next two chapters: outing, homophobia, please read at your own discretion

February 28th was the third time Yoongi had been almost discovered. The following day, February 29th had turned out worse because Yoongi had been caught.

It had turned out to be the worst days of Yoongi's life.

Almost two weeks after he'd accepted his spot at Northeastern, the admission letters came in the mail, and Yoongi's parents had gotten to them before Yoongi had arrived to keep it from them.

Yoongi should have realized that his parents would reign hellfire as soon as they figured out that Yoongi had decided to accept admission into another school. If there were hell on Earth, it had to be at his parent's house, with his parents being Lucifer and Lilith themselves, raining down their might on Yoongi whenever they deemed appropriate.

"When were you going to tell us?"

Yoongi was quiet as he entered the living room. His parents were sitting on the couch, expressions unreadable. His father clutched the letter of Admissions in his hand— the intensity of it crunching the otherwise smooth paper material. Yoongi adjusted his backpack over his shoulder, shrugging. This alone caught his parents in a fit of anger, and his mother burst into tears, though Yoongi made no move to comfort her.

"You're constantly disobeying us, Yoongi," his father said. Yoongi refused to look at them, only spiking more anger from his father. "You look at us when we're talking to you! We're your parents. Take a seat so when can talk. As a family."

"Y'all should be congratulating me," Yoongi said, begrudgingly taking a seat. "I'm going to be in Northeastern for the next four years. Any other parents would be leaping with joy. Got pretty good money from them too."

"Children usually listen to their parents' wishes for college, but I guess we aren't that type of family anymore, Yoongi," his father remarked, boring deadly stares into Yoongi's direction. "You withdrew from Notre Dame, told us you were thinking about going to BC, and suddenly you're going to Northeastern? Out of all the schools you could have chosen to go to, you decided to go to the one school that the gay decided to go to?"

A surge of resentment bubbled through Yoongi, but he kept his calm, saying, "Northeastern was my top school for years. I abandoned it because you wanted me to go to the same university as you. Whether or not Hoseok is going is a different story, but—"

"He is going, though," his father interrupted. "Isn't he?"

Yoongi ignored him. "You always want me to do what you want. I wouldn't be happy at Notre Dame. I wouldn't be happy at Boston College, either. You can't just expect me to be okay with the decisions you made for me. Northeastern has what I want to study. I want to be in the Criminal Justice department. I'm sorry I am looking out for my well-being and happiness for once instead of trying to please you two all the time."

"How could you say that?" his mother wailed, bursting into louder tears. "You're our son. We know what's best for you! You're not thinking clearly, Yoongi. Please tell me you haven't sent anything to them. Tell me that you can still change this decision."

Yoongi shook his head. "I already paid the deposit. Come the fall, I will be at Northeastern, whether you support me or not."

"You won't receive any support from us," his father stated, slamming the paper on the coffee table. "Choosing what college you go to is a huge decision. I can't believe you would do something this heartbreaking to us. You know we can't support you going to Northeastern. Any other university I can get around to but Northeastern? You can't."

"It's not for you to decide," Yoongi snapped, crossing his arms. "I'm going to Northeastern whether you like it or not. I'm not withdrawing."

"Give me the keys to your car," his father said, voice unrelenting. Yoongi's expression morphed into confusion. "Your car keys. Now. If not, your phone is next."

"You're joking," Yoongi scoffed, his fingers pulling out the keys from his pocket. "How am I supposed to go to school?"

His father shrugged. "Use your running skills. Ask Jess. Figure it out. Just like it's your choice to go to Northeastern, it's my choice to take away your transportation mode here. This is not up for debate. You're lucky you can still show your face here."

"Fine."

He slammed the keys onto the table, scaring both his father and mother. He took a deep breath in an attempt to remain calm. He wouldn't change his mind about going to Northeastern, and if he were, he wouldn't get the money he'd already spent back.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Yoongi."

Yoongi fought the urge to roll his eyes, feeling the similar twinge of hurt that came from his parents' constant rejection.

"All I do is disappoint you these days," Yoongi remarked bitterly. "You didn't even bother telling me you were off to Florida. You didn't send me a Christmas text, much less a New Year one. I don't understand why y'all can't just accept that I'm doing my own decisions for once."

"Because they're not your decisions," his mother shouted. "They're his decisions. They're Hoseok's. You never wanted to go to Northeastern. It was because of him that you were interested. You were in the cross country team, and you left your peers abandoned because you chose to be with Hoseok doing God knows what? You stopped going to church because of him. All of your decisions were made by Hoseok! It was never you."

The words felt like a slap in the face.

Yoongi's parents never saw Yoongi as someone independent. Even now, they assumed that Yoongi was being manipulated by Hoseok. Hoseok had done nothing to manipulate Yoongi. He would never do that. He let Yoongi make his own decisions, and all he did do was give Yoongi advice. Hoseok showed Yoongi the truth, and everything else was up to Yoongi. Ultimately, Yoongi chose to hang out with Hoseok. His parents had interfered with his cross country in an effort to stop Yoongi from being with Hoseok, which only pushed them more together.

If anything, his parents were at fault for Yoongi wishing to have his autonomy.

"My choices are mine to make," Yoongi stated coldly. "You never gave me that option. It was always what made you happy. You don't want me thinking for myself. You're putting your life onto mine. You want me to be exactly like you, go to the same university, major in the same things, and work the same job as you. I'm not my own person when it comes to y'all. I'm an extension of you, and you can't stand the fact that I'm becoming someone you aren't."

Yoongi paused briefly.

"I won't apologize." he continued. "If you want to strip me of everything you can think of, fine. I respect y'all as my parents, but I can't live to please you. If that's all you wanted, maybe you should try again. If it weren't for your constant badgering, things would be different. You pushed me to seek out other people, and now I'm making informed, conscious decisions with their advice. I don't want the life you want for me. I've never wanted it. I wanted to make you happy. I can't keep doing it at the expense of my happiness."

Everything had changed for Yoongi. He was in a secret relationship, had accepted an offer from another university, and whether his parents liked him or not, Yoongi was different now. It was a lot earlier than they might have wanted it to happen, as Yoongi was still in their household and under their care, but they had to accept it whether they wanted to or not. Yoongi was still sparing them the truth between him and Hoseok, and he hoped that he would continue to do so. His parents were already distraught over his university decision. For them to realize that Yoongi had his first relationship, well, Yoongi didn't know how they would react.

He didn't want to either.

"Can't you listen to me on this?" he asked softly. "As your only son?"

His parents remained silent. Yoongi waited for a few moments before finally standing up, knowing that the conversation had ended. He'd broken yet another rule his parents held over him, and with his parents not even looking at him, he knew it was best to remove himself. His mother was sobbing relentlessly, as if Yoongi had committed the worst crimes to humanity, while his father lay there comforting her, avoiding Yoongi's gaze like the plague. He left the living room and marched up the stairs, slowly closing his bedroom door. He turned on his phone, a frown on his lips at the first message.

jess: seen you got into neu

jess: congrats u deserve it

jess: is that where trucker boy's going too?

yoongi: ???

yoongi: how do you know im going to neu ?

jess: overheard your parents telling mine

jess: they was upset so i assumed u was gon get an earful

yoongi: got my car taken away lol

yoongi: miracle they ain't take my phone

jess: yikes

jess: u need to get outta there? i can be there in 15

Against his better judgment, Yoongi agreed.

—🏝—

"You remember the last time we got McDonald's?"

Yoongi only smiled politely at Jess's question. They were sitting in the dining room area, and Jess seemed to be enjoying the moment together. She was bouncing off the walls, talking (mostly to herself while Yoongi nodded every so often) about everything that had happened since the last time they had hung out.

"Trucker boy was waiting for you right over there," she gestured to the parking spot that currently lay empty. "I remember. Is he gonna pick you up from now on?"

Yoongi sighed. "I haven't even told him my car privileges been revoked. He's gonna be upset, that's for sure."

"Better a car and not yourself," Jess hummed. "Y'know, since trucker boy's your boyfriend and all."

Yoongi froze mid-sip. "Where'd you get that from?"

Jess sighed harshly. "You don't trust me. Come on, GiGi, it's been months. I thought by now you'd trust me. I told ya everything about my gal and me. Why can't you give me the same courtesy? 'S kinda messed up. We on the same boat. You can trust me."

"No offense, Jess, but I never asked you to tell me your business," Yoongi responded. "It's great that you're comfortable sharing y'all's relationship, but I don't know you like that."

Jess pouted. "Aw, come on, don't say that. We're pretty much a couple. We should be truthful to each other."

Yoongi grimaced. "I understand how you feel, but it's truly not your business. We-we're not together, Jess. I don't even think it looks like that."

"If that was the case, your ma wouldn't have asked you if you were gonna ask me out for Valentine's Day," she mused. "You were hanging out with your boyfriend." She laughed. "Are ya still in the denial phase? Is that why you don't wanna say shit? I thought y'all had more history than that. You told me so, remember?"

"Okay, okay!" Yoongi relented, frustrated. "He's my boyfriend. Happy now?"

"I knew it," Jess grinned triumphantly. "When did y'all start dating officially?" Seeing Yoongi's skeptical gaze, Jess added, "You already told me about your relationship. Might as well tell me when it became official."

If it made Jess shut up, then Yoongi knew he had to.

"Valentine's Day," Yoongi answered. Jess nodded penisvely.

"He give you that necklace?" Jess asked, gesturing to Yoongi's neck. "It's mighty pretty."

"Thanks," Yoongi said, avoiding the question. Jess looked bothered, but she continued the conversation as if nothing had happened.

"It's the twenty eight now," Jess said. "So you only been dating two weeks? Damn. Y'all looks like y'all got more."

Yoongi cleared his throat. "Kinda. We just made it official. We've been a thing for a while now; I just barely got to terms with me being...yeah." He fidgeted uncomfortably. "Can we talk about something else now? Something that has nothing to do with me?"

He didn't know why Jess was pressing him so much, but it was beginning to weird Yoongi out. He didn't know why he felt a sense of shame talking about this to Jess when Jess was just like him. He thought he'd been slowly getting more comfortable with his sexuality and his relationship with Hoseok. Talking to Jess about it made him feel the exact opposite. The familiar stomach churning and the slight paranoia began to creep in, and Yoongi didn't like it one bit. It was one thing to make himself feel those emotions, but for them to be coming because of someone else— it was foreign, and it made Yoongi want to flip himself inside out.

"Oh, sure," Jess drawled, providing temporary relief as she immediately added, "After I see some pictures!"

"No, Jess, you're being weird."

"Hey, I showed you pictures of my girlfriend and me," she pouted, already grabbing Yoongi's phone. "Come on. Oh, Yoongi, you don't even got your phone locked. This is so easy."

"Quit it!"

Yoongi lunged for his phone, unable to grab it. Jess burst into laughter, jumping up from her seat and running towards the restrooms. Yoongi could feel the tears welling in his eyes, but he forced them back, scrambling to get to Jess before she could make it into the ladies' room. A flurry of giggles echoed inside the ladies' room as Yoongi was unable to get to his phone, and Yoongi panicked even more, his voice already echoing sobs that caught in his throat.

He didn't care that the others in the fast food chain were looking at him weirdly. He pounded on the door, pleading at Jess to get out of the restroom and give him his phone back, and Jess only laughed, saying that Yoongi was overreacting and that she just wanted to see the pictures of the 'lovebirds.' The longer Jess took, the more anxious Yoongi became, and he contemplated fully entering the ladies' room so that he could get his phone back. He was visibly shaking now, and the tears that had watered began to slip from Yoongi's eyes as he continued to beg Jess to give him his phone back.

"I dunno why you're so protective over the real cute pictures you got."

After what seemed like forever, Jess opened the door, catching a stumbling Yoongi who had put his entire weight on the door. A broken sigh passed his lips as he took the phone from Jess's hands, and he shielded his face, not wanting Jess to see how much he was already crying. Yoongi had never been the type to be so sensitive, but knowing that Jess had gone through his phone just to see some pictures after pressuring him to talk about himself freaked him out. He had no idea what Jess had done in those seconds of eternity that she'd taken his phone, and that was the scariest part of all.

"Leave me alone," Yoongi snapped through tears. "I'm leaving. Don't fucking come near me. I mean it!"

"Gee, GiGi, I'm sorry, I didn't mean no harm," Jess said, but Yoongi ignored her, walking back to the table they were sitting at. Without a word, Yoongi grabbed his things and began walking out, Jess quickly following after him. "Aw, come on, GiGi! I didn't do nothing to you! You don't even got a ride home!"

Yoongi's fingers fumbled for the call button, the action briefly interrupted by the tears hitting his phone screen. When he managed to dial, he put the phone to his ear, ignoring Jess as she walked after him, calling his name. Sensing her too close, Yoongi broke out into a run, not caring that he had a clear disadvantage as Jess had her car.

"Hello?"

"Joon," Yoongi nearly cried into the phone. He looked back to see Jess getting into her car, and he ran faster, trying to find his way into the nearest supermarket. "C-can you pick me up?"

"Oh my god, Yoongi, are you okay?"

He could already hear the sounds of the keys dangling in Namjoon's hand and a couple of muffled voices, though, in his adrenaline, Yoongi couldn't decipher. By this point, he had already gotten a measurable distance between the McDonald's and Jess, but as Jess pulled out of the restaurant parking lot, he picked up his pace.

"No," Yoongi sobbed, wiping his tears. "I can't—I don't know how to get away from her."

"From who?" Namjoon asked, and Yoongi heard the sound of Namjoon's car turning on. "Where are you right now? I can't get to you if I don't know where you are."

"I'm running towards the plaza," Yoongi managed to stammer, picking up his feet as he heard Jess closing in on him. "I'm scared, Joon. I don't know if I'll lose Jess. She's chasing me in her car, but she's at a stop light right now."

"What do you mean Jess is chasing you with her car?" Namjoon demanded, and Yoongi swore Namjoon's car accelerated, the muffled voices becoming louder. "You'll lose her in the plaza. I'll be there in five. You're at the one with the Walmart, right?" After Yoongi confirmed, he continued. "Okay, good. Walmart's big enough, so you'll have no problem losing her. She's going to have to park, and then she's going to have to run inside to you. It's afternoon right now, so there'll be a shit ton of people. You'll be safer."

Yoongi had never been so grateful that he'd spent the last couple of years running because now he was able to use it to sprint through the parking lot and enter Walmart without Jess being able to get to him. Traffic had caught to her, so she was stuck, whereas Yoongi was at an advantage, as Jess had chosen the McDonald's that was closest to the busiest parts of town. Because they were a small town, all of the biggest stores were near each other. He made a beeline towards Walmart, not stopping until he'd passed the doors, where he slowed down to a speed walk.

He was still on the phone with Namjoon, who was giving him time estimates and keeping Yoongi calm through everything. The world was still spinning in Yoongi's head, and he wasn't sure how he was meant to react. It felt crazy to say that Yoongi was being chased by someone after being pressured to talk about himself, but he supposed it was partially his fault. He shouldn't have agreed to go out with Jess when she'd offered. The call briefly cut as Jess's contact rang through the screen, and Yoongi immediately pressed the button to ignore it, panicking slightly as it continued to ring.

"We're almost there, Yoongi."

Namjoon's voice was one of reassurance, and as Yoongi hid in the aisle closest to the gardens per Namjoon's instruction, he could see Jess's car making its rounds around the parking lot, passing through the two front entrances painfully slow. The left most entrance was the one Yoongi was closest to, and he jumped every time Jess passed through it, though Jess couldn't see him, his figure obscured by the plants. The seconds stretched into minutes, and by the time Namjoon had told Yoongi he was there, Jess had illegally parked in the handicapped spot. Jess and Yoongi's eyes met as she walked closer, and she quickly began making her way inside, causing Yoongi to burst into a sprint out of his hiding place to the opposite side of the store.

"She's inside," Yoongi whispered. "She saw me. Joon, where are you?"

"Jimin's waiting for you by the grocery section," Namjoon said. "Run towards there. He ran ahead while I pulled in, and I'll be at that entrance in a minute."

At the time, it had slipped through his mind that Jimin had been the one waiting for him willingly. Yoongi saw the way everyone looked at him and how the workers were already calling for him to calm down, but he couldn't calm down. His eyes searched around wildly for Jimin as he approached the grocery section, but he had too much adrenaline running that he hadn't been able to see Jimin until Jimin had grabbed his wrist. He nearly screamed, Jimin immediately shushing him before dragging him out of the Walmart. They rushed towards Namjoon's car, Jimin opening the side door and pushing Yoongi inside, closing the door quickly, and getting into the front side just as Jess walked outside, a look of disbelief in her expression.

In his despair, Yoongi had failed to notice the sight of recognition flashing through Jimin's eyes as he looked at Jess.

"I don't think she'll follow us," Namjoon said, breaking the silence as they pulled out of the parking lot. Yoongi only nodded weakly, flinching every time his phone buzzed, flurrying with texts from Jess, who kept begging Yoongi to text her back. Jimin turned back to Yoongi, his features softening ever so slightly, and he reached for Yoongi's phone. Yoongi handed it to him, still shaking from everything that had occurred.

"Is it okay if I read the messages she's sending?"

Jimin's voice had taken a considerably soft tone, and all Yoongi could do was nod meekly. Namjoon glanced at him every so often, worry seeping into the usually calm features of his face, and Jimin was oddly silent, scrolling through Yoongi's text messages with Jess, though he only looked at the ones that were coming in. If Jimin was surprised by anything in the texts, he didn't show it, and he finally settled into turning off Yoongi's phone.

The car was quiet except for Yoongi's muffled sobs. The type of things that only happened in movies had ended up happening to him, and Yoongi didn't know how to feel. All of this felt like a badly scripted action movie, with Yoongi being the front star, even though Yoongi didn't know how to act. Getting chased by a girl was something for the movies and TV shows, not for reality, and yet, it had happened to him.

It had been so unrealistic it had become real.

When Namjoon had pulled into Hoseok's driveway, Hoseok was waiting by the door, expression riddled with anxiety and worry. Yoongi sat still in the car, not wanting to get out, and Jimin opened the door for him, Namjoon appearing on the other side to gently coax Yoongi out. Yoongi shook his head adamantly, with fears that Jess could still be around, though he knew that, rationally speaking, there was no one there. He was safe.

So why did he feel as if he were the most vulnerable person on the planet?

After a few minutes of them trying to convince Yoongi out of the car, they gave up. Yoongi watched them leave, and a few seconds later, Hoseok appeared, the initial worry multiplying tenfold at Yoongi's crying, incredibly messy state. Yoongi couldn't even look at Hoseok in the face, averting his gaze so Hoseok wouldn't have to see him in the state he was in.

"Yoon, you have to get out of the car," Hoseok said softly. "You can't stay here for the rest of the day."

"I don't want to," Yoongi mumbled, glued to his seat. Hoseok nodded once.

"Can I take off your seatbelt?" Hoseok asked instead. Yoongi nodded, and Hoseok leaned over to Yoongi's side, body in front of Yoongi's, as his fingers went to unbuckle his seatbelt.

Instinctively, Yoongi's arms wrapped around Hoseok's tightly. He didn't care if they could be seen by anyone, no, not when Jess potentially had everything she needed to completely ruin his life. Hoseok was quick to hug him back, murmuring sweet words into Yoongi's ears as he endearingly ran his fingers through Yoongi's hair. They stayed like that for a few moments, Yoongi continuing to hold Hoseok tightly and Hoseok holding him, regardless of how uncomfortable the position was.

"I have your favorite," Hoseok whispered. "Let's go eat. You're freezing, baby."

"I don't want to let you go," Yoongi mumbled, pulling Hoseok a bit closer.

"When we get inside, you can hold me as much as you want," Hoseok reassured. "But we have to get inside first. You're going to get sick if you're out in the cold like this."

It took a bit more convincing before Yoongi was finally able to get out of the car. Hoseok had let him go so that they could walk to the house without having to alert anyone, but as soon as Hoseok had closed the car door, Yoongi had clung to him, his arms latching around Hoseok's torso, head resting on Hoseok's arm. Hoseok let out a surprised noise but did nothing to stop the action, going as far as letting Yoongi's head rest on his est while his arm draped over his shoulder, squeezing Yoongi's arm reassuringly.

Jimin watched the actions carefully but didn't say a word. Namjoon was more worried about their attraction attention, and he quickly ushered them inside. Isla and Jisoo were sitting in the living room worried, and when they saw Yoongi, they rushed up to him and hugged him, already fearing the worst for him.

"How bad were the messages?" Yoongi asked quietly once Hoseok led him to the couch. Everyone was there, including Hoseok's mother, who had her phone ready just in case she needed to make any calls. A flicker of anguish passed through Jimin, and his eyes averted to Namjoon's before looking back to Yoongi.

"She has your pictures," Jimin answered. "Said that she wouldn't do anything if you decided to talk to her about what happened."

"No," Hoseok said, motioning for Yoongi's phone. "She can't threaten him for the fun of it. She had no right to snoop through Yoongi's phone."

"She knows, even without the pictures," Yoongi said, voice cracking at the seams. "She kept pressuring me into telling her, so I did. Like I owed it to her to tell her because she told me about her."

"What did you tell her, Yoongi?" Hoseok's mother asked.

Out of all the ways that Yoongi wanted the Jung family to find out about his relationship with Hoseok, this had to be the last option on his list.

Yoongi's eyes flickered to Hoseok, who said nothing. He laced their hands together, nodding once to encourage Yoongi to answer his mother. Everyone else watched the gesture, two of them already knowing and the other three suspecting what it was.

"Hoseok and me," Yoongi cleared his throat, talking a bit louder. "We're dating."

If this were any other occasion, Yoongi knew that the Jungs would have leaped for joy. Jimin would have been incredibly upset, and Namjoon would have to calm him down. But, this was not any other occasion. This was the afternoon Yoongi had fought with his parents, been forced to talk about his sexuality and relationship with Hoseok, and then had his phone stolen so that now Jess, someone who was in his circumstances, was now using it to threaten Yoongi.

"That's why she's using your pictures as blackmail," Hoseok's mother said flatly, jaw clenching. "Can you show me the pictures, boys? Only if you're comfortable. I don't want to pressure you into anything."

Yoongi looked to Hoseok again, waiting for confirmation. Hoseok took out his phone and gave it to his mother, who looked through the photos. If Hoseok and Yoongi were a regular couple, it would be the type of pictures that everyone would gush at, but they weren't a regular couple. Hoseok and Yoongi were boyfriends, and that sight alone was enough to have them sent to court if proven to be anything but innocent.

If the pictures somehow got to his parents, Yoongi would be a dead man.

"She has no right to use this against you," Hoseok's mother said, handing Hoseok back the phone. "I'm so sorry you're under these circumstances. I'll start documenting these. I-i know it did nothing last time, but maybe with concrete evidence like this, we could get Jess to back off."

Yoongi frowned. "Last time?"

Jess had done this before?

Hoseok's lips parted in realization, and he looked at Jimin, who was upset— but not for the reasons Yoongi had thought he would be. "I knew I recognized her name somewhere."

"Jess outed me to my family and the school," Jimin said. "We went to the same high school together before I transferred somewhere else. I was dating, or, well, I thought I was dating a boy at the school. She was best friends with him, so naturally, she decided that she should get in between us. I thought she had a crush on him at first, but she showed me pictures of her girlfriend, so I thought she would be safe to befriend."

Jungkook was his name, and it was one that Yoongi had heard around his church. Jimin recalled how Jungkook and Jimin had gotten incredibly close and how it felt that they were together because they were interested in each other. Whenever they were in private, Jungkook would shower Jimin with kisses, act affectionate, and do everything a boyfriend would do, but in person, he would act cold and distant. Jess got in between the two of them, Jimin told Yoongi, and she moaned on about how no one would tell her anything, so eventually, Jimin did. It was around the time that Jungkook had started warming up to him in public, and Jimin truly did think that everything was going to be fine.

He hadn't realized that in one of Jungkook and his outings, Jess had taken a photo of them. It turned out that Jungkook was completely straight and was only leading Jimin on per Jess's suggestion. She spread the photo throughout the school, and the administration got its hands on it, giving it to Jimin's parents. From there, Jimin's life had become completely miserable, and he was forced to leave. He transferred to a school farther away from their small town, was kicked out of his home, and Hoseok's mother helped Jimin get on his feet.

Now, Jess was doing the same thing to Yoongi, only this time, Hoseok was someone everyone suspected was gay, and Yoongi had been the golden boy. If those pictures would leak and he took the route Jungkook did, Yoongi knew he would be able to pin the blame on Hoseok, but it wasn't easy. Those pictures were blatantly obvious, and Yoongi could argue that he looked far more in love with Hoseok than the older did, and it only set Yoongi into a burst of tears.

No wonder Jimin hadn't wanted Hoseok to associate himself with Yoongi. Yoongi reminded Jimin of Jungkook and the trouble that would ensure Hoseok if Yoongi decided to turn his back on Hoseok the way he did years ago— regardless of personal feelings.

"If I hadn't been mean to you, maybe I could have warned you," Jimin lamented, eyeing Yoongi with sincerity. "How did you two meet?"

"My parents matched me with her," Yoongi said. "We met at church back in December. I tried not to keep in contact with her, but my parents always invited her over, and then I had a fight with my parents today about my decision to go to Northeastern, and they took my car—"

"This is terrible timing, but congratulations on getting into Northeastern," Hoseok's mother said, to which Yoongi nodded gratefully. "I'm sorry Jess is bothering you."

"Yeah, well, she was the first girl my parents saw I got along with," Yoongi answered, shaking his head quietly. "I guess they took my politeness for something more. This is so messed up."

"I'm sorry," Jimin said, face sullen. "I didn't mean to cause harm. I haven't treated you the best, and I may have been a bit too harsh—" he cleared his throat, "— much too harsh. I just didn't want the same shit that happened to me to happen to Hoseok. He's my best friend."

Yoongi understood. He knew Jimin was justified in his treatment of Yoongi, and he couldn't blame him. Yoongi didn't blame Jimin. If it were the other way around, he would have also been cold towards Jimin to protect Hoseok.

"You don't have to apologize for wanting to protect your best friend," Yoongi said, smiling wanly. "I get you. I would have done the same."

Jimin pursed his lips. "No, but you don't understand. If I had been more open to you, then maybe you would have been able to trust me enough to tell me that you two were in a relationship. You've been changing so much, and I overlooked it because I thought you wouldn't change. If I'd let my guard down just the tiniest bit, I could have warned you about Jess."

Yoongi shook his head. "'S not your fault, Jimin. I don't think you would have trusted me enough to tell me about Jess, either. We're not friends, Jimin."

"Yeah," he echoed, his expression still troubled. "We're not."

"You know you're always welcome here, Yoongi," Hoseok's mother said soothingly, receiving murmurs of agreement from Jisoo and Isla. "If anything happens, we have a guest room you are more than welcome to stay in."

Yoongi shook his head once more. "I couldn't ask that of you. I have some money saved."

"Not negotiable, Yoongi," Hoseok murmured, pushing Yoongi's hair from his face. "We won't abandon you."

"You're family now," Jisoo said, nodding along with Hoseok's words. "We'll take care of you. Unless you pretend that you're not with Hoseok and blame it all on him, then I will never forgive you."

Maybe before, he would have been able to, but all of that seemed impossible when his eyes met Hoseok's, and his heart wouldn't stop beating for him. Not anymore. Yoongi wouldn't do that.

He couldn't do that.

Not to the boy he loved.

There was a knock on the door, one that caused Yoongi to flinch in panic. Hoseok wrapped his arms around Yoongi, reassuring him that it was probably no one. They remained quiet for a few moments, and the knock started again, much louder this time. When the knocker received n response, they knocked to the point where Hoseok's mother was forced to open the door.

"Finally!"

Everyone's gazes immediately stormed at the sound of Jess's voice. Yoongi's eyes began to water, bile rising in his throat. Hoseok sensed the growing panic and pulled Yoongi to him, letting Yoongi put his head on his chest. Though it would do nothing to alleviate hearing Jess, it was far better for Yoongi to be somewhere he felt safe. He was safe here, in Hoseok's home, surrounded by people who would have his back— even Jimin, who looked paler than a ghost. Even Namjoon had nudged Jimin out of the sight of the door as if he was trying to protect Jimin from seeing Jess.

"Y'all are making me seem like a crazy ex-girlfriend!" Jess laughed, her voice holding no humor in it. "I gotta take Yoongi home. This was all just some crazy misunderstanding."

"The misunderstanding here is the fact that you think you can come knocking on my door demanding to take Yoongi," Hoseok's mother corrected, crossing her arms. "You aren't welcome here."

"Nah, I told Yoongi's parents I'd bring him home," Jess said. "What am I supposed to tell them? That he ran out on me for no reason? Ya should have seen him! He looked crazy. I mean, who the hell runs their ass to the nearest Walmart to get away from their friend? And he's friends with Jimin too? What are the odds that all the homosexuals in the area hang around with each other 'cept me? I'm feelin' left out here."

"I won't ask you again," Hoseok's mother said, stone cold. "Leave my property now, or I will call the police."

Jess laughed. "My father's the sheriff. Ain't no gettin' rid of me that easily. Now come on, 'nough games. Yoongi, come on. We goin' home!"

Hoseok's arms tightened around Yoongi.

"You've already put your hands in Jimin's life; now you want to ruin Yoongi's too?" Hoseok's mother inquired. "You are not welcome here. I don't care if your father's the damn sheriff. Get out. I will be opening a case against you if you do not leave."

"Y'all Jungs really get into everyone's business," Jess sighed, clicking her tongue. "Is what gets me all annoyed. Y'all some saviors for the gays or some? God. You're lucky I haven't told Yoongi's parents what he is. I'm sure they'd be devastated, and I'm sure as helluva good actor. With the pics I got too, Yoongi'll be outta house tomorrow, so I suggest you let him go."

"Are you threatening a lawyer, Jess?"

"'S not a threat, Ms. Jung," Jess retorted, whistling softly. "'S a promise. I got everything I need to make Yoongi's life hell. I'll have no shame in it neither because why should y'all get to be living life without consequences? Nah, can't have that. Not when I'm so miserable. Last chance, Yoongi."

"You're not going," Hoseok whispered, refusing to let Yoongi go. "We have a Ring by the door. Everything she's saying will be recorded. This isn't the first time that people have come to our door to make threats."

"Alright, then."

Jess rolled her eyes, quickly dusting herself off. She raised her arms in surrender, though she heightened her voice, tinged with malice and promises that Yoongi knew she would keep.

"You're digging your own grave, GiGi," she called out, snickering. "Can't say I tried to save ya. I'll see ya around. You too, Jimin. I'm sure Jungkook's missing ya by now. He got into his dream school and's currently playing football there. Thought you'd like to know. Got a pretty girlfriend too, and she looks just like yo—"

Not wanting to hear anymore, Hoseok's matter slammed the door in Jess's face.

They could still hear Jess's incessant talking, but otherwise, the room was silent. Hoseok relaxed as Jess's voice got farther away, and once he noticed that Jess was fully out of the home, he stopped tensing altogether, giving Yoongi the space to shift around as he pleased. Yoongi's eyes met Jimin's, and his heart broke once he realized that Jimin's eyes were red, with the occasional tear slipping down his cheeks. Namjoon held Jimin reassuringly, placing the occasional kisses on Jimin's forehead, and Yoongi melted into Hoseok, wanting this nightmare to be over.

It wouldn't be safe for Yoongi to go home on his own.

Thankfully, he had his school things with him, so there wouldn't be a true need for him to go back yet. Namjoon could take him back home to ease the tensions a bit, but if Jess caught a glance of Namjoon, then she could easily suspect that Namjoon was also around the same circles as Yoongi, Jimin, and Hoseok, putting Namjoon even more in danger. If Jess was keeping her word, it wouldn't take long for his parents to find everything out, and Yoongi didn't have the heart to deal with that, not when he had already had a stressful fight with them over college.

He had to protect himself first.

"You can borrow my uniform for tomorrow," Hoseok said. "It might be a bit big, but I think you should be fine."

"Should I start thinking about packing my things from my house?" Yoongi half-joked, sighing. Hoseok cracked a smile, and while it was one out of response to Yoongi's feeble attempt at a joke amidst a dark situation, Yoongi appreciated it all the same.

For now, he had nothing to worry about. What his parents didn't know— what anyone didn't know wouldn't hurt them. He was still safe, hiding in the Paradise he knew he no longer belonged to.

Come tomorrow, the gates of Heaven would rain down on him, casting their final judgment over him.