He wasn't excited about it. Yoongi couldn't lie and say that he was, either. But this time around, he chose up front not to complain about it to Hoseok regardless of what should happen at this New Year's party. He didn't know the host personally. And Yoongi doubted he would know many, or any, of the other people attending.

For his friend's sake, however, he'd put up with it for the night.

At around quarter of eight p.m., Yoongi received a text from Hoseok that he was waiting outside for him in his car. The blond needed a minute. Standing in front of his bathroom mirror, he fixed the collar of his leather jacket and lazily smoothed down his hair. It didn't seem worth it to look nice - it wasn't as though he had anyone he wanted to impress. At least not at this party.

If Jimin were attending it would be an entirely different story. But, needless to say, that wasn't the case.

Yoongi shook his head in disappointment with himself. Now that he considered the potential his night could have with Jimin there, the reality of the situation would only be more of a let-down. Knowing himself, he'd be thinking about it the whole time. And the night would only go by slower.

Should I have invited him? No. Don't be ridiculous, this isn't even your party. Besides, he's probably got plans with Taehyung.

He rolled his eyes at himself and turned away from the mirror. There was a knock at the door. Geez, he's so impatient. "I'll be right there, alright??"

With his phone fully charged in his pocket, Yoongi opened the door, ready to follow Hoseok outside and to the car. Just to get to this party and get it over with.

"Happy New Year's, Yoongi!"

It wasn't Hoseok.

"Before you say anything, this was Tae's idea."

It was Jimin and Taehyung. Standing at Yoongi's doorstep, the latter of whom had a radiant smile across his face as usual, whereas the former appeared mildly disinterested - also as usual.

"Did you...time this?" The blond uttered in disbelief. Jimin knitted his brow in puzzlement.

"Time what?" He stopped just then to look Yoongi up and down. "Oh, I see. You're all dressed up to go out. What is it, then? Hot date?"

"Yoongiii!!"

Now it was Hoseok. Calling out in a loud voice despite being in a setting in which doing such a thing could potentially disturb a lot of people. Yoongi didn't have the time to brace himself, nor come up with a hurried excuse as to what these two boys who Hoseok didn't know were doing at the door to his friend's apartment.

Yoongi hadn't prepared for any of this.

And unfortunately he was oh so terrible at improv.

"Hoseok, just go back to the car, I'll be there in a minute-"

"Oh?"

The situation was unavoidable. Yoongi quickly accepted defeat. Burying his hands in his jacket pockets, he pursed his lips and awkwardly glanced around the hallway before lifting a tentative gaze to Jimin.

Hoseok hadn't even stepped up to them for five seconds and the dancer was already observing him with that familiarly judgmental look in his eyes. Yoongi flinched the moment these eyes shifted over to him.

"This your hot date?"

"What? N-...no, no, this is, uh-..." Stop stuttering, you're making yourself sound suspicious. "...this is my friend Hoseok."

"Yoongi, who are these handsome boys?"

"They're-"

"Neighbors. We live down the hall." Jimin lifted his chin so that he could stare down at the redhead despite being shorter. He didn't seem amused by this encounter, that was evident. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to pick up Yoongi." Hoseok pointed to the blond, smiling. "Did you need him for something?"

"Not particularly. Just stopped by for some sugar."

"Oh?"

The immediate appearance of a smirk on Hoseok's face triggered Yoongi to stretch out his arm and slap his friend's shoulder. As expected, however, the redhead only chuckled in spite of the other, seeing as he, clearly, found much enjoyment in teasing.

"What's your name?" Hoseok asked Jimin. The dancer fixed a dead stare on him and the now extended hand. To Yoongi's surprise, Jimin obliged and accepted the handshake. Taehyung did, as well, though naturally with a more willing spirit.

"Wooyoung."

"It's not," Yoongi sighed, swallowing his breath. "It's Jimin-"

"And this is my brother Minhyuk."

"It's Taehyung. And they're not brothers..."

"He's blind."

"Deaf-"

"He's not deaf-"

"Well, he's not blind, either."

Yoongi locked eyes with Jimin to ignite a silent argument to follow the verbal one. He honestly didn't know the smoothest way to get out of this rather undesirable position, whether it would be wiser to let Jimin do the talking - the lying, anyway - or if Yoongi himself should just hurry Hoseok back to his car before a more in-depth discussion unfolded. Unfortunately the second option would mean abandoning Jimin and Taehyung after the two had walked here from their humble abode to visit him.

Neither sounded good to Yoongi right now.

The circus's biggest clown strikes again.

"I'm a bit confused," Hoseok said with a laugh, "but that's fine, I'll drag it out of Yoongi later. Do you two mind if I steal him now? We have a party to get to-"

"Steal him?"

"Unless you wanted to join us." Hoseok raised his eyebrows in question. "I don't think my friend would mind. Did you guys have plans of your own?"

For a reason not even he knew, Yoongi found himself having second thoughts about the dancer tagging along, but he hesitated in voicing any thoughts due to an inability to coherently express said thoughts.

"We don't," Jimin replied. Though he spoke to the redhead his eyes were on the blond. And there it was, in those eyes, that familiar, indecipherable gleam. "Do you have room in your car?"

"Absolutely."

"Good."

To say Jimin's willingness baffled Yoongi would be an understatement. Along with that, it appeared the dancer was now conveying the message to Taehyung, to which the boy responded positively. Given the boy's personality, Yoongi could partially understand the reaction, but at the same time he also wondered how much enjoyment someone like Taehyung could get out of a college party. The chances of meeting anyone there who knew sign language were slim to none. Then again maybe the boy simply liked crowds and company even if he didn't know anyone. There were a lot of things Yoongi didn't know about Taehyung, after all.

"He'll be okay?"

"Tae got invited to one a couple years ago when his hearing was a little better," Jimin grumbled, clearly not pleased with the thing mentioned, but it supported a point of some kind. "Some guy mistook him for a college student and gave him the address to his place, and Tae's naive so he went, didn't tell me about it till after it happened 'cus I guess he knew I wouldn't approve. Apparently he had a dance-off with some 'nice people' and drank eggnog."

"There'll be eggnog there, alright," Hoseok spoke up, at the same time pulling out his phone to glance at that screen. "Jin always stocks up this time of year. So that's a 'yes' then? You guys down?"

Yoongi watched, still in shock, as Jimin nodded at Hoseok's question, signed to Taehyung, then gestured for the redhead to "lead the way." And he began to follow after him soon enough, but not before looking back to make sure Yoongi was also following. Yoongi couldn't help the delay. This just didn't seem like Jimin to him at all.

Then again, he had to remind himself of the dancer's most exceptional quality. His unpredictability.

The four boys made their way silently to Hoseok's car, the driver's seat being claimed by him, naturally, and the music being chosen by him, as well. He connected his phone to the car's Bluetooth and put on some loud, bass-boosted pop music. Yoongi didn't like it, but he was used to it. It was the same thing every time he rode in the car with Hoseok - well, when the car wasn't his own, of course.

He peered into the rear view mirror at Jimin sitting in the back seat - indifferent and staring out the window. Then there was Taehyung, looking awfully pleased with life at the moment. Yoongi let out a deep breath.

His focus drifted back to that mirror again and again throughout the drive to Seokjin's place. The night lights were boring to him. The idea of going to this party was still boring to him. And it seemed like something that would be boring to Jimin, too, which was why Yoongi still couldn't help but wonder. There was no use trying to ask him about it now. For a number of reasons. Starting with the fact that Yoongi doubted he would even be able to hear his own voice above the music.

"I like this!!" Taehyung exclaimed out of nowhere. Hoseok cheered.

"Yeah! That's what I'm talking about!!"

Scrunching his facial features, Yoongi threw a confused glance over his shoulder at Jimin, who surprisingly appeared ready to answer the blond's silent question.

"He likes the music's vibrations," the dancer said. He had leaned close enough to Yoongi's ear to be heard without the need of yelling.

Jimin then sat back again to stare out the window. As did Yoongi, his heart now beating a little faster than it had been just a moment ago.

—

welcome back to sloppy writing lol