Dating advice | Part four

Summary: It’s been months – ok, it’s been years – since you last went on a date. And you’re sick of it. Sick of seeing couples kissing and holding hands in the street. Sick of your friends settling down. Sick of everyone buying houses and having families. You’re going to do something about it. You’re going to snap up a man, you’re going to tie someone down, you’re going to finally commit, you’re going to – you’re going to need a bit of advice.

Pairing: Yoongi x reader

Genre: fluff; angst; smut

Word count: 1.8k

Warnings:Swearing, alcohol consumption, low self esteem, future smut

Authors Note: Another week, another part. Glad to hear you’re all still enjoying this!

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“I’m going to be alone forever.”

“Probably.”

Your eyes dart to Jimin who’s lay over the sofa, face flat and disinterested, eyes on the TV. He doesn’t see the glare, but he can hear it in your tone and still he doesn’t react.

“You were supposed to give a supportive response.”

“I agreed with you,” he continues flatly.

“How is that supportive?” You whine.

“I –”

“Don’t respond to that, it was rhetorical. I already know the shit that’s going to spew out of your mouth.”

You watch Jimin’s eyes dart to you, the only part of his body to move before they go back to the TV.

“Now who’s the unsupportive friend?”

“I’m sorry,” you say sarcastically sounding very unapologetic. “I’m trying to tell you that I can’t find a date over here. That nobody will ever love me and I’m going to die alone and you’re fobbing me off for Homes Under the Hammer.”

“Escape to the Country,” he corrects.

“Idon’tcare,” you throw your arms in the air, flopping back on your seat.

Jimin finally sits up, turns so his attention is fully on you. He still doesn’t look fully interested but at least it’s something, at least your whining and attention seeking has achieved something.

“We’ve gone through this a hundred times,” he mutters and when you shoot him a look is quick to add, “but let’s do it again.”

“Erik’s ghosting me.”

“His loss.”

“And I know it’s only been a few days but how long am I supposed to wait around for a response?” You carry on as if he hasn’t spoken.

“Well, I don’t think you should have even waited this long. You owe him nothing, you can date multiple people at once, you’re not tied to anyone.”

“You sound like Yoongi.”

Now you have Jimin’s attention. The words were muttered under your breath and yet it’s like he has sonar hearing when it come’s to Yoongi’s name. It’s unnerving for so many reasons, not least the fact you’ve hardly spoken about Yoongi and yet he still seems so interested in him. He’s never even met the guy.

“What pub does he work at again?”

“Not saying.”

“Come on.”

“Nope. You’re not going to harass the poor man.”

“I just want to talk to him. See if he’ll take you on a date as you’re seemingly too chicken to do it yourself.”

The blood seems to drain out of you while also boiling to the surface of your skin. You try to look unbothered by the comment and while you feel like you succeed Jimin seems to pick up on something if his grin is anything to go off.

“Andthatis exactly why you will never know where he works,” you shoot him a sarcastic smile.

“There can only be so many Yoongi’s in this city. Possibly only the one that works in a pub.”

You frown at him. “And now you’re threatening to what … stalk him?”

“I just want you to ask him out,” it’s his turn to whine.

“When have I ever given you the impression I’d want to ask him out?”

“You called him hot.”

“I hardly know him.”

“Does it matter?”

“To me? Yes,” the words feel a tad bitter leaving your mouth, like a lie, but you’re so determined to convince Jimin and get him off your back that you hardly notice.

“Didn’t seem to matter with Erik,” he points out. “You’ve met him what, once, and yet here you are moping about him.”

“He’s ghosting me. And it feels like shit. It’s not the same,” you reply flatly, eyes go back to your phone as if you’re hoping to find that your words are a lie and there’ll be a message sat waiting for you. There’s not. “Anyway, the point is, what do I do?”

Jimin seems to take pity on you even if he does roll his eyes. He stands, walks over to you so he can sit on the arm of the chair. He doesn’t say anything but seems to look down at you expectantly. When you don’t move you can hear the sigh in his tone.

“Open up Tinder or something then.”

You look down at your phone but still don’t do what Jimin asks. You weren’t expecting the words, especially said so bluntly, so it takes you a second to comprehend. Is he trying to ask you to open up your messages with Erik so he can help evaluate them, or is he telling you to move on and find someone new? As if reading your mind, or more realising you still don’t get it given the time it takes you to do nothing, Jimin clarifies.

“If the guy can’t find the time to reply to you, or message you, or whatever, he doesn’t deserve you. Even if he were to reply to you now I’d tell you to sack him off. You need someone who messages you five minutes after they’ve seen you. Not this,” he waves his hand at the blank screen sat in your lap.

His words sink in and again you’re reminded of Yoongi. Wasn’t that something he said when you saw him after the date? That you deserve someone who you’re excited about, who’s just as excited by you. You shouldn’t settle for fine or good.

And they’re right. Dating is hard, it scares you, you don’t particularly want to drag this out any longer than you need to, but that doesn’t mean you should go for the first guy just because he’s not awful. It’s not like you haven’t dated in the past, but it’s been so long and you never did it like this, were at uni where you managed to meet people through friends and parties and clubs. This is different, requires you to put yourself out there a bit more.

It seems bizarre to you that you went to the pub alone, let alone opened up to two strangers, because it’s so unlike you. Maybe it was the spontaneity of it, rather than this. Which is completely different, requires thought and looking at yourself as others would, trying to paint yourself in a certain light while also wanting to be realistic. Then there’s the anticipation of talking to someone, potentially meeting up with them. Some people find that exciting while you just find it terrifying. The main reason you’ve put off dating for so long. It’s not just the potential rejection, but everything along the way to even get to that point. You have to pour so much of yourself in and you’re scared that it could all be for nothing, that down the line they’ll just realise that you’re not what they want. You’re not exciting, not special, you have nothing that stands out as something someone would want. You’re awkward and anxious and if you’re honest a bit of a mess.

But you still feel lonely. You have Jimin, have lots of other friends, but it doesn’t make it easier when you come home from work to an empty house. When you visit your friends and have to watch them cuddle with their boyfriends on the sofa. When you want to go on a holiday but all your friends already have plans with their partners. When you go out with your friends and they compare what their partners do and don’t do around the house. You feel loved by so many, but it doesn’t stop you also feeling incredibly alone.

“I’ve got some matches already, but I don’t know,” you explain as you give in and unlock your phone and then navigate to Tinder.

Jimin doesn’t say anything as he takes the phone off you, finds his own way to your matches. You sit up straighter, lean into his side to try and better see what he’s looking at.

“He’s cute,” he says, tilting the screen so you can see who he’s talking about.

You hum, not the most enthusiastic sign. “He’s going travelling for a year in two months.”

You don’t have to say anything else, Jimin simply moving on to the next. You don’t have to say anything about this guy, Jimin can clearly see that you’re the only one who’s messaged and he’s not replied.

“He goes home every weekend,” you explain as Jimin taps on the next guy.

“Nothing wrong with that,” Jimin says, scrolling through the chat.

“He takes his washing with him so his mum can do it and leaves with the weekly meals she’s cooked him.”

“Ok,” he says flatly, hearing enough to tap back onto your list of matches.

Your eyes land on the next person he’s going to tap on and snatch the phone back before he can. Jimin turns to you with questioning eyes as you lock your phone.

“And he sent a dick pic.”

Out of everything you’ve said this seems to be the thing that brightens Jimin as if truly interested. You’re almost surprised he doesn’t snatch the phone back off you to look.

“It was his first message and it wasn’t even that impressive,” you say.

“Savage,” Jimin chuckles.

“Can you at least see my issue now?”

“Dating’s wild,” Jimin shrugs as if that’s any sort of answer. “You found some duds –”

“A lot of duds.”

“– but you’ve just got to keep going. Someone will pop up. Someone a whole lot better than Erik.”

You look down at your black screen, as if the name will make a message appear. You sigh, you know he’s right, you just hoped it wouldn’t be his answer. Would it have been so hard for the first guy to be the one? It all seems to only make you think that maybe you’re not worth it. Maybe all your insecurities are right. If you can only match with this bunch of men, maybe that’s more a reflection on you then anything else.

“Sign up for Hinge and Bumble too,” Jimin’s tone is a tad softer, as if realising how down beat you are.

You keep your eyes on your phone, nod your head. Why did you even bother with any of this in the first place? Life isn’t so bad on your own. Maybe you should just be looking at dogs as a companion instead.

“Or ask a certain other guy out instead?”

You glare up at Jimin, see the cheeky smile on his lips and not so gently push your side into him. He topples off the arm of the chair with a yelp and now you have to try and not look so satisfied with yourself. At least he got you to smile.