Hoseok was someone trained in the art of compliments.

Compliments had powers beyond Hoseok's imagination. The last thing people would suspect had the edge in tipping the scales to one's favor. Compliments could take you far. Who didn't love getting complimented? Hoseok knew everyone he talked to in the business industry loved hearing him flatter them because who are humans, if not creatures aching to hear something nice from a stranger to quell their lingering insecurities?

Hoseok was the clear exception, of course. He didn't need compliments from anyone when he knew that he was a blessing on Earth. Call him arrogant, narcissistic, or whatever came to mind, but Hoseok pegged it as nothing but self-confidence. He had to have it because in the industry he grew in, having the slightest hesitancy could be the difference in control. All any rival needed was one sliver of growing doubt for them to exploit. Hoseok couldn't have that. He had to be on top of the game, always.

But when it came to Yoongi, Hoseok found his words failing him.

"You look like you just came out of a rat sewer."

Yoongi's eyes narrowed, and he stuck his tongue out childishly. "I just woke up."

Hoseok scoffed, already combing through his hair. "Yeah. Clearly. Your hair looks like a bird's nest."

"I can't both have a bird's nest and have come out of a rat sewer," Yoongi grumbled, stifling a yawn. "Aren't you supposed to be nice to me?"

"This is me being nice."

"Charming," Yoongi commented. "I can only imagine what your rude comments about me will sound like. Anyways, your hair doesn't look too bad."

"Too?"

Yoongi frowned. "Yeah. You style it the same, always. Kind of a bore, but at least it's styled decently."

Hoseok scrunched his nose. "Just for that, I'm changing my hair."

Yoongi shrugged. "Like that's my business. Anyways, that's my compliment for the day, so don't try to fish for more."

Like Hoseok would ever want anything more from Yoongi.

Even the sound of Yoongi attempting to compliment him was vile to Hoseok's ears. Leave it to all-righteous President Min to do the barest of minimums. Of course, he'd want to be the leader in this whole ordeal. Yoongi had to be the face of this compliment idea, and Hoseok hated it. If this were a business negotiation, Hoseok was doing a terrible job at it. He watched as Yoongi said nothing more, disappearing into the bathroom.

How could Hoseok compliment Yoongi?

It was impossible.

Every time Hoseok tried looking in Yoongi's direction, all he could feel was that wash of hatred, and any thought that could sound remotely nice flew out of his mind. There was nothing Hoseok felt like he could say that would constitute a compliment. There was nothing nice to say about Yoongi. Yoongi wasn't nice. He was a jerk who used his power to make Hoseok's life a living hell while championing himself as a righteous man. At least Hoseok knew that he had his faults and owned up to them. Yoongi could do no wrong.

Not even when he would stare wistfully every time he looked at Minseo.

"It's been almost a month now; why do you keep staring at her?"

Yoongi sighed, peeling his eyes away from Minseo to look at Hoseok, disdain written beautifully across his expression. Hoseok arched an eyebrow, crossing his arms, while Jungkook looked over at them, intrigued. Namjoon and Taehyung were there as well, not really paying attention but getting bits and pieces of the conversations instead. Hoseok suspected this was their attempt at trying to get Hoseok and Yoongi to talk to each other more instead of them always driving the conversations between them.

"Why do I keep staring at the girl I was forced to break up with?" Yoongi almost spat, voice holding nothing but anger. Hoseok shrugged.

"I don't know why you loved her," Hoseok answered, taking a sip of his milk. "She doesn't seem like your type."

"Then you must not know me because Minseo is exactly my type," Yoongi retorted, pursing his lips. "I love her. I would still be here if it wasn't for this."

"Ah, careful, you don't want anyone to hear you talking," Hoseok said, raising his voice just a little. "You broke up with her because you're with me now. You're my boyfriend, remember? Well, fiancé. And as my fiancé, I don't appreciate you looking at your ex. It makes me think you want her and not me."

Yoongi's jaw clenched, and Hoseok bit back the grin threatening to spread across his face. Despite Yoongi being the one that had given him the compliments, Hoseok still had the upper hand. He'd almost forgotten about Minseo. Yoongi usually never sat with him during lunch time because he'd spend his time either during office hours or in the library, but Namjoon and Taehyung had forcibly encouraged them to interact more. While the student population at Fide High didn't have to care about the politics surrounding the two, it was still important for Hoseok and Yoongi to show unity.

They were even holding hands.

Underneath the table, of course. PDA wasn't allowed during school, so that was something Hoseok had to convince Yoongi to do. What better way to show that they were devoted to each other than by holding hands? Yoongi and Minseo had done it all the time, so Yoongi and Hoseok should be expected to do the same.

"I've heard Seokjin has already taken her out on a date," Jungkook piped, gauging Yoongi's reaction. As expected, Yoongi's face contorted with fury, his eyes flaming at the admittance. "What? Don't shoot the messenger."

"That's not it, and you know it," Yoongi hissed. "You know how long Jin's been trying to get my girl? A really long time. If it wasn't for the fact that he'd left to study abroad, he probably would have gotten her."

"At least you know when you're the second choice," Hoseok smirked, earning a glare from everyone. "What? It's true. Seokjin is a thousand times more good looking. He makes Yoongi look like a trash can. Yoongi never stood a chance."

Yoongi smiled coldly. "Looks aren't everything, Hoseok. I mean, have you looked at yourself?"

"I seem to recall you calling me decent looking today," Hoseok said, adding, "At the very least, my hair, right? You can't back on the compliment now."

"Here's another one," Yoongi said, his smile becoming wider. "You look pretty when you don't say anything. Shut the fuck up."

Hoseok batted his eyelashes, sighing dramatically. "Yoongi Min just called me pretty. I think I'm going to cry. You know what, Yoongi? I think your lips are the best part of you. Especially when you frown, just like that!" Hoseok laughed, pointing at Yoongi. "How's that for a compliment?"

"Choke."

"Only for you," Hoseok snickered, letting Yoongi's hand go. "Seriously, though, you need to stop looking over there. You don't want to fuck up Minseo's life far more than you are already. You can get with her ten years from now."

"Wonderful," Yoongi said, turning back to his food. "Hey, I'm going to pass by my house today after school. Don't wait for me."

"You should take Hoseok with you," Namjoon immediately said, much to Hoseok and Yoongi's distaste. "I'm sure you'd love to get acquainted with your future in-laws, Hoseok. You don't know anyone from Yoongi's family other than his parents. He has siblings too."

Hoseok groaned.

Yoongi grimaced.

Meeting Yoongi's family would make everything...official. Granted, Yoongi already knew Hoseok's parents, and considering that Hoseok was an only child, there weren't any more introductions set in place. The extended family Hoseok had would come later in the coming months, but Hoseok didn't see the need to know Yoongi's family. He knew that Yoongi had siblings— two of them, and that was far too many for Hoseok to want to handle at once. Not that he couldn't— he was usually his relatives' go to babysitter, but that didn't mean that he looked forward to dealing with them. Plus, Hoseok wouldn't be welcome in the Min house. The thought of it was unfathomable, and Hoseok knew that the last thing Yoongi wanted was for Hoseok to bond with his little siblings.

His siblings hadn't even been there for the dinner. From Hoseok's knowledge, Yoongi's siblings had no idea that Yoongi's life circumstances had changed, apart from the fact that Yoongi moved out. From Namjoon and Taehyung's interested faces, however, Hoseok knew that it was futile to try and argue. Even his parents would agree that it was necessary for Hoseok to sit down with Yoongi's family, and treat this as he would a business transaction. Both parties had to cooperate, so Hoseok visiting the Min family home was not only encouraged, it was expected.

"I can't wait to see your childhood home," Hoseok paused deliberately. "Oh, wait. That's not your childhood home, sorry. I forget you moved here."

Yoongi scowled. "You are not welcome in my home."

"Well, good thing I'm not a vampire that needs permission to enter your home," Hoseok remarked sarcastically, casting him a dirty look. "You lucked out there, Yoongi. Sorry about that."

"I just want one moment where I don't have to deal with you," Yoongi said, crossing his arms. "Me visiting my family was supposed to be that. Now you have to tag along? As if my life couldn't get any worse. Can't he visit any other day?"

Taehyung shook his head. "You have to learn to like each other. I've seen more friendliness from piranhas, and that's not a good thing."

Both Yoongi and Hoseok looked at Taehyung in confusion.

"What Taehyung means is, you two need to get along as friends," Namjoon interjected. "This is the perfect way to do it. Solidify the unities between the two families. It'll look good for the press."

There was nothing more Hoseok's parents loved more than their stocks increasing in value over a good marketing photo. And from the looks of it, neither did Yoongi's parents.

Maybe the art of complimenting didn't work for Hoseok when it came to Yoongi, but it sure as hell would work for Yoongi's family. How hard would it be to win them over? Wooing strangers was something he had been raised to do. It would be easy. A walk in the park. A way to get in Yoongi's parents' and siblings' good graces and make Yoongi regret ever trying to make Hoseok seem like someone he was not. Yoongi wouldn't be able to make him a fool, because Hoseok knew better. He was raised better.

All Hoseok had to do was make sure that Yoongi didn't make a fool out of him. 

a/n: i honestly just love sope bickering i would 100% make them bicker like this all time if i could. just whole chapters dedicated to them literally destroying each other. minseo does have a bit of a role in this story, so she will be appearing slightly more as the chapters go on.

as we continue, i will be amping up the cliché scenes, so if you have any that you want to see between these lovely lovely couple, please comment them and/or send them my way and i will happily figure out how to include them to this story!

thank you for reading <3