Jungkook hadn't been expecting to hear from Yoongi.

He'd anticipated it happening at some point, foolishly hoped for it, but the message still came as a complete surprise.

He had been seated at his desk, trying like hell to fight the grogginess that morning meetings trigger for him so he could go over the job proposal details for a renovation on a high rise laid out in front of him when his phone vibrated.

He'd expected it to be a message from his friend, checking to see if he'd eaten.

He hadn't of course because lunch before three P.M. was a foreign concept to him, so he wasn't in a large rush to answer because it was just passed one and he wasn't hungry.

Four paragraphs later, when he realized he retained exactly zero of what was written, he decided tea rather than food would be enough to at least give him a little bit of a caffeine boost.

He reached for his phone intending to tell his friend as much.

He's positive that his face was probably comically dumbstruck when he looked at the screen and saw a text from not his friend.

It had been over a year since he'd last seen him. His Yoongi hyung. Before that it had been a few months before they'd even spoken, now here he is; coming to him so casually with an invitation to meet up.

Almost as if they'd seen each other just days ago...

[Pretty Hyung]

I'm in town.

Would you be free to meet up?

He read the message over and over, hearing Yoongi's voice so clearly it was as if he were in the room with him.

His mellow, gentle voice that Jungkook never tired of hearing.

Thirteen months it had been since they'd talked– longer really– now he's saying he's here.

The younger's fingers hesitated above the keyboard for only a beat before answering.

[Me]

(Address Sent)

Meet here at 8?

He'd cringed point two seconds after he'd pressed send because what a ridiculously casual sounding reply.

He couldn't beat himself up too much though. What else was he supposed to say?

If he'd taken more time to think about it than he may not have replied for hours. There would be too many reply options to sift through.

He could have asked any number of follow up questions regarding where this invitation was coming from.

He knows Yoongi has been in the city a couple times since they last saw each other, so he could ask why he was choosing now to contact him.

He could have asked if he'd heard the most recent news regarding his success in his new job and that's what caused the sudden olive branch to be extended.

Or on the opposite end of the spectrum; if he'd heard rumors about how he isn't as good at many of the things that his predecessor seemed to strive at effortlessly...

Countless cans of worms could have been opened if he had taken time to over analyze this, but his heart was quicker than his mind.

His phone buzzes again shortly after.

[Pretty Hyung]

I'll be there.

He smiles again, stomach beginning to roll with anticipation– fatigue having left him long ago– as he checks the time.

He has three hours to get this paperwork reviewed before he needs to be sure he's left for home.

For how angry– how hurt– he's been at how they'd left everything, he's still missed his hyung like fucking crazy.

He'd deny it twice over if Yoongi asked him point blank because he is still harboring those hurt feelings, but the truth remains. He has missed him.

Yoongi's absence has felt like a missing limb.

He couldn't sleep for weeks after. Not for more than a couple hours, only doing so by passing out due to either exhaustion or drinking.

Then he would wake up with rapid firing thoughts, replaying it all and be wide awake.

He was unable to concentrate, unable to do anything. Unable to care about anything.

He didn't realize how big a part of his life Yoongi had become until he was no longer accessible.

He was grasping desperately for distractions– having meaningless flings and embarking on random excursions until one day, his wish was granted and nearly his entire focus was ripped from anything not involving business.

But, instead of immediately panicking, he embraced it because drowning in talk of company operations, drafting paper and building schedules was the perfect distraction.

Business in general has never interested him, but he's always had a natural knack for it. Business savvy ran in the family he guesses.

And, despite being brought with basically no idea what he was doing, he had an amazing mentor to help him succeed.

Job requests came flooding in and more and more buildings were being built in and around Seoul that proudly displayed their company as the contractors. The Creators.

Within the months of Jungkook starting the job, they were on track to double their profits by the end of the year, which would do wonders for their ability to expand to different parts of the nation.

Even with all these seemingly positive things happening, it didn't fill the void in him. He still felt the pain of not having Yoongi there with him.

He would even dream about Yoongi on the rare nights he did sleep soundly enough to do so.

He'd dream about seeing him again. Hearing his voice again, getting his sound advice on things and hearing his comforting words; now it's actually happening.

Yoongi reached out to him. He chooses to believe that means his hyung is ready to at least attempt to talk things out. To fix them.

Things are different now. He is different. He's going to do whatever he can to prove that to him.

.......

It had been hard to go back to focusing on the things that needed to be completed by the end of the day, but somehow he'd managed it.

The minute he'd gathered his things to head home, he had begun compiling a list of talking points.

The entire drive; the hours he spent getting a quick work out in to help calm his nerves and clear his mind; showering; getting dressed and now on his way to see Yoongi; have been spent planning a monologue.

He didn't mean to treat this as some sort of formal meeting with talking points to make sure he addresses everything he wants to– essentially trying to sell to Yoongi that he's changed– but it's hard to turn off.

He'd always hoped to avoid being in an office, at least until he was in his thirties, but at just twenty-four and one year of nothing but office talk, it's part of his personality now.

But, he's always wanted to be more mature for Yoongi. Now he feels he's done that. Yoongi'd said so himself the last time he'd seen the younger man.

The corner of his lip ticks up as he thinks about that day.

It was such a heart wrenching, mind numbing day for him and, despite having lost contact for a few months prior, Yoongi was there for him.

Yoongi was there to make sure he was okay. Even spent the night with him.

He is still a bit bitter that Yoongi left while he was asleep but when it comes down to it, he was happy Yoongi had been there at all.

He didn't have to. Wasn't really expected to, but he did. Now he'd texted asking to meet up.

It has to mean something good is about to happen. It just has to.