True to Jess's words, his parents had left silently the following day, leaving nothing but a note telling Yoongi that they would be spending the holidays with their family in Florida. They assured Yoongi that he had enough money to feed himself for the week, and in the case that he felt lonely, Jess's family had happily offered him a place for the holiday celebration. Yoongi knew that it shouldn't hurt, but he felt the sting in his eyes as he read the note, and once he was done, he threw it in the trash.

They hadn't even had the decency to tell him face to face that they were gone. Yoongi knew his parents didn't owe him anything, but a little communication would have gone a long way. With the way things had progressed yesterday, his parents sitting down with him and bonding like they did during the holidays, Yoongi had thought for a second that his relationship with them was mending. It had all been for show, Yoongi realized. To lull him into security. Knowing them, this was probably a ploy to get Yoongi to hang out with Jess's family, and connect with them on a more personal level, but Yoongi had no intention of doing that.

At least, he'd been given permission for Namjoon to sleep over.

That was always a plus.

"Hey."

Namjoon stood there with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder, beaming excitedly as Yoongi opened the door. Yoongi ushered him inside, embracing him, before showing Namjoon to the spare room. When Namjoon had settled in, Yoongi and Namjoon flopped on the couch. Yoongi's mother had left some breakfast made, so Yoongi brought it to the living room, gave a plate to Namjoon, and settled down to eat. Though it had only been a few days since Yoongi had seen his best friend, he realized so much had happened— too much, and Yoongi spilled it all as he ate, watching as Namjoon's eyes widened with every word that passed through Yoongi's lips.

"So what are y'all?"

Yoongi shrugged. "We're in the together but not together stage."

Namjoon nodded in understanding. "So exactly how you were these past couple weeks, but you two aren't pining from a distance anymore."

Yoongi rolled his eyes, cheeks flaming red. "Don't say it like that."

"I knew something had happened," Namjoon stated proudly. "What? Jimin was fuming. I asked him why and he told me Hoseok had broken things off with Alex. For good."

"Good," Yoongi said, feeling satisfaction. "I feel like if he would have kept that, then it could count as cheating."

Namjoon laughed, pausing only to take a bite of his food. "No, because Jimin swears up and down that you had some to do with it, and I'm over here telling him he's making shit up and that Hoseok just didn't want to force himself into a relationship with someone he wasn't fully committed to. Clearly, I lied." He set his plate down, looking at Yoongi concerned. "How are you feeling about everything?"

In truth, Yoongi was still riding on the high. Now that his parents were out of the picture for the coming weeks, Yoongi knew there was no way his parents could find out anything about him and Hoseok. If Yoongi wanted to, he could invite Hoseok to his place, and Hoseok could spend his nights with Yoongi instead of the usual— going to his place. The possibilities were seemingly endless, and it gave Yoongi hope.

Surprisingly, Namjoon understood.

"It starts like that," Namjoon said. "I know with me, I was so excited at first. Jumping off the walls, all I could only think about was how Jimin was my first real boyfriend. It was secret, fun, adrenaline rushing. After that, it hit me. I couldn't tell you. I couldn't tell my parents. I couldn't tell anyone in my life. I remembered everything that everyone in my life stood for, and I forced myself to keep Jimin a secret. I even faltered, with him. I thought I'd made it up in my head. The guilt starts to seep in. Then, the paranoia. You think, what if that was someone you knew? You become uncertain."

Yoongi only stared at him silently, his lips pressed into a tight, white line.

"But don't worry," Namjoon said, the voice of reassurance. "Look at me. Still going strong. Eventually, you just accept it because being with who you love is more important than what everyone else thinks."

"I love him," Yoongi said, nodding once. "I told him, I think, the first time, but I'm certain. I've never loved anyone, but I think it's because Hoseok took my ability to love anyone else."

Namjoon chuckled. "That's exactly how I felt with Jimin. Now, tell me about Jess. She sounds fun."

After hearing everything about Jess, Namjoon quickly changed his mind.

"That's not fun," Namjoon said, folding his arms across his chest. "That's risky, Gi. You both could get caught. You might be forced to marry. What if they're already planning your wedding? Wait, is that why you're here and not in Florida? Nah, Gi, they're clearly trying to get you set up with her. It's great that you found someone who's in a similar boat as you and that she helped you admit to Hoseok your feelings for him, but you shouldn't push your luck."

"I know," Yoongi sulked. "I never told her I would. I think we have some sort of double date, but other than that, we haven't discussed much. I don't think I'd be comfortable with the arrangement, but Joon, it would be so good to have a good excuse to hang out with Hoseok, and I really want to hang out with him."

Namjoon smiled softly. "I know, Gi, but think about this. If your parents find out, they will kick you out. They'll disown you for good. You've always been a family person, Gi. I don't think you're ready to fully pull yourself away from your family. You'd hate that, I know it."

Yoongi hated that Namjoon was right.

"It doesn't make sense realistically," Namjoon finished, dipping his head. "Hell, Yoongi, not even I have come to terms yet with knowing that if my parents ever find out, I could be thrown out, and I've been dating Jimin for a long while now. You reconnected with Hoseok, your parents freaked out, forced you out of the cross country team— making you miss out on potential recruitments out of state, mind you, and threatened to kick you out when you refused to stop being friends with Hoseok. Now, their worst fear came true. Do you think they'll take it lightly? If they don't immediately disown you, they'll send you away like they did Hoseok. I hate to say this, Gi, but I love you too much to encourage you to sabotage yourself. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. Losing family is hard."

Yoongi hadn't thought about that. He'd almost forgotten how his parents had influenced his sports life, but because of it, he'd hung with Hoseok. Maybe that's why he conveniently forgot about his parents' past actions. Being with Hoseok had made everything seem okay to Yoongi, and he needed everything to appear okay. His parents had sent Hoseok to a conversion therapy place, and Hoseok was nothing but a childhood friend then. If they were willing to do that to someone else's son, how far would they go for their own child?

This would also be detrimental to Jess. Jess didn't outright know what Yoongi was, though she suspected, and Yoongi knew what she identified as. He knew about her girlfriend, and Yoongi was willing to bet Jess had never come out to her parents, or she would have met the same fate as Hoseok had done years ago. Whether Jess's parents suspected it or not was different, but the truth of the matter was, that Yoongi knew very little of Jess to risk putting her in danger. If Yoongi were to be discovered, then Jess would inevitably fall alongside him.

But the temptation of it all was too big for Yoongi to ignore. The what if's even more so, leaving Yoongi to nod absentmindedly while his mind raced with all the possibilities of the coming months alongside Hoseok. So what if his recklessness could lead him into danger? It was fine; it had to be because, at the end of it all, Yoongi would still have Hoseok. That's what mattered to Yoongi the most. Frankly, it was the only thing that mattered.

Everything was completely new and exciting, and it left Yoongi wanting to venture further down the line. He hadn't made it yet, to Adam and Eve's shame yet, only seeing the beauty of the knowledge he'd been given once he'd bitten into the forbidden fruit. He didn't care enough yet, even with the random voices whispering their truths in the back of his head. What if everything that had led up to this moment was God allowing it to happen?

The power he held now was immeasurable. After listening to his parents his entire life, Yoongi was now making his own decisions, and the ability to do so was intoxicating. Though it meant nothing to someone who had the capacity to do what they wished, for Yoongi it was a feat of power he never thought he would achieve in his high school years. All his life he spent trying to gain his parents' favor, to get them to love him the way that parents should love their kids, and now that he was starting to venture on his own path, his parents were starting to drift away from him. As much as it hurt, Yoongi still held onto the hope that someday, it would be fixed. They'd loved him all his life. They should love him enough to let him continue making his own decisions.

Right?

"Do you think my parents will ever change their minds?" Yoongi asked quietly. Namjoon frowned. Yoongi knew it was futile to ask the question because both of them knew what the answer would be. "I'll be safe, I think. I just have to do everything I've been doing so far."

"Yeah, but Jess exists now," Namjoon reminded Yoongi. "Things are going to be more complicated now. You literally told me she's going to BC. If you end up going there, your parents will never let you hear the end of it. Same hometown, same university, same religion, Yoongi, this is exactly what your parents want. Besides, I don't think Hoseok or Jess's girl will be too happy with the arrangement. Long term, it'll only benefit you."

Yoongi's lips pressed into a thin line. "Her girl doesn't live here anymore. She's up north."

"It's too risky," Namjoon said. "Focus on being with Hoseok instead of trying to one up your parents. If Jess gets found out, there's nothing to indicate that she won't throw you under the bus to save herself."

"Do you really think she would be capable of that?" Yoongi asked warily. Namjoon shrugged.

"All I know is that for someone who sounds like she's in similar predicaments as you were very quick to confide in you about her sexuality and relationships," Namjoon answered. "I didn't even tell you about Jimin. You found out. Hoseok didn't tell you about Living in Hope. You found out. Now, I don't know about you, but even if someone were to tell me they support the Obergfell v. Hodges ruling, that wouldn't mean that I'd spill my entire life to them."

"Well, maybe she has no one other than her girlfriend to talk about herself to," Yoongi reasoned. "Yeah, it's weird, but you also know how hard it is to carry shit like that on your own. What if she wants a friend? Someone she can relate to?"

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Namjoon's eyebrow arched, and he looked at Yoongi questioningly. Yoongi shrugged, not knowing who could be knocking at his door this early in the morning. Namjoon got up from the couch and walked to the door, opening it.

"Are you trucker boy?"

Speak of the Devil.

Namjoon looked back to Yoongi, his eyes signaling whether it was Jess on the other side of the door. Yoongi nodded meekly, and Namjoon greeted her, correcting Jess and introducing himself as Yoongi's best friend, emphasizing that he was not 'trucker boy'. Yoongi walked to the door, smiling politely at Jess, and asked what she was doing there. Jess grinned, flinging her arms over Yoongi affectionately, holding the embrace until Namjoon cleared his throat.

"Your parents left, right?" Jess asked. "Can I come in? I know ya with your pal here, and I'm sorry I came here outta the blue, but I texted you I'd come by. Did ya not see my text?"

Yoongi hadn't. His phone was still upstairs, and he'd spent his time catching up with Namjoon. Yoongi let her come inside, emphasizing that she was only allowed for a bit, because Yoongi and Namjoon had some other errands to run, and Jess seemed completely fine with that. Yoongi shot Namjoon an apologetic glance, and Namjoon only looked at him uncomfortably, clearly displeased that Jess had intruded on their space.

"Y'all must have been talking 'bout some good for you to ignore your phone," Jess mused, settling onto the other sofa. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything."

"You did, but it can't be helped," Namjoon said, settling down on the couch. "So, Jess, you never answered Yoongi. What are you doing here?"

Jess waved him off, unaffected by Namjoon's words. "My family was bugging too much. I needed a break."

"It's only ten," Namjoon answered. "Surely, you aren't tired of your family already."

"You don't know what my family's like," Jess reprimanded. "They're unbearable come to the strike of dawn. We live on the outskirts of town. Family ranch style. A little over seventy acres; I'd love to show ya around sometime."

"Maybe later," Yoongi said, much to Jess's delight. "Is there no one else you can hang around with in the meantime?"

Jess shrugged. "I was planning on roaming 'round the town, but I thought I'd stop by first. My gal's not here 'till after Christmas, so I got a few days to kill."

"Do you have other friends?" Namjoon asked. Jess paused briefly, expression clouding briefly, before answering lightheartedly that she did not because she felt like she couldn't be friends with anyone who couldn't accept who she was.

"Besides," she added. "It's why I always ask about how someone feels about LGBTQ rights. I have acquaintances; how would I be able to get by in school without them? But, friends, as in people I can trust? Nah. I think Yoongi's the first one apart from my gal."

"Who is she?" Yoongi asked. "You never told me her name."

"Her name's Vanessa," Jess said, smiling fondly. "Can't wait for when she comes back home. I've missed her a lot. Long distance relationship is hard, lemme tell ya. Sometimes I think that she might be messing around with another girl, and it leads to nasty fights sometimes, but in the end, I know she'd never do that to me. Still, sometimes we go weeks without even speaking on the phone cuz of my family. When I leave, all will be right in my world." She sighed, pinching the bridges of her nose. "For now, spending my time with you is keeping me from going bat shit insane."

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but what are you going to do once the school year restarts?" Namjoon asked, crossing his arms. "Yoongi is going to be busy. He's not going to have time to be at your beck and call to cover for you. You know that, right?"

"Namjoon, chill."

Yoongi knew Namjoon didn't mean to sound incredibly overbearing, but he knew that there were genuine reasons as to why he was bringing up these questions. He was trying to watch out for Yoongi, but it was still a bit too forward, at least for Yoongi's taste. His assumptions about her had been correct, and he could only imagine how lonely Jess had been feeling since Vanessa had left. It was only natural to get attached to someone so quickly, as it had been like that for Yoongi once he had reconnected with Hoseok.

"No, GiGi, they're all very valid questions," Jess said, sighing. "I guess I'll do what I'll always do. Haven't needed a man in years, and while it would be nice to know that I would have one that can keep my relationship safe, I don't gotta have it."

"What if you get found out, Jess?" Namjoon asked quietly. "What will you do then?"

Jess shrugged. "I'll cross that bridge when I get there."

"Will you throw Yoongi under the bus?"

Jess gawked at Namjoon's question but said nothing.

"Alright, enough," Yoongi snapped. "I'm sorry, Jess, I think it's best if you leave for now. I'll text you, okay? Thank you for coming."

"Unannounced," Namjoon murmured. "Bye, Jess. It was nice meeting you."

Jess said nothing, only waving goodbye to Yoongi. Once Yoongi closed the door, Namjoon glanced at him pointedly. Yoongi huffed, groaning slightly.

"She's bad news," Namjoon announced. "I don't like her. You should cut contact as soon as possible. Yoongi, I mean it. GiGi? Are you kidding? She hugged you without warning!"

"Maybe her family was around," Yoongi shrugged. "You never know. She came up with the nickname. I don't think it's anything bad. She's like us. I don't think she means me harm."

Namjoon sighed, pressing his fingers against his forehead, exasperated. "Yoongi, not everyone is a good person. She couldn't even answer my question. You know I'd never throw you under the bus for anything. Hoseok wouldn't either. I'm sure Jimin wouldn't. But Jess? If you get into a fight with her, something could happen. She's not good news. Trust me, Yoongi."

"You just met her."

"And I didn't like what I saw or heard," Namjoon said, folding his arms across his chest. "I mean it. I'm sure Hoseok doesn't like the idea of her either. She lives on a ranch, for fuck's sake! Lesbian or not, that's a major red flag here. That means her family's a bunch of rednecks."

The couldn't be that bad. From yesterday, they seemed to be good people. Nothing to indicate that they were anything different from his parents. They held similar values, but even Yoongi's parents weren't that terrible. Sure, they thought that gay people shouldn't have rights, but at least they supported a lot of the other stuff that liberals in America stood for. Jess's family was white, but if they were anywhere near the redneck type of white, his parents wouldn't have associated themselves with them. They would have still wanted to keep Yoongi and Jess away from each other, and they wouldn't be trying to mix them together.

"I'm not comfortable with her, Yoongi."

Namjoon's voice was quiet as he said this, and Yoongi noticed Namjoon was no longer looking at him. Yoongi walked to him, crouching to meet his eye level. He placed a hand on Namjoon's knee and nodded slowly.

"I know," Yoongi said, a sigh escaping his lips. "It's okay. I'll listen to you. I'll try to stop interacting with her, but only after her girlfriend leaves Texas."

"Okay," Namjoon nodded, somewhat satisfied with the compromise. "I just don't want anything to happen to you. You know that, right?" You're my best friend. I love you."

Yoongi smiled. "I know. I love you too."

— 🏝 —

The rest of the year went by in a blur.

Christmas had gone well. Even though Yoongi's parents hadn't bothered to send him a Christmas text, Yoongi was glad to be around people who made him forget that his parents had become notably absent. Throughout Christmas, Yoongi made sure to stay by Hoseok's side, and he'd slept over Christmas Eve, waking up to Hoseok on Christmas day.

"Merry Christmas," Yoongi whispered as Hoseok stirred awake. Hoseok smiled affectionately, running his hand across Yoongi's hair.

"You already told me that," Hoseok chuckled. "Before we went to bed."

"Doesn't hurt to say it again," Yoongi answered, smiling contently. "It's a new day. I didn't get you a Christmas present. Sorry about that."

"It's okay," Hoseok said, leaning closer. "Your presence is all I need. I must have gotten on Santa's nice list if I managed to snag a present like you."

Yoongi giggled, caressing Hoseok's cheek. "You're awful."

All Yoongi got was a kiss in return.

Jimin had come over for Christmas Eve, and he wasn't excited to see Yoongi there. But, they put their differences aside, and maybe it was the Christmas spirit in the air, but Jimin had actually gotten along with Yoongi most of the night. The bad blood had seemed to dissipate, and Yoongi felt more relaxed in Jimin's presence, the evidence of their fight forgotten. Jimin didn't apologize to him, and neither did Yoongi, but they knew it was for the better.

Jess had been decent company. Remembering Namjoon's words, Yoongi tried his best to remain distant, nudging Hoseok closer to him than anything. Vanessa had been better, and unlike Jess, she had been more reserved, smiling politely but never fully talking about herself unless asked. They'd gone to the movies as planned, and Hoseok and Yoongi had sat next to each other, the theater empty because of the holidays, and they sat a couple of rows behind the other couple to ensure that they would have as much privacy as they could.

Vanessa had asked them if they were in a relationship, which Hoseok and Yoongi had quickly denied. They hadn't been lying— they weren't in a relationship yet, the label coming to them much too soon, even if they were something more than friends. She'd looked skeptical, as if she didn't quite believe it, but dropped the matter regardless, and for that, Yoongi had been grateful. It wasn't like Yoongi and Hoseok could be seen holding hands, much less the actual couple. Every time that Yoongi found himself getting too close to them, Namjoon's words spoke into his mind, and he retracted.

They'd gone ice skating; well, Vanessa and Jess had gone ice skating. Hoseok and Yoongi had watched them from afar, taking the time to talk to each other. Neither of them knew how to skate, and the last thing Yoongi wanted was to get injured over something he could have easily sat out of. Yoongi had confessed to Hoseok the words he'd exchanged with Namjoon, and Hoseok listened attentively, eyebrows furrowed, looking at Jess every so often. They were far enough away that Jess wouldn't be able to hear anything— not that she was paying attention to them, to begin with, as she was hanging with her girlfriend.

"You know, the name sounds familiar," Hoseok said, looking back at Jess. "I don't remember where I've heard the name from, but I know I've heard it somewhere. This is a small town, after all. I think Namjoon might be right."

"Yeah?" Yoongi asked softly. Hoseok nodded.

"She might be lonely like you said, but we also don't know her life," Hoseok reasoned, and Yoongi smiled, knowing that Hoseok was trying to see both sides of the situation. "You heard rumors that I was gay, but it wasn't until I told you myself that you knew. Namjoon didn't tell you either. You found out."

"He said that too," Yoongi murmured.

"Namjoon's plenty smart," Hoseok said, eyes fixating on Jess again. "If he thinks her family a bunch of rednecks, then it's a high chance that they are. Even if she's lesbian, it doesn't change the fact that she's white. If it comes down to it, then she's sure as hell going to save her skin before she even looks in our direction. We're still in Texas, remember? We're the minority here. Honestly, Yoon, it strikes me weird."

"Weird?"

"She's so comfortable with her identity," Hoseok said. "Enough to tell strangers. Namjoon told her nothing about him, and she was fine talking to him about her sexuality. This is Texas we're talking about, Yoon. It's odd. It's not like we're in Montrose."

"Montrose?"

"Yeah," Hoseok said. "I've never gone, but I've heard that's where they're pretty accepting. It's all the way in Houston, and we're nowhere near there."

Yoongi nodded. "Maybe one day."

"Nah, Yoon," Hoseok chuckled. "I'm done with Texas. I'm never coming back here. I am done with this place."

"There's no certainty here that gay people can continue to have rights," Yoongi murmured. "I get it. I think I'd want to be somewhere where I don't have to worry about being who I am. I have more attachment than you do."

Hoseok smiled wryly. "No offense, Yoon, but this place's been treating me like shit for years. You haven't even felt a sliver of what my life's been like these past couple of years."

Hoseok was right; Yoongi knew it. He hated that it was true because he could have been there for Hoseok years ago, and if Yoongi was eventually going to be official with Hoseok, then he would have to remember that once upon a time, he had been a reason for Hoseok's pain. He'd shunned Hoseok for years, made him cry, and now they were testing the waters. What if Yoongi folded in the future? What if he continued to be the reason why Hoseok would get hurt?

A sudden gust of wind snapped Yoongi out of his thoughts. He shivered, cursing himself for forgetting a scarf. Usually, he was careful and brought one, but this time, he thought that he'd be fine with just a turtleneck. Noticing Yoongi's change in demeanor, Hoseok took the scarf he had on his neck and offered it to Yoongi, who quickly shook his head to say no. Hoseok smiled, wrapping the scarf around Yoongi himself, smiling at him affectionately.

"You'll get cold," Yoongi protested weakly, his cheeks blushing furiously.

"Your warmth is all I need," Hoseok responded, discreetly placing his hand over Yoongi's. "Besides, we'll be out of here in a bit. They're coming back."

Vanessa had thanked Yoongi for keeping Jess company, to which Yoongi had only smiled, not saying anything else in return. He still couldn't figure Vanessa out, but at least they had decided to stop bugging Hoseok and Yoongi, saying that they would be spending their time together until classes started for the both of them. Yoongi went back to his place, this time inviting Hoseok in, who was unsure about heading inside, but upon Yoongi's assurance that there was no one except him home, Hoseok accepted.

Namjoon had sent a text saying he was going to spend the night at Jimin's, so Hoseok spent the night with Yoongi, accepting Yoongi's clothes which were slightly too tight to fit him properly but still looked good on him all the same. They made sure to stay in each other's arms, too afraid to let each other go, especially when Yoongi and Hoseok were deep in enemy territory.

But it has been perfect. It always was.

The first time that Yoongi and Hoseok were almost discovered was New Year's. Almost was a stretch for it. They'd been caught red-handed when they'd gone to go outside to see the fireworks display. As everyone yelled the countdown, Hoseok couldn't keep his eyes off Yoongi, and what more could Yoongi do than look at him? Even if they were around Hoseok's friends and Namjoon, not to mention Hoseok's family, Hoseok always made it feel like it was only the two of them in the area, so when the clock struck midnight, Yoongi shyly turned his head towards Hoseok, tiptoeing to quickly catch Hoseok off guard and give him a kiss on the lips.

It was also the first time Yoongi remembered kissing Hoseok first.

"Mom, did you see that?!"

Isla's voice thundered as loud as the fireworks. Hoseok had been left stunned by the kiss, his eyes shining brighter than the fireworks themselves, and Yoongi was nothing short of a blushing mess. Upon hearing Isla's accusatory voice, the rest of them had turned towards them, and Yoongi felt himself a deer in the headlights, wanting nothing more than to shrink into the darkness. His eyes met Namjoon's briefly, and from the looks of Namjoon's expression, Yoongi knew that Namjoon was aware of what might have happened.

"See what, honey?"

"Yoongi and Hoseok kissed!" Isla announced, pointing at them accusatorily, "I saw it! They were looking at each other, and then Yoongi went like smooch! On the lips!"

Yoongi and Hoseok chuckled nervously, not knowing exactly what to say.

"Isla, Christmas has already passed," Jisoo chastised. "Santa didn't give you what you wanted, and he's not going to give it to you now."

"What's she talking about?" Jimin asked, suddenly interested in the conversation at hand. Panic welled up inside Yoongi, and he tried his best not to show it.

Without batting an eye, Jisoo went on a tangent about how Isla wanted Yoongi and Hoseok to finally get together and how that had been her Christmas wish for the year. Isla's face burned with embarrassment, but she maintained her ground, saying that even though she didn't have her glasses on, she saw perfectly the act that had been committed.

Yoongi was touched that Isla's Christmas wish had been for Hoseok and Yoongi to get together. Hoseok did, too, though his face was flaming in embarrassment. Eventually, everyone managed to accept that Isla was probably making things up, and they returned to their conversations (well, everyone except Namjoon, who would occasionally glance at Yoongi pointedly). Yoongi grabbed Isla's hand, and they walked towards the farther edge of the backyard, sitting together on the swings so that they could talk.

"I know I saw you too kiss," Isla sulked, crossing her arms. "It's not fair that no one believes me."

"Do you want to know a secret?" Yoongi asked, lowering his voice. Isla nodded, leaning in as Yoongi beckoned her to get closer. By that time, Hoseok had already begun to approach them. "I really, really like your brother."

Isla gasped, her eyes almost bulging out of her sockets. "You do?!"

"Yeah," Yoongi whispered, immediately placing a finger over his lips. "But shh. It's a secret."

She nodded seriously, lowering her voice. "Do you love him, Yoongi? Like how he loves you?"

No matter how many times Yoongi could deny it, he knew every fiber in his body, down to the last cell, was completely enamored.

"I do," Yoongi admitted, an even wider beam infiltrating Isla's lips. "But I'm still trying to figure everything out. Hoseok's helping me. You can help me too, Isa. By keeping it a secret. If my family were to find out, I'd be in big trouble."

Isla nodded once again. "My lips are sealed."

She zipped her lips and pretended to throw away the key. Yoongi laughed, mirroring her movements. Isla jumped onto Yoongi to embrace him as Hoseok finally sat down on the opposite side of the swing. Yoongi embraced her back, running his fingers through her hair. Once Isla pulled away, she turned to her brother. She folded her arms, narrowing her eyes at him, and Hoseok only looked at her suspiciously, glancing at Yoongi. Yoongi shrugged.

"I know your secret," Isla threatened. Hoseok's eyebrow shot up at the statement, and he looked at Yoongi again, suspicious expression ringing with a dash of confusion. Isla looked around secretively before lowering her voice and adding, "The L word."

"Ah," Hoseok realized. "You know?"

"That's why you were kissing when the timer went off," Isla said, satisfied. "Because you love each other."

"And Isa here said she wouldn't say anything," Yoongi said, nudging her. "Right?"

Isla nodded vigorously. "I won't tell! Does this mean Yoongi's going to be a member of our family now?"

"I-" Hoseok trailed off. "Maybe. Only time will tell."

"You better, or I'm gonna be sad," Isla proclaimed, kissing her brother on the cheek quickly. "I'm going to go find SooSoo now. Bye! Happy New Year!"

They watched Isla leave with a skip in her step as she ran towards Jisoo, who only looked at them curiously. Yoongi and Hoseok then turned to look at each other, and the grin on Hoseok's face was unmistakable.

"I can't believe you told that little rascal," Hoseok mused, glancing back at a content Isla. "And here I thought I was your best-kept secret."

Yoongi rolled his eyes. "She saw us. I didn't want to lie to her. Come on, Seok, she even wished for us to get together. If anything, she deserved to know."

"Isla's always liked you," Hoseok said, amused. "Even after your family cut ties with us, she always hoped that you would come back. I swear, sometimes I feel like she'd rather have you as a brother than me."

"Ah, how can you say that, Seok?" Yoongi giggled, slapping Hoseok lightheartedly on the arm. "She loves you. They all do."

"And you?"

Yoongi wrinkled his nose. "I think so."

Hoseok feigned offense. "You think?"

"Yeah," Yoongi sighed dramatically. "I think I'm stuck with you for the time being."

"What a horrible predicament," Hoseok murmured, his eyes unconsciously darting to Yoongi's lips. "Whatever will you do?"

He would do the same thing Adam and Eve did before they were discovered by God and all his angels.

Enjoy every moment as if it were the last time he would ever be in Hoseok's presence.