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effortandmore · 3 days

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not according to plan | hjs (teaser)

summary: your ex-fiance is getting married and everyone you know is going to be there. when he calls to ask if you're coming, you accidentally mention a boyfriend. which would be fine, if you weren't very single. thankfully your best friend comes through with the perfect solution when he sets you up with a friend of his.

pairing: joshua x f.reader genre: fake dating, strangers to ?? | fluff, slight angst, smut rating: explicit (in the full fic), minors DNI word count: ~1.1k in this teaser (full fic ~22k) notes: johnny suh as the ex (sorry!), also includes other idols not in seventeen solely as face claims, there's a heavy focus on the fake dating, mentions of food & drink, warnings to be added to the final fic fic post date: friday, april 26th

a/n: i started this legit months ago as kind of a joke, talking about it with @shuadotcom but it's finally done (and a lot longer than i anticipated).

thank you to: @wonwussy & @kwanisms who read over this for me (too long ago), and to @cheolism @wooahaeproductions @hannieween, & sj for all the brainstorming help along the way. tagging: @aaniag @gyuminusone @crepecakeu

if you'd like to be tagged in this fic (or any of my fics), comment, click here for my tag list, or send an ask 💕

You still think this is a terrible idea, yet agree to meet Jeonghan’s friend, Joshua, anyway. Apparently, he’s somewhat new to the area, doesn’t know many people, and is incredibly easy to be around. There’s no mention of why Jeonghan thinks he might be willing to pretend to be your boyfriend. A part of you wonders if your friend even told him, but he’s not that cruel. So, whatever the case, Joshua must at least have some idea of what he’s walking into.

Several days pass between the nightmare of a call from Johnny and you actually meeting Joshua, which only adds to your anxiety about whether or not this is going to work. Johnny is asking for a name for the seating chart and for dinner selections. Your mom wants to know when they’ll be able to meet this new boyfriend before the wedding (because “meeting him for the first time at a wedding is gauche” and we wouldn’t want that). Your sister is convinced that he doesn’t actually exist since you haven’t posted him on social media. That you can at least answer to say that not everyone posts their entire life online like she does. It doesn’t seem to allay her suspicions, though.

Then, there’s the fact that you’re actually meeting Joshua for the first time at dinner. All you wanted was to go for coffee, yet he insisted. You couldn’t exactly press the point. Not when you’re planning to ask this stranger to pretend to date you just so that you can avoid the embarrassment at your ex’s wedding. On top of that, because Jeonghan really is a demon at his core, you don’t know what Joshua looks like. Don’t know who to look for. Which leads to you doing the only sensible thing and showing up 5 minutes late for dinner, hoping that he’ll already be at the table when you get there.

It works.

When you give the reservation name at the host stand, you’re immediately led back to a table. Without even thinking about it, you smooth your hands down the front of your dress, looking for a small amount of comfort in this situation. It’s not even that you struggle around new people, this is just…well, it’s a lot. It’s out of anyone’s comfort zone. Whatever you’re expecting, it’s not the man sitting at the table the host leads you to. He nearly stops you in your tracks.

His black hair is perfectly styled down to the pieces on one side that come down over his forehead. The black dress shirt he wears is open at least one button too many, but he makes the exposed chest look work in a way models would envy. Even though his pants are black as well, he makes it look classic and effortless, rather than too dark. That’s all without even acknowledging the soft smile on his face. This man would break a thousand hearts without even saying a damn word. While you’re appreciating him, you miss the way his eyes rake over you appreciatively. Miss the way his eyes trace your curves and the way the dress clings to you.

In one fluid motion, he’s standing up to greet you, a gentle kiss placed on your cheek. Is it weird if your knees are a little weak? Well, even if it is, there’s nothing you can do. You’re completely captivated.

“You must be Joshua,” you say. Brilliant, you think. That’s obvious.

“It’s nice to meet you. Jeonghan had nothing but good things to say,” he answers with another smile as he pulls your seat out for you.

“I feel like he hardly told me about you,” you respond. Joshua raises a perfect eyebrow at that.

“Then why did you agree to go out with me?” Joshua asks.

“Go out with…is this a date?” The question comes tumbling out.

Joshua’s eyes widen in genuine confusion. “Is it not?”

“What, exactly, did Jeonghan say to you?”

A lot and nothing at all, it turns out. Joshua tells you about how he’s somewhat new to the area, which you knew. About how he met Jeonghan through work, kind of. They work in the same building doing very different things and happened to run into each other getting coffee a handful of times before Jeonghan introduced himself. The two had hung out several times, something Jeonghan had not really mentioned, and gotten to know each other over drinks more than once. The very first time, Jeonghan had mentioned you and Joshua admits immediately being intrigued without pressing for more information.

In any case, Jeonghan talked about you pretty freely, a fact that’s hardly surprising. Before Joshua texted you, Jeonghan had mentioned, in what Joshua calls an offhand way, that you were sick of dating the same people. According to Joshua, through Jeonghan, you were looking to possibly be set up. (Read: Jeonghan thinks he’s crafty and isn’t going to come out and tell this man what you’re really looking for. Typical Jeonghan, honestly. You know that “offhand comment” was anything but. And you had the audacity to think Jeonghan would have to tell Joshua what he’s getting into. Rookie move.)

Now you’re in a bit of an awkward situation because this man is honestly gorgeous, one of the prettiest humans you’ve ever met. And, already, he seems like he might be sweet with a pretty good sense of humor. It’s just…well, you’re absolutely not looking for a relationship and this is the last person you want to get involved in your mess. Thankfully, you get a moment to catch your breath when someone comes by to take a drink order and suggest an appetizer. It’s just enough time for you to talk yourself into telling Joshua the real story.

To his credit, he only looks mildly surprised as you outline your whole situation, inform him that yes, Jeonghan does know all of this, and clarify why you didn’t actually realize it was a date. It’s hard to miss the way his eyes seem to sparkle a bit when you also admit that he’s absolutely stunning in a way that hurts your feelings. Easier to miss is the way his face barely falls when you say that you’re not actually looking for something right now. Interesting.

“So that’s the whole thing and now that I’ve embarrassed myself in front of you, I’m sure you’ll understand if we never see each other after tonight,” you finish.

“How am I supposed to go to a wedding as your boyfriend in a matter of weeks if we don’t see each other after tonight?” Joshua wonders.

let me know if you want to be tagged when i post the full fic next week 💕 (and what you think so far)

#omg this is gonna be good #fic rec #svt fic

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effortandmore · 5 days

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caught looking: chapter 7 (knj x ksj)

summary: of course Seokjin has heard the rumors. most of them boil down to this: kim namjoon will get fired from the kiwoom heroes after this season is over. he’s the kbo’s youngest manager in history, one of korea’s darlings, always on every 30 under 30 list, and everyone is sure he’s about to tumble from the tower he’s built. or, namjoon is probably going to lose his job and seokjin is probably never going to make his dad proud, but they have a better shot at overcoming those two things together than they ever have alone.

pairing: seokjin x namjoon

rating: e for everyone for now but there is adult content in later chapters so no minors pls

genre: etl, fluff, eventual smut

au: baseball, specifically the kbo

warnings/tags: idk... swearing, drinking, and general sports things? some blackmail kind of and discussions of homophobia in sports. a drunk ex being drunk and pushy. eventual smut of the gay variety.

wc: chapter: ~4800

chapter summary: jeongguk has them all figured out, and seokjin finally figures out one very important thing

hello! here are chapters one two three four five and six if you'd like them. or the whole thing is on ao3 here . thank you!

***

Even before Seokjin officially started at Kiwoom, he thought bringing Jeongguk onto the team would be a good idea. Now that it’s a done deal, he knows without a doubt it was the right move. Sure, it’s not a seamless transition, nothing is, but even though he still has to look at the positioning card with every hitter, he’s fitting in faster than anyone could have expected.

The team loves him, which is the most important thing (at least according to Namjoon, who seems to have forgotten that pitching is technically the most important thing).

Taehyung’s mood since Sangwon left has been vastly improved, and he takes it as his personal mission to spend as much time as possible getting Jeongguk up to speed. Daily now, Seokjin sees them together everywhere: the locker room, the weight room, on the field, the training room. They’re practically inseparable, and it’s done wonders for the whole rotation.

Jeongguk is slotted in second, and he’ll be starting once or twice a week. He still likes to pick up bullpen innings, but the pitching staff has cautioned against it, and Jimin agrees. They have to protect his elbow. Jeongguk is young, with a lot of potential, and overthrowing now will only lead to problems later on when he presumably will hit his peak. Namjoon explains this to him in hushed tones, and Jeongguk listens with wide eyes, like it’s the most interesting thing anyone’s ever said to him. Seokjin is sure this is one of the things people like about the kid immediately—it’s hard not to feel like you’re incredible and important when someone’s looking at you like that.

And he always looks at Namjoon like that.

Seokjin isn’t at all a little jealous, but only because he thinks that the way Jeongguk is so obvious about thinking Namjoon is incredible might make the way that Seokjin thinks so, too, a little less obvious. Or, he hopes it does, anyway.

For a week after his arrival, Jeongguk watched every game from the dugout. Everyone could tell it was making him crazy to be so inactive—he spent them pacing around and muttering to himself when he wasn’t watching each batter intently, trying to memorize every small detail about them.

Today, though, is his first start. Seokjin and Namjoon have been talking through strategy with the coaching staff, holed up in Namjoon’s office.

(When things are busy like this, and they’re focused on work, Seokjin almost forgets the unprofessional thoughts he sometimes has about Namjoon. Almost forgets laughing in a hotel room with him in Busan, almost forgets the way Namjoon sounded when he said, “I think you’re great, hyung,” in a low rasp.)

“Hyungs,” Jimin calls as he taps on the doorframe, “I think something’s wrong with Jeongguk, can you come?”

Namjoon shoots Seokjin a panicked look as they both rise and follow Jimin to the training room. There’s two hours before the game starts, about forty five minutes before they need to be on the field, and Jeongguk is sitting in an ice bath with his eyes closed and his headphones on, belting out an IU song that Seokjin hasn’t heard in years.

“He won’t move,” Jimin says. “He shouldn’t be cold like this before he starts and I can’t get him out.”

Leaning forward, Seokjin grabs one side of his headphones and pulls it away from the pitcher’s head before he lets go and it snaps back. Jeongguk’s eyes fly open and he scrambles to sit upright in the tub when he sees them all standing around him.

“Hyungs?” he says curiously as he pulls his headphones off. “What’s wrong?”

“Are you hurt?” Namjoon asks, the words coming out quickly. He’s concerned, obviously. Players don’t just choose to sit on ice unless they’re injured and Jimin makes them.

“No, I would’ve told you if I was, why?”

The poor kid looks genuinely confused.

“Most people don’t use the ice unless I make them,” Jimin says. “And you’ve been in there a long time.” He bends over and grabs one of the pitcher’s feet, hauling it up out of the water as evidence. “You’re getting wrinkly.”

Jeongguk smiles brightly. “This is my pre-game ritual! Being in the ice bath sucks, right?”

All three men around him just nod in agreement. Jimin and Namjoon look as bewildered as Seokjin feels. “It does,” he agrees. “So, why are you in there?”

“Because then, when things are hard during the game, I remind myself that I made it through the ice bath, so I can make it through anything.”

It would be insane if he didn’t look and sound so completely genuine about it.

Namjoon is the first to say something. “That actually… makes sense I guess.” Jeongguk nods happily. “But you should get out soon, okay? We need to get your arm warmed up.”

“Yes, hyung. I promise.”

Jimin still looks horrified, but something about how earnest Jeongguk is about the whole thing makes Seokjin think it will be okay. He steers Jimin away and leaves Namjoon and Jeongguk to talk through any last minute adjustments or ideas for the game.

“He’s a weird kid,” Jimin says. It comes out slowly, like there’s more to the sentence that he doesn’t add.

“Yeah, it seems like it.”

“I think I like him.”

“Me too, Jiminie.”

***

Whether it’s because of the unusual pregame preparation, his talent, or something else, Jeongguk pitches a nearly flawless game. Seokjin and Yoongi watch from the box as he sails through seven innings in 92 pitches. It’s not perfect, but it’s about as close as anyone would have imagined.

Yoongi is grinning like Seokjin hasn’t seen him do since university, and every once in a while, after a particularly well-delivered pitch, he slaps Seokjin’s thigh and bounces up and down in his seat a little, like an excited kid.

“How’d you know he could do this?” Yoongi asks, pleased.

“I didn’t.” Even Seokjin is surprised at the performance. “I knew he could keep the ball on the ground, but I didn’t realize he would get so many strikeouts, too. It wasn’t like that in Busan.”

“Taehyung’s influence?”

Seokjin shrugs. “Must be.”

Winning with Jeongguk as the starting pitcher brings Seokjin the kind of pride he’s always chasing. That silent confirmation that he’s good at what he does, that he knows how players will work (or not) together. It’s a win for the players, of course, but it feels like a personal victory, too. He even gets a text from his father telling him it was a good call to bring over the kid. Praise from Minjun is always sparse and feels hard-won, so even though Seokjin stopped measuring his worth by his father’s approval a long time ago, it still feels good.

By the time he makes it down to his office after the game, he’s in a great mood, ready to have a victory drink with Hoseok and play video games until he thinks he might have carpal tunnel syndrome. Yoongi told him to take the next day off, so he’s extra optimistic about how much progress he’ll be able to make in his game that night. It’s been a long time since he’s let himself indulge in foregoing sleep to play more, but he might allow himself that luxury tonight.

He’s packing up his bag and thinking about what delivery to order when there’s a knock on the door.

“Hyung?”

“Oh, hi Jeonggukie! You worked hard today, thank you.”

Jeongguk smiles wide, his teeth on display. “Thank you, hyung! That’s why I’m here, actually. I wanted to, well, thank you for the opportunity. I know you convinced everyone that I belonged here, and I’m glad you did.”

“Me too,” Seokjin agrees. He keeps packing, but Jeongguk makes no move to leave the doorway. “Is there something else?”

The pitcher nods quickly. “Yes. Some of us are going out to celebrate and I was hoping you would come, since I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.”

“Oh, that’s nice of you to ask, but I’m kind of busy—”

Suddenly, Namjoon appears next to Jeongguk in the doorway. “Are you coming with us?” He looks like he’s just gotten out of the shower and changed, his hair still damp and sticking to his forehead in places.

Well, this changes things, even though it shouldn’t.

“Yeah, of course. Just let me finish packing up.”

Jeongguk looks between him and Namjoon and won’t wipe the shit-eating grin off his face. Seokjin knows he’s been caught, and he just hopes the kid has enough goodwill toward him to keep his mouth shut.

Luckily for Seokjin, he does. Instead, as they walk to the subway, Jeongguk grabs his sleeve and pulls him to the back of the group, teasing him quietly. “I know your secret, hyung,” he whispers. This earns him a flick on the forehead which is enough to distract him from the way Seokjin flushes with embarrassment. Soon, the two of them are half-walking and half-wrestling all the way to the station, where they start getting looks from every passing adult, wondering why two grown men are tackling each other down the escalator.

“Everything okay back there?” Jimin calls when he and everyone else make it to the bottom of the escalator well before Seokjin and Jeongguk.

Jeongguk freezes and looks embarrassed. “Yeah!” he shouts back. “Hyung flicked my head.”

“Hey! You tried to trip me!”

“You took my hat!”

“You deserved it!”

They argue all the way to the train when Namjoon finally asks if he needs to separate them like they’re his children.

“No!” They both practically yell at the same time, before turning to look at each other and then bursting into laughter. He can’t even remember what they were fighting about in the first place when, out of the corner of his eye, he catches Namjoon watching them double over with a fond look on his face.

They suck it up and behave for the train ride, just quietly kicking each other to see who can take it the hardest without flinching or making noise. By the time they make it to the same sort-of divey sports bar he’d met Yoongi and Namjoon at weeks ago, he’s sure his shins are bruised.

It’s loud in the bar, and thankfully, Jeongguk is distracted enough by everyone offering to buy him drinks that he finally leaves Seokjin alone for a while—long enough for him to find a booth to slide into and text Hoseok to see if he wants to meet up with them. Before long, a pink cocktail gets set right in front of him, and Namjoon takes the seat across the table.

“What’s this?”

“Dunno,” Namjoon shrugs. “Told the bartender my friend liked disgustingly sweet things, and he sent me back with this.”

Next to him, Yoongi snorts. “You’re a dick,” he tells Namjoon.

Yoongi’s right, but Seokjin takes a sip of the drink anyway. Unfortunately, it’s delicious.

“You like it?” Namjoon asks.

“Yeah, thank you.”

The three of them don’t even have time to start a conversation before Jimin, Taehyung, and Jeongguk are pouring themselves into the booth, too. Jimin sits, of course, across from Yoongi, right next to Namjoon, and smiles at him sweetly before he whispers something in his ear. Seokjin feels a little sick, the now familiar combination of jealousy and guilt making a home in his stomach again.

At the other end of the table, Taehyung and Jeongguk are rehashing the game excitedly. Even though he’s not really involved in either of the conversations, he’s glad he came. It’s not an all-night gaming marathon, but it’s just as nice (maybe better) to see Yoongi and Namjoon arguing the finer points of modern defensive strategy—Yoongi is surprisingly pro-shift and Namjoon thinks it ruins “the spirit of the game the way it was intended to be played”—while Jimin, Taehyung, and Jeongguk passionately debate who would be better at darts.

“It’s obviously me,” Jeongguk says confidently, taking the opportunity to flex his bicep.

“Sure, you’re good at throwing things, but darts is about finesse, and Jiminie is the most graceful person on the whole planet,” Taehyung retorts.

Jeongguk rolls his eyes. “You haven’t seen me try to be graceful. I can be graceful! Plus, you’re biased.”

Jimin laughs, clearly pleased with the attention. “You’re right, Jeonggukie, he’s my soulmate, after all. Also, he might win. He’s willing to cheat.”

“Hey!” Taehyung protests, but it’s all a show. He winks at Jimin when Jeongguk isn’t paying attention, instead looking around the bar for an empty dartboard.

When he spots one, the three of them scramble out of the booth to prove who’s the better player, but Seokjin just feels frozen listening to them.

Yoongi and Namjoon don’t seem to have been paying them much attention, because they’re still talking about how any change to baseball ruins the sport (Namjoon), and modernization isn’t always evil (Yoongi).

“Doesn’t that bother you?” Seokjin blurts, absolutely interrupting their conversation.

“What?” Yoongi asks.

“No, not you. You.” He points at Namjoon. “Doesn’t it bother you that Jimin calls Taehyung his soulmate?”

At the question, Namjoon looks thoroughly confused. Maybe it’s some sort of open relationship thing? But that, from the apparently kind of traditional man who thinks the designated hitter would be some sort of death blow to the institution of baseball and everything it stands for, seems unlikely.

“No,” he says carefully. “Why would that bother me?”

“Well,” Seokjin says, gesturing a little wildly, “because of— well, because of you know! You and Jimin!”

Namjoon says nothing, just continues to look at Seokjin like he has two heads. Yoongi, for his part, smirks, looking like he’s about to burst, and asks, “What about Namjoon and Jimin?”

“I saw you!” Seokjin whispers loudly to Namjoon. “In Itaewon, remember?”

Yoongi is in full-on hysterics now, laughing so hard he’s wheezing. Seokjin isn’t quite sure what the joke is.

“You saw us…” Namjoon says slowly. “You saw us, and you thought we were… together?”

“Obviously,” Seokjin replies.

It’s no longer clear if Yoongi is even getting any oxygen, he’s flushing and has tears on his cheeks and every once in a while he just slaps the table.

“Seokjin. Hyung.” Namjoon is amused now, a dimple poking out as he smiles at Seokjin and speaks softly. “You know that Jimin brought your roommate home that night, right?”

“What?”

“While you and I were out, Jimin brought Hoseok home. And, if I’m not mistaken, he’s done it after that several times.”

Seokjin feels dizzy. Logically, he knows the booth isn’t moving, but it seems like it is. He feels hot and dizzy and a little confused because Hoseok had been trying to tell him, and there may have been other signs—like Namjoon showing up to Seokjin’s hotel room in Busan, or falling asleep on his shoulder, or just the sheer amount of time Namjoon seems interested in spending with Seokjin and not Jimin.

“So, you and Jimin…” he says weakly.

“Are friends. From college. Like you and Yoongi.”

“And Jimin and Taehyung?”

“I’m pretty sure they share a brain cell, but they’re definitely not together. In fact…” Namjoon points to the high top where the three of them are playing darts. Jimin is giggling while Taehyung practically hangs off of Jeongguk, and he’s either whispering something to the pitcher or sucking on his neck, Seokjin can’t tell. “I think Jimin’s been trying to play wingman since Jeongguk got here.”

Yoongi, finally not laughing anymore, chimes in. “Pretty sure that’s not the only match he’s been trying to make.”

Namjoon hides his face and whines at Yoongi, “Can’t you go back to shutting up?”

Seokjin can’t even process that, he’s still stuck on the fact that Jimin and Namjoon aren’t together. Which means that all this time…

“You’re single?” Seokjin chokes out. It’s not any more embarrassing than anything else that’s happened in the last several minutes, but asking does make his neck hot and probably his ears turn pink.

It also throws Yoongi back into hysterical fits of laughter.

“Painfully single,” Namjoon confirms before taking a drink of his beer.

“Oh.”

“You know we have a no-dating policy on the team?” Yoongi reminds him for absolutely no reason because Seokjin is definitely not thinking very hard about what Namjoon looks like shirtless now that he’s decided he’s allowed to, since Namjoon is confirmed single.

“I think you’d better remind Taehyung of that,” Namjoon says, tilting his beer toward the high top, where things are escalating past the limits of public decency.

“You’re their boss,” Yoongi says quickly. “I’m not going near that. Actually, I don’t think I need to be here for any of this, but thanks for the entertainment.” He scoots out of the booth and pulls his coat on. “I’ll see you in a couple days. Don’t be stupid. Or, don’t be more stupid than you have been.”

Seokijn and Namjoon give a coordinated eye roll at their boss and wave goodbye.

“So, do you want to talk to them?” Seokjin asks, nodding toward Taehyung and Jeongguk. Jimin looks positively gleeful watching Taehyung say something to Jeongguk that makes the pitcher choke on his beer.

“No fucking way,” Namjoon says, shaking his head. “Once Taehyung decides he wants something, it’s futile to try and stop it.”

“Try and stop what?” Jimin asks as he approaches the table.

“Nothing,” Seokjin and Namjoon respond in unison.

“Mmhmm… Well, have fun, hyungs. I have to go meet Hobi.”

Seokjin squawks. “My Hoseokie?”

“Oh, hyung. Cute. But I’m pretty sure he’s mine now,” Jimin says with a wink.

“Should I…” Seokjin trails off, not sure how to ask.

“Nope! You’re safe. He’s coming to mine. See you on Friday, hyungs! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

Namjoon mutters something about the list being impossibly short, which makes Jimin cackle as he shrugs on a denim jacket and walks away.

“I can’t believe you thought—”

“Shut up,” Seokjin interrupts. “Respect your hyung.”

Namjoon is laughing, and he’s gorgeous, and Seokjin finally doesn’t feel guilty for thinking so. It makes him practically giddy.

“I’ll respect you by buying you another drink?”

“Sure Namjoonie,” he says, placated, as Jeongguk and Taehyung approach the table.

“You’re leaving, too?” Namjoon asks.

Jeongguk has the decency to seem a little bit embarrassed, but Taehyung has no shame. “We sure are. Gonna go practice.”

“Practice?” Seokjin repeats, an eyebrow lifted.

“Yep! But I think Jeonggukie is doing the catching this time, if you know what I—”

Namjoon lets out a loud groan and drops his head to the table. “Stoooooop, please,” he whines, muffled.

Thankfully, Taehyung and Jeongguk leave after that, and if Seokjin didn’t now know more about their potential sex life than he ever wanted to, it would be cute—they’re hand in hand, and Jeongguk looks absolutely smitten.

“Well, it’s just us again,” Namjoon notes as he lifts his head back up.

“Yeah,” Seokjin says, the atmosphere suddenly a little awkward. Or, at least he feels a little awkward. Now that he knows Namjoon is single, and he thinks maybe what he’s been feeling isn’t entirely one-sided, he doesn’t actually know what to do. They work together, which complicates things, and Seokjin hasn’t even tried with anyone since Seungwook (which didn’t really boost his confidence for obvious reasons), so he’s a little at a loss for what comes next.

“Still want that next drink, hyung?”

Namjoon’s voice sounds a little wobbly and his knee is bouncing, like maybe he’s nervous. And when he smiles at Seokjin across the table, kind and sort of hopeful and a touch shy, Seokjin thinks maybe, for the first time since even before they met, they’re on the same page.

He thinks back to the night they walked all over town, and how brave Namjoon was at the end to tell him about Sangwon, and Seokjin thinks maybe, this time, he can be the brave one.

“Another drink sounds good. Want to come back to my place for it?”

Seokjin can’t remember the last time he brought someone home. He tries to be respectful of Hoseok, and Seungwook wasn’t really into getting to know Seokjin that well, anyway, so it’s been a long time. So, the taxi ride to his is quiet—he looks out the window and tries desperately to remember how much dirty laundry is on his floor (thank god for Hoseok being a neat freak so Seokjin’s room is the only one he needs to be concerned about), and Namjoon is still bouncing his leg like he was at the bar, only now, Seokjin can tell he’s also occasionally sneaking glances when he thinks Seokjin won’t notice. It’s sweet.

Once they’re inside, it starts to miraculously feel more normal between them pretty quickly. Namjoon busies himself looking at the photographs and figurines around the living room while Seokjin makes them drinks. Neither he nor Hoseok really drink beer, but he does have some whisky around from last time Yoongi came over, and Namjoon seems happy enough with that.

“Did you want the tour?” he asks, handing Namjoon a rocks glass.

“Sure! I like it already,” Namjoon says. “It’s so different from my place.”

“Yeah?”

“You’ll have to see it sometime.” Right after he says it, he grins and covers his mouth with his free hand, like he can’t believe he said it.

“Smooth,” Seokjin remarks, feeling a little more confident than he can remember feeling in… forever.

“Was it?”

“No, but you’re cute so I’ll allow it.”

Namjoon laughs. “Cute? No one says I’m cute.”

“Ah, well,” Seokjin shrugs. “It’s the dimples. Without them you’d be a five at best.”

For a second, it’s like Namjoon isn’t quite sure if Seokjin is joking or not, but then they make eye contact and both burst into laughter. It helps to make Seokjin feel like the nervousness is leaving his body. It’s nice.

“Tour?” Namjoon cocks his head toward the hallway when he catches his breath, and Seokjin leads the way.

The apartment isn’t big, but there’s plenty of space for both him and Hoseok. They each have a bedroom, Seokjin explains that Hoseok has the master because Seokjin is a benevolent hyung who is always willing to make sacrifices (even though it’s really because Hoseok does most of the chores and keeps the place clean and it’s the least Seokjin can do).

When they get to Seokjin’s bedroom, Namjoon pays more attention, asking him about his gaming computer and all the things that go with it, looking at his shelves carefully, like he’s cataloging little facts about Seokjin as he goes. For his part, Seokjin doesn’t think there’s anything that exciting about any of it, but it’s keeping Namjoon entertained, which is putting off anything awkward.

He’d got Namjoon to his apartment, but now that they’re there, he’s nervous about everything (or nothing) that might come next.

Finally, after answering Namjoon’s one hundred questions about MapleStory, it gets quiet.

“It’s not that interesting,” Seokjin says as he sits on his bed. Namjoon’s spinning half circles in the gaming chair, complaining that it’s so much nicer than his office chair and that he should get one like it for work in between asking who all the characters in the game are.

Namjoon sets his drink on the desk, and Seokjin tries not to cringe that there’s no coaster—at least it’s not in a room where Hoseok will notice.

“Maybe I just like to hear you talk,” he says, planting his feet so the chair stops spinning and he’s facing Seokjin directly.

There is a 100% guarantee that Seokjin’s ears are pink. “That’s a line, Kim Namjoon.”

He gets a smirk in response. “Not if it’s true.”

The air feels summer evening thick between them, despite the aircon running in the apartment. Seokjin swears he can practically feel it hanging there, the way that birds know before lightning strikes. He swallows, and even his throat feels syrupy slow.

“What is this, Namjoonie?” he whispers, realizing that somehow, since Namjoon stopped spinning, they’ve been moving closer together, imperceptible movements compounded to the point that he can feel Namjoon’s breath on his lips.

“I think this is me about to kiss you,” Namjoon replies, and all the teasing is gone from his voice. “If that’s something you want.”

Seokjin nods. “Yes, pl—”

“Hyung! I’m hooooome!”

Hoseok.

Namjoon and Seokjin both drop their heads at the same time, and knock them together. Seokjin yelps and spills his drink all over himself and the bed, while Namjoon groans before he starts laughing.

Seconds later, Hoseok appears in the doorway. “Hi hyung… And Namjoon-ssi.”

“Hey, Hobi,” Seokjin says. “I, uh,” he gestures to his whisky-covered shirt. “I should go clean this up and change.”

Standing, Namjoon clears his throat before grabbing his glass and downing the rest of his drink. “I should go,” he says. “It’s pretty late.”

The disappointment Seokjin feels is palpable, and apparently written on his face, because Hoseok looks apologetic, and Namjoon asks quietly, “Walk me to the door?”

Luckily, Hoseok takes the hint and says goodbye to Namjoon, excusing himself to his room, and Namjoon uses the restroom, giving Seokjin the chance to change into something not covered in alcohol. Without thinking much about it, he pulls on an old hoodie that had been strewn across the back of his desk chair. It smells a little like Namjoon now, and he’ll never admit how much he likes that.

“I had a good night, hyung,” Namjoon says, when they meet back in the living room.

“Me too. Sorry about Hoseok,” he replies.

Namjoon just laughs quietly and shakes his head. “Terrible timing.”

“The worst,” Seokjin agrees.

“Maybe we can try again, sometime.”

“I’d like that.”

Namjoon steps closer to him, pulling him into a hug. It’s nice—he’s warm and bigger than Seokjin, and it reminds him of hugging in Busan, except this time he’s able to let himself enjoy it more. It’s everything he can do not to just melt into it as he wraps his arms around Namjoon’s waist. “You know we have a no-dating policy on the team,” Namjoon teases in a whisper, mimicking Yoongi from earlier at the bar.

“Is there a no kissing policy, too?” Seokjin asks, lips brushing against Namjoon’s pulse, feeling his breath hitch.

“I hope not,” Namjoon sighs.

As they pull apart, Namjoon leaves a barely-there kiss on his temple. “I’ll call you,” he promises.

Seokjin feels like his head is on fire in the spot Namjoon’s lips touched his skin. It’s incredibly distracting. Enough that it’s all he can think about, wants to touch the spot to see if it actually feels warm. He’s so busy thinking about it, that the reply he comes out with is, “Not if I call you first.”

Namjoon laughs again—and Seokjin’s seen his laugh so many times for so many reasons, even just tonight it’s happened more times than he can count, but he’s pretty sure he’ll never stop wanting to be the cause of it.

“You’re a dork,” Namjoon says.

“I think it works for me,” Seokjin says, shoving his hands into the pocket of his hoodie.

“I think so too.” It’s so fond, Seokjin wants to scream into a pillow like a teenager. “Goodnight, hyung.”

Namjoon gives him a sweet smile as he leaves the apartment. It’s totally reasonable, Seokjin thinks, that he watches Namjoon as he leaves, watches him wait for the elevator and flushes when Namjoon gives him a wave before he gets on, and then peeks through to give him another before the doors slide closed.

Back in the apartment, he slumps against the door with a sigh. He can’t believe he was so close to having Namjoon’s lips on his, can’t believe that he’d been so wrong this whole time, can’t believe that his crush seems to be just as into him. Everything he’s been thinking about the past couple of months is almost about to be his reality, and he’s thrumming with excitement. If only he’d been able to act on it.

He hates waiting sometimes. Seems so unfair after all the time they’ve already wasted. Seokjin lets out another long sigh. He’s going to call Namjoon in the morning, but first, he’s going to kill his roommate.

#seokjin fic #namjoon fic #seokjin imagines #bts imagines #bts fanfction #kvanity #seokjin x namjoon #fic: cl

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effortandmore · 5 days

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day 130/547 until joon returns cr. jung-koook

#knj

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effortandmore · 6 days

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day 129/547 until joon returns cr. jung-koook

#I had those sunglasses once #knj #the loml

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effortandmore · 6 days

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this Seokjin keeps me awake at nights

#ksj #😳

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effortandmore · 6 days

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finally got the namjoon x puma photocard and i am overwhelmed with how stinking cute he is 😍🥹

the bad lighting rly does not do him justice

#knj #bts photocards #bts collection

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effortandmore · 7 days

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😂😂 perhaps he has heard you? idk maybe things will start to change soon…

tysm for your comments they give me life - i’m so glad you like this fic 💜

caught looking: chapter 6 (knj x ksj)

pairing: seokjin x namjoon

rating: e for everyone for now but there is adult content in later chapters so no minors pls

genre: etl, fluff, eventual smut

au: baseball, specifically the kbo

wc: chapter: ~3800

chapter summary: namjoon sulks, and seokjin can't figure out why. or, as i said in the gc: sorry, they're still stupid

hello i am back! (even tho i almost forgot to post today)... here are chapters one two three four and five if you'd like them. or the whole thing is on ao3 here . you probably know this by now, but i wrote this for @ugh-yoongi and am very grateful for her (and jess and mj's) support of this fic. thank you!

***

It’s an understatement to say that Seokjin had a long night.

Seungwook was hard to deal with sober, but nearly unbearable drunk. With some effort, he managed to get his ex up to his room, where he firmly turned down several advances and eventually communicated clearly enough that under no circumstances were they going to fuck.

Luckily, with sex off the table, Seungwook passed out on the room’s small couch pretty quickly. For being such a shitty person, he’d always been bordering on being respectful enough if Seokjin told him no. Small favors, maybe.

If Seokjin were a better person, he would have moved the man to a more comfortable position. But, he isn’t, so he didn’t, just laughed at the very large man twisted up on the tiny couch and took a picture to show Hoseok later when he had time to tell his roommate the story of his trip to Busan.

After that, Seokjin was hoping to find sleep, but he was still hungry and felt gross from manhandling his drunk ex around the hotel, so he called for room service, showered, and scrolled through twitter on his phone in his pajamas while he treated himself to all the small plates he and Namjoon had ordered and he’d missed out on trying.

He sent a text to Namjoon, apologizing for sticking him with the bill and promising to take him out back in Seoul to make up for it, thanking him for trying to stand up for Seokjin. It was sweet, really, and Seokjin hates that he left Namjoon down there like that, but he also knows it was the right thing to do, the best way to get Seungwook to calm down and avoid an unpleasant scene for all of them. Especially Namjoon.

By the time he plugs in his phone and turns off the lamp to go to sleep, it’s early in the morning. Seungwook hasn’t moved an inch since he passed out, and Seokjin prays he gets up early and sneaks out of the room quietly, that he remembers enough to be embarrassed by his behavior and to not want to talk to Seokjin about it.

It’s only a few hours later when his alarm goes off, pale light sinking through the curtains where he hadn’t pulled the blackout shades all the way closed the night before. Luckily, when he sits up and sees across the room, Seungwook is gone, and Seokjin says a quiet thank you to whoever might be listening that he didn’t have to deal with his ex again so early in the day.

His phone only has a few notifications, and it seems important that none of them are from Namjoon. He tries not to let the disappointment at that realization settle. There’s probably a good reason for it, anyway.

Then, he boards the bus to go to Sajik, and sees Namjoon, in his front seat as usual, but there’s equipment piled up next to him and he has headphones on. When Seokjin gets near and pauses by the seat, Namjoon just turns into the window and ignores him.

So much for not being disappointed.

Seokjin takes the last available seat on the bus next to Sangwon, and ignores the strange looks he gets across the aisle from Jimin and Taehyung.

It’s going to be a long day.

Things don’t get much better once they get to the field. Namjoon practically sprints off the bus and into the visiting manager’s office, shutting the door and all but declaring himself unavailable. Usually, this is when he and Seokjin meet before games to figure out a plan based on the starting pitcher for the opposing team. Instead, he’s literally shut out, so he sits with his laptop in the team dining area and types up his notes into an email for Namjoon.

Because he’s tired, and because things were going so well with Namjoon last night until they just crumbled, it’s sort of taking everything in him not to cry the kind of hot, frustrated tears that kids do when things aren’t going their way. Part of him thinks crying might be a little cathartic, but another part, the one with self-preservation instincts, just takes more soft serve from the machine in the corner and drowns his feelings in chocolate-vanilla swirl. In a mini helmet, of course.

Namjoon is clearly avoiding him, and Seokjin isn’t sure why. He thinks it was pretty obvious that someone needed to get Seungwook out of the bar, and also obvious that he was the only one able to do that without some sort of fight. He wishes Namjoon would just tell him what the problem was, but with only an hour left until the game and everyone out at batting practice except Seokjin, it seems unlikely.

Resigned, he takes his seat behind the dugout again and does his best to cheer along with the same enthusiasm he had the nights before. Halfway through the game, it’s starting to kick in, and all the faking it he’s doing is paying off, because he’s actually having a little bit of fun. The little girl next to him is enamored with the mascots and the cheerleaders, and he manages to get the MC to let her come up onto the dugout and dance with them for a half a song. Her parents are grateful and take a million pictures of her up there and then a couple more of her with Seokjin even though he’s nobody to them. It’s almost enough to make him forget that Namjoon is mad at him for some unknown reason.

It’s the bottom of the sixth, and Sangwon has pitched five surprisingly clean innings. The Heroes and the Eagles are tied, hope alive for the Heroes to take the series still. Seokjin is timing Sangwon from the stands, and he’s almost back to his normal speed from the wind-up. It’s helping his release point stabilize, which in turn is helping him keep the batters to pretty much just soft contact or swinging strikes.

A little bit of much-needed hope is blooming in Seokjin, and he can see it in the dugout, too. Even Namjoon, who’d been sulking around silently for the first hour and a half of the game, is smiling a little, again offering his normal encouragement to his players now as they enter and leave the dugout.

With two outs and no runners on, Sangwon is on the verge of ringing up Seungwook. He’s (it’s obvious to Seokjin anyway) hungover and off his game, swinging late and quickly racking up a one and two count. From his seat, Seokjin can’t see what pitch Taehyung asks for, but Sangwon shakes him off once, then again, then once more. Taehyung calls for time and jogs to the mound, clearly trying to get on the same page as his pitcher. They go back and forth for as long as the umpire lets them, and then Taehyung is headed back to the plate, pulling his mask down with a frown.

The fourth pitch comes, and all through the first half of his motion, Sangwon looks normal. And then he lifts his leg for the kick and instantly Seokjin knows something is wrong. Sangwon’s face contorts when his knee meets his glove, and as his leg comes back down, he all but topples over the mound. He ends up on the ground, clutching at his calf, and what should have been a sinker comes out at the wrong angle, a wild pitch that takes both Taehyung and Seungwook by surprise and hits Seungwook in the ankle.

There’s a split second where Seokjin wants to laugh, a little too pleased that Seungwook is hopping around on one foot and swearing, but then Sangwon just isn’t getting up. Jimin sprints out to the mound, along with Namjoon, their pitching coach, and the assistant trainer, and they huddle around the pitcher.

In the stands, fans from both sides murmur, the thrum of confusion and curiosity. The infield comes in, but keeps a respectful distance, trying to let the coaching staff assess the situation without getting in the way.

Moments go by that feel like hours. Sure, Sangwon is a dick, but no one likes to see a player seriously hurt and he’s not getting up. Eventually, the medical cart comes out of the concourse and onto the field, and Sangwon, looking distraught and more vulnerable than Seokjin’s ever seen him, is lifted onto the stretcher by Jimin and Namjoon, and carted off with both trainers at his side.

While Namjoon attends to the business of getting a new pitcher warmed up too fast, Seokjin escapes the stands and makes his way to the locker room. Jimin’s there, tossing belongings from Sangwon’s cubby into a duffel.

“What’s going on?” Seokjin asks as he enters.

Jimin grimaces. “It’s bad, hyung. More than a meniscus tear. Maybe his ACL. He said he heard it pop during his motion, which is a pretty solid sign. He needs an MRI. They’re taking him to the hospital now.”

“His season’s over,” Seokjin says more than asks.

As he slings the full duffel over his shoulder, Jimin nods. “If he’s really lucky, it’s just a strain. It would probably put him on the 45 day. But based on what you and I both noticed, I think it was probably already strained going into this and he tore it tonight. He threw up in the medicart because the pain was so bad.”

“I feel bad for him.”

“Don’t. Karma sucks,” Jimin answers with a smirk as he leaves, presumably to go along to the hospital.

Maybe he’s right. A little bit anyway.

Seokjin doesn’t bother watching the rest of the game, because Sangwon being out gives him the opportunity he’s been waiting for. He calls Yoongi and gets the green light he needs, and then he spends the rest of the game putting together a trade proposal for the management at Busan.

With any luck, he can get the deal done tonight and get Jeon Jeongguk on the bus back to Seoul in the morning.

***

If Namjoon hadn’t been so insistent on ignoring him, Seokjin would have already told him the news himself. Instead, after the Heroes lost the game, Namjoon got back to the hotel on his own, nowhere to be found on the team bus.

After everything is finalized with Busan, Seokjin pats himself on the back. Literally. In front of the bathroom mirror after his shower, and before he starts on his skincare routine. Yoongi had sent a simple “good work,” text and he’d checked Instagram to see the new pitcher’s profile updated with the burgundy and gray of the Heroes.

It’s all going to plan, until he hears a loud series of knocks on his door.

Well, at least he’s not being ignored anymore, he thinks.

“Are you still mad?” he says as he opens the door to find Namjoon with a fist raised, ready to give another solid knock.

“You went behind my back,” Namjoon complains as he enters the hotel room, kicks his shoes off, and paces around the doorway.

“I would have talked to you if you’d given me the chance!”

“Really?” Namjoon says, and it comes out snarky and sarcastic.

“Yes, really. What’s wrong with you? I thought we weren’t doing this anymore. I thought you trusted me.”

Namjoon doesn’t say anything right away, just takes a beer out of Seokjin’s minibar and plants himself in one of the chairs at the small table by the window. He cracks it open and takes a drink as Seokjin sits opposite him. Finally, Namjoon stops staring out at the ocean and turns to look at Seokjin.

“I do.”

It comes out softly, it sounds sincere as much as two words can, and it makes Seokjin’s heart skip a beat.

“Jeongguk is going to be good for the team, Namjoonie.”

“I know.”

“So, you admit I was right!” It feels good to tease Namjoon a little, to try and get his dimples to pop again. He doesn’t quite succeed, but he does see one side of Namjoon’s mouth turn up.

“You’re good at your job,” he says. “That’s not why I was mad.”

“Yeah,” Seokjin replies, “I figured, since you were already ignoring me this morning. Look, I’m sorry about Seungwook showing up, I had no idea he’d do that. I mean… I could barely get him to come to my hotel when we were together, so I didn’t even think—”

Namjoon cuts off his rambling. “That’s why it bothered me,” he says, eyes downturned and his brow wrinkled. “From everything you’ve said, he was such a dick to you. I don’t get why you’d leave with him. I thought we were having a good time.”

Seokjin is trying to process things, trying to make sure he’s hearing things right. Because what he’s hearing is that Namjoon is upset that he left with his ex. Which could be friend behavior, but it just feels like more. Last night was starting to feel like more.

Maybe Hoseok was right?

“We were,” he says simply. “But there were reporters in there, and I didn’t think you needed a fight.”

“Oh,” Namjoon whispers, lips stuck in a round shape as he blows out a breath. “So you weren’t… You know.”

“I didn’t sleep with him, if that’s what you mean. He passed out over there and I took a picture of him drooling to send to Hobi.” Seokjin flips to the photo on his phone and slides it over to Namjoon, who snorts out a laugh.

“I’m sorry, hyung,” he admits, looking at Seokjin earnestly. “Thanks for trying to protect me.”

“Sure. I still think you’re worth it, Joonie.” The look on Namjoon’s face is too much. Like Seokjin is special, or saying something really incredible. It should be banned, honestly. No one should be allowed to look at Seokjin like that, or his heart might get confused.

After a beat, Namjoon scoots his chair out and stands, clearing his throat. “Well, he says, “I should probably get out of your way. It’s been a long day, and the bus leaves early.” But he doesn’t exactly move toward the door.

Because he has very little sense of self-preservation, Seokjin asks, “Want a redo?”

“A redo of what?”

“Dinner?”

Namjoon grins and points at Seokjin’s pajamas, covered in cartoon characters. Honestly, he’d forgotten he was wearing them, and now he wonders if the looks he thought were something more were just Namjoon wondering why Seokjin dresses like a middle schooler. “I don’t think you meet the dress code.”

Seokjin just shoulder checks him and then tosses him the room service menu from the table, gesturing for him to sit again. They order different things than the night before after they both confess to having separately eaten all the plates anyway.

When Seokjin gets off the phone placing their order, Namjoon is texting furiously. He doesn’t stop when Seokjin sits back at the little table, just types and makes little huffs that Seokjin knows are a sign of a frustrated Namjoon.

“What is it?” he finally asks.

Namjoon looks up over the rim of his glasses. “Sangwon. We just got all his results.”

“Surgery?”

“Yep. At least one. He won’t pitch again,” Namjoon says, shaking his head. “Doctor told Jimin if we’d addressed it sooner, it might have been different. I should probably…” He glances from Seokjin to the door of the hotel room and back. He actually looks disappointed. Whether it’s over losing his pitcher or losing out on dinner with Seokjin, it’s hard to tell. But probably the pitcher.

“You should go to the hospital.”

“Right.”

“It’s okay, I can eat a lot.”

That makes Namjoon smile wide—he throws his head back and laughs loudly. “That wasn’t exactly what I was worried about, but thank you, hyung.”

“Hang on before you go,” Seokjin says quickly, heading back over to his hotel room phone. He dials room service back and makes a quick adjustment to the order. It only takes a moment, but Namjoon is up and shuffling back into his shoes by the time he’s off the phone again.

Seokjin follows him to the door and says, “You can pick up your half downstairs on your way. They’re going to box it up for you.”

Namjoon pauses with his hand on the door handle and turns back. “Hyung, we’re friends, right?”

Friends. Yes. That’s what they are. Friends. And co-workers. Seokjin swallows and nods. Before he can react, Namjoon has both his arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. He smells good, sort of woodsy, and his t-shirt is soft on Seokjin’s cheek. When Namjoon pulls away, he leaves with a whispered, “Thank you,” and Seokjin’s left in a daze.

Friends.

It’s all he thinks about until he eventually falls asleep. He picks at his room service and thinks about being Namjoon’s friend. He replies to the picture he gets of Jimin and Namjoon looking bored in the hospital waiting room, and while he types, he thinks about what it must be like to be Namjoon’s more-than-friend. Listlessly, he flips through tv channels until he realizes he’s stuck on some silly drama where the people who are supposed to be friends were actually in love the whole time. And surprise, he thinks about Namjoon.

Namjoon is in his dreams, fidgeting with the little figurines that Seokjin has lined up along the front of his desk and laughing brighter than a star when Seokin tells him to knock it off. When Seokjin wakes up, he finds a message from Namjoon on his phone—an update on Sangwon, and he sees the real life Namjoon down in the hotel restaurant grabbing some fruit and talking quietly with Taehyung. Probably updating him on the new pitcher.

He wants to interrupt them, to say hello or good morning, but he can’t guarantee that he won’t accidentally say something like, “I think you’re gorgeous and very smart and can you please leave your boyfriend for me?” so he just gives them a small wave and makes his way out to the bus to load up his bags.

Seokjin is particularly excited to get out of Busan. He may not be able to avoid Namjoon, but it’ll be another kind of relief to put some distance between himself and Seungwook again.

And it’s nice to be first on the bus and have any seat of his choosing, but Seokjin’s brain has been betraying him and he’s tired and a little overwhelmed, so he doesn’t overthink things. He snags the seat Sangwon usually takes, and huddles in the corner, hood up, headphones on, and tries to make himself as ignorable as possible.

For a while, as players and coaching staff board the bus, it works. But then there’s a commotion, and Seokjin can’t help but look up to see what’s going on.

It’s Namjoon at the front of the bus, looking like Seokjin’s dream guy (literally) with his arm slung around their newest addition: Jeon Jeongguk.

The whole team is listening attentively. Taehyung, who’d already found the seat across from Seokjin, looks particularly interested—probably relieved he doesn’t have to put up with Sangwon anymore.

Seokjin pops his earbuds out in time to hear the end of whatever Namjoon is saying. “...So, everyone welcome Jeongguk to the team, and make sure you say thank you to Seokjin, who did all the work to get him to come to the Heroes.”

It’s not true, really. He just had the idea and got Yoongi to okay it. But he bows his head anyway and gives a one-handed little wave. He’s glad the hood of his sweatshirt is up to cover his ears, knowing he’s blushing at the attention.

Then, there’s some seat shuffling. Taehyung seems to think it’s urgent that he spends time with the new pitcher—it makes sense, so Jimin lets Jeongguk slide into his usual seat and then looks at Seokjin expectantly.

“Can I sit here, hyung?” And he gestures next to Seokjin.

“Uh… Sure. But there’s a seat next to Namjoon.”

Jimin scrunches his nose. “Ew, no. I told you, he snores.”

“Oh…” Seokjin is confused that they never seem to want to be together even though they are together, but it’s not really his business, either. He reaches for his bag and pulls out a couple of things before shoving it under the seat in front of him.

“Hey,” a deep voice says from above him.

Seokjin looks up and sees Namjoon in the aisle, standing behind Jimin.

“Hi hyung,” Jimin says sweetly. “Important business to discuss with Seokjin-hyung?”

Namjoon rubs the back of his neck and won’t make eye contact with either of them. Why is everyone on this team so weird? Seokjin doesn’t think he has anything to talk about with Namjoon, especially since today’s an off-day. And since he, personally, is feeling off today, he wants even less to be forced to act normal around his crush for several hours.

“I just wanted a change of scenery,” Namjoon says.

“Sure,” Jimin says, and he looks positively giddy. “I’ll take the front seat for you. No problem.”

“Thank you, Jimin,” Namjoon says, sounding relieved, as he slides past the trainer and into the seat next to Seokjin.

No one seems to ask for Seokjin’s opinion on the matter, and he doesn’t want to make a big deal out of anything that isn’t, so he gives Namjoon a polite smile and tries not to think about the way it felt to be pressed up against him in his hotel room the night before.

“Hyung?” Namjoon says, touching Seokjin’s arm gently.

“Hmm?”

“Can we listen to that podcast again?” And with Namjoon looking at him, hopeful and a little nervous, who is he to say no?

“Sure, Namjoonie. Here.” He hands Namjoon an earbud and turns on the next episode of the podcast they’d listened to on the way up.

It starts, and they’re quiet, listening half to the podcast and half to the low chatter of the men around them. It feels sort of normal, and for the first time in a day, Seokjin feels calm. He almost forgets why he’d been so anxious, but then Namjoon starts snoring. Loudly.

Seokjin hears a giggle and turns to see Jeongguk covering his mouth, staring at them and clearly laughing.

“Is he always like that?” Jeongguk asks.

Taehuyng, next to him, nods. “Sometimes worse.”

The new pitcher just grins, toothy and bright. “You must really love him to put up with that.”

Namjoon’s head slides onto Seokjin’s shoulder as he makes a little snuffling sound in his sleep, and resigned, Seokjin thinks Jeongguk has no idea how right he is about that.

#someone said something nice #fic: cl

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effortandmore · 7 days

Text

is jeongguk smarter than all of them? yes.

thanks jess! i'm glad you like it - i know oblivious can be borderline annoying like with miscommunication trope, so i'm glad it's being well-received :)

i do be loving baseball probably too much...

thanks again, i love your sweet comments!

caught looking: chapter 6 (knj x ksj)

pairing: seokjin x namjoon

rating: e for everyone for now but there is adult content in later chapters so no minors pls

genre: etl, fluff, eventual smut

au: baseball, specifically the kbo

wc: chapter: ~3800

chapter summary: namjoon sulks, and seokjin can't figure out why. or, as i said in the gc: sorry, they're still stupid

***

It’s an understatement to say that Seokjin had a long night.

So much for not being disappointed.

Seokjin takes the last available seat on the bus next to Sangwon, and ignores the strange looks he gets across the aisle from Jimin and Taehyung.

It’s going to be a long day.

“What’s going on?” Seokjin asks as he enters.

“His season’s over,” Seokjin says more than asks.

“I feel bad for him.”

“Don’t. Karma sucks,” Jimin answers with a smirk as he leaves, presumably to go along to the hospital.

Maybe he’s right. A little bit anyway.

With any luck, he can get the deal done tonight and get Jeon Jeongguk on the bus back to Seoul in the morning.

***

It’s all going to plan, until he hears a loud series of knocks on his door.

Well, at least he’s not being ignored anymore, he thinks.

“Are you still mad?” he says as he opens the door to find Namjoon with a fist raised, ready to give another solid knock.

“You went behind my back,” Namjoon complains as he enters the hotel room, kicks his shoes off, and paces around the doorway.

“I would have talked to you if you’d given me the chance!”

“Really?” Namjoon says, and it comes out snarky and sarcastic.

“Yes, really. What’s wrong with you? I thought we weren’t doing this anymore. I thought you trusted me.”

“I do.”

It comes out softly, it sounds sincere as much as two words can, and it makes Seokjin’s heart skip a beat.

“Jeongguk is going to be good for the team, Namjoonie.”

“I know.”

“So, you admit I was right!” It feels good to tease Namjoon a little, to try and get his dimples to pop again. He doesn’t quite succeed, but he does see one side of Namjoon’s mouth turn up.

“You’re good at your job,” he says. “That’s not why I was mad.”

Maybe Hoseok was right?

“We were,” he says simply. “But there were reporters in there, and I didn’t think you needed a fight.”

“Oh,” Namjoon whispers, lips stuck in a round shape as he blows out a breath. “So you weren’t… You know.”

“I’m sorry, hyung,” he admits, looking at Seokjin earnestly. “Thanks for trying to protect me.”

Because he has very little sense of self-preservation, Seokjin asks, “Want a redo?”

“A redo of what?”

“Dinner?”

“What is it?” he finally asks.

Namjoon looks up over the rim of his glasses. “Sangwon. We just got all his results.”

“Surgery?”

“You should go to the hospital.”

“Right.”

“It’s okay, I can eat a lot.”

That makes Namjoon smile wide—he throws his head back and laughs loudly. “That wasn’t exactly what I was worried about, but thank you, hyung.”

Seokjin follows him to the door and says, “You can pick up your half downstairs on your way. They’re going to box it up for you.”

Namjoon pauses with his hand on the door handle and turns back. “Hyung, we’re friends, right?”

Friends.

Seokjin is particularly excited to get out of Busan. He may not be able to avoid Namjoon, but it’ll be another kind of relief to put some distance between himself and Seungwook again.

For a while, as players and coaching staff board the bus, it works. But then there’s a commotion, and Seokjin can’t help but look up to see what’s going on.

It’s Namjoon at the front of the bus, looking like Seokjin’s dream guy (literally) with his arm slung around their newest addition: Jeon Jeongguk.

“Can I sit here, hyung?” And he gestures next to Seokjin.

“Uh… Sure. But there’s a seat next to Namjoon.”

Jimin scrunches his nose. “Ew, no. I told you, he snores.”

“Hey,” a deep voice says from above him.

Seokjin looks up and sees Namjoon in the aisle, standing behind Jimin.

“Hi hyung,” Jimin says sweetly. “Important business to discuss with Seokjin-hyung?”

“I just wanted a change of scenery,” Namjoon says.

“Sure,” Jimin says, and he looks positively giddy. “I’ll take the front seat for you. No problem.”

“Thank you, Jimin,” Namjoon says, sounding relieved, as he slides past the trainer and into the seat next to Seokjin.

“Hyung?” Namjoon says, touching Seokjin’s arm gently.

“Hmm?”

“Can we listen to that podcast again?” And with Namjoon looking at him, hopeful and a little nervous, who is he to say no?

“Sure, Namjoonie. Here.” He hands Namjoon an earbud and turns on the next episode of the podcast they’d listened to on the way up.

Seokjin hears a giggle and turns to see Jeongguk covering his mouth, staring at them and clearly laughing.

“Is he always like that?” Jeongguk asks.

Taehuyng, next to him, nods. “Sometimes worse.”

The new pitcher just grins, toothy and bright. “You must really love him to put up with that.”

Namjoon’s head slides onto Seokjin’s shoulder as he makes a little snuffling sound in his sleep, and resigned, Seokjin thinks Jeongguk has no idea how right he is about that.

#someone said something nice #fic: cl

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