hoseok has made up his mind. He’s single, Jungkook’s single, they’re both gay if Jungkook’s drunken rambling during drinking parties are any indication.

Hoseok’s totally gonna woo the fuck outta him, he’s gonna tackle this crush like a man, and then they’ll have a cute li’l office romance and live out their happily ever after and maybe adopt a dog or three—

A dreamy, breathless sigh from the desk next to him pulls Hoseok out of his fantasy, and he looks up just in time to see the director of the marketing department, Kim Taehyung, exit the elevator.

When Hoseok turns to Jungkook, he is, sadly, unsurprised to find him gazing at Taehyung with ginormous heart eyes.

Taehyung is walking briskly, speaking in low tones to the couple of harrowed-looking people scrambling after him. He doesn’t so much as glance up from the documents in his hand as he bypasses their cubicles and marches his way to the marketing side of the floor.

“Oh my god,” Jungkook wheezes like a cat with a hairball. “Did you see the way he peeked at me just now?!”

“Um,” Hoseok says. “I think he was looking at his paperwork, actually.”

Jungkook whirls around to scowl at him, except he misjudges the momentum and makes two extra rounds in his spinny chair before managing to stop himself with a stomp. Hoseok has to actively arrange his features into something attentive rather than endeared.

“No, hyung.” Jungkook is firm. “He pretended like he was looking at his stuff, but he totally peeked at me. He likes me, I swear.”

“Okay,” Hoseok says mildly. They’ve had this conversation countless times by now, and Hoseok has virtually given up on convincing Jungkook to, er. See reason, basically. And to be honest, this is an opportunity for Hoseok anyway, because clearly,

Taehyung doesn’t return Jungkook’s feelings, probably even barely knows he exists. So Hoseok will be here for Jungkook when the younger inevitably comes to this realization, which will then consequently lead to the aforementioned happy ever after with their three dogs.

“I knew from the beginning we were meant to be,” Jungkook sighs, slumping over his desk, his eyes going somewhere far away. “For us to end up here, in the same company, on the same floor. What else could it be but fate!”

“How’d you guys meet again?”

Jungkook perks up, bolstered by his memories. “Actually, we went to the same college. He was kinda famous.” He coughs, looking flustered. “But yeah, we talked back when I was in Production Team 1 before I transferred here.”

“Riight.” He remembers Jungkook spent his first several months with Production Team 1 before he was transferred to Team 2 with Hoseok, since their group was shorthanded at the time.

“Were you with him a lot?” Hoseok asks. “I guess Team 1 works more closely with marketing than we do, but...” He doesn’t see how Jungkook could have spent enough time with the highest-ranking person of a completely different department,

definitely not enough for the blind adoration he seems to hold for the man.

Jungkook smiles dopily, his cheeks going pink.

“Not really? Oh, but he was the one who gave me the office tour. Half of marketing was gone on that company trip, and he was manipulated by Mr. Kim Seokjin—”

“Who—oh, his personal secretary.”

“Yeah, because Mr. Kim was like, ‘Director Kim, your meeting was cancelled and everyone’s gone, you might as well show the newbie around since we share a floor anyway,’ so Director Kim just did it ‘cause he’s a good person like that—”

Hoseok snorts loudly, “and he was so nice and patient when he took me around and showed me how to use that stupid finicky espresso machine and everything. Ah,” Jungkook sighs once more like a smitten maiden, melting into the table. “I love him.”

Hoseok feels a tiny stab in his heart, but he ignores it. If he were so fragile that he’d be affected by these daily love confessions, he would’ve given up ages ago.

He’s confident that he’s still got a chance here, if Kim Taehyung’s utter lack of reaction towards Jungkook is any indication.

Though, Hoseok has to admit, “He /is/ pretty handsome.”

Jungkook’s eyes bug out. “’Pretty handsome’?” he repeats incredulously. He starts doing that roses-blooming-and-harps-playing-in-the-background thing he does every time Taehyung walks by.

“Hyung, he could call me into his office and order me to strip and I’d say ‘tops or bottoms first, sirrrr?’”

“Oh my god!” Hoseok cries, thrusting himself forward to slap a hand over Jungkook’s mouth. “Jungkook, that is so inappropriate!”

Jungkook mumbles something into his hand that doesn’t sound all too remorseful. Hoseok decides it’s time for a distraction tactic, because Lord knows how much longer Jungkook will rant on for if they keep talking about Kim Taehyung.

“Sooo, I heard we’re gonna be hiring someone new soon.”

Jungkook gasps. “Nooo,” he warbles against Hoseok’s hand.

“Huh, why not?”

“Well, what if...what if it’s someone good-looking?” The guy pouts. “I can’t afford to have more hoes hanging around Director Kim!”

It takes Herculean effort for Hoseok to hold back his face-palm.

But at the same time, he feels competitiveness rear up inside him. It’s time to save Jungkook from the evil dragon Kim Taehyung and show him just how good of a white knight Hoseok can be.

---

The only person who knows about Hoseok’s hopeless crush is Park Jimin from HR, who Hoseok met during a company orientation and immediately hit off with. At first, he was hesitant to share personal information with a dude whose job is literally to monitor them,

but he’s come to learn that Jimin cares much more about his friends than “silly company rules,” as per the man himself. Whether that’s a good thing or not morally is a whole other question, but hey, Jimin loves him and he loves Jimin, and that’s what matters.

“How do you woo someone,” he bemoans one night after dragging Jimin to dinner. “I’m bad at this stuff, help meee.”

Jimin scoffs. “You’re the one who won’t listen to any of my suggestions.”

“But I don’t want to seduce him,” Hoseok whines. “That’s not my style. I just want to do nice things for him, and hopefully he’ll be like, oh wow, Hobi-hyung’s awesome! You know! Like that!”

“How about you invite him out for lunch?”

“We do that already. He thinks I pay for him because I’m older, not ‘cause I’m interested in him.”

Jimin rubs his chin, tapping his chopsticks on the edge of his plate. “What if you /made/ him lunch? You’re always bragging about how good of a cook you are.”

Huh. Now there’s an idea. It does sound like it’s worth a try.

“You’re right.” He gasps. “I bet mister uppity Director Kim doesn’t know how to cook.”

“Who?”

“Remember the guy Jungkook’s always gushing about? It’s Kim Taehyung.”

Jimin whistles, his eyebrows climbing higher. “Jungkook’s going after an office romance? The guy’s got balls, that’s totally against company policy.”

Hoseok just gives him a look, and Jimin shoots him a sheepish grin.

“Don’t worry, company policies don’t apply to friends,” he simpers, patting Hoseok’s hand, and Hoseok rolls his eyes. If he ever gets fired, he’s blaming it on Jimin.

---

Of course, the day Hoseok brings an extra serving of his painstakingly home-made lunch is the one time Jungkook brings his own lunch too.

Hoseok gawks at the delicious-looking pork bulgogi and radish kimchi and steamed veggies, plated beautifully around perfect, neat slices of gimbap.

“Holy crap, dude, I didn’t know you could cook so well,” he squeaks. Usually Jungkook brings a sandwich or picks up something quick from a nearby restaurant for lunch. Suddenly, Hoseok feels like he may have overestimated his own skill. “That looks /sick/. In the good way.”

Jungkook beams. “Thanks! It’s not me, actually, my roommate had some extra time this morning, so I got lucky. Do you want a bite?”

Hoseok waves him off weakly. “No, no, you enjoy...I brought my own lunch too...haha...”

Admittedly, the incident is a blow to his ego, but Hoseok’s never been one to give up so easily.

He abandons the cooking idea and tries little gestures instead, like opening the car door for Jungkook or downing his drink for him when the higher-ups order them to chug, or even inviting him to the movies.

None of it seems to register with Jungkook. He just thinks Hoseok is an exceptionally good person or something, and Hoseok doesn’t know if he should take that as a compliment or what.

Even for the movie, Jungkook only looked thoughtful, saying, “But aren’t movie theatres kinda risky with COVID?” and Hoseok had to scrap his ten-page ‘watch a romcom together to make Jungkook fall for me’ plan.

But he’s not gonna give up! Not yet!

“—heard from a girl who went to the same university as Director Kim,” a breathy voice is whispering now from across the breakroom while Hoseok and Jungkook are making their daily afternoon coffee. Hoseok can practically see Jungkook’s ears expand to the size of dinner plates.

“Apparently, the people he dated were always the cute type!”

Hoseok looks at Jungkook. Jungkook is scowling down at his mug, stirring it furiously. The cream has long since become one entity with the coffee, but he shows no sign of mercy.

“Er,” Hoseok offers, in consolation.

Jungkook frowns up at him, his eyebrows scrunched up. “I’m...I’m the cute type, right? I can be cute.”

Hoseok decides honesty is the best policy. “You actually sort of look like a bad boy when you don’t talk. You have nice hair and, like, really impressive muscles, after all. Oh, but after talking to you, the cuteness totally comes out!”

Unaware of Jungkook having a mini breakdown in the corner of the room, the gossipy girls continue, “And during truth or dare once, they asked him what he liked in a partner, and he said someone who’s neat and tidy!”

Jungkook gasps, grabbing Hoseok by the arm and smacking him repeatedly. “I’m neat and tidy, hyung! Have you seen my desk? I’m so neat! I like to clean, too! And do laundry!”

“That’s nice, Jungkook dear,” Hoseok pats his hand, “but if Director Kim’s as good of a guy as you make him out to be, I’m sure he’s not just looking for a maid as his partner.”

“Well, I know /that/,” Jungkook laughs like Hoseok’s just proclaimed the earth flat. “I bet he likes my sense of humor, and...I’m not bad to look at, right? And I’m smart, I’m good at my job, he loves that too!”

Hoseok isn’t sure where Jungkook is getting all these ideas of alleged reasons why Taehyung likes him, because Hoseok hasn’t observed any interaction between them save for the usual

‘Jungkook staring at Taehyung while Taehyung overlooks his existence’ thing. But whatever floats Jungkook’s boat, he supposes.

“Of course. Who wouldn’t like you?” Hoseok gives Jungkook a meaningful look here, but Jungkook doesn’t seem to hear the implication as he mumbles to himself about all the other things Taehyung surely likes about him.

---

Sometimes, it’s like Jungkook can’t hold back his enormous feelings and will suddenly blurt out a greeting to an unsuspecting Taehyung when he’s walking by.

“Good morning!” Jungkook chirps, loud enough to startle Hoseok’s knee into banging against his desk.

Taehyung pauses, looking up from his phone. His gaze settles on Jungkook with the slightest furrow of his brow, as if he can’t understand why Jungkook is talking to him.

Oh god, does he even know who Jungkook is? Hoseok really, really hopes he does. Even though Taehyung is technically his rival, he has to hope so for the sake of his poor, sweet (delusional) Jungkook.

“Good morning,” Taehyung returns, with a polite nod in Hoseok’s direction as well, before he continues down the hallway. Jungkook sighs, lashes aflutter, and just by the hum of absolute contentment that he lets out, Hoseok gets a bad feeling in the pit of his gut.

“What are you plotting now?” he asks suspiciously.

Jungkook hums once more, but this time it sounds less pure and more like a villain concocting his latest plan for world domination.

“I’mma slide into his DMs,” Jungkook declares.

Hoseok doesn’t hold back the face-palm this time.

“What, it’s a foolproof plan!”

“Oh, really.”

“Yup. He’ll laugh his pants off at my jokes, which is perfect ‘cause you know what happens after sliding into DMs, right, he won’t be needing his pants when I slide right on to that perfect di—”

“JUNGKOOK, WE’RE AT WORK.”

“Heh, sorry.”

That night, Hoseok is sprawled over his sofa, squinting at his phone as he wonders if he should hunt down Jungkook’s IG account too and try the boy’s own tactics on him.

But like he mentioned to Jimin, Hoseok isn’t exactly one for cheesy pick-up lines or invites to lavish dates or stuff like that. Thinking about outright flirting with Jungkook makes something inside him squirm in rebellion.

He sighs and rolls off the couch, trudging off to the small den in the apartment that he’s turned into his computer-slash-gaming room. He’ll make some mashups of his favourite songs before going to bed.

Recently he’s been getting into music remix software and he’s pretty proud of the stuff he’s created. It sort of fills that void inside him.

(And later when the curiosity overcomes him, Hoseok will ask how the DM-sliding went, and Jungkook will tell him mournfully that Taehyung must not check his IG very often because the message was never read.

Which supposedly makes sense since Taehyung’s profile is a single post from three years ago, or something. Seriously, Hoseok doesn’t even know if he should be happy or sad for Jungkook anymore at this point.)

---

They’re at a company drinking party to celebrate the completion of their latest project, and Hoseok doesn’t think he’s ever been so nervous in his life.

He’s not good with confrontation, guys. And if Jungkook charges over to the other side of the table to punt all the people crowded around Taehyung straight up into space the way he looks like he wants to,

then Hoseok will be forced to intervene. Somehow. Even though Jungkook could probably bench-press two of him.

Hoseok has just finished breathing a sigh of relief—some girl was whining about how her perilla leaf wouldn’t separate from the other pieces and Jungkook was staring like a hawk in Taehyung’s direction, but thankfully, for the safety of everyone in the room,

Taehyung didn’t move to help—when the next catastrophe-in-wait is set in motion.

“A little birdy told me that you’re going on vacation soon, Director Kim,” one of his fanboys coos. “Is it with family? Perhaps a girlfriend, or a boyfriend?”

“Where are you heading? Somewhere tropical?”

“If it were me, I’d definitely pick the Bahamas for a trip or even a honeymoon. Oh, but Director Kim is unmarried, aren’t you...?”

“Ex-fucking-cuse me,” Jungkook growls, almost loud enough to be heard across the table, and Hoseok elbows him in the ribs, shushing him frantically. “Director Kim’s going on vacation? Why haven’t I heard anything about this?”

“Why would you have!” Hoseok hisses. “Are you his personal assistant or a sasaeng or what!”

Jungkook gasps. “I’m not! I just—I deserve to know when he won’t be gracing the office with his presence!”

Before they can devolve into another debate about Jungkook’s delusional fantasies, Taehyung’s voice cuts through the chatter. “I’m not going on vacation,” he informs his posse, “it’s a business trip. I’m only gone for three days.”

Both the KTH Fanclub™ and Jungkook breathe a collective sigh of relief, Jungkook mumbling, “Pshh, I knew about that business trip,” and Hoseok rolls his eyes so hard that he gives himself a headache.

He gets it, all right, work life would be death without at least one office idol to keep them going. But couldn’t Taehyung at least let Hoseok have Jungkook, huh?

He’s got all the girls and boys and everyone else in between salivating after him already, why couldn’t he leave one (1) Jungkook for Hoseok! Geez, talk about selfish.

“Oh, I see, it must be that newest proposal we’ve heard so much about!” some girl gushes. “Is that why you’ve seemed a bit stressed lately, Director Kim?”

“I always store an array of energy drinks in my desk, Director Kim, if you’d like to drop by!”

“I bet some vitamin D would be /amazing/ for your health!”

That last one literally makes Hoseok gag because as annoyed as he is at Taehyung’s popularity, the comment was definitely not as innocent as the guy was trying to make it sound.

He peeks at Jungkook out of the corner of his eye, bracing himself for the explosion of rage and disgust on Taehyung’s behalf. But it doesn’t look like he heard, Jungkook frowning down distractedly at his lap, muttering to himself.

“—how dare they stress him out, goddamn stupid investors,” Hoseok hears. Then Jungkook slams a fist on the table. “I’m gonna buy him some donuts.”

Hoseok shoots a look over at Taehyung, who he suspects is about reaching the end of his rope with the group, judging by the wrinkles in his forehead that are deepening at an exponential rate.

It sure doesn’t look like the face of someone who’d enjoy a surprise box of donuts on his desk.

When Hoseok voices this concern, Jungkook stares at him like he’s grown two heads. “Of course he likes donuts, hyung, who doesn’t! Director Kim really isn’t as monstrous as you think he is!” He clasps his hands at his chest, starry-eyed.

“I’ll leave a cute note on it too, so he knows it’s from me. That’s how you hook ‘em, right? By the stomach?” He winks, somehow making it look big, bright, hopeful, and not sleazy in the least.

Hoseok feels a little sick to /his/ stomach just imagining the face Taehyung will make upon finding the donuts, but Hoseok’s nothing if not indulgent of his lovely Jungkook’s whims. Whatever makes him happy, and all that.

---

It’s nine p.m. on a Friday night, and Hoseok is both frantic and pissed. His boss told him to leave a document on his desk for Monday morning, which he finished way in advance but forgot to physically print out.

He booked Monday off too, so he had no choice but to come rushing back to the office. Stupid ancient dinosaur bosses who always want physical copies of everything and refuse to print it out themselves.

He stomps his way over to his desk, turns on his laptop, and is about to print the thing when he remembers he should check that the printer is working first. It’s been having issues lately and he doesn’t know if IT has been by yet.

With a world-weary sigh, he makes his way across the floor. The entire office is dark, everyone having left for the weekend already – but for some reason, he can see light coming from the printer room. That, and the door’s closed, too.

Hoseok feels dread creep into his stomach. He swears, if there’s some reason he can’t get into that room and he’ll have to go to some other floor to print out a single document, Hoseok’s gonna—he’s gonna—okay, he doesn’t know. Just be very mad, probably.

When he peers into the printer room through the window, he gasps loud enough that it’s a wonder the people inside don’t notice him.

Jungkook’s pushed up against a printer with his arms wrapped around Taehyung’s neck, a leg hooked around his hip, the two of them kissing like they’re trying to devour each other.

Their clothes are still on, but their hair is messed up and Hoseok is pretty sure both of their shirts are missing buttons.

“D-Director Kim,” Jungkook moans, throwing his head back as Taehyung kisses his way down his neck.

“You like that, baby?” Taehyung’s laugh is breathy and dark, pressed into Jungkook’s skin. “Little slut. Tell me what you want, hmm?”

Jungkook groans out something so obscene that Hoseok has to slap his hands over his mouth to keep in a real scream. He scrambles away backwards, tripping his way back down the hall and somehow making it to the elevators in a daze.

What did he just see? What was that image transmitted to his brain from his eyeballs? What did he just hear?

Screw the document, Hoseok needs to be as far away as physically possible from the premises, stat.

He breaks into a dead sprint, and when he’s out of the building, he finally releases the blood-curdling scream that was building in his throat.

---

It’s not until he’s home that Hoseok remembers he should be feeling heartbroken about what he saw. Sure, there’s disgust, truckloads of it, and the exasperation of wasted effort, and even insecurity, a drop in his self-confidence from losing to Kim Taehyung, after all.

For some reason, though, he doesn’t feel any of that anticipated devastation from seeing the two of them together. Hoseok thinks it’s because a part of him probably understood from the very beginning that there was no room for him in Jungkook’s heart.

Tuesday morning, he waits with crossed arms and a bouncing leg for Jungkook to arrive.

“So, Jungkook,” he says before the guy’s even sat at his desk. “Is there anything you want to tell me?”

Jungkook makes a questioning noise as he sets down his briefcase and powers on his laptop. “What do you mean?”

“About a certain...Director Kim?”

The younger man still seems to have no clue what he’s talking about, turning to Hoseok with raised brows. “Director Kim?” he asks, that excited tremor entering his voice like it always does when they talk about the man.

Hoseok’s had enough. He leaps to his feet, slamming his hands on his desk and making Jungkook jump.

“I saw you guys Friday night, in the printer room,” he hisses. “I thought we were friends, why didn’t you tell me? What’s going on between you two!”

Jungkook had turned an alarming red at the mention of the printer room rendezvous, but just as quickly, the blood drains from his face, leaving him pale and gaunt.

“I’m sorry,” he says quietly, his hands curled to his chest.

“You know he’s probably playing you, right? I don’t think someone who wants to treat you right would do that kind of thing here. This isn’t some porno, it’s your workplace! You could have both gotten fired!”

There’s a stab of guilt in his stomach at the way Jungkook’s mouth twists, his lips faintly trembling, but he wants Jungkook to understand where he’s coming from.

He’s worried about Jungkook’s naivety and blind devotion—Taehyung could so easily take advantage of him. Hoseok hasn’t heard of Taehyung being involved in any flings before, but he’s also never heard of him seriously dating anyone, and that can’t be good news.

Jungkook looks like he’s got more to say, but their Zoom meeting begins then and they’re busy with work for the next long while. When Hoseok’s done for the day, he considers waiting for Jungkook to finish so they can grab drinks or something,

but it seems like the younger’s going to be stuck with overtime today, so he leaves with a pat on Jungkook’s shoulder.

He’s reflecting on whether he was too harsh with the poor boy this morning and wondering if he should text him an apology later, when he opens the bathroom door and is met with the exact person he wants to kick in the balls.

Kim Taehyung is washing his hands at the sink. He glances up in the mirror and gives Hoseok a nod, shaking off the water and grabbing a paper towel.

Seeing him here being all casual and shit after fucking with his poor Jungkookie’s heart makes something in Hoseok snap.

He stomps over to the other man and gets right up in his face.

“Listen here,” he barks, stabbing a finger in his chest, “I don’t know what you’re trying to do with Jungkook, but you’d better not be playing around. He’s way too good of a person for you to use as your—your boytoy or whatever.

So if you’re messing around, let him go be with someone who’ll actually take care of him!”

Never in his life has Hoseok seen Taehyung so shocked. His baffled blinking and gaping mouth would be hilarious if that surprise wasn’t rapidly shifting within seconds, jaw sharpening from the visible clench of his teeth and his eyes hardening into a cold, flinty stare.

“What did you just say,” Taehyung grits out. Chills shoot up Hoseok’s spine, followed by a hot flash that immediately has him sweating.

He takes a half step back, shaking in his boots. Welp, all of a sudden, he’s come to his senses. Fuck, can Taehyung get him fired?

But he’s already come so far and Jungkook is worth at least this much, so Hoseok stammers, “You heard me.”

Taehyung’s lip twitches like the animal side of him is itching to bare its fangs, and it’s pure evolutionary instinct that makes Hoseok take another step back. But Taehyung doesn’t allow the distance, stalking forward until he’s crowding Hoseok against the wall.

“Jungkook is /mine/,” he snarls, eyes flashing. “Don’t think I haven’t seen the way you look at him. Better not get any funny ideas, or you might regret it.”

They stare at each other for another moment, predator to prey. Hoseok almost wants to blurt out excuses about how this past weekend actually made him realize he saw Jungkook as more of a good friend who happened to be cute and

maybe the part of his brain starving for romance and drama latched on to that to try to fill the void in his heart, or something, he doesn’t know—but he clings to his pride and reminds himself that he does not owe Kim Taehyung a single thing.

So instead of offering those excuses or crying or running away screaming, he (shakily) stands his ground.

Taehyung must decide he’s understood his point. He backs off, face returning to its usual apathy with just the slightest edge in his gaze.

“I’ve heard that you’ve been a good friend to him,” he says gruffly, pained, each slow word like pulling teeth. “So thanks for that, at least.”

When he leaves, Hoseok finally sucks in a breath and falls back against the wall, letting it hold him up.

Well, that went swimmingly.

At least he’s in the washroom, ‘cause he thinks he may have peed himself a little.

---

The next day, Jungkook floats into the office, his skin clear, crops watered, rainbows spat out of his every pore. He’s humming The Wedding March.

“What’s up with you?” Hoseok asks, a little afraid to know.

“I had the best evening of my life,” he says, half dreamy sigh, half sob. “Taehyungie-hyung got me flowers and my favourite fried chicken and we had an Iron Man marathon. It was,” he covers his flushed cheeks with his hands, eyes going far away, “everything I wanted.”

Hoseok’s jaw drops. Holy fucking shit. He can’t believe his confrontation with Taehyung yesterday provoked the man into becoming some storybook romantic. Hoseok doesn’t know if he’s irked or proud of himself.

Jungkook’s glow dims then, and he sinks on to his chair, his hands resting on his knees. He rolls himself over to Hoseok’s desk and dips his head in a bow. “Hyung...I just wanted to say sorry. I didn’t mean to keep it from you. Taehyungie-hyung suggested we keep it a secret

since technically office romances are, you know, against company policy. And, um, the printer room thing was my fault, I was the one who seduced him...I—I know it was irresponsible, but I guess I wasn’t,” he coughs, “thinking clearly. So I’m sorry you had to see that.”

If Hoseok said he was surprised by who seduced who, he’d be lying. He’s had front row seats to how big of a thirst monster Jungkook is, after all.

And he supposes he can’t be mad anymore when Jungkook is apologizing so sincerely, not to mention that it’d be a bit hypocritical of him anyway considering the places he’s gotten freaky too.

“It’s fine,” he sighs, patting Jungkook on the leg. “As long as you’re happy.”

Jungkook grins at him. “Thanks. Honestly, on some level it was exciting keeping it a secret, but I think we’re one of those couples who are good at keeping things fresh anyway, so it’s nice that you know now!

God, can’t believe it was our tenth anniversary last night and he still gives me such intense butterflies, can you believe that—”

Hoseok’s brain shuts down. He short-circuits.

What.

For the second time in less than a week, /what/ did he just hear.

“WHAT,” he screeches. “Your TENTH anniversary? Excuse me, WHAT?”

“Oh!” Jungkook gasps, his hand flying to his mouth. “I forgot to mention! Yeah, we’ve been dating since college! The roommate I mentioned before is Taehyungie-hyung, hehe.”

“What do you—WHAT, DON’T FUCKING ‘HEHE’ ME. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? EXPLAIN. I DON’T UNDERSTAND.”

“Uh, we’ve been dating for ten years? We live together?”

Hoseok stares at him with his mouth open so wide his jaw makes a cracking sound. He can feel a muscle twitching in his cheek. Every muscle in his face, in fact, twitching.

“You call him Director Kim,” he whisper-shouts, smacking the table emphatically. “Even when you were, freaking, eating his face off in the printer room!”

“Oh, um,” Jungkook blushes, tucking his hair behind his ear, “that’s kinda, like, roleplay? ‘Cause it’s hot?”

“You tried to slide into his DMs!”

Jungkook’s lips jut out in a pout. “Yeah, he never answered since he doesn’t check his DMs. I sent him a sad text about it, look.”

“What in the fuckity fuck,” says Hoseok.

And then Jungkook proceeds to show him a bunch of their other text conversations, chattering on happily about his “precious Taehyungie” as he does.

“Wow,” is all Hoseok can say.

Jungkook shrivels up like a raisin, cradling his phone to his chest. “I’m really sorry, hyung. I did want to tell you. We weren’t sure if you’d react badly, though, so...thought we’d wait a bit longer.”

On one hand, Hoseok wants to murder Jungkook and also Taehyung while he’s at it, but on the other, he has to admit he understands the desire to keep an office relationship under wraps, especially when they work on the same floor.

After bearing witness to those disgusting texts, he can see how much Taehyung cares for Jungkook, and he figures the guy probably knew Jungkook would get the brunt of the hate if they did reveal their relationship. He hasn’t been at the company for nearly as long,

and the KTH Fanclub™ is /fierce/.

“Agh, whatever, it’s fine, Jungkook-ah. Don’t look so sad.”

He pats the younger’s head. “You know, all this time I thought you were kinda pathetic pining after Taehyung, but seeing the truth now...it’s really cute how whipped you both still are after ten years.”

“Hyung...” Jungkook’s lips wobble, and he looks down at his lap, his hair hiding his eyes. “Thank you for your support. You’ve always been so nice about listening to my thirst rants.”

Hoseok bursts out laughing. “You owe me dinner, bro, I put up with a lot.”

Jungkook nods vigorously, grabbing Hoseok’s hand in his. “Leave it to me! Forget dinner, I’ll handle your lunch for the next month!”

“Fine,” Hoseok sniffs. “I accept your offer.”

---

One week later, Hoseok is shuffling the papers on his desk when he hears Jimin’s voice behind him.

“—and this is Production Team 2, which I’m sure you’re aware is the team you will be a part of. Your desk is over here. Ah, Mr. Jung! Perfect timing.”

Jimin’s eyes are sparkling as he leads someone over, and when Hoseok’s eyes land on the person next to him—

God almighty.

The man is the dictionary definition of tall, dark, and handsome. His smile is warm and bashful, his cute dimples contrasting dramatically with his bulging thighs, which stretch out his slacks in the most obscene way.

Hoseok hopes he isn’t staring as hard as he feels like he is.

“Hello, I’m Kim Namjoon.” The hottie holds out a big hand, which Hoseok shakes enthusiastically. “I’ll be under your care from now on. It’s great to meet you.”

“Welcome to the team,” Hoseok manages to stutter out.

Jimin asks Hoseok to show Namjoon around before leaving with a subtle wink. Hoseok is hardcore panicking because he doesn’t know how he’s supposed to show the guy around without drooling or sweating through his clothes.

But he ain’t no quitter. He’s put up with Jungkook’s gross lusty comments for months, he can totally do this.

Namjoon is suave in an endearing, nerdy way, and Hoseok feels himself dangerously on the brink of love by the end of the tour, which truly puts into perspective how shallow his crush on Jungkook was. Hoseok is, like, this close to offering up his heart on a platter.

When Namjoon leans over to gently touch one of their office plants, something slips past the collar of his shirt. It’s a key necklace, a...strangely familiar key.

Then Hoseok gasps, yanking out his own miniature locket pendant he wears every day, and shoves it in Namjoon’s face with a wordless squeak.

“No way,” Namjoon says, straightening slowly. “No /way/. Where did you get that?”

Hoseok’s voice is feeble. “This night market where the lady convinced me to buy it by saying if I ever find someone who has the key then it’s meant to be.”

Namjoon fish-mouths. “Same.”

They gawk at each other for a moment, before Namjoon’s face warms with a great, big smile.

“So what of music do you like?” he asks, the dimple on one cheek winking at Hoseok, whose heart beats wildly in his chest.

“I...I just recently made a mixtape.” Hoseok fiddles with his locket. “Would you...like to hear it?”

Namjoon smiles. “I would love to.”

---

— end

wrote this in honor of hobi's first solo album sob they grow up so fast

thanks for reading, let me know if u liked ittt!!!!

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