Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Why did I agree to this.

It’s the thought that’s circling through Jungkook’s head as he sits on the most uncomfortable chair ever, in the shadiest, most crowded restaurant ever, with some of the people who have caused him the most trauma, ever, for a small high school get-together.

Small, yes, because barely a fourth of the people from his class actually showed up, despite most of them having moved to Seoul from Busan for university in a stroke of coincidence (or just bad luck, depending on who you’re asking). Those other three fourths of his class apparently had brains, huh.

He sits smack in the middle of the four two-people tables the restaurant staff pushed together so that their group could sit together. In front of him sit the two quietest people in class and to his left sits the one person here he can sort of hold a conversation with, but sadly he’s got his back turned to Jungkook.

Then, directly to Jungkook’s right (and to his displeasure), sit some of his biggest bullies. Two boys and one girl who were always a little too loud about his weirdness, a little too nosey about him in moments when he mattered to the gossip, but shrugged him off in disdain on any other occasion. It probably didn’t help that, back in middle and high-school, Jungkook was not only very shy, as he still is, but also incredibly stubborn.

He could have acted a little less cold and stand-offish towards them, he knew he was funny, and that cracking jokes instead of just brooding gloomily whenever their little group made fun of him or called him names would make them like him better enough to stop bullying him, and maybe even become friends with him.

He’d seen it happen: people being made fun off and humiliated by the very same group of people they later become buddies with by the end of the school year. Friendships and alliances in school changed at the snap of a finger, but Jungkook wished to have nothing to do with that, nor did he want to change anything about himself only to accommodate bullies and to make people he didn’t even like like him better.

So while this was stubborn of him and possibly cost him some good memories in school, Jungkook doesn’t regret it, not really. He stayed true to himself, and now he’s got amazing friends who understand and encourage him and help him grow as a person.

Jungkook now even thinks that this particular group of bullies who came to the dinner probably are not even actually bad people, but they were still the main reason that he couldn’t find a place for himself nor to properly be himself during high school. After all, brooding and telling them off was not all there was to his personality, by far.

However, Jungkook didn’t know they were coming, otherwise he’d never have showed up to this, but it’d bring too much attention and cause too much talk if he suddenly decided to leave, so here he is, and there they are.

They’ve all ordered their food way too long ago, so everyone else is talking amongst themselves in two groups at the corners of the long table(s), while Jungkook and the other two in the middle sit quietly and occasionally pitch in to the conversations or hum to keep up appearances.

Jungkook is looking out to the street and reading every single store sign one after the other like they’re the most interesting thing in the world when the girl two seats to the right in front of him suddenly asks “What about you, Jungkook? What are you studying?”, drawing attention to him from the other two boys that make up the bully-group as well. Jungkook sighs internally.

“I’m an arts major, mostly painting and illustration.” Jungkook says, trying to speak over the noise of fifty people talking at the same time.

“What was that?” she says as she leans over the table a little, not hearing him over the noise.

Jungkook hates crowded places and these people and how he can hear the teasing in her voice, how she’s only asking for the gossip. Maybe he’s just imagining it and they are really only trying to include him in the conversation. Maybe, just maybe, they’ve changed.

“I study arts.” he repeats louder, but if she hears him, she doesn’t show it, because the overworked old man who took their order is bringing over a round tray with all their drinks and placing them in front of each person.

“I’m terribly sorry, but we’re all out of IPAs. Do you want to pick a different craft beer, or a regular one?” the server asks when he gets to Jungkook. Just his luck, they’re out of his regular pick.

“I’ll go with a regular draft beer then, please.” Jungkook answers.

What everyone else chose. The server nods and leaves again, the conversation already flowing naturally away from himself. Jungkook could almost cheer in relief. At least he doesn’t have to answer the usual that doesn’t make you any money, does its and and the what will you do with it, won’t you have to pick a different major laters he always gets whenever he “comes out” as an art student in a group of mostly economics and business majors.

He goes back to looking outside; to studying the decor of the restaurant; to the servers scurrying around trying to keep up with all the orders and requests from the other patrons, checking up on the people who are queuing outside. “Just fifteen minutes more, the table in the corner there is already finishing up”, Jungkook imagines them saying.

Why did I agree to this. The thought circles back.

Because being social and getting out of your comfort zone might do you some good, the voice in his head that sounds suspiciously like Jimin’s answers.

So not worth it. Why did I agree to this.

The server eventually brings him his beer and he’s taking his second sip and trying to read the labels of the alcohol bottles lined up in the floor to ceiling shelves by the bar area when he hears a new voice at the table.

“Sorry I’m so late, I missed the bus.” She announces apologetically, a little windswept and breathless. The girl is short-ish and dressed in a long black skirt that makes her look even tinier, big black boots peeking through the skirt and clashing with her cutesy top and hair.

“No no, the bus missed you.” Someone at the table jokes, and she laughs lightly and adorably.

It’s Saeka, the only person he was actually looking forward to seeing in this godforsaken dinner. They were only in class together for one year after she moved from Japan, but much like Jungkook, she also had trouble fitting in, albeit for different reasons. Being the two outcasts, they immediately hit it off and became friends. Jungkook bridged the gaps in their communication with the little Japanese he knew and tutored her at the school cafeteria after classes to help her catch up. The teachers never did do enough, not even to keep her up to speed on all the new terms she didn’t recognise, and that angered Jungkook to no end back then.

He now recognises more than ever how difficult that year must have been to her. He remembers this one time she broke down in frustrated, angry tears because of one class with a particularly rude and unaccommodating teacher. Jungkook was at a loss of what to do in that situation, everyone around them staring and whispering about how “he must have rejected her, poor thing” not helping at all. He simply got her a tissue and awkwardly patted her back.

Despite how hard it must have been, she graduated that same year with above average grades, which Jungkook secretly admired. They promised each other they would keep in touch in university, but they ended up only meeting for coffee once at the beginning of their first year, so Jungkook feels a little awkward seeing her now, their broken promise muddying the air.

They smile and wave at each other regardless, Jungkook welcoming her in. Sadly, since she arrived late, all the seats around him are taken and she sits all the way to the left, already chattering away about how everyone else has been.

“That’s the first time we’ve seen you smile all night, Jungkookie,” the same girl from before teases.

“Always knew you had a thing for little Saeka.” one of her friends pitches in. Jungkook doesn’t care about each one. So maybe they’re the same pricks as before, Jungkook thinks bitterly.

“If you call being friends ‘having a thing’ for her, then sure”, Jungkook mumbles back, but they somehow pick that up, even over all the noise.

“Come on, we were only joking, right?” The boy says, redirecting his question to the girl.

“Of course! Don’t be so defensive, Jungkookie, one might think you do have a crush on her,” she says sweetly, wiggling her eyebrows at him.

Jungkook forces a dry chuckle, like he found their little jest funny, and leaves it at that. Why did I agree to this. He then tries to focus on the bright side.

What’s the bright side, you ask? Leaving and going home to Jimin, with whom he now thankfully shares a small two-bedroom apartment. It’s tiny, really, but it’s much better than living in the university’s dorm and having to eat instant meals he can heat in the microwave every day, or to shower at ungodly hours before the hot water runs out.

Jimin and Jungkook are in the same year at university, but Jimin is actually two years older, having taken a two year long break from studying after high school to figure out what he wanted from life and save up on some money to cover the costs of attending university in Seoul.

When he finally moved to Seoul to study, Jimin’s best friend, Taehyung, was already starting his third year, as Jimin started his first. They shared that same tiny apartment for that year until Taehyung had to move out after finishing his degree. Taehyung then insisted that Jungkook move in with Jimin in his place, as he didn’t want Jimin sharing the apartment with some creepy guy that smells his used clothes or some shit, Taehyung’s words. It was a no-brainer for all of them: Jungkook was one month away from setting fire to his communitarian dorm room, Taehyung was moving out, and Jimin was looking for a new roommate to share the brunt of the rent with.

He only realised how miserable he was in his first year alone after moving in with Jimin. Jungkook always enjoyed his alone time and never minded being left to his own devices; he welcomed it even, so he thought he’d take well to living by himself, but nothing prepared him for the loneliness. Turns out being alone and being lonely are very different, and despite having made great friends, living alone was still too much for him.

Needless to say, Jungkook was a lot better now. He even managed to set up a spindly, rickety easel he bought for cheap off one of the seniors who had majored the year before on their small living room area. Their landlady was also incredibly nice and taken by Jimin, she even let them use a small flat-screen TV of hers. Jungkook didn’t miss the opportunity, and on his next trip back home to Busan brought back his PlayStation with him and hooked it up to the TV, so that he could game whenever he had free time. The TV didn’t offer the best graphics, but he still preferred it to gaming on his laptop.

Jimin and Jungkook were both from Busan and knew each other even before meeting in university. Maybe knew each other is an exaggeration, Jungkook muses. They went to the same high school and later found out that they didn’t even live that far away from each other back then, but Jimin was his senior by two years, after all, so they never interacted and didn’t even really know of each other’s existence. Then, in their first year in uni, during one of those embarrassing “ice breaker” exercises teachers enjoy forcing their students into in their first classes, they were paired up together and made to share silent eye contact for one full minute.

It was extremely awkward to do something as intimate as prolonged eye contact with someone you’ve never even met before. Jungkook kept overthinking if he had something embarrassing on his face, or bad breath, despite washing his teeth after every meal and tending to avoid food that causes it — he hadn’t come prepared to be in such close proximity to someone, after all. Especially because Jimin looked so put together and smelled so nice, it made him nervous and self-conscious to be so close to someone like that.

At first, Jungkook thought it was even frankly quite dumb for a teacher to have them do this instead of just talking to each other, but it really did work like a charm. Staring into one another’s eyes for a full minute proved too awkward without talking, so naturally everyone in class was either breaking into a fit of giggles after just a few seconds, quietly chattering away while maintaining eye-contact, or just giving up halfway to chat. Jimin and Jungkook kept breaking into quiet laughter as well at first, until Jimin broke the silence.

“Aish, why is this so hard, let’s focus.” he said, ever the diligent student, but he was smiling widely and clearly trying to hold back laughter.

“You were the first to laugh, don’t drag me into this!” Jungkook argued.

“Oh? Are you from Busan as well? That accent can’t lie.” Jimin suddenly said.

“As well? You’re also from Busan?” Jungkook answered, surprised “Huh, small world. Truth be told, you did look quite familiar to me.” he admitted, and it’s no lie. There was something familiar about Jimin.

Their teacher then announced that the one minute was over (releasing them of their torture) and gave them a few moments to talk amongst themselves. Naturally, the entire class immediately broke into (even more) loud chatter.

Jungkook then learns that they did indeed go to the same High School, and they promise each other to pair up for future projects on any classes they share.

Later on that very same week they meet again at the auditions to the university’s dance club and share contact information when they both get accepted. There, they also make acquaintances with Hoseok, who is immediately taken by Jimin and the unique flavour he brings to all his dance moves, due to his classic dance training. They all agree to go out for drinks, Jimin brings Taehyung, Hoseok brings Yoongi. The rest is history.

Jungkook had never had a group of friends before. He’s had friends, of course, even best friends: the kind that call each other best friends as some kind of metaphoric higher ground in front of the other not-best-friends, as if saying hey, I’m the best friend, which means you’re all worse friends than me. That’s not really what being best friends means to him, though. He’s had mostly girl friends, which made boys not really want to hang out with him most times, but something (heteronormativity, probably; and maybe just society in general) made it so that girls never really trusted him as much as they did other girls. That was fine, Jungkook understood it to a certain degree after discussing it with his moms, but it still made him feel inadequate: can’t fit in with the girls, rejected by the boys.

Once he got to university, things changed, though. People are more mature and more themselves, including Jungkook, so he’s made genuine friends and connections. The first friend he made was Jimin, and with him came Taehyung; after all, Jimin and Taehyung come in a pair, do not separate written all over them. Hoseok was also one of his first friends, who in turn introduced them to Yoongi, his boyfriend, who was also very good friends with Namjoon and Seokjin. And so their group was formed. Despite them all having different lives and studying widely different fields, and despite the age-gap between the youngest (Jungkook) and the oldest (Seokjin), they all got along like a house on fire, and Jungkook truly looked up to his hyungs a lot.

Being back with his high-schoolmates after the real friends he’d made was jarring, in comparison. None of them had changed all that much, most of them even shared the same lame jokes and said the same things, so much so that Jungkook believes this dinner could have happened 3 years ago and the conversations would have been nearly the same, sans the what are you studyings.

Jungkook is once again distracted with this musing and focused on his food, thankful to have an excuse not to participate as much, when the attention turns to him once again. It’s inevitable, really — this is a social setting. People will socialise.

They were now talking about money and part-time jobs when one of the boys to his left calls out to Jungkook.

“By the way, Jungkook, don’t you work at a bar?”

Jungkook is a little put off by that question at first, because how would they know? Well, duh, probably one of them visited the place he worked at and spotted him working, mentioned it to someone else, the works. Truth is, Jungkook did work at a bar part-time for a couple months in the beginning of the summer, but as the summer drew to a close, they stopped needing him around to help, so they gave him the boot. Amicably.

While most of their clients were college students, so were all of their part-timers during the school year, leaving the bar understaffed when they all leave during the Summer holidays. Jungkook is sure they only hired him because they couldn’t find anyone else who fit their standards (young and pretty, humility aside).

Jungkook now works at a convenience store, only two nights a week and one morning, to be able to have time for classes, to study and, well, have a life.

“I did for a little while, during this summer, but not anymore. I’m working as a clerk now. Did you ever visit? The bar, I mean.” Jungkook answers after he’s swallowed his food. He doesn’t know what in hell made him ask that, because Jungkook doesn’t really want to hold a conversation with these people about where he works or worked, lest they start showing up and asking for free stuff, or worse, telling other employees they’re friends with Jungkook. Yikes.

“I was there once, didn’t vibe with it, but one of our friends went there again and she thought she recognized you. Glad she hasn’t lost her marbles, yet.” The boy answers, laughing lightly.

“Oh my god, Jung.” another girl exclaimed in English “You can’t tell people you don’t vibe with their job.” She then continued back in Korean.

“I didn’t say I didn’t vibe with his job, I meant the bar itself, loser.” Jung answers, rolling his eyes at her.

“Well, now you have to tell us why you didn’t like the bar, you owe it to Jungkookie. He might get hung up on it, that’s unfair! I’m an empath, I would know.” the girl teases. She’s always been nice and loud, but she never did know when to stop the teasing.

Jungkook, in fact, does not care why Jung didn’t vibe with the bar he part-timed at. Actually, he would rather he didn’t say, he would rather not know, because Jungkook has an inkling, and he’s dreading he might be right. You see, it was a gay bar. Well, it wasn’t actually a gay bar, but most of their clientele is out and proud, but shy and looking for a quieter place that will accept them and where they won’t get weird looks.

“I wasn’t gonna say anything, to not offend people, but a guy tried to hit on me there.” he says with a wrinkled up nose, and this is met by hollers and hoots from most of the others at the table.

“Needless to say, I let him down easy, but then I noticed that there were quite a lot of gay couples, so I just felt uncomfortable, you know? Like, to each their own, nothing against it, but it wasn’t my place to be in, just that.” he states and everyone nods like they understand, other wrinkle their noses, either in distaste for the gays or for what Jung said and the blatant implicit homophobia, Jungkook’s not too sure which one.

Jungkook hates being right in all his pessimism, sometimes… He knew it was coming, but he still feels disappointed and anxious about where this is taking the conversation, as Jungkook is not out to these people, nor does he really want to, not right now, and the conversation is dangerously going there.

It’s Saeka who figuratively saves Jungkook when she pipes up from all the way across the table(s).

“Are you that insecure you can’t even handle being around gay people?” she says, laughing and making light of the conversation, but still clearly under-handing Jung.

Her quip dispersed the conversation away from dangerous topics (or, at least, dangerous for Jungkook with these particular people), and the rest of the group laughs raucously and makes jokes at Jung’s expense, some commenting on how much more out of her shell Saeka seems now.

Jungkook is not surprised, if thankful. Saeka had always been a fiery girl, even with a communication barrier, but Jungkook had been the only one to try to overcome it enough to actually get to know her. She had been the first person Jungkook had come out to. They share a quiet smile across the table and she winks at him.

“But why are you even working? I thought you were rich.” the girl to Jungkook’s right asks, swirling the drink in her glass around. The boy next to her elbows her, as if telling her that she’s crossing the line with her line of questioning. “What? It’s just a question. Asking doesn’t offend, right?” she defends herself, addressing the right? to Jungkook with a tilt of her head and a sly smile.

“We were never rich, not really. My moms are well off and have very good taste in clothes, but that’s that.”, he jokes. “I also thought it would be good for me to, you know, get some experience working.” Jungkook shrugs. He doesn’t know why he feels like he has to explain himself, but the girl goes silent at his words, and the rest of the table seems a little quieter as well. Did he say something wrong?

Oh. He mentioned his moms.

Right after Jung made that comment about not being comfortable near gay people.

Huh, serves him right, Jungkook thinks.

He didn’t always go to the same school, like most of the people at the table today. Jungkook and his moms used to live closer to the city before, but were driven out of their neighbourhood due to receiving death threats and having their house graffitied with ugly slurs.

Jungkook was too young to really realise what was going on, let alone even know the meaning of the words. He knows now, because when he grew older, his moms told him more about it. Jungkook remembers people whispering about him at school, but he had never really picked up on it until a particularly mean kid spat in his face exactly what was going around the school. That his parents were both women, and that was somehow depraved and made him a gay boy. It eventually got so bad that they decided to simply move somewhere else and hope it didn’t follow them there. It wasn’t safe anymore, but thankfully, the new place was quieter, and no one knew them that far across town.

Jungkook is sure not everyone shared those same thoughts, and they had some very good neighbours who tried to help and showed support as best as they could, such as in helping clean up the graffiti, bringing them baked goods, the likes. The police could not find who was responsible for the death threats that occasionally made their way to their mail box, nor the graffiti, but after months of living through that, his moms had enough and left. It was probably only one bitter homophobe/transphobe going around stirring all that shit up, but it was still taking a toll on them, who had a small child and were scared of what could happen if the perpetrator decided to put his words into action.

Jungkook can’t blame them, and he’s glad they made that decision. At his new school and neighbourhood, no more incidents like that happened again, but he noticed at school how people’s ears perked up whenever he talked about his moms, plural. Everyone probably assumed they were friends who lived together and one of them was a single mother, or that they were sisters, or something like that. He’s sure they suspected it, and despite Jungkook never shying away from the topic nor dancing around it, they all seemed to want them to only be friends, and not an actual lesbian couple.

After that, no one directly asks Jungkook any more questions, and he’s left to contributing to conversations only when he wants to. It’s what he prefers, really, in a situation like this.

***

Jungkook gets home from the dinner exhausted, but weirdly relieved. It’s done, he got through it with barely any hitch and even got to catch up with Saeka as they were leaving. They were the only two who passed on going out for drinks after dinner. Jungkook lied saying he had an early class the next day, and Saeka plain and simply said she’d rather sleep. Jungkook admired her blunt honesty and how she said it in a way that artfully made everyone laugh. He bitterly wishes he was that good with people, or at least enough to not have to hide behind white lies.

You don’t owe them any excuses, it’s what Saeka then simply told him when Jungkook expressed this to her. He realised then that he really doesn’t owe them anything.

After all the others left, Jungkook and Saeka stick around together for a few more minutes. She called it their post-meet-up-shade, in which they were supposed to throw shade on everyone else. They don’t do that much of that. What they do is loiter nearby the restaurant, each of them nursing a beer they got from a neighbouring bar. Saeka surprises Jungkook when she pulls out a cigarette.

“You mind?” Saeka asks him before lighting it. Jungkook shakes his head no and gestures at her to go ahead.

“What are you so surprised for?”, she laughs. Jungkook never did have a very good poker face. “You want one?” she then says, extending the pack to Jungkook.

“I’m good, thanks, I never really got into that habit.” Jungkook politely refuses. “I never imagined you would, either, if I’m honest.”

“Good for you, honestly. This shit sucks, but it stuck to me like… well, like cigarette smoke to all my clothes. Maybe that’s why I can’t quit, the smoke follows me around!” Jungkook chuckles at that. He has to admit that seeing her smoke is quite striking for Jungkook, he doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to it.

“Here, let’s swap where we’re standing, so that the smoke doesn’t blow in your direction.”

“Wow, how gentlemanly.” Jungkook comments, and she makes a cute little curtsey.

“I was surprised to see you here. The same way I surprised with myself by showing up, as well.” Saeka comments, and they share a knowing smile over Jungkook’s bottle as he takes a sip.

“My room-mate convinced me it could be good for me, so that I’m not always around the same six people.”, Jungkook explains. “I disagreed then, and I mostly disagree now, but hey, at least we got to see each other!”

“Not all bad, eh?” She raises her own bottle to him and then takes a drag, blowing the smoke over her shoulder so that it doesn’t bother Jungkook. “I also had someone convince me to come. Why did we listen to them… How are these people exactly the same. No character growth in the leasy.” Saeka comments, referring their high-school peers they just had dinner with.

“I’m pretty sure they will be saying the same about me.”

“Nah, high-school Jungkook would never have shown up to this, so that’s something. Neither bad nor good, but you gave them another chance, and that’s something already, right?”

“When did you become so wise?”

“Ey, I’ve always been. There was just a communication barrier.” she says, clinking her beer with Jungkook’s.

“That’s right, your Korean is impeccable now. You were a fast learner even back then, but damn! You’re fluent!” Jungkook congratulates her.

“You think so? Sometimes there’s some words and sentences that I just can’t get right yet, especially if it’s jargon or if I’m nervous… But that’s so nice to hear, Jungkookie, thank you.”

They chat for a few more minutes, reminiscing shared moments in high-school and swapping college stories until they’re out of beer and Saeka has put out her cigarette on a cigarette-dish by the bar’s door.

“It was lovely catching up with you, Jungkook-san. I have to go now, as I do have classes tomorrow mid-morning, but we really really should go out sometime. For coffee or lunch or… your pick, honestly! I’m down.”

“But this time for realsies.”

“This time for realsies.”

“I will need like twenty-two business days to recover from this, but around this day next month let’s go bowling.” Jungkook suggests.

“Oh my god, yes! Bowling! I miss that so much… You can bring your room-mate, if they agree.”

“Jimin? I’ll ask him, sure.” Jungkook says with a kind smile. Jimin and Saeka would probably get along perfectly.

As he climbs the stairs to his and Jimin’s shared apartment, there is this sense of accomplishment and relief for having gotten through it with no major hitches, but Jungkook still regrets going, and Jimin still sees right through it.

When Jungkook walks through the front door, toeing off his sneakers, he’s not surprised to see that Jimin is still awake. They’re both night owls and stay up later than most or forgo sleep at all at times, save for occasions when a good night of sleep is mandatory. Even then…

Jimin is curled up on the couch wrapped in a fluffy blanket and watching something on TV, reading glasses on.

“How was it?” Jimin asks, lifting his eyes from the screen to look at Jungkook.

“Eh, fine. M’tired.” Jungkook says on his way to the kitchen, accompanied by a long sigh.

“That bad?” Jimin chuckles, having paused the drama to give Jungkook his full attention as he rummages through their small pantry for a snack. He emerges with a bag of seaweed chips to find Jimin already perched on the counter top. Jungkook would startle, were he not used to Jimin moving so noiselessly sometimes — despite being some clumsy other times.

“Soo not worth going.” Jungkook answers, giving Jimin a look.

“You should have texted. I would’ve called you and screamed about the house being on fire to get you out of it, Jungkookie.” Jimin says seriously, reaching out his hand to pet Jungkook’s head down to his nape, massaging lightly at his neck there. Jungkook leans into it.

“It wasn’t too bad… They’re all the same, really, which was just disappointing. And tiring.” Jungkook admits, tearing open the package.

“Well, looking on the bright side, aren’t you glad you don’t have to hang out with them every day anymore?” Jimin asks, voice soft and a little apologetic.

“So glad!” Jungkook answers, a little muffled through his mouthful of crispy dark greens. “It was just boring, honestly. Saeka was cool, though, it was nice seeing her again. What were you watching?”

“A Weightlifting Fairy rerun.” Jimin is looking positively guilty, pouting his lips and looking down at the cute socks he is wearing.

Jungkook draws in a big breath in fake shock, almost choking on his snack “No, you didn’t. You wouldn’t.” he says dramatically and brings a hand up to his chest. “Without me?! Jimin-ssi… You break my heart.”

“I thought you would be coming home a lot later!” Jimin says defensively.

“That’s no excuse, Jimin-ssi. Let’s rewind it back to the beginning so we can watch together, c’mon.” Jungkook says, already walking off towards the sofa, tugging Jimin with him.

“Can’t you just watch it tomorrow?” Jimin whines, and Jungkook can hear the pout in his voice as he settles on the couch.

“Oh, is that whining I hear? We will be watching it tomorrow as well, don’t worry.” he gestures between himself and Jimin “Together.” Jungkook says emphatically in English.

Jimin sighs dramatically, but joins in regardless, smiling softly at Jungkook’s antics. “I was only half an episode in anyway, I guess. Brat.” Jungkook chews happily, bouncing his crossed legs in excitement.

True to his words, Jimin rewinds the show back to the start.

Sitting there watching a cheesy drama, munching on crunchy snacks while Jimin pets his head, arm comfortably thrown around the couch: the way he feels around Jimin, so comfortable and understood, is so different from how he felt around his high-school colleagues that he almost gets whiplash. It’s nothing short of miraculous, to Jungkook. He can finally relax, finally breathe.

Nothing like being home.

***

The next day finds Jungkook sprawled on the laminated wooden floors of the university’s dance club, chest still heaving from the 5 rounds of full choreo Hoseok made them go through. The studio isn’t used only by the dance club, it’s more of a one-size-fits-all kind of room: there are basketball hoops opposite each other on the two farther apart walls, one big mirrored wall, two small wheeled football goals and many different coloured markings on the floor for different games. It can get chaotic if the club that uses it beforehand doesn’t tidy their stuff away in the small, musty equipment room adjacent to the studio, as the dance team needs the entire room bare and equipment-free but for the old sound system they have available (it still uses CDs! What a relic).

They meet here twice a week. Hoseok, their unofficial choreographer and previous leader when he was still an alumni the year before, is only present one of those two times to monitor their progress and correct any mistakes or bad habits in their rendition of his choreographies.

Hoseok now has his own job as a dance instructor at an up-and-coming hip hop studio and dance crew nearby, but he dreams of becoming a hot-shot choreographer, so volunteering to come up with his university’s group choreographies (and often-times solos as well) is not only an honour for him, but also a great chance to build some portfolio and get hands-on experience.

They all loved him too much to let him go as well.

Hoseok was the second friend Jungkook made at university when he joined the dance club last year. Back then, Hoseok was already their leader and main choreographer, but he welcomed the new recruits like friends, with a bright smile and an all-encompassing, warm attitude. Jungkook was, of course, scared shitless of him at first, because of his big and bright presence, but it’s impossible to not love Jung Hoseok’s sunny disposition. He was an angel in Jungkook’s eyes.

Jungkook had taken casual hip-hop classes since middle-school as an extracurricular activity, and it had always been the highlight of his week back then. He had a real talent for it as well, or so people told him, and he would often practise alone in his room and learn his own choreographies, going above and beyond. It was only natural that he jumped at the chance the moment he found out that their university’s Sports Faculty had a dance club open to all university members.

Jungkook still remembers that first day, how he got lost looking for the building and the room where the dance studio was housed: in a half-basement with a rectangular string of windows near the ceiling as its only natural light source. He had had to have a random sports major show him the place, and he’d never been more thankful for how nice and easily approachable these people were. The girl led him straight to the door and bowed with a quirky flourish before leaving, at which Jungkook bowed 90 degrees in return in thanks. Nothing could have prepared him to being faced once again with the boy from his Research Methods class upon opening the door to the studio. Jimin flashed him one of his million watt smiles from across the room.

“You’re joining the dance club as well, Jungkook-ssi?” he had said, voice bright, smile even brighter at the happy coincidence. Jungkook probably looked like a deer caught in headlights.

“Oh, a new addition! You already know each other? That’s great!” a boy with neat brown hair and a heart shaped smile said, clapping his hands once “Come on in, we were just starting the introductions of the new members.”

His memories of his first year and his time at the dance club back then all have this sort of yellow filter, full of sunny days and sunnier people.

Back to the present day, Jungkook is brought out of his walk through memory lane by Jimin barging through the door of that very same room in a flurry, white plastic bag in hand.

“I know I’m late, I know, but I brought everyone snacks!” Jimin announces to a roomful of cheer. The first years are especially taken with him, immediately crowding him for their share of ice cream and cold drinks.

Jungkook stays lying on the floor catching his breath until he hears someone approach him and the feeling of something freezing cold touching his neck shocks him into sitting up on his elbows. Jimin is squatting down next to him, holding out a corn-shaped ice cream.

“Oh, you bought old-people ice cream!” Jungkook exclaims happily, all thoughts of berating his hyung for almost giving him hypothermia gone the second he spots Jimin’s bag still half-full of his favourite ice creams. He grabs the ice cream off Jimin’s hand, noticing his smiling face, and tears the green plastic open.

Jimin sits down cross legged next to him, Jungkook mirroring his position.

“You aren’t just ‘late’, by the way. You missed over half of dance practice.” Jungkook tells him bluntly “But you’re forgiven.” he amends, lifting the ice cream as if in a toast.

Jimin smiles softly as if endeared. “I know, I got held up by a stupid group project. No one was taking the plunge, I had them pick papers out of a hat just to distribute tasks fairly, else I would have had to do the entire thing by myself.” he sighs, leaning back further into his hands.

“Which you probably still will.” Jungkook manages to say through a big bite of ice cream. And then “Ah, shit! Brain freeze.” through gritted teeth, bringing a fisted hand up to his forehead and bouncing his crossed legs.

“Serves you right!” Jimin laughs, ripping up the package on a red bean popsicle. Jimin is smart and softens it up a little at first with his warm breath.

“Where did you even get these?” Jungkook has recovered and takes another (smaller) bite out of his yellow corn ice cream, folding the plastic wrapper down as he goes “They’re literally all my favourites. You know those ones with very strong flavours, like sweet and sour? I don’t like those ones. I prefer milder ones.”

“I know.” Jimin says nonchalantly, but his smile couldn’t possibly get any bigger. “Why’d you think I got them?”

“Aish, hyung! You spoil me too much. Is this part of your evil plan, huh?” Jungkook complains through a sweet, cute little smile . “But I really was craving something sweet.” a smaller bite. “What’s your group project about? Wait, actually, don’t tell me. I know I’ll regret asking when you say something like The Evolution of Rotting in Comorbid Wounds Inflicted by Grasscutters or some shit and then I’ll get brain freeze again.”

Jimin laughs boisterously, throwing his body across Jungkook’s and almost getting ice cream on the laminated floors. “Let me tell you that not a single thing out of your mouth made any sense. Impressive, Jungkookie. Grasscutters…”

After all the ice creams are gone and the group has rested (or stretched and warmed up, in Jimin’s case) and Hoseok has returned to the room after a quick coffee break from the vending machine just conveniently outside the door, Hoseok claps his hands to get everyone’s attention back on the class.

“Nice of you to join finally us, Jimin-ssi! Now, get in position, everyone, from the top!”

Hoseok then guides them through the choreo one last time, which turns into three last times and, after everyone else is dismissed, five more last times only with Jimin, since he was late and didn’t want to miss out too much or drag the team down. Jungkook joins in on the first two runs, but then even he gets too exhausted to go on and simply helps Hoseok monitor Jimin.

Jungkook has always admired how much Jimin pours into everything he does. He never does anything half-assed and is a diligent student, usually top of the class. Even though most people might assume Jimin is just naturally talented and disciplined, Jungkook knows how much hard work Jimin puts into every single thing he’s involved in. Even if Jimin finds something difficult at first, he will not give up until he’s gotten it near perfectly.

Jimin has greatly influenced Jungkook to try to put in more work in his own endeavours, as Jungkook, despite naturally talented at many things, rarely stepped out of his comfort zone or kept doing things he wasn’t immediately naturally good at. Jungkook believes he has also helped Jimin loosen up a little and be less hard on himself when things don’t go exactly as he envisioned or hoped for — or at least he hopes so. Jungkook knows that’s something Jimin will probably always struggle with, being as much of a perfectionist as he is.

Jungkook is broken out of his thoughts by the man himself.

“We all still on for dinner tonight?” Jimin asks, redirecting his question more to Hoseok, as he knows Jungkook is coming.

“I sure am, I’m not about to miss Jungkook’s birthday party, even if it’s one month late. I took the bus here today, so I was thinking we could all go together?” Hoseok said, doing a circular motion with his finger to emphasise that by all together he means them three.

Jimin only hums in approval, too tired to form words.

“Can we drop by our place to shower first, though? I know you were only monitoring, but me and Jiminie are sweaty as hell. No offence, hyung.” Jungkook says, directing the last part to Jimin, who swats at his shoulder playfully.

“I do want to change before we go, yes. You don’t mind waiting for a little while, do you, hyung?” he then asks Hoseok, already gathering his things to go after gulping down the last of his water.

“I’ll catch up on some emails, don’t worry.” Hoseok is quick to reassure.

“By emails you mean webtoons, right?” Jungkook pipes up from where he’s turning off the glorified radio they have as a sound system.

“You know it!” Hoseok answers brightly. “Today was hectic, so I do appreciate having a little down time before our dinner, if I’m honest. It’s always chaotic with Seokjin.” Hoseok jokes, also gathering his things while Jungkook stores the sound system away in the storage room for him.

“And Namjoon will for sure be breaking something. Hopefully not himself.” Jimin adds, and they all cringe at the thought. It wouldn’t be too much of a surprise, if Jungkook is honest. His poor hyung tried his best to be careful with everything, so it’s really not his fault. Jungkook likes to think Namjoon broke a really big mirror as a kid and now has an impressive amount of bad luck that manifests in everything he touches breaking in his hands. Truly tragic.

***

It’s Seokjin’s turn to host the dinner. As is most times, really, but they do have a little rotating system to make it fair for everyone, not only in terms of commuting, but also so as to not bury Seokjin in debt. So, more often than not, they hold their get-together at Seokjin’s place — it has an actual table that can fit all of them, on actual chairs, and a big enough kitchen in which more than one person can help make dinner in, so that they don’t have to order in all the time. Plus, they can actually eat at the aforementioned table, instead of crowded around a little coffee table, asses sat down on the sofa’s cushions. The downside is that it is a lot farther away for most of them, so they can’t stay until as late as usual.

Jimin and Jungkook’s apartment is closest to most of them — as will Hoseok and Yoongi’s be, once they find a place that doesn’t cost them an arm and a leg — but whenever they’re celebrating a special occasion, Seokjin’s apartment is the one to go to.

And today is a special occasion, alright: it’s Jungkook’s birthday party.

His actual birthday was already two weeks ago, yes, however, since it was right before the school year started, Jungkook was visiting his family that week, and they only got the time to get the entire group together to celebrate today.

The trio arrives at Seokjin’s place with time to spare, Jimin and Jungkook freshly showered and with still slightly damp hair. Jimin parks his beat-down car in the claustrophobic underground garage for Seokjin’s apartment complex. It’s a little like an old shopping mall’s underground parking space, but with even shorter ceilings and scanter space between walls. The entry road is so narrow and the curve so tight, that the white walls are understandably riddled with big and multicoloured scratch marks from previous cars that have not been so good at avoiding bumping into the walls.

Once they’ve parked and taken the elevator up to the entrance door, Jungkook rings the doorbell to Seokjin’s apartment number repeatedly until he answers.

“Hullo, children.” his voice speaks from the intercom. “You must answer the riddle before being allowed entrance.” Seokjin announces dramatically.

“Oh for fucks sake…” Jimin grumbles while Jungkook shoves to the front to enthusiastically answer Seokjin through the intercom. All that Seokjin can see from the camera is probably a fisheye of Jungkook’s nose and two big, round, shiny, smiley eyes.

“Hi, hyung! The answer to the riddle is “Seokjin”. Now let us in.” Jungkook says animatedly.

“Yah! That’s not how it’s supposed to go, Jeon Jungkook!” comes Seokjin’s static-y reply “How were you able to guess the answer before I even asked the riddle? Did you cheat?!”

Hoseok is in stitches at this point at the youngest-oldest duo’s antics. “Maybe it’s because we know how self centred you are!” Hoseok says from where he’s bending and holding onto his knees from laughter. “Ah, Jungkookie, you’re so cute.” he then adds, referring to Jungkook’s antics.

“I will pretend I didn’t hear that.” Seokjin answers breezily.

“Hyung, just let them in.” comes Namjoon’s voice through the intercom, sounding farther away. He must have been the first to arrive.

“I will not do such a thing, not until the brat guesses what the riddle was, as he was so smart to figure out the answer.” Seokjin rebuttals, accompanied by a long, suffering sigh, definitely from Namjoon, who’s probably given up at this point.

“‘Who is the fairest of them all?’, now open this up, come on, I’m cold and hungry.” answers Jimin, a little whiny. Jungkook pokes him on the side, can’t resit it.

“Aww, Jiminie! You really think that?” Seokjin gushes “Sadly, it’s wrong, but!” and here Jungkook can imagine Seokjin putting up a crooked finger as he says this “I will let you guys in just because you were so close to the actual riddle. I’m leaving the apartment door open for you, so hurry your asses over before I’m robbed.”

The intercom cuts off abruptly and the door buzzes open. Jungkook pushes through the door and holds it open for Jimin and Hoseok with a flourish, who walk by with a chorus of thanks and a kiss on his forehead from Hoseok, which makes Jungkook giggle.

“He’s always so dramatic, good lord.” Jimin says about Seokjin, but he’s smiling fondly.

“And on my birthday party!” Jungkook adds, shaking his head dramatically.

“That’s right, Jungkookie, we should be pampering you!” Hoseok agrees, and back-hugs a grumpy Jungkook trying to escape the entire way up.

They arrive in front of Seokjin’s door and knock lightly to announce their presence, immediately hearing a muffled “come in!” yell from inside. Seokjin always simply leaves his apartment door unlocked, so that he doesn’t have to go open the door every few minutes to “let the strays in”, as he so kindly calls them when they all group together to munch off Seokjin’s divine food, to paraphrase him again. Hoseok spills into the apartment with a shouted “Jaaan!”.

“Hey, chat!” Jungkook announces, still standing in front of the door with a big grin and his hands on his hips, Jimin almost completely hidden behind him.

“Hi, everyone.” comes Jimin’s voice from behind him.

“Jungkook-ah, how many times do I have to tell you? You’re not a streamer. We’re not your chat. We have a much flatter team structure than that.” is Seokjin’s reply, holding up a wooden spoon like he holds all wisdom.

“Even if he was a streamer, we would not be tuned in and commenting, that’s for sure.” Hoseok laughs, and then side hugs Jungkook when he shoots him a hurt look.

“Aw, thanks for all the happy birthday wishes, you guys.” Jungkook says in a fake sweet voice.

“You guys are being mean, Jungkook would be a great streamer.” comes Jimin’s defence.

“Nobody asked you, oh mysterious voice that’s coming from behind Jungkook.” Seokjin bashes, and Jungkook snickers as he walks further inside and struggles to remove his shoes without undoing the shoelaces, always delighted whenever someone makes a “Jiminie is freaking tiny” joke for him.

“Yah” Jimin shouts at the offence, and then mutters to Jungkook, much more softly “Move out of the way, please, Jungkook-ah.” Then louder again after Jungkook manages to remove his shoes and does move out of the way. “Stop acting like I’m 5 feet tall, what the hell. Me and Yoongi-hyung are basically the same height and I don’t see you making fun of him for it!” Jimin huffs.

“That’s because we respect Yoongi.” Namjoon’s voice comes from the kitchen.

“Oh, I see how it is.” Jimin fumes, throwing his hands up.

“Uh, guys?” Jungkook interrupts, raising his hand like he’s in class. Namjoon nods at him a go-ahead. Jimin rolls his eyes sassily. “I believe we’re all gathered here to celebrate a certain someone. Correct me if I’m wrong, though.” Jungkook says, pointing at himself the entire time.

No one pays him any mind, though, because now that Jimin’s walked further into the house, he’s stopped abruptly when he came face to face with Seokjin trying to teach a tortured, traumatised-looking Namjoon how to hold a knife to mince onions.

“Hyung, what are you doing?!” Jimin laughs “Are you trying to kill us all?”

“Hi to you all as well.” Namjoon says in a flat tone, answered by Jungkook’s pouty and quiet “I thought this was a party for me…”

“He has to learn, Jiminie.” Seokjin clicks his tongue, while Namjoon ignores the commotion with a head tilt and focuses back on the onions.

“Are my eyes supposed to be burning so much?” Namjoon asks, pain evident in his tone.

“Beauty hurts or whatever, now get back to it.” Seokjin orders bossily from where he’s peeking over Namjoon’s shoulder “Not two pieces of that onion are the same size, Joonie, they are supposed to be similar sizes to cook evenly!” he plunders on his complaints.

“What is this, a cooking class?” Jungkook asks, laughing. “Or are you just trying to get out of cutting up the onions because they’re smelly? And make you cry?”

Seokjin gasps in shock “How dare you even imply I would ever do something so selfish? Did I not raise you on my back since you were but a small youngling?! What insolence!”

That only makes Jungkook laugh harder, going to Seokjin to slap him on the back amicably.

They eventually do drop the act and radiantly acknowledge Jungkook’s birthday, piling on him and pulling at his cheeks. Then they somehow manage to organise themselves with who gets kitchen duty and who sets the tables. Namjoon is safely taken away from Seokjin’s evil grasp to sit on the couch and take on the very important task of managing the playlist, making sure to include everyone’s tastes.

A disgruntled Yoongi shows up a good half hour later, complaining about how his bus got held up in traffic. Hoseok runs to him and coddles him like he hasn’t seen him for months when, in reality, they’ve merely been apart for a few hours, waxing poetic about how cute he looks all bundled up for the cold. Everyone knows Hoseok stays at Yoongi’s tiny room more often than not.

“I may be late, but I brought champagne.” Yoongi announces, wiggling the long, thick paper bag he’s holding.

Hoseok claps his hands excitedly and kisses Yoongi on the cheek. Jungkook fake gags.

“Oh? Champagne for Jungkookie’s birthday? Is he even old enough to drink?” Namjoon asks, popping in from the couch to greet his friend.

Jungkook only rolls his eyes, not even dignifying Namjoon with an answer.

“We’re all together this time, that would be enough of an occasion.” Yoongi explains simply.

“Hey!” Jungkook pouts, tired of everyone glossing over his birthday party.

“I brought something else just for you.” Yoongi cuts in, and produces a small envelope-shaped gift, wrapped in a colourful wrapping paper with a confetti print.

“Hyung, what? Wh— I thought I said I didn’t want anyone to bring me any gifts! I really only wanted to be with all of you hyungs.” Jungkook exclaims, surprise evident in his tone.

Seokjin and Jimin’s aws sound from the kitchen. Jimin had ended up volunteering to take Namjoon’s place — Yoongi and Jungkook would usually be the ones helping Seokjin in the kitchen, but this is a party for their Jungkookie, and Yoongi hadn’t arrived yet.

Yoongi only shrugs, but when Jungkook reaches out to take the present into his hands and tear into it, Yoongi pulls it back.

“Everything at its own time. This present is from everyone, so you can only open it when everyone else has arrived.” Yoongi puts the present away again, far from Jungkook’s prying eyes. “But happy belated birthday, kid.”, he says with a clap to his shoulder.

Now that he says it, Jungkook realises he hasn’t actually seen Yoongi in person since before his birthday. His hyung has been busy with his own projects even more than usual — he must be going through the opposite of an artist’s block right now.

Despite meeting nearly every week, it’s not often they manage to be together with the seven of them. It used to be easier, but with time and everyone’s lives changing, it gets harder to accommodate everyone’s schedule. That’s adulthood catching up for you. Taehyung, for one, has practically moved out of Seoul to attend a different university for his master’s degree, which probably explains why he arrives fashionably late, too (weren’t he a fashion major). He arrives suspiciously as dinner is just about ready and there are no more chores to do.

“Hello, my beauties! And Seokjin.” Taehyung announces with a bow as he enters, tossing his choppy, shoulder length wolf cut dramatically as he does so.

“You do realise I am one hundred percent entitled to kick you out of my house at any moment, don’t you, Kim Taehyung?” Seokjin answers calmly.

He’s scarier when he’s not shouting, Jungkook thinks, visibly shuddering.

“My dear hyung, I meant only to say you are not merely a common beauty. You are The Beauty.” Taehyung explains, giving a stoic Seokjin two air kisses.

“Thanks!” comes Jimin’s affronted reply.

“Yes, thank you, Taehyungie!” Seokjin says a lot more enthusiastically, but then he mutters darkly “You’re on thin fucking ice, Kim Taehyung.”

“Common beauty number one!” Taehyung positively shouts in glee as he spots Jimin, throwing his arms around him and ignoring Seokjin’s empty threat, which only makes him fume more. The little devils do love to rile up their hyung.

Taehyung greets everyone else, pinching Jungkook’s cheeks hard when he gets to the birthday boy, but still never letting go of Jimin in the process. They haven’t seen each other in a couple of weeks, so they will surely be insufferably joined at the hip, today. Even more so than usual, that is.

“We have something important to discuss.” Taehyung tells Jimin conspiratorially as the seven all sit (or perch, as there isn’t enough sitting space for all of them, even in Seokjin’s roomy living room), catching up with each other a little as dinner finishes cooking in the oven. It’s easy to miss with everyone else talking so animatedly, but Jungkook is sitting right next to them, so he picks up on it easily.

“We do?” Jimin asks, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

“Yes.” Taehyung answers emphatically, already getting up and dragging Jimin with him to the bathroom for some privacy, to catcalls from the rest of the group. Jimin looks quizzically over his shoulder at them as if saying ‘this guy is crazy’, making the group holler even more.

When they come back a few minutes later, Jungkook notices something looks off about Jimin right away. He looks a little sad, smile not quite reaching his eyes, and as soon as he makes eye contact with Jungkook, his eyes flit away instantly, as if in shame. Jungkook looks to Taehyung for answers, but everyone’s already moving to the table. Jungkook makes a mental note to ask about it later.

Seokjin offers Taehyung bright pink oven mitts and declares “Do something and help us move the food to the table, will you?”

“Oh hyung, these even match my outfit, you’re so considerate!” Taehyung retorts happily, skipping over to the island counter towards the tiny kitchen to retrieve the food from the oven.

Chatter dies down once they’ve all got Seokjin’s version of a Sunday roast in front of them.

“Hyun’, fis is delishous!” Taehyung exclaims over a mouthful.

“I helped chop the onions.” Namjoon announces proudly, and Seokjin pats him on the back as Taehyung chokes on his food.

“You what?!” he wheezes, and Hoseok laughs at Taehyung’s shocked expression.

“It’s true, we got to see Namjoon in action with the onions when we first arrived.” Jimin explains.

“I knew you looked different, Joonie.” Yoongi praises, reaching over to also pat Namjoon on the back “You have this glow about you.”

“That might just be from sitting next to Seokjin.” Jimin mumbles into his food jokingly, hiding his words in between coughs. Jungkook hears and snickers at Jimin’s teasing. It seems like everyone’s caught up on Namjoon’s big fat crush on Seokjin. Everyone but Namjoon and Seokjin themselves, that is. They’re such idiots.

After the food has been inhaled and the plates have all been cleared from the table, Yoongi and Hoseok take the champagne bottle and a cake out of the fridge, surprising everyone. Taehyung gets up and dances around the table at the sight of more food.

“You guys are suspiciously invested in Jungkook’s birthday party, today.” Namjoon pipes up, eyeing the couple suspiciously. Seokjin brings out his fanciest tall glasses and fine china plates for the cake.

“Are you going to announce your wedding, or something?” Jimin laughs, but it drops out of his face when he sees the look Yoongi and Hoseok share. “What, for real? But it’s not even legal, are you eloping?”

“All in due time, my dear, don’t ruin the surprise now.” Hoseok says theatrically as he places a bunny shaped candle and some sparklers on the cake. Yoongi is already taking care of pouring everyone champagne, even if only half a glass for the drivers of the group.

“Jungkook-ah, you get the first slice”

“I get the first slice, I brought the cake.” Yoongi says, pushing a plate into Hoseok’s hands.

“Hey, that’s cheating!” Jungkook exclaims theatrically, getting up from his seat and pointing an accusatory finger at Yoongi, like he’s on Ace Attorney.

“No it’s not, it’s just facts.” Yoongi says, sticking his tongue out at Jungkook and doing a cute lil guy dance, like Namjoon likes to say. Yoongi’s facade of cool detached guy drops the moment he’s with his friends, and the entire group is secretly endeared by it.

Jungkook just stares in disbelief, then looks to Jimin as if searching for support, but Jimin just laughs. In the end, of course,Jungkook does get the first, and fattest slice.

Once everyone has a slice of cake and a flute of champagne in front of them, Hoseok clears his throat, picking up his glass and lightly tapping his knife against it. He then frowns and looks down at it as if it offended him when the sound it makes is not a titillating crystalline ping ping ping, but more like the sound of hitting plastic.

“My announcement looks cheap now, I thought these were crystal glasses.” Hoseok says, still frowning down at his glass.

“What are you announcing, that I have cheap, shit cutlery?!” Seokjin erupts.

“Well, no, but—” Hoseok tries again, but gets interrupted.

“I don’t think glasses constitute cutlery, hyung.”

“Namjoon-ah, be quiet. The utter disrespect! Maybe if the glass wasn’t full, my crystal glasses would have made a crystalline sound.” Seokjin continues.

“Okay, okay, sorry. Jeez, I just wanted to announce that me and Yoongi finally found a place.” Hoseok finally manages to get out.

“Oh! Why didn’t you say so? That’s so great!” Seokjin says cheerfully, any cutlery offence forgotten.

“I was trying to.” Hoseok mumbles into his glass, but he can’t fake pout for long when everyone around him gets up to pat him and Yoongi on the back and sandwich them into hugs.

“Congratulations, you two! That’s amazing!”

“As soon as we’re settled in, weekly dinner will be at our place. It’ll be our house-warming party.” Yoongi says, smiling at Hoseok lovingly. Jungkook gags again, and Yoongi tries to smack him from across the table.

“Wait, but where are you staying, then? How did you find a place?” Taehyung asks.

“Well, Jimin asked his landlady about it a couple of months ago, when we first started looking. At the moment she didn’t have any place available, but we gave her our contact anyway. Last week, she called.” Hoseok explains and Yoongi nods.

“Apparently, two of her tenants moved away, so now she has an available flat for us, if we liked it. And we did.” Yoongi continues. “So, thanks, Jimin-ah.” he then says, raising his flute to Jimin, who returns the favour.

“Anytime, hyungs. Really happy it worked out!”

“Work out it did, it’s perfect, Jiminie. For her as well, apparently. She said she’d rather charge less rent for people she trusted, than rent the place to someone who didn’t take proper care of it. And she trusts Jimin’s friends, cheers to that.”

“She’s really not bad, as far as landladies and landlords go. ” Jimin says, and Taehyung agrees vehemently.

“She’s not, but she gets points deducted just for being one. Profiting off the housing crisis…” Yoongi comments, pursing his lips.

“Well, I have nothing bad to say about her. She’s really nice. She was a customer at the cafe I worked at, always left good tips and was always nice. One day we got talking and I mentioned how I needed a new place, and she immediately gave me her contact and told me she was looking for new tenants! She’s a godsend, honestly.” Taehyung says.

“I think it’s actually a you thing, Taehyung-ah. You could befriend a— uuhh. Whatever it is that’s hard to befriend.” Seokjin comments, and Taehyung tilts his head in what is probably thanks, but Jungkook can never tell what’s in his mind.

“So, what you’re saying is you charmed her into renting you and Jimin a place for cheap.” Hoseok laughs.

“Ah, hyung.” Taehyung says coyly, hiding his face behind his champagne glass and looking at Hoseok over the rim in a seductive manner. “I would never.”

“You so would.” Jimin deadpans.

“Yah!” Taehyng exclaims, but he’s laughing good naturedly.

Jungkook is the first one to get up to clear away the table, eager to show his hyungs the movie he picked for today, but Jimin pulls him back down on to his chair.

“Oh? Why?” Jungkook asks.

“Aren’t you forgetting something, kid?” Yoongi asks him from across the table with a knowing smile.

Taehyung suddenly gets up from his seat.

“I’ll go get it, where is it?” Taehyung asks excitedly, practically buzzing, and Jimin slaps his butt affectionately.

Jungkook looks around to his hyungs. Do they mean the gift Yoongi showed earlier?

“Sit back down, tadpole. We have it, and I think the person who originally had the idea should be the one to give the gift.” Yoongi says pointedly, and Hoseok hands the colourfully wrapped envelope over the table to Jimin, who takes it with two hands and a small bow.

“There was no need, but thank you.” he smiles. “Jungkook-ssi, please allow me to, in name of all of us here united, gift you this little something we humbly got together to prepare for you.” Jimin says with flourish. Jungkook takes the envelope into his hands and looks around the table.

“Chat, I’m scared. You’re all looking at me as if I’m holding a bomb.”

“Oh, for fucks sake, just open the thing!” Taehyung erupts from behind Jimin, standing up again.

“For the first time in a long time, I agree with Taehyung.” Seokjin adds.

“That’s literally a lie.” Taehyung laughs.

“Aaand we’re back to our regularly scheduled programme.” Namjoon sighs, as he usually does.

“Okay, okay. I’m opening it, you can all shut up, now.” Jungkook says, raising his voice to be heard over the noise.

Seokjin bites out a Oi, watch it, but his heart isn’t in it. Is it ever? To Jungkook, Seokjin has always been all bark, no bite. Which is why Jungkook (and Taehyung, often) loves terrorizing him so much. He just plays along, despite what he may otherwise say.

Jungkook tears into the envelope, careful not to tear anything that may be inside, but really not careful at all in ripping the offending wrapper to shreds. He pulls out a fancy looking thick paper, with a sleek, black finish and stark font in white, some silver accents here and there. Just the paper looks expensive, what did his hyungs get him?

Then he reads what the paper says.

It’s a gift card to a tattoo parlour. The one Jungkook has been eyeing and following on Instagram for months now.

He looks up, wide eyed, directly at Jimin, who looks back expectantly, then he looks around the table to all his hyungs.

“Oh my god?” Jungkook exclaims, emotions bubbling up inside him. He didn’t even know he wanted this, but it’s perfect. Jimin was attentive enough to know what Jungkook wanted before even he realised it, and all his hyungs kind enough to actually get it for him — is this real life? Does he really have people like this in his life, who care so deeply for him?

“Not god, it’s really just me.” Seokjin tells him.

“Do you like it?” Namjoon prods.

“You all pitched in? This must have been super expensive… but- but of course I love it! They’re like— I’ve always wanted to get tattoos, but—” Jungkook actually gets choked up, unable to properly communicate his emotions.

“Wait—Are you crying?” Jimin asks, grabbing Jungkook’s face with both hands and wiping away the tears that slip out. Jungkook sniffles and looks away, eyes already red as they usually get whenever he tries to hold back tears.

“Aw baby, no… There’s no need to cry!” Hoseok coos from across the table.

Jimin lowers his head to get in Jungkook’s field of vision, who keeps trying really hard to reel in his emotions.

“Do you wanna go to the bathroom or to Jin’s room?” he asks quietly, always one to be considerate of other’s feelings.

Jungkook simply shakes his head no and lets his head fall on Jimin’s shoulder for a bit while he gets his face under control. Jimin brings his arms around him and pats his back soothingly.

“It’s alright, it’s alright. Let’s just give him a moment, guys.” Jimin says, addressing first Jungkook and then the rest of his hyungs. Jungkook then feels someone else hug him from behind — Taehyung, he can tell by the expensive perfume.

“Don’t you start crying too, Tae.” Namjoon’s voice warns.

“I won’t if Jungkook stops. You know I can’t help it.” Taehyung says, and he already sounds a little sniffly. That makes Jungkook laugh, and he lifts his head a little and brings a hand up to pat Taehyung a little awkwardly on the arm. He doesn’t even know what got into him to get so emotional over a tattoo gift card. He guesses it was the gesture.

Before he can tell the others everything is fine, though, Seokjin pipes up with a shouted “group hug!” and runs around the table to join their little 3-person hug. Yoongi joins immediately, as he usually does whenever it involves showing affection to his friends, and under seconds Jungkook has six people squeezing him into a hug, Jimin laughing in his ear the most beautiful sound he’s ever heard. He could cry again, he’s so overwhelmed with emotion, but he’s too busy laughing at his silly hyungs. Did he save a nation in a past life to have such a loving group of friends?

They eventually settle down, and they finish dinner in good spirits; Taehyung even offers to do the dishes.

“It’s the least you could do, honestly.” Seokjin sniffs “Even Namjoon helped, this time. His tears went into this.”

“Hyung, stop bragging about it.” Namjoon almost whines, but he also volunteers to help clean up the kitchen with Taehyung and Seokjin, who ‘has to be present to supervise’, as he put it.

The rest, relieved of any other duties after helping clean-up and taking away their own plates and cutlery, move to the living room to set up a movie.

Jungkook catches Jimin by the arm after everyone else has moved out, so they can have a quiet moment alone.

“Thank you for the gift.”

“What do you mean? We all got it together.” Jimin smiles quizzically.

“I know it was your idea, hyung. It means a lot to me. Really. I’ll get something special.” Jungkook tells him quietly, but seriously.

Jimin lays a hand on top of his where Jungkook is still touching Jimin’s arm.

“You get whatever you want, Jungkookie.” he smiles again, now much more genuine and warm, and Jungkook gets this urge in his gut to— squeeze him into a hug and never let go. “Now let’s go, the guys’ll think we’re up to something if we stay here too long.”

* * *

Taehyung is the first to emerge from the kitchen, drying his hands on a flowery tea towel. When he spots Jimin and Jungkook sitting close together playing a game of Suika on Jimin’s phone, he snaps his fingers to get Jimin’s attention, then taps his own teeth with his nails and tilts his head at Jimin. In answer, Jimin only rolls his eyes and slouches further into the couch, going back to the game and dropping an orange on a cherry.

“Hyung, that was a terrible move!” Jungkook tells Jimin “Don’t distract him, Tae-hyung, this is important business. Go away.” Jungkook whines at Taehyung, pushing him away when he tries to move closer. Taehyung huffs and drops into the couch next to Yoongi.

“Isn’t it weird how teeth are just bones. Bones! But in. Your. Mouth?” Taehyung asks suddenly, Jimin shooting him a look Jungkook is sure no one else but Taehyung understands.

“Tae, we literally have bones everywhere in our bodies. There’s a skeleton inside each one of us.” Yoongi explains without looking away from where he’s preparing the movie. Jungkook picked it tonight.

Taehyung looks away from where he’s stuck in a non-verbal, eye-only conversation with Jimin for long enough to say “‘There’s a skeleton inside of you.’ I know!! Isn’t that fucking metal, hyung?! It’s so cool! We all have rad funky skeletons inside.” he answers in typical Taehyung fashion, doing robot arm moves. Jungkook cackles at his clashing dance.

“Are we talking about boners in mouth?” Seokjin says, coming in from the kitchen with a pink looking Namjoon in tow. Only god knows what went on between those two while they were left alone in the kitchen. Seokjin stands in front of the couch and lets himself fall dramatically onto it. “We are not doing this here again next time, we always drink too much when it’s at my place and then the next day my face looks bloated and we can’t have that.”

“Hyung, you were literally making fun of us a few minutes ago because you were the only one who could drink to your heart’s content because you don’t have to go home after.” Jungkook points out, always quick to take a jab at his hyung.

“I think I just heard a tiny annoying fly thing.” Seokjin says, pretending to look for the noise with squinty eyes. “Oh, there it is!” he exclaims when his gaze lands on Jungkook, and starts swatting at his shoulders “Die! Die! Die!”

Jungkook just laughs boisterously and hits Seokjin’s hands back before they can land on him. No one bats an eye, even when it goes on for a while.

“Now that we’re done with the regularly scheduled JinKook cat fight, can we watch the movie?” Yoongi asks, remote in hand.

“It would only really be a cat fight if it were between you and Jimin.” Hoseok laughs, and Yoongi rolls his eyes.

“Thank you, Hoseok-ah.” Seokjin answers. “What would you call a fight between me and Jungkook, then? Answer wisely.” Seokjin finishes in a stage-whisper.

“It’s a kangaroo fight. They look just like that.” Taehyung answers, making the motions with his hands Seokjin and Jungkook were doing in their play fight. Jungkook pushes out his chest and faces Seokjin.

“Go again?” Jungkook asks, cocking an eyebrow. Jimin loses it, not unlike Hoseok, almost falling off his seat with his full body laugh.

“He really looks just like a kangaroo!” Jimin wheezes, facing away from a proudly smiling Jungkook, who is still imitating a kangaroo, but now facing Jimin.

“No, no. You’ve all got it all wrong. It would be a kangaroo fight if it was between Namjoon and Jungkook.” Yoongi pitches in, having forgotten about the movie himself to engage in the discourse. Taehyung gasps in realisation.

“Boobies fight!” Taehyung hollers.

“No.” Namjoon deadpans.

“Boobies fight!” Jungkook echoes just as enthusiastically as Taehyung, as if he wasn’t one of the boobies in question, and faces Namjoon, popping out his chest again. Jimin, by this point, is practically lying on Jungkook’s lap with the force of his laughter.

“Anyway, what movie are we watching?” Namjoon asks the boisterous room, everyone in various states of sobriety. He sounds like he’s holding back a barrage of deep sighs.

As the most level-headed of the seven, Namjoon always acts like it’s such a chore dealing with the other six, but everyone knows he would give up a limb for each and every one of them. It’s the way they all are.

It’s chaotic, it’s messy, but it’s them, and Jungkook couldn’t be happier with them. He’d do anything to keep them together like this.

***

“I think I want a tattoo sleeve.” Jungkook pipes up, having pulled up the sleeve of his right arm over his shoulder to examine it.

Jimin gapes at him, yanked out of his academic thoughts by Jungkook’s triceps and plunged into daydreams of what his roommate would look like with his arms all tatted up. He imagines biting into those arms and tries really hard not to drool.

Okay, so maybe the whole tattoo gift thing was not Jimin’s best moment. Definitely also not his best idea, in the long term…

Jungkook starts feeling like a sculpture in a museum when Jimin’s eyes glaze over staring at his forearms, which Jungkook was inspecting before, imagining what would look good. Jimin must notice his own long silence, because he quickly snaps out of it.

“And I think the world would implode if you did get one.”

“What? Why?!?”

Jimin fixes him with a deadpan look, and states “Because you’d look like even more of a menace than you do now.”

“A menace?” Jungkook says dubiously “Would I look too mean?” he wonders with a worried look, to which Jimin snorts, burying his nose back in his book.

“Please, you couldn’t look mean if you tried.”

Jungkook shoots Jimin a pouty frown, so cute it unknowingly only further prove Jimin’s point.

“I can look mean if I want to.” Jungkook assures, almost whining.

“Sure.”

“I mean it!”

“Oh? What’s this? I didn’t say I don’t believe you.” Jimin laughs, elated at Jungkook’s antics. He loves it when Jungkook acts pouty and whiny. Then again, he also loves it when Jungkook acts mature and assertive.

It’s always a losing battle, for Jimin, one in which he’s endlessly endeared and amazed by Jungkook.

***

“Jimin-ah, where’s the tub of strawberries I bought yesterday?” Jungkook calls out to Jimin’s room as he rummages through the fridge. Jimin appears sheepishly by the door, looking at Jungkook through his lashes in fake coyness, lips pursed.

Acting cute out of guilt: check. Jungkook sighs.

“A whole tub? In one day? You know there was like half a kilo in that tub? Half. A. Kilo. In strawberries alone, in your tummy. In less than a day. Think about that.”

“You know I can’t resist strawberries… and I know you bought them for me-”

“I would have still liked to eat one of them! Or two.” Jungkook pouts.

“-but I’ll buy you a new one, I promise! We can share that one.” Jimin shrugs his shoulders up to his ears and holds his own hands in front of himself, swinging his body and his outstretched arms from side to side, all while batting his eyelashes in a cutesy manner. Jungkook crinkles his nose like he just took a bite of an extremely bitter lemon, disgusted by the sudden aegyo display.

“Share…” Jungkook shakes his head in disbelief, closing the fridge door with finality. “You can’t resist not only strawberries, but also any other food that’s even slightly red, don’t think I don’t notice. Even when you prepare meat for yourself it is so undercooked I can still see the blood coming off it, it’s gross… I think you need to be studied.”

“I’d rather not.” Jimin says seriously “Maybe they’d find out I’m a vampire.” then he brings his hands up as if they were claws and says “Hiss. Are you scared, Jungkookie?”, suddenly chasing Jungkook around the living room sofa. Jungkook laughs animatedly, pretending to run from him and feinting him around.

“How could I ever be scared of you when you’re so tiny, hyung?” Jungkook says through a giggle. “Also did you seriously just say hiss out loud?”

Jimin starts giving chase harder, no longer joking around “Aish, you’re such a brat! You really shouldn’t anger scary vampires.”

They scuffle for a bit (or Jimin does, Jungkook just holds him down), and then Jimin huffs and announces he’s going out to buy Jungkook his precious strawberries.

“Nice, I’ll go with you, let me just grab my things.” Jungkook says.

“But you just arrived, I assume you have stuff to do here? A shower to take or something.”

“Please let me go with you, I wanna procrastinate this stupid project I have on still-life paintings, they’re so booriing.” Jungkook whines.

“Gasp, you don’t mean that-”

“I don’t…” Jungkook admits “But I still don’t feel like doing a bloody powerpoint on it.”

“-plus, that’s all the more reason to stay!” Jimin sing-songs “See you later, good luck on your project.” and with a flourish he grabs his wallet and goes out the door.

“Meanie.” Jungkook tells the empty apartment. He likes to believe it agrees with him.

Jungkook gets down to work anyway, he figures he might as well get most of it out of the way so he has some time to, god forbid, actually do art for his own sake. Or game, that works too.

He quickly gets absorbed in the project, though, as he usually does with anything art related. That’s how he knows he’s picked the right career, or, at least, the right major: even the boring bits and projects are interesting and something he can indulge in and maybe even have fun with.

Before he knows it, Jimin is coming back, grocery shop plastic bags in hand.

“Hi again.” Jimin announces .

“Hi.”

“I got you two tubs of strawberries-”

“Yay! Thanks, hyung.” Jungkook interrupts, doing a little dance.

“-and some more groceries we needed.”

“Thank you, I’ll pay you back my share, wait right here.” Jungkook says, getting up to go grab his wallet.

“Nope.” Jimin says cheekily, already moving to the kitchen counter to set down the bags.

“What do you mean nope, it’s what we agreed on!”

“Hyung’s treat, for eating all your strawberries. Either way, I didn’t get that much stuff, only some food. You’re fine, hold on to your pennies.” Jimin argues, getting out one of the tubs and moving the strawberries into a bowl with tap water and some vinegar to clean them.

“Fine, but I’m making us dinner then.” Jungkook concedes. As much as Jimin tries to treat Jungkook to things and establish his hyung status with it, Jungkook never lets Jimin get away with too many of these things, hyungness be damned.

“We have a deal.” Jimin says, coming over to shake Jungkook’s hand as if to seal the deal, setting the bowl of strawberries on the coffee table. “How’s the project coming along, by the way?”

“Ohh, hyung, d’you know those hyper realistic still-life paintings with like. Dead animals and stuff?” Jungkook says excitedly, already picking the reddest, yummiest looking strawberry and passing it to Jimin, who takes it with a loving smile.

“I absolutely do not, sounds macabre, but do go on.”

“They used to have to be painted quickly before they rot, or to have to be swapped as they start rotting and changing” here Jungkook makes a face “so you couldn’t really paint very detailed pieces with raw meat and stuff, but now they freeze the animals and paint them as they slowly unfreeze and then freeze them back!”

“Dunno if that’s better or worse.” Jimin says, nose wrinkled in distaste the whole time.

“But look, they look like pictures! Super different from still-lives of old! I’m doing my project on this painter and how technology changed this particular kind of still-life painting and made this possible. His work is insane.” Jungkook says, the last part more to himself than to Jimin, chewing pensively on his damned strawberries.

“And here I thought I’d left you to die of boredom.” Jimin teases, getting comfortable on the couch and reaching for another strawberry, popping it into his mouth. Jungkook’s only answer is an eye roll as he keeps working and Jimin chews in silence for a few moments as he checks his phone. They sit in comfortable silence for a while.

“Oh, I haven’t told you yet. Someone left another kitty in a box by the shelter, two days ago. Probably early in the morning.” Jimin sighs, locking his phone and putting it away.

“For fuck’s sake… again? How can people just abandon a baby animal like that, they’re super… well, they’re babies!” Jungkook exclaims, taking real offence.

“Yep… And she must have been through a rough time already, her tail’s tip is broken. Or maybe she was born like that, that can happen too, but I’m pretty sure that’s the reason that they got rid of this one specifically…They really went out of their way to drop her while no one else was around, but, to be honest, better to leave her by an animal shelter than to abandon her to the streets or neglect her…” Jimin explains.

“You’re right, yeah.” Jungkook admits, cringing at the thought of animal abandonment and cruelty.

“She’s real cute too. Do you wanna come meet her, one of these days? You haven’t been around in a while.” Jimin asks, and Jungkook squints.

It’s not unusual for Jungkook to visit the animal shelter Jimin works (practically volunteers) at. He’s always loved animals, after all, and he misses his dog back home a whole lot, so dropping by once in a while when Jimin is on closing duty to keep him (and the cats) some company is really not a chore. He used to do it quite often during the break, but now that the school year has kicked off again, he’s left with a lot less time to spare.

“You got emotionally attached to this cat already.” Jungkook states.

“I got emotionally attached to this cat already.” Jimin admits, almost whining, head bowed in shame. “I think you’ll like her, too, she’s really sweet! She doesn’t even know how to meow properly yet, she just makes these titillating noises all the time!” Jungkook coos at that. “I know, right? She’s adorable! I admit I almost seriously considered taking her in, but I don’t think fostering is an option in our situation. For one, we don’t have the time, nor the money, to properly care for her, but we’re also here temporarily. Plus, the landlady doesn’t accept pets, so…that’s just a no from the start.”

“Seems like you’ve given that a lot of thought.” Jungkook teases with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh, shut up. I’m sure you’ve considered something like that as well. Aalso, she’s still a baby, people usually prefer adopting babies, and with Christmas around the corner, it’s possible someone might adopt her quickly. Don’t wanna take that chance from her.” Jimin says, always thoughtful. If Jungkook loves animals, Jimin is absolutely crazy about them, especially cats. Jungkook suspects that if Jimin had a little less self control, he’d be running an animal shelter himself out of their little rented apartment.

“Well, I would definitely not be opposed to the idea of having a cat around at all, but you already listed all the reasons why we can’t, so.” Jungkook pouts, crossing his arms exaggeratedly.

“Hey, don’t say that… And don’t get me even more excited over this, Jeon Jungkook!” Jimin chastises, making Jungkook laugh at his eagerness.

“I just knew that was you asking.” Jungkook teases, scrunching his nose at Jimin. “You should have told me earlier you wanted a pet. I love them, of course I’d say yes. Even if we can’t here.”

“I know, but it is a big responsibility. It’s like having a kid! Are you ready for kids with me, Jeon Jungkook?” Jimin asks playfully, and Jungkook rolls his eyes to hide his blush.

Jimin’s got a point, though.

“We really can’t even foster one of the older cats?” Jungkook suggests. “They’re usually calmer, right? At least they look like it, at the shelter.”

“It’s not a good idea, Jungkook…” Jimin sighs, and Jungkook stretches over his arm to pat Jimin on the shoulder in sympathy.

“Come around this next week, when you have time, and I’ll introduce you to her. And to our elder cats, anyway. I can tell you miss Bamie. Plus, you haven’t been in a while.” Jimin says with a grin and a glint in his eyes.

“Will do. It’s like free therapy.”

“You’re telling me.”

***

It is the next week, and Jungkook has just finished his classes for the day — and a little earlier than expected, at that. He has no pressing chores for the next day, and also knows Jimin is working in the shelter until later today, so he decides to walk there and surprise him. The walk is nice either way, and he could use a nice trek to stretch his legs (and also for inspiration; he gets his best ideas walking). It passes by a cute small park and is over in less than twenty minutes.

Jungkook jaywalks across the street briskly, aware there’s barely any traffic around this part of town, and walks in through the glass door to the shelter.

The building is pretty nondescript, squished between a grand, trendy cat café — where the owners of the shelter get most of their funds to keep it up and running, other than with donations —and a tiny, family run pharmacy, of all things. Despite its common and narrow appearance, the animal shelter opens up to be quite a roomy place towards the back, where all the animals are kept and looked after. The cat café works also as a meeting place for possible adopters to meet the cats, and from which they can visit the animal shelter as well. He finds it a pretty well-done affair.

“Welcome- Oh, Jungkook-ssi! Didn’t expect to see you here today. Here for Jimin-ssi, or for the cats?” greets Ms. Oh, who’s usually by the front desk and welcomes in all the visitors to the animal shelter, when she isn’t needed in the cafe during the occasional in the weeds hours.

“Hello.” Jungkook bows politely “I’m here for both, actually! I want to acquaint myself better with your elder cats, see if they take a liking to me. We both know they all already love Jimin.” he jokes, smiling charmingly. “Who knows, I might end up getting a cat in the future.”

“Oh, I heard from Jimin, that’s right! I can see he’s converted you. They’re all lovely, some shyer than others, but they’ll love you for sure.” she assures with a smile of her own.

“Oh, I’ve always liked them, but we’ve always had dogs.” Jungkook says with a smile and an easy shrug. “Thank you, miss. Jimin is in the back, then, right?”

“Oh, yes, dear, go right in. You know what to do.” Ms. Oh encourages Jungkook, opening the door for Jungkook to go in.

“Thank you. See you later, then.” Jungkook bows again before stepping into the small mudroom of sorts they have separating the entrance of the building from the cat-areas.

There’s some lockers and a low, long bench, all colourful and plastic-y. The walls are a simple white, as in most of the place, but they’re decorated with framed pictures of cats with edited in moustaches, skateboards, motorbikes and tattoos. There’s even one underwater. Jungkook always chuckles at them whenever he comes here. He eyes them today as well as he sits to put the foot plastic covers over his sneakers they have on a dispenser. It helps keep the place clean and hygienic, so Jungkook always complies. As he’s stuffing his backpack into one of the lockers, Ms. Oh comes in from the door that leads to the back.

“Oh, Jungkook-ssi! Hello! Here for our veteran kitties, right? I was just speaking with Jiminie.” Ms. Oh says enthusiastically, big smile on her heart shaped face. She’s now wearing a white lab coat over her clothes.

Jungkook just stares at her blankly. Didn’t he just speak to her outside? How did she… get in without passing by him?

“I can see you’ve met my sister already” Ms. Oh laughs good-naturedly after a beat of Jungkook staring at her bewildered.

Oh! Of course — they’re twins. This is the other Ms. Oh. They both devote themselves to the animal cause, albeit in different ways. This Ms. Oh is a veterinarian, she has her own clinic with her partner, but offers her services to the animal shelter whenever she can — for free. She must have just come back from a check up.

“Oh, my god! I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I fell for that one.” Jungkook groans in embarrassment.

“Oldest trick in the book, Jungkook-ssi.” Dr. Oh tsks with a teasing smile, poking fun at Jungkook. “Good seeing you, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Jungkook has only met her once before, during the summer, when she happened to be around one time when Jungkook visited, much like today. He’s surprised she even remembered, but then again Jimin must mention him to her from time to time.

“Likewise.” Jungkook says, bowing in late greeting “It has, yes! Hope everyone in there is doing alright.”

“Oh, we have our days, don’t we? We had a messy rescue some time back, but she’s recovering well. Other than that, all the kitties are mostly healthy, thank god. Jimin should be by the young kitties, tiring them out. They have a lot of energy, the young ones.” Dr. Oh points out, getting ready to leave.

“Thank you! I’ll be going, then. It was nice seeing you again! And thank you for all your hard work with the kitties.” Jungkook says, bowing once more.

“Oh, it’s nothing, really. It’s my job.” Dr.Oh says, waving her hand as if swatting away the compliment, but she’s smiling wide at the recognition. “Careful with their zoomies, now. I wasn’t kidding about their boundless energy.”

“Oh, I’m counting on it.” Jungkook laughs. “Thank you once again. Bye!”

“Bye.” Dr. Oh waves, and Jungkook bows and smiles one last time as he opens the door to the back and disappears behind it.

Beyond the mudroom, a well lit and wide-ish corridor stretches out in front of Jungkook, rows of large white squares piled neatly on both sides. Each square has acrylic doors with round holes neatly cut out at the top. Some of the squares are occupied by a napping cat, a few are completely empty, and the others have only the blankets and pillows in it, devoid of its occupant at the moment, but still have a little paper tag with the name of the inhabitant and any other relevant information.

Jungkook is aware that the shelter keeps the cats in great conditions, but it always pains his heart to see the cat cages and how much it can look like a prison sometimes — he doesn’t dwell on the thought, he knows the alternative is so much worse. Especially for cats who were used to living in a home with a human family and were, for whatever reason, stolen from that life and abandoned to the streets (or directly to the shelter, in the best scenario).

Most of the sleeping occupants ignore Jungkook’s presence completely, others, the most attentive and curious ones, lift their heads and even sniff at the air at the disruption. Jungkook greets them as he would anyone else.

“Hello. Hello.” Jungkook says, bowing shortly at each cat who raises its head to look at him curiously “I’m just here to visit, I won’t bother you guys. You can go back to sleep.” he says quietly.

Beyond the long corridor is Jungkook’s favourite area in the shelter — the playroom. It has three big cat trees, cushioned shelves positioned strategically all around the room and cat toys everywhere. There aren’t many cats here today. Most are probably at the cafe working their shifts, like Jimin likes to call it. There’s a big cream coloured cat dozing on one of the highest shelves (probably to escape the youngest kitty’s zoomies), tail hanging limply from high above, and a handful of other energetic cats play-fighting down on the floor.

Jungkook finds Jimin in a separate baby-gated corner, playing with a particularly small and frail kitten. The cat want he’s using is basically some kind of small rainbow-coloured rodent with a tail made of neon green feathers thrice the kitten’s size, hanging on a string from an equally brightly coloured wand — Jungkook thinks it is hideous, but the cat seems to be absolutely crazy about it, eyes big as the moon and blacker than the night sky. At first glance, Jungkook first thinks she’s all black, but then he notices that the kitty’s front paws, a tiny spot on her chest, and another bigger one around the nose, are all white.

Jimin is so focused on playing with the cat, flicking the wand around from one place to the other quickly and praising the kitty’s high jumps and quick reflexes, that he doesn’t even realise Jungkook is standing there for a few moments. Jungkook slouches into the wall and just watches them for a while, snorting at Jimin’s baby talk with the kitten and at how much fun they both seem to be having.

The sound of Jungkook’s laughter must break Jimin’s focus, and he finally notices him. Jungkook waves casually from where he’s leaning against the wall, arms crossed and pretending like he’s been there the whole time. Jimin rolls his eyes, but doesn’t lose composure and just waves him over.

“Jungkook-ssi! I didn’t expect here you so soon.” Jimin addresses Jungkook formally, as he would a client. He is dressed in comfortable and light clothing — cream-coloured sweatpants and a white university sweater. Jimin always brings a clean change of clothes to the shelter, as it’s certain he’ll be leaving covered in fur. Presently, he sits cross legged on the floor and invites Jungkook to do the same once he’s closed the baby gate behind himself.

“Class ended early. So this is the one?” Jungkook says, nodding to the tiny cat, who’s suddenly a lot shier. Jungkook wiggles his finger at her and breaks into a boyish grin when she takes a few careful steps towards him, sniffing the air.

“Mhm. She’s still so young… We haven’t even introduced her to all the other cats, we’re waiting for her to get more used to the new place and all the smells.” Jimin explains.

“Her being so young means she’ll adapt fast, though, right?”

The cat has taken to surrounding Jungkook, sniffing him whenever she can reach, but without touching him just yet. Jungkook moves to adjust his seating on the floor and the kitty jumps, making Jimin and Jungkook both laugh at her antics.

“Maybe so,” Jimin continues “but each cat is different, so we always take the careful approach. Of course, that’s not very easy when they all live together, but we try our best.”

“And does she have a name, yet?” Jungkook asks.

“We were thinking Gloves, because of her front paws, but maybe that’s not a very pretty name… It also doesn’t have an ‘ee’ sound.”

“‘Ee’ sound?” Jungkook asks, confused.

“Cats are supposed to respond better to names with it.” Jimin explains, picking up the wand again after the kitten, possibly-Gloves, deems Jungkook inconsequential and uninteresting and starts pawing at the lifeless neon coloured mouse plushy.

“Huh, that’s interesting. By the way, Gloves is an adorable name.”

“I think so as well.” Jimin says, smiling up at Jungkook. “Do you wanna play with her a little?” he then asks, offering the cat wand to Jungkook, but he shakes his head.

“No, she’s still too scared of me. Did you see how high she jumped?” Jungkook chuckles “When she’s more relaxed I will, tough.”

“So you do say things that make sense, sometimes.” Jimin jokes. Jungkook smiles widely and does a cute shrug.

“I do try.” Jungkook says cutely, still smiling.

“Aish, don’t act all cute now.”

Jimin goes back to zipping the wand around, letting it fall quiet for a moment until Gloves catches up to it, then flicks it away again. The little fiend, despite its tiny stature, is incredibly lively. As it finally grabs onto the offensively coloured thing, hugging it to her chest, claws digging into it as she tears at it with her tiny, but deadly, razor sharp teeth, back legs kicking at the poor plushy ferociously. Basically, Jungkook is witnessing a violent murder. He takes back all thoughts he’s ever had about wanting to be a bird to fly in the sky — if this is what he’d have to deal with, he’ll take a university entrance exam over it any day, thanks.

Jimin pulls at the toy hard, like they’re stuck on a tug-o-war, Jimin making little mouse noises as if in effort to escape the cat. He’s a pro at it. Jimin tugs a little too hard one of the times, and the toy is released from Gloves’ death grip and flies directly towards Jungkook’s face at lightning speed, hitting him on the lower lip.

That’s not what hurts, though.The toy is soft, after all. What hurts is the cat jumping up to chase after the toy and nipping Jungkook on the nose.

Jungkook falls back onto his hand in a delayed reaction, the other hand coming up to his face, whooshing out a laugh of amazement at how fast the tiny cat was. Jimin gasps and quickly crawls onto his hands and knees to chase after Jungkook, an apologetic look on his face as he grabs at Jungkook’s wrist and holds it away from his face to inspect the damage.

“Oh my god, Jungkook, I’m so sorry, I- Oh. You’re bleeding.” Jimin says, reeling back when he sees the blood beading quickly at the base of Jungkook’s nose and dripping onto his lips.

Jungkook doesn’t feel any pain anymore, but he does feel warmth above his lips, the metallic taste of his own blood filling his mouth and probably staining his teeth red when he opens his mouth to speak. He brings one hand up to wipe at the blood and it comes away startlingly scarlet. Jimin is still frozen in place, hovering over Jungkook, staring at all the blood. Jungkook sees Jimin gulp, his eyes shaky and pupils dilated.

Is it that bad?

“That I am… Where’s all this blood coming from? I don’t feel any pain, she can’t have scratched me that much.” Jungkook finally says, pressing his fingers hard into where he thinks the blood may be coming from to try and stop the flow. Jimin finally comes out of his stupor, clearing his throat and moving away quickly.

“It’s perfectly normal. Cuts to the face usually bleed a lot, since there are a lot of blood vessels around those areas. The skin is thinner too, so it may be a really tiny scratch. We have a first aid kit at the reception, I’ll go get it so we can disinfect the wound. Keep pressuring it like you’re doing, just a second!” Jimin jumps over the baby gate and disappears around the corner, running.

Gloves doesn’t show any remorse and continues with her attack on the neon mouse. Jungkook can’t help but smile at her.

“Have thou no spine, Lady Gloves?” Jungkook asks the cat, still pressing hard against where the blood is pouring from. It’s starting to sting a tiny bit.

Jimin comes back a few moments later, a stereotypical white plastic box with a fat red cross smack in the middle of it cradled in his arms. Jungkook has straightened up on the floor, legs crossed in front of him. Gloves is still playing with the little mouse toy, now less crazy about it, but still mostly indifferent to Jimin and Jungkook’s shenanigans.

Jimin sits down in front of Jungkook, mirroring the way he’s sitting. “That was completely my fault, I got overexcited and ended up overexciting the cat as well, I’m so sorry.” Jimin begins while he opens the box and rips out a piece of cotton from the big compressed cotton balls kept in the box.

“Hyung, literally no one is at fault here, my face was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and a cat flew onto it, simple as that.” Jungkook clears up, voice coming out a little nasal from all the pressure he’s still applying. “Plus, I do have a big nose. Sorry about that, Gloves.” he adds, tilting his head towards the kitty, who’s now showing some interest in the first aid kit box. Jimin smiles up at Jungkook quickly, then gently shoos Gloves away and looks back to his lap as he tilts an open bottle of rubbing alcohol onto the cotton he’s prepared.

“Stay away, Gloves, you’ll hate this smell.” Jimin tells the cat. “Okay, you can remove your hand now, let’s check the damage and disinfect it.” Jimin then instructs, and Jungkook does so. Jimin leans forward, peering to inspect the cut more closely. Jungkook sucks in a breath as Jimin shifts even closer with a whispered excuse me and cups Jungkook’s chin with one hand as he brings the cotton closer.

“This might sting a little, but I barely even see the cut, it’s very shallow and small. You got lucky, but noses just bleed a lot, I guess.” Jimin says distractedly as he cleans away the blood, breath ghosting over Jungkook’s lips, who’s trying very hard to keep his blush down and not fidget at Jimin’s proximity. His face looks soft and sharp at the same time, so focused on the job at hand. Jungkook zeroes in on the light freckles dusted across his cheeks.

“There, all done.” Jimin finally says once he’s done cleaning the wound. Jungkook was so distracted he can’t even recollect what it was that Jimin did to clean the wound, but he trusts Jimin did a good job. Jimin opens his mouth to say something else, but as his eyes flick up and meet Jungkook’s, who was already looking - staring - back, the words seem to catch in his throat. Jimin’s eyes slide down again. Whether it is to look at Jungkook’s cut or at his lips, Jungkook cannot know. He can hope, though.

Jimin pulls back a little and clears his throat, finally removing his hand from Jungkook’s chin.

“Keep applying pressure to it for a bit longer with the cotton. I don’t think you’ll even need a bandaid, it’s really a tiny cut.” Jimin says, smiling up at Jungkook again and then looking around the room for the little culprit. She’s sitting on the floor facing them, head resting on her paws and big, still-excited eyes observing Jimin and Jungkook intently.

“She looks like she wants to attack me again. Right, tiny one? Now that you’ve had a taste of my blood, you won’t stop scratching and attacking me, huh? Huh? You little vampire.” Jungkook says as he picks up the toy and swishes it on the floor in front of the kitty, who gets ready to pounce. Jimin stands there a little awkwardly and Jungkook, noticing it, looks up at him inquisitively.

“Right! I have to go, you know, do my job and make sure all the cuties are snuggled and have water and food. I’m pretty sure Mr. Scrogger already spilled his water cup…” Jimin then says. Jungkook smiles at the old cat’s name. He’s a veteran and one of Jimin’s favourites (not that he ever admits to having favourites), and has the bad habit of pawing at his water until he’s spilled it all. “Once Clara arrives for her shift, we can then go visit our elderly so you can meet them properly.”

“Sounds like a plan! I’ll stay here with Gloves in the meantime, tiring her out a bit more.” Jungkook agrees, and Jimin gives him a flashy thumbs up before leaving.

Jungkook plays with the kitten for a couple more minutes, so that she gets rid of all that chaotic energy, then he gets up and joins Jimin once he hears Clara come in. Clara’s an international veterinary sciences student from Europe at the same University as Jimin’s. Jungkook never met her before, but has heard Jimin talk about her a few times before as someone who also volunteers at the Animal Shelter.

“Jimin? Where should I leave Gloves? Is she supposed to stay here?” Jungkook calls out to Jimin.

“Oh, no, no.” Jimin says, voice sounding closer as he comes back to the baby-gated corner where Jungkook still is. “The other cats can easily jump over the baby-gate, so we’re always there with her to keep watch. We can put her back for a while until Clara’s settled, she just went change.”

Jimin picks Gloves up gently and holds her against his chest, petting her as they go, but then notices Jungkook looking and stops.

“Actually, you take her. She should have the opportunity to apologise to you with a snuggle. Shouldn’t you, you little demon? Hm?” Jimin says, voice going high pitched when he addressed Gloves.

Jungkook babbles, imitating Jimin’s pitch teasingly as he makes grabby hands towards Gloves. Jimin rolls his eyes, but places her in Jungkook’s arms slowly and scratches her softly on her chin to relax her after he lets go.

“Hello, little one. Hello. You’re very tiny, did you know that?” Jungkook tells the cat, enamoured by her. She props herself up on her front paws on Jungkook’s chest and stretches up slightly to sniff at his chin. Her long whiskers tickle him, but Jungkook tries not to make any sudden movements, so as not to scare the tiny creature in his arms. Scratched once… He then reaches over and takes one of her paws in the hand that’s not holding her. “Look at your toe beans. I’m going to eat them, nom nom. Nom nom!”

Jimin looks at Jungkook, clearly trying to hold back laughter.

“What? You do the same thing!” Jungkook says defensively when he notices Jimin looking.

“Nothing, nothing.” Jimin shakes his head, his lips pressed into a thin line as he tries to disguise his smile. “Let’s go, then. Unless you wanna take her home with us and deal with her running up the walls every few minutes.”

Jungkook catches up with Jimin’s brisk pace, trying not to jostle Gloves too much, who doesn’t look too pleased by the height anymore, now that she’s sniffed Jungkook and lost interest.

“It couldn’t be that bad. Could it?” Jungkook wonders. Jimin shoots him a horrified look just at the thought.

“It really could. Kittens are really fun, but they need a lot of care and attention. They’re babies, after all, right? People sometimes seem to forget that when they come looking for a new pet, and then come back and return them at the first vase they break .” Jimin sighs. “But it doesn’t happen that often, thankfully.”

“You’ve mentioned before, yeah. It’s also why you have strict criteria and interview people before letting them adopt, right?”

“Of course. Even for fostering, which isn’t permanent, we have strict standards, as I told you. ” Jimin explains, and then stops and bends down to unlock one of the acrylic cages. This one is right on the floor, probably because Gloves is still so small and could hurt herself climbing down from a cage at a bigger height. “Here we are, Miss. Let’s get you to bed.” Jimin then says. Jungkook gently pries Gloves off his arms and hands her to Jimin, who then lays her on her fluffy tartan comforter.

“Come on, let’s go to therapy.” Jimin says, turning on his heel and facing Jungkook “I have a few veterans to introduce you to.”

“You mean Gloves wasn’t part of the therapy?” Jungkook laughs.

“Oh, no. She’s the reason you need therapy, now. Look at you, your nose is still all red… I’m really sorry about that.” Jimin stops in his tracks, looking at Jungkook apologetically again.

“Literally how could that be your fault? You were just telling me about how kittens have crazy energy levels. Plus, Mrs. Oh did warn me to beware their zoomies as I was coming in.”

“Oh, then. It’s all your fault and you deserved it.” Jimin says in a rush, walking backwards so he’s facing Jungkook.

“Hey, now! I wouldn’t go that far…” Jungkook calls out with a pout, chasing after Jimin.

The older cats are much calmer, as Jimin promised, but they still have a lot of personality. Jimin and Jungkook settle by the lounge area next to where they were playing with Gloves. There’s a few couches there, comforters thrown over them so that you can simply remove them if you want to sit without getting fur all over your clothes.

Somehow, Jungkook wasn’t expecting the cats to all be so different from each other. They really have distinct personalities. Some will sprawl across Jungkook’s lap and chest and just sleep there like they’ve known Jungkook, a virtual stranger, their whole life, while others will hide away just from hearing someone new coming their way. The other volunteer on shift today, Clara, has already taken over Jimin’s shift, so Jimin is off the clock and they can just sit back and enjoy some time with the cats, undisturbed. They don’t talk much, comfortable in each other’s company, but Jimin will sometimes share some funny, other times sad, stories about each of the cats.

This big, grey, one eyed cat took a huge liking to Jungkook, completely hogging him all for himself. Despite looking like a war veteran, with his ratty ears and the missing eye, this cat was really too much of a sweetheart. He first settled on Jungkook’s lap, which Jungkook was stoked about. When the cat first tentatively stepped onto his thighs, he looked wide-eyed at Jimin, like are you seeing this, too?, not even daring to talk or move, lest he scare the cat away.

With time, the grey cat has climbed up on Jungkook’s chest and even up to his shoulders. Jimin tells him that he has the habit of sleeping in the weirdest positions, so he’s not surprised when he sees that the cat manages to fall asleep across Jungkook’s shoulders and the nape of his neck.

“First you had Gloves, now you have Scarf.” Jimin says, laughing at his own joke.

Jungkook only deadpans at him.

“Seokjin-hyung would be proud of that one, Jimin-ssi.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You shouldn’t.”

In the end, they stay there hanging out with the cats for over an hour, just talking and petting, talking and petting. If this isn’t the best type of therapy there is (cats and Jimin), Jungkook really can’t imagine what could be better than this. Even with a flying cat to his nose, Jungkook could not have hoped for a better end to his day, and he feels his heart swell in his chest as he regards the person that made this all possible, sitting there looking like a human cat tree, absent-mindedly petting a spotted black and white cat that’s sprawled on his lap as he reads a webcomic on his phone. Jimin really is so special, and he doesn’t even realise it.

Jungkook’s heart beats out of his chest when Jimin raises his gaze from the phone and meets Jungkook’s eyes, lips blooming into an easy smile.

Huh, maybe all that caffeine to wake up wasn’t such a good idea, after all, if it has his heart going into sudden races like this…

Jungkook is miserable when they have to leave near dinner time, but Jimin has homework he needs to get to at home, too.

***

“Do you remember—”

“No.” Jungkook interrupts mischievously.

“Oh, shut up. Do you remember being a kid and just loving going to the pool?” Jimin continues, drawing out the ‘o’ in loving. Jungkook nods in agreement — he loved showing off his rad backflips and holding competitions on who could hold their breath longer under water. Pools and even the sea were endless fun to kid Jungkook, and it seems like Jimin was no different. “It was my favourite part about summer, I would just stay in the pool for an insane amount of time until my parents tried to force me out.” Jimin reminisces, smiling softly at his childhood memories “One time I stayed in the pool for so long I actually started feeling sick, right? So I got out, puked into a trash can, and jumped right in before mom could grab me.”

“Eww, that’s really gross, hyung” Jungkook wrinkles his nose at Jimin, worried for his hyung’s sanity as a kid.

“It was, yeah….” Jimin laughs. “But that’s besides the point right now, because the thing is: I was just so sure that was something that would never change about me. That I would always love going to the pool and that when I was a grown up I would be able to go whenever I wanted for how long I wanted, you know?” Jungkook nods his assent again. “But now… Now I couldn’t care less about pools. The last time I went to one, I was honestly quite bored?”

“I can tell this is going somewhere.”

“Oh, shut it! But yes, it is. It’s just that remembering how sure I was that that was something that would stay forever with me and then realising it has actually changed drastically over the years, without my even noticing, may I add, filled me with this… fear? Or… loss? I guess what I’m saying is that I’m really scared that things that I’m certain won’t change now, eventually will change.”

Jungkook quietly considers what Jimin just admitted to him, searches if this is something he feels as well. Jungkook is a very passionate person, always was even as a kid. However, he would go through hobbies and video games with a speed otherwise unknown to humanity. Well, that’s an exaggeration, but he never felt bad when he started liking something more over another thing. He supposes it is different with the things that really matter, like friends. Or dance. Jungkook would be really down if he suddenly stopped liking dance. However, Jungkook knows that, if it does happen, it would never be sudden like that.

“Well, do you regret stopping liking pools? Does it make you feel bad?” Jungkook asks, putting the PlayStation controller away to give his full attention to Jimin, who’s curled up on the couch next to him, formerly messing around on his phone. It’s late at night, and they have classes early tomorrow, but this is the one bad habit they’ve tried to break together, but couldn’t. It’s clearly reached that point in the night in which the darkness and blunt light makes everything seem softer, muted; the stillness and silence make the noise in your head just quiet enough that you start delving into deeper conversations, wading into the water of your mind and feeling the weeds caress your legs as you submerge, the water cooly and slowly pulling you under.

It’s mostly the tiredness and slumber of it all, as well, but it’s in these moments that Jungkook and Jimin get closer, get to know each other at a molecular level. Jimin’s flirtatiousness and shamelessness sometimes gets more intense, too, which haunts Jungkook, but that’s besides the point.

Jungkook doesn’t think he’s ever had this type of friendship and closeness with anyone else.

“Honestly? Not at all. I couldn’t care less, but kid-Jimin would be pretty bummed if he found out.” Jimin sighs, and Jungkook curls up on his side on the couch, facing Jimin.

“But he won’t, so it really doesn’t matter.” Jungkook says softly “If a feeling or something changes gradually and naturally over the years and you don’t feel… I dunno, bad or guilty about it? I think that’s fine and just part of growing up. And I mean growing up as the thing we do our entire lives. It never really stops. I think you’re fine, hyung.”

Jimin simply observes him for a while, in a way that it doesn’t even feel like he’s looking at him, but just resting his eyes on Jungkook’s own. Jungkook feels the weeds in the water pulling him down, down.

“You’re wiser than you look.” Jimin jokes, fiddling with the corner of his phone case, and Jungkook pretends to look offended with a huff. “I guess you’re right… I’m sorry about this random - thing. I’ve been in my feels a bit, lately” Jimin sighs, and Jungkook hums.

“Are you okay, though, hyung? Something you’re not telling me?” Jungkook asks, playfully poking Jimin’s ribs, who swats back at him.

“I have to keep my secrets.” Jimin says, trying to sound mysterious.

Jungkook only blinks at Jimin, all starry eyed.

“Stop that, it won’t work on me.” Jimin laughs, covering his own eyes.

“It always does.” Jungkook grins.

“Wait, you do it consciously?!”

“No, but so you admit it does work. Hmm. Interesting.”

“I hate you, it’s late, I’m going to bed, and you’re staying here alone with your stupid game, bye.” Jimin lists. Jungkook can tell he’s not really angry, and just being difficult on purpose to push Jungkook’s buttons.

“Nooo, hyung!” Jungkook wails, leaning over and grabbing at Jimin’s legs when he goes to stand up. “You’re just gonna keep reading in bed, at least keep me company.”

Jungkook pouts, readjusting his grip and hugging Jimin’s waist to him, cheek squished against Jimin’s stomach and pulling him back to the couch. Jimin tries to escape, weakly, but then just topples over onto the couch next to Jungkook, still tangled together.

“Then be nice to me.” Jimin threatens bluntly.

“I was literally so nice, though.”

“You were. Thank you.” and then Jimin smiles down at him, a smile that reaches his eyes softly and makes the edges crinkle a little. His hand comes up to pet Jungkook’s hair back.

Jungkook feels his cheeks warm, and his heart does this weird thing in his chest, all fizzy. The lack of sleep really gets to him, but whenever he tries to go to bed earlier, he just can’t sleep anyway… He smiles back at Jimin and untangles them, going back to his game as Jimin cuddles up closer than before to keep on reading, promising to read only one more chapter and that Jungkook should wrap up as well.

Which is just as well, because Jungkook can’t focus on anything he’s doing in the game for the rest of the time, overly aware of all the places where him and Jimin are touching.

***

It’s that time of the week again.

Actually, last week they had to skip it, as they sometimes do, especially during finals. This time, though, it was for a good reason: Yoongi and Hoseok were too busy moving in together. Taehyung also can’t travel “all that distance” every week (despite Jimin constantly arguing it’s really not that far), so they all decided to wait one more week to have their get-together dinner already on Hoseok and Yoongi’s new place.

Jimin has been really excited about it for the past days, bringing it up with a suspiciously knowing grin every day. Jungkook asked him once if he knew something the rest of them didn’t, and all Jimin responded with was a wait and see, so Jimin definitely does know something Jungkook doesn’t about this dinner.

Yoongi and Hoseok’s new place is stupidly close to Jimin and Jungkook’s — the apartment is owned by the same person, after all. They moved into the apartment complex that neighbours their own, so, despite not being literal neighbours, they’ve taken to calling each other that. It was also a huge convenience while they were moving, because Jimin and Jungkook were a lot more easily available to help carry boxes or furniture up to their flat.

Jimin and Jungkook’s own place is smaller than theirs, but Hoseok and Yoongi’s only has one bedroom. They also have a small balcony, to Yoongi’s happiness — he’s already gotten a few vases of plants that can endure balconies, and he treats them with utmost care, as he usually does with everything else.

Despite living so close by, the Busan duo are nearly the last two to arrive.

“How does this always happen whenever we’re going somewhere close by, Jungkook?” Jimin wonders, somehow seemingly blaming Jungkook for it despite having taken the longest time doing his no-make-up make-up.

“You’re blaming me, Jimin-ssi?” Jungkook says, pretend punching Jimin. “While I do have a track record for it, but this time it was all your fault.”

“What?! You were still gaming, so I thought we had more time! I was basically waiting for you to be done to go.”

“Well, I was only gaming to pass the time while I waited for you to finish getting ready. I was ready to go like an hour ago!”

“Pfft, your ‘getting ready’ was only, like, putting on a necklace and your shoes.”

“Okay, and I also put on some eyeshadow, see?” Jungkook says, opening his eyes wide and pointing to the corner of his eye, where he did, indeed, apply a little bit of dark brown. Jimin had taught him how to ages ago. He sometimes regrets it, because he looks to good.

Jimin only rolls his eyes exaggeratedly and walks out as the elevator doors open, Jungkook hot on his heels. They rarely take the elevator on this building, as it’s not unusual for it to get stuck. It happened to Jimin once, on a day much like this one, when he was late to a class and decided taking the stairs would take too long. He ended up missing the class entirely, after being stuck there for well over an hour.

Thankfully, it worked perfectly this time, so they just got back a couple of minutes.

They’re ringing Hoseok and Yoongi’s door only a few minutes later — after all, all they had to do was cross the street and climb a flight of stairs.

Warm lighting welcomes them. They’ve put up fairy lights around the kitchen’s cupboard, its glass doors reflecting the softly twinkling lights. The living room’s bookcase didn’t escape the warm-toned fairy lights make-over, either, making the place look cozy and comfortable.

It’s Seokjin who opens the door for them. He takes one judging look at Jimin and Jungkook and looks back to the others, who are already gathered around the couch munching on some finger food. They were all probably waiting on them, Jungkook assumes.

“Aw, the tardy pair took their sweet time to put on make-up and get all dolled up, everyone, come look.” Seokjin calls over his shoulder, rightfully mocking Jimin and Jungkook for their tardiness.

“In my defense, it’s all Jimin’s fault.”

“How is blaming me your defense when you were the one who was too busy gaming to look at the damn time?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know I was the only one capable of reading a clock between the two of us.” Jungkook shoots back.

“Excuse me?! You’re the one who doesn’t know how to read analogue clocks!”

“Hey, I told you that in confidence!” Jungkook pouts, making big eyes at Jimin.

“You guys sound like an old married couple.” Namjoon calls.

“Excuse you, a heterosexual married couple.” Hoseok corrects.

“I didn’t want to bring this up, but is there any other kind of married couple in Korea?” Namjoon replies, grimacing.

“Ouch. That one hurt.” Hoseok says, rubbing above his heart as if Namjoon’s response physically hurt him. “But yes, in my heart there are so many gay married couples here… In Korea, I mean, not necessarily in this house.” Hoseok then adds, with a glint in his eye Jungkook decides not to try to understand.

“Anyway.” Yoongi interrupts the usual impending never-ending banter. “Welcome to our humble abode, Jimin and Jungkook. You’ve already seen all of it, but there’s something we haven’t shown all of you yet. Well, other than Jimin, that is.” he announces, and Hoseok beams and claps excitedly. Jimin beams right back.

So Jungkook was right, they were up to something behind everyone else’s backs.

“What?” Taehyung gasps, turning to look at Jimin with a betrayed expression. “You knew something I didn’t and you didn’t tell me, your soulmate? I thought we were bonded, does that mean nothing to you?”

“We really don’t need to know what kind of kinky shit you got up to in the bedroom during that short period you guys dated, can we please focus.” Yoongi says, trying to stop it at the root.

“We never dated, what are you talking about?” Jimin laughs.

Taehyung pretends to burst into tears. “I knew it! You don’t even want to acknowledge it happened! Ever since you married Jungkook, we’ve never been the same—”

“WOULD YOU” Hoseok booms, successfully quieting everyone down. Taehyung face expression morphs to neutral so quickly you could hardly believe he was fake sobbing a second ago “…care to follow us into the bedroom?” Hoseok then finishes lightly, with a dazzling smile on his face and a flourish towards a closed door.

Taehyung whistles. “Are we finally having group sex, all of us?”

“You’re disgusting and uninvited, you can go stand in the corner and think about what you just said.” Yoongi states, unimpressed.

“Ooh, kinky. I’ll go stand there and think about our group sex, then.” Taehyung quickly shoots back. There’s very little you can say that will embarrass him.

Namjoon groans in embarrassment, but the rest ignore Taehyung’s antics.

“Well?” Seokjin prompts, gesturing towards what he assumes to be the bedroom door, the only division they haven’t been shown around yet. “Let’s go see your sex dungeon, then.”

“Yah, it has nothing to do with sex!” Yoongi yells, fed up with the chaos. “Stop bringing up sex.”

“You know what else you can also bring up?” Seokjin starts.

“Shut up, hyung!”

“You’re literally the one who brought up sex in the first place.” Jimin mumbles, but goes stand in front of the door. “Well, lead the way, hyungs. Can’t wait to see everyone’s faces!” he then adds excitedly, a big grin rounding his eyes up into two thin crescent moons. Jungkook beams back unconsciously, fists balled up in cute-aggression.

When no one else has any more double-entendre jokes to make, Hoseok slowly opens the door with a big smile he could never hope to contain, and makes a shushing gesture with his finger, gesturing for everyone to follow him after he’s stepped in the room.

Once everyone quickly ushers in inside the quite spacious room, Yoongi switches on a tall rice paper floor lamp, which softly lights the room and allows everyone to see the adorable kitten sleeping between two pillows on the bed. Gloves opens her eyes and blinks in confusion at the sudden source of light, as well as at all the new people.

Then she mews very cutely and everyone melts.

“Gloves! You’ve adopted her?!” Jungkook whisper yells.

“Her name is Gloves?” Taehyung whisper yells back, and Jungkook can tell he’s got the cute-aggression for her already by the way he’s gripping Jungkook’s arm.

“Is it? Are you keeping her name, hyungs?” Jungkook asks Hoseok and Yoongi. He really hopes they kept her name, it was perfect.

“Wait. Wait, wait. You have a cat.” Seokjin interrupts. “This is huge, it’s like having a kid!” he continues, and Jimin nods in approval, proud that Seokjin recognizes the responsibility.

“Yep, she’s officially ours. We asked Jiminie here to show us around the sanctuary, and when he introduced us to this little one, we knew it was meant to be.” Hoseok says, watching proudly as Yoongi takes a seat on the bed and Gloves immediately goes to him, sniffing his hand before Yoongi scratches her chin.

“We weren’t even really sure we wanted a pet, but she’s been great company. Of course, we had to ask the landlady for permission, and she said she usually doesn’t accept pets, but that as long as it’s just this one cat, we can keep her.”

“Do you think she would let us?” Jungkook immediately asks Jimin.

“Maybe, I think she would, but don’t forget we spend a lot less time at home than these two. You’ll be around a lot, right, hyung?” Jimin asks Yoongi.

“Yeah, now that I have the space, I can start working from home. I’ll only go to the studio when I absolutely have to.” Yoongi agrees.

“I’m really happy for you two. Really, really happy and proud.” Namjoon tells them, and Hoseok envelops him in a side hug, squeezing his shoulder in thanks.

“Yes, yes. Very cool. Now back to the real issue at hand. Is her name still Gloves, or what?” Jungkook interrupts.

—

Dinner goes by swimmingly. To everyone’s surprise, instead of ordering out, Yoongi prepares them a delicious meal, with finger food as entrée and everything. Nothing too fancy or elaborate, but the type of food you can tell was made with love and care; the kind that fills up not only your tummy, but also your heart. It was just Yoongi’s style.

There’s also a lot of drinking and toasting to everything under the sun — Seokjin and Jungkook make a competition on who can make the most ridiculous toast, which means they’re all too tipsy to watch a movie today. Plus, it’s a special day: it’s not everyday you celebrate finally moving in together. And getting a cat.

So they all decide to make it really memorable by playing Truth or Dare.

It’s always chaotic and even magnificently awkward at times, but most of all unforgettable: people kiss, share secrets, or do downright embarrassing things, which they will of course never let each other live down, hence how memorable it always is.

They’re off to a great start when the bottle spins to a stop pointing to Taehyung. Hoseok is the first to ask, as it is his and Yoongi’s place, and Yoongi always let’s his partner take the spotlight (it’s hard not to; it’s Hoseok, after all). Taehyung sits up straighter in excitement.

“Well, truth or dare, Taehyungie?” Hoseok lifts a playful eyebrow at Taehyung.

“Dare!” Taehyung sings, much to Hoseok’s delight, who suddenly looks straight up evil as he looks around the group.

“Good choice. Hmm… Let’s start with a bang.” Hoseok says, doing a finger gun gesture. Jungkook can feel the nervous shudders from Namjoon. Hoseok then taps his pointer finger against his chin as he contemplates. “Kiss… Jimin. On the lips!” He finally announces, and Taehyung grins, waggling his eyebrows at Jimin and getting on his hands and knees to sexily crawl to where Jimin is sitting, but Jimin immediately only rolls his eyes dramatically.

“Oh, don’t make this easy for him, hyung. He’ll kiss me no problem.” Jimin pipes up. Taehyung looks back at Hoseok, who is once again looking at everyone’s faces around the room.

“You’re right… Jin-hyung, then!”

“Yah!” Seokjin yells “Why is Jimin easy to kiss, but I’m not?!”

“Maybe because you’re always yelling like that— Whaat? Who said that, that was so mean!” Jungkook says, looking around the room as if looking for the culprit of such shockingly mean utterings, as if he hadn’t been the one to speak them himself.

“Jeon Jungkook, you will not disrespect me in my own house!” Seokjin hisses.

“Um, hi.” Yoongi cuts in, leaning forward in his seat so that he can make eye contact with Seokjin and waving at him. “This is not even your house?”

Seokjin waves him off, though his ears grow redder at the slip-up. “Who says I’m not married to your hot, older landlady?” Jimin blanches at the thought, and Jungkook breaks into one of his loud, big laughing fits “Besides,” Seokjin continues, ignoring the typical mayhem around him “If your house had a preference, it surely would prefer having me as an owner.”

“Taehyung-ah, go kiss Seokjin and shut him up.” Hoseok instructs, always sharp on Seokjin’s cunning ways.

“I’m sorry, Taehyung-ah, my diversion technique of talking nonsense didn’t work as intended. We’ll still have to smooch.”

“That’s alright, you’re not too bad looking.” Taehyung says, throwing a wink Seokjin’s way and then waddling cutely on his knees to his side. He leans in with his eyes closed and lips comically pouted. Seokjin does the same and then gets close until they just sort of bump into each other lips-first.

“That should not even count as a kiss, but I think we can all agree none of us ever want to see that again, so let’s continue.” Yoongi announces, passing Taehyung the empty bottle, as it is now his turn to go.

“Oh, please! You’re all just weirded out because the two most beautiful people you’ve ever seen just kissed and now you’re jealous of us.” Seokjin says in dismissal.

“Hyung, I’m touched!” Taehyung says, clutching his hand to his chest as he plops back into his own seat.

“Even I must admit you’re good looking. All those people who hire you for photoshoots do have taste, you know.” Seokjin praises, and Jungkook makes gagging noises.

“Sorry, I think I just threw up in my mouth. Please stop praising and inflating each others egos now.” Jungkook interrupts, poking Taehyung with his foot to get him to play his turn, leaning into Jimin for support from where he sits on the floor next to him. “I like it better when they’re arguing.” Jungkook stage whispers to Jimin, who nods gravelly.

Taehyung makes a face at Jungkook, but does lean forward and spins the bottle hard. It spins and spins until it finally stops pointing straight at Jimin, who groans and falls back, trying to hide behind Jungkook.

“Karma really does come for everyone.” Namjoon jokes, making everyone else laugh at Jimin’s fate.

“Oh no you don’t, babes. Come back up. You wanted to make it harder for me last time, let me have my revenge, it’s only fair.” Taehyung tells Jimin, actually getting up and pulling Jimin up from where he’s slumped on the ground, fake-dead.

“Okay, okay. Go back to your place, smelly.” Jimin sighs, straightening up and shooing Taehyung away.

“I’ll ignore that.” Taehyung mumbles as he sits back down “So. Truth or dare, sweetie?” Taehyung asks, and his grin couldn’t look more evil if he tried.

“Truth.” Jimin says. There’s no way he can win with Taehyung, but considering what just went down, Taehyung would definitely make him kiss someone else.

“Okay, so. Fuck, marry kill.”

“Tae, no. We agreed no more of that. It ends in war, you know that.” Yoongi calls out at the same time as Namjoon opened his mouth to intervene as well.

“What he said.” Namjoon settles on.

“Hm, interesting. Very interesting. You didn’t seem to remember our ‘no making things awkward during truth or dare’ rule during Hoseok’s turn. I’m simply making it even. You’re lucky the bottle didn’t land on you, mister.” Taehyung threatens, pointing a finger in Hoseok’s direction.

“It’s our place and our special day, we get a free pass.” Yoongi brushes away, defending his boyfriend as always, who rewards him with a sweet kiss everyone groans and gags at. Yoongi then turns to face Jimin. “But since it’s Jimin who’s suffering, I’ll allow it.”

“Hyung!” Jimin cries out, but to no avail. “Namjoon-hyung?” Jimin tries again, pushing out his lower lip in a last effort at aegyo. It usually works.

“Sorry, their house, their rules.”

“Man, we gotta start holding the dinners at our place more often. The power we have.” Hoseok sighs, sitting back relaxedly into his hands.

“Abuse it while you can. Unfortunately, it eventually fades away, my dear.” Seokjin wisely puts in.

“Fuck! Marry! Kill!” Taehyung shouts over everyone else, fed up with waiting. “Hmm, so. Between… Me, obviously. Namjoon-hyung, aaand… Jungkook!” Taehyung finishes brightly, smiling innocently at Jimin and batting his eyelashes. Including Jimin’s room-mate in fuck-marry-kill while he’s in the room, sitting right next to him, is just cruel.

“Kill you.” Jimin says darkly, pointing at Taehyung’s head.

“Oh? You do? Then who will you marry and fuck?” Taehyung asks, smile only growing.

Shit. That was not very smart. The smartest would have been to pick to fuck for Taehyung, that would make everything a lot less awkward…

“I’ll marry Namjoon, he’s very marriage material.” Jimin announces boldly, deciding to just go for it. Jungkook tries to keep a composed and uninterested face, but he’s sure he’s failing epically, as he can feel heat spread across his entire face, even to his ears, which he cups with his colder hands nervously.

“So that means you’ll fuck Jungkook.”

“What?! No I d- Don’t say it like that!” Jimin says, grabbing a random pillow from the couch and throwing it hard at Taehyung, who just cackles.

“It’s true, though. You kill me, marry Namjoon, and fuck Jungkook. Alright, I see.”

“You don’t see anything, loser. You’re dead!” everyone is looking at Jimin and Taehyung like it’s a tennis match, Seokjin even pretending that he’s eating popcorn.

“And this is why we banned fuck-marry-kill. Thank you all for your kind reminder. Now, let’s move on. Jimin, your turn.” Yoongi says, and Jungkook looks at him like he’s his knight in shining armour.

“Boo!” Seokjin shouts, pretend-throwing things — tomatoes, Jungkook imagines — Yoongi’s way.

“You’re really good at miming, hyung.” Namjoon says, like the lovesick puppy he is, and Seokjin beams.

“Thank you, Joonie. At least someone appreciates my talents here.” he says, and Taehyung chokes on his laughter.

“I’m sure he does.” he says in-between laughs, actually wiping tears from his eyes.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Seokjin presses, one eyebrow cocked, and Hoseok jumps in before it gets even bloodier. Jungkook is just glad the attention is off him and Jimin and fucking.

“You know Taehyungie sometimes doesn’t make sense. Right?” Hoseok says, eyes practically shooting lasers at Taehyung as he says ‘right’. Taehyung pretends he didn’t hear, but Seokjin does sit back, seemingly accepting the excuse.

“Hello, is this thing on?” Jimin suddenly asks, tapping the neck of the bottle like a microphone. “It’s my turn now. Focus. Thank you.” he then places the bottle in the centre of their lopsided circle and spins it.

The rest of the game goes by a lot more smoothly, par a very chaste and nose-scrunched kiss between Taehyung and Hoseok. Jimin makes Seokjin mime disturbing things, Seokjin in turn makes Hoseok list all the times he’s farted during dance practice or even dance shows, and on and on. Gloves eventually becomes the star of the show again when she decides she’s had enough napping and wants to party aggressively — tiring her out of her zoomies is surprisingly easy with seven people. They may have broken a vase.

Going back home from a night out was never easier, only having to cross the street. Having Jimin by his side, though, the commute never feels long anyway.

It’s as he’s falling asleep that he suddenly remembers how Jimin said he would pick fuck for him in that stupid god-forsaken fuck-marry-kill game.

And that’s when the insomnia hits. Jungkook can almost physically feel all the drowsiness and heaviness leave his mind the moment Jimin’s blushed face crosses his mind, and he’s suddenly wide awake.

Of course, the rational side of Jungkook’s brain tells him that he shouldn’t overthink it — it was just a dumb drinking game, after all, and Jimin had already drunk quite a bit. Anyone would be a little affected by that time, no matter how well they hold their liquor.

However, on the other hand, Jungkook can clearly picture how relaxed Jimin was about saying he’d marry Namjoon — like it didn’t matter and was inconsequential, maybe because Jimin didn’t feel it to be true in his heart. In previous games, Jimin had also picked Taehyung for fuck, and he hadn’t been flustered in the slightest by it.

Why, then, had he been so bothered at the thought of fucking Jungkook? He can only think of two reasons: the first being that Jimin sees Jungkook strictly as a younger brother/friend, and would never harbour the slightest sexual desire towards him. However, Jungkook finds that to not ring true, because if that were the case, Jimin wouldn’t flirt so shamelessly with Jungkook, whenever he has the chance, would he? So that leaves the other option: Jimin actually wants to… pursue sexual interactions with Jungkook — or has at least thought of that before.

Jungkook thinks himself into a knot, unable to get a wink of sleep the entire night. By morning, and now fully sober, he’s exhausted his brain to the point that he can’t even recall how Jimin acted as he said that during the drinking game. In the end, he files it away as drunken mind meanderings that shouldn’t be brought up again, and tries very hard to forget about it.

***

Jungkook has been putting off asking Jimin for three days now.

It’s not a big ask, but the implications and what Jimin may get out of it make him nervous. They’ve been doing nude painting again in his Oil Painting class, and he’s got homework.

They started working on alla prima a few weeks ago now, going from still-nature to landscapes to portraits of each other in class, and are now graduating to nude painting.They’ve had two classes now, the first one fully nude to freshen them up on anatomy, and now the teacher started introducing draping fabrics, to work on both anatomy and how different cloths fold and behave with lighting. The models are supposed to still be mostly naked, so it all looks very romantic and sensual, depending on the pose.

Then the teacher switched it up on them and asked — read: demanded — that they also work on an alla prima semi-nude piece as homework. It doesn’t have to be on one sitting, but the point is to get them used to working in different conditions than either at the university’s atelier or outside when they’re doing landscapes.

Of course, this actually doesn’t make that much sense, considering that most students already work on their paintings at home when they can’t go to the atelier or it’s being otherwise used, but it is also true that whenever they work at home on paintings, they’re hardly ever with live reference or alla prima ones.

This brings Jungkook to his present predicament: asking one of his friends to pose naked for him. Or mostly naked.

The choice is obvious to him: it can only be Jimin. However, he now needs to muster up the courage to ask him.

The opportunity presents itself today, one of those rare days when Jungkook and Jimin are at home for dinner at the same time. Jimin was the one home earlier, so he prepared some food for the both of them after texting Jungkook to know if he’d be home for dinner, which he would.

Jimin has just finished telling Jungkook about a particularly difficult essay he’s working on for his own course, then asking Jungkook what he’s been working on at university himself.

“Still doing alla prima, I’m quite enjoying it. I thought there’d be the added pressure to get everything right right away, but it’s actually quite refreshing to just sit down and paint directly what’s in front of you. I still do some light studies on paper most times, but I’m finding that I need it less and less.” Jungkook explains, then follows smoothly with “Actually, I needed to ask for your help with something for it.”

Nice, Jungkook thinks to himself.

“Oh? What can I help with?” Jimin asks after he swallows his last bite. I need your help are probably Jimin’s favourite words. Jungkook has learned to stop being scared of asking for it, because whenever he does request for Jimin’s assistance with something, he practically glows.

“I need someone to pose for me for an alla prima painting. Homework assignment.” Jungkook starts “The catch is that it is a semi-nude painting.” he then cringes, knowing that this is the hardest part to accept. “Could you… I mean, would you be okay with doing that for me? Of course, you don’t have to be fully naked, you can wear underwear and there’ll also be a fabric of sorts draped on you, so you can keep your dignity, but… yeah, that’s it. I was thinking silk, as it’s such a shiny fabric.” he rambles on.

“And you think I could do it? Wouldn’t I have to hold my pose for a long time?”

“Well, yes, but you can pick the pose so that you’re in a comfortable position. We’ve even had one of our models fall asleep before. And we don’t have to do it all in one sitting, too.”

“If you think I can do it, I’m more than happy to help, of course! Who would refuse having an oil portrait of themselves done for free?” Jimin jokes “Paint me like one of your french ladies.” he then does an elaborate pose with his arms, lips pouty, drawing a huffed laugh out of Jungkook.

“Good, that’s— Great, yeah. We could do it this weekend?” Jungkook asks, relieved smile on his face. That went a lot better than Jungkook thought, though he should have known: it’s Jimin, after all. He’s understanding, helpful and thoughtful, but only does what he really wants to.

“Hmm… Oh, yeah! It’s actually perfect, I only have a couple of hours scheduled at the shelter to cover a small shift gap, and there’s no urgent school work to do. Unless one of the teachers springs a mega-essay for Monday on us, I’ve definitely got time this weekend.” Jimin says, pointing his chopsticks at Jungkook with a wink.

“Great! Thanks, hyung. For real. You’re a life saver.” Jungkook answers excitedly, and Jimin smiles, going back to his food. Jungkook is distracted, already going through all the things he’ll have to prepare, like the background, the fabric, somewhere for Jimin to sit—

“Why me, though?” Jimin interrupts after a few beats of silence “I mean, you called me a life saver, but we have a big, close-knit group of friends you could ask, so I’m not really that much of a life-saver, am—” and then Jimin cuts himself off with a small gasp “Have you already asked all of them and been denied, so I’m your last option?!”

Jungkook stares at Jimin’s unsettled face of betrayal for a second before he bursts out laughing.

“N-no, hyung. Ah, your face…” Jungkook says once he’s able to, wiping tears from his eyes. Jimin watches unimpressed, but clearly holding back a smile. “You’re the only person I asked. Taehyung would have been an option too, seeing as he’s modelled, but he’s too far away and would get way too annoying about it.” Jungkook says, holding up a finger. “Hoseok would say yes right away, even if he didn’t really feel comfortable doing it. Which I think he wouldn’t. Seokjin is unpredictable, he would either, like… No, he would definitely clutch at his heart and be all like ‘I raised you from birth and carried you around in a baby trolley, and now you want me to disrobe in front of you?!’” Jungkook goes on, doing what he thinks is a perfect impersonation of Seokjin. It’s Jimin’s turn to laugh until he’s crying, grabbing at Jungkook’s arm from across the tiny table for support. Jungkook is sure Jimin would already have flung himself on Jungkook’s chest laughing were they closer, and he somehow craves it. Despite living together, he still craves it.

“What about the others?” Jimin prompts, practically wheezes.

“Yoongi I would not even bother asking. Can you imagine him posing in his boxers?” Jimin chokes on more laughter at that. “He would flat out refuse. He’s also always too busy. Namjoon would say yes, I think. He would never expose himself like that if it were photography, but for painting? The guy is so crazy for art I’m surprised he’s not an artist himself. But then I’d also be too nervous painting him, he’d be way too critical, but not say anything. He would also somehow find a way to break something important — bless him — and it would just be so awkward.

“So, you see, you’re not the last option.” Jungkook says, Jimin’s laughter eventually peters out as he speaks, turning into a fond smile “You’re the only option.” Jungkook says simply, but there’s an intensity in his eyes and tone, and now Jimin’s smile turns shy and flustered, red blooming on his cheeks.

“Alright, alright. No need to get cheesy about it. “ Jimin evades, averting his eyes.

“Not cheesy, just the truth.” Jungkook says with a shrug, watching as Jimin curls in on himself with a whine, before he suddenly lashes out and swats Jungkook’s chest, who rubs at the spot in faux pain.

“Rascal.”

“What’d I do now!” Jungkook laughs.

“What about me? How did you think I’d react when you first asked? You said everyone but me.” Jimin questions, going back to his food.

“Well, I did ask you, so I somewhat expected you to agree and not be uncomfortable doing it with me. I was still a little nervous, though.”

“What for?”

“Exactly.”

——

For the next few following days, Jungkook brainstorms what props he can use and tries to find them in the stash the Arts building keeps for these situations. There’s a sort of tradition that each student has to donate at least one of the props they’ve used for any of their projects. Many end up leaving their own creations, and Jungkook once found a magnificent head piece made of soldered metal and wire in the shape of big curled horns that fit perfectly, albeit a little heavy.

In his search through the dusty room, Jungkook spots a vintage armchair made of cheap wood, but clearly painted to look like dark brown, quality wood. He rids the armchair of the cardboard box placed on it and filled with what looks like braided neon yarn and colourful synthetic wigs — which he would never place on his or anyone’s head, everything has its limits.

The seat actually looks comfortable, even if a little dusty. It’s made of what looks like velvet, in a deep red colour that goes nicely with the wooden tone. Jungkook tests its sturdiness by placing his hands on the armrests and applying strength. It doesn’t budge.

Jungkook slaps away the dust and sits lightly on the chair, surprised at how it is actually quite comfortable. He won’t settle on it only being safe, considering that, if he does use this, Jimin will have to pose on it for quite some time.

Has gotta be comfy as well.

He decides right there to take the chair home, which is not a very easy feat, seeing as he has to carry it from the university into the bus, and then home. Despite it being quite light, Jungkook’s arms are screaming at him by the time he finally gets home, from holding on to it in the same position for so long. He certainly feels like he pulled a muscle in his left forearm.

All that’s missing now are the fabrics, but Jungkook knows just the right shop — and the chair gave him an idea for the perfect colours and fabric types to use to go with it.

(…)

“Do you wanna face the TV, so that you can watch something while I paint? Or I can paint you reading a book, but that would involve a little more moving to turn the pages and such…” Jungkook offers while Jimin decides on a pose, but Jimin just shrugs.

“I can be facing you, you’re nice to look at.” Jimin says distractedly as he decides if he’ll be more comfortable with his right or left leg stretched out in front of him, elongating his body. Jungkook’s face warms at what Jimin said, and he brings his hand up to his ear while Jimin realises what he said. “Oh! I meant that I like watching you work! Oh, sorry, that sounds even creepier, doesn’t it?” Jimin cringes.

“It does, actually.” Jungkook says, smiling boyishly at Jimin, still fiddling with the piercings on his ear.

“I take back the second thing I said, then.” Jimin settles on boldly, shooting a smile Jungkook’s way. “How’s this pose? I think I can hold it for a long while, I may just need to rest my arm or my leg at times.”

He didn’t take back the first thing he said, Jungkook’s brain provides helpfully.

Maybe focus on the task at hand, Jungkook answers his inner dialogue.

Jimin has settled on placing the armchair facing the right, almost completely sideways. He sits on the near edge of the seat, the leg closest to Jungkook elegantly stretched out in front of him all the way down to his foot, the other one bent and propped up on the knee of the stretched leg. A big fluffy pillow supports his back, so Jimin can sprawl back on the chair, one of his arms bent behind his head, the other one falls beautifully over the arm of the chair, soft and relaxed in a graceful way only Jimin could emulate.

Jungkook barely had to guide Jimin, the dancer’s control over his own body and what looked good was as impressive as ever.

“You’re- It’s… Perfect, yeah. You’re sure you’re comfortable? I can get you another pillow for your back, so you don’t have to arch it.” Jungkook answers, circling around the canvas and stepping closer to Jimin to adjust some minor details.

“I think I’m fine like this, actually. Any more pillows and I fall off the chair.” Jimin jokes, flawless and effortlessly holding his pose, eyes focused on Jungkook.

“Alright, then. I’ll just adjust the fabric, so it falls all pretty.” Jungkook explains. He’d ended up picking two different fabrics, because apparently he hates himself and wanted to make this as difficult to paint as possible. He went for a glossy, ivory coloured satin one, and then a sheer, deep red chiffon piece, to complement Jimin’s dark hair.

Red. The colour of blood, danger, and, of course, passion. As Jungkook thought, it goes well with their lighting and the chair, as well as with Jimin’s milky smooth skin, creating a nice contrast with it.

Before sitting, Jimin had simply thrown both fabrics over his right shoulder, first the bigger satin one, and then placed the chiffon fabric over it, as Jungkook instructed, in a way that half of it is directly on his smooth skin, and the other half on top of the bright satin. The satin is placed so that it covers his crotch area (and underwear) completely, but a good portion of Jimin’s torso is bare, as are both his legs.

Jungkook adjusts the satin on the floor and the way it spills down from Jimin’s upper thighs, so that only the glossy side of it faces the canvas. He then spreads it further down the floor, as it was pooling almost in a pile by the chair’s legs. Then he picks up the chiffon piece from where it falls to the floor, bunches it a little on his hands to create more folds (because, once again, Jungkook is adamant on making this as difficult to paint as he can, it seems).

“Can you hold the chiffon in your free hand?” Jungkook asks, holding it up to Jimin, who takes the fabric between his pointer and middle finger, managing to make it look a hundred times better than Jungkook envisioned.

“Perfect.” Jungkook whispers to himself with a smile. Jimin remains quiet, but his eyes do not waver from Jungkook’s face for even a second. “May I?” Jungkook asks, gesturing to Jimin’s hair and finally meeting his eyes. Jimin nods, still looking up at Jungkook as he stands and towers over him. Jungkook gently fixes the way his hair falls, trying to avoid Jimin’s intense stare.

Jungkook steps back when he’s done, clearing his throat and finally making eye contact with Jimin again. He throws him two thumbs up and a close-lipped smile, not trusting his voice not to waver at the moment. Maybe asking Jimin to do this was not such a good decision if he’s going to be this nervous the entire time. How will Jungkook focus?

Looking at Jimin and the colours he’s using, though, an idea strikes him. He contemplates ignoring it, but he’s sure he’ll regret it if he doesn’t make it come true.

“Hyung, do you have some kind of… lipstick?” Jungkook asks awkwardly, cringing at how out of the blue it sounded — maybe he should have prefaced that better — if at all.

“Lipstick?” Jimin inquires, tilting his head slightly. He’s so damn cute.

“Y-yeah. Sorry.” Jungkook clears his throat and starts again. “It’s just that the chair has red and the chiffon as well, I wanted to see if I could also incorporate you into it somehow, and painting the lips would be the best — it’d look nice and also help with… composition and stuff. Where to direct the eye in the painting, you know.” Jungkook finishes a little lamely.

“And you want to direct them to my lips?” Jimin asks in a teasing tone, and Jungkook nearly dies, eyes going wide at the realisation, then he notices Jimin holding back laughter.

“Hyung.” Jungkook nearly whines “It’s not like that.” he huffs “It’d just… make a line in the painting, sort of guide your eyes through the painting. You’ll see. Now stop making it weird.” Jungkook scolds playfully, and Jimin laughs lightly, still keeping his pose, but more relaxedly. He still looks magnificent.

“It wasn’t my intention at all to make it weird, I’m sorry.” Jimin says, but his mischievous smile and twinkling eyes tell otherwise. “I don’t really have any lipstick, but I have a coloured chapstick that makes the lips look a little redder, if that helps?”

“Mm, that’d be perfect, would look more natural as well. Thanks, hyung. Where can I find it? I’ll go get it for you.”

“I think it’s in the bathroom, actually. I almost never wear it, so I’m not too sure. Could you check the drawers for me?”

Jungkook nods and goes into their shared bathroom, rummaging through Jimin’s side of their vanity. True to Jimin’s word, he finds a pink chapstick with a cute cartoon cherry on it stashed away between a box of kid’s bandaids (Jimin often needs them for the cat scratches, so he usually gets funny-looking ones) and a new pack of toothbrushes.

“Tadah! Found it.” Jungkook singsongs, offering it to Jimin, who just sort of looks at him until Jungkook realises — he’s still holding onto the chiffon, even if now posing more relaxedly, and he probably wouldn’t be able to apply the chapstick properly. “Oh, right.” Jungkook says intelligently, and Jimin smiles fondly at him.

“Do you mind if I put it on you, then?” Jungkook asks, and Jimin does kissy lips at him in reply. Jungkook chuckles lightly. Jimin will be the death of him. “Alright, stop pursing your lips like that so that I can apply it properly, then. Aish.”

“Is that any way to speak to your hyung?”

Jungkook ignores him and bends down so that he’s level with Jimin, raising his hand up to Jimin’s jaw and silently asking for his permission to hold him by locking eyes with Jimin. Jimin nods his consent, so Jungkook gently cradles his chin on one hand, and dabs softly at Jimin’s parted lips with the chapstick with the other.

“Open up?” Jungkook instructs, poised as a question, and Jimin opens his mouth a little wider. Like this, Jungkook can apply the chapstick a lot more easily, being generous with the layering to bring out the red as much as possible. When he’s satisfied with his job, he leans back and pops his own lips to signal Jimin to do the same. When he looks up at Jimin’s eyes, he’s already staring back, an indecipherable expression in them and a light scarlet dusting on his cheeks.

His already plump lips look even plumper now that they’re all red and moisturised. They remind Jungkook of strawberry flavoured hard candy, the kind that get all smooth and glossy after you’ve sucked on it for a while. It’s a good look on Jimin, and Jungkook has to look away.

Jungkook nods to Jimin, clears his throat and turns back to the canvas, hands coming up to fiddle with his lip piercing as he steps behind the canvas, deciding if he should move his positioning or if he’s sitting on the right place. They don’t have a lot of space to start with, and had to push the sofa against the wall to fit the chair and still leave some space for Jungkook to have his easel facing the right direction, as well as space to sit behind it. He makes all the necessary adjustments and gathers the front of his hair into a knot, held together with a sharp pencil. He probably looks dumb like this, but his hair keeps getting longer and longer and gets in the way, sometimes.

“Are you still comfortable?” Jungkook then asks Jimin.

“I’m good. I’ve relaxed the pose a bit though, while you get ready. I’ll be ready when you are.”

“I’ll start sketching now, then. I’ll need you to hold the pose for a while, then when I start focusing more on smaller details, I’ll tell you whether you can relax the arms or the legs, alright? If you feel discomfort or pain anywhere, you drop the pose and stretch or— whatever you need, really, okay? We can just get the pose back later.”

“Gotcha.” Jimins says, and he flawlessly extends his legs and arms back to their original position. “Like this?”

“Just like that, yes. Great.” Jungkook almost mumbles, grabbing his charcoal pencil and then putting it back right away.

Right, alla prima. Better do an oil sketch instead, Jungkook thinks, so he quickly mixes up a base neutral colour for skin and mixes it up with turpentine, moving the paint around and around in his palette with his painting knife to properly mix the paint and the solvent. Once he’s ready (it doesn’t take long), he starts getting Jimin’s likeness into the canvas, using a fine brush and occasionally holding it up to Jimin with one eye closed, to measure and make sure everything is proportional.

“You alright? Wanna take a break?” Jungkook asks after a few minutes, looking between the canvas and Jimin’s legs, trying to capture both the strength and the elegance. Before Jimin had even arrived, and after he’d set up the chair and gotten a feel for the lighting, he’d coated the entire canvas in a dark muddy green/blue colour, done mixed in with a hefty dose of turpentine to make it dry faster and make the colour less opaque. Mainly Prussian blue and Chrome green, a dash of Ochre yellow and some Cadmium red to darken it.

Alla prima is a wet on wet technique, but no one said anything against preparing the canvas, so he just went with his instincts. He wanted the red to really pop out, and he feels like the colour he picked will for sure help with doing just that.

“Is there a part of the pose I can start relaxing?” Jimin asks, as a way to answer Jungkook’s question.

“Uh, I’m almost done with the legs, then I still want to get the head and the… the entire upper body, really, a little better, but. Actually, this is supposed to be just a quick sketch, I’m getting carried away. Hmm. There, you can relax the legs for now, I’ll work on the upper body and after I’m done with that I’ll make my colour palette, so you’ll be able to take a break then.” Jungkook says, finishing up the last details of the sketch of Jimin’ legs with a flourish and finally looking up at Jimin’s eyes.

“Yes, chef.” Jimin says with a lazy smile, letting his legs drop and decreasing the arch in his back a little. That arch must be the hardest to maintain. Jimin really picked a difficult pose to do, but it certainly looks beautiful. He looks beautiful.

It doesn’t come as a surprise to Jungkook, Jimin is one of those people who couldn’t look bad if he tried, despite his unique features. The large, pouty lips. The small, flat-ish button nose. The siren eyes that disappear into curved lines when he smiles. The soft cheeks and sharp jawline that contrast with each other but never clash, somehow. Jimin is all soft curves and hard edges at the same time. “Beautiful” is not enough of a word to describe him. Jungkook once again feels really lucky he gets to paint Jimin like this; that he said yes.

Jungkook is quickly done with his sketch, the thoughts not distracting him from the task at hand but, au contraire, immersing him in it.

Jimin’s stare never lets up, unrelenting and observing.

“You can relax the pose completely, now. Please just stay in the chair, as I need to see how the light interacts with your skin there to get the shades right.”

“Mhm. Can you just get me some water and my phone?” Jimin replies, slumping back into the chair and shaking out his left arm with a relieved sigh. He cracks his neck to one side. Then the other. Then pops his knuckles one by one.

It sounds really satisfying.

Jungkook wordlessly hands Jimin a fresh water bottle and his phone, stretches a bit too, and goes back to his zone.

“Thanks.”

“Thank you.” Jungkook shoots back, wrinkling his nose at Jimin over a smile. Jimin only winks at him, drinking his water. Jungkook gets up again and helps him put it away once Jimin is done. Jimin was careful not to smudge the chapstick, so there’s no need to reapply.

After Jungkook gets all the colours right and Jimin goes back to posing, they only have to pause one more time before finishing up completely. Jungkook is pretty happy with this one, it may actually be his favourite painting he’s done this year, so far.

The colours look nice and shiny — and not just because they’re still wet, but Jungkook added some linseed oil to the paint to give it that glossy finish even after dry. He managed to bring out all the textures and shades, and it all looks anatomically correct and nice. Jimin’s intense stare is as intense in the painting as it was in real-life. It almost makes Jungkook blush.

“I’m done. You can drop the damned chiffon now, woohoo! I bet you hate it by now.” Jungkook celebrates, and Jimin widens his eyes at Jungkook with a faux surprised but happy expression, lifting the arm holding the chiffon up above his head and then slamming the soft fabric onto the floor. Jungkook doesn’t understand where he gets the strength, after holding pose for so long.

“Yeah!” Jimin celebrates as well, then sits up and rolls his neck and shoulders to relieve them of the tension of having stayed in place for so long. “Actually, I feel a little bad for doing that, we were becoming close friends. I do feel like I need a hand massage, though.” Jimin jokes.

“Then you just won yourself a hand massage, it’s the least I can do for you.” Jungkook offers, starting on the long process of cleaning up his work station and putting everything away.

“You probably need one more than me, you were painting almost non-stop for almost two hours, I just had to sit still. What time is it?” Jimin asks, removing the fabric from his shoulder and pulling on a t-shirt he had close by.

“Sitting still for that long is much harder than it looks, and you picked a pretty complex position. If anything, you’ve worked much harder than me.”

“I’m a dancer.”

Jungkook huffs at Jimin’s offhanded reply “So am I, and I would’ve had a really bad time.”

“Well, what can I say, I guess I was made for this.” Jimin says breezily, folding up the satin fabric.

“Apparently, you are. Also, you can just leave those there for now, I’ll take care of that.”

“Oh, whew! I wanna go see the painting, can I?”

When his question is met by silence, Jimin backtracks.

“Oh! You don’t have to show it to me if you don’t want to, Jungkook-ah. Or if you prefer letting it dry and showing it later?”

“No no, you can see. I don’t know why I’m so nervous.” Jungkook replies, and he truly doesn’t. Even when he had to paint one of his colleagues back in class, he never felt so nervous to show it to them. Now, though, it feels like it holds a lot more meaning, for whatever reason. Maybe it’s because he’s such a close friend and Jungkook holds his opinion that much more highly. Or maybe it’s because Jimin looks so… seductive in his painting. Is that how Jungkook sees him? Would anyone else have painted him differently?

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely! You deserve to see what you’ve had to work so hard for. And I do want to show it to you.” Jungkook reassures, bunching his paintbrushes together in his hand to wash later. It’s important to wash them before the paint on them dries, but they can wait a little more. Jimin first.

“I’m going over there, then.” Jimin warns, and Jungkook almost laughs at how he’s making it sound like a threat.

Jungkook moves the chair away, so that they both have enough space to stand before the painting, and Jimin makes his way over, only in boxers and a big t-shirt that comes down to his thighs.

Most people like to look at paintings from a distance. Not too far away, but far enough that you can look at the entire picture in one go only, appraise it as a whole. Not Jungkook. He likes to get up close and personal, see the texture in the brushstrokes, how colours blend together, or clash. You can tell a lot about how someone paints and the emotions they were feeling as they were painting from the brush strokes. Or at least Jungkook likes to think so. Are they methodical and all in the same direction? Do they follow the shapes of the objects they’re depicting? Do they show no direction at all, practically seamless and erasing the painter from the picture in its whole?

He wishes it was okay to touch the paintings and feel the colours in there with more than just your eyes, but he knows that’s not really okay to do. You can only admire them, from however close or far you choose (or are allowed) to.

Due to the lack of space, Jimin has no choice but to look at the painting from a closer point of view, too. He now stands next to Jungkook as he keeps putting away this or that, too nervous to give Jimin his entire attention.

“You were right, the red does look really good.” Jimin says quietly, and Jungkook looks over at him, notices how his lips are still shiny and stained from the lipstick. Jimin is still looking at the painting, his eyes moving this way and that, a smile constant on his face.

“Whoa, Jungkookie, you have an amazing talent. You did all this in just one sitting! It looks like it took months, wow. Amazing.” Jimin continues, showering Jungkook in praise. Jungkook just smiles bashfully, rolling his eyes without really meaning it. Unable to say much else.

Jimin then turns to look at Jungkook, smile widening and almost making his eyes disappear.

“That’s me in there! You painted me, it really really looks like me!” Jimin says excitedly, shaking Jungkook’s arm slightly.

“Well, that was kind of the point.” Jungkook says, a smile poking his own mouth corners up.

“I’m going to tell everyone I’m in a painting!” Jimin practically squeals. Jungkook’s nervousness flies out of the window — it’s clear Jimin loves the painting.

“I’m really glad you like it, hyung.” Jungkook tells him truthfully. “By the way, don’t forget to give credits to the artist when you do.”

“I’ll just say credits to the artist and then make a heart with my hands, like this.”

“I’m calling the police.”

(…)

Mondays are Jungkook’s favourite days: he only has one class the whole day, at 10AM. That means that he can sleep in a little before class to recover from Sunday’s late shift, and then has the entire rest of the day off to do as he pleases.

Today, that means exploring the ocean depths on an alien planet.

Jimin, on the other hand, is not so lucky on Mondays. He has classes back-to-back all day until 6PM, usually gets home late and tired, slumps bonelessly on the couch with a snack and his phone, and does little else. Today is no different. Jungkook scoots over when Jimin hikes his leg over and climbs on the couch instead of walking around it like a normal person. He is armed with a dry cereal bowl on one hand and his phone on the other. Jungkook is surprised Jimin didn’t spill anything yet.

“It’s criminal how you eat breakfast cereals like they’re potato chips. No milk or yoghurt or anything.” Jungkook accuses without looking away from the screen.

Jimin silently lifts the bowl and nods at it “You eat chips from a bowl?” he says, waving it around near Jungkook’s face.

“What can I say, I’m a gentleman.” Jungkook flaunts with a wink thrown Jimin’s way. Jimin snorts at that.

“Sure you are. So, what are we playing?” Jimin asks, digging into his crunchy cereal.

“I am playing Subnautica. Just finished building this really cool base underwater, all self-sufficient and everything. It’s really cool, I’ll give you a tour.” Jungkook announces, making a sweeping gesture with one hand while holding the controller with the other.

“Maybe you really are a gentleman, how kind of you.” Jimin says through a mouthful of cereals “Tour away.”

Jimin indulges him. He always does, and Jungkook shows him everything there is to show on his base, from the coffee machine to the aquarium where he keeps some random alien fishy creatures he found cool.

Jimin sits there as he snacks, keeping Jungkook company and listening to him explain the entire lore long enough for Jungkook to finish building the rocket ship, his way out of the weird ocean planet.

“Why are you leaving the planet? You’re self-sufficient, have friends there—”

“I don’t think two cuddlefish count as friends, Jimin-ssi.” Jungkook interrupts.

“—shut up. And it’s a beautiful place, all for yourself! You’re gonna just abandon everything you’ve built there?” Jimin asks. He’s invested now, it seems.

“Well, that’s how the game is designed, what can I say? I’m not on this planet just because. I came here to look for a habitable place, was made unable to leave due to this quarantine system they had in place, cured the planet and lifted the quarantine, and now I have to go back to let everyone know it is safe to live in. Plus, I probably have people out there that I miss or something. I would be all alone here.” Jungkook enumerates.

“Sure, and leave it to humans to destroy another perfectly good planet.” Jimin rolls his eyes. “If I were you, I’d either just stay there and live a quiet, calm life, or leave, but lie about it being this awful place full of like… zombies or something, so it’d stay unpolluted and unfucked.” Jimin says, now sipping at a warm cup of tea he prepared in the meantime.

Jungkook boards the rocket ship after petting his cuddlefish and leaves anyway.

“You’re a dick!” Jimin laughs “What will be of all the fishies you left in the aquarium!” Jimin insists brazenly, but there’s mirth in his eyes. “Wait, didn’t you tell me you had built three nuclear reactors on the planet as an energy source? Did you just… leave them there?” he suddenly asks with furrowed brows.

“Oh. Shit. I did, didn’t I?” Jungkook chews on his lip worriedly, and Jimin looks at him with fondness, bringing his hand up to massage the back of his neck.

“It’s okay, I won’t tell Namjoon you just abandoned a planet and left three nuclear reactors active and unmanned that will probably eventually explode the whole thing and kill all the cute cuddlefish.” Jimin then pulls Jungkook’s closer by the nape of his neck “It’s our secret.” He whispers right by his ear.

Jungkook feels shivers run down his spine, but plays it cool. “You’re making that sound like a threat, somehow.” he mumbles “Anyway! Yes, please don’t tell Namjoon, but check this out now.” Jungkook says, nodding to the game’s credits now rolling on the screen “Look how fucking sick the credits song is.” Jungkook says, unplugging his earphones from the controller so Jimin can listen as well. An upbeat and rhythmic song plays from the TV. Jimin sits in dumbfounded silence, then laughs when Jungkook gets up and starts headbanging to the beat.

“This is what plays after you finish playing this game and after abandoning your cuddlefish?!” Jimin asks in astonishment.

“Hell yeah.”

“Well, I find that a little inappropriate.” Jimin critiques, but he’s nodding his head to the rhythm.

“You don’t like it?” Jungkook smiles from where he jumps in front of Jimin, beckoning at him to join him. Jimin rolls his eyes with a smile, but offers Jungkook his hands anyway.

“Are you kidding me? They should definitely play this at clubs, this goes so hard!” Jimin exclaims, joining Jungkook and doing ridiculous popping dance moves, to his delight.

Watching Jimin right then, something falls in Jungkook’s chest. Caves quietly, like sand. Jungkook is yet to put a finger on that feeling, it creeps up on him at random moments, and looking at Jimin punching the air and jumping rhythmically to the beat of a song from a game is apparently one of those moments.

They dance around until the credits eventually end, Jungkook ending with a cool (read: silly) pose that has Jimin in stitches.

“If I knew gaming was this fun, I would join you more often.” Jimin says breathlessly, still recovering from how hard he was laughing. Jungkook plops down onto the couch next to him, also out of breath from all the enthusiastic dancing, head hanging back over the couch. Jimin’s eyes trail the lone bead of sweat that travels down Jungkook’s neck.

“-th to Jimin, hello? Oh no hyung, are you really lost to the cuddlefish now?” Jungkook calls, and Jimin snaps his eyes up to Jungkook’s own.

“Sorry, what were you saying?” Jimin recovers.

“I was asking about dinner, what are you in the mood for?”

“Whatever you want, really. I had my afternoon snack a little late, so I’m not too hungry yet.” Jimin says, then sits up on the couch “Actually, there’s something I want to tell you. Need to tell you.”

“Can we do it over dinner, then? I’m really hungry.” Jungkook whines. Now that he’s not focused on the game and telling Jimin all about it, Jungkook realises he’s super hungry.

“Oh, yeah, of course! Let’s eat first, it can wait.” Jimin quickly says, waving his hands in front of him as if to say it’s A-okay.

Jungkook makes them both dinner with Jimin’s help. It’s not that often that they both get to spend so much time together, despite sharing an apartment. Jungkook works his part-time on the weekends until midnight and Jimin volunteers at the animal shelter whenever he’s needed and can be there. Add to that their classes, and they usually only see each other in the early mornings, at dance practice, and later at night. Sometimes they also see each other at the cafeteria, during lunch, but it’s rare. Most nights they don’t even have dinner together, so Jungkook treasures these moments.

Despite Jungkook’s suggestion to talk over dinner, it’s only after they’ve shared their meal over the dining table, occasionally talking about their day or the food, and after Jimin’s washed and put the dishes away, that he finally turns to Jungkook, who’s sitting on the couch catching up on some reading for one of his classes.

“Jungkook, can we please have that talk now?” Jimin asks quiet and politely. Jungkook notices that Jimin sounds serious, much more than usual, and wonders what the talk may be about.

“Did I do something wrong?” is Jungkook’s immediate worry.

“No, no, nothing of the sort. If anything, it’s me who’s in the wrong…”

“I’m sure it’s not as bad as you’re probably making it up to be, hyung… What’s wrong? Want me to prepare some tea so we can talk over it?”

“Thank you, that’s okay, I’ve put this conversation off for too long already…” Jimin admits quietly, and that makes Jungkook nervous. What could Jimin be possibly hiding from him?

“Okay. Sit with me, then.” Jungkook says kindly, making space for Jimin on the couch, who takes a seat next to him.

“Basically—” he breaks off “Okay, first of all, this is going to sound really weird, but bear with me.” Jimin takes a deep breath, and Jungkook’s brain is tumbleweeds right now. What could possibly leave Jimin this nervous and antsy to simply talk about — it looks more like a confession than anything else… Jungkook suddenly feels his heart race in a flurry of anxiety, and tried not to look too eager.

Jimin shuts his eyes tightly, as if bracing for impact, and then says very quickly “I’m not human.”

Jungkook stares in disbelief for a second until it clicks.

It’s just a dumb prank Jungkook thinks, a mix if warm relief and disappointment washing over him, and laughs in disbelief.

As if he would fall for that.

“Ohhh, are you an alien, then? Oh my god, have you been studying me?! Let me tell you, you have the worst specimen for that. I mean, I wear toe socks.” he says, wiggling his toes on the carpet to show off his horrendous socks. Jimin still won’t look back at Jungkook, shoulders sagged in defeat. He’s really committed to the bit, it seems, Jungkook can admire that. He’s seen Jimin goof around, but never like this.

“I know how it sounds, but — Jungkook, I’m serious. Please believe me.” Jimin pleads.

Jimin does look serious. Everything about his demeanour looks and sounds genuine. This entire conversation is throwing Jungkook for a spin. Maybe he’s dreaming this?

“How can you be serious, what else can you be? Other than human?” Jungkook questions, a smile on his face that he has to force only out of embarrassment in case Jimin suddenly yells Sike!. Which Jungkook very much so hopes he does.

“Well, I am human, technically… Or human-ish. We do share ancestors. Really not that different from a human, but…there are a few key differences that I think you should know about, since we’re living together. Though we’ve been sharing this apartment for a while now, which is why… I feel bad about taking so long to tell you, but it’s complicated.” Jimin rambles on nervously, voice shaking with breathlessness.

Jungkook is still reeling. He squints his eyes at Jimin “Did Tae force you to do this?” Jungkook deadpans. He gets up and starts looking through the house. “Where is he hiding? Tae-hyung!” he calls “That’s got to be the worst prank yet, I can’t believe you used Jiminie for something like this.”

Jimin huffs and calls Jungkook back, but he has no fight in him, it sounds hollow. Of course Jungkook doesn’t believe it, it’s ridiculous.

“Tae’s not here.” Jimin argues, though he does so quietly, defeatedly. “Jungkook, please.” he pleads.

Jungkook looks back at him then, sees him still sitting on the couch and how tiny and vulnerable he looks, sees how his eyes are slightly wet, his nose redder than before. He looks like he’s holding back tears.

What.

“What.”

" I— I know it’s a lot to take in and that it’s… difficult to believe me, but it’s true. I need you to know I’m not a danger to anyone and. What I mean is th— I don’t want this to change us, or—” Jimin is nearly hyperventilating.

“Jimin, slow down, please. You’re actually being serious.” Jungkook asks, poses it more like an affirmation of disbelief as he walks back to Jimin’s side and sits on the edge of the couch facing him. “Is it some sort of… illness, or…? Can you explain it to me, please? Slowly?”

Jimin takes a shaky breath, steels himself. Still so shaky.

“Yes. Yes, I’m being serious. God, I haven’t even told you yet what it is that is different about me and I’m already basically crying.” Jimin laughs bitterly, eyes still shiny with tears. He flops back onto the couch, Jungkook following him and sitting properly, with his hands on his knees.

Jimin takes another deep breath. Jungkook gives Jimin the space he needs to get out whatever it is he needs to say.

“I eat, live, and breathe like you do. Or mostly the same way. The only difference is that our bodies — my body — cannot draw enough energy from regular food. It also cannot break it down and absorb it into the bloodstream properly, like it does for you.” Jimin drones on like he’s memorised these words, rehearsed them into apathy “So-” another deep breath “we have to d-drink blood to be able to, uh… have energy and our own blood and… stuff.” Jimin then trails off, finally looking up expectantly at Jungkook.

Jungkook is silent for a while, staring vacant and fixedly at the fluffy rug at their feet, chewing on his lip piercing.

“So, basically… a vampire?” he almost laughs, blames it on nerves shaking his head in disbelief “I can tell you’re being serious.” Jungkook admits, more so to himself than to Jimin “Either that or you’ve somehow gotten a PhD in acting in the last 5 minutes, but- I’m having a hard time… processing this. I’m sorry, I- What does that mean?”

“N- no, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for… this whole situation, I guess, but… I never feed on humans. I always feed on animals, if that… that doesn’t make it any less weird, does it? Ugh.”

Jungkook blanches at Jimin’s words. This is real.

“Um, no, it doesn’t, to be honest. Uh, I-” Jungkook stops himself. It feels like he’s not in his own body right now, like he’s having a weird dream and will wake up from it alone in his bed, in the dark. Scared and confused, but relieved to know that it was all just a dream. His entire reality is collapsing around him. It’s not about Jimin, it’s about what it means that something he believed — no, knew —wasn’t real, is staring him right in the face. Quite literally.

Jungkook believes Jimin. He trusts him like he does barely anyone else; he lives with him, for fucks sake. Of course he believes Jimin.

He just doesn’t believe this is happening at all.

Jungkook can’t accept the idea yet, that’s the truth. His entire being is telling him it can’t be real, is rejecting it as reality, but Jimin would not be lying. Could Jimin believe him being some sort of vampire to be true, but it actually be a delusion of some kind?

No. Somehow, that doesn’t seem likely at all.

“I need to see it. I can’t- I just need to, I can’t even explain why, but. The teeth? You have them… right?” Jungkook asks Jimin rather lamely. He’s all over the place, was barely able to string these words together to form coherent sentences. Jimin gazes at him, face clear of any emotion.

Then he speaks.

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Jimin asks, confirming that, yes, he does have the teeth, like Jungkook so cleverly called them. “We can… I dunno, continue this conversation later? Not that I want to run from it, but just t-to give you more time to adjust to… the whole thing.”

“Yes, no, I- I get it. I’m sort of spiralling, hyung, I know. I just need to see it to know that this is really happening.”

Jungkook must look desperate enough for Jimin to give in. He deflates with a sigh, and asks Jungkook to turn around — for privacy, Jungkook assumes. He does so without a second thought.

“You can turn now.” Jimin says barely a second later, with a slight lisp.

Jungkook feels ridiculous doing this, somehow, but he takes a deep breath before he turns back to face Jimin; to find no difference.

That is, until Jimin speaks.

“Oh, sorry, I forgot you can’t see them unless I open my mouth. I hate speaking in these…”

Jungkook can see them now, visible when Jimin talks. He figures his brain is too broken at the moment to have coherent thoughts when his first impression is that Jimin looks good with them on.

Except they’re not on, are they? They’re part of him. Jungkook corrects himself. He just looks at Jimin, dumbfounded.

Yet, somehow, Jungkook is not shocked by seeing Jimin’s fangs — he guesses he’s seen enough realistically looking vampire fangs in movies and TV shows, not to forget there’s prosthetics for them. What shocks him, though, is that these don’t come off. They’re Jimin’s actual teeth, apparently retractable. He was born with these. Probably? Well, Jungkook doesn’t know how it works, this is all too new to him, but the point still stands: those are very real vampire fangs on his very real room-mate and best friend. What the hell.

It’s no surprise all Jungkook can do for a while is simply stare at Jimin like he grew two heads. Jimin allows him the time, until he looks like he’s about to start crying if Jungkook doesn’t say something soon.

“Why hadn’t you told me before? What does this mean for-” for us “-for me?” Jungkook finally asks.

“I hadn’t told you before because we’re not really allowed to talk about this openly.” Jimin says after a pause, slowly. His teeth are back to normal now, but he seems to be measuring his words carefully. Jungkook can tell this is a sensitive topic. “It killed me not to tell you, believe me, but… My… kind. We sort of live in secret. Obviously. Many of us in seclusion, even, or in safe communities, so there’s rules about us telling other people and all that, but that’s- I don’t want to go into that right now, I just want you to… get familiar with the idea first.” Jimin pauses again, draws a little more into himself. “And to know if you still accept me.”

Jungkook is silent for a while.

He can’t say anything to this, not yet. He’s reeling and it feels like his entire world has been spun upside down and sideways. He doesn’t know what he should focus on, and his thoughts and feelings are all a jumbled mess he can’t even begin to unravel, but he feels… Cheated, hurt, confused. There are so many questions, but he can’t even put them into words. Jimin feeds on blood?! And that’s even possible at all in the first place?

Jungkook makes a decision then and there, his fight or flight kicking in in the face of his sudden anxiety towards something he simply cannot understand. He picks flight.

“I can’t stay here tonight.” Jungkook mumbles, and Jimin finally looks at him for a second, gaze going back to his fluffy slipper-clad feet the next in embarrassment. Or shame? Maybe fear. Jungkook can’t tell black from white right now.

“It’s not because I’m afraid of you or anything.” Jungkook is quick to clear up. He may be having an internal crisis, but he’d never want to hurt Jimin, not even unintentionally. “You’ve never done anything that made me even doubt how good a person you are or suspect you- you know.” he gestures vaguely and sighs. “I also wish you’d told me sooner? But I get it, I guess, I just- Have a lot on my mind right now and need some time to” he pauses “process.”

Jimin nods, still not making eye contact with Jungkook “Of course. Makes sense. Anything you need.” He sounds like he’s holding back tears, and Jungkook feels something shatter in his chest — he hates seeing Jimin like this, but he also feels like he’ll have a panic attack if he stays any longer and doesn’t remove himself from this conversation.

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, so… Do you need any help packing? Where will you be staying?” Jimin asks, putting on a little fake cheer, and that breaks Jungkook’s heart further. Jimin is still being his Jimin self, offering to help, offering comfort. Even in this situation. Jungkook feels like he’s being cruel, but he really can’t do this right now, he needs the space.

“I’ll go to, uh, Seokjin’s. I don’t need to pack much, I can do it alone, thank you. I’ll just-” he gets up reluctantly, as if afraid to make sudden movements “I’ll just go now, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course not, Jungkookie. I’ll be here.” Jimin says with a forced smile that never even reaches his eyes. Jungkook immediately misses his real smile.

He packs in a haze, barely remembering what it is he even needs. He’ll probably have to borrow a bunch of stuff from Seokjin.

When he’s done, Jimin is still where he left him, legs tucked beneath him on the couch, making him look small and drawn in. Jungkook feels miserable for leaving him like this, but staying would be too uncomfortable right now.

“I’m going, then. Will you be okay?”

Jimin nods.

“Are you going by cab?” he asks, and the simple question and normalcy it implies gives Jungkook whiplash. He hadn’t even thought how he’d get to Seokjin’s place.

“If I can’t find a bus.” Jungkook says simply, fidgeting near the doorway.

Jimin doesn’t get up.

“Alright. Be safe, okay? Call m… Call someone, if you have to.”

“I will, hyung. Bye, then. Take care.”

“You too.”

Jungkook hesitates by the open door before shooting Jimin a small smile. When he reciprocates, Jungkook nods and leaves, locking the door behind him.

This isn’t them. They don’t speak to one another like this, and it’s tearing Jungkook apart. What happened? Just an hour ago, his reality was completely different.

He shakes his head and tries to focus on the task at hand. He should probably call Seokjin instead of dropping in unannounced.

***

“So, you and Jimin fought?” are the first words out of Seokjin’s mouth when he opens the door and welcomes a miserable looking Jungkook into the apartment.

“We didn’t fight. I told you so over the phone.” Jungkook says as he walks in, a little irritably despite his thankfulness that Seokjin let him come over at such short notice and didn’t even question it. Not too much, anyway.

Jungkook knows how much his hyungs care for him, and he wishes to one day be able to give it back to them tenfold.

Seokjin, however, has a very particular love language, and Jungkook shares a unique dynamic with him for that reason. They’re the two extremes of the group when it comes to age, but Seokjin never let that get in the way. He never used his seniority over Jungkook, and treats him like an equal, despite still being a doting hyung. That, of course, is also because Seokjin is a child at heart, as is Jungkook.

Seokjin will cook and pack delicious meals for Jungkook sometimes, when he thinks the younger might need it. Last year, especially, it was a big help. To come home after a long day of classes and a shift at the bar and have a home cooked tasty meal he could just pop in the microwave to eat was the highlight of his day, at times. Without Seokjin, Jungkook’s diet would have consisted of only instant ramen back then.

When they had their group dinners, Seokjin made sure to have Jungkook in the kitchen with him, under the pretence that he needed his help with this and that. There, he taught Jungkook much of what he knows about cooking now — an important life skill, by Seokjin’s (and now Jungkook’s) own words.

Seokjin doted and took care of Jungkook in subtle ways like that, and Jungkook never felt stifled by him, nor did he ever feel looked down upon. He was a good hyung, all in all, even if Jungkook would struggle with admitting that to his face.

Jungkook was never too good with words and big, genuine emotions like that, after all.

Seokjin’s class-clown outgoing attitude did uplift everyone’s mood and eased minor tensions at times, but it wasn’t always welcome. Seokjin’s outlook on never taking anything too seriously has in itself caused tension sometimes, when others needed to be taken seriously, but, by now, they know each other well and can accept that each person in this group of friends is unique, but they are all equally necessary. Maybe they were they a little co-dependent, or maybe they just shared good synergy, but Jungkook truly believes they’ve found something unique and precious in each other, the seven of them.

“If you didn’t fight, then why are you here looking like your pet dog just died, hm? Hm?” Seokjin prods.

“We just had a… misunderstanding. Not even that, he just hid something from me.” Jungkook explains, oversimplifying it so horrendously he visibly cringes. Seokjin mulls it over for a while.

“You know, Jimin really cares about you. If he hid something from you, even if that’s a shitty thing to do most times, he definitely did it with good intentions. That, or it was probably for his own self-security or protection. Or it was just really hard to tell you.” Seokjin shrugs “You do realise I would be of better help if I knew what you guys are actually fighting—” (We’re not ‘fighting’.”) “—about, don’t you? What I mean is that Jimin probably deserves to be forgiven and you shouldn’t let this come between you guys. Try to look at it from his perspective, that should help. Or something. God, being the responsible hyung is exhausting, I don’t know how Namjoon does it.” Seokjin complains, slapping his thighs in exasperation and laughing.

“Jimin loves you as much as we all do, if not more. He’d never do anything to hurt you. I’d bet that keeping whatever it is from you was probably hurting him as well.” Yoongi pipes up from where he was silently listening to Jungkook and Seokjin’s conversation, sitting comfortably on Seokjin’s big couch and startling the living daylights out of Jungkook. He was definitely not expecting Yoongi to be here, too.

He’s so bewildered, that Yoongi’s words take an extra second to be taken in. Jungkook knows Yoongi doesn’t mean love in that way, but something in the implication still makes him blush. That, and the way he squeaked when Yoongi seemingly materialised on the couch.

Yoongi and Seokjin are right, though, and Jungkook knows it. The thought that Jimin was hurting this entire time, keeping such a big part of himself hidden from one of his closest friends, is enough to make him want to go back right now and make peace with him.

But he doesn’t. Not yet.

He knows he still needs the space and to sleep on it. However, tomorrow he will hopefully be put together enough to go back and have a conversation about it with Jimin, instead of running.

“What are you doing here?” Jungkook asks, evading the very valid advice his hyungs just gave him.

“Hello to you too, brat. I’m here to hog Seokjin’s couch, we still haven’t gotten one for our place.” Yoongi explains, and Jungkook nods in understanding. Couches are very important to Yoongi, and he’s always been vocal about how comfortable Seokjin’s is. He likes to just sit comfortably on it with his laptop on his lap and write or work on his songs. It’s the way he works best when he’s tired, apparently.

“Anyway, with that out of the way” Seokjin says, interrupting Jungkook and Yoongi’s conversation “—wanna game?”

“With you? Never. You attack NPCs for no reason only to check what they do.” Jungkook scoffs, taking his place next to Yoongi on the couch. Yoongi being here is a blessing, if Jungkook’s being honest. He plans to sit with him and feed off all of his calm energy, despite Seokjin’s chaotic one also being a good distraction.

“It’s a perfectly valid reason, I simply like to know how the devs programmed that.” Seokjin shrugs, unaffected.

“You attack NPC cats and dogs, hyung. That’s demonic!” Jungkook insists while Yoongi stares distastefully at Seokjin, in agreement with Jungkook.

“You’re boring-” (“And you’re a monster.” Jungkook argues back) “-and Yoongi, shut up, you don’t even live here.”

“Neither does he. Wait— I didn’t even speak!” Yoongi defends himself.

“Plus, this is my house, if you want to be here and enjoy it and my glorious presence, you better be nice to me. I’m going to play my very fun game by myself in my huge flat-screen while you guys do nothing with your boring lives, toodle-oo!”

After that, he leaves Yoongi and Jungkook in shocked silence.

“I can’t believe he said toodle-oo and left.” Jungkook says, finally breaking out of his Seokjin-induced shock.

“I can.” comes the answer from Yoongi.

“You’re right, that’s classic Jin behaviour.” Jungkook admits after a pause.

Needless to say, Jungkook has trouble sleeping that night.

Yoongi goes home a couple of hours later, and Seokjin eventually joins Jungkook for a drink before bed. They have a mindless chat, as Seokjin can probably clearly see Jungkook’s brain is too occupied at the moment to hold a more serious conversation. Jungkook was hoping the alcohol would help loosen him up enough to sleep peacefully, but he should have known today’s events were too shocking for him to be ever able to fully let go.

Truth be told, Jungkook is still having a hard time believing it was not a prank and that what Jimin told him is actually the truth. Of course, he also knows there’s no reason to make up such a story and try so hard to get Jungkook to believe it if it weren’t the absolute truth, but it’s still hard to wrap his head around.

That vampires are essentially real.

And that Jimin is one. His housemate.

When he eventually does fall asleep after tossing and turning for hours, Jungkook has weird nightmares he can’t even remember in the morning, but that leave a distinct feeling lodged into his mind all morning, like how you sometimes can still see afterimages of strong lights behind your eyelids, even after you’ve closed your eyes. It’s a little haunting.

After a thankfully uneventful lunch at the university’s canteen, Jungkook has a weird 45 minute gap before his next class. He usually goes to the library and works on any pending assignments, but he’s sure that today he doesn’t have enough brain space for that. Even classes have been difficult to pay attention to, so he decides to just let his thoughts run wild.

He takes a seat on one of the benches on the outer edge of campus, next to the teacher’s parking lot. It’s not the prettiest area, but there are a few trees and plenty of overgrown grass to keep his eyes busy. Sometimes Jungkook comes here when he needs a quieter place on campus to think, or even to have a quick lunch on a sunny day, when he has time to prepare his food at home before a busy day of classes.

There’s also a tabby cat that sometimes comes around to sunbathe around this area. Jungkook suspects the teachers or university staff keep him well fed, as he has a very plump tummy. Sadly, the cat never gets close enough to pet. He’s not here today either, to Jungkook’s disappointment. He could have done with a little bit of silent company. Jungkook settles for keeping a book open in front of him, but it’s mostly for show, as he feels a little self conscious about sitting around doing nothing on such a deserted part of campus. That way no-one will bother him, too.

Jungkook’s head is just brimming with questions, new ones popping up unannounced whenever he tries to distract himself or has to focus. Questions like how does Jimin feed, does the person or animal he feeds from have to be alive as he does so? He wonders how often Jimin has to feed, and how long can he go without needing to do it. Will he actually die if he goes for too long without consuming blood?

What would it feel like to be bitten? For Jimin to drink from him directly?

Jungkook ignores how much his heart rate piques at those last two questions swimming through his head. He puts it down to curiosity and almost feels embarrassed at how silly and borderline cliche his questioning is once he realises that everything he “knows” about vampires comes from films like Twilight.

Speaking of, could it be that all of those are actually based on true stories? Jungkook never saw Jimin’s eyes change colour, so that’s a no on accuracy for Twilight, probably.

He wants to know everything, or at least as much as Jimin is willing to share, and as he sits there, he realises he’s accepted the reality that Jimin is different from regular humans. That he is, in basic terms, a vampire.

“Regular” humans, what does that even mean? Jungkook muses. Is Jimin not a human as well, even if different from me?

Is “vampire” even the correct word? It’s got to be, because what else would you call someone, a human, who feeds on blood?

Unless there’s another name for it, like they do in zombie movies. They’ll always come up with some weird word for them, like walkers or groaners, or something silly like that. Jungkook wonders why they try to avoid the word zombie so much… perhaps it is for world building purposes — if there are no zombie stories in that world, then the appearance of actual zombies would have a greater impact.

However, this isn’t a story, and vampires are very much the stuff of legend. Jungkook actually used to be obsessed with them as a kid — much like as he was with zombies, in games and movies, but vampires always had a different appeal to him, despite both being referred to as Undead.

Undead… Does this means Jimin has died at a certain point?! The thought troubles Jungkook so much he immediately disregards it, because there’s no way.

Jungkook lets all of it settle in inside his brain, but wild thoughts and questions still bubble up in his head. He feels like someone dropped an effervescent tablet inside his brain.

Does blood taste the same as it does to regular humans? Do different people have different tastes? Wait— What about the teeth? Jungkook never noticed any sharper than usual canines. What if Jimin actually doesn’t have any of those? How does he even drink the blood he needs to survive?

Jungkook’s brain is once again flooded with questions. Jungkook lets his eyes wander as his thoughts do, trying to calm his mind by focus on something else, and they zero in on the paint job of one of the buildings closest to him.

Either rainy weather and all the humidity in the air, or the heat of the scorching sun in relentless summer days, have swollen the paint in places, leaving big, bulbous bubbles on the paint. They remind him of the air bubbles that always get stuck whenever he tries to apply a screen protector by himself to a phone. What kind of magic do the workers at tech stores do that they manage to apply them so perfectly. Jungkook wonders if those air bubbles between the paint and the wall could happen to his own canvases, if he doesn’t keep them in good conditions. Jungkook can imagine acrylics especially being prone to it, as they’re more plastic-y than oil.

Acrylics are plastic, Jungkook corrects himself.

He ponders whether Jimin’s relationships could also feel like that, when he can’t even tell people about his real nature and condition. As if there’s an air bubble between them that Jim can’t smooth out no matter how close he gets to the other person. If the paint job will blister and crack and peel away if they aren’t smoothed out: if Jimin never comes out and tells people the truth about who he is. If it has caused him pain all this time to hide this from Jungkook, to hide the air bubble muddying their closeness and honesty, if Jimin has told any other of their friends, or if he still has to carry that burden as well…

It isn’t news to Jungkook, not after yesterday, but he realises once more how much of a thorn on the side this has to be to Jimin, how vulnerable he must have been last night, only for Jungkook to bail on him. Jungkook still believes it was the best he could have done, then, but he has to make it up to Jimin by showing him he doesn’t think any differently of him and accepts him as he is, as Jimin had put it the day before.

At the end of the day, only dance practice makes him finally start feeling more like himself, as it usually does. Lending his entire body and soul to the beat for a couple of hours always helps settle his mind, almost better that a night of sleep could.

Jimin doesn’t show up today. Jungkook suspected he wouldn’t, and it certainly isn’t the right place to talk about this, so maybe it is for the best, but it also makes Jungkook fear how Jimin is handling everything.

***

When Jungkook gets home from dance practice, the house is empty. Jimin probably skipped it today to give Jungkook space, or maybe because he simply wasn’t up to it. He’d half expected Jimin to not be at home either, as he knows Taehyung is Jimin’s support system — it’s only natural that he went to him, like Jungkook went to Seokjin (and Yoongi). He tidies away all his university things for the day (no way he’s getting any more work done today), takes a quick shower, changes into comfortable clothes, and gathers his wits to call Jimin.

Jimin takes very long to pick up, but at least he does pick up. That’s already a win in Jungkook’s book.

“Hyung?” Jungkook says after a beat of no one saying anything.

“Hi.” Jimin’s voice finally answers, a little breathless.

“I just got back home and you weren’t here… I, um. I want to talk to you. About everything, if that’s alright? Not on the phone, of course, but… You can come back. Please.” Jungkook gets out, fidgeting with a stray string on the couch.

“Yeah, sure. We- Yeah, we should… talk about everything.” Jimin pauses for a minute, then he takes a breath and says “Is it alright if Taehyung’s also there? Like, doesn’t have to be for the whole thing, I know this is just- It’s about us, right? But part of it also concerns him and-” Jimin cuts himself off. Jungkook hears some rustling on the other side. “He has something to say, as well.”

Jungkook is caught a little off guard by it, and he’s sure him fumbling for words for a bit shows it.

“O- of course, sure. He’s in on everything, I take it? He should be here, I agree. Maybe not for all of it, but yes. Yes.” A pause. “Are you coming home, then?” Jungkook asks, much quieter. Home.

“I am, Jungkookie. We’ll be there in around forty five minutes, okay?” Jimin answers, finally sounding a little more like himself.

“Okay, see you.”

“See you!”

The line disconnects, and Jungkook is left with his own thoughts. While it’s true Jimin’s condition — vampirism, he’ll call it — came as a bit of a shock to Jungkook, there’s nothing to forgive, really. It didn’t take him long to understand that Jimin hiding that he’s not fully human — or whatever is different about him, Jungkook doesn’t know the science behind it — was for Jimin’s (and his kin’s) own safety. It’s something Jimin has to live with and hide from everyone around him. It can’t be easy, and Jungkook is actually glad that Jimin trusts him enough to share this with him. More than that, he can’t help the little twinge of pride he feels that Jimin cares for him and trusts him enough to tell it to Jungkook, and barely anyone else.

Jungkook is sure everything will be alright.

Still, he can’t help being nervous meeting Jimin for the first time after the reveal, especially since Jimin is bringing Taehyung along. Is there more to the story? Jungkook still has so many questions.

As he waits for the best friends to arrive, Jungkook takes a quick shower and changes into comfortable clothes, then sits on the couch and just waits. He’s in waiting mode, and his brain is still so full of thoughts, he can’t focus on anything at all — he ended up accidentally washing his hair with body wash instead of shampoo, so even showering was a risk already, but he was all sweaty from dancing.

It doesn’t take long for Jungkook to hear the tell-tale sounds of his housemate and Taehyung arriving, so he walks to the door just as they’re coming in. Jimin jumps a little at seeing Jungkook already there waiting, but comes in nonetheless, Taehyung closing the door behind him.

“Hi.” Jungkook says sheepishly, hand rubbing at his own nape nervously.

“Hey, Jungkookie.” Taehyung greets. He doesn’t look mad nor sad nor any of those things, but Jimin looks a mess. It’s clear he didn’t sleep a wink, and he keeps fidgeting where he stands after having stepped out of his shoes by the front door, unable to look at Jungkook.

“Hi.” Jimin tells the floor meekly.

Jungkook bends down to be in Jimin’s view and waves at him, smiling encouragingly.

“What’s up with you, hyung? You know nothing changed between us, right?”

Jimin doesn’t say anything at that, but he does raise his eyes to meet Jungkook’s and shares an only-somewhat-forced smile with him.

“You guys go sit, I’ll make us tea. Everything still is in the same place we kept them, right?”

“Yes, of course.” Jimin nods, and Taehyung claps them both on the shoulder as he passes them to go to the kitchen.

“Let’s sit, then?” Jimin prompts quietly, pointing in the direction of the couch.

They get comfortable, and Jungkook is getting a deja vu of yesterday’s talk, only now he can faintly hear Taehyung humming in the kitchen as he readies tea for them.

“You didn’t even sleep, did you?” Jungkook starts, breaking the silence between them.

“No.” Jimin admits, deflating in relief at not having to be the one initiating the conversation. “What about you? You look tired.”

“Like you can talk.” Jungkook shoots back with a chuckle, and that draws a soft smile out of Jimin.

“So… How are you feeling about… the whole situation.” Jimin starts, gesturing to nothing in particular to indicate the whole situation.

Jungkook takes a deep breath and turns more towards Jimin, looking him in the eye.

“I have so many questions, hyung. I’m feeling… still very confused about what what you told me means for you, but… I’m okay with it, I think? I know! I know I’m okay with it, otherwise I wouldn’t be sitting here. I don’t want to lose you, Jimin. Our friendship means too much to me. Just… why didn’t you tell me sooner? Why not tell the other guys, too? Well, I’m sure I sort of get why, but… I want to hear everything from you.”

Jimin seems to relax as Jungkook talks, but remains serious, somewhat grave.

“I was afraid you’d just… be too scared of what my nature might be like. Or that you might be disgusted by me. Or really just afraid of me. It’s not like I’m not basically a mythical creature of people’s nightmares.” Jimin chuckles dryly.

“I get that, I do, but Jimin, you literally volunteer at an animal shelter. You’re like a real life Disney prince, how would I ever even be scared of you like that? Like. No offence to Your Vampireness, but you’re still Jimin. And the Jimin I know is all rainbows and butterflies, kitties, puppies, all that cute shit. I know you as a person, so…” Jungkook shrugs, “What you eat doesn’t really change that for me.”

“When you put it like that, it sounds as if I came out as a vegetarian to you.” Jimin eyes him seriously. “What I told you was much more serious than that. I couldn’t know how you’d accept it.”

Jungkook bows his head. “Yeah, I know. Truly. I’ve been thinking a lot about it, rotating it in my head, so to speak. I don’t hold it against you. Even though yesterday I did feel a little betrayed at first, I quickly figured out you didn’t tell me sooner for your own safety and protection. It probably… burdens you to hide this from everyone, even from people you care about. I’m glad you told me, Jimin.” Jungkook ends with a shrug, but keeps his eyes locked on Jimin’s with what he hopes is a reassuring smile. Jimin seems to suddenly be at a loss for words, flicking his eyes between Jungkook’s own, until he mirrors Jungkook’s smile.

There was so much Jungkook wanted to say and ask, but now that he’s face to face with Jimin again, it all evaporated from his mind. He just wants Jimin to know that Jungkook is still in his corner, the rest can wait. They have time. There will be time.

“About that, there’s… there’s a lot more I need to tell you, but first… I think Taehyung has something he needs to say, as well.” Jimin finally concedes, breaking their eye contact.

Jungkook doesn’t say anything to that, just keeps looking at Jimin’s face, searching for something that might give away what else is going on. Jimin looks nervous — hasn’t stopped looking nervous since he arrived, even if he’s not in the same hectic state as when he walked in. Jimin’s attention then turns to the kitchen, where Taehyung is probably on his phone while he waits for the water to boil.

“Tae?” Jimin calls out to him, and Jungkook hears the telltale drag of Taehyung’s sandals.

“Present.”

“Yes, we know.” Jimin rolls his eyes, sharing a look with Jungkook like can you believe this guy, and just that tells Jungkook they’ll be okay.

“Hi.” Taehyung says simply once he’s standing in front of them.

Jimin then gets up, and gestures to Taehyung to take his seat.

“I’ll uh. Check the tea.”

“This tea better be good. You two are making it sound like a Michelin star dish out there.” Jungkook complains.

“Oh, trust me, it is.” Taehyung says with a deep, serious voice, sitting down and staring Jungkook down.

“I meant the actual tea, not whatever you’re about to tell me.”

“Anyway.” Jimin says, taking his leave as Taehyung dramatically tosses some of his hair over his shoulder.

“Well, this is awkward.” Taehyung says, breaking the silence they’ve been sitting on for a few moments once Jimin left. Taehyung hides it well, but he looks nervous as well.

“I’m just waiting for you to start talking, really.” Jungkook tells him, and Taehyung scrunches his nose at him.

“Well… You know how long me and Jimin have been friends for, right? He’s my oldest friend. We’ve been together since we were in our nappies, really. Truth is, both our families have always been good friends with each other. Even before we were born. For generations, really. Probably, I’m actually not sure, but—” Taehyung breaks off.

“I mostly knew all this, yes…” Jungkook encourages.

“Right. Well, what I mean is. They’ve always been friends, because… We’re the same?” Taehyung concludes vaguely

“The same, how? You mean…”

“Yes, I mean we share the same condition.” Taehyung finally says, still obtrusive, but Jungkook got that loud and clear. Taehyung observes Jungkook carefully now from across the couch.

“Okay, so… Is there anyone else I should know about, or… Are there a lot of you? Jimin yesterday made it sound like there were very few people who share your condition. Is it okay to call it that?” Jungkook wonders out loud.

“Totally, yeah. Yeah, it’s fine. He’s right, we’re really rare and spread out, which is why both our families are so close. We’re also very secretive about this vampirism thing. It’s also mostly okay to call it that, in case you’re wondering, but some of our folk frowns upon it.” Taehyung explains, and looks pointedly at Jungkook as he explains how secretive it all is.

“Well, yes, I gathered it was a secret. Oh! Oh, yeah I had never even thought of that… You don’t have to worry about me telling anyone else or anything like that, if you’re worried about that, hyung. You can trust me, really.”

“I know that.” Taehyung huffs. “I also know we can trust the rest of the guys, but what I mean is that there are rules we must follow. They’ve protected our kind for generations, now, and I don’t know how much Jimin has told you, but I gather not a lot, right?”

“Yeah, no… I was a little shocked yesterday, so we… left it at that.”

“Hey.” Jimin’s voice suddenly sounds from the kitchen “I have our gourmet, 7 star tea ready, is it okay if I join you guys?”

“What do you think?” Taehyung teases. “No secrets between us, eh? Not any more.” he winks at Jungkook.

Jimin then brings them three mismatched mugs, steaming, and hands them to Taehyung and Jungkook.

“I wanted the spider-man one.” Taehyung pouts, referring the mugs.

“Well, tough luck, that one’s Jungkook’s.”

“Thanks, hyung.” Jungkook says, and he and Jimin share a fist bump and a smile.

“Oh? Is that how it is, now? You have a new favourite?” Taehyung complains to Jimin.

“What are you, my children?” Jimin laughs, and takes a seat on the rug in front of the other two. “So, what part were you guys on?” Jimin asks, as if he was talking about a movie they were all watching.

“I was just telling Jungkook how secretive we are, as a community.”

Jimin snorts at that.

“We’re not even much of a community.”

“Are there that few of you?” Jungkook asks, and Taehyung looks to Jimin to let him do the speaking now.

“Very few, yes. There are some who have grouped together and live separate from the rest of the world, in their own little communities, as I think I mentioned yesterday. Usually protected under the guise of being a cult or a religious group, so no one really bothers them too much. Even we don’t know too much about those, but our parents have heard of it and even been invited at times. There used to be a network, but now it’s not as safe, with how much easier it is for information to be shared and leaked.”

“However, we do have a sort of rule book.” Taehyung adds after Jimin’s explanation comes to a lull.

“Exactly. There are a few rules we all must follow, in terms of in what circumstances and who we can share this with.” Jimin explains with Taehyung, albeit a little nervously, fiddling with the arm of the couch as he speaks.

“Basically, what Jimin is trying to get back is that, by rule, we are only allowed to share the truth about ourselves with people we have utmost trust in and who we’re sure will stick with us for the rest of our lives.” Taehyung concludes, clearly undermining Jimin’s attempt of softening the blow. Taehyung never pulls any punches when it comes to, well, most things, and Jimin does look like he’s just been punched, blinking at Taehyung in astonishment. Jungkook himself is still processing what that means.

“Hyung…” he says, looking at Jimin, but Jimin is still glaring at Taehyung.

“Well, that’s one way to put it. That’s not what the rule says, and you know it.” Jimin shoots back defensively, and Jungkook now notices how red his face has gotten. It probably matches Jungkook’s own.

Taehyung only waves Jimin’s words away, dismissively.

“You know that’s what the rule means, though.”

“No, I don’t! The rules are written almost like… like laws, basically. ‘For the rest of our lives’! How would someone even know if one person would be with them for the rest of their life. For god’s sake.” Jimin tsks.

Taehyung only laughs.

“Um…” Jungkook tries to interrupt, and Jimin finally faces him after taking a few calming breaths and shooting Taehyung with another withering glance. Anyone else would have taken critical damage, but to Taehyung it’s just another Tuesday, he’s so used to Jimin.

“But yeah, the rule is that we are only allowed to share this with people we place utmost trust in, not only presently, but for times to come. That’s more or less what it says.” Jimin explains, now calmer.

“It also says we can only share it with up to five non-vampire people.” Taehyung says really fast.

“Kim Taehyung!”

“Oh, not the full government name. Ooh, spoopy.”

“We talked about this! We’re supposed to deliver this information gently. Not bulldoze through it. Goodness.”

“Oh, come on. If it weren’t for me you’d still be talking about the weather or some shit. There’s a reason you wanted me here. It took you months just to gather the courage to come out and tell Jungkook the truth as is. I was dying, Jungkookie.” Taehyung then complains to Jungkook, who is still sitting there looking between the two best friends like he’s watching a tennis match, occasionally sipping on his tea and burning his tongue every time just to keep himself busy.

“Months?” is all Jungkook says. Jimin had been trying to tell him for months?

“It was an entire ordeal, Jungkook-ah.” Taehyung whines, finally free to complain all he wants about it, but Jungkook is looking at Jimin.

“Hyung, you know you can tell me anything… Then again, I know how much trust you have to place in me to even consider telling me all this — both of you, really— so I understand that you… Yeah, you do know you can tell me anything. Or you wouldn’t have told me this.” Jungkook says, truly thankful that he’s got both their trust. Jimin smiles shyly, and Jungkook reciprocates, extending it to Taehyung as well.

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions.” Jimin guesses. He’s, of course, on the nose.

“You have no idea! The worst part is that I can’t stop thinking about Twilight, like. Was it based on a true story?”

Taehyung laughs his big baritone laugh, and Jimin slaps at Jungkook, but doesn’t try to hide his laughter as well.

“We do not talk about that piece of media in this house.” Jimin warns.

“Is it that far off?” Jungkook asks, endlessly amused by both their reactions. Taehyung mimics ripping off his shirt.

“This is the skin of a killer, Jungkook-ah.” Taehyung proclaims dramatically.

“Stop it! Jungkook, stop laughing, don’t encourage him. Just ask a question, please, and don’t mention Twilight.”

In the end, Jungkook is unable to come up with a question. There’s too many of them, swirling around his brain, so he just lets them explain their culture, their families and how they were raised. Going to the dentist was apparently this whole ordeal — they had to avoid getting their teeth scanned at all costs, for example. So much so that dentistry was apparently a common profession among vampires — vampires, hah! Jungkook still reels at how impossible that sounds.

“I wonder if my dentist was a vampire.” Jungkook says aloud, looking up at the ceiling as he thinks.

“Unlikely.” Taehyung answers “There really are very little of us. And we tend to keep to ourselves. Me and Jimin are a bit of an exception, we’re both social butterflies, after all.”

“Speak for yourself, you’re the social butterfly and I’m simply caught in your web.” Jimin says, waving Taehyung away.

“Oh, come on, Minnie, you always have people falling at your feet.” Taehyung rolls his eyes, and Jimin sputters at his words.

“Me?! You’re exaggerating. You’re also confusing my magnetism with being a social butterfly, which I am not. Right, Jungkookie?” Jimin prods at his leg.

“You? Pbbt, yeah, total nerd, who would want to hang around you.”

“Hey! You’re the nerd, nerd!”

“You guys do realise nerd hasn’t been an insult for like… years now, right?” Taehyung pitches in.

Without even realising, the three youngest fall back into their usual dynamic. Jimin was worried for nothing, and Jungkook couldn’t be happier to be able to provide Jimin with someone else who’s in on their secret, someone else they can be completely themselves with.

And, once again, he’s glad that he’s moved in with Jimin. He can’t help but feel giddy for how this revelation and newfound knowledge about Jimin will change their friendship. He feels like his bond with Jimin — and Taehyung, of course — can now get that much deeper. They do say you make friends for life at college, right?

Chapter Text

A week has gone by without incident.

Jimin and Jungkook still lead their usual lives and routines, seeing each other, even if fleetingly, most mornings and evenings, having dance practice together, and then having the weekly meet-up dinner all together with the rest of the guys.

However, Jungkook does notice Jimin acting a little shier than usual, and the Thing (i.e.: Jimin being a vampire) is not brought up again. There’s no reason to do so, and they haven’t had the opportunity to spend enough time together this week to launch into a deeper conversation — which is truly a shame, because Jungkook wants to know more due to his endless curiosity, and he believes Jimin could also benefit from it, as he would not have to hide so much. Of course, the biggest cat is out of the bag, but who knows how many more kittens are still in there, deprived of sunlight? The analogy makes Jungkook’s heart pang.

Well, there would have been time to talk today, as they both have a much less busy schedule, but this time the entire group is getting together, and for good reason. It’s another celebration: Jimin’s birthday.

As they did with Jungkook’s own birthday, the entire group banded together and gathered the money to get Jimin something special. Jungkook had also decided to get him something separately as well, without anyone else knowing — it’s not that he feels like he owes it to Jimin for having picked such a fantastic gift for his own birthday, but he really wants to get him something by himself. They do live together, after all, it’s to be expected that they got closer, right? Plus, it’s not like it’s anything crazy, he simply got something prepared for Jimin for when they get home. It’s more of a small, tiny gesture than anything else.

The idea for Jimin’s gift was actually Jungkook’s: he wants Jimin to realise he can still enjoy swimming and have fun in pools, despite no longer being a child. Jungkook gave it some thought, and he truly believes that Jimin’s disinterest in something he used to love so much as a child can also be due to lack of opportunity. Even if only once, Jungkook wants Jimin to feel that joy again, same he did as a kid.

Jimin monologues about being sad he’s lost his childhood whimsy due to his gradual disinterest in swimming pools? “Get that boy in a pool right now” — Jungkook, probably.

Everyone else seemed to find it a great idea as well. It took some planning and Jungkook will have to pull some more shifts at the convenience store to make up for it, but it’s so worth it.

To celebrate the special occasion, they decide to go out for dinner at a noraebang. Taehyung and Jimin used to come to this same place together, back when Jimin was still on his first year, so it’s a nice throwback for the both of them as well.

They eat junk food, sing badly (or godly, depending on whose turn it is), act like absolute nutcases, and get comfortably tipsy. Jimin seems to be glowing, in his element amongst friends, and it’s absolutely glorious. His laughter and his smile light up the entire room, and Jungkook’s chest tightens at how happy his housemate looks. Jungkook sits across from him, which means he has the best seat in the house for the show that is Jimin, tonight.

After singing a particularly sweet (read: disgusting) duet with Taehyung of Stand by Me in which they basically role-played an entire romance drama from meet-cute to tragic-break-up via miming as they sung, Jimin goes back to his seat, everyone applauding loudly, Hoseok’s whoops and laughter somehow managing to be the loudest sound in the room. Taehyung stays and sings a trot song next that has everyone else singing along with him. He has the act down, as always. Jungkook imitates his little mannerisms in an exaggerated way, making everyone else laugh until Taehyung breaks character with his deep, baritone laugh.

After they’re all in various states of sobriety, Hoseok gathers everyone’s attention by clapping his hands. When no one bats an eye at this, he gestures to Jungkook, who claps his hands as well, but much louder. Jimin jumps in his seat, and Taehyung is looking at Jungkook wide-eyed, as if affronted that he had the gall to interrupt his conversation with Jimin.

“Everyone, we are gathered here today—”

“Aish. Yes, we know, we know. This ain’t a wedding, Hobi-hyung.” Jimin interrupts, fearing an emotional speech.

“Or a funeral.” Seokjin adds, and Namjoon shoots him a look. “What, what are you looking at me like that for, isn’t it true?!”

“Jimin-ah, I’m only letting you off for interrupting me because it’s your birthday.” Hoseok chastises.

“You’re so hot when you take charge, Hob-ah.” Yoongi tells him dreamily. Hoseok gets so red so fast Jungkook is afraid his head is about to explode.

“You-! And you get a little too out of character when you’re drunk!” Hoseok scolds again, and Yoongi beams his gummy smile at him, shaking a little with laughter.

“Oh, honey, if only him thirsting over you were out of character, we’d all have less grey hairs.” Seokjin bemoans.

“Speak for yourself, I don’t have a single grey hair. You’re just old.” Jungkook chips in, always happy to one up Seokjin.

“You little brat—”

“YAH!” Hoseok finally shouts, effectively shutting everyone up. Yoongi keeps looking at Hoseok with stars in his eyes, practically drooling. Jungkook grimaces at how love-sick he is. “If you would stop interrupting me, I think it’s a good time to let birthday boy have his gift.”

“…You’re making it sound like one of you guys is going to give me a lap dance.”

“No he did not?” Taehyung laughs “Why, do you want a lap dance from one of us that bad?” he teases, leaning over to Jimin with crossed arms, hair falling in his eyes and making him look a little evil. For some reason, Jimin sputters and, if Jungkook isn’t mistaken, glances at him. At Jungkook.

Jungkook is probably drunker than he thought.

“Shut up, Tae. Hyung, you were saying?” Jimin acidically says to Taehyung, then turning to Hoseok and speaking so sweetly that Jungkook gets whiplash at the contrast.

“Birthday gift! So, we all contributed a little something to this, please don’t freak out.” Hoseok gingerly explains, pulling a rectangular box from his frog-themed drawstring little backpack, which Jungkook is certain he bought from a kiddie section somewhere. Jungkook can just imagine him spotting it from across the store and running to it, saying to Yoongi that he has to get it. It’s really cute.

“You can’t just say that, of course I’ll freak out now!”

The box is wrapped in a tastefully chosen wrapping paper with a matte finish, coloured in a dark forest green. It had a thin raffia bow on it. Clearly, Taehyung had been the one doing the wrapping.

Despite his words, Jimin reaches out his hands anyway.

“Wow, I wonder who took care of the wrapping. So classy.”

“I will admit I may have been the creative director for this one.” Seokjin puts up airs.

“Uhh, no you weren’t.” Jungkook scoffs.

“Yeah, it was Jungkook’s idea, we all loved it. Now open it, open it!” Namjoon urges.

Jimin does, trying and failing not to tear the paper. He likes to keep these kinds of things: wrapping papers he finds pretty, train tickets to places he enjoyed, receipts from happy times. Jungkook doesn’t know where he stashes all of that stuff, but he imagines he has a box he stuffs it all into and then opens it and goes through his best memories whenever he feels like it. It’s awfully cute, Jungkook thinks, and exactly the type of thing he would imagine him to do, even if he didn’t know him that well. Something to do with how much care he seems to have for everything around him.

Jimin finally pulls out a flat, small cardboard box, sort of shaped like an envelope, but smaller. It’s exactly the size of those fancy jewellery boxes for glittery choker necklaces made out of pearls and other expensive materials Jungkook can’t even imagine having the money for. Of course, this box is not made out of velvet, nor leather, but it still makes Jimin suspicious, as he hesitates to open it, then looks around the room squinting at everyone.

“Small sized gifts are usually the most expensive ones, just what did you guys get me? Please tell me you didn’t indebt yourselves.”

“Have some faith in our financial responsibility, Jimin-ah. And please lower your expectations, wherever your head is at, we would really hate for you to be disappointed.” Yoongi says.

“It’s not your financial responsibility I’m doubting, I know you’re smart with your money, but some people in this group aren’t so.” Jimin argues, side-eyeing Namjoon, of all people.

“Hey, why are you looking at me? Is this over that painting?! Still? That was months ago, I’ve recovered from it.”

“We all know it will happen again next time you go to an art gallery and the painting or sculpture speaks to you or whatever it is they do to get you to buy them.” Seokjin inputs.

“Oh, especially if it’s something functional, like a chunky wooden table, or a bench.” Taehyung adds, and Namjoon looks pensive for a moment.

“You know, funny you should say that—”

“Kim Namjoon, you didn’t!”

“No, no, I didn’t buy anything else like that, I swear, but I have been considering this artist in America who builds these amazing desks out of pure wood.”

“Oh, here we go again…”´

“Guys, I swear we collectively have like… one braincell and the attention span of a goldfish. Jimin was opening his present, finally. Okay?” Jungkook cuts in. He’s really looking forward to Jimin’s reaction.

“Thank you, Jungkook-ah.” Namjoon says.

Jimin takes a big breath.

“I’m scared, though. You guys can be crazy with gifts.”

“Oh, I’ll hold your hand through it if it helps, just open the damn thing.” Seokjin throws his hands up in exasperation, then gets up and sits back down next to Jimin after much shimmying around to get himself some space, making everyone groan in the process. After settling, he actually takes Jimin’s hand into his, then raises his eyebrows at him.

“Actually, that does help, thank you hyung.” Jimin says with a reassuring smile.

“Wah, now this is a proper dongsaeng.” Seokjin gushes. “Any of you all would have looked at me weird. Jimin-ah, you’re a true one.”

Jimin laughs and bumps shoulders with Seokjin.

“Thanks, hyung. I think. Okay.” Jimin says, and then opens the little box. Inside is another box, but this one has writing and pictures all over it. It reads something like “Trip to Jeju for two, all included”. Jungkook doesn’t remember the exact wording and he’s too far away to be able to see it, but that’s what the group got Jimin.

“What?! Is this - is this for real?”

“You don’t like it?” Namjoon asks, but his dimpled smile gives away how much he already knows Jimin loves it.

“Of course I do! You guys- you are all insane, this must have been so expensive.”

“It’s a lot cheaper to buy them in a pack like this, actually, don’t worry about it. It was divided between the six of us. More or less.” Yoongi explains.

“Wait, but for two? Who else is coming with me?” Jimin asks, eyebrows pinched together in a cute display of confusion.

“Jungkook is!” Taehyung answers excitedly. “And I am planning on joining you guys. I don’t think anyone else can make it, though.”

Jimin looks at Jungkook in surprise.

“You did always say you wanted to go on a trip with me.” Jungkook says with a shrug, letting a smile take over at Jimin’s still surprised face.

“Yeah, he paid for his half of the pack, so it was less of a burden on everyone else.”

“Jungkook!” Jimin scolds “Maybe it’s not Namjoon we have to worry about, when it comes to money management, huh?”

“What, it was a good deal! And I also want to go and take pictures of the pretty landscapes. Get inspiration for my art, that whole spiel.” Jungkook defends himself, posing his hands in front of him like a camera and pointing here and there, bending his finger as if he were taking a picture.

“Well, I’m really glad you like it. I wish we could all go together, that would be cool, but maybe too chaotic to pass as a relaxing holiday.” Namjoon says, giving Jimin a gentle pat on the back.

“Jungkook and Taehyung can be pretty chaotic by themselves.” Jimin jokes.

“Like you and Jungkook aren’t as well… remind me to never go anywhere with only you two alone, please. Never having a repeat of that.” Namjoon complains, rolling his eyes for good measure.

“Oh, come on, hyung, it wasn’t that bad.” Jungkook argues, and Jimin cringes a little at him. Maybe they were that bad…

“Would you rather take my Yoongi with you?” Hoseok offers jokingly.

“Wah, hyung, didn’t know you were into swinging like that.” Taehyung shoots back, and Seokjin almost spits out the beer he’d just sipped in laughter.

“Yeah, Hobi-hyung, keep your boyfriend. Though he is quite foxy.” Jimin says, throwing Yoongi a wink over the table. Yoongi sends a flying kiss in a near-perfect emulation of Seokjin’s signature move.

“Yah, you know what I meant. He’s all about healthy, clean living and enjoying life quietly.” Hoseok defends his boyfriend’s honour while Yoongi tries to reel in his gummy smile and lovesick face.

“Yeah, him shouting the lyrics to Taeyang’s Eyes, Nose Lips two minutes ago and sipping on hard liquor just now is really selling the quiet clean living thing.” Taehyung snorts.

“Healthy living is all about balance, Taehyung-ah. As all things should be.”

“Did you just low-key quote Thanos?” Jungkook asks in surprise, then he turns to Jimin “Actually, hyung, can I go alone with Yoongi-hyung on this trip?”

“Yah, I thought it was my birthday gift, wait for your turn!”

Jimin then gets everyone another round of (the cheapest) drinks, and it’s Namjoon’s turn to take up the mic and wow everyone with his impressive rap skills. As the evening goes on, though, Jungkook’s focus shifts. Maybe it’s the alcohol in his system, but while everyone else focuses on whoever takes the stage, so to say, Jungkook sits there, arms thrown over the back of the booth, and just admires Jimin.

Jungkook is known for spacing out sometimes, so it isn’t exactly shocking behaviour (or so his alcohol-dazed brain supplies). Jimin is also extremely nice to look at, and that’s what he’ll boldly announce if called out on it, but he’s still glad for how dark it is: it covers how stupid he probably looks, just staring at Jimin with a lazy grin plastered on his dazed face from across the table. It doesn’t help that whenever Jimin meets his eyes, they share a private smile, before Jimin looks down shyly. The cute aggression drives Jungkook insane.

Jimin has beautiful lips. It’s not the first time he’s noticing, of course, they’re quite large and impossible to miss, but his point is: some people have what Jungkook can only describe as kissable lips. The kind you look at and you can perfectly imagine yourself kissing and how they must feel like. So far, Jungkook has only actually met one person like that. That’s Jimin, of course. Not in a weird way, though. Seokjin has lips like that, as well, Jungkook thinks, but the whole idea of kissing Seokjin is really unappealing and gross to Jungkook, simply because it’s Seokjin and he doesn’t see him like that, at all. Seokjin is really like an older brother to him.

Wait, does that mean I see

Jimin
like
that
?
Jungkook asks himself, then shakes his head.
Nah, no way, of course not. He’s my best friend.

When it’s Jungkook’s turn to sing, he picks Olivia Rodrigo’s Vampire, for obvious reasons, ones no one else but two other people in this room will pick up on. Same as everyone else has been doing, he acts out the song in dramatic detail, pretending to sing it directly to the birthday boy. Taehyung finds it hilarious, Jimin just kind of pouts — they’re all a little bit drunk.

Once they finally leave, Jungkook’s ears feel like they have been filled up with wool, and he can hear a faint sound of static. He can’t decide if that’s from the booze in his system, or the contrast between how loud it was in that room with all the music, singing, and clapping, versus the quiet, biting cold of an October night outside. Either way, he feels the fuzzy, happy kind of tired.

They all gather around outside the noraebang, and Jimin practically distributes hugs as they say their goodbyes. When Jungkook goes to hug him as well, Jimin laughs and pushes him away — they’re going home together, after all.

“Was that you being funny, or are you actually that drunk.” Jimin asks him, holding Jungkook’s cheeks at an arm’s length away.

“Why can’t I get a hug.” Jungkook complains while his cheeks are being smushed. Everyone else ignores them as they bid their farewells or call for a ride home. Despite it being still early in the night by their standards, most of the guys have either work or classes in the morning, as it is a week night, and it’s late enough that the buses are sparse and weirdly populated. “Yoongi and Hoseok live across the street from us, but they got one!” he pouts, dramatically.

“Aw, Jungkookie! You’re so cute when you’re jealous. Bring it in.” Jimin says, endeared by Jungkook’s antics. Jungkook makes a bitter face at him and immediately backs away, so Jimin amps it up by making kissy faces at Jungkook and chasing him.

“No, no! I was being funny, being funny! Oh no, help!” Jungkook laughs, and pretends to make disgusted noises when Jimin gets hold of him and tries to hug him.

“Get a room, you guys!” Hoseok shouts at them when they inevitably start bumping into the rest of the group in their little cat and mouse chase.

“No need, we have rooms at home.” Jimin replies, and Hoseok side-eyes the both of them with an exaggerated, dramatic face. Someone, probably Taehyung, whistles a catcall. Jimin rolls his eyes. “I meant like ‘we have food at home’, you know. The meme? We literally do have rooms at home. No need to get more… rooms.” Jimin trails off.

“Thanks for explaining the joke, Jimin-ah. It’s not funny any more, but at least we all got it.” Seokjin tells him, patting his shoulder. “We can’t all be the funniest person on earth, like me.” Jimin rolls his eyes.

“That was so lame, Jimin.” Jungkook laughs in Jimin’s face.

“Hyung.” Jimin corrects.

“There’s no need to call me hyung, Jimin. I’ll take oppa, though” Jungkook replies with a toothy smile, and high fives Taehyung.

“I wish I didn’t live with you.” Jimin deadpans, crossing his arms and walking towards Yoongi for solace. Jungkook hears him tell him “I’m being bullied.”. Yoongi only lifts his eyes from his phone momentarily and then drapes an arm around Jimin in quiet comfort. Lord knows the guy has used up all his social battery.

Jungkook and Taehyung continue being “annoying little imps I would like to keep in a jar at home to study” — Seokjin’s words — until Namjoon, Taehyung and Seokjin all find a means of transportation home. Jimin, Jungkook and the two lovebirds that are Hoseok and Yoongi all drive home in Jimin’s car. Them living so close-by has nothing but perks.

***

“You can’t look.” Jungkook tells Jimin after they’ve gotten home and Jungkook has sat him down at the dinner table. Jungkook glances at Jimin over his shoulder to make sure he’s not trying to take a peek at what Jungkook is preparing in the kitchen.

“What are you doing, Jungkook.” Jimin asks in disbelief, a breathy laugh escaping him as he keeps sitting facing away from Jungkook. “Haven’t you guys all done enough today?”

“Don’t get your hopes up, hyung, this ain’t cake.”

“I know, because you guys already got me one. Which looked very expensive, may I add. Really, Kook, you… I— You didn’t have to…”

“You don’t even know what I’m preparing here. Maybe you’ll hate it.” Jungkook answers, though he doubts Jimin will hate what Jungkook is preparing. He keeps cutting and tosses the pieces into a large bowl, mixing everything together with care.

“You still wouldn’t have had to.”

“Huh. I see your point.”

Jimin laughs that pretty, bubbly laugh of his, the one that has Jungkook acting silly just to hear it again.

“Okay, now close your eyes.” Jungkook asks once he’s done, and Jimin does, sits with his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms hugging his legs, both hands covering his eyes. He looks so small like that. Jungkook places one large bowl on the table, with a ladle to scoop serve the food, and two smaller bowls and spoons, one for each of them.

“You can open them now.” Jungkook tells him after he’s sat across from Jimin, a little self-conscious, and then witnesses Jimin gasp as his face break out into a smile, his eyes disappearing.

“This is for me? It’s so much, we’ve gotta share. Oh my gosh!”

“There would be very little point if I just left you here to eat alone, no? Of course I’ll eat with you.” Jungkook dismisses with an eye roll and a smile. “Sharing is caring, right?” he then adds more gently and quietly.

“Ohh my god, there’s cherries? And are these… cranberries?! I don’t think I’ve ever even had fresh ones. Ever… This is all summer fruit, Jungkook-ah, none of this is in season. This is… It must have been more expensive than the whole cake!” Jimin exclaims in shock.

In front of Jimin sits their biggest salad bowl, and in it is an assortment of red fruits — only red-coloured ones, because Jungkook knows Jimin loves two things when it comes to food: fruit, and red things. It wasn’t easy to find, Jungkook had to go to many different stores. Frozen bags of strawberries and raspberries were easy to find, but he knew the fruit would get all mushy after defrosting, so it had to be fresh. He’s squeezed the juice of half a lemon over the assorted fruits — to prevent oxidation, especially because the strawberries were sliced in quarters — and drizzled over a good dollop of honey to counteract the acidity of the lemon and some of the fruits. Jimin is a sweet person who likes sweet things, after all.

He would have also added some dark chocolate shavings, as he saw on Pinterest (yes, he even went on pinterest for inspiration), but they’ve already had a heavy dinner and chocolate cake earlier. Some other time, maybe. Jungkook is finding that he loves cooking, and Jimin is his guinea pig of choice.

“Don’t think too hard about it, Jimin-ah, it’s just fruit, really. Now eat up, it has lots of water and minerals and… things that are good for you, I’m sure.”

“And all that may help prevent a hangover tomorrow morning, I like what you’re thinking.” Jimin agrees, picking up the spoon and pointing it to his head and then to Jungkook’s.

“Mm, I think you just like fruit that is red and sweet.” Jungkook counters playfully, and Jimin grins.

“Guilty as charged. Thank you, Jungkook-ssi. Really. Still can’t believe you did all this… You’re the sweetest thing in the room. Well, let’s dig in!”

Jimin stuffs his cheeks of fruit, humming in pleasure at the tangy flavours.

“It’s like a party in my mouth. Oh! You added some honey! It goes so well with everything, my gods.”

“Yeah, this was such a challenging dish. All that cooking and roasting and boiling to make this.” Jungkook faux sighs in tiredness, and Jimin giggles at his roguishness.

Their mild drunkenness has mostly dissipated, but this moment still feels soft around the edges. Like the crackling sound of a vinyl disk, or the muted roar of ocean waves against pliant sand. Soft, despite the multitudes and melodies it contains inside.

They keep eating together in silence, looking at nothing, thinking of nothing in particular. Until a thought strikes Jungkook.

“Wait— do you like red food because they’re, you know, the colour of blood?” Jungkook asks, and Jimin almost chokes at the suddenness.

“Do you really wanna talk about all that messy stuff now?” Jimin answers with a question of his own, scrunching his face at Jungkook.

“Well, I wouldn’t call it messy, but if you don’t wanna, then we won’t. It is still October 13th, after all, so I’ll give you this one.” Jungkook replies, throwing an exaggerated wink Jimin’s way. Jungkook doesn’t really understand where Jimin’s reluctance to answer his question comes from, but it’s late and they’re both sleepy. “Do you want some more honey? I poured it mostly on top.”

Jimin nods cutely, chewing again, and Jungkook smiles as he goes grabs the honey.

This is the last day Jimin acts normal around Jungkook.

Chapter Text

The first semester is nearing its end, and exams are rearing their ugly heads in the not so far distance.

Jungkook is lucky that his boss gives him enough schedule flexibility to let him cut back on his working hours for a few weeks before the end of the semester, so that he can focus on his coursework and all the exams he has coming up. He has been practically holed up inside for the last three weeks, rotating between his faculty’s atelier, the university’s library, and their apartment. He’s starting to feel like a hermit crab with three different shells.

What’s been actually plaguing Jungkook’s mind, though, even more so than Art History, is that after Jimin dropped the V bomb on Jungkook, things got… a little awkward.

Ironically, not on Jungkook’s part at all, but on Jimin’s.

Jimin has been acting so weird and soft-footed around him that Jungkook himself doesn’t know how to act any more. So much so that he is actually a little thankful for this forced distance between them due to all the cramming.

Who knows, maybe Jimin just needs some time and, to be fair, Jimin also has his own course to focus on. He’s been camping at the library all day between classes. Now, if it is to avoid Jungkook more so than it is to study… Jungkook lets him be.

For now.

They have important things to focus on at the moment, so he’s allowing Jimin to weird out all he wants, but the truth is that Jungkook is scared. The last thing he wants is for this to get between them. Despite it being a pretty huge thing — vampires being real and Jimin, his literal room-mate, being one of them was shocking to him, to say the least — Jungkook has gotten used to the idea enough that he is completely comfortable to talk about it and mention it around Jimin.

Jimin, however, is clearly not, even if he tries to hide it.

He will come up with the most absurd excuses to squirm out of talking about it. Among many others, there was that one time Jungkook asked if Jimin can feed on animals’ blood during dinner and Jimin simply got up and ran to the bathroom. When he came back, he pretended to not understand what Jungkook meant and made a point of changing the conversation.

On another occasion, Jungkook jokingly asked if he should start leaving garlic out of his cooking, and Jimin glitched so hard he dropped the plate he was holding, making Jungkook feel like an asshole, because despite how used he is to teasing Jimin, he has never reacted like that before. Anytime Jungkook mentioned the word “vampire”, Jimin would visibly tense up and try to change subjects as quickly as possible. Jungkook, of course, doesn’t want to make Jimin uncomfortable, so he has avoided bringing up the topic, but he has to admit that this is starting to get in the way of their friendship.

Jungkook now understands even better why Jimin was afraid to tell Jungkook the truth about himself in the first place, only it’s not Jungkook who isn’t accepting it, but, instead, it’s Jimin who’s being a complete hard-ass about the whole thing.

It’s only after most of their school projects and assignments are over that Jungkook tries to talk about it again, and after Jimin uses the bathroom as an evasion technique for the fifth time in a week (unless Jungkook misunderstood and he’s just having serious bowel issues), Jungkook decides he has to put an end to all the awkwardness once and for all.

When Jungkook gets home, Jimin is sitting at their kitchen table with books, highlighters and notebooks all spread out around him, laptop open on a split screen between two PDF files. A single glance at the amount of reading Jimin is doing is enough to give Jungkook a headache. When he thinks back to the Projective Geometry assignments he has to finish before the next day, though, it really doesn’t get much better. Jungkook will honest-to-god throw a party once he’s done with this Geometry shit for good.

“Hi, Jungkookie. You’re home earlier, aren’t you?” Jimin greets him with a tired smile, massaging the bridge of his nose under his glasses and blinking his eyes slowly before looking up at Jungkook. His eyes are a little bloodshot.

Now here’s a guy who definitely needs a break, Jungkook thinks, already planning his next move.

“Nope, it’s the regular time. I bet you’ve just been grinding your brain to dust on that paper for so long you didn’t even notice time passing, huh?” Jungkook teases, returning Jimin’s smile as he puts down his things on a spare kitchen chair.

Jimin moves the mouse around on his laptop to display the time. “Damn, you’re right.” Jimin laughs and stretches his back and neck with satisfying pops Jungkook cringes at. “Guess I need a break.”

“Oh, who would have thought?” Jungkook says, feigning surprise. Jimin only rolls his eyes fondly at him.

“Have you eaten anything since lunch, yet? I’ll cut up some apple slices for us.”

“I got you some red ones from the corner shop. I know you like those.” Jungkook tests the waters, picking up the tote bag with the apples and shaking it in Jimin’s direction. Jimin chuckles a little awkwardly, but takes the bag with a small thanks, that was sweet of you.

“Actually, while you prepare our snack, could I move your things to the coffee table? Will you be okay working there?” Jungkook asks.

“Oh? But you’re the one who usually prefers working at the coffee table. With your obsession with sitting on the floor and all.” Jimin probes, placing the apples in a plastic bowl to wash before cutting them up.

“I know, but these bad boys won’t fit on the coffee table and sometimes I need to stand up to work on them as well, so being on an actual table is better for that. Projective Geometry, you know. The sheets we have to work on for these things are literally A2 sized.” Jungkook explains, slapping his geometry folder as he speaks, which is practically half Jungkook’s size.

“Jesus christ.” Jimin exclaims, eyeing the black plastic folder “Yeah, I’ll be fine on the coffee table. Good luck with your monster geometries or whatever.”

Once Jungkook has helped move all of Jimin’s things to the coffee table and has his own Geometry stuff laid out, Jimin is done preparing their snacks and brings a Hello Kitty ceramic bowl filled with apple slices to the sofa, some peeled, others with their red peel intact. Jimin places the bowl on the sofa and pats the seat next to him to gesture to Jungkook to sit next to him.

Jungkook hikes one leg after the other over the couch while holding a pack of crunchy granola bites in one hand, and the platter of sliced cheese Jimin had prepared for him on the other, and plops down next to Jimin, nearly spilling the granola bites all over himself. Jimin just sighs knowingly at him — they’ve had the who left crumbs on the couch? conversation many times before. Jimin has just accepted that as a package deal with Jungkook moving in, as long as he does clean it up.

“Was this the subject you had to measure our entire apartment for?” Jimin asks, biting into a thick apple slice with a satisfying crunch.

“It was, yeah! Basically, I had to measure everything to make a blueprint of the apartment. Now, with that same blueprint, I turn it into… kind of like a realistic perspective drawing. Using just maths. It’s honestly kinda crazy, it’s like I just input the measurements into the paper and then the math maths and in the end I’ll have a perfect perspective line drawing of our apartment.” Jungkook says over a mouthful, gesturing around the apartment with one hand. “If I have the time, I was thinking of shading it and adding our furniture and trinkets, but that may be too crazy even for me.”

“You say ‘the math maths’ as if you’re not the one mathing away for that to work.” Jimin argues, nibbling on another apple piece as he pulls over one of the books from the pile on the coffee table and lays it on his lap. It’s like he’s afraid being away from his medical books will make the knowledge leak out of his brain — it’s actually kind of adorable, really, seeing as he just distractedly holds them on his lap, sometimes.

Jungkook hums. “I know what you mean, yeah, but it still feels magical, because I’m not looking at what I’m drawing nor am I even trying to draw the living room or the bathroom or the rooms, right? I simply follow the measurements and angles blindly and it’s all just there in the end, you know? All the divisions, our apartment just starts showing up on the paper.”

“That does sound amazing. And also incredibly difficult.” Jimin says, glancing at Jungkook over his glasses.

“Ugh. Tell me about it. It’s the epitome of trust the process.” Jungkook sighs, letting his body fall back into the couch and staring up at the ceiling as he chews on an apple-cheese-apple sandwich, something he found out is surprisingly good, especially with proper cheeses.

He has to do it now.

Jungkook doesn’t want to make Jimin uncomfortable by insisting to talk about something he clearly doesn’t want to talk about, which is precisely why Jungkook has been avoiding it for so long, but he also knows that they have to handle this thing between them as adults and communicate. Address the elephant in the room.

“Jimin.”

“Hmm?” Jimin looks back at Jungkook from where he was already taking notes on the margins of a book, pencil hanging from his mouth. Yeah, adorable, Jungkook thinks. Then he steels himself.

Focus.

“We should talk.”

“Oh! Um.” Jimin sets the pencil back down between the pages of his book. He knows what this is about, has to. “That sounds dreadfully serious. Did I do something?” Jimin chuckles awkwardly.

“Don’t do that.” Jungkook sighs again and Jimin looks at him with real confusion on his face. “I know you know what this is about.”

Jimin looks to the floor and closes the book on his lap, the pencil tucked into it marking the page he was on.

“I know.” Jimin lets out in a breath, so quietly Jungkook can barely hear it. He clears his throat and tries again “I know. I’ve been acting really weird, haven’t I?” Jimin admits, finally looking up at Jungkook again, crinkling his nose in embarrassment.

Jungkook nods enthusiastically with wide eyes and Jimin laughs lightly. After a pause, Jungkook shifts to face Jimin on the couch and Jimin immediately mirrors him. There’s silence for a while as Jungkook stares at his lap and fiddles with his hands a little. Jimin lets him work through his emotions and what he needs to say in silence.

“Jimin, you’re my best friend.” Jungkook finally says, lifting his eyes to Jimin’s “I don’t care that I’m not yours, I understand Taehyung takes the spot —”

“Jungkook…” Jimin tries to interrupt, but Jungkook ploughs on.

“—but you are my best friend and I love you and I—” Jungkook chokes on his next words. “I don’t want to lose you over this. I really just want you to tell me about yourself and to be yourself around me.” Jungkook sniffles a little. He’s not crying, but there’s a raw emotion in his voice that Jungkook rarely lets through. “I know that that’s why you told me and showed me this part of yourself in the first place, so I don’t understand why suddenly you think you have to hide it from me, you know? I don’t want to push you nor make you uncomfortable. Never, Jimin, but.” Jungkook pauses here to breathe “But I just want you to trust me and tell me what you want from this, okay? I’m not trying to pressure you into talking and telling me about all of it, I just want to know where we stand and if I should avoid the topic altogether or if I can just, like… Express how curious I am about it and about you, I guess? I hope that makes sense.” Jungkook finishes, sniffling a little more and looking back at his lap.

Jungkook was never the best at putting his emotions into words, at expressing how he feels, nor at confronting people. He always waters down what he really feels so much that in the end what he says is not even a chunk of what goes on in his heart and mind. He figures that maybe everyone else has the same struggle — after all, how do you translate feelings into something as trivial as words? However, other people always seemed much more eloquent than him at it. He hopes Jimin is able to get just how much this means to Jungkook, even if it may seem small.

Jimin, who has been listening intently, takes Jungkook’s hands into his own and leans forward a little to look Jungkook in the eye.

“I don’t even know where to start, but…. First of all, you are my best friend.” Jimin squeezes Jungkook’s hands, speaking softly as Jungkook straightens up in confusion. “Taehyung is my soulmate, though.” Jimin says with a soft smile, and Jungkook rolls his eyes, but his smile makes an appearance to match Jimin’s.

“Secondly, I know I’ve been an ass lately… I don’t really have any excuses for how I’ve acted, but please know it’s not because I don’t trust you or anything of the sort, it’s just that… You are the first friend I’ve ever shared this part of me with.” A pause. “I’m so used to keeping it a secret that whenever you bring it up or ask a question my brain just freezes and my first instinct is to run away.” Jungkook nods in understanding at Jimin, encouraging him to keep going. “It doesn’t make me uncomfortable that you’re curious or that you want to know more, especially now that I know you’re being earnest about it and not just asking because you think you have to show interest or something.”

Jungkook snorts at that.

“You know I’m shit at faking interest.” Jungkook points out, swinging their intertwined hands.

“You are so right.” Jimin admits.

“Hey! What does that mean?!” Jungkook says, feigning offence and failing as his sentence ends in laughter.

“Nothing, nothing!” Jimin defends “Back to our very serious topic.” Jimin takes a deep breath. “I’m sorry I was a huge weirdo.”

“You’re forgiven, but please do stop being a weirdo, you weirdo.”

“The word weirdo doesn’t sound like a word any more.” Jimin laughs.

“I don’t think it ever was.” Jungkook grins, back to fiddling with their intertwined hands. Jimin smiles back, then clears his throat.

“Do you remember during my birthday? When we went to that karaoke bar.” Jimin starts, and Jungkook nods his head in assent. “I noticed you kept looking at me, though I’m pretty sure most times you were just totally spaced out and were only looking my way because I was across from you. I thought it was pretty cute, at first, but then I thought if maybe there was more to it. If you were looking at me and thinking that I’m different, that you see me differently now that you know.”

“What, Jimin—” Jungkook interrupts, ready to deny whatever Jimin is saying. Jimin doesn’t let him

“Yes, yes, I was being paranoid, just let me finish. Because it’s not like I wouldn’t eventually think this even if I hadn’t noticed that back then, but that got me thinking about that sort of thing — no matter how much you accept me, which I could see even back then that you did, maybe you couldn’t help but feel weird about how I’m.. basically a vampire, right? So I just started avoiding the topic altogether, hoping that would make you eventually forget that about me as well. Does that make sense? That way you would know, but you wouldn’t actively think about it.”

“Oh, Jimin… You’re such a silly hyung.”

“Hey! One of the only times you call me hyung and it’s to diss me?!” Jimin quips indignantly, letting out an incredulous laugh and swatting at Jungkook, who only laughs like the brat he is.

“I was looking at you because you looked so pretty and happy, hyung. Back then. You looked truly happy and yourself, and that’s something I like to see because you’re my friend. No matter what. You could be a damn alien, I would still be your friend the same way I am now. Because you’re Jimin.” Jungkook says candidly.

“Jungkook-ssi…”

“No, I mean it. I do see you differently now, Jimin, but not in a bad way. Not in the way you think. I see you as the beautiful person you are, despite having to hide such a vital part of yourself. And I just hope that you don’t have to do that around me. What else did you tell me that about yourself for, then? For me to then decide if I still wanted to be around you? So that I didn’t feel wronged? I think it makes sense that now that I know, I can be someone you can tell these things to and share stuff about yourself with, because I don’t think you have a lot of that. Ever, maybe.”

Jimin is fully crying by now, looking down at his lap when Jungkook swipes a knuckle under his chin to make him smile again. It works, even if he does sniffle a few more times, silent tears still pooling in his eyes.

“Aish, Jungkook-ssi, you should feel bad for making your hyung cry.”

“My Jimin-hyung is the strongest person I know, he’ll be alright.”

Jimin then brightly laughs, harmlessly punches at Jungkook’s chest as he lets himself fall sideways into Jungkook’s side.

“Seriously, stop that, you brat. I’ll hug you to death.” he threatens through gritted teeth, shaking Jungkook by the shoulders. Jungkook only grins toothily at him, eyes and shoulders bunching up with the force of it.

He’s missed Jimin.

***

With all the studying and “grinding their brains into dust” they have been doing recently, Jimin and Jungkook have skipped on a few of their traditional weekly movie nights, but ever since they’ve resolved the little conflict between them that they’ve been trying to spend some more quality time together.

A few days ago, they agreed to try to eat lunch together at the university’s canteen. Jimin, by some stroke of divine luck, manages to be done in time to meet him there. he sees Jungkook has just sat down with his tray, putting his things away before picking up his phone, most likely to text Jimin where he is already waiting.

Jimin creeps up behind him and lifts up one of his earphones, intending to startle Jungkook.

“Whaaat wereyoulisteningto?” Jimin quickly asks at the same time as he removes his earphone. He’s disappointed when Jungkook only calmly looks over his shoulder, as if he were expecting Jimin to do just that.

“Oh, I love this trend.” Jungkook says, his voice nasally. “It’s Vampires will never hurt you by MCR.” Jungkook says conversationally, and then waves cutely and turns back to his food, as if being recorded by Jimin.

Jimin just stares deadpan at him for a few moments, rethinking the life decisions that led him to being madly in love with such a dork, before cracking and plopping down laughing next to Jungkook, swatting his arm and almost falling backwards off the chair.

“Be serious, is that really the name of the song you were listening to?” Jimin asks with a smile as Jungkook breaks apart his bamboo chopsticks.

“It is, it’s actually pretty good, you should give it a listen.” Jungkook explains. “Highly relatable.” he then adds after a pause, triggering Jimin’s laughter again.

“Stop, please, I might die.” he wheezes.

“I’m serious, it exists!” Jungkook claims around a smile, lifting his hands up as if in surrender “I don’t have it on my phone, I lied, I wasn’t actually listening to it, but look, I’ll YouTube it for you.”

He picks up his phone again, and after a quick search, they’re sharing earphones and Jungkook shows him a My Chemical Romance song that is, indeed, named Vampires Will Never Hurt You.

“Oh, wow. It is a real song.” Jimin says in awe, trying not to blush at Jungkook’s closeness and them sharing earphones. He really wants to pinch Jungkook’s cheeks. So he does.

“I wouldn’t lie.” Jungkook says, grabbing his cheek in fake affront. “Now go get your food, before they run out of kimchi-jjigae.”

Now that they’re over all the weirdness, Jungkook has brought back all of his unanswered questions about vampirism to Jimin. Jungkook’s eagerness to learn about him should have been a good thing in Jimin’s eyes from the start, but he was too scared to see it for what it is, and was instead afraid that the more Jungkook knew, the more grotesque he found him. As if Jungkook could ever think that of Jimin — or anyone, for that matter. Jungkook was serious when he likened Jimin to a fairytale character.

“I just don’t understand one thing.” Jungkook pipes up in their otherwise silent evening at home.

“Only one? Wow.” Jimin answers, barely lifting his eyes off the danmei novel he’s reading. It has a plot too convoluted for Jungkook to have been able to understand it when Jimin was explaining it to him. He’s been terribly engrossed in them for a while now.

“If you can eat and enjoy food, and even draw some energy from it, shouldn’t you be able to survive off it without having to drink blood?” Jungkook ponders, then realises the implications of his question and quickly adds “Not that you should have to or anything, I’m really just.. confused about that.”

Jimin has in the meantime closed the book, dog-eared it just the way Jungkook cringes at, to focus fully on Jungkook.

“You have a good point, yes,” Jimin pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “and many of my kind have renounced blood, but never with good results. We can only get calories — energy — from regular food if there’s raw blood in it, like in rare meat.”

“Very rare, if it’s the way you eat it.” Jungkook wrinkles his nose in distaste. He finds the idea of seeing Jimin drinking blood from a straw more appealing than watching him eat those disgusting steaks he prepares for himself sometimes.

“Yes, exactly. It’s not safe, either. Raw meat, and all that. If we drink from someone with a blood disease, we’re in trouble. It’s the same with animal blood and meat. So you can think of it as water. You can survive without drinking water or any liquid if you eat foods with high amounts of water, like watermelon or cucumber. However, you would have to eat a lot of those foods, and you might still get dehydrated. It would just not be healthy, in the long run.

“For us, blood is even more important for survival — like food and water combined would be to you. You may survive living only off food high in water, but if you can’t have either, then it’s over for you.”

“Oh.”

Jungkook wants to ask further, more out of worry than anything else, because when the hell is Jimin drinking his daily dose of blood? It should be daily, right?

“H-how often…” Jungkook trails off, unsure if this is a rude question to ask. he’s still not sure how far he can go with his questions, despite wanting to know everything.

“How often do I need to ingest blood, you mean?” Jimin finishes for him, a knowing glint in his eyes. Jungkook nods, and Jimin chuckles. “You’re cute.”

“Hey! I don’t know how far I can go with my interrogations before you run off, okay?”

“I know, you’re right. I deserved that one. Doesn’t mean you’re not still cute, though.” Jimin says as he pets Jungkook’s hair back, a gesture Jungkook won’t admit to loving.

“So?” Jungkook prods, now that he sees Jimin is not uncomfortable with the line of questioning. Jimin laughs at Jungkook’s eagerness, but answers anyway.

“I’d say it’s different for everyone, depending on how much energy people expend and so on. Every single person is so different, right? As for me, personally, I’d say, like… Two or three times a week?”

“Only? I thought it would be a daily thing… and when you do drink, does it have to be a lot?”

“What is this, Interview with the Vampire?” Jimin shoots him a faux wary look “Are you a spy?”

Jungkook rolls his eyes.

“Sure, sure. I’m writing a book or whatever. Speaking of, have you watched Interview with the Vampire? It’s really good.”

Jimin shrugs.

“I haven’t, no. I tend to stay clear of that type of thing.”

“I can see how it could be uncomfortable seeing your kind be so taken out of context and misunderstood… But if you avoid it because you think it might be corny, though, it really is a great show.”

“I thought it was a movie?”

“They recently made a show, too. It’s great.”“You’ve watched it all, of course.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, of course I’ve watched?” Jungkook squints.

“I remember your little photoshoot last year. You picked vampire as a theme. Ring any bells?”

“Oh my god, hyung! I did, I almost forgot. Oh, that’s so embarrassing… That was probably super uncomfortable for you and Tae-hyung.”

“It was actually quite funny. The amount of glitter… It wasn’t a bad photoshoot at all, I loved the result, Jungkookie! But the theme was too on the nose for me.”

“No, I get it, you can laugh… Everyone else in class thought it would be a very conceptual theme, or a criticism of some sort, but nope. When they saw I was taking it literally and had people pose as vampires, myself included… I think they didn’t take it very seriously either.”

“That’s their loss, honestly.”“Right? It was an editorial look.”“Mn, you went above and beyond with the styling and makeup, even got Tae to help you.”

“Now I know why he refused to model for it…”

Jimin laughs.

“But you see, I’ve always known you had a thing for vampires.” Jimin teases and mimics tossing his hair.

Despite his best efforts to not react, Jungkook feels his cheek warm.

“Well, I thought they were a cool mythical creature, and the whole mood around them is very romantic, you have to admit… I didn’t know you guys were real.” Jungkook pouts defensively, all the while Jimin is giving him a knowing look, all flirty even if not purposefully so.

“Is that so? Your blushy cheeks tell otherwise.” Jimin laughs, but he thankfully leaves it at that. There’s no reason under this sun that Jimin ever has to find out about Jungkook’s teen crush on Edward Cullen.

Another effort into spending some time together despite all the studying was bringing back movie night.

Tonight, they’re watching Avengers Infinity War. Again. Jimin picked the movie last time, so today is Jungkook’s pick, and he always picks Marvel, so Jimin should really just revoke Jungkook’s movie pick rights, but he’s too smitten to do that, really.

He does love how Jungkook always finds something new to comment about the movies, a new small detail, something he picked up on a YouTube review video, whatever it may be. So here they are, huddled together on the couch, Jimin sitting sideways with his legs over Jungkook’s lap. He’s not interested enough in a movie he’s already watched 873240 times to sit facing the TV. Jungkook doesn’t seem to be paying too much attention this time, either, he keeps picking at his lip piercing, quietly.

“I can hear you think from here, Jungkookie.” Jimin prods, kicking his feet just to annoy him.

Jungkook finally drops his hand from where he was still fiddling with his piercing and folds them over Jimin’s thighs “Can I ask you something, hyung?”

“Of course, Kookie, what is it?” Jimin asks, pet name slipping out naturally, like it always does. It used to make Jungkook squirm a lot, but now he just blushes quietly.

“It’s a little embarrassing, though…” he whines. Jimin only stares encouragingly (read: expectantly) until Jungkook gives in and huffs “Alright! I was just… curious, as usual. You said you don’t feed on humans, right? But have you ever?”

If Jimin is taken aback by the question, he doesn’t show it. He also fights the instinct to immediately go hide in the bathroom, which is something he’s getting so much better at. Turns out it does feel incredibly nice to share all these bits of his… hidden life with Jungkook.

“I haven’t, no. Even though human blood is more compatible with our bodies and takes less energy to assimilate, thus giving us more energy overall. The key point is that you can’t really just… go up to someone and drink from them, right? It takes trust and knowledge and all that, and I never really… had anyone, nor needed or wanted to, I guess.”

“Not even your past boyfriend?”

“Well, you are the first non-vampire person I told this to. I never told him, I was too scared. So no, I haven’t, why? Were you really that nervous just to ask about that?”

It’s always surprising how well Jimin can read him.

“No, I was just… wondering if that’s something you’d do, like— or wanted to? Because I’m curious about it.” Jungkook tells the floor, then shoots Jimin a pointed but furtive look.

“Curious about wha— No, wait. Are you saying you’re curious about what being bitten is like?” Jimin asks, a little incredulous “As in, me feeding on you?!”

“If it’s too weird, you can just tell me.” Jungkook sulks, curling in on himself. “I thought this was a judgement-free zone.”

“Oh my god, you’re too cute!” Jimin laughs, grabbing onto Jungkook’s upper arm and shaking him. “No, it’s not weird— well, it is weird in general, it’s not like we’re having a normal conversation,” Jimin chuckles, then continues more seriously “but you asking isn’t. I was just surprised, is all… Aren’t you afraid, though?”

“Of what, you hurting me? No, I trust you.” Jungkook says simply. Like it really is so simple, the trust he has in Jimin.

“Ah, well-” Jimin cuts himself off, contemplating “Um, if you’re okay with it, I’m okay with doing it as well, I guess… I just want you to know a little more before. You wanna do it now?”

“You hungry?” Jungkook teases with a smile, and Jimin rolls his eyes “No, but… yeah, seems like a moment as good as any.” Jungkook says, and then gasps “Wait, I haven’t even seen your teeth yet!” Jungkook exclaims excitedly.

“But you have! When I first told you and you asked for “evidence”.” Jimin says, using his fingers as air quotes.

“You think I was able to process anything that early in the game?! I only saw two pointy canines and that was it! C’mon, show me those teeth.” Jungkook demands.

“Okay, but please don’t… I mean— I couldn’t bear it if you looked scared or anything of the sort, can you please promise me that?”

“Of course, hyung. It’s just teeth, right? There’s people who get, like, vampire teeth prosthetics, you know?”

“I know, but this isn’t prosthetics, this is real. They’re real and they could kill.”

“Hyung, anyone could kill. I’ve seen you holding and using knives, and I didn’t faint at the sight, did I? I mean, unless you don’t want to show them. We really don’t have to do this at all if you’re not comfortable.”

“…You do have a point. And this is something I… have always been curious about, too, so I do want to do it. Maybe it’ll be even less awkward to talk about after we get all of this out of the way, right?” Jimin admits with a comforting, if shy, smile. “Alright, here goes nothing. Look away for a second?”

“Sure.” Jungkook does look away, and he can’t deny his heart is racing a little. Maybe it was all the build up from Jimin’s hesitancy, but he’s a little nervous now, as this is a pretty big deal for the both of them. It’s a whole new level of intimacy between them, especially for Jimin.

“You can look now.” Jimin says, and Jungkook can’t help but notice a very small, very cute lisp. Jungkook raises his eyes back to Jimin’s face.

Jimin’s looking back at him, mouth closed and teeth perfectly concealed. When Jungkook raises his eyebrows at Jimin in a “so?” gesture, Jimin’s only answer is to roll his eyes with a huff and a small, close-lipped grin, and then to break out into a big smile.

A smile that doesn’t really reach his eyes, because he’s not actually smiling, Jungkook realises, but showing off his teeth. Jungkook sees how his canines are much longer than they usually are. Sharp, like his smile. Like his eyes. A little bit like a cat’s? He certainly didn’t expect them to be so pointed.

Jungkook’s mesmerised. Somehow, they look just right.

“Here they are, hope you’re not disappointed!” Jimin says through his smile before relaxing his face, as if speaking through gritted teeth. Jungkook huffs out a laugh at how silly Jimin can be, even at times like these. It definitely makes things less awkward, gives him the courage to scoot a little closer to Jimin.

Jungkook raises his hand as if to touch Jimin’s cheek.

“Can I?” he then asks, wide eyes still fixed on Jimin’s lips, hand poised next to his face. Jungkook thought the teeth would stick out a little bit into Jimin’s plump lower lip, but they’re completely concealed when Jimin closes his mouth. He finds he’s a little disappointed, for some reason.

“Sure”, Jimin says, voice soft, smile softer. Simple. Jungkook’s hand rests on Jimin’s cheek as his thumb prods at his upper lip. Jimin then parts his mouth slightly, allowing Jungkook to lift his upper lip and get a closer look at his teeth.

Jimin tries not to think too much about how close they are and where Jungkook is touching him, but he feels warm all over, red blooming on his cheeks.

“They’re really sharp! And long! They look more like a cat’s than I was expecting.” Jungkook narrates excitedly, and Jimin could almost laugh at how he feels like he’s in a nature documentary, but at the moment Jimin only hopes Jungkook is focused enough on his teeth to overlook how red and warm his face is. Jungkook finally leans back a little, and his wide, sparkling eyes meet Jimin’s. He looks eager, excited.

“You sure you still want me to feed on you? These” Jimin points at his teeth “go in your neck, you know? Are you really sure?” Jimin asks, tilting his face to the side so that Jungkook’s thumb slips out, and he looks a little bewildered. Jungkook leaves his warm hand on his cheek a second too long, withdrawing it slowly like it physically pains him to do so.

“Yeah.” Jungkook clears his throat. “Yeah, I’m sure. I just have one question, though.” Jungkook adds, raising up one finger as he does.

“Go ahead.” Jimin nods.

“So, like, you’re a vampire, right? You use your teeth to draw blood and then drink it, correct?” Jungkook asks.

“Pretty much, yes. We also produce this venom that makes the bite painless and can even make it feel a little good, from what I heard.” Jimin explains.

“Oh, really? That’s interesting! It’s like a mosquito… That explains why you talk so tiny and annoying, it’s like a mosquito up in everyone’s ear.” Jungkook says, nodding profusely like he’s suddenly had an eureka moment.

“Yah, you’re really such a brat! I’m a scary predator, you know?” Jimin laughs brightly, slapping Jungkook’s chest.

“Oh? So are mosquitoes, Jimin-ssi. You guys really do have so much in common… Did you know they are the main death cause for humans? Now that’s a scary predator who feeds on blood.” Jungkook points out smartly, giving Jimin a side eye, and Jimin is losing it, falling back into the couch laughing. Jungkook smiles fondly too.

“Mosquitoes!” Jimin wheezes through his laugh, sitting up.

“Yeah, you’re just… teethier and sexier.” Jungkook says matter of factly.

“Sexier?!”

“You’re surprised you’re sexier than a mosquito? We have to work on your self-confidence.” Jungkook announces seriously, a stern line appearing between his eyebrows, one Jimin loves so much.

“We can’t have a single serious conversation, I swear.” Jimin is wiping tears from his eyes. “I don’t think you’ve asked your question yet, even.”

“Ah, that’s right! I was going to ask if you guys like— pierce the skin and then suck the blood out or just use your teeth like juice straws, you know?”

Jimin looks shocked for a second, blinking rapidly before he falls onto Jungkook in laughter again “Straws?! Really?” Jimin practically wails for a second time.

“Yes, straws, Jimin. Are your teeth hollow like a straw? Are they, or are they not?” He says, prodding at Jimin’s sides.

“Why don’t you find out for yourself?” Jimin teases back cheekily after he’s recovered, smile so bright.

“Guess I’ll have to. I bet it’s straws and you’re just too embarrassed to admit it. Tell me about the venom thingy.” Jungkook demands, kicking his feet and softly slapping his hands over Jimin’s knees repeatedly

“Well, it’s a little like a local anaesthetic, I guess. Numbs the area as our teeth make contact with it and releases endorphins and other chemicals. Nothing bad, don’t worry. And it’s really just a little bit. I think it’s quite a smart system, actually. That way we’re not hurting our prey.” Jimin explains, throwing Jungkook a meaningful look and a tiny jab at the word prey.

“And what about the teeth marks? Does it leave wounds, are they small or big… what about those?” Jungkook asks.

“I can’t believe I almost forgot about that.” Jimin blinks in disbelief “Well, the venom takes care of that, too. It speeds the healing process, so for such small wounds, they close up in a few hours, at worst. Depends.”

“Depends?”

“Well, yes. It depends on a lot of things. How much venom is used, the size of the wound, and your own defences. How you take to the venom, and so on.” Jimin continues explaining.

Jungkook considers all the new information for a bit, then gestures for Jimin to sit up, brings his fluffy-socked feet up onto the couch and turns sideways towards Jimin, crossing his legs in front of him and mimicking Jimin’s own position, so that they’re facing each other.

“Let’s do this, then.” He says brightly.

Jimin eyes him seriously, laughter gone from his face. “Are you sure you want to do this, Jungkook-ah?”

“For the millionth time, one hundred percent, hyung.” Jungkook answers, equally as serious. Jimin stares at him for a little while longer, the movie still quietly droning on in the background, then nods and leans in, closer to Jungkook, their crossed knees pressed together.

“Can I?” Jimin whispers.

“‘Course, sorry. You’re going for the neck, right?” Jungkook asks, combing his hair away from the side of his neck.

“Yes, I’ll be biting this artery right here” Jimin says, pointer finger prodding at a spot nearly at the base of Jungkook’s neck, beneath the junction between Jungkook’s jaw and ear. “Is that okay?”

Jungkook giggles at Jimin’s touch, sensitive and ticklish. “If it tickles, I just want you to know I take no responsibility for any physical damage I may inflict onto your person.” Jungkook says, nose scrunching over a cute smile.

“I can’t believe you’re more worried over it tickling you than me, oh, I don’t know, draining you dry and killing you.” Jimin jokes. Jungkook makes a noncommittal face and sweeps at the air in front of him in an as if gesture. “But I’ll do my best. Ready?” Jimin finally asks.

At his nod, Jimin leans in, Jungkook baring his neck to him instinctively and shivering when he feels Jimin’s breath fan over his sensitive neck. Jimin places one hand on the nape of Jungkook’s neck and the other on his knee, supporting himself as he closes in.

Jungkook smells good. Jimin sees him swallow a little nervously, gives him time to adjust to having Jimin so close, so right there. He noses at him lightly and Jungkook’s knee twitches involuntarily. Jimin is stalling, he knows, but he can’t help it. First, he’s nervous — he’s really never done this before. He knows it’s safe, but he’s still scared Jungkook will find it weird and morbid and horrible and reject him. Secondly… Well, it’s not everyday he gets to be so close to Jungkook, breathe him in.

“Are you done with the foreplay yet, Dracula?” Jungkook huffs out in annoyance at Jimin’s hesitance, and Jimin falls further into his neck with a giggle.

“Eager, are we? I’m done, yes. Was just trying to be delicate, aish…. Ready?” Jimin asks again, almost nervously. At Jungkook’s soft yeah, Jimin finally parts his lips, letting his teeth sink into Jungkook’s delicious-smelling skin. Jungkook gasps and brings his hands up to fist on Jimin’s sweater.

Jimin wasn’t lying when he said he had never fed on another human before, but it’s instinctive. Feeding from another person is really not taboo at all, he just had never had the chance to do it before and had never felt the need to, either, despite it being the healthiest choice for a vampire.

Jimin knew it would be different, he had heard about how the blood tastes better and how it is more easily assimilated into the body, enhancing its properties to their bodies as well.

However, nothing could have prepared him for the feeling of Jungkook’s warm blood filling his mouth. A taste like he’s never tasted before blooms beautifully on his tongue and he swallows it down like he’s just found an oasis in a desert.

Jimin is suddenly reminded of that cliché question interviewers always ask celebrities: “If you had to pick one single food to have for the rest of your life, what would it be?” After this moment, Jimin’s shameless answer would be Jungkook.

Jungkook is having a revelation of sorts himself as Jimin sucks lightly on his neck, thoughts going hazy with it all. He lets his head roll back and pulls Jimin closer by the death grip he still has on Jimin’s sweater. He doesn’t even remember if he ever did ask Jimin if this was going to hurt, but he quickly found out that what he felt when Jimin’s teeth sunk into him was not pain, but pure bliss: eyes falling closed immediately, warmth spreading throughout his body and heartbeat quickening, despite how relaxed he suddenly felt. Is this what drugs feel like? he wonders vaguely. No, this probably feels better. Wait, that makes it worse than drugs.

Jungkook feels it is over too soon when Jimin pulls back a little, warm tongue darting out to lick up the wound left behind, which draws a surprised gasp out of Jungkook and sends shivers down his spine, causing him to arch a little towards Jimin.

Jimin finally lifts his head from Jungkook’s neck and lets it fall back while he licks from his lips the remaining blood and hums in pleasure. Jungkook swallows heavily while he stares at Jimin, at the long and smooth column of his neck and he wants to bite him back, mark his pretty neck up and— whoa. Whoa! Where did those thoughts come from? Jungkook reels, shaking his head. The venom or whatever must be getting to him, he muses while pushing away any indecent thoughts about Jimin that might threaten to pop up again.

Jimin seems to finally be coming back from his high, relaxing back into his seat. Jungkook suddenly notices he’s still gripping onto Jimin’s sweater, so he too lets go and tries to relax his body. Jimin finally opens his eyes, but he doesn’t look at Jungkook, suddenly super interested in staring at his lap. They sit in silent awkwardness like that for a while until Jungkook can’t take it any more.

“Sooo… I didn’t die! That’s good, right?” Jungkook tries in a cheerful tone, but it comes out a little hoarse. He clears his throat. “Still can’t figure out if they were straws or not, sorry. Guess it’s a fail from a scientific experiment point of view.”

Jimin smiles at Jungkook’s unexpected comment, lightly tapping his leg. Jungkook notices how flushed Jimin looks, lips redder than usual.

“Are you okay?” Jimin then asks, eyebrows knitting a little in worry. “Feel any light-headedness?”

“Yeppers.”

“Yes you feel light-headed?”

“Oh, no, sorry. Yes, I am okay. Dandy. Neat-o.” What am I saying, Jungkook mentally face-palms. It’s like he’s lost the ability to form coherent sentences.

“Okay, so those were a lot of words I never heard coming from you, that’s an interesting side-effect.”

“I think it’s the venom making me a little woozy, sorry. It’s wearing off little by little.”

“Huh, seems like you take well to it, then. Some people seemingly get a small headache after, or get queasy, but it’s over in a flash. I hope I didn’t take too much?”

“I wouldn’t know, if I’m honest, but I don’t think so.” Jungkook then gets up and recklessly raises his arms up. “Mm, nope, no spots in my vision or anything.” Jungkook sits back down at Jimin’s nod of approval. “So, how was it? It was your first time, right?”

“What? Oh, right! Right, yes. It was… different, for sure. Also, um, better.” Jimin fiddles in his seat.

“Better, huh?” Jungkook says proudly, never one to pass up an opportunity to act cocky.

“That’s nothing to brag about, you rascal, we already knew it would taste better than an animal’s blood.”

“I’ve got yummy bluh-uhd, I’ve got yummy bluh-uhd.” Jungkook sing-songs, swaying side to side.

“Ugh, I regret this already, I didn’t consider how annoying you would be about this.” Jimin bemoans, but there’s no bite to it.

Chapter Text

When Jungkook gets home from uni, Jimin is already there.

Not unusual for the day of the week, but it still catches Jungkook a little by surprise, because Jimin is just sitting there, on the couch, apparently doing nothing. Also not unusual, as it’s not that Jimin doesn’t have his unwind time on his phone, like most people do, but he usually does it late into the night, either reading, or playing mobile games, or just doing whatever.

During the day, though, Jimin will be damned if he isn’t constantly doing something he considers productive — and not always in a good way, as Jungkook has noticed.

The guy just can’t relax as long as there’s sun in the sky, and then stays awake into the wee hours as if to avenge the lack of free time he allowed himself during the day.

What makes this a little weird this time, though, is the timing. Jimin is an overachiever, it’s quite unlike him to be so… not-studying right now, when there are so many exams and essays and other unspeakable things alike just around the corner.

Lately, despite the rocky phase in their friendship having passed after Jimin stopped being so self-conscious around Jungkook, Jungkook has been noticing that Jimin seems to not be doing so well. He looks tired and haggard at times, pale and permanently sniffy.

Jungkook put it down to a common cold, as it is getting properly cold, Fall having fully settled in and taken root. He’s taken to making Jimin lemon tea, with honey and cinnamon — he’s heard that’s good for colds.

If nothing else, then it is at least quite delicious and comforting.

Jimin lifts his head from his phone and greets Jungkook warmly.

“Hey, hyung.” Jungkook answers, dropping his bags by the door. He’ll take care of that later, eating comes first. “I’m starving. Have you eaten yet?”

“Go put your stuff away, I’ll make us something to eat.” Jimin says, getting up from the couch and pocketing his phone. He looks pointedly at where Jungkook has just dropped everything he was carrying by the front door.

Jungkook huffs out a yes, mother, but abides nonetheless. He puts all his stuff away in his room, and takes the chance that Jimin is preparing something for them to get his things ready to work on some assignments. As he is quickly placing his canvas back on the easel to work on it once they’re done eating and catching up, he’s startled by the sound of something shattering in the kitchen, followed by Jimin cursing.

“What was that? Are you okay?” Jungkook asks, rushing to Jimin’s side.

“Yeah, just- dropped a bowl. Today I’ve just been-” Jimin’s voice cuts off then, suddenly thick with tears, and he sniffles.

“Hey, hey. Are you hurt? Slow down, it’s okay. You sure you didn’t get hurt?” Jungkook asks again, squatting by Jimin’s side where he’s picking up the thick, jagged pieces of ceramic on the floor. “Let me see your hands.”

“No, I’m fine, really. Just a bowl. It’s just- I’ve had a really long day, and now this, and…” Jimin tells the floor, not lifting his chin from his knees nor his eyes from the broken bowl in his hands. And then he just sobs, trembling with the force of it, broken breaths coming in quicker and quicker.

Jungkook quickly takes everything from Jimin’s hands and drops it in a pile on the floor, away from the both of them to avoid further accidents. He lays a hand on Jimin’s shoulder and tries again, noticing he feels a little cold to the touch.

“Come on, let’s get you to the couch, alright? We can clean up later.”

Jimin heaves out an okay, nods shakily and gets up awkwardly, still mostly hiding his tears from Jungkook. Jungkook wraps his arm around Jimin’s shoulders and lets him curl up into him a little as he guides them to the couch.

“There we go. Didn’t know you were that emotionally attached to that bowl, hm?” Jungkook tries to joke to lighten the mood a little.

He’s usually really awkward around people when they cry. He never knows what to say, and when he does have something to say, he always wonders if that will only make the person sadder or angry.

So he usually just stands there, looking at them wide-eyed and fiddling with his hands.

It’s always been different with Jimin, though. Perhaps because they clicked from the start, but also because Jimin has offered his own shoulder to cry on before and has always been an immensely comforting presence, ever since he walked into his life.

It feels only natural to Jungkook to reciprocate and be the same for him when he needs him to. It also helps that Jungkook cares deeply for Jimin and never wants to see him hurt, of course. Jungkook’s weirdly protective of him, despite knowing Jimin is the hyung and is quite capable of handling his own.

It’s not news that Jungkook has changed a lot ever since he met his hyungs. Inside, he feels the same — and probably his personality hasn’t changed at all — but he is a lot more comfortable in expressing himself and his emotions, as well as handling other people’s and taking care of them. He assimilated that from each of them.

Hoseok’s innate ability to brighten up any situation, Taehyung’s playfulness and devil-may-care attitude, Namjoon’s rationale, morality and unique outlook, Yoongi’s quiet thoughtfulness and sound advice, Seokjin’s somehow laid-back and chaotic energy that matches the youngest ones, as well as his never-ending kindness and assuredness. Jimin’s love, care, and hard-work he pours into all he does, even his friendships.

Jungkook has grown from them and with them, and from how much he loves all his hyungs, who also care and love him deeply.

So when Jimin breaks down crying like this, he can’t help it but go to him and show as much care and love as Jimin has always shown him.

It does break Jungkook’s heart to see Jimin like this, and he still feels at a loss, but he knows now that offering his comforting words, hugging Jimin, and listening to what he has to say will not hurt him further, but will instead most likely help Jimin feel better. Even if only a little bit.

Jungkook sits close next to Jimin and opens his arms up in a silent invitation, which Jimin gladly takes, falling sideways into Jungkook’s embrace and crying even harder into his chest, giving up on hiding it.

Jungkook has a hunch as to what has been behind this, though…

“Have you been feeding yourself enough?” Jungkook asks gently after a while.

Jimin sniffs sharply, looks up at him and glares a little, red eyed and all.

“You know I have, haven’t been skipping any meals, have I?” Jimin says defensively.

That’s all Jungkook needs to hear to know he’s right. He thought they were over this: Jimin trying so desperately to hide this part of himself. He acts fine one second, going as far as feeding off Jungkook — which, to be fair, Jungkook isn’t sure he’s recovered from yet either, but from different reasons from Jimin’s, he’s sure — to being distant and possibly guilt ridden or self-destructive over the whole thing.

“You know that’s not what I meant. I mean actually feeding. Look, I know I’m not an expert and maybe you don’t even want to hear this from me, but I don’t think you should starve yourself like that. It can’t be good. Where will you get your energy from? Have you even been sleeping? It surely messes with all that.” Jungkook says honestly.

Jimin sighs and rubs at his face with both hands.

“You’re right. And I know it, it’s just…” he trails off.

“Just…? You’re not, like. Ashamed of feeding or anything, are you? Now that I know.”

Jimin looks up at him at that, still slumped over himself, elbows on his knees.

“You see…” Jimin starts “Before, I would go and do my thing and not even think about it. Now that you know, though, it’s like- I know you’ll know what I’m going to do, and I can’t bring myself to do it. And it’s not your fault, not at all! Don’t think that for a second, I do not regret telling you at all. It’s a me problem, I guess. Jimin and his insecurities.” Jimin scoffs, eyes still red.

Jungkook just hums, eyebrows furrowed in worry. He brings one of his hands up to fiddle with his lip piercing.

“But that can’t do. You have to eat. To feed, I mean, sorry.” Jungkook then turns to face Jimin better on the couch “Is that why you broke down?”

Jimin is silent for a beat before he answers.

“I honestly just had a long day…”

“Wanna tell me about it?”

“Please…” Jimin almost sighs, sinks into Jungkook’s side at the same time, who welcomes in with an arm around his shoulder again. Then he talks, unwinding slowly. “Remember that paper I have been working on for uni? I was just… so excited about it and happy with how it turned out. I know it is good and I worked my ass off on it, because it’s something I want to talk about and to investigate further. And then… yesterday I submitted a draft to my professor for guidance on this tricky bit I was stuck on — I would probably have to do some more field work to make it work — and she said- She didn’t say it was bad, but she might as well have.” Jimin takes a shaky breath, then a shakier one. Jungkook squeezes Jimin’s arm in reassurance.

“You know when you’re really excited about something you’ve worked hard on, and then when you show it to people they look disappointed in it?” Jimin continues, “It was just…yeah. Now I have to redo it too, so yay for that as well. I just wanna curl up and sleep for a month and not have a single worry about anything.” Jimin says, curling further into Jungkook, who reaches over and pokes at Jimin’s thighs until he gets the message and throws both his legs over Jungkook’s lap, Jungkook hugging him closer and hooking his chin over Jimin’s head.

“What you need is a good cuddle session.” Jungkook announces, rubbing Jimin’s back. Jimin lets himself keep crying quietly into Jungkook’s chest, who occasionally rubs his chin softly into Jimin’s hair, or rubs his back.

After a few minutes and after Jimin has finally stopped crying and now just lays with his eyes closed, hugged against Jungkook’s chest, a deep sigh escaping him occasionally, Jungkook brings it up again.

“Jimin.” Jungkook calls softly, not wanting to startle his dear hyung.

“Yeah?” comes Jimin’s muffled answer, who’s way too comfy now to even lift his head.

“Promise me you’ll feed soon? Tonight, even, if possible?” Jungkook asks. Jimin stays silent for a while and Jungkook wonders if he really did fall asleep, until Jimin takes a deep breath and lifts his head from Jungkook’s chest.

“I wish I could, but to be honest, lately I can’t even think about it without feeling queasy. It’s not just that I feel weird and awkward that you know what I’m going to do, but that I also feel a little grossed out by it, suddenly. I don’t know what’s going on.”

Concern flashes though Jungkook, further amplified by his lack of knowledge of vampire physiology. Is that normal? It doesn’t sound normal.

“Well, that’s… Worrying.” Jungkook says, eyebrows furrowed in worry and confusion. He doesn’t say anything else, lost in thought. Jimin hums, curls back into him and closes his eyes again.

After a few more moments, Jungkook breaks the silence again.

“Well, that one time you said… you said it was good, right?” Jungkook almost mumbles, clearly embarrassed. “So— Would you prefer it if it was from me? What I mean is-”

“I know what you mean.” Jimin cuts off, “We can’t, Jungkook.” Jimin states emotionlessly into his chest.

“Why not?” Jungkook asks honestly. Jimin lifts his head off Jungkook’s chest again, but doesn’t meet Jungkook’s eyes, eyes trained on his lap.

“Well, it’s not that we can’t, it’s just that we shouldn’t.” Jimin tells his legs.

“Hm, no? I can’t see why n- Well. I can, yes. If you fed on me everyday, it could become a problem for me, blood loss can’t do me good, I’m sure, but… That’s not what we’re gonna do, right? Besides, being properly fed and sleeping well is important in keeping your anxiety in check as well, and it seems to me like you’re a little burnt out at the moment. That could be causing the loss of appetite, maybe? If we get you to get some blood into you, maybe you’ll get your appetite back, right?” Jungkook beams, proud of his reasoning, digging his fingers into Jimin’s sides jokingly. Jimin squeaks and elbows Jungkook on the ribs in reply, but he does seem to at least be thinking it over.

“…I guess you’re not wrong, but we are so not making a habit of this.” Jimin finally abides, eyes serious.

“Okay! Let’s do this, then.” Jungkook says, and slaps Jimin’s thighs.

“Now?!” Jungkook replies by wordlessly baring his neck for Jimin. He sniffles a bit, but seems to get the idea as he repositions and noses lightly at Jungkook’s neck, asking in a tiny voice “You sure?”

“Positive. It made you feel good last time, right? I’m sure it’ll make you feel better now.” Jungkook whispers back, reassuring.

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

Jimin pulls back at that to throw a deadpan stare Jungkook’s way.

“What do you get out of this?” Jimin squints, and Jungkook flushes.

“A happier roommate?” he tries. Jimin is still staring sceptically. “Fine, I enjoy it as well. And it helps me sleep.”

“It does?”Jimin asks, a little surprised.

“Mhm, it did last time. Must be the venom.”

“Alright, then. I’ll allow it.”

“Oh, will you? I feel like I should be the one doing the allowing here, seeing as I’m the one getting bitten by a scary predator.” Jungkook teases back.

“I’ll just leave then.” Jimin says and starts pulling back to climb out of Jungkook’s lap. Jungkook pulls him back against himself, perhaps with a little more strength than necessary, because Jimin gasps.

“Where do you think you’re going, mister? Cuddle session not over yet.”

“Not going anywhere” Jimin practically breathes into Jungkook’s neck with how close Jungkook has pulled him. “It’s not like you would let me, anyway, you muscle man.”

“Hey, come on, don’t ruin my nice guy image.” Jungkook complains in fake grief, dragging a chuckle out of Jimin.

“I’ll ruin mine, then.” Jimin says, and bites Jungkook.

Jungkook feels that delicious little sting of pain shoot down his spine once again, feels how it quickly transforms into a sensation of pleasure as soon as Jimin’s venom kicks in to erase the pain. He breathes in sharply through his nose as Jimin sucks softly and another wave leaves him feeling all tingly and woozy.

It’s over much faster than Jungkook hoped for, but Jimin seems to have gotten his fill. His cheeks have a healthier look to them, and he seems to have gained colour.

“So? How do you feel?” Jungkook asks expectantly, if a little breathless, after he’s gathered himself enough to form words. Jungkook doesn’t know if it’s how much healthier and alive Jimin looks after feeding, or if it’s the venom doing its job, but Jungkook finds that this time he has to once again shake images off his head of kissing Jimin silly.

His lips just look so damn kissable, and they were just latched onto his neck, drinking his blood. That would do things to anyone’s psyche.

“…”

“You do feel better, don’t you?”

“Fine! I do feel a lot better already.” Jimin admits begrudgingly, rolling his eyes. Looks like he also got his attitude back. Jungkook smiles. “Thank you, Jungkook-ah. Did you get sleepy, too?”

“Huh?”

“You said you slept really well, that other time.”

“Oh, yeah! Yeah. I definitely feel more relaxed already. Anxiety and tightness free from my muscles, see? Why do yoga when you can get your vampire room-mate to su- uh… Suck your blood. That sounds so dirty, doesn’t it?” Jungkook cringes.

Jimin raises his eyebrows at Jungkook, lips pursed, but doesn’t dignify him with an answer.

“Well, anyway, now that we’ve properly mourned the bowl, I’m gonna get us that snack.” Jungkook continues, not wanting it to get awkward. He pats Jimin’s legs, and he gets the signal, slipping them off Jungkook’s lap.

“You’ll take care of the food? Alright, I’ll clean up the mortal remains on the floor.”

“Rest in peace in pieces.” Jungkook comments solemnly, and Jimin chuckles airily. He really seems a lot better already, and Jungkook’s heart tightens in his chest at the thought that he was able to help with that.

After cleaning up and eating together, they do get a cuddle session. Jungkook has convinced Jimin to put a pause on his studies for the day, as the guy was about to launch into rewriting his entire paper, and just chilling for the rest of the evening. They’re both big fans of night-ins and staying at home, but with the amount of that they’ve been doing lately for school, Jimin actually proposes they go out for a walk outside after dinner — even if Jungkook gets sleepier by the second, courtesy of Jimin. He wasn’t lying, after all, he did sleep great.

“You’re so warm, constantly. Are you the sun?” Jimin jokes after a few minutes of them just walking side by side in the brisk Autumnbreeze, Jimin huddled into Jungkook, smiling a little lopsidedly.

Jungkook doesn’t say anything, just loops his arm through Jimin’s and brings him even closer to keep him warm, but the question bounces around his head enough for Jungkook to twist it around.

Jungkook does not consider himself to be sunny, in any way. That’s more Hoseok’s thing, he thinks. And Yoongi is definitely a moon kind of person. Jungkook is not even very sure what that means, but it makes sense to him.

Jimin is sort of like the moon as well, now that he thinks about it. Not like Yoongi, and not in a introverted, quiet type of way, but in the way that Jimin shines even when there’s only darkness. He’s lovely and bright, even when he has a hidden side he doesn’t show anyone. Jungkook wonders where Jimin gets all his light from, and hopes it will never go out.

Jungkook sighs, his breath coming out white. It really is that cold already, huh? It feels like just yesterday they were still in the first week of the semester, the summer heat dredging out its last hurrahs before pitter-pattering off into rainier days, draining the green off the leaves with it.

“What’s on your mind?” Jimin suddenly asks when he notices Jungkook’s taciturnity. They’re walking towards a small park, an oasis in the middle of all the apartment complexes in this residential area.

“How our breaths are visible because of the cold. I always found that fascinating, for some reason.”

“Huuh, I thought your answer would be more interesting, you looked so pensive…” Jimin complains, and Jungkook elbows him in the ribs playfully.

“Hey! I’m sleepy, my brain can only produce so many interesting thoughts.”

“Annd may I know what got you so sweepy-weepy?” Jimin asks in a faux coquette tone. He kind of pulls it off, especially with the way he blinks up at Jungkook and pouts.

“Don’t ever say sweepy-weepy again.” Jungkook grimaces, but grants him an answer anyway. “I got a full tummy from dinner, so I got sleepy.”

“Oh, is that it? Such a simple reason, you’re just like a baby.” Jimin teases.

“Hey, what does that even mean?”

“Baby got sleepy cus he ate a big, warm meal and now he needs his nappy.”

“Well, you were all grumpy and mope-y because you hadn’t eaten properly in days, and now that you have you’re all chirpy and annoying, what does that say about you, huh?” Jungkook argues.

“Touché, mon cher.” Jimin admits, and Jungkook punches the air in victory. Jimin then goes on, suddenly inspired by their conversation. “You know, the older I get, the more I realise adults really just aren’t all that I thought they were as a kid. Kids look up to adults as people who have their life together, who do scary things with no fear, who are responsible… at least I did. But now… Now I’m twenty-three, twenty one in international age, and I’m a proper adult, right? I can see now that that was all bullshit, everyone is just sort of winging it and we are so afraid of every little thing the anxiety is crushing.”

“I know what you mean, I feel it too. I used to be afraid of growing up, but you never really do. You mature, sure, but you still carry all these little yous inside. The thirteen year old in me still goes haywire whenever a new Spider-Man movie is announced, and the five year old in me gets so excited whenever I step on a really crunchy leaf. You never really stop being a kid. I think that’s a good thing.”

“Yeah, you’re right… I thought as I grew up I would let go of all my insecurities and fears, I thought I would never cry for stupid, small reasons, but that’s all still here, too, even if a little different, even if a little changed by life experience. Maybe it’s not so bad, as you said.”

“Is this about how upset you are about that paper?” Jungkook tries.

“Fuck that paper…” Jimin says, drawing a surprised laugh out of Jungkook. They’re already in the park, and Jimin angrily takes a seat on a wooden bench, Jungkook following his lead. “I worked so hard on it, I really want to explore this investigation and dig deeper.”

“Then do. What did the professor say, exactly?”

“She said she didn’t really have anything good to say, and looked disappointed. Said she expected better from me.”

Jungkook scoffs. “What an asshole thing to say… That’s a teacher? No constructive criticism, just ‘I expected better from you’? God!”

“Yeah, that’s true, isn’t it? She didn’t exactly tell me what was wrong…”“Are you still going to change the subject of your paper and start from scratch?”

“Honestly? No, I won’t. I’ll stick with it. I’ll let a day or two go by, focus on other things, and then go over it, read it from start to finish and check where it needs to be reworked.” Jimin says with newfound determination.

“Hell yeah! And even if she still isn’t impressed, what matters is that you know you did a good job and are happy with it. I apply that same logic to my art classes. Except when the teachers know what they’re doing. In this case, though, I think you were just unlucky with who’s teaching that class. Don’t let her get to you.”

“You know what, Jungkookie? I’m glad I dropped that godforsaken bowl and broke down over it.” Jimin tells him resolutely.

“Well, I’m not, I liked that bowl…” Jungkook pouts, earning himself a light smack from Jimin. “Nah, I’m glad too, I promise. By the way, this is such the perfect setting for deep conversations, isn’t it? C’mon, tell me your deepest fears, Jimin-ah.” he prods.

“You know what? Why not.” Jimin says, surprising Jungkook. ”I’ve actually recently realised that what I fear is not death.” Jimin continues “It’s not dying. It will happen and that will be it. No, what I really fear is old age. Feeling close to death and looking back at my life and regretting things, you know? Not having enjoyed it.” he says, eyes downcast, lips pursed.

“Jimin-ah, that’s… really sad, honestly.” Jungkook says, a little surprised at Jimin’s sudden vulnerability.

Jimin smiles then, a bitter one. “Keeps me awake at night. How much we keep ourselves from what we want. How much we may come to regret it.”

“Does this happen often? These thoughts keeping you up at night?” Jungkook asks, carefully watching Jimin, the way he lets his head fall back and how his hair sweeps back with the movement, softly caressing his face as it goes.

“Well,” Jimin finally answers, tilting his head to the side to send Jungkook a sidelong, frosty look. “What would you consider as often?”

That tells Jungkook all he needs to know.

Jungkook considers what Jimin just admitted to him. A few months ago, Jungkook wouldn’t have been able to say anything back to what Jimin just told him, and would simply have offered his ear and time for Jimin to vent. And maybe that would have been enough for Jimin, but Jungkook is now comfortable enough with himself and cares too much to carry on his day knowing that Jimin will lay awake at night and think about his own death and mourn a life not enjoyed while in his twenties.

Not on his watch, for sure.

“Jimin, I want you to promise me, when you feel like this, no matter where you are, what time it is, you come to me. You call me. If you don’t want to, you don’t even have to tell me what’s going on and we will just chat, but if you do, we will go out there and do something that will remind you you’re alive. Anything you want. Something that when you’re gray and old you’ll look back to and remember why you don’t regret a single second of your life. Okay?”

“Um.” Jimin is looking at Jungkook wide-eyed, clearly taken aback. “I didn’t expect for you to take that so seriously, I don’t… even know what to say.” he then chuckles, trying to disperse the sudden mood.

“Say you promise. And mean it.” Jungkook reasserts.

“Man, you’re intense. But, okay… Are you sure, though? I’d be waking you up in the middle of the night…”

“I mean, you’ll be losing sleep and being pissy to me in the morning, so it’s a win for me too if me distracting you from those thoughts makes you sleep better.” Jungkook shrugs, and then dodges Jimin’s onslaught attack of chest slaps.

“You have a way about you, you know? A real sweet and caring friend one second, a brat the other.” Jimin complains with no real feeling behind it.

“It’s my innate charm, what can I say.”

“Sure, weirdo.”

“Just actually pinky promise me you won’t shy away from waking me up or, quote unquote, bothering me when you’re feeling like that. I promise you back that I will feel a million times worse knowing you were feeling like shit and didn’t ask for anyone’s help.”

Jimin considers him for a moment, then brings up his hand, pinkie finger held up. Jungkook smiles and links their fingers together.

“I pinky promise I will try my best to do that, as long as I see that it isn’t bringing you any distress. Alright?”

“It won’t, so I’ll agree to the terms.”

“We got a deal.” Jimin smiles, his eyes smiling with him in a way that warms Jungkook from the inside out.

“Nice doing business with you.”

That very same night, Jimin sleeps like an angel. He doesn’t have trouble falling asleep alone in his own bed, and doesn’t have any worries or fears plaguing him. He guesses the earnest heart-to-heart with Jungkook put his mind at ease, planting in his mind images of happy times with Jungkook, what fun experiences they could have together that would make his life memorable. He falls asleep with a soft smile on his face.

It doesn’t last forever, of course, as the following night finds Jimin slipping into Jungkook’s bed in the middle of the night, once again drowning in fear and anxiety for future losses, fear of a life in which he ends up alone, and so, so lonely.

Jungkook welcomes him with open arms and immediately tangles with Jimin beneath the covers. He barely wakes up, really, awake enough only to sleepily mumble to Jimin if he wants to talk. Jimin doesn’t, content enough with having such a cute and sleepy Jungkook all to himself for the night that all the darkness slips away, and he sleep war and safe in Jungkook’s arms.

It ends up becoming a frequent occurrence, to the point that Jimin sleeps more often in Jungkook’s bed than his own. To the point that Jimin doesn’t even change his bed covers weekly any more.

***

They are now officially in December, only a couple of weeks before the end-of-year holidays and, well, the actual end of the year.

“And you know what that means: the most important time of the year! Come on, I wanna hear you say it.” sounds Seokjin’s voice from the laptop they have propped on the kitchen table while they prepare dinner.

They sometimes do this, when they can’t meet for weeks at a time. A Zoom call all together at around dinner time, just to catch up. Some of them actually eat dinner as they chat, others do other chores, Taehyung usually just holds the phone very close to his face, his expression flat, and plays jazz music for all of them, uncaring of how the sound carries over Zoom.

Many times, he will suddenly drop out of the call with no explanation when the conversation gets boring, then begs in the group chat for them to send the invite link again, as he lost it. Jungkook imagines it must be his idea of comedy.

“Christmas?” Jungkook asks, looking over his shoulder at the five squares of faces in the monitor.

“…” Seokjin is clearly unimpressed. He doesn’t even celebrate it.

“New Year’s.” Yoongi says, his voice clear and sharp, courtesy of his state of the art microphone. Jimin giggles right next to Jungkook.

“Oh, I know! Has Thanksgiving passed already? I never know when it is.” Namjoon exclaims before Seokjin can say anything.

“We do not even celebrate-” Seokjin is cut off again, this time by Hoseok.

“Right, right, I know what it is, of course! Our Taehyungie’s birthday!” he announces brightly, and Taehyung rewards everyone with one of his boxy smiles, paired with a hehe and all.

“Oh, very funny! You absolute morons, I know what you’re doing. You know what? I’ll invite my other friends to my birthday party.” Seokjin bellows.

“You have other friends?”

“He does, don’t you check his Instagram? They’re all old men, though, he’s a hit with old folks.”

“Makes sense, they do share a sense of humour, after all.”

“YAH!” Seokjin wails.

That’s how they all find themselves here, at Seokjin’s place again, to celebrate his birthday. They had suggested going out somewhere, but Seokjin insisted on having everything done at his place. As long as Yoongi helped him cook, that is.

“It’s my day, I want to eat good, and the best way to make sure I do so is to make the food myself. After all, I’m a great cook. Am I not? Harmonise with me: yes you are.” Seokjin reasons. Needless to say, no one sings the “yes you are” part with him.

Jungkook was a little offended that Seokjin hadn’t requested his help as well, seeing as he’s gotten so good at cooking too, so he takes it into himself to hole up in the kitchen with them and pick up on as many tasks as he is allowed.

Taehyung and Hoseok made a stellar job setting the table, Taehyung found these funky decorations hidden away in Seokjin’s pantry, and used them all. This means that they’ll be eating out of heart-shaped plates.

“…I see you found the house-warming gift my aunt gave me a few years ago.” is the first thing out of Seokjin’s mouth when he comes out to get a tray and other tableware for the side-dishes, and is handed one big, sort of round ceramic tray, painted and glossed to look like a cabbage. Apparently, one of Seokjin’s aunts has a passion for exuberant and colourful china, and gifts them to family and friends at any opportunity she finds.

The food is delicious, as always. For all he says, it’s clear that Seokjin truly loves them — it’s in the food he cooks for them, and how much love and care goes into it.

Despite this, Jungkook notices Jimin serve himself very small portions and push the food around in his plate. At first, Jungkook assumes he’s too engaged in the conversations going on to eat, but then they’re all done with the main course, and Jimin has not gotten seconds, despite having taken very little food from the start.

Jungkook prods lightly at Jimin’s ribs. He jumps and turns slightly to face Jungkook, who leans in into Jimin’s side and asks quietly “You barely ate, everything okay?”

Jimin blushes when he finds Jungkook so close, then quickly turns back to the table and looks down. Jungkook is close enough to notice how his eyelashes brush his rosy cheeks, the freckles that kiss his nose and dust his cheeks oh so sweetly.

“I’m craving something else today” Jimin whispers. His eyes actually dart to Jungkook and then back down. Jungkook immediately gets the message.

It’s Jungkook’s turn to blush and choke on his own saliva and- oh no, this is how he dies.

Jimin pats him high on the back.

“You okay?” Jimin asks, eyes wide in concern.

The little devil, acting all coy and innocent.

“Yeah. Yeah, we’ll… talk later.” Jungkook says. Nice save. “You should still try to eat, though, you need some food in your stomach for all the alcohol we all know will be coming.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll go crazy with dessert, I promise.”

“Sweet tooth…” Jungkook says, masking it with a well-timed cough.

“What was that, Jungkook-ssi?” Jimin rebuts, shooting Jungkook an askance look.

“Nothing, nothing. Speaking of dessert…” Jungkook then leans closer to him again “Watch this.” Jungkook whispers in Jimin’s ear, and then straightens up and addresses the table. “Hey guys, did you know vegetables don’t actually exist?”

Seokjin stops talking mid-sentence and looks at Jungkook as if he’s grown a second head for a few seconds before barking out a laugh.

“The gall in this guy. Yah, do you think you can get away with not eating your vegetables by saying stuff like that? Vegetables don’t exist…” he scoffs.

“They’re not real?” Taehyung asks in astonishment, looking at Jungkook wide-eyed.

“Yep, they’re made up.”

“Oh yeah, and I just enjoy wasting hours peeling and chopping imaginary things whenever I have you guys over for dinner. Please.” Seokjin shoots back, rolling his eyes.

“Jungkook is actually right with this one.” Namjoon interjects, having already googled it.

“What nonsense are you saying?” Seokjin argues.

Hoseok is watching them argue as he eats, flicking his eyes from one person to the other like he’s watching a tennis match. Jimin and Jungkook share knowing looks, and Jimin is trying his darnedest to hold back giggles.

“It’s true, vegetables are not recognised by botanists as an actual classification for a plant or part of a plant. In a way, every plant is a vegetable, anyway, but the way we refer to them comes from culinary, I think.” Yoongi pitches in, always finding ways to be knowledgeable in more and more surprising ways.

“Those are technicalities, then!” comes Seokjin’s argument, and Yoongi shrugs.

“Then what would you call a carrot or a potato?” Taehyung asks.

“Aren’t those roots?” Namjoon asks back as a way of answering.

“Roots!” Seokjin exclaims, throwing his hands up. “Have you all lost your minds?”

“What about broccoli and eggplants, then?” Taehyung continues.

“Broccoli’s a type of flower, no? I actually have no idea what an eggplant is, a fruit?” Yoongi pipes in, looking to Namjoon for clarification, who shrugs.

“Avocados are berries. And so are bananas.” Jungkook contributes, watching in amusement as Seokjin’s face gets redder and redder.

“They are not! Are you all crazy?!”

“Vegetables aren’t real, hyung, face it.” Jungkook

“Young man, I think you’d rather go back to school and study up on your… your… What is it? Science! Study up on that and then come talk to me about vegetables and whatnot. Honestly, you guys believe this guy? He finds some random fact on the internet and believes it with all his being, but these are all fake news! Lies! He’s feeding you lies and you’re all believing him. Of course vegetables exist! Cauliflower isn’t a flower just because it has flower in its name!”

“Actually—”

“Don’t, Kim Namjoon, just don’t.”

While Seokjin and the rest of the group get engaged in the discussion, Jungkook gestures to Jimin and gets up, surreptitiously leaving the table and heading to the kitchen with Jimin in tow. There, Jungkook rummages through a big paper bag he brought and takes out a pretty cardboard box. He removes the top of it to show Jimin what’s inside.

Jimin peers into it and sees a cake, shaped like a fluffy alpaca.

“You managed to find someone who would do this?!” Jimin asks, surprised.

“Yep. A little last minute, but there’s this cake-art shop downtown that makes stuff like this. I sent them a drawing, and they made it come true! A little pricey, though…”

“Oh, worth every penny, I can’t wait to see the look on his face.” Jimin replies in a hushed tone, as the fighting seems to be subsiding in the room next door. “We’ll all talk money later, so as to distribute it evenly.”

“Help me light the candles first, please. We can turn the box upside down and take the cake on it to the table.”

“Good thinking, the box itself is really pretty as well.”

Thy finish preparing the cake together, giggling at the arguments still flying out at the dinner table, even if it’s just Seokjin, with one of the others occasionally answering. It seems like the argument has evolved to the correct way to peel various kinds of fruits, and what exactly constitutes a fruit at all.

When Jimin and Jungkook finally come out holding the cake, Seokjin cuts off mid-sentence, surprised into silence for a beat.

“Oh my… Oh my! What is this!” he then says “I thought we had agreed on no cake!”

“Come on, we all know that was code for ‘ya’ll better get me the best cake you can get your hands on’.” Taehyung comments, getting up with the rest to sing happy birthday to the birthday boy.

Tearing into the cake gets the champagne flowing and they migrate to the couch. Taehyung then makes the mistake of betting with Seokjin that, while he can’t beat him at Super Mario while they’re both sober, he can do so if they’re both drunk, and a drinking game ensues.

“I’ve actually got an app for that!” Jungkook pipes up, excited to finally use that app he downloaded weeks ago, but also looking forward to watching the chaos that unfolds with a drunk Seokjin and Taehyung enthralled in a competitive match.

“Leave it to the Gen-Zer to rely on apps even for drinking.” Yoongi complains, rolling his eyes.

“Of course grandpa over here would say that. Don’t bother with them old folks.” Seokjin declares “Let’s see it, Jungkook-ah!”

Everyone visibly cringes at Seokjin’s attempt to blend in with the youth, Namjoon in turn showing disapproval at the other’s contempt. The whole thing only further encourages Seokjin.

The night comprises of the whole group huddled around the TV once again, this time not for a movie, but for round after round of Super Mario, of which Seokjin wins the majority of, to Taehyung’s chagrin. The shots he has to take every time he loses paired with the drinking game’s rule Taehyung was cursed with from the start to drink whenever he asks a question, though, has him getting much drunker than they all expected. Especially since Taehyung almost never drinks, due to his low tolerance.

A little over an hour into their competition finds Yoongi running into Seokjin’s laundry area for seemingly no reason. He brings a big bucket-like laundry basket with him, just in time for Taehyung to hurl his stomach’s contents (extremely diluted by all the alcohol) into the bucket.

Jimin is immediately on him, hugging him from the back and holding back his hair. Yoongi, the most responsible when it comes to situations like these, forces Taehyung to down a few sips of water.

“Mm, no more.” Taehyung moans into the bucket, refusing drinking the rest of the water.

“Jimin-ah, make sure he keeps his back straight.” Yoongi suggests. Jimin does so, pushing Taehyung up from the chest with Hoseok’s help. The movement must make everything spin in Taehyung’s poor brain, because it has him immediately puking more.

It goes on like that for over an hour, with them taking turns watching and helping Jimin hold Taehyung, and Taehyung puking a little more every 20 minutes. Yoongi keeps trying to get him to drink as much water as possible, but Taehyung is too far gone to see the benefit.

“Hashtag my bucket.” Taehyung declares sloppily, hugging the laundry basket to his chest.

“That’s right, Taehyungie. I don’t want to see that god damn bucket ever again, feel free to take it home with you.” Seokjin answers.

“Hyung, how can you keep drinking while Taehyung is so sick?” Jimin calls, dumbfounded.

“Easy. I’m not sick.” Yoongi shrugs with a lopsided smile.

“If hyung can drink, so can I.” Jungkook challenges with a toothy grin, already expecting Jimin’s disapproving look as he rubs Taehyung’s back. Jungkook raises his eyebrows at the same time as he raises the bottle to his lips and takes a swig. Jimin huffs in exasperation and unexpectedly grabs for Jungkook’s bottle, drinking every last drop of it.

Jungkook feels his heart thud in his chest.

***

“You’re so warm”. Jimin whispers into Jungkook’s neck. He can feel his skin getting moist in the area where Jimin keeps breathing into.

“I’m burning”

They get home from the birthday party way tipsier than they thought, Jungkook carrying Jimin for no other reason but to prove that he can.

Jimin had tried to pick Jungkook up back at Seokjin’s and failed miserably, and Jungkook’s brain may be a little muddled from the alcohol, but it never fails to pick up on a golden chance to tease his tiny hyung. Once they were on their own apartment floor, Jungkook wrapped his arms around Jimin’s middle and hoisted him up. Jimin yelped, but still naturally wrapped his legs around Jungkook’s waist to hold on to, arms gripping his shoulders.

It’s nearly 4AM. Taehyung stayed over at Seokjin’s, too tired after all the puking and embarrassment following his sobering up to even consider making the trip back home. Some of the guys still stayed for a late-night watch party of

“Jungkook, I get it, you work out. Now put me down.” Jimin bangs away at Jungkook’s arms after he’s had to fumble through opening their front door like this.

As if that would ever deter Jungkook.

“Hmm…” he says in deep thought “No.” Jungkook then answers with finality.

Jimin sighs, holding on to Jungkook tighter in fear of falling — he doesn’t trust his reflexes very much right now, nor Jungkook’s, with all the alcohol in their systems.

Jungkook steps on the back of his own shoes to take them off without having to let Jimin down. Jimin decides to throw caution to the wind now that they’re inside and kicks his legs to try and throw Jungkook off-balance to get him to finally let him go. Of course, it doesn’t work. Jungkook just hoists him up higher and starts spinning them around, cackling maniacally.

Jimin lets out a squeal and a surprised peal of laughter follows. “Seriously, put me down, we’re both gonna fall!”

Jungkook just starts spinning them in the opposite direction.

“I will bite you and drain all your blood if you don’t put me down!” Jimin threatens.

Jungkook laughs, disbelieving, “I know you won’t.”

“Yeah, I will!” Jimin answers petulantly, and clamps his blunt human teeth into Jungkook’s soft skin, letting out a pretend scary growl. Jungkook shivers a little in surprise, but starts spinning the other way again tauntingly, laughing harder at Jimin’s antics.

Jimin bites a little harder before letting go.

“I’ll bite for real.” he warns.

“Oh no, I’m so scaaared.” Jungkook keeps teasing, going as far as to lean his head to the side as encouragement to Jimin’s not-so-empty threats.

“You should be.” Jimin says, going for a different tactic, one he wouldn’t go for if not for the drunkenness making him bolder. He presses his nose against Jungkook’s neck. “You smell so good. I could just eat you right up.” he whispers lowly, and Jimin notices goosebumps break out across Jungkook’s skin.

“Don’t threaten me with a good time.” Jungkook chuckles, and his grip tightens on Jimin’s thighs, only encouraging Jimin further. Jungkook can suddenly feel his own face grow hotter at how flirtatious he just sounded, and the fact that he is still carrying Jimin bridal style, tightly, only amps it up. He looks down at Jimin, notices his half-lidded eyes, how close they are, and finds that he likes it. Likes Jimin’s attention all on him like this. He realises that he’s always craved it.

Jimin must notice a change in him, as well, because his lips curl up slightly and he holds ever tighter onto Jungkook.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Jimin then mutters darkly, but breathlessly, sinking sharp teeth, much sharper than before, into the same place he was nosing at moments ago, and Jungkook isn’t laughing any more. He lets out a choked gasp as the venom kicks in, which is always a pleasurable experience, quite frankly. Jungkook hugs Jimin even closer to himself in fear of dropping him, and feels his back fall back into the front door as his legs buckle a little at a particularly hard suck from Jimin, eyes falling closed at the sensation.

It’s like something is being pulled from him, like he’s giving and Jimin is taking, which is exactly what is happening, but to be able to physically feel it is mind blowing, to say the least.

He slides down the door slowly and as controlled as he can, plops on the floor with his head thrown back (for Jimin’s convenience). He stays like that, against the door with a lapful of Jimin, who’s now straddling him. Jimin’s hands are tangled in Jungkook’s hair, keeping him in place as he pulls again, slow and gentle, from Jungkook’s neck.

Jimin groans as he eventually pulls away after lapping at the bite marks, positively blissed out in his blood haze. Or maybe it’s his Jungkook haze, Jimin’s not quite sure any more. Jimin slackens his iron hold on Jungkook’s long locks, completely relaxed in his lap.

Jungkook gathers his wits enough to open his eyes and looks up at Jimin, catching how he’s already staring back, gaze dark, lips crimson and wet. Jungkook is enthralled by the realisation that that’s his own blood staining Jimin’s lips. Should it be as hot as I think it is? Am I insane?

He watches as Jimin’s tongue licks his full, plump lips off his blood, drags his eyes up to Jimin’s seductive gaze again with terrible effort, but Jimin isn’t looking back.

He’s looking at Jungkook’s own parted lips in return.

Fuck.

Jimin then flickers his eyes up at the attention and meets Jungkook’s, and what Jungkook sees in them chips away any self control he has left.

Jungkook surges up, back off the wall, hands tightening around Jimin’s waist (and since when were his hands there?!), and—

Kisses Jimin full on the lips.

Jimin doesn’t shy away in the slightest, leaning into Jungkook and kissing back in earnest. He locks his own hands in Jungkook’s hair again, pulls at it a little in haste, pulling him in so hard their chests knock together and stay there, heartbeats in synch.

It’s just a desperate press of lips at first, Jungkook savouring how perfect Jimin’s lips feel against his own, how warm and soft, the something in his heart kicking and screaming. Alive.

Wanting.

Jimin licks, almost shyly, kittenish, at Jungkook’s lips. It feels good. Jungkook realises way too late that he’s moaning into the kiss, and Jimin takes it in stride and as a go-ahead and dives further, licking into Jungkook’s mouth.

He pulls Jimin impossibly closer, tilts his head and offers himself to Jimin again and again, in any way that he can. He can taste his own blood on Jimin’s tongue and is surprised to find that it doesn’t repulse him at all, because it’s his. Inside Jimin. He has him in so many ways now, he’s going a little crazy with it.

Jungkook doesn’t know how long they stay there for, but they both get bolder, sucking and nipping at each other’s lips, Jimin’s dominance eventually getting the better of Jungkook, making him whine at a particularly harsh bite from Jimin that feels so delicious. Jungkook’s hands have slipped under Jimin’s shirt, both hands gripping his waist hard, nails digging in when Jimin rolls his hips forward into Jungkook’s lap, still kissing messily and desperately.

It’s when Jungkook moans loudly into their kiss and drags his blunt nails down Jimin’s waist, making Jimin arch his back beautifully at the biting pain, that they finally pull back from each other, breathing hard, but still so close they’re sharing breaths.

Jimin leans his forehead against Jungkook’s.

“I’m s-sorry, I-” Jimin starts, winded and breathless.

“Don’t be.” Jungkook interrupts, breathing hard, shaking his head “You didn’t do anything wrong. It was amazing.” Jungkook laughs breathily in disbelief, and Jimin finally cracks a smile, sharing a coy look with Jungkook. How he can he manage to look cute and innocent after what he just did to Jungkook is beyond him.

Jimin drops his head into Jungkook’s shoulder and sighs as Jungkook hugs him to his chest.

“We should probably… stop, though.” Jimin speaks into Jungkook’s shoulder, and Jungkook freezes “We’re both drunk on… many things. Including alcohol.” he chuckles drily.

“That we are. You think you’ll regret this… later?” Jungkook tests, and Jimin raises his head, combing back his hair with his fingers. Jungkook is mesmerised by the action, looking up at Jimin expectantly. Jimin’s lips curve upwards in a beautiful, bashful smile.

“Damn, go easy with the eyes, puppy- Puppy eyes! With the puppy eyes. Ugh, my brain is mush.” Jimin whines, covering his face with his hands. Which is great for Jungkook, so he can’t see how much the pet name made him blush, face hotter than the sun. “Will you?”

“Huh?” Jungkook says intelligently — you can’t blame him. He’s going through a lot, right now.

“Regret it later?” Jimin clarifies, still covering his face. Jungkook changes his mind and almost wants to pull his hands away, so he can see what’s going on in those beautiful eyes of his, but he decides to let Jimin have his privacy here.

“Not if you don’t, I won’t.” Jungkook answers confidently.

“That’s good. I won’t, either.” Jimin says simply, finally peeking through his fingers at Jungkook to gauge his reaction.

Jungkook takes a deep breath.

“I really hope this doesn’t make anything awkward between us, though. We do live together, so that would be… Catastrophic.” Jimin adds after a moment of extremely awkward silence. It’s new, Jungkook doesn’t think he’s ever experienced an awkward silence with Jimin. It’s exciting, in a way.

“It would.” Jungkook finally agrees, but he probably doesn’t sound sure enough, because Jimin drops his hands and faces Jungkook fully, a small smile dancing on his lips.

“You wanna do it again, don’t you.” Jimin says teasingly, placing his hands on Jungkook’s chest. It’s not a question.

Can he feel how hard my heart is beating, like this? Jungkook wonders.

“And what if I do?” Jungkook plays into it, lifting an eyebrow.

“Oh, can’t get enough of me now, can you?” Jimin’s smile widens, honey sweet.

“Hey, I’m not the one drinking your blood, am I? Maybe it’s you who can’t resist me.”

“You brat.” Jimin laughs, slapping Jungkook’s chest and letting his hands linger. Jungkook is now sure Jimin has a thing for his chest.

“We should go drink some water and wash up. Let’s go, up. Especially you, c’mon.” Jimin says as he gets his feet under himself and pulls Jungkook up by his hands. Jungkook misses Jimin’s weight and warmth on him immediately, but keeps it to himself.

“Why especially me?”

“Why do you think?” Jimin shoots back.

Jungkook’s slight dizziness and the white spots dancing on his vision after he gets up are answer enough. Jimin supports him by gripping both his forearms in his hands, but he can tell Jungkook is fine.

“Oh. My blood. You. Drink. Yeah.”

“Did I break you?” Jimin laughs. “Sit on the couch for a while, I’ll bring you water and uh. Energy bar?”

“Sure, energy bar.” Jungkook agrees, obeying Jimin.

Once Jimin is back, Jungkook munches on the energy bar absent-mindedly, taking the occasional sip of water. It’s not a great combination, but it’s quick and goes down easy. His brain is currently filled with cotton, the thoughts coming in lazily and vaguely. He wonders loosely if he shouldn’t be freaking out a bit more about what just went down — and boy, did it do down — how it felt as natural as breathing. He simply can’t form complex, coherent thoughts right now, but he hopes that neither of them makes a big deal of it once tomorrow’s sun rays shed light on their situation. They did talk about it, and that they wouldn’t make it awkward. Plus, it’s not like friends can’t kiss once in a while. Make-out, even. They were also both a little drunk.

Yeah, there’s no reason to make it more than it was — drunken kisses. Nothing more, nothing less.

Once Jungkook gets to his room, ready to go out like a light, Jimin is already curled up in his bed, apparently foregoing trying to sleep in his own bed at all. Jungkook smiles, and curls around Jimin’s sleeping form.