Monday morning, just before eight, Yoongi calls Jungkook.

Not at his office, but on his cellphone and within just a couple rings, he picks up, sounding half asleep and very annoyed.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Good morning to you too," Yoongi replies in a flat tone.

"What can I do for you? Hopefully something simple because I'd really like to get back to sleep."

"Don't you have work today?"

"I have a meeting at nine thirty so I don't have to be in until then," he answers before Yoongi hears him yawn obnoxiously loud. "So I repeat, what can I do for you so I can get a bit more sleep?"

Hm. Still not a morning person I see. Yoongi rolls his eyes.

"We need to talk."

"Now?" Jungkook groans in annoyance.

"No, not now. I was thinking later today. Maybe around five?"

The line is quiet for longer than Yoongi thinks is necessary before he hears an answer.

"I wanted to talk at the party, but you walked away," Jungkook comments, sounding much more awake than he was previously, but still just as annoyed.

"I wasn't ready then but I am now. I want us to get everything out in the open. No more miscommunications or misunderstandings. I want an open and honest conversation as well as to establish our boundaries." Because clearly you are under the impression there are none Yoongi thinks but doesn't add.

He's trying to be cordial, not hostile.

"'Open and honest.' I can do that." Jungkook audibly smiles. Or smirks.

Yoongi is a little torn on which one he's hearing. What Yoongi is sure about is that Jungkook blatantly ignores what he's said about boundaries.

"But five won't work for me," the younger sighs. "I usually avoid scheduling meetings too late into the afternoon but I have one today at four and the gentleman tends to talk a lot."

"Wouldn't needing to leave for another meeting be a great excuse to cut his rambling short?" Yoongi muses.

"Usually yes but this is a meeting with Mr. Kang. I will sit in that room for three hours listening to anything he has to tell me if needed. Business related or not." He comments and Yoongi immediately understands.

Kang Kiyong is the K in JK Drafting & Design.

He is the one who gave Jungkook the opportunity, the chance, to head up the company after his brother passed.

When no one else believed Jungkook could possibly succeed– him having no practical experience to speak of, only his business degree– he has proven them all wrong.

He has been nothing but successful and much of that success can be attributed to the tools and guidance offered to him by Mr. Kang.

"I understand," Yoongi purses his lips in thought. "How about this. I'm free anytime after three-thirty. Just send me a text, or call if you'd rather, and I'll come to the office. Sound good?"

Another unnecessarily long pause followed by an exasperated huff.

"Do we have to meet at the office?" He answers and there's that displeased whine again. "I have a busy day and I'd rather just go home when work is over."

Immediately, red flags are flashing in Yoongi's mind. Many red flags.

Going to Jungkook's house? Being in his territory instead of somewhere more public? Somewhere less intimate?

Going to Jungkook's house is a bad idea, Yoongi knows that.

Yet, he still answers with a yes.

Fucking idiot, he regrets this whole idea already.

"Great! I'll send you my address and text you when I'm ready for you."

"When you're ready for me?" Yoongi repeats nervously.

What the hell does that mean?

"There are dishes in the sink. And I'm pretty sure I left some take out containers on the table... And the trash needs to be taken out," Jungkook lists off. "I'll just need to straighten up a little."

Yoongi rolls his eyes again. For how much Jungkook has changed Yoongi is discovering he's also remained the same in so many ways.

"A-alright..." Yoongi relents. "Text me when the dishes are done, I guess."

"Will do," Jungkook laughs quietly. "Bye, hyung."

Yoongi hangs up, tossing his phone onto the couch like it's scorching hot.

Why did he do that? Why did he say yes? And so quickly too?

Again he feels annoyance and regret that another bout of impulsive bravery pushed him to reach out to Jungkook just as it did the night they went to dinner.

"Why am I so stupid," he buries both hands in his hair, holding tightly in frustration, leaning forward to rest his arms on his knees.

He stays like that for a while, more than fifteen minutes apparently, because when his alarm goes off that would usually be the one to wake him up, he nearly falls forward onto the floor at the jump scare.

After disabling the alarm, he gladly goes to his room to begin getting ready for work.

He loves his job and although some days are more difficult– more chaotic– than others, he truly enjoys it.

It will be a welcome distraction to hopefully keep his mind occupied and unable to spend too much time over-thinking tonight.

That's what he's hoping for anyway.

.......

At six-fifteen Yoongi receives a message from Jungkook letting him know he was just leaving work and for Yoongi to come over at eight.

Shortly after that, he'd sent a GPS link to his address.

Yoongi asked why it had to be so late since Jungkook was off work and didn't live that far from where he and Taehyung did according to the address given, to which Jungkook simply replied with one word; Dishes.

Right, of course. He wants to put off meeting for over an hour to "do the dishes." Yoongi scoffs.

Must be one hell of a pile.

Yoongi had been back from work for a few hours at this point and since being home he'd tried to continue his trend of the day which was staying busy to avoid overthinking.

This lead to him deep cleaning and sanitizing their entire kitchen, bathrooms and living room; something they had people come do after the party, but he decided he needed to do again.

Just as he is moving the couch back into place after vacuuming underneath it, Taehyung comes home from work.

Yoongi's heart drops when he sees him before a wave of guilt and astonishment crash over him.

Not because he is by any means unhappy to see him, but because he can't believe himself.

Somehow– some fucking how– in the storm of second guessing, over analyzing and planning for this meeting with Jungkook, Yoongi hadn't thought about Taehyung. Not once.

And that– that makes him feel like the worst fiancé in the world.

He immediately makes a mental note to reflect and dissect that later when he has hours, maybe even days, to do so.

Right now though he does not have that kind of time.

Not when Taehyung is stripping off his jacket, having already taken off his shoes, set aside his bag, and looking at Yoongi with a smile on his face- a smile that Yoongi absolutely does not deserve- but noticeable concern in his expression as well.

"I'm sorry I didn't text or call you like I usually would. Today was unexpectedly busy," he apologizes.

He then looks from Yoongi to the couch, to the vacuum stood next to it before scanning the rest of the large room.

He takes a deep breath, shoulders slumping in the process as he slowly walks towards Yoongi.

He is moving so precisely, so cautiously, it's as if he's worried he'll spook him.

Yoongi has yet to move or say anything, just watching his fiancé with laser focus as he walks to him.

"Doll," Taehyung begins, voice gentle. Quieted. "Are you okay? Did something happen at work?"

Yoongi shakes his head. "No. Work was fine."

Taehyung tilts his head, moving his eyes from Yoongi to the furniture around him again– all of it arranged a little differently than before with the cushions fluffed.

"Nothing happened?" Taehyung asks again, "Because you only clean like this when something is bothering you or you've had a stressful day. If the day was fine then is something bothering you?"

Yoongi wrings his hands together swaying a little on his feet. He doesn't want to lie. He and Taehyung don't lie to each other.

It's something they promised not to do. So, he tells him the truth.

Or, the most important parts of it.

(Withholding information is different than lying, Yoongi reasons. And telling most of the truth is better than telling none of the truth, right?)

Yoongi starts by telling him about not expecting to see Jungkook at their party.

He shares that the two of them didn't end things on the best of terms the last time they'd seen each other (which Yoongi had greatly downplayed previously when telling Taehyung about his friend so he had no idea of Yoongi's guilt over it) and that they even got into a little bit of a disagreement at the party when they'd gone upstairs.

At that news, Taehyung apologized profusely for asking Yoongi to help Jungkook.

That if he had known the extent of the tension between the two he would have helped Jungkook himself to keep Yoongi from an awkward situation.

Yoongi assured him that it was fine. That it was probably good because it gave him the push he needed to want to make things right between them.

Taehyung nodded in understanding, telling Yoongi he was proud of him for wanting to work things out with his friend.

He was left in the dark as far as knowing that Yoongi's biggest motivation for meeting with Jungkook– besides to talk things over and move past their troubles– is to hopefully get at least a peak into his plan for his upcoming meeting with Taehyung.

Maybe get him to allude to– or just straight up share– what he may try to say or do to aid in his quest to drive a wedge between Yoongi and Taehyung.

But, Taehyung didn't need to know all of that. Maybe sometime down the road, after they are happily married and Yoongi and Jungkook are friends– just friends– Yoongi will tell him.

But not now.

For the time being, Taehyung was happy that Yoongi shared with him what he was feeling and that was what mattered.

"What time are you meeting him?" Taehyung inquires on his way to the kitchen, his back to Yoongi as he walks.

Yoongi sighs, turning to look at the large clock hanging on their wall. "Eight. So I have about an hour to get ready and then it's a twenty or so minute drive if traffic's light."

"It wasn't bad just now on my way here. I'm sure you'll get there in time," he pulls a wine bottle out of their small wine fridge before adding with a smile, "Or you may even be a little early."

Yoongi watches from the couch as Taehyung pours himself a glass of his favorite white wine.

He'd asked Yoongi if he'd wanted a glass for himself as he poured, which Yoongi declined.

He isn't planning on drinking at all tonight. He wants his mind to be clear for his talk with Jungkook.

With his glass in hand, Taehyung saunters the way he does when he's at home and relaxed, over to the record player near the television.

He drops the needle lightly onto the vinyl album that's already in place and starts swaying to the beat of the smooth jazz as it begins to play.

At the risk of breaking Taehyung's blissful spell he seems to be under, Yoongi just has to ask the question on his mind.

"Do you mind that I'm going to meet with him?"

Taehyung levels his eyes with Yoongi's, a slight smirk on his lips. "Are you asking if I'm jealous, doll?"

"I just- I would understand if it made you feel that way. Or at least uncomfortable."

"He is, or was, one of your best friends, darling. I'm happy that you have a chance to be friends again. Why would that make me uncomfortable?" he asks, hips never quite staying still until his smile downturns just a little. "Or, do you think I should be uncomfortable with it."

"Of course not!" Yoongi answers, probably too quickly. "Like I said, I just want to make things right with him. That's all."

"Okay then," His face brightens again and he lifts his glass in Yoongi's direction. "To making things right and reconnecting with old friends."

Yoongi doesn't have a glass to raise, so he just gives Taehyung a thumbs up before standing up from the couch.

"Well, I'm going to go get ready."

Taehyung pulls Yoongi to him by the waist with one arm when the older is within reach, placing a wet kiss on his cheek as Yoongi is about to walk by.

"I really am proud of you, baby. I know you would rather work out how you're feeling on paper and aren't the biggest fan of being open with your emotions face to face so I am proud of you for putting in the effort to share with Jungkook," Taehyung shares.

Yoongi smiles up at him. "Thank you Taebear. That means a lot."

He then places a soft kiss on his cheek before continuing to their room.

If he would have stayed near Taehyung just a little longer he wouldn't have missed the way his eyes brightened– the sparkle in them bright enough to rival the stars in the sky– because of how happy he was to hear another pet name he hasn't heard for some time.

Later, when Yoongi is dressed and headed out the door, Taehyung laughs and says "I'll see you when you get home, doll. And I have no doubt you'll have nothing but good news to share!" before adding, "And text me when you get there please. Just so I know you made it safe."

Yoongi smiles back before telling him he loves him and he'll be sure to send a text.

The walk to his car is fine as he feels relatively calm, but the second he snaps his seatbelt into place, his nerves bubble back up and he's right back to freaking out mainly about meeting at Jungkook's house.

It's common fucking knowledge that if you're trying to avoid temptation or keep from doing something you shouldn't, the obvious thing is to not put yourself in that situation.

Jungkook has openly stated he's willing to do whatever it takes to make Yoongi his.

The last thing Yoongi should be doing is going to his place.

"Fuck... this is a bad idea," Yoongi groans, gripping the steering wheel more tightly as he pushes the accelerator when the light changes to green.

He knows this is likely going to go poorly. They'll probably end up fighting, pointing fingers at each other trying to redirect the blame for their broken friendship. Tears will probably be shed too. Lots of tears.

Or it could be worse than those options. They could end up making up.

Making amends and starting fresh. Picking up where they left off possibly, but that would be bad, right?

That would mean Yoongi would be hurting Taehyung again. Betraying him again. Hurting him again with the same fucking person Yoongi already made that mistake with.

Yoongi brings his hand up, nibbling nervously on his thumb with his eyes stare absently at the road ahead.

This is a bad idea...