Quiet | BTS ✓

12

As soon as class ends and the other students have filed out of the classroom, Hoseok peeks his head into the room and smiles brightly at Yoongi and Aria.

"Hey," he says, waving in their direction and the two people wave back at him.

"Are you sure about this, Aria? I don't want to push your boundaries," Yoongi says quietly to her and she looks over at him and shrugs her shoulders before motioning for him to follow her out of the classroom.

After the three of them walk together to the parking lot, Hoseok and Aria break off to go to Hoseok's car while Yoongi makes his way to his own, trying to stay optimistic about how tonight will turn out. He can tell that Aria is hesitant about spending so much time with him, but he's determined to use this time to open up to her and show her that he genuinely just wants to be her friend.

After twenty minutes of driving, the two cars pull up outside of a small apartment complex, parking side by side in the parking garage. At this point, Yoongi can't help but notice his sweaty palms and his pounding heart. He's nervous.

"I hope you're hungry, Yoongs. I'm planning on making a feast!" Hoseok exclaims as he leads them through the lobby of the complex and to the elevator.

"Yoongs?" Yoongi questions, a small smile forming on his face at the nickname. Nobody's ever given him a nickname before. Something so simple to most people, but this gesture has warmed Yoongi's heart and calmed the pounding of it to a more manageable rate.

"Oh, sorry! Is that weird? I just like nicknames. Makes me feel like the friendship is more official if you have nicknames for each other," Hoseok explains with his bright smile glued onto his face as he presses the button for the fifth floor and the elevator doors close behind the three of them.

"No, it's okay. I like it," Yoongi assures him. "So do you have a nickname for Aria?"

Hoseok laughs as the elevator begins its ascent. "I do. But I'm fairly certain she would kill me if I told you. She hates it."

Aria rolls her eyes and tightens her hold on the strap of the backpack slung on her shoulder.

"Did Aria ever give you a nickname?" Yoongi asks curiously as he watches Aria for any signs of discomfort in her eyes.

She glances at Yoongi for a moment after hearing his question before turning to Hoseok and giving him a small smile, almost comforting.

"Yeah, she did," he says sadly, smiling back at Aria.

Yoongi frowns slightly as he turns his attention to the elevator doors opening. He couldn't help but notice the sadness pass between the two of them. He thinks that maybe Hoseok has suffered a loss as well through all of this. He lost his best friend that day, in a way. I'm sure he used to make her laugh and listen to her sing... but now, the person he grew up with is different; she's changed. And Yoongi can tell that he misses her. Maybe before the accident, Aria was a completely different person.

Was Aria the type of person to tell jokes? Did she have one of those laughs that made others laugh, even if the joke itself wasn't funny? What did her voice sound like?

Hoseok knows the answer to all of those questions, and he also knows he'll never be able to hear her laugh or sing ever again. He misses her voice, yes, but Yoongi thinks that the underlying sadness he just saw pass between the two friends was saying one thing.

That they miss how things used to be.

The three of them walk out into the hallway and Hoseok leads them to the door of the apartment, sliding his key into the lock before opening the door, ushering Aria and Yoongi inside.

After the three friends remove their shoes in the small entranceway, Aria leads the two men into the living room and immediately sits down on the couch, tucking her legs underneath her as she gets comfortable.

Hoseok grins at her before turning to Yoongi.

"I'm going to get dinner started. Feel free to make yourself at home and try not to let Aria scare you off before the food is done. My cooking is the best thing you'll ever taste, if I do say so myself," he says as he pats Yoongi's shoulder and turns to head to the open kitchen area directly next to the living room.

Yoongi takes a moment to look around their shared apartment, appreciating the style of the place. The hardwood floors are a dark brown, almost black colored type of wood, partially covered by the small oval rug that is tucked underneath the black wooden coffee table. The rug is a beige color with accents of gold around the edges, giving contrast to the otherwise darkened floor. The couch that Aria is sitting on is a crimson red color with gold accents swirling around on the fabric, almost giving Yoongi a vintage, Victorian era vibe with not only the colors, but also with the style of the couch. The matching chair sits next to the couch, the wooden accents to the furniture matching the wood on the floor.

There is a flat screen television attached to the wall across from the couch, and behind that wall is a staircase that presumably leads to the bathroom and bedrooms since the first floor is completely open, showcasing the living room and kitchen as one large room instead of it being closed off. Yoongi likes it; it gives him a sense of openness, which is strange to him because Aria gives off the exact opposite vibe. That part of the apartment's design has Hoseok written all over it. Hoseok is more open while Aria seems to be the opposite, aside from when she plays music.

The tone of the place gives Yoongi a darker vibe than you would expect from someone like Hoseok, but he expects that maybe it is more of Aria's style. The walls are a beige color, giving the entire room a calming presence that makes it feel more like home. The apartment is the perfect combination of the two friends, Yoongi being able to point out which aspect reflects which person's personality.

He smiles to himself. Just by seeing where they live, he can feel himself getting to know them better; he can feel himself growing more comfortable around them instead of being nervous and hesitant about what the two others are thinking of him.

Aria snaps her fingers and Yoongi glances over at her, and sees that she's watching him, her eyebrows raised. She points to the spot next to her on the couch and gives him a small, reassuring smile.

"Right. Sorry, I was just admiring your place. It's nice," Yoongi explains as he takes a seat next to her. "I feel like maybe you chose the furniture and Hoseok chose the open floor plan?"

Aria stares at Yoongi in awe for a moment before slowly smiling at him, a more open smile than he's used to from her.

She nods and Yoongi feels completely content in the fact that he is beginning to open the door to her life more and more, and she isn't stopping him.