catching stars

Even before Ms. Son could knock on his door to inform him of a guest downstairs, Yoongi could already tell that it was Taehyung from his hurried footsteps. Yoongi turned on his stool, expecting Taehyung to burst into his room like the boy Yoongi had remembered him to be. Instead, he heard a knock first, but before Yoongi could answer, Taehyung had already opened the door, his wide, charming grin plastered on his face.

Yoongi could not help but mirror Taehyung’s expression; his lips seemed to stretch on their own without Yoongi even realizing. He stood up, stretching his hand outwards to shake Taehyung’s hand, only for him to be enveloped into a warm embrace.

Yoongi was never fond of hugging, as he never knew what to do with his hands but with Taehyung, he found himself embracing the boy back, hands softly clutching onto Taehyung’s coat as he inhaled Taehyung’s scent. Taehyung had grown slightly taller and admittedly, bigger than him since they’ve last met, much to his disdain.

“Oh, how I’ve missed you!” murmured Taehyung, warm breath tickling Yoongi’s ear.

Slightly embarrassed, Yoongi pulled away and reached out to tousle Taehyung’s curls. “And I to you, Taehyung. I see that Paris had been treating you well,” beamed Yoongi.

Taehyung let out a hearty chuckle, putting his hands into the pocket of his coat as he shrugged. “Wonderful country, but I would very much rather be here with you.”

Yoongi felt his heart stutter in his chest at the words Taehyung so shamelessly utter. How could a boy say those words so boldly to another boy? But this was Taehyung, who had always worn his heart on his sleeve, whose face never betray any emotions.

“Hundreds of sunsets in Paris and you’d still rather be in this lonely town with me? A jester, you are, Taehyung,” laughed Yoongi, and he missed the way Taehyung’s expression changed.

“I made Sowon purchase tickets for the opera tonight. For two. Would you be so kind to accompany me like the old times, Yoongi?” asked Taehyung as he took out two familiar green tickets from the coat of his pocket.

“It would be my pleasure.”

      They were seated in one of the balcony booths, a place that Taehyung have always wanted to secure from the first moment they stepped foot inside the theatre. Yoongi had given Taehyung a knowing smile when they were guided to their booth, and Taehyung replied with a playful grin.

Once they have seated, Taehyung leaned in to whisper, “I’ve sold twenty paintings for this moment, Yoongi. Are you proud of me?”

Yoongi placed a hand in front of his lips to stop himself from letting out a giggle before he replied, “I do. Don’t you read any of my letters, Taehyung? I’ve always known you are made to be a painter, after all.”

Yoongi could see the peach colouring Taehyung’s honey cheeks, and there was a surprise look on Taehyung’s face.

“I, for sure, thought you would give me a sarcastic remark, Yoongi. But are you, really?”

“I, what?”

“Proud of me?”

With a small smile, Yoongi replied, “Always.”

    Yoongi had watched A Gentle Sin countless of times, and it was the first play that he and Taehyung had watched together. To say that Yoongi was familiar with the opera would be an understatement, but no matter how many times he had attended, he would always find a new detail in the play that he would grow to love.

A forbidden love story between two star-crossed lovers; a mortal and an immortal who only walks at night. Romance was only enjoyable to Yoongi if it had done right, and A Gentle Sin never failed to tug at his heartstrings.

He and Taehyung would discuss every play they have watched together on their way home, which was curious to Yoongi as to why he found Taehyung’s gaze kept on lingering to him during the play.

There was a small voice in Yoongi’s head that was feeding him thoughts he prayed to not be true, and he tried to drown it by focusing on the play instead. He convinced himself that Taehyung was simply bored but did not wish to interrupt Yoongi, thus the lingering gazes.

    If it weren’t for Yoongi’s insistence to converse about the play, the walk back home would be eerily silent which would be very unlike Taehyung, for it was always Taehyung who would prattle on and on about every tiny new detail that he had spotted during the play. This time, however, it was Yoongi who carried the conversation.

Taehyung only watched as Yoongi excitedly describe in detail, his eyes never leaving Yoongi. Often, he would hum and agree in respond, and it made Yoongi felt as if he was conversing with a wall, but Yoongi was too afraid to be silent.

Yoongi had the strong desire to run away when he finally ran out of things to say, which was terrible because there was something in him that kept on urging him to talk. When he turned to Taehyung, Taehyung was looking at him with a look that gave him a sudden panic, praying for him to vanish into thin air.

To his surprise and relief, Taehyung opened his lips to speak, “Do you mind if I come over and listen to you play?”

“No, I don’t mind at all.”

     They were sitting side by side on the piano stool; Yoongi skillfully playing the piano as Taehyung watched. When it ended, Taehyung clapped his hands and let out a rather dramatic gasp before showering Yoongi with flattery. “How amazing you are, Yoongi!”

The never-ending compliment turned Yoongi’s ears red, and lips stretched into a grin. “Oh, stop it, you!”

“That was a new one, is it not? It’s your own composition, admit it.”

“Yes, it is. It’s a struggle to come up with something original lately, but creating music brings me joy,” said Yoongi, a finger pressing on one of the black keys on the piano.

“So do I, with painting. It brings me immense joy to hold a brush and bring the images in my mind to life. I haven’t properly thanked you yet… you and your grandfather, for sending me abroad.” Taehyung’s voice dropped an octave as he said so, his eyes were casted downwards on the piano keys.  

“Please, there is no need to thank us. We wanted to do it, Taehyung. You deserve it, you ray of sunshine. I know you can make your family proud,” murmured Yoongi.

“I—” Taehyung opened his lips to speak as he turned hastily to Yoongi, but no words left his mouth.

Yoongi faced Taehyung, and the look Taehyung was giving him sent a shiver down his spine. He had somehow known that this would happen, but he had been ignoring his feelings and assuring himself that he was wrong that the moment he dreaded was here and Yoongi was powerless and helpless to stop it. In an effort to lift the tension in the room, Yoongi reached out to ruffle Taehyung’s dark locks and let out a laugh that he hoped did not sound forced.

“Missing Paris already?” joked Yoongi, his fingers still buried in Taehyung’s soft curls.

Before Yoongi could withdraw his hand back, Taehyung had wrapped his hand around Yoongi’s wrist, holding it gently.

There was a seriousness in Taehyung’s eyes that Yoongi had never seen there before, and it was starting to worry Yoongi. He wanted to run away, to lock himself to another chamber, but they were still in Yoongi’s haven — his bedroom – and with Taehyung holding his wrist, Yoongi could only stay seated through this torment.

Yoongi tried to move his hand by lowering it, but somehow his palm ended up against Taehyung’s cheek, and Taehyung was still holding him gently with those wildfire in his eyes.

“Yoongi, my dearest, I—”

It was Taehyung who spoke, but it felt as if there were words stuck in Yoongi’s throat. Yoongi swallowed, not daring to move or breathe.

With a sigh and unblinking eyes, Taehyung said, “I have loved you since I’ve known you. Every time I close my eyes, all I see is you. I— I couldn’t help it, Yoongi, you’ve been so kind to me, to my family and I’ve tried to show you, but you wouldn’t let me, and even when I tried to say it, you’ve never responded and I can’t go on any longer, I simply can’t.”

“Oh, dear, no, Taehyung, please… I thought you’d understand that we can’t— we —” implored Yoongi, both hands cupping Taehyung’s cheeks.

Taehyung closed his eyes, basking in Yoongi’s touch before exhaling and opening his eyes.

“You love me too, don’t you?”

“I can’t—” began Yoongi, but he was struggling to find the right words. Taehyung was looking at him with those doe eyes, patiently waiting and it made Yoongi’s heart ache. “— I’m so desperately sorry, Taehyung. I can’t, we can’t, it’s not how it’s supposed to be.”

“What ever do you mean by that?”

“You’ll fine a lovely, accomplished girl that will truly adore you. You enjoy the elegant society, the dance, and you’d hate my spending my time composing, locking myself in my room, my constant scribbling—”

“No, I won’t, you’ve made me a better man, my love. You, Yoongi, you,” spoke Taehyung with a fierce tone.

“Don’t, Taehyung. Please don’t call me that, I am anything but that. I can’t, I simply can’t,” cried Yoongi, letting go of Taehyung’s face.

Taehyung’s face fell, and if the room was any quieter, Yoongi was frightened that he could hear Taehyung’s heart breaking into pieces. Taehyung had grown so still, his gaze finally leaving Yoongi’s face only to settle on the ground, and for a moment, Yoongi thought that Taehyung would run away, but it seemed as if Yoongi’s words were too much for him to bear that Taehyung laid his head down on edge of the fallboard and closed his eyes.

“Please, Taehyung, listen to me. I am so grateful to you, and so proud and fond of you, I wish I could say that I can see myself in the future with you, but I can’t. Not now, not when there are scrutinizing eyes everywhere. I don’t believe I shall ever marry, and I love my liberty too well to be in any hurry to give it up for anyone. Not for a mortal woman, not for a mortal man.”

Taehyung looked up from the fallboard, eyes filled with love and longing, and Yoongi wished that he could say what Taehyung wished to hear. How could he deny the poor boy, when his lashes were wet, and his eyes were begging for Yoongi to reciprocate his feelings?

“I know better than you, Yoongi, I know you!” broke in Taehyung, tears streaming down his face, “There will come a time when you will care for somebody, and I know you will love them tremendously. I know you will, and it hurts because it isn’t me— because I am not enough, because I am not half good enough for you!”

“I do care about you, but not the way you want me to, Taehyung, please…” pleaded Yoongi, feeling his heart moving up to his throat. He reached out to hold Taehyung’s arm, but even in his anger, Taehyung managed to gently push Yoongi’s hand away. Yoongi’s hands itched to hold onto Taehyung, to mend his broken heart, but he could only watch as the boy silently sob.

“If it was a man, I know you would not think twice to marry him. There will come a day when you would live and die for him. I know you, Yoongi. And I’ll be hanged if I stand by and watch you with him.”

“Tae…”

Yoongi wakes up on his side and finds the bed is bigger and colder than the night before. He sits up, blearily rubbing the sleep from his eyes before he forces himself to stand up. Scratching the back of his neck, he makes his way towards the window before drawing the beige curtains.

Light floods the bedroom, and Yoongi squints his eyes as he slightly turns away. It takes him a moment for his eyes to adjust to the brightness and when he does, the morning greets him with clustering clouds and singing birds.

He half-expects to find Taehyung on his chair, still clad in his nightwear, scrolling through his phone but Taehyung isn’t there. He should have known better, but he still hopes anyway.

Yoongi’s phone is still on the coffee table where he left it. He ignores the notifications and emails, and go straight to the messages. Taehyung has left him three messages, all signed with his initial as if he doesn’t know Yoongi has saved his number from the very first day.

 ✉ From: Taehyung

Got to go to the precinct. Namjoon told me he has a case for me. I hope it’s a serial killer this time. - KTH

 ✉ From: Taehyung

Not a serial killer, but it’s quite interesting. Inheritance, distant family and a dead, rich grandfather. Oh, how marvellous. Wish you were here. - KTH ✉ From: Taehyung

We ran out of biscuits, by the way. - KTH

 Yoongi smiles, shaking his head lightly before clicking the reply button.

 ✉ To: Taehyung

Could’ve woken me up, Tae. Have you figured out who did it yet?

  Yoongi barely makes it to the kitchen when his mobile dings twice.

 ✉ From: Taehyung

Of course. It was the eldest son, it was obvious.   - KTH

 ✉ From: Taehyung

Get the chocolate ones. The mint ones makes me dizzy. - KTH

 Yoongi rolls his eyes, immediately typing in a reply.

 ✉ To: Taehyung

Alright.

 Three heartbeats later, and Taehyung still hasn’t replied. Yoongi takes it as a sign that Taehyung has reached the Lab and is most probably more invested in whatever experiment he’s currently conducting than shooting Yoongi a reply. Yoongi presses his lips into a thin smile, locking the device before grabbing the kettle. It’s only nine in the morning, but he already wishes for the moon and stars.

  -

  They met through a mutual friend who introduced them. They barely knew each other, and yet they decided to become flatmates in less than two hours. Taehyung isn’t like any other person he’s met before — direct, observant, and though Yoongi would never admit it aloud, he is the cleverest man Yoongi knows.

Their connection was instant and Yoongi finds himself being pulled towards Taehyung so naturally, like gravity.

They fit each other so well that it’s a wonder why it took them this long to meet.

It’s a bit exasperating at first, how everyone who come across them thinks of them as a couple, but with time, Yoongi learns to ignore it. There’s no use arguing with others that they’re just best mates, but it’s even more infuriating when Taehyung never seems to correct them. It’s always Yoongi who had to explain that it isn’t like that, and deep down, Yoongi knows it probably never will be.

The attraction is there, sure, because how can one not be attracted to a charming human being that is Kim Taehyung? He’s fucking brilliant in every way possible, and he’s got this mysterious aura going on that the ladies seem to like but it isn’t handsome, sculpted face or his ability to change his persona in matters of seconds that draws Yoongi in.

It’s how Taehyung trust no one but Yoongi, how he easily let Yoongi in, how Taehyung has a smile that he reserves only for Yoongi, how he steals glances when he thinks Yoongi isn’t looking, how Taehyung remembers Yoongi doesn’t take sugar in his coffee.

Before Yoongi can stop himself, he’s already falling.

And he knows, falling for Kim Taehyung is like falling into a deep well— it’s terrifyingly dark and you’ll end up drowning in your own screams and tears.

  -

  “You’re being a pushover, Yoongi. What does he want this time?”

“For fuck’s— I’m not a pushover, Namjoon. You know how he is; you’ve known him for years.”

“Yeah, I do, but it’s not an excuse to—”

“Oh, shut up. You literally let him go around the crime scene like it’s his playground. And I’m his best friend, so it’s my obligation to go when he needs me.”

“Needs you as in he wants you to make tea?”

“Precisely.”

“Jesus… the things you do for that maniac.”

  -

  When Yoongi comes back from work, he finds Taehyung lying on the couch with his bathrobe on in the same exact position when Yoongi left that morning. Yoongi shrugs off his coat, hangs it on the rack before walking taking a seat across of him.

“So…” Yoongi begins. “I take that Seokjin still hasn’t given up?”

Taehyung grunts.

Yoongi chuckles, leaning back against his chair in amusement. “You’d get paid handsomely, Tae. We can get a bigger fridge, you know. Hell, we can move to a bigger flat with the sum.”

“I’d rather have the mini fridge and stay where we are rather than work with that git, thank you very much.”

Yoongi narrows his eyes, scrutinizing Taehyung. His eyelids were shut, brows furrowed and lips are pulled downwards. There is something else that’s bothering him.

“What is it?” Yoongi asks.

“The usual.”

Yoongi raises a brow. “Not Seokjin.”

“Oh,” Taehyung murmurs, cracking an eye open to look at Yoongi. “Just thinking about the case I received earlier.”

“Yeah?”

Yoongi is aware that Taehyung enjoys having a person listen to him talk and with his new job, Yoongi doesn’t have the time to accompany Taehyung to the crime scene anymore. Taehyung would sometimes talk so fast he forgets to breathe – as if his brain is going way too fast and his mouth cannot keep up – and Yoongi is always there to remind him to slow down. Sometimes, in the middle of his rant, Taehyung’s eyes would light up and Yoongi knows Taehyung has the answer, that by then, the case is already solved.

Taehyung lets out a breath as he brings his fingertips together, placing his fingers underneath his chin. “There is nothing that connect the victims together, Yoongi. Seems like it’s done at random. But why? There are no prints, no cameras, nothing. It’s like… a ghost.”

“Ghost?”

“Ghost. No traces of the murderer. They said suicide, but it’s impossible. Three deaths in a row? This person is smart, Yoongi. They’re smart, oh, they really are.”

Yoongi’s lips quirk at the amazement in Taehyung’s voice.

“Hm. Even a smart person makes a mistake sometimes, don’t they?”

“They do, hm, of course they do. But what exactly?”

Yoongi’s eyes soften as Taehyung hums, and when his eyes brightened, Yoongi finds his heart skips a bit.

“That’s it! Let’s go, Yoongi. I’ll explain on our way!”

   -

  “God, you’re fucking brilliant, Taehyung. A fucking genius. How’d you know all that just by looking at me?”

“Now, that’s a first.”

“Sorry?”

“People don’t usually compliment me when I observe them. You’re the first one to be… impressed, Yoongi.”

“They don’t?”

“Yeah.”

“What’d they say?”

“Fuck off.”

 -

  Neither of them were drunk when their lips crashed together. When Taehyung willingly opened his mouth to let Yoongi slide in. When Taehyung’s hands were everywhere but where Yoongi wanted them to be.

It was the night Yoongi was strapped with explosives.

The mastermind behind the murders and digital crimes made an appearance that night, making himself known, no longer he desires to be in the shadows. Of course, a brilliant man like Park Jimin wants an audience. And he wants no other than Taehyung, whom he proudly declares his nemesis though it was their first time seeing each other face to face.

Yoongi saw how taut Taehyung’s jaw was, how there were flames gleaming in his midnight eyes.

Yoongi had an awful lot brush of deaths before; hailing bullets in a battlefield, knife against his throat and fists painting his body bruises but none of them makes fear crawl under his skin at the thought of Taehyung being shot first before Jimin could press the button.

Perhaps it was luck that they managed to leave the place unscathed, not even a single scratch on their bodies.

They walked back home not speaking about the incident. While Yoongi had his fists shoved in his pockets, Taehyung kept his distance a few steps behind. Yoongi resisted the urge to turn to ask, to make a conversation because the silence was suffocating him but he found himself holding back his tongue.

As soon as the door was closed, however, Yoongi mustered all his courage to speak, only for the words to remain at the tip of his tongue when without warning, Taehyung pressed his lips against his. It was a bit odd at first, a little bit clumsy, but when Yoongi managed to overcome the shock, he returned the kiss.

He pulled Taehyung closer, hands cupping his face and he remember thinking, ‘Finally.’

Taehyung’s touches were like fire against his skin, setting him alight and he found himself wanting more of his touches, more of this, more of Taehyung.

The next morning, when Yoongi woke up with marks all over his body, Taehyung was already in the kitchen sipping his tea.

  -

  “I see that my brother has decided to keep you around. Or are you a stray?”

“I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced friendship before, but your brother’s my best friend, Seokjin. And seeing as you come and go into our flat as you please, I hope you’re also aware that we are flatmates.”

“Taehyung doesn’t make friends. He doesn’t have friends.”

“Well, he does have one now.”

“Huh.”

“If there’s nothing else, I’d like to show you the door.”

“Yoongi, wait.”

“What?”

“Look after him, will you?”

“Course I will.”

 -

  Yoongi is falling.

And he is falling hard.

It is as easy as breathing when it comes to their arrangement. They never speak of it, never discuss what they are or where they are, but occasionally they would have mind-blowing sex without uttering a single word afterwards. As if it’s natural for them to do so, as if it’s what is has always been from the start.

Taehyung likes tasting every inch of Yoongi’s skin, likes to be held close and he likes the sounds Yoongi makes and Yoongi thinks Taehyung is the most beautiful when he quivers, eyes shut in bliss as Yoongi’s name leave his lips.

It is a privilege to see this side of Taehyung, the vulnerable side of him that he keeps from everyone else and yet, he lets Yoongi in and he lets Yoongi stay.

Yoongi doesn’t have any intention to leave, never have and never will. He likes where he is but he also loves to be more, to know where exactly they stand. They don’t address each other with sweet nicknames, they don’t hold hands or hug or kiss in public, and while Yoongi knows Taehyung has a different way of showing affection, Yoongi wants more.

Despite being demanding and irritatingly meticulous, Taehyung never voices out what he wants for this, for them.

Yoongi sighs, leaning back against his chair and massage his temple. He has at least five minutes of break before the next patient enters, and the last thing he needs is a distraction.

And Yoongi frowns as a thought comes across his mind.

Is he just a distraction for Taehyung?

   -

   “You know that I’ve got an older brother. That I’ve fought in wars before. That I’m an army doctor. All by just looking at me—”

“Not just looking. Observing, Yoongi, observing.”

“Right. Observing. And you deduce all that with one glance in less than two minutes of our meeting. So, why don’t you tell me about you? It’s only fair, isn’t it?”

“Why? What is it that you want to know?”

“Everything, I suppose. Why you’re so adamant on not working with the government. Why you have a love-hate relationship with your own brother. What’s your mummy and daddy like.”

“Nothing interesting.”

“Come on, Taehyung. We’re mates, aren’t we?”

“Alright. First, I don’t want to work with the government because Seokjin is there. Secondly, Seokjin is always competitive ever since we were younger and though he never admits it, he sees me as an archnemeses. And mummy and daddy? They ship us both to boarding school by the time we turn seven so they didn’t have to deal with children.”

“Wait, Taehyung… I’m so sor—”

“Right, we’re here. You do bring your pistol with you, yeah?”

  -

  Taehyung usually has two moods:

1)      Silence – being so deep in his thoughts that everything around him needs to be quiet. A bit infuriating, really, because he’d shoot Yoongi a glare even if Yoongi sneeze.

2)      Loud – Desperately trying to stop his brain from working too much so he resorts to mindlessly consuming crap shows, which usually ends with him shouting at the telly.

Yoongi isn’t sure which one he prefers better, but after four years of living together, Yoongi learns the best way to handle the situation is to leave Taehyung to it. Sometimes he’d find himself shouting too, and sometimes he’d find himself meditating by the window. It isn’t all that bad, really, because he knows Taehyung.

He knows what he likes and what he doesn’t like.

But there are still bits of Taehyung that he still hasn’t uncovered, bits that Taehyung purposely hide and not ready to show Yoongi. A mysterious piece of him that he keeps only to himself and while Yoongi is fine with it, he can’t help but wonder – what is it that Taehyung is so afraid of?

  -

  “For fuck’s sake, Taehyung. You don’t just fucking jump in front of cars like that! You don’t fucking run off somewhere without me, and not explain shit to me! Do you know how bloody worried I was? What if you’re jumped on? What if… what if you’re dead?”

“You were right behind me, Yoongi. You always are. I have nothing to worry about.”

“But what if I wasn’t? What if I couldn’t keep up? What if I lost you?”

“You wouldn’t. I know you wouldn’t. Have some sleep, Yoongi. They’ve all been caught and we had a long day. You’re exhausted.”

“Fucking hell, Taehyung, listen to me—”

“Have some rest, please.”

  -

  Taehyung doesn’t have that many friends and it’s not that difficult to guess why. He can be a tad obnoxious sometimes (though Taehyung would defend himself by saying he was simply blunt, not mean) and Taehyung absolutely detest dull conversations.

So, it’s a bit curious that Taehyung and Yoongi become best friends. They are not exactly alike, but they are not exactly different either. Yoongi doesn’t mind listening to Taehyung prattle on and on about experiments and the chemistry journals he finds intriguing and Taehyung, on the other hand, doesn’t mind Yoongi feeding him and forcing him to go for walks in the park.

Despite the sign saying not to feed the ducks, Taehyung would always have some bread crumbs in his coat to give the ducks. Yoongi supposes it’s one of the things Taehyung come to enjoy – that doesn’t have anything to do with science or critical thinking – and Yoongi often find it difficult to tear his gaze away when Taehyung is this calm.

Sometimes, they would talk about anything and everything.

Sometimes, they would sit in silence side by side, simply existing.

Taehyung did admit that Yoongi is his only best friend, and while he felt warmth tingling all over his body, he also felt something akin to sadness as he heard Taehyung uttered those words.

There is a vast void inside of Taehyung. Yoongi can see it in the way Taehyung’s eyes would flicker when he spots a family, couples in honeymoon phases and a group of friends enjoying themselves. Yoongi knows that although Taehyung grew up surrounded by people – nannies, butlers, housekeepers – he does not seem to have any connection with any of them.

Yoongi can’t help the pang in his chest as he thinks of young Taehyung, all alone in the library, flipping through textbooks to keep him company.

As insufferable Taehyung can be sometimes, Yoongi knows he would never want to leave him. He chose this life, chose to be with Taehyung.

But having got a taste of Taehyung, Yoongi craves for more.

He doesn’t only just want the sex – he wants to hold his hands, to kiss him, to embrace him.

He wants the whole world to know.

But most importantly, he wants Taehyung to know.

  -

  “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry doesn’t change anything, Taehyung. It won’t change the fact that I thought it was my fault. It won’t change the fact that for two fucking weeks, I blame myself. I mourn for you, I cried for you. I fucking prayed, Taehyung, and I don’t even believe in God. You couldn’t fucking text? Couldn’t fucking phone me?”

“I can’t risk it, Yoongi. Jimin’s men… they’re everywhere.”

“So what? I’m just supposed to think you’re dead?”

“I can’t bear to lose you, Yoongi. That’s why I had to do it. I’ve come back now, haven’t I? I’ll always come back.”

  -

  Taehyung always say “thank you” after they had sex.

As if Yoongi is doing him a favour.

He doesn’t even thank Yoongi after Yoongi made him tea.

  -

  Taehyung never stays. He waits for Yoongi to clean both of them up before he thank Yoongi and walk out of the room without looking back.

Yoongi knows of post-coital bliss, it’s the part that he looks forward to the most; the relaxed limbs, the sleepiness that comes afterwards – but with Taehyung, Yoongi finds himself fiddling with his fingers, mouth open but no words leaving, hand reaching out to someone so distant.

He doesn’t sleep well after he made Taehyung moan his name.

   -

   “You impress me, Min Yoongi. A man like you, saving my brother from himself. Who would’ve thought?”

“Have you ever actually not spoken in riddles, Seokjin?”

“You may be best mates, but don’t ever think for a second that I will let you hurt him even the slightest.”

  -

  It is a miracle that Taehyung, the cleverest man in possibly the whole world, does not use his intelligence for murder or something similarly horrible. But there are times when Yoongi think the man will be the cause of his death one day.

Like when Taehyung overdoses himself, and would have been buried six-foot underground if it weren’t for Yoongi who found him stranded in an abandoned building with all the other users.

Yoongi had been disappointed and terribly angry, but most of all, he was utterly terrified.

Seokjin was in the waiting room with Yoongi that day. His usual collected demeanour was replaced with evident anxiety, his foot tapping restlessly against the tile as he gnawed on his bottom lip. Any other day, Yoongi would have said something snarky to rile him up but he couldn’t find the energy to even speak.

He knew both of them were thinking of the same thing and have the same fear: will Taehyung ever wake up again?

  -

  “Bastard. You gave us a scare there. I really ought to raid your room one of these days to throw that horrendous stuff away.”

“Yoongi, is that… is that you?”

“’Course it’s me.”

“You’re back?”

“I suppose you can say that, yeah.”

“Took you a while.”

“… Taehyung.”

“Don’t.”

“Why are you using again?”

“I think I’d like to have some rest now. That alright with you?”

  -

  Taehyung’s touches are agonising, the sweetest torment, and Yoongi finds himself wanting more, more and more.

Taehyung is riding him, head thrown back and lips falling, looking like an angel as his skin glistens in the afternoon light. His fingers grazes Yoongi’s neck before they rest on Yoongi’s shoulder, and it takes all Yoongi’s willpower not thrust vehemently into Taehyung.

Instead, he reaches out to Taehyung’s hand on his shoulder and brings it to his mouth, kissing the palm lightly once. Then, twice.

Taehyung looks down on him as he does so, hooded eyes filled with lust but there is something else in his eyes. Yoongi can’t really tell what it is, too distracted with Taehyung clenching around him. He cups Yoongi’s face, and Yoongi feels the tingles all over his skin again.

“You…” Taehyung manages before he grunts, increasing his speed and his hands find Yoongi’s shoulder for support.

Yoongi doesn’t get to hear the rest of the sentence as it ends with Taehyung whimpering before his body gives in to the pleasure, limbs quivering and eyes squeezed shut. He collapsed against Yoongi then, his hands gripping onto Yoongi so tightly that Yoongi’s sure it would leave marks.

But Yoongi doesn’t mind.

If it’s Taehyung, he is always fine with it.

  -

  “You… shot a man for me.”

“That’s what mates do, right?”

“Yoongi, you—”

“He was going to hurt you, Taehyung. I won’t let that happen to you.”

“Well then.”

“Well.”

“… Thanks.”

“No worries. It’s like, we’re indestructible together, aren’t we?”

“You’re saying that as if we’re super heroes.”

“Maybe we are. I did just save you from that man though.”

“Well, I’m not. A super hero, I mean. But I am starving. How do you feel about Thai food?”

  -

  Taehyung is utterly and devastatingly beautiful like this — when he writhes underneath Yoongi, letting Yoongi touch every inch of his golden skin, lips spilling the most obscene yet wonderful noises, trusting Yoongi and only Yoongi to take care of him.

Taehyung comes first, back arching and thighs trembling as he paints his stomach and chest white. Yoongi pulls out, knowing how terribly sensitive Taehyung is and touches himself. His elbow is propping him up on Taehyung’s side, knees on the mattress in between Taehyung’s legs.

“Let me,” Taehyung pants, hand enveloping Yoongi’s cock. “Let me help.”

Yoongi groans when Taehyung begins to stroke him, eyebrows furrowing in concentration as he buries himself in the crook of Taehyung’s neck. He kisses the skin there, inhaling Taehyung’s scent, restraining himself from biting as he knows Taehyung hates having marks on his body.

He moans Taehyung’s name like a mantra, and he is unable to stop himself when he feels it coming.

“I love you, I love you, I love you,” he murmurs against Taehyung’s skin and for a moment, Taehyung’s hand stills.

He collapses on top of Taehyung when he comes, kissing Taehyung’s jaw before forcing himself to move to the side. His chest is heaving, lungs desperate for oxygen and when his breathing is steady, he swallows before turning to Taehyung.

Taehyung has his gaze glued on the ceiling, but Yoongi knows his mind is somewhere else.

He takes the chance to go to the bathroom and wet the towel to clean both of them before he wears his shorts.

He waits for Taehyung to say his usual thanks and leave, but he doesn’t.

There’s a small spark in Yoongi’s chest. Hope. Maybe Taehyung wouldn’t be so quick to leave this time

Yoongi sits on the bed, looking at Taehyung whose brows are furrowed in concentration. He’s thinking. Deducing. Yoongi rakes his brain for the cases Namjoon handed to them this week and wonder which one is so challenging that it made Taehyung stay rooted in bed after they had sex.

Yoongi’s about to leave Taehyung to his thought, when Taehyung voices out, “Stay, please.”

There’s the spark in his chest again. Growing bigger this time.

Yoongi stays.

“I can’t, you know.”

“Sorry?”

Taehyung still has his eyes on the ceiling, refusing to look at Yoongi. When he does turn to Yoongi, he swallows before saying it again, “I can’t.”

Yoongi narrows his eyes, confusion written all over his face. He waits for Taehyung’s usual, “Think, Yoongi! Use your brain!” but it doesn’t come. It must be a miracle that Taehyung is holding himself back from scolding Yoongi. He is about to ask when it hit him.

Oh.

There’s a lump in Yoongi’s throat, and he tries to blink the wetness away from his eyes as long as possible.

“I can’t lose you, Yoongi.”

“You won’t, I promise.”

“No, it’s not—” Taehyung sighs, sitting up. He looks much younger like this, worries etched in his brows and lips parting slightly. “Don’t promise me, Yoongi. Please. I…”

There is a flicker of vulnerability on his face as he looks away and Yoongi sees the fear that he tries so hard to hide.

What is it that you’re so afraid of?

“Do you… not feel the same way?” It comes out as a whisper, and Yoongi internally winces.

“No, no. I do. In fact, I really do. But,”— And there it is, the but — “we can’t. You don’t want me like that.”

Yoongi isn’t aware that he’s holding his breath until he feels the need to inhale. He was not sure of Taehyung’s feelings before – the man rarely shows emotions unless it’s frustration or anger – but after Taehyung admits it, he feels a small wave of relief washing over him but it is red that Yoongi sees.

Just as it comes, the spark of hope in his chest vanishes.

How dare Taehyung tells Yoongi what to feel?

“I do want you like that. I’m,” Yoongi stops to take a deep breath, his fingers twitch on his thigh as Taehyung looks up. He fights the impulse to run his fingers through Taehyung’s curls. He swallows, voice on the edge of pleading as he says, “I’m fucking in love with you.”

“I’m not the one you want to be with, Yoongi.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Yoongi’s shouting now as he stands up from the bed, startling Taehyung. “You don’t get to tell me who I want to be with, because I know. Because I know it’s you. For a clever person, you can be so daft sometimes. How can you not fucking realise that I’ve been in love with you since forever?”

Taehyung’s jaw tightens, scrutinizing Yoongi’s move. Yoongi waits for him to reply, burning rage hissed through his body and he realise that he’s panting.

“I know…” Taehyung answers, voice so soft that Yoongi is slightly taken aback. He’s always clear when he speaks, and hearing his voice being lowered to a whisper causes a pang in Yoongi’s chest. “It dawned on me when you kissed my hand. That day, on your armchair. I see the way you look at me, Yoongi. When you think I’m not looking. I… I see you too, you know.”

Yoongi’s voice breaks as he asks, “So why?”

“I’d get bored of you, you know how I am. I’d grow to hate you for holding me back. I’d hate you with my whole being for being such a waste of my time.”

“You bloody liar,” Yoongi chuckles, but it’s laced with pure dejection. “You’re lying to me, Taehyung. You’re slipping into one of your fucking personas. I’m not a victim, Taehyung. What the fuck are you lying for?”

Yoongi sees how Taehyung’s adam’s apple bobs, and yet he can’t seem to find it in him to relish this rare moment where he manages to properly shut Taehyung up.

“You desire having a family. I can’t give you that.”

“Can’t we think of that when the time comes? I do love a family, yeah, I do but that’s not important now.”

“Not ever, Yoongi. I can’t— I can’t.” Taehyung slumps his shoulders in defeat, pleading eyes looking up to Yoongi.

Yoongi manages to restrain himself from holding Taehyung’s face, from peppering kisses on his cheeks, from embracing him. He looks much younger, the vulnerability evident in his face.

“You deserve that, Yoongi. Just not with me.”

“I love you,” Yoongi whispers, feeling the tears in his eyes. He doesn’t realise that he’s already sitting down again, fists gripping on the sheet of the mattress.

“I know.”

“Can’t we… make it work?”

“One day, you’ll decide you don’t want me anymore. One day, you’ll realise how dull your life is. You’ll decide that you’ve had enough, that I’m not enough. One day, you’ll leave me and I… I can’t take it. You’ll break me, Yoongi. You’ll… you’ll destroy me.”

Yoongi’s breath hitches, the words he wants to say get caught in his throat. He reaches his hand out to caress Taehyung’s cheek, and when Taehyung opens his eyes, he sees longing and fear there.

“I won’t, I promise. Hey, we’re indestructible together, remember?”

Taehyung huffs a weak laugh, there’s mistiness in his eyes now. With a smile, he murmurs, “How can we, when you’re the only one who can destroy me?”

Yoongi’s lips part slightly, the words that leaves Taehyung’s lips knock the breath out of Yoongi’s lungs. And there it is, the truth. The thing that Taehyung is so afraid of.

Taehyung holds his hand that’s still on his cheek, before pulling it away.

“Thank you, Yoongi.”

Without looking back, Taehyung walks out of the room, leaving Yoongi alone to collect bits of his shattered heart.

   -

  ✉ From: Kim Namjoon

Is Taehyung OK? He’s not replying to any of my messages and he hasn’t pestered me for cases at all

  -

  Taehyung doesn’t come out of his room for three days. His bedroom is locked, and he doesn’t answer when Yoongi knocks. Yoongi still has work, so he wakes up in the morning as he usually does. He used to love the mornings, but now he dreads it. The living room is too quiet, and Taehyung isn’t there.

The kitchen is the same as it was three days ago; Taehyung’s microscope and experiment jars are still on top of the counter. Yoongi doesn’t dare move them, not after he and Taehyung had a row that one time Yoongi moved a beaker slightly to the left.

He’s worried that Taehyung isn’t eating, but after seeing the cups and plates on the dishwasher, Yoongi surmises that Taehyung does feed himself while Yoongi is away.

On the fourth day, however, Taehyung finally comes out of his room.

Yoongi is surprised, but mostly relieved when he sees Taehyung in his chair, seemingly to be deep in his thoughts.

“Morning,” Yoongi greets as he puts the kettle to boil.

He supposes that he might as well pretend that nothing happens, knowing that Taehyung hates bringing up the past.

“I had agreed to be involved with government matters from now on.”

Yoongi raises a brow, opening the cabinet to grab two teacups. He clears his throat, putting a teabag in each of them. “That, um, great.”

“It requires training. It’ll take months. I’d be relocated somewhere far after it ends.”

“Sounds confidential,” Yoongi replies, pouring hot water into his cup. “Seokjin must be thrilled.”

“There’s a chance I am never to return back home. Ever.”

Ah.

Yoongi freezes, finally piecing it all together. He nearly wants to laugh at the irony of it all— how Taehyung gladly accepts a job offer he’s been pressured to take for years, just so he could leave Yoongi. Just so he could fucking leave Yoongi first.

Yoongi placed the kettle back down on the stove with more force than necessary before swivelling to face Taehyung, one hand on the counter and another on his hip. He feels the anger rising inside him again, and the memories from the past few days emerges, making his chest clench.

“Fuck you.”

Taehyung closes his eyes as he inhales.

Tea forgotten, Yoongi stomps towards Taehyung, his blood catching fire with rage and knuckles turning white on his sides. “You’re such a fucking coward. A bloody idiot. An asshole,” he fumes, rage coating every single syllable.

“I’d be gone in the afternoon,” Taehyung informs. He isn’t looking at Yoongi as he does so. “The rent will be paid in full every month, so you’d still be able to—”

“For fuck’s sake!” Yoongi groans exasperatedly. “For once, can you stop being a dick for a second?”

Hearing Taehyung letting out a sigh only makes Yoongi’s blood boil even more. But he should have known that he can never stay angry at Taehyung for too long, he learns that he’s just unable to. Yoongi unfurls his fists as his eyes softens, the raging fire in his chest dissipates, and all he feels is the weight of despair threatening to crush him to the Earth’s core.

Don’t go, please.

Yoongi swallows down the pleads that are working their way to his throat, willing the tears he feels forming to not fall.

What Yoongi wants to say is this: “Stay, please, I need you here.”

But instead, what comes out his mouth is, “Do as you please.” Yoongi’s voice is brittle, and he abruptly turns to leave before he could let the pressure building behind his eyes break him.

   -

  ✉ From: Kim Seokjin

Min Yoongi, I’ll have you know that my brother is in good hands. - KSJ

  ✉ From: Kim Seokjin

I will make sure he’d be back unharmed and not for long. It might take a while, but do not worry about it. - KSJ

  ✉ From: Kim Seokjin

I must say I am impressed how you manage to convince him to finally put his skills to good use.

For that, I thank you. - KSJ

     -

   Yoongi moves out of their shared apartment a week after Taehyung left.

He can’t bear to sleep in a room that smells like Taehyung, can’t sit in his own living room because even if Taehyung is not there, he is there— his armchair, the bullet holes he put inside the walls, his collection of limited first edition books, his microscope, his experiments and even his damned violin. There are still two toothbrushes in the bathroom, Taehyung’s hair products are still taking up space in the cabinet, his expensive fruit scented wash is still at the edge of the tub.

How dare Taehyung leave all his stuff lying around, as if he’s going to come back?

He always does come back to Yoongi, he knows. But not this time. Yoongi knows Taehyung is never coming back again.

   -

  Days move slower without Taehyung and slowly, Yoongi pieces himself back together. Work is a perfect distraction, now that he moves to a hospital where he has his own office and perform a couple of surgeries in a day.

He tries not to think about Taehyung that much, but there are nights where even the littlest thing reminds him of Taehyung.

He doesn’t want to count the days he spent without Taehyung, because as much as he hates it, he knows a small part of him still hope that Taehyung would come back. Finding Yoongi would not be difficult; Seokjin has control over the security in the country, and from the texts he sends, it implies that Seokjin knows exactly where he is.

But still… still, he locks that piece of hope in a box and buries it deep down.

No use crying over spoilt milk.

Over a person who’s scared of their own feelings.

Over a person who leaves without a proper goodbye.

Over a person who leaves because they’re afraid to be left first.

  -

   Yoongi’s Sunday morning is interrupted by the buzzing doorbell. He’s about to do the paper’s crossword puzzle when he hears it. He assumes it’s Namjoon, but Namjoon always text before he comes over. He stands from his chair and hope that it’s not his date from Friday. He had forgotten to inform her that it just won’t work.

But the person standing in his doorway isn’t a petite girl with luscious brunette locks.

It’s a man with ridiculous, branded coat. His curly hair is a tad longer now, almost reaching his shoulders but Yoongi can spot him from a mile away.

Yoongi’s heart stutters, and Taehyung has the audacity to give him a small yet apologetic smile.

“I’ve done calculations,” Taehyung begins. Yoongi nearly chuckles, his heart already soaring from the eccentric greeting. At this point, it doesn’t even faze Yoongi anymore. “I’ve run all the possibilities in my head, and there’s not… there’s not one where I didn’t see you there.”

Yoongi folds his arms, shaking his head and gives Taehyung a long look. He should be angry, shouldn’t he? He should start throwing punches and hurl Taehyung down the stairs. It’s what he ought to do, it’s what he should do. Instead, his heart swells twice its size, the warmth in his chest spreads all over his body.

Taehyung doesn’t say it, but Yoongi knows what he means.

I love you.

“Good morning,” Yoongi says. “How long has it been?”

The reply comes in a heartbeat, “A year, three months and four days.”

Yoongi tries to tamper his smile, but fails as it reaches his ears. Taehyung always comes back. Always.

“Come in.”

   -

   ✉ From: Kim Seokjin

I believe my brother is safe with you? - KSJ

 ✉ To: Kim Seokjin

He always is when he’s with me.

   ✉ From: Kim Seokjin

Good. Even the other agents cannot stand his sulking and brooding.

Your absence has affected him rather greatly. - KSJ

  ✉ From: Kim Seokjin

Jungkook is fucked.

Not literally.

As of right now, he’s still a virgin (though he will be fucked at approximately ten minutes later by his best friend slash platonic soulmate slash roommate) but even if nobody has ever stuck a cock in his backdoor yet, Life has been fucking him raw and deep over and over again since as long as he can remember.

He only had one rule and he broke it.

He made a promise and he broke it. (In his defence, it wasn’t a pinky swear so it’s not as severe but still.)

Currently, he’s pacing around his room and biting his fingernails as the anxiety grows and crawls in his chest and under his skin. He’s sure that he’s prepared for this, that they’re prepared for this – it took them weeks, all the strawberry flavoured lubricant and sore wrists will all go to waste if Jungkook decides to back away now.

And not finishing what he started is not the way he wanted to live his life. If he backs away now, it means he’s going against his own philosophy and he hates not being true to himself.

(But then again, maybe he has been lying to himself all this time. How could he just realise it now?)

“Jungkook, I’m home!”

Jungkook lets out a startling gasp, his whole body jumps in surprise as soon as he hears that familiar voice. His widened eyes jump from his door to the wall clock above it, his heart thrumming heavily against his chest.

‘Fuck! He’s early today, why the fuck is he so early—’

And to understand this story, folks, let’s go back to where it all began.

It all began in a small town in Busan.

Jimin and Jungkook have been friends since the both of them could remember, courtesy of being neighbours and of having mothers that enjoy tea time and biscuits together. There are a lot of photographs of them together – most of them are random photos of them on their play dates. They’ve been holding hands since they both learnt that their hands fit together, and often have sleepovers even though they see each other nearly every day.

It should be nauseating, talking and seeing the same person every single day, but that has never the case for Jimin and Jungkook. Jimin is the first person Jungkook thinks of every morning when he wakes up, and Jimin is always the first person he wants to talk to every time he has news; be it exciting or upsetting.

By the age of seven — when Jungkook could finally reach the telephone receiver by pushing the chair towards the phone installed on the wall — Jungkook managed to memorized Jimin’s home number by heart. Sometimes Jungkook would just call to say hello, to tell Jimin what he had eaten for lunch that day. As long as he had his daily dose of Jimin, he would go to bed a happy boy.

It is natural for friends with an age gap to have a few awkward moments together. Jimin is two years older, which means Jungkook is the one who was left behind when Jimin entered high school. When it came to parties and adult experiences, Jimin had to filter out a few things to keep his bright-eyed best friend away from things that were considered inappropriate. Jungkook could not hide his eagerness to start high school with Jimin, to finally meet all the nice teachers Jimin talked about.

Jimin did his best trying to steer Jungkook away from those stuff but of course, it was inevitable.

Instead of his mother and father, it was Jimin who gave Jungkook the sex talk at the age of fourteen.

(Boy, did Jungkook’s father nearly had a heart attack two years later when Jungkook told him that he already knew how babies are made.)

During his fifteenth birthday, Jimin ditched their usual birthday sleepover to go to a party with some girl. (Her name was Sohee, but Jungkook likes to pretend that he doesn’t remember that skunk with bad breath.)

Saying Jungkook was upset would be an understatement, because it was a tradition, their tradition. And it was going on for years now and Jimin chose to be at some lame party over some girl he knew for months? It was the first time Jungkook stopped talking to Jimin for weeks, and whenever Jimin came over, he came up with reasons so Jimin couldn’t stay.

It only lasted for two weeks because he could not stand not talking to Jimin. Despite the tears clouding his vision and his lips trembling like leaves being blown by the wind, he managed to gather his courage to tell Jimin how upset he was that Jimin had forgotten him. And for some reason, it ended up with them having an impromptu sleepover and Jimin coming out to Jungkook — he might be into both girls and guys.

Jungkook did not understand it back then, but he was confused as to why Jimin felt the need to tell him this. It did not matter to him whom Jimin liked, he was still Jimin in Jungkook’s eyes.

They both knew each other like the back of their hands, they had always been together as if they were glued, and at this, Jungkook knew that he would never be able to be this close to anyone else. Jimin claimed that they were platonic soulmates — which, Jungkook secretly loved but often pretended to cringe every time Jimin brought it up — because of the amount of similarities they both have.

Jimin was the best in his class, a top student in the school, so it did not come as a surprise when he graduated with flying colours and an offer to study at the best college in the country. While Jungkook was elated with Jimin’s success, a small part of him wished Jimin would stay in Busan. He knew it was selfish, but he could not bear the thought of being away from Jimin.

They had their last sleepover together on the night before Jimin moved, and for the first time ever, Jungkook slept hugging Jimin. Usually, Jungkook would have scooted closer when he was sure Jimin had fallen asleep, but the thought of never being able to hug his best friend again won over him. Jimin could not stop teasing him about it the next day, but Jungkook managed to restrain himself from tackling him to the ground and also refraining from crying when Jimin said his good-bye.

And without Jimin, Jungkook had a lot of free time. Unfortunately, he used this new found free time to venture into the internet and he even had a couple of traumatic encounters, not that he thinks about it. One of the good things that came out of that experience is the fact that Jungkook discovered Facebook and Skype; two main social medias that he used to communicate with Jimin.

He cackled when he first saw Jimin’s profile picture — it was of him doing the duck face, a terrible trend back then. Of course, Jungkook had to start their facebook message by mentioning the atrocious, cursed picture.

Jimin’s schedule was a bit tight and Jungkook would’ve rather gotten hit by an ice-cream truck than to ever admit that he missed Jimin, so he decided to do the most rational thing he could think of.

Get into Jimin’s college.

It was difficult to keep stuff this huge from Jimin, but he managed and it was all thanks to Jimin’s packed schedule. Despite their daily texting (sometimes they just sent emoji and memes to each other), he was still missing Jimin. Jungkook’s life just did not feel the same without Jimin, and this was why he was hellbent into getting into that damned college.

Of course, what Jungkook wants, Jungkook gets.

And what Jungkook wanted back then was to be with his best friend.

Now, let’s fast forward a bit, shall we?

“I can’t believe it.” Jimin has a smile on his face as he says this, his chest heaving.

Jungkook replies with a smile, he’s so excited he can’t seem to stop the bubbles in his chest from rising up to his throat. He bursts into a fit of giggles before squealing. The day has finally come. He’s with his favourite hyung again.

“We’re roommates now, Kookie!”

“I know! I can’t believe it too,” Jungkook sighs, plopping onto the mustard couch. “I thought mother would have killed me for getting an apartment, but I told her I was going to room with you and now she approves!”

“Hey,” Jimin whines, pouting. “So, is that why you’re moving in with me? You’re using me?”

“Pft, of course not!” He rolls his eyes, and as he folds his arms, he starts wondering why his heart is beating so fast. It’s not like he’s lying, but it’s not like he’s telling the full truth either.

Jimin purposely lets out a loud tsk, but his eyes are gentle. Jungkook deliberately stands up to turn his back to Jimin so he can hide the smile that is threatening to take over his face. “I think it’s better for me to unpack tomorrow… my back is hurting and I’m actually starving,” Jungkook mumbles before picking up one of the boxes from the floor.

“You sure, Kook? If we’re done today, we’ll have time to relax tomorrow.”

“If you say it like that, it makes me wanna finish everything today now,” Jungkook groans. “There’s a reason to order take-out now, too.”

Jimin chuckles. “Lucky for you, I know a place that sells the greatest black bean noodles.”

Jimin is not lying when he said that place sells the greatest Jjajangmyeon because it does. Luckily, Jimin insisted they needed to order three bowls (one for Jimin, one for Jungkook and the other one for them to share). Though Jungkook doesn’t like being told what to do, it’s probably the first time he’s glad that he obeyed.

The first month of them being roommates isn’t as difficult as Jungkook expects it. Not only is Jimin a great friend, a lovable next-door kid, and an intellectual student but he is also an amazing roommate.

Every time Jungkook checks the snack cabinet (usually at midnight, because they seem to taste better in the dark and also because Jungkook is a heavy snacker), it’s always full and restocked. Not to mention that their shared apartment always smells amazing; Jungkook is very sensitive when it comes to scents.

If Jungkook’s being honest, he doesn’t know how Jimin manages to do it. While Jungkook begins his first semester, Jimin starts his internship at a well known advertising company. Even with all the stuff on their plate, they manage to spend their weekend lazing on the couch and watching cheesy rom coms together.

Until…

Until that one night when Jimin suggest that they should go out.

“I can’t,” Jungkook murmurs, back hunching and eyes squinting at the monitor. “This assignment is killing me, and I haven’t even done my research yet!”

“You sure?” Jimin asks from the doorway, one hand on the wall and the other on his hip.

Jungkook shoots him a glance and raises an eyebrow when he takes a look at Jimin. He’s already dressed – all black from head to toe, only a mop of blonde hair to identify that he’s not somebody’s shadow. Jungkook frowns. “Hyung, why are you asking me when you’re ready to leave?”

“Because I like to be ready, Jungkook.”

Jungkook rolls his eyes. “I’m not going—” he returns to his laptop, only to let out a groan, “AND WHY ISN’T THIS VIDEO LOADING?”

“Maybe if you stop watching videos on YouTube at night, the data would’ve lasted us until the end of this month,” Jimin says as he takes out his black boots from the cabinet. Before Jungkook can say something snarky to counter back, Jimin adds, “The café a few blocks away has a fast internet connection. If you go there, get some milkshake. It’s good, I swear.”

“Which café?”

“The one where they do not allow dogs.”

“Damn it,” Jungkook mutters.

“Also, don’t wait up. I might be home a little late. Or if I’m lucky, I won’t come home at all. Daddy needs some sugar tonight.”

Jungkook doesn’t have to see Jimin’s expression to know that his disgusting hyung is winking.

“Gross. Please take your nastiness someplace else, I beg you.”

“Be sure to lock the door and don’t open it to any stranger! Especially that weird dude from the first floor!”

“I know what to do!”

“Bye!”

Jungkook has never been a patient man. After waiting for two minutes for the webpage to load, he gives up, packs his stuff and goes straight to the café with a sour look on his face. Luckily, the café is not as crowded as usual. The barista that serves him is petite and looks as if she had come out of a zombie apocalypse movie.

He sits at the table near the counter, knowing well that he might order more than once, seeing that he hasn’t made any progress on his essay. He’s not sure which milkshake Jimin recommended, but the hazelnut milkshake tastes just like heaven. He ends up ordering a couple of cookies and a melon milkshake after he’s done with his hazelnut. Jimin wasn’t wrong when he said the milkshakes were great, because Jungkook’s itching to get another one, even though he knows he shouldn’t.

Three hours, two milkshakes, a few soft cookies and a brownie later, Jungkook’s finally done with the essay. Unlike his walk to the café, his steps back to the apartment are lighter, as if a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

But the moment he enters the apartment, he regrets leaving the café. He’s sitting on the couch when his ears suddenly pick up noises he’s only heard from websites he’s searched on incognito.

He wants to believe his ears are defying him; there is absolutely no fucking way that Jimin hyung—

“Fuck, fuck, I’m gonna—"

Horrified, Jungkook whips his head towards the direction of Jimin’s room. Without thinking twice and not bothering to hear the end of the sentence, he dashes to his room and abruptly locks the door. He’s too scared to look back and belatedly, he realises that he’s too caught up in fear to grab his phone or his laptop.  

Jungkook swallows as he sits on the edge of his bed, without realising that his leg foot is tapping incessantly against the carpeted floor. When he places his hand on his chest – a frail attempt to calm down – he can feel the violent hammering of his heart against his ribcage. The only time he’s ever felt like this is when he sees twenty miscalls from his mother.

He stands up, deciding that he should forget what he’s heard and just wash up, only to sit back down when it dawns on him that he doesn’t have the privilege to have his own bathroom.

“Crap,” he groans, letting his back hit the mattress.

Of course, he’s aware Jimin is not a virgin anymore, he told Jungkook that rather proudly as a matter of fact, but it’s not like Jungkook knows how active Jimin is in bed. Not that Jungkook wants to know. Nu uh, no way. Thinking about Jimin hyung doing things like that? That’s just unacceptable.

Jungkook frowns, curls into himself, and stares at the maroon door.

He hates not washing up before going to bed, but it’s not like he has a choice right now. He can either quickly go outside and scar himself for life, or he can sleep and pretend like it never happened. He chooses the latter.

“Sleep, Jungkook-ah,” he mutters, but his eyes are still glued to the door. “In the morning, this will all go away.”

It does not go away.

Jungkook only sleeps for two hours; and he spends most of the night tossing and turning in bed. By the time he opens his eyes, the clock on the wall shows him that it’s already eight in the morning, and the moans he heard the night before are still clear in his ears.

When he thinks he’s ready to leave his room, he plans to go to the bathroom before grabbing his stuff. Jimin’s probably either still sleeping or at the gym, so maybe he’ll be able to take a shower. Carefully, he twists the doorknob before stepping outside, only for the smell of burnt toasts and coffee to hit his nostrils.

Fuck.

“Oh, Jungkook, you’re already up? I made breakfast.”

“Yeaaah… I need to go to the bathroom.”

He winces as soon as he shuts the bathroom door, berating himself for being awkward. It’s just sex, what is so weird about that?

Yeah, but it’s Jimin hyung, his brain added.

“Crap,” he mutters, glancing at his reflection on the mirror next to him.

It is Jimin hyung, a person he grew up with, a person he’s considered his platonic soulmate. He knows everything about Jimin, well, he should anyway. But this?

It’s not that sex is a bad thing. He’s never really thought of doing it with someone else. The porn he watches isn’t that titillating for him— it lacks something, but he can’t really put his finger what that is (ha, get it?) but it usually takes him a long time to find a video he can get off to. Sometimes, it takes so long that he forgets he’s supposed to rub one out.

Jungkook sighs.

Discovering new things about Jimin is not bad, he convinces himself. Remember when Jimin told you he finally stopped wetting the bed when he reached twelve? That was disgusting and it took you a while to find it was hilarious. This sex thing is gonna be just like that. Nothing is bad about sex. That’s how your parents— okay, stop, don’t go there.

After debating with himself for what feels like half an hour, he washes up in less than ten minutes and leaves the bathroom only to find Jimin in the living room, sitting on the couch. Jungkook tries to ignore the nagging feeling of discomfort as he goes to the kitchen counter to butter his toast. Usually he’d make his own – golden, crispy on the outside but soft on the inside – but his stomach is begging to be fed right this instant.

He grabs the carton of orange juice and his plate of toast before moving to the living room, eyes darting between the empty space next to Jimin and the space on the floor. In the end, he chooses to sit on the floor and soon regrets his decision as he has to slightly crane his neck to watch the show.

This is what they normally do – breakfast in the living room, watching TV together in silence – but… Jungkook knows he’ll never stop feeling uncomfortable around Jimin if he doesn’t talk with him about what he heard last night.

“So… hyung,” Jungkook begins, eyes glued to the TV screen although his brain isn’t registering the things that are happening in the show. He swallows before he continues, “Isn’t your friend from last night gonna join us today?”

“What friend?”

“You know… boyfriend.”

There’s a foreign feeling in his throat when he forces the word out. Maybe it’s the burnt toast. He never likes Jimin’s style of toast.

“You know I don’t have a boyfriend, right? If I had one, you’d be the first to know. You made me promise, remember?”

“But I heard you, last night, when I—”

“Oh God,” Jimin mutters, and there’s a shuffling noise.

Jungkook doesn’t dare to turn and face Jimin, but he assumes that Jimin’s eyes are on him now.

“You heard what?”

“You making, uh, love… last night.”

Making love? Really, Jungkook? Fucking brilliant.

“Good lord,” Jimin mutters again. Jungkook doesn’t have to see it to know that Jimin’s making that gesture where he directs his gaze towards Heaven.

Jungkook chews even faster, desperate to swallow, not wanting to say another word. As if eating his own words would make the problem go away.

Jimin sighs. “I’m sorry you had to listen to that, I know how uncomfortable it makes you—”

“No, hyung!” Jungkook interrupts, his voice an octave higher than he wants it to be. He finally turns to Jimin. “It’s not that it makes me uncomfortable—”

“Kook, you’re squirming right now.”

“Ah, sorry!”

“See, you’re even apologizing for nothing. You’re clearly uncomfortable,” Jimin says, eyebrows furrowing.

Jungkook swallows before biting on his bottom lip. “It’s just that… I thought if you were doing it, I’ll be meeting them, at least. I’ve met your exes before so it’s a bit weird that I haven’t met this guy yet.”

“It’s because I don’t know the guy, Kook. He’s some guy I met last night. Very handsome, but probably the lamest dick game I’ve ever— okay, sorry, that’s just nasty, isn’t it?”

Jungkook winces as he shrugs. “Yeah, a bit.”

“Sometimes I just wanna have sex, okay? And I’m sorry that I didn’t hang a sock on my doorknob or whatever shit that indicates I’m busy. I should’ve let you know before putting you in this position,” Jimin smiles apologetically, his hand squeezes Jungkook’s shoulder.

“Nah, it’s okay, hyung. I’m just not used to it, I guess.”

“Well… you better be.” Jimin winks.

Jungkook frowns, his jaw drops to the floor and Jimin erupts in laughter at the face Jungkook’s making. “I’m just kidding!”

“God, control yourself, hyung!”

“In my defense, I thought it’ll be quick last night. But man, he fucks as if his hips were broken.”

“Hyung!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop!"

Even after the talk Jungkook had with Jimin, he still feels as if something is different. He’d be lying if he says that he’s fine with his newfound knowledge that Jimin has a healthy sex drive that he’s willing to sleep with strangers… because he’s not. Who the hell is he to stop Jimin from fucking around with people? He can’t just ask Jimin to stop bringing people over all because Jungkook squirms at the thought of it.

Not that Jimin brings anybody home after that, thank all the Gods.

A week after the incident, Jungkook comes to the conclusion that he’s merely uncomfortable about it because he has never experienced it before. He’s aware that sex is normal and that it’s a part of life, so why not make it a part of his life, too?

He frowns at the thought of having strangers taking his virginity. He doesn’t want some random guy to see him naked, hell no, not in a million years. He has an idea or two about how sex between men work, but he has never thought of sticking something behind.

If he has to have sex, he wants to have it with someone he trusts, someone who has seen all his flaws, someone who is—

“Jimin,” he says to himself, grinning at the thought.

Not only is Jimin his best friend, they’re living together so Jungkook’s already familiar with the place he’s gonna lose his V-card on. Besides, he’s doing this for Jimin, he might as well do it with Jimin.

He beams. There’s no way Jimin would say no.

“Kook…” Jimin pauses to sigh before saying, “no.”

God fucking damn it.

“Hyung, why?” Jungkook whines. He knows how ridiculous he’s being right now, whining and shaking Jimin’s body rather petulantly but what Jungkook wants, Jungkook gets. Jimin always says yes to him. So why not now?

Jimin is not looking at him, his eyes are glued to the TV. His left elbow is resting on the armchair as his fingers massage his temple. Jungkook shakes him again, causing him to let out a sigh before turning to Jungkook.

“It’s a terrible idea, Kookie.”

“Why is it terrible? You’re my best friend, and clearly, you’re more experienced than I am, so you can guide me through everything. Besides, you’ve already seen me naked when we’re kids, so it’s not gonna be awkward. Plus! This saves me the trouble of telling you how I lose my virginity,” Jungkook tries to convince Jimin by batting his eyelashes.

Doubt crosses Jimin’s face, and for a second there, Jungkook thinks that he might say no again. He bats his lashes faster now as he scoots closer to Jimin, his grip on Jimin’s arm is tighter. “Please? I don’t want it to be some rando at some bar I can’t even pronounce the name of.”

“I don’t think we should do this…”

“Do you want your best friend to be a virgin forever?”

“I don’t but—”

“Exactly!”

“But don’t you prefer to lose it to someone you want to, uh, how do I say this… fuck?”

Jungkook blinks before straightening his back and think.

He has never had any long-lasting crush on anyone. Most of his crushes were short-lived, and the reason for his crushes can be a tad bit ridiculous sometimes. It’s not as if he wanted to go to college to find romance; he’s in college because he wanted to be closer to Jimin. Now that he reaches that goal, he is more focused on getting good grades rather than finding a boyfriend.

“Um… no. I really don’t want someone from school to stick their cock up my ass,” Jungkook answers, lower lip jutting out. Not that Jungkook is not into hot and good-looking dudes. In fact, most of his crushes were hot and good-looking dudes, it’s just that he doesn’t want to fuck any of them.

“This is such a fucking bad idea…” he hears Jimin mutter. His ears perk up, already anticipating the answer that’s going to come out of Jimin’s mouth. if Jungkook had a tail, it would be wagging rather vigorously now. “Okay, fine. I’ll do it.”

Jungkook’s eyes brightens as he attempts to not let the grin take over in face, but fails terribly. Despite rolling his eyes, Jungkook can tell how endeared Jimin is by the small smile he fails to hide.

“This is going to be exciting!!”

Jungkook is wrong.

Again.

At this point, Jungkook is not even surprised at himself.

But, as always, Jungkook prepares himself mentally so he will know what to expect and hopefully learn from the mistake of other. He doesn’t want to make a fool of himself. But after reading countless of articles on how to have proper sex, Jungkook opens a new tab and searches for the cheapest ticket to the Netherlands, where he plans to migrate and live a new life as a sheep.

Why does sex have to be so hard? (Ha, geddit?)

All pornography does is lie. The actors make it look so easy, and they do not even show the scenes when they use the lubes! And now that he’s thinking about it, how the fuck do they all have hairless butt cracks?

He’s aware that porn isn’t somewhat an accurate representation of what sex should be, but with all the newfound knowledge, Jungkook gets angry and, if he’s honest, a little bit upset. Not that Jungkook has many favourite videos in the first place, all the generic ones bore him but he noticed even the ones that he enjoys never truly show what it’s truly like.

“You’re a dumbass,” Jimin mutters before hitting Jungkook on his head with a rolled magazine.

“Owie,” Jungkook pouts, rubbing on the sore spot.

“Porn isn’t educational, you big moron. They literally exist to increase libido and satisfy fantasies.”

“I know that! It’s why I tend to avoid those videos made by huge companies. The actors are a joke, they’re so fucking untalented and the moans… god, what the fuck? I’d rather watch turtles fuck all day.”

Jungkook is about to say something more, but he finds his voice drowning into a whisper when he sees the look on Jimin’s face. He is smirking at him now, wiggling his eyebrows as he moves closer. Jungkook reels back. “Uh… what’s with your face?”

“Interesting, Kook. So, what type of porn do you usually watch then?”

Jungkook would rather get thrown into the Pacific Ocean than answer the question. He hopes that his cheeks aren’t showing any colour despite them feeling warm as he narrows his eyes to reply, “That’s none of your business.”

Jimin lets out a chuckle, clearly amused at this whole situation as he inches closer again. This time, he rests his chin on his fist. “How am I supposed to make the moment enjoyable to you when I don’t even know what you like? Is it those daddy videos? I can be a daddy,” Jimin winks and fuck, Jungkook wishes that he were lying in the middle of a busy highway right now.

“Wh—”

“Or do you like those small guys handling big guys concept? I’ve been told I’m tiny.”

Jungkook knows he’s red as a tomato, judging by how hot his ears are burning. His left eye twitches at the thought of Jimin handling him in bed, and he begs his brain to stop conjuring up unwanted images of his own best friend.

“Or do you—” Jungkook absolutely does not want to hear the end of it, because he abruptly interupts Jimin by groaning exaggeratedly.

“None of those, okay! Please stop, don’t give me any ideas of the material you love to consume.”

A burst of laughter comes out of Jimin, which makes Jungkook stare at him in bewilderment. A part of Jungkook is a tad bit angry that Jimin takes Jungkook’s misery as entertainment while another part of him is worried that Jimin has lost a marble.

“You can ask me if you want to know. I’m not ashamed. We’re both adults now, but I understand if it makes you uncomfortable,” Jimin grins, patting Jungkook on the shoulder.

“That’s the thing, hyung.” Jungkook winces internally when his brain registers that he’s practically whining. “I wanna stop being uncomfortable with it.”

“I get it, you big gay baby. And I want you to know that I’m with you every step of the way. This is starting to sound weird, even for me,” Jimin mutters before jesting with a grin, “If this were a movie, it’ll be one of those indies, young adult movies with dumb titles like ‘The Journey to Get Fucked.’”

“What the fuck.”

“Or, ‘A Virgin’s Guide to Losing Your Virginity.’”

“Hyung—”

“’Checklist to Become a Non-Virgin.’”

“Ji—”

“OH! ‘HOW TO STICK IT UP.’”

“JIMIN HYUNG!”

“Okay, okay, sorry.”

Despite the apology, Jungkook catches Jimin rolling his eyes, lips stretched into a satisfied grin, before crossing his arms. He doesn’t like being a killjoy to his best friend’s happiness but he can’t help but feel a twinge of shame that Jimin is taking this much more lightly than he is.

Jungkook sighs, massaging his temple before leaning against the couch. The episode of Brooklyn 99 on the TV screen is long forgotten and Jimin’s magazine is left unopened on his lap.

“Hey, Kook?” Jimin’s voice is gentler now compared to a few seconds before. Though Jungkook isn’t facing him, he knows Jimin is looking at him with a concerned expression. He knows the look too well, and he does not dare to turn to see Jimin’s pinched eyebrows and worried eyes.

“Are you nervous?”

“Not gonna lie,” Jungkook chuckles before biting his lower lip. The TV shows a montage of Captain Holt yelling at Rosa, and because Jungkook misses it, he’s not even sure what the man is mad about. “I’m very, very nervous.”

Jimin makes an acknowledging sound before Jungkook feels his head on his shoulder and his hand lightly squeezing Jungkook’s knee in assurance. “If you change your mind, please let me know, Kook. I don’t want you to force yourself. Ever. Can you promise me that?”

Jungkook lets out a sigh again as he rests his head against Jimin’s. Jake Peralta is saying something, but all Jungkook can hear is the sound of his heart beat thrumming in his ears. “Promise.”

“Can you promise me another thing, Kookie?”

Jungkook swallows. “What is it?”

“You’re my best friend, and I don’t wanna lose you. Ever. I’m still not 100% on board with the idea, but if it’s what you want, I respect that. I’ll try my best to make myself a safe space to you, so please do not hesitate to tell me anything. If one day you decide you don’t want me to do it anymore, I will back away with no questions asked. But… if you still insist, and once it’s done, can you promise me that nothing will change? Promise me that we’ll stay best friends no matter what?”

There is no way in this universe that Jungkook would end his friendship Jimin go for a dumb reason. But listening to Jimin say it like that somehow makes everything feel more real. That it is going to happen sooner or later, and that Jungkook really did ask Jimin to be the first person he sleeps with and unless Jungkook is able to build the time machine he’d been drafting since he was ten, nothing he do will ever take it back. If he can’t turn back time and stop himself before he could ask Jimin, he might as well go for it.

With an unsteady heartbeat and a sudden surge of confidence, he says, “I promise. I trust you, Jimin hyung. You’re already my safe space. Best believe I would not have any other person to take my V-card away.”

“Ew, that’s so tacky. Just say virginity for fuck’s sake.”

“Shut up.”

Jimin let out the most dramatic gasp of the century when Jungkook told him his zero-experience in opening the backdoor. Which is why Jungkook finds himself being dragged to an adult store at nearly midnight when he was in the middle of reading a webtoon.

Even before arriving at their actual destination, Jungkook can already see the neon lights that reads ‘OPEN NOW’ from afar. Jungkook is glad that Jimin at least has the decency to lie to their driver that they’re heading towards the convenience store despite already having one in their neighbourhood.

Though the store is decorated with bright lights externally, Jungkook can’t seem to see what’s going on inside. The windows are tinted dark, and the only hint that it’s an adult store – aside from the blinding, winking, pink, neon lights – is the humongous sign on top that says SEX SHOP. Jungkook has never been into one of these stores before, so he is not sure what to expect when Jimin pushes the door open, one hand holding Jungkook’s to guide him in.

Besides from the lewd posters, the sex toys on the shelves, and the black walls, it looks exactly like a regular store. The lighting is a bit dim though, but it’s not that hard to spot the girl behind the counter; she’s loudly chewing gum and she seems to be immersed in the celebrity magazine she’s reading because she doesn’t even lift her head to see them coming in.

Jungkook barely has the time to take everything in when Jimin pulls him towards an aisle with a sign that reads ‘anal toys’ and although the sign is not daunting — it’s pretty cute actually, the font is great and it’s framed – it makes Jungkook’s legs shake.

“Oh, god…” Jungkook mutters horrified as his eyes land on the toys that comes in various shapes, sizes and colours. There are even toys with leopard prints, and the sight of them makes him shudder. What’s next? A dildo with the president’s face?

It only dawns on Jungkook that they’ve stopped walking on what seems like an endless aisle when Jimin finally lets go of his hand.

Jungkook glances at the direction Jimin is staring at— different coloured boxes with a picture of three different-sized toys. Jungkook nearly squeaks when he sees Jimin’s hand reaching out to grab one of the boxes, which is immediately replaced with a sigh of relief when Jimin puts the box back into the shelf.

“I hope you know that a human’s asshole doesn’t just magically swallow dick,” Jimin says with an eyebrow raised.

“’Course I know,” Jungkook replies, rolling his eyes.                                              

“Okay, so…” Jimin grabs the purple box before slightly shaking it.

‘Anal Trainer Pleasure Kit’ is written on top, bold and eye-catching while underneath is a picture of three different-sized toys. Black is the colour of the toy in the middle, purple for the one on the left and pink for the right. Jungkook has never seen a box of toys before, and he has no idea they can look so exquisite and so… not-something-you-put-in-your-ass.

“You’re lucky you have me,” Jimin grins before shoving the box to Jungkook.

Reluctantly, he holds it. He stares at it for a moment and shudders when he realises that one of the toys in this store would someday be inside of him. With heavy steps, Jungkook follows Jimin, though his eyes cannot stop wandering around the toys on the shelves. It’s amusing to see toys he has never seen before, and admittedly, it’s the one with tails that pique his interest.

“For lube…” Jimin mumbles, his fingers moving as if he were typing on a keyboard before they settle on a huge bottle with a pump.

Jungkook eyes widen in surprise. “Hyung, even our soap bottles are smaller compare to that!”

“There’s no such thing as too much lube, Jungkook.” Jimin sighs before he starts walking again.

Jungkook only follows from behind, glancing at Jimin’s back once in a while. He does not want to lose Jimin in this store all because he cannot stop gawking at the toys.

Jimin stops at another section, where the shelves are filled with items that look like bulbs. To Jungkook’s horror, he’s grown familiar with the item, courtesy of his midnight enema research. It’s not like he’s never thought of putting a finger up his ass; he actually does, but the thought scares him.

“Okay, baby gay, you’ve done your research, haven’t you?”

“Uhuh,” he answers, but his eyes cannot stop roaming the shelves.

“Well, so how do you prefer it?”

“I don’t know, hyung…” Jungkook mumbles, gnawing on his bottom lip. “All of them look scary…”

Jimin chuckles. “I know that feeling.”

Jungkook can’t decide between the fleet or the bulb, so Jimin suggests that they get both. It’s a bit excessive, in Jungkook’s opinion, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. At least he won’t have to step inside a sex store for a while now in case one of them doesn’t work out for him.

The moment they arrive at the counter, the bubble the girl is blowing pops as she puts down the magazine to greet them. Jungkook presses his lips into a thin smile, hoping that it’s enough to mask the feeling of mortification but the girl doesn’t seem to care about their business. She has probably worked here long enough to not give two fucks about others’ private lives.

Jimin insists on paying, assuring Jungkook that it’s his treat and though Jungkook feels bad, a part of him is glad Jimin offers to pay, because he doesn’t have cash with him.

Luckily, the items are packed inside a normal plastic bag. Jungkook doesn’t know what he’d have done if the plastic were customized with the store’s name — he’d probably die from embarrassment. And as a compensation, Jungkook’s the one who pays for their ride this time.

“Are you okay, Kookie?”

“Fuck, hyung, I’m so fucking scared.”

Shit, Jungkook hates how his voice wobbles as he speaks. He doesn’t have to look in the mirror to know how idiotic he must look right now; he’s naked waist down, the cold air nipping at his hanging balls and bare ass while holding an enema bulb in his hand.

He starts to think that this is all a big mistake. Everybody does these types of things alone, don’t they? Jungkook’s pretty sure Jimin does it alone too but he just had to open his stupid, big mouth and drag Jimin into this mess. And now, instead of trying to douche alone, Jimin is outside of their shared bathroom, being the supportive best friend he always is.

Jungkook knows he’s being an ungrateful little brat, but there are times —like this, for example – when Jungkook wishes Jimin would turn his supportiveness down a notch. It’s embarrassing enough that Jimin offers to do it for him, and though he rejects it (because there is no way in hell Jungkook’s going to let Jimin see his butthole), he has half a mind to burst out of the door and give in.

“It’s okay, Kookie. It’s normal to be scared.”

Jimin’s voice is soothing and reassuring, it gives Jungkook a flashback of when he was stuck in a tree. Jungkook was eleven and being stupid, and the story ended up with bruises and yelling parents, but what matters is that Jimin was there for Jungkook. Despite the bruises, they were okay. Hell, they’re still breathing, aren’t they? If Jimin says it’s not that bad, it can’t be that bad.

“Are you sure, hyung?”

“Yes, of course. But it’s okay if you don’t want to do it today. There’s always other days.”

Jungkook wants to bang his head against the sink for considering it, but he’s a Big Boy now. He’s on the road to losing his virginity, damn it.

And Jimin’s always there for him. Jungkook’s aware of how much of a pain in the ass he’s being right now, but Jimin still sticks by him and is still willing to wait on the other side of the door. Jungkook trusts Jimin, he always does.

Which is why, he finally makes up his mind to push that thing up his ass.

“Okay… okay,” Jungkook huffs, staring hard at the enema bulb in his hand. “I’m doing it, hyung,” he declares as he pumps his chest, nostrils flaring in determination.

“Kookie, are you sure?”

“Yes,” he says, only to repeat it louder the second time as it comes out meek. “Yes, I will.”

“Okay. Don’t forget to lube the nozzle—”

“Yes, hyung, you told me that a million times already. It’s basically etched in my head now.”

“Good, cause—”

“There’s no such thing as too much lube.” Both of them say in unison, Jungkook rolling his eyes as he says so.

“I got it, hyung,” Jungkook assures, pumping the lube on the nozzle. “You’re not gonna leave me, are you?”

“Do you want me to leave?”

“… No.”

“Then I won’t.”

Jungkook’s lips quirk upwards without him realizing; his heart is swelling, and he would very much rather eat raisin cookies than to ever admit that he’s eternally grateful to have Jimin.

“How was it?”

Jungkook walks out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist to find Jimin standing by the door with a concerned look on his face.

“Not bad, actually. It doesn’t even hurt,” he concedes. “Feels a bit weird, not gonna lie.”

“Then why the fuck were you screaming? You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“It’s my battle cry. It helps to lessen the pain.” Jungkook cheekily grins as he shrugs.

“You’re an idiot,” Jimin huffs, shaking his head. When he looks up to Jungkook, he purses his lips into a straight line, eyebrows furrowing. “We don’t have to do anything today, you know? We can treat this as a, I don’t know, trial?”

“Yes, I know, hyung,” Jungkook replies, the volume of his voice lowers into a whisper. “Thanks for understanding, though. I know it must be frustrating for you too.”

“Oh, no, don’t worry about it,” Jimin grins, hooking his arm around Jungkook’s shoulder. “If anything, I’m glad I can help you with it. I’m, like, your Gay Oracle. Your Gay Supreme. And you’re my gay pupil. A baby gay.”

“Hyung, you’re bi.”

“And you’re annoying.”

Maybe it’s because he was raised in a conservative environment that Jungkook feels uncomfortable with intimacy. Hell, his parents don’t even kiss on the lips – not even a peck – and his family isn’t into hugging. The last time his older brother hugged him, he remembers nearly choking to death and having their mother screaming right into their eardrums. That is, if headlocks can be considered as a hug.

So yeah, Jungkook reasons that it’s because of the environment he grew up with.

But maybe, it is also fear that drives him to make nonsense excuses to avoid using the anal training kit. The purple box is stuffed deep inside his closet, probably catching dust and webs by now.

If it isn’t for Jimin who insisted, Jungkook wouldn’t even think about getting one in the first place.

In fact, if it isn’t for Jimin, Jungkook knows damn well that he would never be able to utilize the enema bulb.

This realisation lights up the bulb in his head, and as soon as the idea comes to him, he rushes to Jimin.

“Wait. You want me to what?”

“You know…” he murmurs, shifting his eyes to the framed picture of them on top of Jimin’s desk.

Jungkook’s ears burn red at the thought of the frame still standing straight when Jimin brings home company. Which, he doesn’t really do anymore. And Jungkook appreciates it, especially because he prefers to be cooped up indoors, but he also feels a tiny bit guilty for being the reason of Jimin’s blue balls. Not that he assumes that Jimin’s always horny.

Jimin closes his laptop before swivelling on his office chair to turn to Jungkook.

“You want me… to… train you…?”

“If you put it like that, it sounds so weird and wrong.” Jungkook pouts, fingers playing with the loose string on his jeans.

“Kook, I love you, with all of my heart and soul and, uh, body.” Jimin pauses to let out a nervous cough. “But, don’t you want to experiment by yourself first?”

“Hyung, I know you had that booty flake incident when you were on your experimenting phase, but I know how to douche! I promise I won’t… you know, shit myself.”

“Don’t speak about that!” Jimin whisper-yells, hitting Jungkook lightly on his thigh.

“Besides, I’m scared I won’t be able to go through with it. What if it tears? What if it’s stuck?”

“Kook—”

“Please, hyung? For me?”

There’s no way in hell Jimin would say no to his puppy eyes and jutting lower lip. Jungkook learnt that it’s one of Jimin’s weaknesses and he’s ashamed to admit it, but Jungkook likes the power he has on him. Jimin sighs, an indication that he’s going to cave, before running his fingers through his hair and mumbles, “Alright.”

“Oh! Thank you! Thank you!” Jungkook squeals, leaping from the edge of the bed to give Jimin a hug.

When he pulls away, Jimin adjusts the glasses on the bridge of his nose. “You owe me one, Kook. A dinner.”

“Don’t worry about it. I just received my allowance, so dinner’s on me tonight~”

Jungkook really should be working on the time machine. How complicated can it be? Sure, he’s not a science major, but he sure as hell can make a rad design of a machine. Sometimes, Jungkook wishes that someone would tell him to stop whenever he gets one of his stupid ideas. That someone is usually Jimin.

In this case, well, Jimin did tell him to stop. But how can he succeed when Jungkook overpowers him with his puppy eyes?

It dawns on Jungkook that it will be painfully awkward to have Jimin insert something inside his asshole.

Jungkook’s not much of a planner guy, he always goes with the flow, but he really wishes that Jimin would make a schedule out of this first because a) he’s not ready and b) he’s not fucking ready. One moment, Jungkook’s doing his work inside his room and the next moment, Jimin comes into the room— without even knocking, so fucking rude by the way —and declares, “Okay, take your pants off. Let the training begin.”

“Hyung, what the fuck?”

“I said, take off your pants. We don’t have all day.”

“But—”

“I said, TAKE—”

“Okay, okay, Jesus fuck, calm the fuck down,” Jungkook mutters, standing up from his chair to take off the grey sweats he’s wearing. He still has his boxers on, which causes Jimin to raise an eyebrow and cross his arms.

Jungkook’s cheeks and neck feel warm all of a sudden under Jimin’s gaze. “Give me a sec, will you?”

Jimin rolls his eyes before moving towards Jungkook’s nightstand. “Where do you keep your stuff?”

“Uh, the lube and the toys are in the closet.”

Jimin raises an eyebrow again before opening Jungkook’s closet. “So, you’re telling me you haven’t jacked off or anything?”

Jungkook lets out a nervous cough. “No, I mean, it’s not like I always do that. I’m busy, you know.”

He can hear Jimin scoff, and when Jimin turns he has the box and lube in his hands. “And being busy is exactly why you should wank. It’s a stress relief.”

Jungkook frowns. He never thinks about it that way before. Not that he has any reason to wank or whatever, but he rarely feels the need to. Hell, one time he was scratching his balls and thought, ‘why not rub one off?’

“Huh.”

“Okay, get your ass on the bed and drop your pineapple boxers,” Jimin instructs, before going to the bathroom. “I don’t know where you get these ridiculous patterned boxers…”

“Hey! They’re expensive.”

“Doesn’t mean they’re not ugly.”

“I heard that!” Jungkook yells.

Jimin doesn’t reply. Instead, all Jungkook hears is the sound of the tap being opened.

Jungkook takes it as a sign of triumph before getting on the bed and immediately lies down. With his back against the mattress, he stares at the ceiling and bites his bottom lip. His hand pats around until he feels the lube and he grabs it to bring it to his eye-level. He has read the label a thousand times before, but the nerves somehow cause his brain to empty them out, making him read the sentences over and over again.

Jimin comes in not long after, the box sandwiched between his arm and side while he’s holding a pink toy. He’s shaking it off and Jungkook notices that it’s wet now.

“Why are you still in your boxers?”

Jungkook makes a disapproving noise before reluctantly sitting up from his position. He glares at Jimin. “Must we do this today?”

“Trust me, I don’t want this anymore than you do. But I also don’t want you to come running to me with another ridiculous, and much more terrible, idea than this. So yeah, we’re doing this today,” Jimin concludes with a smile before changing his expression to a serious one. “Now get that thing off.”

“Okay, okay, sheesh…” Jungkook murmurs, standing up from the bed to take off his boxers. Thankfully his hoodie steal conceals his package, so he’s not really feeling too shy about it.

“Right. So, uh, up on the bed. On your knees.”

“Like doggy style…?”

“Easier access.”

Jungkook groans before turning around, his back is facing Jimin. Slowly, he lifts his legs to get on the bed, the mattress dips as he bends on all four. He’s a bit glad that Jimin can’t see his face right now, because he’s positive that he’s turning red.

“Uh… okay…” Jungkook feels the mattress dip again, and there’s warmth next to him.

He swallows as it dawns on him how utterly awkward this is, ass up in the air, his face against the mattress while his best friend applies lube on a toy he bought for him. Jungkook holds himself back from turning his cheek to face Jimin; he doesn’t want to risk getting caught with red hue on his cheeks.

He hears Jimin let out a cough before asking, “I’m gonna… uh, lift your hoodie a bit, okay?”

Jungkook gulps. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Jimin huffs, though it sounds like he’s saying it more to himself than Jungkook.

He never notices how cold his room is until his ass is on full display after Jimin pushes his hoodie up, and the realization that Jimin is seeing every side of him makes Jungkook want to dig his way into the Earth’s core through the mattress. Jimin clears his throat, hand warm against Jungkook’s tailbone.

“Okay,” Jimin says again, more of an exhale this time that his breath makes Jungkook shudder. He suddenly regrets not shaving between his ass cheeks.

Jungkook bites his lower lip, fingers already digging into the mattress; he’s sure his knuckles are turning white. The embarrassment of Jimin seeing all of him makes him turn his cheek so his forehead is against the mattress, and it would be a terrible idea if his hoodie isn’t covering his dick and balls from his sight.

“I’m gonna put it in, yeah? I want you to take a deep breath and just relax. Trust me on this. You trust me, don’t you?” Jimin’s tone is gentler now, his thumb gently caressing Jungkook’s tail bone.

Jungkook obeys; he takes a deep breath and tries to relax.

“Just breathe slowly, yeah? Trust hyung.”

As much as Jungkook wants to roll his eyes and come back with a snarky reply, his mouth is too dry to do so. He only nods, belatedly realizing that Jimin can’t possibly see him from this angle. He lifts his head, front teeth tugging on his lower lip and stares at the wall in front of him. Jimin’s thumb is still gently caressing him, reminding him that Jimin is right behind him, that he’s got nothing to be afraid of.

It’s the warmth of Jimin’s palm on his left cheek what he feels first. Jimin’s hand is spreading him open, and he can feel his cheeks heating up again at the visual he has in his mind. He has no ideas it’s possible to feel embarrassed and aroused at the same time. He takes a deep breath, readying himself for what’s coming next and god, it is so cold that it makes him gasp unconsciously.

“You okay?” Jimin asks.

“Yeah, I—” Jungkook gasps. Fuck, he hates how he sounds, like he’s out of breath. It’s just a small teeny tiny thing, Jungkook. Pull yourself together!

“I’m sorry if it feels like I’m forcing you. We can do—”

“No, we can’t!” Jungkook interjects, a bit too quickly and sounding rather defensive for his liking. “It’s just—” he hangs his head, glancing at his curled-up fists. “I’m a bit nervous.”

Jimin is silent and the coldness Jungkook feels against his rim disappears.

Jungkook swallows thickly. “And please, I’m already in this compromising position. Might as well go with it, right?” He tries to lighten up the mood with a chuckle, but it comes out rather weakly.

“Okay,” Jimin murmurs. He repeats it again louder, as if to gather up his courage. “Your toes are curling, honey. I think, uh, it’s better if you touch yourself first.”

Jungkook whips his head towards Jimin so fast there are spots dancing in his vision. “Wait, what?”

It’s the term of endearment for Jungkook. Honey. Jungkook thinks he stops listening after he hears the word ‘honey.’

Jimin shrugs, lips pressed together. Jungkook can see the crimson flush from under Jimin’s collar and it’s only then that he realizes, that despite all his experience, this situation is embarrassing for Jimin too. Afterall, it’s not a common occurrence for best friends see each other like this, isn’t it?

“I mean…” Jimin shrugs again, avoiding Jungkook’s eyes. “It’s one way to relax.”

Oh. Jimin thinks Jungkook’s baffled about the wanking. Yeah, of course, the wanking. Jimin did tell Jungkook to touch himself, didn’t he?

“Oh.” A pause. “Oh.”

“Or, do you want me to—”

Jungkook’s not sure if a person can explode from feeling their cheeks heat up way too many times in less than twenty minutes, but he sure does feel like he can. He turns around before Jimin can finish the sentence, not wanting to make it obvious that his cheeks are coloured like a peach in the sun.

He has jerked off in this position before. Once, and never again. It was tiring and both of his arms were sore; one from trying to keep himself up, and the other one for fisting his cock for quite some time. Terrible position.

“If it’s okay with you,” Jungkook croaks out.

“Okay. Okay.” Jimin does it again, repeating that word over and over, as if it’s a mantra.

Jungkook waits, deciding not to lean forward. This time, he keeps his body up by spreading his palms on the mattress rather than propping himself up by his elbows.

“I’m gonna touch you, okay?” Jimin’s voice is soft, fragile, like he’s afraid of touching Jungkook.

Jungkook lets out an acknowledging sound. When he feels Jimin touching his cock, he jolts a bit. Jimin coats Jungkook’s cock with lube, starting with the tip before sliding his fingers towards the base. Jungkook shudders at the touch, he can feel his toes clenching again. Jimin’s hand is smaller compared to his, and it feels… foreign. Foreign but nice. Jimin is gentle, hand barely gripping Jungkook’s dick.

The soft touch makes Jungkook’s cock slightly jump, half-erect.

Jimin is uncharacteristically silent, and although Jungkook doesn’t like silence when it comes to Jimin, he’s thankful that he isn’t blabbering or saying stuff that will only make Jungkook feel shittier than he already does.

It doesn’t take long for Jungkook’s cock to fully erect, fluid already leaking from the tip, and it takes all his willpower not to whine when Jimin increases his speed. Jungkook closes his eyes, teeth sinking into his lower lip in an attempt to keep quiet. It’s not hard for Jungkook to keep it all in— he’s a quiet one, not a screamer. But the feeling of being touched by someone else somehow makes it harder to contain himself.

“Okay?”

Jungkook nods. God, he had no idea it would feel so good to have Jimin hyung’s hand around his cock.

He feels the tip of the toy against his hole again, but he’s too high on the friction between his cock and Jimin’s fist to mind.

He lets out a gasp as he feels his hole being stretched. It hurts a little, like it burns, but the pleasure of having his dick jerked off overcomes it. He nearly lets out a cry, but instead he scrunches his eyes tight as Jimin continues pushing the toy in further; his hand never stops fisting Jungkook’s cock.

“Alright,” Jimin huffs, and Jungkook notices how his voice cracks, as if his throat were dry.

Jungkook nearly whines when Jimin slows down. He swallows, chancing to turn his head to find Jimin’s eyebrows scrunched up as his gaze is focused on, well, Jungkook’s asshole. Jungkook gulps for the second time, wanting to explode again.

“It’s in.”

Jungkook doesn’t even realise he’s already filled; he finally has the smallest toy up his ass. He’s not gonna lie and say it doesn’t hurt, because it did, initially. He lick his lips, slightly bucking his hips as if fucking into Jimin’s fist.

Jungkook sees the way Jimin’s lips parted in surprise when he bucks his hip, reminding Jimin that he still has an unfinished job. “Oh, sorry, love.”

Jungkook is certain he is blushing at the nickname again. Him and Jimin aren’t exactly the ‘we’re best friends so we have nicknames for each other’ type, but he can’t say that he doesn’t like it when Jimin uses sweet nicknames on him. He almost forgets that his dick is hard and is desperately begging for attention as it twitches against his abdomen.

Jimin continues doing what he was doing earlier, except that he seems certain now. His hand is properly clasped around Jungkook’s dick, just like how Jungkook likes it. Jimin’s thumb rolls over the top before sliding back down again, making it harder and harder for Jungkook to remain quiet.

Jungkook’s grip on the mattress tightens, pure ecstasy spreading all over him as Jimin increases his pace and Jungkook can only buck his hips. He won’t be able to control his body and the indecent voices are soon going to leave his lips.

“Hyung, hyung…”

He finds himself leaning towards the mattress, his limbs are giving up and he lets his cheek rest against the mattress again. He keeps his eyes shut and lets himself drown in pleasure as he feels the familiar heat in his stomach and god, he’s so so close. One more stroke, and Jungkook’s muscles stiffen before his thighs tremble – the orgasm hits him harder than it usually does, and he sees the whole ass galaxy rather than just stars.

His mouth hangs open, Jimin’s name being the last thing he remembers shouting, and he goes limp, trapping Jimin’s hand between his body and the mattress. He’s too spent to care that now his laundry basket has two other additions: a soiled mattress and his hoodie. Jimin gives his cock a squeeze that causes Jungkook to let out a whimper.

“Oh my god…” Jungkook pants, not wanting to move from his spot.

Jimin clears his throat. “Kook—”

“Oh, sorry,” Jungkook murmurs before turning to the other side.

“I, uh—” Jimin lifts his hand, dirty with Jungkook’s cum.

Suddenly, the embarrassment he felt earlier comes back and hits him like a train. What is one supposed to say in this situation? After your best friend jerks you off? Thank you for the fantastic wank? Jungkook abruptly looks away.

“You still have the butt plug inside you, by the way.”

Jungkook thanks his lucky stars that Jimin’s the one speaking, because Jungkook doesn’t have any idea what he should say.

“Oh,” he dumbly replies.

“How was it, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Jungkook hums as he stares at the ceiling and drums his fingers against his stomach. “Bit painful, but the wanking helps. It doesn’t feel… as spectacular as I imagined. I just feel like I’ve been filled…?”

“Yeah, I mean, it just stays in there so…”

“Oh.”

“You should get used to the size first before, you know. Maybe… next time…” Jimin clears his throat.

Jungkook bites his lower lip, his cheeks and ears burning hot.

“Anyway, you should clean up. Clean the toy too, yeah? I’m gonna, uh, clean myself too.”

“Okay.”

Jimin stands up and Jungkook forces himself to focus on the ceiling. It’s only when he hears Jimin call his name, that he dares to take a glance. Jimin is standing by the door, one hand on the knob.

“You’re okay, right?”

Huh?

The confusion must be evident in Jungkook’s face, because then Jimin adds, “Again, Kook, if you don’t feel comfortable, if you want to stop, please let me know.”

Jungkook’s eyes soften at the sight of Jimin’s creasing brows. He smiles and nods. Jimin always takes care of Jungkook first, and there’s no doubt that Jungkook puts his whole trust in Jimin. He knows there’s no other person he’d rather do this with.

Jimin returns the smile, albeit rather sadly. Jungkook can’t figure out why, but Jimin looks a bit… sad?

“If I were you, I’d have the sheet soaked in a bucket first. Wouldn’t wanna sleep on a crusty sheet, would we?” Jimin sardonically grins and Jungkook takes it back, there’s no way Jimin is feeling sad. Always the devil, that one. Rolling his eyes, Jungkook straightens up, ready to take his hoodie off when Jimin adds, “Dibs on the bathroom.”

“Hyung!”

“Sucks to be you!”

Two days after their fifth session with the smallest toy, Jimin decides Jungkook is ready for the medium-sized one.

Jungkook doesn’t expect it to happen so soon— moving on to the purple one, he means. He doesn’t dread it, but he’s not enthusiastic about it either.

A part of him thinks it will be awkward between him and Jimin, but surprisingly, it isn’t. Mainly because they rarely see each other during week days. Jungkook is in campus until the afternoon, while Jimin sometimes comes home later in the evening.

The routine goes on sporadically for a week; Jimin inserting the smallest toy inside Jungkook, and wanking him off until he cums. As always, Jimin doesn’t announce when he wants to do it, which Jungkook prefers. Sometimes he’d barge in unannounced, and it comes to a point where Jungkook makes it a habit to clean himself twice, sometimes thrice, every week. Not that he uses the bulb often, he’s rather fond of using shower enemas.

Jungkook notes that Jimin has a habit of calling him endearing nicknames during these routines. He supposes that he should get used to it, but knowing that darling and love and sweetheart are all directed to him, makes his heart grow twice its size in his chest. It’s a wonderful feeling, Jungkook has to admit.

He’s never going to tell Jimin, but he doesn’t want it to ever stop.

The first time they move on to the medium sized toy, it’s a Saturday.

Jungkook surmises that Jimin must have some time in his hand when he enters the living room asking, “Have you cleaned yourself?”

Jungkook blushes. “Yeah.”

“Alright.”

Jimin walks into Jungkook’s room first, Jungkook following closely behind. It’s always like this: Jimin would take out the toy from the closet and clean it while Jungkook would mentally prepare himself to be naked from the waist down. One thing he has learnt is to have a towel ready. His sheet is a bitch to clean, and Jimin made it clear that the washing machine is reserved to him on Sunday.

However, when Jungkook opens his drawer, he is only left with one towel. If he uses it now, he wouldn’t have anything to dry himself later.

“Hyung, do you have an extra towel?”

“Sorry?”

“Extra towel!”

“I don’t. Why?”

“I ran out of towels,” Jungkook answers.

Jimin enters the room with an amused look on his face, he’s holding a similar toy to the one they have been using a few days ago, but bigger and purple. Jimin chuckles, “Guess you’ll have to lie on your back.”

The statement somehow drains the colour on Jungkook’s face and suddenly, he feels parched. With the position he’s usually in and courtesy of his oversized tees and hoodies, his dick is hidden. So technically, Jimin hasn’t properly seen it yet. But lying down on his back? Jimin will be able to see everyfuckingthing.

“Well,” Jungkook gulps. “I suppose.”

“Alright then. Get yourself ready. Where did you put the lube?”

“Bedside drawer,” Jungkook replies, shimmying himself out of his shorts, but still keeping his boxers on.

Jimin smirks at him before he opens the top drawer. “I see somebody’s finally practicing a few things.”

Jungkook feels heat creep up his spine and engulf his face from the ears. Not that Jimin’s wrong, exactly, he did have a wank last night but that’s only because his assignment is stressing him out. (Jimin is right, wanking during a hectic schedule is quite wonderful.) He didn’t dare touch his ass though, he’s too tired to try to put a finger up there; after all, he just wanted a release. Besides, he doesn’t trust himself as much as he trusts Jimin.

Jungkook sits on the edge of the bed, feet on the ground. When Jimin turns to him, he frowns.

“Why are you still in your boxers?”

“Mentally preparing myself,” Jungkook deadpans.

Jimin lets out a giggle before sitting down on the floor and placing the lube beside him and the toy on his lap. He positions himself in front on Jungkook’s knees, one arm resting on Jungkook’s lap as he looks up to him. “Still shy?”

“A bit, yeah.” Jungkook lets out a breathless laugh, index finger picking on the loose thread of his boxers.

“Cute,” Jimin chuckles, and there’s that warm feeling in Jungkook’s chest again. “Well,” Jimin starts, “Take off your boxers then, sunshine.”

Jungkook does as he’s told while Jimin watches. He lets his boxers drop down the ground and Jimin helps by tossing them aside.

“Open up.”

Reluctantly, Jungkook spreads his legs open. He bites his lower lip unconsciously, watching Jimin’s reaction. He misses how Jimin’s eyes widen a smidgen for a second, but he certainly hears Jimin clearing his throat afterwards.

Jungkook can’t decide whether he wants to jump out of the window or pretend to have a heart attack, because his cock – the betrayer – twitches slightly, threatening to stand proud. It wouldn’t be mortifying, really, but how can Jimin hyung staring make Jungkook hard?

“Right,” Jimin says, clearing his throat again as his hands scramble to grab the lube and toy on his lap. “Would you like to try a new thing today?”

“What is it?”

“Would you like to cum untouched?”

The colour spills from Jungkook’s neck to flood his cheeks. How can Jimin look so pure while saying such dirty things? It’s a gift, Jungkook supposes. It is clear what the answer is before Jungkook can even open up his mouth, because his dick twitches again.

Jimin gives him a smile, the one that looks innocent but promises mischief. “Bet. Don’t wank, or you’ll have to do my laundry too.”

“No big deal.” It’s not that Jungkook hates doing laundry. At this point, he considers it a hobby.

“For a month.”

And he knows from the tremendous amount of clothes Jimin wears and the size of their washing machine that it’s impossible to have both their laundry done in a day. Jungkook’s face falls.

“What do I get if I win?”

“I’ll do the dishes for a month. Sounds good to you?”

“Huh…” Jungkook ponders, leaning back slightly. His palms open against the mattress to support him “Interesting. I’ll take you on it, then.”

“Wonderful. My partners don’t scream my name for nothing.” Jimin winks.

“Hyung!” Jungkook is certain he’s red again but this time at the prospect of Jimin lumping him with his partners.

It’s not a complete lie— it’s always Jimin’s name that escapes his lips when his orgasm hits. That’s absolutely normal, isn’t it? It is Jimin who makes him cum after all.

“Right. I’ll finger you first,” Jimin announces, pushing the pump down to dispense lube on his fingers. “Have you fingered yourself before?”

“No, actually. Thought about it a few times, but I just can’t go on with it.”

“Right. I really should’ve fingered you first though, or, you know, you do it yourself. I didn’t know that you hadn’t done it before.” He realises Jimin’s rambling, a habit he falls into whenever he’s nervous. Jungkook nearly let out a scoff. Jimin hyung being nervous? For what? Jungkook’s the one who is going to have his best friend stuck a finger up there.

“Lean back a little, darling.”

Jungkook does as he’s told, grateful that Jimin won’t be able to see his reddening face from their current position. Jungkook’s ass is on the edge of the bed, heels on the floor, legs spread open and, fucking hell, he swallows because Jimin hyung is in between his legs.

“Hard already?” Jimin asks, and there’s an unmistakable lilt of teasing in his voice.

Jungkook groans softly, his cock already standing proud.

“Alright, I’m gonna put it in, okay?”

Jungkook makes a noise of acknowledgement before it turns into a gasp at the cold sensation of Jimin’s finger. By all means, Jimin’s finger is not even as big as the toy, but it slides in rather easily and Jungkook finds that he prefers it than the silicone toy. Jimin moves his finger slowly, twisting it before pulling it out and he is rewarded with a sharp exhale from Jungkook. He’s not aware when Jimin’s free hand made its way to his thigh, caressing it so gently it makes Jungkook dizzy.

It’s only Jimin’s finger that’s inside of him, just one, yet somehow it feels so intimate that it knocks Jungkook’s breath out. With the butt plug, it’s just a silicone item entering Jungkook’s body, but this is Jimin’s finger. A small part of Jimin, but still Jimin nonetheless.

Another digit enters him, and they move faster now, twisting and searching and—

“Holy fuck!” Jungkook nearly screams. His eyes wide open and it feels as if the room were spinning. It takes him a while to register that his hands are gripping the mattress, his back bowing when Jimin hits the spot.

“Would you like me to touch you there again, little love?” Jimin sounds a bit breathless, but Jungkook knows there’s a smirk that follows his question.

He feels Jimin gently lean the side of his head against Jungkook’s inner thigh before he feels Jimin’s lips against his bare skin and it dawns to him that Jimin actually plants a kiss there. His mouth becomes dry, and the words he wants to say get stuck in his throat.

Jimin’s fingers move again, hitting the exact same spot and Jungkook finds himself unable to control the noises that escape his mouth. His cock is leaking, begging to be touched as it twitches, and he nearly caves until he hears Jimin say, “Go on then, touch yourself.”

He manages to let out a, “no,” although it sounds embarrassing in his ears.

“Or do you want me to touch you, darling?” Jimin murmurs against his skin, his free hand still doesn’t stop caressing his side.

Jungkook’s heart swells in his chest at the warmth of Jimin’s reassuring touches against his bare skin, how Jimin manages to sound so sweet even though there’s a demanding tone underneath his voice.

His toes begin to curl, his chest heaves and cock aches. Even nearing his orgasm, Jungkook still hates losing. His back is arching now, the obscene squelch grows louder as Jimin’s fingers never fail to brush against his prostate at every stroke. It feels so much better than a regular wank, the sensation is much more intense and he feels as if his pulses were electric. The way Jimin doesn’t stop murmuring praises makes Jungkook whine, one arm flying to

“God, hyung, hyung, I’m going to—”

“I got you, little love. Go on then.”

And that’s all it takes for Jungkook’s thighs to tremble violently, balls constricting and ribbons of cum splattering on his stomach and chest. He lets out a strangled cry, a noise he didn’t know he was able to make before his body becomes rigid. His thighs are still shaking as he tries to regulate his breathing, and he winces when Jimin pulls his fingers away.

Jungkook’s brain doesn’t register what Jimin is doing until he feels his forehead pressed against his thigh. He slowly sits up, propping himself on his elbows, to find Jimin touching himself. Only the sight of it makes Jungkook’s cock twitch again. Jimin has his eyes closed as his hand strokes his dick at an incessant pace. His eyes are scrunch tight as he chases release. Jimin pants, his sinful lips let out the most sinful noises Jungkook has ever heard and a moment later, he goes stilled before leaning against Jungkook’s bare skin.

Jungkook is mortified at the thought of his dick getting hard again as he watches Jimin hyung going through his orgasm. And as much as he forces himself to look away, he simply can’t. Jimin hyung looks absolutely beautiful as he cums— his eyebrows furrowed in concentration, his lips hanging open and the way he trembles when he shoots his load.

He can’t be bother to get angry about his floor being dirty because, as soon as Jimin cums, he hears his name leaving those pillow lips before he turns and bites Jungkook’s inner thigh lightly.

He has no idea what he did to deserve seeing such erotic scene folding right before his own eyes, because while he has never fantasized about his own best friend, he knows Jimin’s face when he cums will absolutely be engraved in his mind forever, stored for wanking material.

“Fuuuuck,” Jimin heaves, head still pressed against Jungkook’s skin. He opens his eyes, looking dangerously beautiful as he stares at Jungkook with half-lidded eyes. “Sorry, that was just…”

It doesn’t occur to Jungkook that Jimin might also toss off after their session, and once the thought crosses Jungkook’s mind, it’s the only thing he can think of. Does Jimin get off on getting him off? Besides, shouldn’t Jungkook be lending him a hand? It’s the only proper way to repay him, isn’t it? But instead of voicing it out, he can only swallow.

Jimin is still panting, attempting to calm himself down. “That was just hot.”

Jungkook feels his cheeks warming up. What is he supposed to say now? Thanks, watching you tossing off is also hot.

“Guess I’ll be doing the dishes alone tonight, huh?” Jimin grins lazily.

Holy fuck, Jungkook nearly forgets about the bet. If Jimin hadn’t voiced it out, all his brain would be thinking of is Jimin’s cumming face.

“Yeah,” he croaks, hating how rough his voice sounds before he repeats again, “Yeah, you are.”

“Pity,” Jimin giggles. Jimin grabs the purple toy, shaking it lightly. “We haven’t even used this one yet.”

“Oh yeah. I forgot about that.”

“Maybe tomorrow? I’m fucking spent.”

“Maybe.”

“Right. Let’s clean ourselves up.”

It’s hard not to want Jimin between his legs again after their previous session. Jungkook doesn’t prefer the position they were in last time, and somehow they found themselves in the living room the sessions that come after.

He’s seen Jimin’s cock a few times already, and the size is nearly the same as the biggest toy. When they finally move on to the black toy, Jungkook imagines it must be what it would feel like when he finally loses his virginity to Jimin. The burn is good, but the orgasm isn’t as intense as when Jimin was fingering him. There’s just something more intimate and much more pleasing than having a toy stuck up in his ass.

Their session now ends with Jimin wanking himself while Jungkook, barely coming down from his high, can only watch. There’s warmth in his chest that threatens to spread all over his body whenever Jimin calls his name out when he ejaculates and the way Jimin addresses him with sweet nicknames as he coaxes Jungkook to let go.

Jungkook is torn between wanting the day he loses his virginity to come quickly and dreading for it to happen. What started with Jungkook just wanting to feel more comfortable with sex has now somehow become something more… personal.

Something he suspects has always been there all along, but never realizing it because it’s right under his nose.

Is it even normal to think about your best friend from the moment you wake up? His brain supplies, and though he denies it, he knows the answer to that.

This is exactly what Jimin meant when he made Jungkook promise nothing would ever change.

This is exactly what Jimin is afraid of.

And Jungkook hates himself for being selfish, for being the one who would ruin their friendship.

A part of him tells him that it’s wrong, but another part of him convinces him that nothing has ever felt this right.

He breaks out in a cold sweat as he counts the days until it finally. He’s now certain that he’s dreading it rather than anticipating it because he now knows that he doesn’t want to have sex with Jimin because he needs help. He wants to have sex with Jimin because he makes him smile without even trying. Because Jimin always shields him from the rain, and because he always makes him feel as if he truly belonged. Jimin makes him feel as if there’s a place in this universe that’s just for him, and it’s being beside Jimin.

Jungkook sighs, he opens the Webtoon app in his phone after his futile attempt of forcing himself to sleep by tossing and turning in his bed.

Now, let’s go back to the beginning of this story: the day Jungkook supposedly loses his V-card.

Jungkook jumps again when Jimin bursts into his room unannounced. He’s still wearing the same clothes he was wearing when he left for work this morning.

“You ready?” Jimin asks with a smile, and it almost makes Jungkook want to become one with the floor.

Jungkook lets out a strangled laughter, “You bet!”

“Let me shower first, if that’s okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, sure, take your time, hyung,” Jungkook says, a little bit too rushed. Please, he wants to add.

Jimin grins again before closing the door. Jungkook groans, hurling himself to his bed and burying his head in his pillows. He made a promise to Jimin, and it kills him to think he had broke it even before he made the promise. He groans again, he feels the tears in his eyes and he forces himself to stop them before they’re threatening to fall, because the last thing he wants is for Jimin to think that he doesn’t want this.

He does, but not for the reason he thought he wanted.

He’s not sure how long he stays in that position, because he hears his door open again before he feels the mattress dip. He lifts his head, and Jimin hyung is right beside him, looking wary. His hair is still wet from his shower and there’s a towel on top of his head. He doesn’t know when the feelings start to kick in, but he has always known that it’s Jimin’s face he wants to wake up to. Ever since they were kids, when Jungkook always insisted on having sleepovers.

“Kookie, are you okay?” Jimin asks, patting his head gently.

“Hyung, I—” Jungkook swallows. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Jimin reassures. By now, Jimin already knows what it means and every single time Jungkook gives him a sign that he doesn’t want to, Jimin will always comply with no questions asked. “There’s always another day.”

“No, no. I mean…” Jungkook takes a deep breath before sitting up, facing Jimin. “I don’t want you to think I’m just using you for sex, hyung.”

“Kook…”

“And I certainly don’t want this to happen like this… this arrangement. I know you’re okay with it because I asked. But we both know we don’t want it.”

Jungkook catches the way Jimin’s expression turns to shock, before he composes himself again, but there’s something hurt in his face.

“It’s okay to wait for the right person. I understand, Kook.”

“No, you don’t, it’s just—” he inhales, and fuck, he hates how his body is completely immobile except for the slight shake in his fingers. “You’re the right person. I only want it to be with you because… because I love you.”

Jimin stills.

Jungkook internally winces. Jimin is silent and that’s slowly killing Jungkook. He waits for Jimin to reply, but Jimin barely even blink.

“I’ve always loved you. Ever since Busan. I only got here because I wanna be with you, because I know it’s pointless if it’s not with you. I realised I don’t wanna do it with any other person because I don’t feel even the tiniest bit of connection with anyone but you. It’s just so… easy with you. You’ve always been my safe space, hyung. And I know I promised that nothing would ever change and I’m so—”

“Hey, hey,” Jimin murmurs. Jungkook only realises he’s crying when Jimin’s thumb wipes the tears away. “Jungkook, look at me, love.”

He does as he’s told, the warmth of Jimin’s hands cupping his face calming him. “You don’t have to apologize.”

“But I promised. I made a promise to you.” He sniffs, feeling the tears coming again.

“Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to control myself?” Jimin asks, voice barely a whisper but his gaze is steady on Jungkook. “I cannot bear to lose you, Jungkook. I know my whole world would crumble if I do.”

Jimin pauses to wipe Jungkook’s tears away again. He continues, voice as gentle as the flutter of butterfly wings, “I am, and always have been, utterly, completely, devastatingly, in love with you.”

Jungkook’s jaw drops, and he’s pretty sure he looks ridiculous with the tears streaming down his cheeks and widening eyes. The confession hits him like a punch in the gut, breath leaving him in a rush.

Jimin giggles, before leaning in to rest his forehead against Jungkook’s. “It’s true. And knowing you feel the same way…”

Jungkook bites his lower lip. He didn’t see this coming.

Jimin’s eyes shine with longing and adoration, and Jungkook realises he’s seen this far too often. How could he miss it?

“Can I kiss you?” Jimin whispers.

Jungkook doesn’t trust himself to speak, so he nods instead. Jimin grins before slowly inching closer, causing Jungkook’s heart to skip a beat, before he presses his lips against Jungkook’s. Instinctively, Jungkook closes his eyes — relishing in the way his body relaxes instantly, melting all his worries away and yet, his limbs tingle as if there were an enormous supernova exploding in his chest. And his mind goes blank. The only thing he knows is that they have this moment now, and Jimin is holding his face as if he were holding the whole world. Careful, and ever so gentle.

Jimin pulls away and Jungkook finds himself leaning in again, eyes still closed. Jimin giggles before he kisses him again, and Jungkook thinks that this was long overdue – they should have done this a long time ago.

When Jimin pulls away again, Jungkook flutters his eyelids open and Jimin is looking at him with the gentlest smile before rubbing his nose against his. The gesture is simple, yet feels as intimate as the kiss, and Jungkook can’t help but to smile too.

“Lord, all this time… all this time I could have been doing that,” Jimin chuckles. “Why didn’t I do that?”

Jungkook shrugs but he can feel his grin reaching his ears. “I believe we did this in the wrong order. We should’ve dated first, then kiss and then make love?”

“Make love!” Jimin bursts out, nearly falling on his back as a fit of giggles erupt out of him. Jungkook manages to catch him by his wrist before he can topple backwards onto the floor. “Oh, Jungkook, you’re so lovely it hurts.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jungkook pouts.

“Never mind that, love,” Jimin grins, and the nickname makes Jungkook want to fly. He can get used to the nicknames, he thinks. “Let’s go on a date then, if you’d like? We can go to the movies.”

“I’d love that.”

“Hey, hyung?”

They’re cuddling on the sofa now, nothing out of the ordinary, but now Jungkook knows for a certain why his heart races when they’re this close, why his fingers always have the urge to touch. Jimin is leaning against Jungkook’s chest, their fingers entwined and every once in a while, Jungkook kisses the back of his head and ear, earning a sigh from his boyfriend.

Shit, boyfriend. Jungkook can’t believe it.

“Mmm?”

“Do you wanna make love?”

Jimin burst into a fit of laughter; his body shakes as the wonderful sounds leave his lips. He turns to Jungkook, the laughter subsides yet there are still traces of it showing on his face. “God, you’re such a romantic, do you know that?”

Jungkook rolls his eyes.

Fingers picking on the loose thread of his jeans, feet incessantly tapping against the tiled floor, restless round eyes staring intently at the wall clock — one could tell that Jeongguk was feeling nervous and yet his parents paid him no mind.

 Aside from the sounds of his parents chewing and cutleries clashing against ceramic bowls, the table was silent. It had been like that since Jeongguk could remember that at this point, it felt more normal than when any of them decided to start a conversation. He barely touched his food, too busy staring at the clock situated on the wall near the empty seat. As they were a family that respected traditions and rules, Junghyun’s seat had been left empty for nearly three years now. Father was always sat facing mother while Jeongguk would face Junghyun, but all he was seeing now was an unoccupied seat and beige-coloured wall.

 Jeongguk was shaken from his reverie when he heard mother’s voice from his side. “Why aren’t you eating?”

 “Ah...” he dumbly responded before he reached out for the chopsticks and pretended to pick up some radish. “I’ve had a big lunch and continued snacking earlier,” he lied.

 Back when he was younger, he was taught that he should not lie. He never liked lying anyway, he hated the feeling of getting caught. These days, however, the lies would just roll out of his tongue rather smoothly; it was as easy as breathing.

 He surmised that he was a professional liar as his mother did not question him and instead resumed eating her food.

 One of the rules during dinner was to wait for everyone to finish eating before leaving the table and Jeongguk thought this had to be the longest he had ever waited — in fact it was probably even more excruciating than that one day on Thanksgiving. He blamed it on the nerves and the abundance of food his mother decided to cook today. Exhaling quietly, he decided to calm down by stuffing himself with the fried rice. After all, letting himself get too invested in counting the minutes only made the wait even longer.

 As soon as both of his parents placed their eating utensils on the table, Jeongguk dashed towards the wet kitchen and abruptly washed the dishes, eager to get away from the suffocating silence.

 After he was done, he would go straight to his bed room and stayed there for the remaining of the night. But not tonight. Tonight, Jeongguk had plans to do something else. Tonight, Jeongguk was finally going to do it.

       Before Jeongguk dies, he wanted to accomplish a lot of things. Most of his goals were unrealistic, things that could only happen in his dreams. He began writing a bucket list, and due to his indecisiveness, the lists were often crumpled and tossed into the bin.

 Months ago, Jeongguk decided to keep the list short, simple and attainable.

 Weeks ago, Jeongguk decided that he should start crossing off stuff from the list.

 Tonight, Jeongguk decided that he would do it all at once.

      Nearly everyone in Jeongguk’s group of friends were either the youngest or the middle child. More often than not, they would always complain how they were being treated unfairly because of the hierarchy. As Jeongguk grew older, he was expecting to have only hand-me-downs from Junghyun. After all, it was Junghyun’s crib he slept on and Junghyun’s outfits that he wore for the first few years of his life.

 The hand-me-downs stopped when Jeongguk reached sixteen, because there were not any items of Junghyun that could be passed down to him. Wearing Junghyun’s shirts and playing Junghyun’s console brought uneasiness and guilt crawling underneath his skin.

 But to cross off the first item on Jeongguk’s bucket list, he would need to borrow Junghyun’s car.

 Junghyun’s car was not exactly something that stepped out of Jeongguk’s dream — it was an old 4x4 truck, painted in cherry red, that did not have a working air conditioner. In addition to the unbearable heat, it never failed to make a loud screeching noise whenever the engine was started. The truck was not much, but Jeongguk knew it was a gift from their father that Junghyun treasured the most.

 The amount of times he had ridden the truck with Junghyun could be counted with just one hand, and he only enjoyed half the time they spent in the wretched truck.

 When the clock struck ten thirty, Jeongguk tiptoed down the stairs and as subtle as he could, he grabbed Junghyun’s car keys from the key rack near the front door. Snatching the keys was effortless; Junghyun’s car keys had a small red electric guitar keychain attached to it and seeing as all the lights were turned off, his parents were probably already sleeping upstairs.

 Starting up the car, however, was quite a challenge. He could still recall the secondhand embarrassment he felt whenever every time Junghyun started up the car in public, how everyone would turn their heads towards their direction because the engine made noises so loud that if the sky had hands, it would cover its ears. With a deep breath and unsteady hands, he carefully inserted the key into the keyway and silently prayed that the noise would not wake his parents up. He had no idea what he was supposed to say if they saw him in Junghyun’s car and he certainly could not afford to get caught. It was his only chance and it had to be tonight; any other day would not feel right.

 Once he turned the key, the truck began to make loud noises that would easily be mistaken as high-pitched squeals but there was no doubt that anyone in the Jeon household would know if someone had started up Junghyun’s car. He counted until five under his breath, not bothering to wait for the truck to fully warm up before he shifted to the reverse gear to back up the car and drove as far from the house as he could.

 “Wow,” he muttered under his breath, the adrenaline rushing through his veins. Unconsciously, his grip on the steering wheel was tightened as his heart pattered excitedly against his ribcage.

 He let out a laugh, amazed and proud at himself for taking the very first step that he had been so scared of. With the window lowered and a gratified feeling he had not felt for years, he thought:

 This must be what freedom tastes like.

           Jeongguk always preferred the silence to the loud. Which was why he was questioning himself why he’d let his three AM shadow to write the bucket list that included going a strip club as a part of it.

 A small part of him had always wondered what it was like to pay for a stranger to dance on him, to pretend that he was the only person in the world that mattered.

 He had sat inside the truck for ten minutes, staring at the eye-catching neon lights of the club’s exterior, debating whether he should ditch this one goal or just went on with it. He was so close to driving away, to never come back and pretended it was never on the list but he knew tonight, the list would do all the decisions for him whether he liked it or not.

 Based on his research, the club should be opened half an hour ago and yet when Jeongguk entered, he could count the amount of people there with one hand. The music was not as loud as he expected it to be — he can still hear the whistles from whom he assumed were the customers and the sounds of the bartender mixing up a drink.

 He paid no attention to the other clients, deciding that it was better to focus on himself and his bucket list for tonight. Just as he seated himself, a man with only a bowtie and a tight, black shorts approached him with a lazy smile.

 “What can I getcha tonight?”

 “Uh...” Jungkook looked up to him, hoping he looked like he was not lost. He swallowed and the guy only raised an eyebrow, which made him more nervous and somehow his answer came out as a question. “Juice...?”

 The guy’s face softened as he broke into a small laughter and Jeongguk could feel his face warmed up. Thankfully, he thought, at least the low lighting made it impossible to see his reddening face.

 “Oh honey, I meant I can getcha a beer, we ain’t got no juice here, I can also have someone dance for ya.”

 “In that case,” Jeongguk gulped before standing up from his seat. It was evident on his face that Bowtie was confused. “Please excuse me... I-I gotta go to the bathroom.”

 “Suit yaself.”

 Jeongguk wanted to run away. It was not for him; he knew it from the beginning but he could not bring himself to give up just like that. It was what Junghyun would have wanted. Instead of going straight back to the parking lot, he ran to the bathroom.

 The bathroom was clean, the walls were painted purple with pictures of men doing inappropriate poses hung on it. Jeongguk washed his face, hoping that in some way it could wash away all his thoughts of being a chicken. He stared at his reflection on the mirror, berating himself for even thinking of backing away. He had only just started, and if he were to stop now, he will never forgive himself ever.

 With new determination and fists shoved inside the pockets of his yellow jacket, he walked out of the bathroom, head held up high only for him to stop in his tracks when he saw a familiar face. Not far from the entrance of the bathroom, he saw a loyal customer from the jeans store he worked at. Jeongguk was good with faces, but this one was certainly unforgettable — pastel pink hair, rosy freckled cheeks and strawberry-tainted pillow lips. From where Jeongguk was standing, he could make out the usual glittered black jacket that he was always donning and the tight, ripped jeans that seemed painted on his legs.

 The person in front of him was bigger and taller than he was, his muscles were prominent despite the white shirt covering them. Jeongguk caught a few words from their conversation — or, a better way to say it was an ‘argument’.

 The Bigger one had his arms folded, trying to convince the Smaller to do something from the way he said, “You have to!”

 The Smaller had his brows furrowed, lips frowning and eyes burning raging fire as he countered back, “No!”

 Bigger said something before pointing a finger and prodding it on Smaller’s chest, seeming as if to threaten him, before leaving Smaller with his chest heaving and looking as if he was just told that his best friend had been sleeping with his partner.

 Absentmindedly, Jeongguk walked over, suddenly filled with the urge to comfort him even though they never really interacted aside from “is this the size you’re looking for?”

 “Rough night?”

 “Piss off,” Smaller spat out, glaring at Jeongguk. He crossed his arms in irritation, turning away from Jeongguk.

 Ouch. Jeongguk would be lying if he said that did not hurt.

 “You don’t deserve that.” Jeongguk pressed his lips into a straight line before letting out a sigh, placing one hand on the back of his neck and murmuring, “Just like I don’t deserve that.”

 Jeongguk saw the way Smaller’s eyes softened despite the frown on his lips.

Jeongguk did not know what came over him that made him say it, perhaps it was the small voice at the back of his head that reminded him that tonight was all about going out of his comfort zone, and that this would be counted as crossing off one item. Though he cringed when he recalled this back, he felt glad and overflowed with confidence as the words slipped out of his lips.

 “I’m going on an adventure tonight. You’re welcome to join me if you’d like.”

 Smaller’s eyes bulged and his mouth slightly parted open, shocked at the sudden invitation and if Jeongguk were to be honest, he would too if a stranger suddenly invited him to go for an adventure. The words were now out in the open, floating around mindlessly and Jeongguk did not wait for Smaller to catch them and give Jeongguk his answer. To mask his embarrassment, Jeongguk cleared his throat and hastily added, “It’s okay if you don’t want to. I-I’m gonna go now.”

 Awkwardly, he lifted a hand as a farewell gesture before storming off.

 “Oh my god,” he mumbled, fishing for the car key in his pocket. “What did I do that for?” he whispered to himself, horrified at the mess he created.

 He was ready to leave, maybe lie down on the road and wait for an oncoming dumpster truck to run over him, and just as he found the key, he heard a voice screaming, “Wait!”

 He turned to the source of the voice, to find Smaller was jogging towards his direction with his hand up. No longer did he had the frown on his face, and Jeongguk thought that he might have not made a mistake after all. Smaller halted, his chest heaving lightly before his lips stretched into a small smile that made Jeongguk’s heart fluttered.

 “Does the offer still stand?”

 Jeongguk could not help the grin that was taking over himself as he nodded.

 “Great,” Smaller beamed. “I’m Jimin, by the way.”

 “Jeongguk.”

 “Jeongguk,” Jimin said, as if to taste the new name on his tongue. “Do you accept me as your companion for your adventure tonight?”

 Jeongguk chuckled, shaking his head at the silliness he did not expect coming from Jimin.

 “It would be my pleasure, Jimin-ssi.”

        If, in an alternate universe where every thought you have will be written on your forehead, Jimin’s would probably be: ‘adventure, my ass.’

 Five minutes into their so called ‘adventure’ and the Jimin seemed as if he was ready to jump out of the car and run back to the strip club. To say he was worried about boring Jimin would be an understatement, because he could not stop swallowing and glancing at Jimin’s direction. Jimin had his elbow on the windowsill, head resting against his fisted palms as the wind made his bubblegum hair dance.

Jeongguk cleared his throat, straightening his back against the worn-out leather seat. He ran through the questions in his mind, trying to pick the one that was appropriate or interesting.

 “So, Jeongguk.” He heard Jimin spoke and all the questions in his mind dissipated. “Does going to a strip club counted as part of your adventure?”

 Jeongguk nearly choked at the mention of the strip club. He could feel his ears burnt hot as he chewed the inside of his right cheek. Before he could answer, a soft laughter was emitted from Jimin. He turned to Jimin, who was slightly shaking his head that it made his feet relax, his grip on the steering wheel loosened and brought a chuckle out of Jeongguk’s lips.

 “You can say that. Technically that’s not adventurous, as I chickened out and instead recruit you as a companion but yeah, it’s part of the adventure.”

 Jeongguk could tell that Jimin had something he wanted to say, and from the look on the guy’s face, Jeongguk was not sure if he wanted to know.

 “Say, Jimin,” Jeongguk spoke up as he checked his side mirror before pushing down the signal switch and shifting to the next lane. “Are you starving?”

 “Very.”

 “Great. ‘Cause on our next adventure, we’ll be eating the best donkasseu in the whole world.”

       The trip to Yeoju Rest Stop was not as uncomfortable as Jeongguk thought it would be. In fact, at the mention of donkasseu, Jimin was piqued with interest and Jeongguk noted that being excited made Jimin more talkative, that all his worries about drowning in silence vanished in a blink of an eye.

 Jimin argued that the best donkasseu in the world would have to at the restaurant near his home, and when Jeongguk voiced out that he never heard of it, Jimin was a tad bit offended that he promised to take Jeongguk there someday.

 Once they have arrived, Jeongguk was surprised at how lively it was. Although it was nearing midnight, the place was filled with the chatter of the people and the smell of delicious food. Jeongguk stomach grumbled at the sight of the potato pancake, a favourite of his since he was younger.

 Jimin could not help but let out a lot of ‘wow’s as they passed by each of the kiosks. The aunties and uncles behind the counters were greeting them cheerfully and they say words to entice them to buying their product. Jeongguk would have gotten everything if he could, but his main goal was the donkasseu.

 It was the donkasseu or nothing.

 Finally, when they reached the donkasseu kiosk, they halted right in front of it, staring at the menu. One of the waiters came out from the wet kitchen, bringing a tray of two donkasseu and two cans of cola, too busy trying to balance them to acknowledge Jimin and Jeongguk. Jeongguk’s mouth was watering by then, the smell of freshly cooked donkasseu filled his nostrils and all he could think about was stuffing himself with it.

 “Holy crap,” Jimin mumbled as his eyes followed the waiter. “It smells so good.”

 Jeongguk was in no state of mind to answer, afraid that a waterfall of his saliva would spill from his mouth if he did. He swallowed before walking towards the kiosk, hands on the counter. An auntie came out from the door, grinning from ear to ear when she saw them. Jeongguk thanked every deity to ever existed, because he did not know what he would do if someone hadn’t taken his order this instant.

 Jangmi – from the nametag the auntie was wearing – had wrinkles around her kind, almond eyes as she smiled.

 From Jeongguk’s observation when he was younger, every seller had different voices when they speak. He learnt this from his mother, who was a freelance baker. Jangmi had the same voice as his mother when she was attending a customer, though Jangmi’s was more towards pestering in a way, as she attempted to entice the both of them into getting two servings of fried prawns.

 After one full minute of ensuring Jangmi that they were good with just the donkasseu, they sat on a table at the end, the both of them facing each other.

 There was a rumbling sound coming from Jimin that made Jimin’s face turned into a scarlet hue while Jeongguk tried his hardest not to crack a smile.

 “Sorry. The smell, god, everything just smells so good here.”

 “Yeah. I didn’t know a rest stop could be this lively at night.”

 “Really? I thought you’ve been here before.”

 Jeongguk shook his head, lowering his gaze to stare at his fingers that were fumbling with the zipper of his jacket.

 Jimin raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, sensing that there was some sort of story that brought Jeongguk here. Jeongguk bit his lower lip, before answering in a soft voice, “My brother was the one who told me about this place. He really, really, really loved it. He promised to take me someday.”

 Though Jimin’s face had curiosity written all over it, he did not pry for more as his eyes followed the movement of a waiter carrying a bowl of jajangmyeon and tangsuyuk.

 “Thanks, by the way.”

 “For…?”

 “For paying on my behalf,” Jimin answered with a shrug, hoping that it passed as nonchalant but the pink tint on his cheeks indicated otherwise.

 Jeongguk chuckled, letting his head fall in an attempt to cover the smile that was trying to take over his face before replying, “No worries. It’s the least I can do after I drag you to my lame adventure.”

 “It’s not lame! Well, maybe, okay, a little bit.”

 “Hey!”

 The food arrived just in time, and both boys devoured the donkasseu in silent. Junghyun did not lie when he said this was the best donkasseu in the world; it was crispy yet juicy, the meat tender and the sauce, oh god, it was to die for. Jeongguk was the one who emptied his plate first, leaning back against the plastic chair to calm himself. He felt sated, both his heart and stomach.

 Jimin finished a few moments later, leaving the tomatoes on the side of his plate. He too, leaned back against his chair after grabbing a napkin to wipe the corner of his mouth.

 “Man… I don’t think I will ever eat any other donkasseu ever again.”

 “I second that.”

 “This one just put the other donkasseu to shame.”

 “Agreed.” After a while, Jeongguk added, “You don’t like tomatoes?”

 “Eh. Not a big fan,” Jimin murmured, pushing one of the tomatoes with a fork.

 “Me too. But there was sauce on them so I just ate them, and they’re pretty good actually.”

 “So, where do we go next?”

 “We’ll go where the list wants us to go.”

        “You said something about a list. This isn’t just some random adventure, isn’t it?”

 “To tell you the truth, they’re not even an adventure at all. Can eating at a random rest stop be called an adventure? I think it’s just me trying to convince myself that my life isn’t as boring as I make it out to be.”

 “Hm. So, you’re saying that, these are just things that you wanted to do before you die?”

 “You can say it like that, yeah.”

 There was a moment of silent before Jimin erupted with laughter as he slapped his thigh, his body shaking due to the intensity of it that Jeongguk was scared he might accidentally open the door and roll out to the road.

 Jimin calmed down no longer after that, but there was still mirth in his voice. “I can’t believe going to a strip club is part of your list.”

 “Hey!” Jeongguk said rather defensively, glaring at Jimin for a second before focusing back on the road. The road was practically empty, but Jeongguk still had the need to becareful. “It was something that I needed to do, okay.” He was aware of how sulky he sounded. It was not his intention, but it came out that way.

 “Oh shit… don’t tell me you have, like, three more days to live?”

 From the corner of his eyes, Jeongguk could see Jimin was turning his whole body towards him and he fought the urge to roll his eyes because of how silly Jimin was being. He did not have to look to know that sympathy and shock was written all over Jimin’s face. Without meaning to, Jeongguk let out an exasperated groan. “No, Jimin, damn it. The list is just things I needed to do before today ends, okay.”

 “Oh, okay then. That’s cool.” It had not even been five second of silence before Jimin spoke up again, “Wait, wait, wait, I have a question. What else are there in your list?”

 “Why do you ask?”

 “Aw, come on. I’m your companion now. I’d like to help. Isn’t that what companions are for?”

 Jeongguk sighed. He contemplated in telling Jimin, seeing how much laughter came out of him when he knew going to a strip club was in his bucket list. He readied himself for another round of laughter from Jimin as he said, “Do something illegal, smoke—”

 “Jeongguk, what the fuck.”

 “What?” He threw Jimin a pointed look, daring the bubblegum-haired to make fun of him again. Instead, Jimin only throw both his hands up, as if to ensure him that he was not going to say mean things.

 “Okay, go on.”

 “Uh, sleep under the stars—”

 “Jesus, just where do you think we can—”

 “There’s a desert that Junghyun told me about, a few miles away from Yeoju Rest Stop.”

 “Are we heading there now?”

 “Yeah.”

 “Dude, if we sleep now, how else can we cross off the other stuff?”

 “Maybe we can take a short nap…?”

 “Fuck, you know what, let’s do something illegal and smoke first. I know just what to do.”

       The words on paper was written after he gave it some thought. Now that he was about to do it, he now knew clearly, he had not given it enough thought. He did not know why he thought doing something illegal was a great idea. When Jimin laid out the plan, it seemed as if it was very easy to accomplish. But sitting in the car, staring at the broken 24/7 LED sign on top of the wall, made his palms sweat and he could not stop biting his bottom lip.

 The glass walls showed that the store was empty. At most, there would probably be another worker at the storage. He saw an old man behind the cash register, flipping through a newspaper. Who the heck read newspaper at one o’clock in the morning?

 Jimin, on the other hand, seemed eager. Despite the dark, Jeongguk could see his eyes twinkling in mischief. Maybe it was Jeongguk’s brain telling him that it was overheating with just the thought of robbing a store, but Jimin’s eyes shone brighter than his glittery jacket.

 “Are you ready for this?” Jimin whispered, grinning, his eyes not leaving the store.

 His tone made Jeongguk wonder why Jimin was the excited one between the two of them. It should be Jeongguk. Jeongguk was the one with the list. He was the one who created the list. Jeongguk swallowed, tearing his eyes away from Jimin to stare at the man again. The man was too immersed in reading that he did not realize that they had been sitting in the car for ten minutes.

 Jeongguk opened his mouth to speak, eyebrows furrowing as he turned to Jimin. “I don’t think we should—”

 “Trust me.” Jimin’s voice dropped an octave, his gaze was burning with determination, yet the sparkles were still there. “There’s no CCTV here. See?” Jimin pointed at nothing in particular. “No TV. No cameras. It’s one of the oldest stores in the branch, I reckon they don’t even bother upgrading their security system.”

 Perhaps it was how sure Jimin was, how confidence was literally oozing in every word he said and how for the first time tonight, Jeongguk saw the twinkles in his eyes and he did not want them to disappear, that Jeongguk felt assured and gave in. There was, however, one thing that concerned him.

 “But the cigarettes,” Jeongguk murmured. “They’re on the shelves behind him.”

 Jimin gave him a smile, one laced with mischief and promised trouble. Strangely enough, Jeongguk felt at ease though his foot was tapping against the floorboard, and without realizing, his lips curved upwards too, feeling his heart swell twice its size.

      If someone had told Jeongguk that he would be robbing a store with a random guy he picked up at a strip club, Jeongguk would have thought they were out of their mind. Jeongguk only watched as Jimin strutted inside the convenience store as if he owned it. Jeongguk, on the other hand, had to shove his fists inside the pockets of his jacket in a weak attempt to stop them from shaking.

 He hoped he did not look as nervous as he was feeling, because all he could hear were the sound of his heartbeat drumming vehemently in his ears. He went towards the coolers, reading all the names of the beverages to calm his nerves. After pondering for a while, he grabbed the six pack of beer, carefully holding it with both hands in fear he might accidentally drop them. From where he was, he peeked at Jimin, who was approaching the counter with swagger spilling all over the place with his hands holding a few snacks.

 Jeongguk tensed when Jimin nonchalantly leaned against the counter, pointing one of the boxes of cigarettes behind the cashier. The man gave Jimin a disinterested look as he grabbed a box, and when Jimin shook his head no, the man sighed and took another one.

 Jeongguk did not realize he was holding his breath until he heard himself exhale rather loudly, and it was only when Jimin turned to him, giving him a wink that he could finally breathe again.

That was the signal for Jeongguk to get ready to run. The thought of robbing the store so openly with the worker right in front of them had both anxiety and excitement thrumming through his veins.

 He nodded as a response, holding the six-pack close to his chest. He swallowed thickly against the wave of nausea that was bubbling in his throat, and he was certain his cheeks were flushed with the thrill of doing something he should not. He was getting closer and closer to Jimin now, who was still pretending to choose the right brand.

 Once he was only a few steps away from Jimin, Jimin asked for a lighter, earning another sigh from the man.

 “This the right one?” the man asked, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice.

 “Yes, this’ll do. Perfect, perfect…” Jimin grinned.

 “Great,” the man muttered, folding his newspaper from the counter. When he turned to place the newspaper behind him, Jimin whisper-screamed, “RUN!” and that was all it took for Jeongguk to scamper away, one hand holding the six-pack tightly while the other scrambled to take out the keys from his jacket.

 By the time they have entered the car, it finally dawned on the man that they were gone. His fingers grew clumsy as he heard the man scream, terrible thoughts flooding into his mind as he failed to insert the key into the keyhole.

 “Holy shit, Jeongguk! Fucking drive, fucking drive!!” Jimin yelled, slapping the headrest.

 “STOP RIGHT THERE, FUCKERS!!”

 Jimin’s yelling, combined with the man’s booming voice demanding them to stop, only made Jeongguk’s palm sweat. He bit his lower lip, eyes never leaving the man while his hand was desperately trying to put the key in. Jeongguk expected the man to step over the counter, but thankfully they were given time as the man struggled to lift the counter top.

 “Fuck!!”

 “OH MY GOD,” Jeongguk screamed in both frustration and relief, finally able to insert the key and without even thinking twice, he started the engine, shifted to first gear and reversed.

 “HEY, STOP!!”

 The man was finally out, shaking his fists towards them and that was enough motivation for Jeongguk to press the gas all the way to the floorboard, driving away as fast as he could. From the rear-view mirror, Jeongguk could see the man was screaming, both middle fingers up to their direction.

 There was a moment of silence between the two of them.

 “Fuck,” Jimin murmured, his eyes glued to the dark road ahead of them.

 Jeongguk’s chest were heaving, lungs desperate for air. He could still feel the adrenaline in his veins and a fine sheen of sweat breaking out on his forehead. “Fuck,” Jeongguk muttered before a peal of laughter rose through his chest, escaping his lips before he could even try to hold it in.

 Jimin also burst into a relieved laughter, his whole body vibrating with tiny tremors as he reached out to hold Jeongguk’s shoulder.  

 “Did you—” Jimin had to paused in between his laughter, lightly and repeatedly patting Jeongguk’s shoulder as if the gesture would help to squeeze the words out. “D-did you see his fa-face?”

 “Jimin, don’t—” Jeongguk guffawed, nearly steering them to the other lane.

 “I can’t believe he waddled instead of running, oh dear lord.”

 They laughed and laughed and laughed to their heart’s content and nothing in particular, feeling as if they had the night in the palm of their hands. Jeongguk could not remember the last time he felt this way; free and happy, like birds gliding across the skies.

    Some of the street lights were not working, and Jeongguk had to rely on the headlights and the moonlight to guide them there. They had been laughing their asses of on their way there, too busy recalling the look on the worker’s face and telling the stories of how they were sure they were not going to make it out alive.

 When they arrived at the desert, Jeongguk drove a tad bit further than he intended before shifting the gear to neutral and pulling the handbrake up. Turning off the headlights and engine, both of them went out, with Jimin holding onto the snacks and Jeongguk the beers. Jeongguk placed the beers onto the bed floor of the truck before unlocking the tailgate and climbing inside, Jimin following him afterwards.

 While there was only a landscape of sand ahead of them, above them were black skies painted with specks of sparkling silvers and strokes of velvet and violet. Except for the both of them, the desert was empty of life, and it almost made Jeongguk feel as if they were the only ones awake at this hour; that they were the only ones who witnessed the moon gradually retiring to her slumber.

 Jeongguk sniffed, pulling his jacket closer to him as the cold air nipped on his neck.

 He took out the beers, opened one and handed it to Jimin before opening one for himself. Jimin took the can with a murmur of ‘thanks’ as he placed the snacks before them. Jeongguk took a sip of his first beer, surprised at how bitter it was. He pulled away, staring at the can in disdain. Jimin let out a chuckle at Jeongguk’s expression as he took a sip himself.

 “Blegh, this isn’t that good,” Jeongguk muttered.

 “They’re alright.” Jimin shrugged as he leaned on both of his palms to get a better view of the night sky.

 Jeongguk was never a fan of the dark, but here with Jimin and the winking stars, it gave him comfort. It was half-moon tonight, and while Jeongguk was able to view skies from his bedroom window, he knew nothing could ever beat the view he was witnessing right now. Here, everything was clear. No air pollution, no karaoke noises from the neighbours and no parents who stopped talking to you.

 “I feel bad,” Jeongguk voiced out, shaking the can lightly before sipping on it. He was still not accustomed to the taste, but the thought of not finishing it made him frown. It was the least he could do. He hissed at the taste before adding, “For the cashier guy.”

 Jimin chortled, slightly shaking his head. “Hey, it’s your list.”

 “But still.”

 “You wanna try smoking now?” Jimin asked, taking the cigarette box out of the pocket of his jeans to wave it to Jeongguk. Jeongguk took it, heart pounding against his chest as he held it. There was a dent in the corner and it felt light.

 Reluctantly, he tore open the package and took one stick out of the box. He glanced at Jimin, who was staring at him expectantly with a lighter in his hands.

 “Are you gonna do it with me?” Jeongguk did not like how his voice came out as a whisper, as if to indicate that he was scared of doing it alone.

 Jimin gave a sardonic grin before grabbing the box from Jeongguk, pinching the filter before putting one stick in between his lips before he flicked on the lighter. Jeongguk’s eyes followed the way Jimin brought the lighter closer to him, the light from the fire illuminated on Jimin’s face and casted shadows over his cheeks. Jimin softly inhaled, and when he exhaled, Jeongguk saw there were smoke coming out from both his mouth and nose. Involuntarily, Jeongguk scrunched his nose at the smell of smoke.

 “You’ve done this before, haven’t you?” Jeongguk muttered, suddenly feeling like a fool for assuming that Jimin had not.

 “Back in high school, yeah. Mum died of cancer, so I swore to stop. Occasionally, I found myself breaking my own promise, but most of the time I’m doing all right.”

 “Oh. Sorry. About your mum, I mean. And for making you do this again,” Jeongguk murmured, head hanging low as he rolled the cancer stick between his thumb and index finger. He contemplated in pretending smoking did not exist in the list, just like how he wanted every single thing in the paper to be crossed off without actually doing it.

 “I’m not doing this for you, silly,” Jimin chuckled, taking another drag from the cigarette. When he exhaled, he stretched out his hand away from the floorboard to tap the ashes off of his cig. He said, “We’re in this weird adventure together.”

 Jeongguk liked how that sound. Weird adventure. Together. Jimin made it sound like he genuinely meant it and Jeongguk liked the feeling the words gave him; warmth, as if he was embraced.

 With awkward hands, Jeongguk lifted the stick to his lips, only for Jimin to stop him. “Hold on, darlin’, you gotta—” Jimin reached out, taking the cigarette from Jeongguk to squeeze the filter before handing it back.

 “What do you do that for?” Jeongguk asked, eyes wide in confusion, lower lip jutting out slightly.

 Jimin inhaled the smoke again, and when he exhaled, Jeongguk watched as the wisps of smoke left his lips as he smirked. “You’ll see.”

 Biting his lower lip, Jeongguk fiddled with the cigarette before finally placing it between his lips, careful not to let his tongue touch the filter. His fingers were holding onto the lighter too tightly that if he held onto it for a second longer, he was sure it might break. He was a bit shaky as he flicked the lighter, he noticed, and he was pretty sure his eyes were crossed from staring at the tip of the cigarette too hard.

 When the cigarette was finally lit up, his cheeks were sucked in as he inhaled the smoke greedily, his eyes widened a smidgen when he felt it entering his lungs and he pulled the stick away, coughing up the smoke. He heard Jimin giggle and felt his hand on his back, patting it softly.

 “Greedy boy,” Jimin chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.

 Jeongguk stared at the cigarette in between his thumb and index finger in bewilderment as he smacked his lips. He was surprised that it was not as bad as he expected it to be, in fact it had a cooling effect and tasted like… strawberry. He tried to blink the thought away, he was probably just hallucinating.

 “It tastes weird,” he voiced it out, smacking his lips again. The bitterness of the beer, combined with the bittersweet taste of the cigarette, would not leave his tongue. “Like… strawberry? I don’t know.” He hoped he did not sound like a child when he said that.

 Jimin grinned, flicking the ash. “Yeah. It’s the filter.”

 “Oh,” he deadpanned. “I see.”

 “You don’t have to smoke all the way, you know that, right? You’ve crossed off another item from your list.”

 “Yeah,” he answered quietly, staring at the gray ashes that were forming at the tip of the stick. “Yeah,” he answered again, a bit louder this time as he mirrored Jimin’s action; tapping on the cigarette outside of the truck.

 Jimin climbed down from the truck, breathing in the smoke rather harshly, not stopping as if it would be his last, and Jeongguk had counted until twenty when Jimin finally pulled the stick away and threw it to the ground. He raised his head to the night sky, and Jeongguk watched, mesmerized, as Jimin puffed out the smoke as if he was a dragon.

 The whole thing was fascinating to watch, as if it was something that came out of a movie; Jimin, with his head up, lips slightly parted to let the smoke escape and there were abundant of stars twinkling above him on the jet-black firmament.

 Jeongguk did not realize he was staring, utterly enthralled at the way Jimin was just being himself. He was only snapped out of his dreams when Jimin called out his name, hand reaching out for Jeongguk to hand his cig over.

 Without hesitation, Jeongguk gave Jimin his cig, barely smoked and only a few millimeters short from its original size. Jimin did the same thing he did before, he threw the cigarette to the ground before stomping on the both of them with his black boots. Once he was done, he ran a finger through his bubblegum hair, gave Jeongguk a heart-stopping smile before stepping inside and sat down next to Jeongguk.

 “Not bad, huh?”

 “Not really. It doesn’t feel good either.”

 “Yeah. Don’t ever do it again, though.”

 Jeongguk cracked a smile. “I promise.”

 “That’s a sweet boy.”

 He knew the darkness helped conceal his face, but he turned his face away anyway, hoping that Jimin would not catch the blush that were making its way to his cheeks. A few minutes passed by with the both of them sitting in silence, staring at the sky in admiration, sipping warm beer and eating the snacks they acquired from the convenience store earlier. Jeongguk found that he hated the taste of cigarette on his tongue more than the beer, which lead him into stuffing himself with the snack to rid of the taste.

 Jimin was munching on the potato crisp when he asked, “Was I a part of your list?”

 Jeongguk nonchalantly shrugged as he bit a chocolate-covered biscuit stick. “Yeah, you can say that.”

 “Huh. What was it, if you don’t mind me asking?”

 Jeongguk took another bite of the peppero, humming and lightly tapping the it on his chin as if to appear in a deep thought. “It was… hm… make an impulsive decision.”

 Jimin giggled before plopping a potato crisp in his mouth. “Really, Jeongguk?”

 “Uhuh.” “Thought it’d be picking up a stripper or something.”

 The confusion Jeongguk was feeling was probably evident on his face, because Jimin let out a laugh and explained, “Please don’t tell me you have no idea that I worked there.”

 Jeongguk’s jaw dropped and he was lucky that he was holding the peppero tightly as his hand fell too. Jimin’s laugh only grew louder at Jeongguk’s reaction, enjoying the way Jeongguk was drowning from sea of confusion to shock in just a blink of an eye.

 “Honestly, I only approached you because—” Jeongguk stammered, his eyes were still wide like a deer caught in a headlight, “b-because I recognized you as a,” he paused to swallow, “r-regular at the jeans store I worked at.”

 “Ah! So that’s why I felt like I’ve seen you before!”

 Jeongguk frowned. It would be a lie if he said he did not feel a twinge of pain when Jimin said that.

 The concept of time was soon forgotten as they spent laughing and telling each other stories about each other. Jeongguk was getting gigglier, or maybe Jimin was just a natural comedian, his limbs were tingling and they felt light.

 They shared their horrible experiences with customers, about the best jajjangmyeon they’ve ever eaten and their childhood stories. Jeongguk learnt that Jimin was a rebel in high school, but he always aced every exam so the teachers let him off easy. (“That fueled me to rebel even more, you know?”)

 Compared to Jimin, Jeongguk’s life was a boring, straight line. Nevertheless, he enjoyed listening to Jimin talk animatedly about the troubles he caused years ago. The stories got them doubling over and it was a miracle that none of them had spurted out beer out of their nostrils yet. They calmed down after a while, enjoying the night and the stars in silence with beers and snacks in hand.

 Though he was not fond of it, Jeongguk opened up a second can of beer just to have something to drink. His fingers clumsily grazed against the pop tab a few times before he could successfully get his index finger under the tab and lift the backside to open the can.

 “Question!” Jimin suddenly yelled out with a slap on his thigh. “If we were going to sleep under the stars on this truck, why haven’t you brought pillows and blankets?”

 Jeongguk thought about it for a moment before bursting into laughter, and he never thought of his laughter as contagious, but it coaxed a laughter out of Jimin too.

 “Why didn’t I—” Jeongguk wheezed, body shaking uncontrollably that he had to put the can down. “Why didn’t I th-think about it!”

 The laughter only stopped when Jeongguk felt droplets of water on his face. “Eh?” he questioned, lifting his head up in the sky as he felt more droplets hitting his cheeks.

 “It’s raining!”

 “Shit!” Jeongguk hissed, scrambling to his feet as he grabbed the snacks and the beers. He nearly stumbled as he jumped down to the ground. He heard Jimin giggle as he opened the backdoor, shoving the items in his arms inside.

 “Jeongguk! Get out of there! Come dance in the rain!”

 “Wh-what?” Jeongguk asked in disbelief. God, his tongue felt so weird now.

 Jimin squealed as he climbed down the truck, twirling himself as the clouds began to cry even more. Jeongguk had his back against the truck, eyes trained on Jimin.

 “Take my hand!” Jimin shouted despite the gentle sound of millions of little marbles hitting the truck.

 Reluctantly, Jeongguk took Jimin’s hand and with a giggle, Jimin pulled him closer. They were dancing, holding each other’s hands as they jumped and skipped, ignoring the way their clothes were getting heavier and hair drenched due to the rain. Jeongguk felt like he was floating and Jimin was there, acting as an anchor to help him stay afloat.

 He did not fight the grin that threatened to take over his face, he let the slow warmth spread from his chest to the tips of his fingers as the took the delight in Jimin’s crescent eyes and the happy noises that left his rosy lips. The butterflies in Jeongguk’s stomach were too busy lifting his heart up into his throat for him to be bothered by the rain droplets trickling down from his hair to face.

 “We are gonna get sick!” Jimin squealed, spluttering the rain water that fell down to his face.

 Jeongguk’s eyes lit up at the sight, before he let out a laughter. The sound of water thrumming on steel reminded Jeongguk of millions of hands clapping. As if they were clapping for him and Jimin. As if they were celebrating this moment, where Jeongguk finally overcame his fears. He raised his head to the crying sky, opening his mouth and let rain drip into it, tasting its tears.

 Back in the truck, the both of them had taken their jackets off. The rain had eased off, but they were still tittering and guffawing in delight. Jeongguk sighed in contentment, limbs still tingling as he struggled to grab the keys from his drenched jeans. Everything felt so heavy, and the inside of the truck was wet for god’s sake, but that was not Jeongguk’s main concern.

 “Jimin…” he murmured, resting his back against the seat. “I think… I think I’m drunk.”

 “Oh god…” Jimin chuckled, running his fingers through his wet hair. There were drops that fell onto Jeongguk’s face as Jimin did that. Jeongguk’s reaction was to shake them away, resulting in droplets falling everywhere, which somehow made him feel nauseous.

 “Can you— can you drive? I don’t, I don’t think—”

 When was speaking this difficult?

 “Sure, darlin’, gimme a sec yeah—”

 What was supposed to be done in under a minute stretched into five as Jeongguk felt his lids were getting heavier by the second. He was startled awake when he felt Jimin shaking him from the side. He did not realize Jimin had gotten out of the car and open his door, waking him up so he could move to the passenger seat.

 After a while, Jeongguk was finally on the passenger seat, his whole body turning to face Jimin, who was now holding onto the steering wheel.

 “Okay, okay,” he heard Jimin breathed out, sounding as if he was attempting to calm himself. When the truck finally roared to life, Jeongguk’s lips tugged up into a lazy smile. Slightly shivering, he hugged himself as he let out a sigh.

 “I need you to stay awake, okay?” Jimin asked, caressing Jeongguk’s drenched cheeks. Jeongguk nodded, though his eyes were closing as he leaned into Jimin’s hand. “Truth be told, I’ve never driven a stick before, so I need you to guide me, yeah? Can you do that for me, darlin’?”

 “Yeah, yeah, any-anything, anything for you.” Jeongguk was mumbling breathlessly as his teeth chattered, losing the fight with himself to keep his eyes open.

 “Good. So, what the heck should I do first?”

      Jeongguk did not know being drunk could be… tedious. He should have known that movies lie all the time. He hated not being able to walk properly, hated the feeling that the world was spinning or he was spinning, he was not sure at this point. But if there was one thing he was certain, it was the fact that the truck kept on stalling when Jimin was driving.

 Every time it lurched forward, Jeongguk was shoved awake to the cold reality. He knew if Junghyun was here, he would murder Jeongguk with his own hands for letting that happen to his baby.

 The next time Jeongguk opened his eyes, Jimin was shaking him lightly as he kept on saying his name. Though reluctant, Jeongguk forced his eyes to open to find them parked. The first thing he registered was Jimin’s face – his hair was still wet from the rain, but his face was dry, his nose and cheeks tinted red. His face was luminated by bright purple lights coming from the motel sign above. He squinted and noticed it was still dark. He swore it felt like they were driving till sunrise.

 “Uh… where—” God, his mouth tasted terrible. “Where are we?”

 “Good, you’re finally up. I booked us a room. We need to clean ourselves up.”

 “Room?”

 “Yeah.”

 With much difficulty, he managed to drag himself up the stairs with Jimin’s help. Not only his clothes were heavy, but his legs and eyes were refusing to cooperate with him. He wanted to jump from the first floor for being such an embarrassment, but hearing Jimin giggle every time he wobbled was worth the humiliation.

 If Jeongguk could describe their room in one word, it would be: vomit.

 The room Jimin booked them were far from luxurious. The walls were painted gray and above the queen-sized bed hung a mediocre painting of flowers in a vase. The curtains were a terrible shade of green, which reminded Jeongguk of camo pants and TV was small and bulky.

 Jeongguk let out a sigh of relief at the sight of the bed, already planning to jump and lay there forever. Before he could, Jimin stopped him, shattering all dreams of molding one with the bed.

 “You should take a shower. It’ll make you feel better.”

 “But—”

 “We wouldn’t want the bed to be wet, do we?”

 Jeongguk grimaced. “But what about you? How are you gonna sit?”

 “Don’t worry, I’ll wait for you. Go on, then.”

 Usually, Jeongguk loved taking his sweet time in the shower. However, the thought of Jimin waiting while standing outside made guilt gnaw in his chest. He would have gone out after he shampooed his hair, but it took nearly ten minutes for the water to finally be warm. Jimin was right though, the warm shower did make him feel better. Jeongguk wanted to scream at the thought of not brushing his teeth but thankfully, there were a few necessities in the cabinet. A part of him regretted letting himself play under the rain because he did not have any spare clothes back in the truck. Muttering to himself about how careless he was being, he picked them up before pathetically wringing them and hung them on the drying rack. He was extra careful with the jacket, squeezing it gently in comparison to his shirt and underwear.

 “Shit,” Jeongguk hissed when it dawned to him that there was only one robe provided. He stared at his misty reflection on the mirror, hair wet and cheeks rosy, and he felt like a bitch for already clad in the robe.

 He glanced at the opened cabinet, and saw a white towel folded neatly at the corner. He breathed a sigh of relief before walking out of the bathroom, feeling fresh and warm. Jimin was standing by the bed, a remote in his hand while his eyes were glued to the TV. When Jeongguk walked out of the bathroom, he did not hide the excitement in his face.

 “Oh, thank god,” Jimin breathed out before tossing the remote to the bed and dashed to the bathroom. Jeongguk chuckled when he noticed there was a dark spot near the bed where Jimin had stood.

 He thought he would have gone to slumber the moment his head hit the pillow, but sleep did not come easy. With a sigh, he grabbed the remote and pressed the button, hoping to find a channel that would entertain him. In the end, he settled for a rerun of Spongebob Squarepants. It was either that or a horror movie, and he was not feeling horror movie at all.

 Fifteen minutes into Spongebob, Jimin was finally out of the bathroom. And God, Jeongguk wished he was in a deep slumber right now, because Jimin was naked. Technically, he wasn’t as he wrapped a towel around his waist, but Jeongguk’s brain could not help but to scream ‘ALERT!’. It was obvious how gorgeous Jimin was, but with his pink hair dripping, cheeks coloured crimson and exposed skin coated with droplets, Jeongguk was suddenly embarrassed that he was fully naked underneath the bathrobe.

 “That was refreshing,” Jimin grinned before cracking his neck and jumped to the bed.

 Jeongguk found it hard to swallow as his throat was dry as hell. Jimin did not speak again after that, and Jeongguk was afraid his voice might break if he tried to. Hell, Jeongguk did not even dare to breathe when he found the courage to check if Jimin was sleeping. Just as he turned his head, Jimin mirrored his action before asking, his voice so soft that if they were not this close, Jeongguk would’ve thought he was imagining things, “Why tonight?”

 Absentmindedly, Jeongguk pressed on the remote button, shutting the TV off.

 “What?”

 “You mentioned it’s the list of things you have to do before today ends. What’s so special about today?”

 Jeongguk had to will his heartbeat to slow down as he stared into Jimin’s curious eyes. Jeongguk blinked, opening his mouth to speak but the words get caught in his throat. He was not sure if it was because the most gorgeous being to ever walk the Earth was staring at him intensely, or if it was because he could not bring himself to talk about this matter.

 He blamed it on the beer. Maybe he was still drunk, only god knows.

 Maybe he found it easier to talk to a stranger he had spent the entire night with.

 Maybe it was the comfort he felt around said stranger, how Jimin’s eyes were nothing but curiosity, free of malice.

 Or maybe it was the uncertainty of them not seeing each other again after the night ends. The thought made him swallow nervously, his heart shattering into tiny pieces of glasses.

 “It’s the death anniversary of my brother.”

 “Oh.” Was all Jimin could say.

 Jeongguk turned away, his index finger picking on one of the buttons on the remote, but he did not put enough pressure to click on it. Despite how heavy his heart was, he felt a surge of relief flowing through his veins. There was not any regret at all, even though he knew he should have never kept it alone this long.

 “Did he do all those things?”

 “Yeah, he did.”

 Surprised at the sudden warmth enveloping his hand, he glanced to see Jimin’s hand on top of his. He berated his heart for skipping a beat and his cheeks for suddenly feeling warmer than it was supposed to. He prayed to any god listening out there that Jimin would not notice the sudden pink hue visible on his cheeks.

 Somehow, the gesture gave him courage to speak up more, to let out those thoughts that had been haunting him for the past three years ago.

 “He did all these things, you know, living his life to the fullest. I do not understand it at first, why would he risk his life doing such things. Why he would still do it, though he knew our parents would disapprove of it. Of course, there were more things he did, I’m sure of it. It’s… no matter how much I think I know him, it’s impossible for me to know all of him.”

 “Oh, Jeongguk,” Jimin murmured, shifting himself closer, hand never leaving Jeongguk’s.

 Jeongguk did not realize how shaky his breathing was, how he tried so hard to blink the tears away until he spoke again, “It was a hit and run, Jimin. It was—” he swallowed before sniffing, “—, how could someone leave a person to bleed out just like that?”

 “My sweet, sweet, darling,” Jimin whispered when Jeongguk began sobbing.

 There was no room for embarrassment as his head was filled with memories of his late brother. He let Jimin’s hand gently push his head to rest on Jimin’s shoulder as Jimin’s arm wrapped around him. Jeongguk did not know it was possible to feel such tremendous pain even after years it happened. All the sadness he repressed for years finally spilled in front of a stranger he met just hours ago. A stranger who was willing to be there for him every step of their so-called adventure.

 “I know it’s hard, darlin’, but you’re with me now, aren’t you?”

 Jimin’s voice was gentle, soothing even, as he caressed Jeongguk’s hair. He felt droplets of water dripping to his cheek from Jimin’s hair, but he could not bring himself to care when his face was drenched with his own tears. He let them fall freely, down to his fisted hands, Jimin’s shoulder and chest.

 “I will never let anything hurt you while I’m here.”

 Jimin continued to whisper sweet reassurances in his ear, making him feel as if he was embraced with all the kindness and gentleness in the world. He eventually calmed down a few minutes after bawling his eyes out, impressed that he could show a weak side of him that he hated to another being. Moreover, a stranger.

 “You alright, love?”

 “A bit.”

  “Let’s sleep, shall we? Only an hour after sunrise, but it’s not tomorrow until we close our eyes,” Jimin murmured against his head before planting a kiss.

 The gesture was simple, yet it made Jeongguk’s heart swell twice its size. He did not know it was possible to be so far away from home, yet feel such comfort in the arms of a man he had just met.

 “We’ll be shivering if we sleep like this,” Jimin huffed, and when Jeongguk felt Jimin’s hand leaving his ear, Jeongguk made a move to held Jimin tighter.

 Jimin did not speak after that, understood completely that Jeongguk needed him here. With a smile, he gently rested his head against Jeongguk, his hand finding its way to caress Jeongguk’s clothed arm. Jeongguk was not sure how long they stayed like that, the only sound he could hear was Jimin softly humming, a lullaby he fell asleep to.

 Before the sun rose, for the first time since his brother was gone, Jeongguk dreamt of Junghyun.

       Jeongguk woke up to the sound of a loud whirring. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he blearily turned his body towards the source to find Jimin was crouching on the floor next to him with a hand dryer in his hand. Belatedly, he realized that he had been lying on a pillow, and wondered how Jimin was able to move him without waking him up.

 “Ji…min?”

 “Oh.” Jimin was facing him now as he turned the hand dryer off. Jeongguk noticed he was still naked from the torso up, but he was wearing his jeans now. “You’re awake.”

 Jeongguk blinked, his lower lips jutting in annoyance as his eyes tried to adjust to the harsh sunlight. “What are you—”

 “Drying our clothes,” Jimin answered with a grin as he waved the hand dryer.

 Jeongguk glanced on the carpeted floor and grimaced when the memory of him letting Junghyun’s favourite jacket drenched in rain water came across his mind. Their clothes were not as wet as before, but even from where he was, Jeongguk could tell that they needed more than a motel hand dryer.

 Jeongguk contemplated in sleeping again, but sleep refused to come to him no matter how hard he tried to close his eyes. With a sigh, he managed to drag his feet to the bathroom and take a warm shower to wake himself up.

     The water stayed cold the whole freaking time. It was nearly driving Jeongguk crazy. When he went out of the bathroom, Jimin was already dressed in his shirt, but his glittered jacket was still on the floor. Jeongguk sat on the bed and watched Jimin desperately trying to dry his jacket.

 “Your clothes are already dry, by the way.”

 “Thanks. And, uh, sorry for the trouble.”

 “No worries,” Jimin grinned. “Wouldn’t wanna wake you up.”

 Jeongguk grabbed his clothes and went back inside of the bathroom to dress himself. Once he was done, he walked back to where he was and sat behind Jimin, who was on the floor. They sat in silence for another half and hour or so, with Jeongguk just staring outside of the window. The clouds gliding against the vast blue sky reminded him that it was a new day, that he was still here with a new friend beside him. When Jimin decided that they were all dry, he brought Jeongguk downstairs to grab breakfast.

 Hearing the word ‘breakfast’ made Jeongguk think of scrambled eggs and warm toast, but instead, he was staring at the colourful packages of snacks inside the vending machine. It almost felt as if he was living a silly dream he had when he was a kid; to have candies for breakfast.

 Jimin inserted a few coins before pressing the buttons, while Jeongguk was still deciding which one he wanted. Before he could even open up his mouth and point at the Kit Kat, Jimin had already picked up his snacks and shoved a Kit Kat against Jeongguk’s chest.

 Dumbfounded, he stared at it, Jimin’s hand still on his chest before he took the chocolate and murmured a “thanks”.

 “You think too much,” Jimin said as he unwrapped his candy bar.

 “I can’t choose,” Jeongguk muttered, turning the Kit Kat around to investigate the expiration date. “I mean, there are a lot of options there! The Kinder Bueno seems like a good choice, but I’m not feeling cream, you know? Snickers too, but I don’t like peanut and nougat.”

 Jimin chuckled, clearly endeared at how Jeongguk was ready to go on a debate mood over candy bars. “Well, you chose me out of all the people in the club to bring to your little adventure. I think that’s impressive and a wise choice.”

 Jeongguk blinked, the sudden realization made him stop in his tracks while Jimin continued walking, too absorbed in his snack to notice Jeongguk was no longer beside him. He only stared at the back of Jimin’s head, the bubblegum floof bouncing slightly with every step he took.

 Jimin was right. He was not thinking at all when he had invited Jimin, and he certainly did not have any remorse about his questionable choice, not even a twinge of regret even after he humiliated himself in front of Jimin.

 When he realized Jeongguk was not where he was, Jimin turned around, Kit Kat in between his teeth to look back to Jeongguk.

 “Shall we go now?”

       “Have I mentioned that I haven’t driven a stick before?”

 Jeongguk took a glance on Jimin for a second before focusing his eyes back on the road. There were more cars in the morning compared to the night before.

 “Not until I was drunk, I think.”

 Jimin laughed, a sweet sound that reminded him of gum drops.

 “Well, to tell you the truth, I don’t have a license yet, so…”

 “Jimin!” Jeongguk gasped. Alright, he took it back. Maybe he did have one regret.

 “What? We’ve arrived safely, haven’t we? It’s not like I have never driven before! Besides, we’re all alright now, aren’t we?”

 “Oh really?” Jeongguk’s voice was laced with sarcasm as he rolled his eyes. “I feel so safe now, thank you for the clarification!”

 Jimin let out another laugh, and Jeongguk find the sound to be comforting. He could listen to Jimin’s laughter all day.

     “Oh man, Jeongguk… really?” Jimin moaned when Jeongguk parked at the exact same spot during their first visit to the convenience store.

 “I don’t wanna be thrown to jail when they find us.”

 “Okay, fine,” Jimin huffed, uncrossing his arms rather petulantly. “But I’m not gonna pay.”

 Jeongguk was grateful that they were not going to prison despite having to listen to the manager yelling at the both of them. While Jeongguk had his hung down in remorse, Jimin only stared at the man, as if to challenge him to yell even louder. Despite profusely bowing and apologizing, the manager still threatened to call the police on them – a proof that the cashier last night did not manage to get Jeongguk’s plate license and the cameras outside were, indeed, not working.

 Jeongguk paid for – according to the manager – the “damage” they have caused, although nothing was broken at all. Jeongguk was certain that he had paid for more than he had stolen, but the only thing running in his mind was to get out of there quick.

 “God, you’re such a sweet kid, you know that?” Jimin grumbled, the words coming out of his mouth was dripping with venom, as if being a sweet kid was a crime.

 Jeongguk only shrugged nonchalantly at the compliment though the reddening of the tips of his ears contradict his attitude.

 “At least, we won’t be fugitives for stealing chocolate sticks.”

 At his comment, Jimin laughed.

      “So, this is it, huh?”

 Even without looking at Jimin, Jeongguk could hear the smile in his voice.

 The sky was filled with soft lilac and coral hues as the sun was approaching the horizon. The colour of the ocean reminded Jeongguk of a painting; the tangerine was so vibrant, he could almost taste the sweetness.

 They were back at their town, stopping at the beach to mark the end of their little adventure. Jeongguk was against standing on top of cars, but he made an exception this time. The both of them had their butts on the hood of the truck; Jeongguk’s legs were dangling while Jimin pulled his knees to his chest.

 “This is it,” Jeongguk echoed back, hissing internally at how brittle his voice was. “But, hey, we can still be friends, can’t we?”

 “’Course we can, darlin’,” Jimin chuckled.

 Jeongguk smiled.

 “Might be awhile ‘til we see each other again, though.”

 Jeongguk would be lying if he said he did not feel a pang in his chest. “What do you mean?”

 Looking at Jimin’s sideway during the sunset made his heart felt as if he was going on a rollercoaster ride; the way his lips pouted, the way the peach glow of the setting sun spilled across his feature, almost matching with the colour of his hair and how his eyes softened as they were fixed on the sky. Jeongguk would describe it as a spiritual experiment, though one could argue he was merely exaggerating.

 “I’ll be away for a while. Studying abroad for a year for my next semester. I had to…” Jimin swallowed. “I had to choose somewhere far from here.”

 Realization dawned on him that they did not know each other that well. Yeah, they shared stories and secrets, but what did he really know about Jimin?

 “Oh.”

 Jeongguk stopped moving his legs, his arms rigid next to him as he clutched on the edge of the truck’s hood and his lips were pressed tight.

 They were not aware of it, but they were thinking of the same thing; that their adventure would just be a memory to both of them, that it was not certain if they could even be in each other’s presence after it ended.

 Would Jeongguk have invited Jimin, wasted his time with a stranger, if he had known they were not going to be meeting each other again?

 Would Jimin even talk to Jeongguk, consider to befriend Jeongguk, if they had never gone on their adventure?

 Would they even remember each other after today?

 If Jeongguk could frame and relive a memory, it would be this one. Just them sitting in silence, admiring the sunset across of them. For now, he let himself believe that the sun would not approach its resting place. For now, he let himself believe that there was only the both of them in this world; it was them against the cruel universe.

      He was met with angry stare and a scolding of a lifetime when he arrived back home. Never in his life he would ever think he would get yelled at twice in the same day, but there he was, cowering with his head low while his mother’s voice raised by the second. His father only shook his head, his loud ‘tsk’-ed ringing inside Jeongguk’s ears. Though, he felt a wee bit thankful to his father for his futile attempt to calm his mother.

 The bucket list cost him five months of being grounded, with the addition of his keys being taken from him. It also meant that he was not allowed to ride with his friends, making him the loser of the group whom still had his mother driving him to the university.

 He entered the university on the same semester when Jimin was sent abroad. Jimin was not lying when he said he was a model student, when Jeongguk saw a few of photos of him holding gold medals in last year’s photobook.

 After months of being grounded, the first place he drove to was the beach. Watching the sunset disappearing from the horizon brought back memories of Jimin, memories he found himself not being able to let go. He was on top of the hood of the truck that was finally his, witnessing how the colour of the sky was changing, never constant, and despite the solitude, he had never felt more comfortable alone.

 He was still working at the jeans store, though only part time as he was finally in university.

 During the summer, however, he decided to take the full-time shift, not wanting to be cooped all day inside his house. He was folding the jeans, muttering to himself at how some customers were being irresponsible for not putting back the jeans where it was, when he heard the bell chimed.

 What followed next was a familiar saccharine voice. “Excuse me?”

 Jeongguk froze in his spot, wondering whether if his ears were defying him. A part of him was convinced that he was wrong, not amused at himself for not being able to let a one-year-old memory go while a bigger part of him just knew that he was right, that he could still recognize that voice anywhere.

 When Jeongguk faced the owner of the voice, his bubblegum hair was coloured black; the contrast made his skin paler than he remembered and cheeks still rosy as ever. Jimin’s lips stretched into a grin at the sight of Jeongguk’s eyes widening, and Jeongguk could see the sparkles in Jimin’s eyes, still brighter than the stars in the night sky.

 “I’m looking for a companion for an adventure tonight,” he said, and Jeongguk felt laughter bubbling in his chest, making his way to his throat at the memories that were flooding back like tidal waves. “You’re welcome to join me if you’d like.”

 Jeongguk let out a laugh; airy and soft. He was mortified at how he had invited Jimin a year ago, but the mortification was overshadowed by happiness that were engulfing his heart, threatening to squeeze it until it explodes.

 Somewhere at the back of his consciousness, Jeongguk understood what a sight he was making now. He could not contain the excitement he was feeling, and he could only hope that Jimin could not hear how loud his heart was beating right now. Jimin’s smile only grew more pronounced, but at the same time remain just as affectionate.

i.

Yoongi hyung often accused Jeongguk of being a hopeless romantic, as if having a big heart, a gentle soul and a love for love is a crime. He believed in soulmates; the idea of two people whose names and story were whispered amongst the stars never failed to warm his heart. This belief stemmed from his parents, the two human beings whom he loved most in the whole entire world.

He wanted someone who would look at him the way his father looked at his mother; as if she hung all the twinkling stars, shaped all the silver moons with her hands and paint the skies when the sun set. He wanted someone who would love him unconditionally, just like how his mother loved his father although she despised his smoking habit.

Despite their age, they were not shy in showing affection for the whole world to see. Jeongguk wondered how they were so comfortable with each other that whenever they were together, the rest of the world just seemed to melt away. As if the world was theirs, and the others were just living in it.

Because of this, Jeongguk was never really into a relationship. Not that he ever had one. Most of the times he would just admire someone from afar. He would rather not get involved at all.

Hoseok hyung suggested that he should go on blind dates. Initially, he agreed.

The first phase – adding them as a friend, sliding into the DMs – was great.

The next step – meeting and actually going out on a date – however, was terrible.

Gone the confident, charming boy from the DMs. Always replaced by the stuttering, sweating mess that was Jeon Jeongguk. It was awfully easy to compliment someone when you were staring at a screen, but when it comes to staring into their eyes, Jeongguk found himself shaking.

At the age of twenty, Jeon Jeongguk gave up in finding the One.

All of his crushes were out of his league and most of his admirers never called after the second date. He was not that desperate to send cute text messages to someone as he had this irrational fear of being a burden, but it would be great to have someone who would listen to him rant about how his day went.

As much as he hated to admit it, Yoongi hyung was not entirely wrong. He was not only a hopeless romantic, but he was hopeless and romantic.

 ii.

When Jeongguk asked Yoongi hyung how he knew Seokjin hyung was his soulmate, he answered: “They say when you meet your soulmate, you just know it’s them.”

He hated how unhelpful those statement was, because that was not how he met his.

His parents’ love story was a typical love story. It was love at first sight – Jeongguk’s favourite. They met at a fair held at the amusement park. His father took the job of the ride operator for the summer, and as the stars had written it, he met her at the end of his shift. He always mentioned that she reminded him of a firework, beautiful and mesmerizing that his world stopped. She was queueing then, waiting for her turn and he saw a chance and took it.

While two of her friends were seated together, he stepped in and offered to sit next to her even though going to a someplace high was not something he considered an entertainment. Of course, his attempt caused an uproar, he received raucous boos from the other angry kids and a warning from the manager but it was worth it. He always had a small smile on his face whenever he got to this part of the story. They chatted as they waited and for the first time since he rode the rollercoaster, he was not the tiniest bit scared.

Jeongguk would never fail to let out an overly exaggerated groan, often expressing his displeasure by making faces along with a remark full of disgust, but he knew that he wanted, longed even, to feel that way too.

Meeting the One should be magical, like something that you would read in a fairy tale.  

This was how Jeongguk truly believed would happen when he finally meets the one: it will be romantic, not too cringy and pukeworthy but just romantic enough to make his friends and his cousins to be envious of him. Time will stop when they lock eyes with each other, the angels will begin to sing while simultaneously play their harps to produce a mellifluous symphony of the century and petals would fall around them out of nowhere, just like the anime he watched last week.

That was not what happened.

It was not magical or dreamy or romantic.

He blamed all the Tony/Steve soulmate fanfictions he read at 3AM for implementing the idea of “love at first sight” and “instant connection between two lonely souls” inside his head.

In fact, Jeongguk met Park Jimin on a sunny Tuesday morning in the most Boring class in the history of Boring Classes. Jeongguk hated his guts at first. Whenever Jimin opened his mouth to speak, Jeongguk would find himself rolling his eyes and praying to God for an ice cream truck to drop on him. Being run over repeatedly by a lorry was less painful than having to sit in a two-hour class with Jimin.

However, there was also a saying that goes, ‘If you hate someone too much, you’ll end up loving them too much.’

That statement, however, was something he wished Yoongi hyung had told him instead.

   iii.

They began to interact when they were allotted in the same group for their second assignment. Every second Jeongguk spent sitting at the same table with Jimin was agonising. Being in the same group at the same table meant that Jimin’s voice was now much clearer and he was now much closer.

Jimin’s face was pleasing to the eyes, he was soft and hard at the same time. He had gentle, dark and slightly slanted eyes yet his piercing gaze often made Jeongguk look away. His cheeks were round and squishy, they reminded Jeongguk of the mochi he always had after elementary school, however his jaw was as sharp as a knife. All in all, Jimin was not hideous at all, especially when he had his mouth shut. Unfortunately, Jimin had a lot he wanted to announce to the class so thanks to this irritating behaviour of his, it was not difficult to overlook his features.

He ignored the voice inside his head that screamed at him to ditch the class, but the rational part of his mind reminded him that he was a scholarship student. The last thing he wanted was to get kicked out just because he did not want to be in the same room as Jimin.

From the instructions, Jeongguk could already tell how much of a pain in the ass it would be. Decorating a booth? Creating an advertisement video? There was just too much work to be done in three months and there were only five heads in his group.

Naturally, Jimin was elected as the team leader because:

a)       He was the teacher’s pet

b)      Everyone in the group was utterly in love with him

Arguing about the team members position when you were going to be stuck with them for months was not something in Jeongguk’s list. He decided to went along with it, letting the protests vanish although they were already at the tip of his tongue and settled with an imaginary argument inside his head instead.

The first day was unbearable — Jeongguk had to lower his head once in a while to stop his eye from twitching in annoyance. Every single word Jimin uttered seemed to make his blood boil and head throb. He did not know it was possible for a person to be this insufferable. Jeongguk tried his hardest not to roll his eyes whenever the others were praising Jimin. His ideas were not exactly that brilliant, if Jeongguk were to be honest.

“Sorry, I was sort of rambling,” Jimin apologized with a small giggle.

Jeongguk managed to held back a groan. He knew damn well he was rambling and he apologized for it, but Jeongguk knew that he was not feeling sorry. Not even a little bit. Not when he had that proud smile on his face. God, Jeongguk would love to slap that smile from his face.

“Anybody had any better idea?” Jimin asked, looking at each and every one of them.

Pretending to be considerate? Man, this guy knew how to get on Jeongguk’s nerves.

He absolutely had no idea what came over him, maybe it was how the other team members were ready to lick the ground Jimin walked on, or maybe how irritating and high pitched Wonho’s giggles was, but Jeongguk opened his mouth up to speak, despite his brain being empty of ideas.

“Maybe, uh…”

All heads turned towards him, staring at him in anticipation. Somehow, instead of looking at anybody else, his eyes found Jimin’s. Jimin was beaming, dark eyes glistening as he slowly nodded to encourage Jeongguk. His gaze was different than the others, which was a good thing because it made him feel less nervous. Jimin’s smile stretched wider, and all of a sudden, the weight of the team’s collective gazes felt like it had been lifted from his shoulders.

Jeongguk brought his hand on top of the table, softly tapping his index finger as he straightened in his seat. With a newfound surge of confidence, he said, “Maybe, um… instead of making it only focusing on drawings or paintings, maybe we can… uh… consider every form of art for the website?”

“Huh… that’s not bad,” Chaeyoung murmured, before clicking her pen and started to write something on her notebook.

Jimin beamed, “I love the idea! That’s wonderful. This means that we are not only targeting painters, we are also attracting a large amount of audience who are—”

Jeongguk’s body went lax after his impromptu outburst (technically, it was not an outburst but he insisted that it was), he lain his back against the chair, wishing to become one with it. He felt thankful that nobody was criticizing his dumb idea. And never in a million years he wanted to admit it, but he felt glad that Jimin was encouraging him, instead of trying to shoot him down.

It was the first time he felt so welcomed.  

  iv.

Before the first week ended, they managed to lay everything down. When it comes to his leadership skills, Jimin was quite lenient in their task division. Jeongguk offered to work on the advertisement video, and as much as he would rather do it all alone, Jimin was determined that he needed help. As a method of group communication, Jimin created a group text for the five of them.

Jeongguk was hoping that it will be a quiet group, but it was especially alive at night and early in the morning. Jimin would never fail to send a message to greet them good morning and night, and sometimes he would send motivational messages for all of them. It took all Jeongguk’s willpower not to reply a ‘Shut The Fuck Up’ or leave the group, but he had to remind himself that he needed to be in good terms with everyone in the team.

Two weeks before the deadline, it was Jeongguk’s turn to play a huge role for their project. So far, he had only been helping with the report and booth decoration, which was not something major as everyone had taken part too. He announced in their group chat (which was probably his third time ever sending a message there) that he was going to start working on the video soon.

He completed the storyboard a few days earlier before sharing his vision to the group. He was ready to get attacked, to have Wonho judging him, to have Jimin being dissatisfied with his work, to Chaeyoung being disappointed and to have Mirae complain about how lacking it was. Unlike his expectation, they liked it. Jimin was the one who loved it the most, always complimenting how hardworking he was, and how he truly appreciated the effort Jeongguk made with the storyboard.

Instead of the usual ‘good luck Jeongguk!’ and ‘thanks for your hard work!’, Jeongguk received a private message from Jimin. They never texted privately before, and seeing Jimin’s name on a new chat caused him to raise an eyebrow. Was Jimin about to ask him to add last minute changes for the video?

With negative thoughts flooding his mind, he heaved a sigh before clicking it open.

 ✉ From: Jimin Hey! Just wondering if you are OK? If you need help, I’m here 😊

 “Huh…” Jeongguk huffed, squinting his eyes in suspicion. His thumb hovered over the keyboard before typing an answer, only to backspace everything. It was rather curious how Jimin was checking up on him, as if he thought Jeongguk was unreliable.

Seokjin hyung often told him that he was always being sceptical for absolutely no reason at all, that he always thought of things negatively instead of positively. It was a trait he was not proud of, but he could not help it when Jimin suddenly text him privately out of nowhere.

After quite some time, he finally typed a reply.

 ✉ To: Jimin I’m fine. Thanks for your concern

Belatedly, he realised the text he sent seemed rude so he abruptly added a smiley face.

✉ From: Jimin Haha, alright then. Where will you be working on the video?

 ✉ To: Jimin I’ll be going to the art room to meet up with the art students. Then I’ll probably go to library to shoot some scenes

✉ From: Jimin Okay 😊

 Jeongguk stared at the screen of his phone, waiting for ‘Jimin is typing…’ to appear. When it did not, he locked his phone and tossed it to his bed.

   Of course, Jeongguk just had to be an idiot by telling Jimin his plan. The moment he entered the art room, Jimin was already there, talking with a few of the art students and laughing about something they said. Jeongguk nearly dropped his camera when he saw Jimin, not expecting the blonde to be there at all.

“Hey, Jeongguk!” Jimin called out, waving his hand at him.

Jeongguk awkwardly waved back, not liking the attention he was getting when everybody turned their heads towards him.

“So, where do you want me, mate?” Mingyu asked as he got off from the table.

“Preferably anywhere I can work comfortably. How about there?”

“So I just had to draw, is it?”

“Yeah. Just draw whatever you want, don’t pay attention to me. I want it to look candid,” Jeongguk informed before placing his backpack on top of the table.

While Mingyu was preparing his material, Jeongguk took out his tripod from his bag and began to assemble it together with his camera when Jimin approached him.

“Do you need any help?” Jimin asked, watching Jeongguk work with his camera.

“Nah.”

“Okay, I’ll just wait for you in case you need me.”

“You can go, you know. I can handle this.”

“I know,” Jimin grinned before shrugging, “Just in case.”

He doubted that he needed Jimin to be there, but before he could ask him to go again, he decided against it. Once Mingyu was ready, Jeongguk began recording. It was only a minute in when Jeongguk announced him to stop so he could check the video. The angle was perfect, Mingyu’s facial expression was good, however the lighting was unsatisfactory. Sure, it was not as terrible as the lighting in that one battle episode of Game of Thrones, but it would be difficult during the editing process later.

Jimin must have sensed that something was troubling him that the leader stood next to him, peered on the video and asked if something was wrong.

“Nothing’s wrong except the lighting,” Jeongguk murmured, looking up the ceiling to find the lights were already switched on to his dismay.

The weather was not exactly helping either.

“I can help,” Jimin quipped enthusiastically before taking out his phone from his pocket and switch on the flashlight as he waved his phone around. “Let me know where you need me.”

The whole idea was absurd to Jeongguk, but it was worth a try. In less than half an hour, with Jimin’s help, he was done. The one who was super happy about it was Jimin, who could not stop gushing how amazing the video was and how professional Mingyu looked. Jeongguk grinned as he pressed fast forward, completely satisfied at how the video turned out.

He thanked Mingyu and the art students before packing his stuff to move to the library with Jimin following him. One thing Jeongguk noticed about Jimin was how he just had a lot of things to talk about, never running out of topic. It was irritating at first, but at times he spewed some facts that Jeongguk found to be interesting. Jeongguk let him talk, he watched as Jimin was speaking animatedly about the latest comic book he was reading.

Surprisingly, the day (and recording) went by smoothly. He even had a few videos he could use for fillers. The four hours he spent with Jimin was not horrible at all. If anything, it was quite… enjoyable.

He decided that Park Jimin was less annoying now.

   v.

He was not entirely certain when he began to feel completely comfortable around Jimin, but he knew it did not take long enough to warm up to him. Gradually, he stopped talking rather formally to Jimin and started to jest around, well aware of how much he actually enjoyed hearing the laughter coming out from Jimin.

In fact, everything seemed to go so smoothly that Jeongguk felt worried. They managed to complete everything before the deadline, they have submitted their work early and all they needed to do was now prepare for the upcoming exhibition. Finishing early meant that they have time for other assignments.

Even after they were done, Jimin still never failed to greet them mornings and nights, asking them how their assignments went. Honestly, it baffled the hell out of Jeongguk because he was so used to not keeping any contact with his previous group members. Once a project is complete, so did their team. They were only there to work, not to connect emotionally. The change was refreshing that the spam of text messages from the group did not bother him anymore. It actually made Jeongguk went from completely silent, to the one who sent memes as a response.

A part of him was embarrassed of having terrible thoughts regarding his groupmates because now he came to a realization that he actually enjoyed their presence.

More specifically Jimin’s.

After everything was done and they were reaching the end of semester, Jimin insisted on having a celebration. Truth be told, Jeongguk was not big on social gatherings but after weeks of being with Jimin, he knew he was unable to say no.

Jeongguk found himself counting days to the celebration, a bit surprised at himself for feeling excited rather than dreading it. They went to a restaurant at first for dinner, but ended up going to the nearest club after Chaeyoung suggested. He swallowed, praying to the heavens that majority of them would decline but he could not help but to cave in when he saw how enthusiastic Jimin was when Chaeyoung brought it up.

Even before entering, music was already spilling out to the street and it felt as if heartbeats were on the loud speakers. It was not as crowded as Jeongguk had imagine, but there were still a lot than he would have liked. Most of them went straight to the dance floor, laughing and grinding against each other under the acid green lights. Jimin, however, strutted to the bar. Jeongguk only followed, knowing well that he would not be able to dance if there wasn’t any alcohol in his system.

The music only seemed to get louder by the second, and by the time Jeongguk sat next to Jimin, the blonde already gulped down three shots.

“Wow.” Jeongguk had to leaned it slightly and yell. “Slow down, Jimin.”

Jimin’s pretty lips curved upwards as he shook his head. Jeongguk watched as he took out his wallet, yelled at the bartender for one Zombie. Jeongguk have only drank beers from the convenience stores and a few sips of martini, so when Jimin had his drink delivered, he was a little bit in awe. It was served in a tall glass, bright red in colour with a lot of ice. Jimin ditched the straw, sipping them in one go. Jeongguk could not help but to stare in amazement.

“Jimin,” he called out, but the music drowned his voice. He tried again, practically screaming this time. “Jimin!!”

“Yeah?” Jimin answered.

“Are you okay?”

He could not hear Jimin’s reply, but from his lips Jeongguk could tell he was saying, “Grand.”

Jeongguk began to worry then when Jimin reached out for his wallet again, but Jeongguk stopped him and ordered water instead. He paid for the overcharged water bottles and handed one to Jimin. Jimin refused, shaking his head and pushing the bottle away.

The next thing Jeongguk knew, Jimin’s eyes widened in surprise and he abruptly clamped his lips shut. Jeongguk raised a brow in confusion before Jimin stood up from the stool, nearly toppling it in the process, then proceeded to frantically turn his head in search of something.

“Jimin, are you—” He was not given the chance to continue his sentence because Jimin dashed as soon as his eyes lit up. Bewildered, Jeongguk followed from behind, not before grabbing both water bottles.

Jimin ran to the bathroom, nearly colliding with a man who just came out of it, and Jeongguk had to apologize on his behalf. After profusely repeating his apologies and bowing to show sincerity, Jeongguk entered the bathroom and was immediately greeted with the sounds of Jimin retching.

The bathroom was a lot quieter; the music was barely heard inside the pristine white walls. Jeongguk approached the stall with an open door to find Jimin was kneeling on the floor, head bowing near the toilet bowl.

“Oh, Jimin,” Jeongguk sighed before kneeling next to him, trying his best not to breathe through his nostrils.

He gently caressed Jimin’s back as Jimin heaved. Once Jimin was done, Jeongguk offered him water, which Jimin gladly took. Jimin flushed before leaning meekly against the partition, lips swollen, nose red and his eyes teary. Jeongguk offered a sympathetic smile as Jimin sniffed.

“Are you okay?”

Jimin took a sip instead of answering, his eyes avoiding Jeongguk.

Jeongguk let the question hang in the air, not wanting to force an answer out of Jimin.

Jimin had a distant look on his face, and Jeongguk understood that there was something that was troubling him.

After a while, Jimin finally spoke. “Not quite.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

Jimin bit his lower lip, eyes softening as he lowered his gaze. “Not really,” he answered.

“That’s okay. We can talk about something else then. Or do you prefer to just sit on the dirty floor?”

Jimin’s lips cracked a smile Jeongguk did not know he missed. How could he missed Jimin’s smile when he had seen them more than the hair on his head?

“Thank you, Jeongguk.”

“For...?”

“For being here,” Jimin smiled. Oh boy, Jeongguk thought. Oh boy. “It really means a lot to me.”

Jeongguk had seen countless of smiles on Jimin’s face before but this one was different. His eyes did not crinkle in the corners, but his gaze on Jeongguk was soft and endearing. His smile did not reach his ears, but he knew it was genuine.

At that moment, sitting on the dirty checkered floor of a club he could not even pronounce, he was certain that he found the One.

   vi.

Symptoms of falling in love according to the first website Google provided:

1. You can’t stop staring at them: check ✔

Of course, he could not stop staring at Jimin. He would not want to miss those smiles, the way Jimin would pout his lips sometimes when he spoke, how Jimin’s brows furrowed when he was thinking and the way Jimin’s eyes formed crescents and body vibrating when he laughed.

2. You want them to be happy: check ✔

Of course, he wanted Jimin to be happy. Jimin deserved everything good in the universe. Hell, Jeongguk would have swam the entire ocean and walk through fire just to see Jimin smile.

3. You always think about them: check ✔

Of course, he always thought of Jimin. The first thing he thought of after waking up? Jimin. The last thing he thought of before going to sleep? Jimin. Be it day or night, it was always Jimin, Jimin and Jimin. He was now a permanent resident in Jeongguk’s mind.

4. You’re OK with the gross stuff: check ✔

Of course, wasn’t it obvious? He would have left Jimin all by himself that night in the bathroom, but instead, he chose to stay and sat with Jimin to ensure Jimin was okay.

5. You love their quirks: check ✔

Of course, he did. Jimin’s quirks were adorable and undeniably, made his heart skipped a beat. He initiated skinship a lot, which Jeongguk did not mind, but whenever he put his hand behind Jeongguk’s nape, his thumb would create patterns. This only made Jeongguk lean in closer, his body tingling with every gentle movement his thumb made. Even his need of constant praises was endearing that Jeongguk found himself spilling praises after praises just for Jimin.

No longer was Jeongguk annoyed with his boisterous – and wonderful, if Jeongguk might add – voice and his invasion of Jeongguk’s personal face.

(And that was because he craved listening to Jimin talk and touches.)

6. You find yourself always talking about them: check ✔

Of course, he would talk about Jimin, what else was there to talk about? He first noticed when Yoongi mentioned how Jeongguk could not stop prattling about Jimin this, Jimin that. It was not as if he could stop himself.

7. You reread their text message: check ✔

Of course, he would reread Jimin’s text messages. They were cute, always full of emojis and they instantly lifted Jeongguk’s mood even just a little. In fact, he had Jimin’s text pinned.

8. You lose track of time and no amount of time spent with them is ever enough: check ✔

Of course, he could not be bothered checking the time when he was with Jimin. Spending just a few minutes with Jimin was better than not seeing him at all but he found himself yearning to have Jimin’s presence when they were apart.

9. You’ll happily jump through hoops without even thinking about it to be with them: check ✔

Of course, he would do anything to spend time with Jimin. He went to the club for fuck’s sake. He drank the bitter ass coffee despite knowing how much he hated it because Jimin dared him to. He lied about passing through the Science building when he was actually waiting for Jimin’s class to be over.

In conclusion: of fucking course he was truly, utterly and madly in love with Jimin.

   vii.

Jeongguk was aware that the pros of being in love with a friend outweigh the cons.

For starters, he saw Jimin almost every day and unlike his previous crushes, he actually interacted with Jimin properly. As his dumb ass only realised of the feelings he had for Jimin at the end of the semester, he had to rack his brains to find out reasons to hang out with Jimin. It was easier on his part, as Jimin was friendly, so most of the time it was Jimin who invited him out.

Besides, being friends meant he was able to hold Jimin’s hand without being suspicious. Jimin’s hands were soft and they fit perfectly with his. His fingers were delicate that Jeongguk was afraid he might break them if he held onto Jimin’s hand too tightly.

They became attached to the hip when they began texting nonstop every day and night. But midnights were probably Jeongguk’s favourite because there was just something about the quiet, knowing that there were more eyes closed than open, that they started to get to know each other on an entirely different level. Their usual banters and meme exchange would transition to their deep thoughts and stories. Midnight conversations seemed to hold more weight, and knowing that Jimin chose to stay up to talk to him made him want to steal all the stars and gifted them to Jimin.

Jeongguk was the type to let his phone battery died before charging, but that habit was soon replaced by charging the device while texting Jimin.

But the cons of being in love with your friend? They’re your friend.

Jeongguk had never fall for a friend before, but he knew it had to be one of the worst things to experience. He was plagued with worries and anxious thoughts, always wondering if he was being way too obvious or if he seemed uninterested. To say that he would not want Jimin as a boyfriend would probably the biggest lie he ever told himself and Yoongi hyung.

“You should tell Jimin.”

“Hyung!” Jeongguk whined, hand slapping Yoongi’s arm playfully. “You know I can’t.”

As much as he wanted to, he could not. It was risky and Jimin probably only regard him as a friend. The shittiest thing about crushing on Jimin was how it made Jeongguk kept on dancing between the lines of wanting the whole world to know his humongous love for Jimin and losing Jimin. There was no doubt that Jimin was now one of the important people in Jeongguk’s life, and he could not simply bear the thought of losing Jimin simply because he could not control his feelings.

“If there’s one thing I learnt, Jeongguk, is that you either tell Jimin how you feel and the worst case scenario is that you fucked up, maybe you’ll lose what you have with him now, but from the stories I’ve heard, Jimin’s nice and he might still want to be friends,” Yoongi said, his demeanour completely changed. Jeongguk only stared at Yoongi, mind conjuring up images of Jimin rejecting him and it made him shudder.

Taking a deep breath, Yoongi continued, “Or you can say nothing, and it’ll fuck you up instead. Not gonna fucking lie, eventually you’ll lose him too. Knowing you, I’m sure you’ll end up avoiding him, which in turn, would hurt the both of you.”

Jeongguk gawked at him.

Yoongi hyung was right. And he would not give Yoongi hyung the satisfaction of him admitting that.

   viii.

✉ From: Jimin remember that night when i hurled and you stayed by my side?

✉ To: Jimin how can i not the smell still lingered til this day :p

✉ From: Jimin fuck you ajsnsjs well i was going thru a ~difficult~ time sometimes i felt like out of place and that it’s my fault for the delay of testing the hosting but you guys were amazing, i am eternally grateful my other assignments were also a pain in the ass and i did not get along with my other teammates to add salt to the wound, i broke up with my boyfriend

✉ To: Jimin holy shit i have no idea & please jimin, it’s NOT ur fault. besides, we finished everything on time ur teammates is missing out & ur better off without ur boyfriend!!!! don’t be so hard on urself :(

 ✉ From: Jimin you make me tear up :”) thank you for staying by my side, jeongguk. i love you <3

    ix.

Jimin had a boyfriend before, which was not surprising really, because who would not want to date Jimin? But hearing it from Jimin himself, Jeongguk could not help but felt a pang of jealousy in his chest. Sure, they were no longer together, but Jeongguk would still like to know who was the bastard who dared to hurt Jimin.

After tossing and turning for weeks, Jeongguk decided that he would confess once and for all.

They did not share any classes on the following semester, but they would still make time for each other. Spending more time with Jimin was both a blessing and a curse, it was as though he owned the world and yet his heart just kept on growing and growing in his chest, threatening to spill all his love for Jimin in the form of kisses and ‘I love you’s.

Most of the fanfictions he read had amazing yet unrealistic (for him to execute, yeah) confession scenes. There was one of Tony and Steve arguing and Tony ended it by accidentally saying that he loved Steve. It was cute, but Jeongguk and Jimin were not exactly enemies to lovers.

(Except that, in Jeongguk’s head, they kind of were. Although, the hatred was only one-sided.)

But Jeongguk knew for sure that he would not want to let Jimin know through text. There were a lot of memorable texts in their chat, and he would not want to feel upset when he scrolled through them in the future to find the texts of Jimin rejecting him amidst of it.  

“You’re an idiot,” Yoongi voiced out as he stirred his ramen with the wooden chopsticks.

Offended, Jeongguk scoffed as he crossed his arms, glaring at Yoongi from where he was sitting. Yoongi ignored the daggers Jeongguk was throwing, instead he slurped the noodles.

“You’re the idiot,” Jeongguk countered childishly.

Yoongi licked his lips before he avowed, “You’re thinking too much. It should feel natural. You have to mean it, show him that you are serious.”

“You mean like… take him out on a fancy dinner or?”

“It doesn’t have to be like that. You can just text him right now, say that you wanna be more than friends, and that’s it.”

“Huh. How did you confess to Seokjin hyung then?”

Yoongi shrugged. “I didn’t. He did.”

   x.

When it happened, Jeongguk was not planning on it at all. They were having their usual midnight conversations again, and when the conversation seemed to shift into something less serious, Jeongguk had the urge to tell Jimin how much he meant to Jeongguk. He was driven to do so when Jimin ended his text with his usual ‘i love you <3’ that Jeongguk knew it was just a habit of his.

Gathering his courage, he asked:

✉ To: Jimin hey jimin can i call you?

Barely five seconds passed and yet Jeongguk was already sweating buckets. He was convinced that Jimin would not want to, maybe he had a feeling that this was about to happen and Jimin chose to turn off his phone. He saw the speech bubble, indicating that Jimin was typing, and he did not give Jimin the chance to send his text because he abruptly pressed on the green button.

It only took him one ring for Jimin to answer. As soon as he heard Jimin’s raspy, “Hello,” from the other line, his brain chose to empty all his thoughts. His mouth was drying, desperately trying to find the right words so he would not sound like a creep.

“I love you,” he blurted out.

Jimin let out a giggle before answering, “I love you too.”

“No, no, I mean,” he licked his lips, gripping on his phone even tighter. “I love you like I love love you. I love you as in I would drive you to the moon. I love you as in I wanna hold your hand and never let it go. I love you as in I would bring you breakfast in bed, if you’d let me. I love you as in—” he took a deep breath, internally wincing at how his voice was so shaky, courtesy of his heart hammering wildly against his chest, “— I only watched Frozen despite hating it because it was with you, and that is better than not spending a few minutes without you.”

“Oh.”

Jeongguk could not tell what Jimin was feeling from the tone of his voice.

Disappointed? Congratulations, Jeon Jeongguk, you just ruined a friendship that could’ve lasted a lifetime.

Angry? Jeon Jeongguk, you dumbass, why the fuck do you have to go and develop feelings?

Jeongguk wanted to throw his phone to the nearest wall, the silence from the other line was suffocating him. He was certain that he had just ruined one of the best things that ever happened to him. This was what he got for listening to Yoongi hyung again. Confess, he said. It won’t be that bad, he said.

“Jeongguk, I—”

I’m sorry. I can’t. We’re just friends.

Jeongguk screwed his eyes shut, biting his lower lips. He waited for the rejection to hit him like a punch. It was inevitable after all.

“— I’m glad. I’m glad you feel the same way.”

“Eh?” Jeongguk blinked, straightening his back. Were his ears defying him?

He heard Jimin huffed a weak laugh. “I love you too, love as in when I close my eyes, all I see is you.”

“Oh.” Warmth and embarrassment flooded through Jeongguk at once. He cleared his throat. “Well, okay, then. I’m gonna hang up.”

“Wait! You’re gonna hang up on me? After I confess my love for you?”

He could see Jimin slyly grinning now, probably enjoying the situation more than he should. Jeongguk chortled, “What else do you want me to say?”

“I don’t know…” Jimin sighed, but he was unmistakably smiling. “Maybe you can ask me out?”

“Hm,” Jeongguk pretended to ponder, his heart swelling. His hands were shaking and the drowsiness he felt earlier subsided, swapped by the sudden surge of happiness he felt in his veins. “Maybe tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow.”

Jimin giggled again, causing Jeongguk to bit his lower lip to tamper the smile that was threatening to take over.

“I’ll be waiting then.”

That night, Jeongguk did not sleep at all. How could he, when reality was finally better than his dreams?

   xi.

“When did you know?” Jimin asked. He scooted closer to Jeongguk, resting his head on Jeongguk’s shoulder.

Jeongguk hummed, wrapping an arm around Jimin. “Know what?”

“Know that you’re in love with me,” Jimin whispered, sounding bashful as he nuzzled his nose against the crook of Jeongguk’s neck.

“Oh, that,” Jeongguk murmured. He twisted his lips to the side, slightly ashamed and reluctant to tell Jimin. “That night at the club.”

“Yuck!” Jimin giggled, reeling his head back in surprise before playfully hitting Jeongguk’s chest. “That night? I was on my worst, oh my god. I was puking, for God’s sake!”

Jeongguk laughed, shaking his head in embarrassment. “I mean, I’m pretty sure I had some feelings way before that but that night, I just knew, you know.”

Jimin scoffed. “Out of all times and places…”

“What about you?” Jeongguk asked, turning towards his boyfriend. “When did you know?”

“Did you know why I broke up with my ex back then?”

Jeongguk grimaced, he was not fond of Jimin’s exes. Up until now, he still had no idea who it was.

“Because, well, this is embarrassing. I had a crush on you. Initially, I thought it was dumb of me to throw away a relationship over something that was not certain. But that night, when you chose to comfort me and stayed by me, even when I was at my worst, that’s when I knew that I…” Jimin shifted his gaze elsewhere, pretending to be interested at the bowl on the coffee table. He reached out, grabbing the bowl and picked on the popcorns.

“Holy shit… at the same time? Really?”

Jimin shrugged, holding the bowl closer to him before he lifted Jeongguk’s arm to rest against his shoulders.

“You know,” Jeongguk mumbled before planting a kiss on the back of Jimin’s head. “We don’t have to watch this. I know you don’t like The Walking Dead.”

“’Course I don’t,” Jimin replied, munching on a popcorn. “But I’d watch this with you. I mean, it’s better than not spending a minute with you.”

“God, I hate you.”

Jeongguk knew Jimin would never miss the opportunity to make fun of Jeongguk’s confession, and although it was humiliating, a part of him was glad that Jimin did.

   xii.

This was how Jeon Jeongguk’s wedding vow went:

“Jimin, I used to believe that I would hear bells when I first met my soulmate. Instead, all I heard was your deafening laughter in class, which now I have come to love. You are the kindest person I’ve ever met, you are gentle in everything you do and I think that’s the most beautiful thing a person can be.

Thank you for staying with me, for being by my side. Thank you for bringing sunshine and colours to my life, for always believing in me, for never giving up on me even after I accidentally ruined the ikea shelf. Thank you for giving me the best version of myself.

It was no secret that Jimin had an eye on Sergeant Jeon. Being under Sergeant Jeon’s monitoring division was both a blessing and a curse – while the young sergeant was undeniably attractive, he also happened to be an asshole. Besides, it was difficult to do anything with Sergeant Jeon around because damn, that man was distracting.

His doe eyes always seemed to follow Jimin around with a penetrating gaze; his cute lips often verbally assaulted Jimin along with the other recruits yet Jimin could not help but to let his mind wander at the images of the sergeant being on top of him, muttering filthy words against Jimin’s neck with eyes filled with desire.

Sergeant Jeon had a nickname especially reserved for Jimin only and while the Jimin Before Training would have felt insulted at the name, the Jimin Right Now wanted nothing more than the sergeant to call him princess. Embarrassingly, Jimin sometimes deliberately screwed up, just so the sergeant would have his attention towards him and calling him princess in mockery.

Jimin was a fucking tease himself.

He was not being conceited or anything, but sometimes he caught the look Sergeant Jeon gave him and it was no doubt that young man with dark chocolate hair had an eye on him too. After nearly five months living in the center, Jimin found out that Sergeant Jeon loved running at night which resulted in him showering a little later than the others. Jimin learnt this fact when he decided to take a shower at some time around midnight after finishing his self-love session, and he was greeted by the sight of a half -naked Sergeant Jeon – with rock hard abs and muscular biceps and all – when he swung the door open.

Jimin was internally screaming, willing his eyes to look away from the perfection that was in a form of tall man with huge brown eyes and cute bunny teeth but instead, his eyes were glued to his perfectly sculpted sunkissed body.

Jungkook –the Sergeant’s name – cocked an eyebrow in confusion, his hands were drying his hair with a small red towel. Jimin swallowed uneasily, wiped his hands on his black shorts and placed his towel on the rack.

The other recruits would have bowed down to Jungkook and politely greeted him, but Jimin was not like the others. He was a professional brat who did not hesitate to show Jungkook that he was unwilling to be respectful towards the younger.

The bathroom was awfully silent, except for the ruffling sound Jungkook made and if you listen closely, you can hear Jimin’s cock screaming to be released from his pants. Everyone in the squad knew how their sergeant and Jimin did not get along. Jimin was such a pain in the ass, always refused to be told what to do while Jungkook absolutely loved ordering Jimin around, which only made Jimin more defiant. Out of the thirteen of them, Jimin was the one who got to be punished the most. Like that one time, when they lost soccer because of him, Jungkook had demanded Jimin to stay in Wonsan pokgyeok position for three straight hours. Jimin had difficulties standing after that, his neck felt so stiff he almost wanted to break it.

He was not sure why he even thought that it was a good idea to strip himself naked, placing his article of his clothings carelessly on the bench and covered his dick with the towel as he walked towards one of the stalls. Jimin had seen countless of guys naked before but this was Jeon Fucking Jungkook, the main reason why he had his hand down his pants that night and also the man who was taking him from behind in his fantasies. Imagining Sergeant Jeon’s body was one thing, but seeing his half-naked body with his two own eyes was a whole lot different level.

He purposely left his bar soap on top of his pile of clothes, just so he had the reason to turn around to see Jungkook’s reaction and boy was he glad that he thought of it. When he turned around, he caught the sergeant’s eyes staring at him — or more specifically, his ass.

Jimin had a nice ass, everyone told him so. It was a Fact, not just a compliment.

Jimin bit his lower lip, desisting himself from smiling and blinked at Sergeant Jeon. Jungkook whipped his head away from Jimin faster than usain bolt, cheeks slowly turning red. Jimin grabbed his soap, only for it to be dropped to the ground and Jimin swore that was not something he had planned. He found himself getting a little bit excited, probably more than he should, as he took the opportunity to bend down, wiggling his ass in process.

Jungkook’s breath hitched, cursing himself for not being able to look away. Silently, the sergeant cursed God for letting this happen. Jungkook ended up dressing himself in a rush, eyes down the whole time as he did not dare to look up to the soldier. Jungkook had only been promoted to second lieutenant and it was his first service of training a platoon; he was not going to let his libido fuck with his job.

Jimin almost snickered when he caught a glimpse of the usual demanding sergeant being timid, cheeks colored like peach in the sun. The tease took his time to get into the stall once he grabbed his soap, as if he was showing Jungkook the stuff the sergeant was missing out. It was only when he locked himself in the stall and turned on the faucet he let out a small giggle.

Sergeant Jeon, on the other hand, struggled to pull the hem of his white shirt downwards with the intention of hiding his semi as he walked out of the bathroom.

    Jungkook always looked up to his father, who was a General. He never would have thought that he ended up working in the military until his father brought him to work. His father was assigned to look over a squad – their sergeant was away because of health issue – and Jungkook had been watching his father training the soldiers. He found it fascinating how everyone listened to his father, no matter how absurd his requests were. He liked the authority in his dad’s voice, how everyone would bow down and referred to him as “General”. Jungkook decided that he wanted that too.

He was probably around fifteen or sixteen, when he accidentally walked on a recruit giving a superior a head.

Ever since he expressed his interest in training, his father had often brought him to the center to let Jungkook observe. His father had asked him to fetch a box of grenade in the storage, as the man was planning to spend the day hand grenade training and he was more than happy to oblige. The storage room was a bit crowded; there were shelves and boxes everywhere. Some of them were unlabeled, and he had gone through the ones without label to check whether they contained the grenades.

Frustrated, he went to the back and instantly, his eyes lit up with exhilaration when they landed on crates filled with weapons.

While his friends would have to go to the arcade to play pretend they were holding a plastic gun, Jungkook realized that he did not have to pay a single cent to touch a Browning M1917A1. He played a few video games before – instantly, he recognized the M1917 revolver his character had used in one of the crates. His father had specifically warned him not to touch anything, but curiosity and excitement urged him to grab the pistol and feel the weight in his hands.

It was nothing like the fake one in the arcade, the one equipped with sensors because the real one he was touching made of metal and despite its small structure, it weighed heavier than it looked. He held the gun tightly, closed one eye to peek at the barrel and careful not to brush his finger against the trigger. It was only when he heard shuffling noises from the entrance that he abruptly put the revolver down in fear of getting caught.

He jolted in surprise when he heard the door was slammed harshly, followed by noises from a few shelves in front of him. His dad would have killed him if he was being tardy. Gulping, he abruptly grabbed the crate filled with grenades, hastily grabbed the nearest lid to cover the top and halted when he heard the grunts.

Bewildered, he placed down the crate slowly, careful not to make noises and tiptoed his way forward. His mind was filled with dangerous ideas of thieves trying to steal weapons and infiltrate the base. For some stupid reason, he thought it would be the perfect opportunity for him to spring into action and catch whoever it was – only to soon regret it when he saw a young man on his knees.

He furrowed his eyebrows, tip-toeing a bit to get a better view. He had to move a few boxes from the shelf in front of him to see what was really happening and up until now, he was not certain if he regretted it or not because when he did, he saw another man. It was someone he recognized as his father’s friend,  with his pants dropped down on his knees and –

Oh.

His doe eyes widened in surprise at the sight. He should have ran, but somehow was frozen in place. Sir Hoon (who insisted Jungkook to call him ‘uncle’) had his back against the side of the shelf, his hand wrapped around the young man’s nape while the other was lifting the hem of his dark green uniform. Jungkook gulped, unable to take his eyes off from the way the man was bobbing his head, mouth full with Sir Hoon’s cock. Obscene noises were filling the room, but not loud enough to be heard from the outside.

Jungkook’s eyes followed the way saliva began dripping down to the young man’s chin, eyes trained to look up at Sir Hoon’s reaction. The older man panted, thrusting his hip forward, causing the younger guy to let out a choked sound.

It was only when Sir Hoon released his load in the recruit’s mouth that it dawned to Jungkook that he felt as if his pants shrunk a size. He had to suppress the groan from escaping his lips as the men were still there, just a few meters away from him.

The thought of fetching the hand grenades were long forgotten, even after the men walked out of the room, pretending nothing ever happened.

Needless to say, he was yelled in front of his father’s platoon for being unpunctual.

   Jungkook came up with the conclusion that Jimin was either oblivious with whatever he was doing or that he was trying to make Jungkook get off his back. Park Jimin already left an impression on him, even before they met. He had read the squad member’s personal files, noting a few important facts here and there, trying to memorize their faces and names and out of all the thirteen members, it was hard to not remember Park Jimin.

He was a rich bastard, someone who was born with a silver spoon in their mouth. His mother went up to Jungkook a few days before to bribe him, but Jungkook refused. The woman with fur coat insisted for Jungkook to take the money and no matter how many times Jungkook rejected her, she was still being persistent.

The moment they were lined on the field, Jungkook already knew the idiot with pouty lips and expression that showed how much he hated being there was Park Jimin. He had been very difficult to handle. On the first day, he attempted to flirt with Jungkook, earning a few chuckles from the others and while Jungkook felt a little bit flattered; his face turned a dark shade of red. In an attempt to hide his embarrassment, he did the only thing he could think of.

“Give me a hundred jumping jacks, Park Jimin.”

“Wait what?”

“Sir,” Jungkook stated harshly with a pointed look. “You will be addressing me with sir. And I hate having to repeat myself. I’m giving you another hundred.”

This time, the others were cackling at Jimin and boy, that felt quite good.

Jimin frowned. “But I didn’t do anything wrong, sir,” the man emphasized the last word with mockery.

“I don’t like the tone of your voice either, princess. Make it three hundred.”

He did not plan for any of it to happen, but Park Jimin proved to be a hardheaded person just like his mother. He was the only one in the platoon that did not bow down to Jungkook and dared to have an intense staring showdown. It was frustrating and Jungkook’s libido agreed. Sometimes, his hand was not sufficient.

Which lead him to giving his squad members a furlough except Park Jimin because he had the power to do so.

Jimin, obviously, was not pleased.

After Jungkook announced it, Jimin was stunned. It was only when Jungkook walked out of the compartment Jimin finally reacted. He followed Jungkook, used his strength to spun Jungkook around towards him, nearly shoving the taller man against the wall. If it were not for his furrowed eyebrows and the twitching vein on his forehead that seemed like it was going to pop any second, Jungkook would have thought Jimin was going to give him the makeout of his life.

“What the fuck?!” Jimin yelled, his voice echoing throughout the hallway.

At the corner of Jungkook’s eye, he saw someone going out of the compartment. When the person saw the commotion, he slowly retreated back and soon enough, the sound of the door creaking was heard.

“Park Jim—”

“Listen, you fucking dickhead,” Jimin spat harshly, pressing a finger on Jungkook’s chest.

It was amazing (and such a turn on, honestly speaking) how Jimin sounded so pissed off and haughty. Jungkook only looked down on Jimin, trying to hide his amusement by scrunching his nose. He had thought of having Jimin suck him off at the bathroom or perhaps the storage room, but he would not mind getting Jimin off right now at the hallway.

There was just something attractive with the way Jimin was directing his anger towards Jungkook.

“I deserve to be given a furlough,” Jimin gritted his teeth. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re thinking, leaving me out just like that.”

Do you really wanna know what I think?

Jungkook chuckled humorlessly, swatting Jimin’s finger away from his chest. “I have my own reason.”

Jimin scoffed, crossing his arms with a growl. “Yeah? Is the reason because you’re a fucking asshole?”

“You’re not disciplined enough.” Jungkook shrugged nonchalantly with a sardonic smirk. It was partially true though. “And look at you, yelling and cussing at your own sergeant when you should be working hard to earn your furlough. In other words, you don’t deserve it.”

Jimin’s jaw dropped in disbelief. While it might be true, Jimin felt even more offended hearing it with his own ears. Disciplined or not, it was still cruel to give everyone except him a leave.

“Excuse me?” Jimin nearly shrieked, pointing a finger towards the younger. “I washed the boots, just as you ordered. I gathered the equipment and put them back in the storage room, just as you ordered – and this is what I get?”

Jungkook straightened his back, an amused smile formed on his lips. “What part of ‘you don’t deserve it’, you don’t understand? Go to sleep, Jimin. We’ll start tomorrow.”

Jungkook ignored Jimin’s shouts, strutted straight to his bedroom and let out a huge sigh of relief.

A small voice at the back of his head was trying to reason to him that it was going to be a bad idea, which was true, but the small voice was drowned by the scream of his own libido.

   The good thing about having the whole compartment alone was that Jimin could grind against his mattress without getting caught. That, and also he could eat the chocolates his mother sent him alone. Jimin was still pissed at Jungkook for leaving him out and every time he saw Jungkook’s face, his brain decided to replay the heated one-sided argument they had inside Jimin’s head.

“You don’t deserve it.”

“Fuck you,” Jimin spat out to no one in particular and found himself giving Jungkook pointed looks when Jungkook had his back turned to Jimin.

And Jimin deserved it.

He solemnly believed it with all his heart and soul.

And he was going to earn it.

Damn right, he will.

He just had to find the perfect time and the perfect place.

   If there was a word that could describe Jeon Jungkook, it would be cautious.

He loved having others depend on and look up to him. He loved the respect his squad members gave him, how they cower in fear whenever he turns his head towards him. In other words, he thought himself as someone reputable in the center – which was why he was determined to not get caught when he finally had the chance to have his dick sucked by someone of lower status than him.

Unlike the suggestive looks and lip bites that Jimin would send him when others were around, Park Jimin refused to meet his eyes. The older man was still mad, that was apparent from the way he rolled his eyes and snap at Jungkook.

While Jungkook would have expected Park Jimin to be on his knees for him now, it did not happen. Whenever they crossed paths in the hallway, Jimin would have pretended he did not see him. A few days ago, he would have eyefucked Jungkook from across the hall. And whenever Jungkook planned to spend a little time alone with him (with whatever reason his brain can offer), Jimin was always seen with recruits from other division.

And damn, Jungkook had never felt so frustrated in his whole life.

So, after three days of being without his recruits, Jungkook finally decided to have his dick touched no matter what.

   When Jungkook barged into the compartment and demanded Jimin to go with him for training at fucking ten o’clock at night, Jimin almost jumped three feet in the air with his hand on his waistband. Back when his comrades were still here, Jungkook would have interrupted their so-called-bonding session and chose a few of them to go on a run at night.

Jimin deserved an award for being the Most Chosen Member to Run Late at Night.

The second runner up would be Lee Seokmin.

He thought it was unnecessary for Jungkook to give Jimin a night training session because hell, Jimin was the only one he had to keep an eye on in the morning, why the fuck would he need to make Jimin suffer at night too?

The only difference was that Jimin was riding in the Humvee tonight when he should be outside, running his ass off. But when he was halfway running, it began to rain.

And bingo, Jimin might have found the perfect time and perfect place.

The ride was silent, a little bit uncomfortable in Jimin’s opinion, but he had to think to make it work. Clearing his throat, he began, “May I know exactly why I’m not given a furlough?”

While the first time Jimin had roughly shoved Jungkook against the wall and yelled at his face, he attempted to ask nicely and see where it could go.

‘Not this again.’ “I already told you.”

“There isn’t any other reason?” Jimin asked sweetly.

‘There is.’ “No.”

“Will you give me a furlough if I earned it?”

‘Sure.’ “No.”

The wind was spraying raindrops on the screen and Jimin recognized the sign on the left side of the road that indicated they were not far from the center. Jimin already made up his mind; he wanted to earn the furlough no matter what happened and he did what he had to.

(He thought it would not work at first but fuck it.)

The Humvee was spacious; Jimin had to sit on the edge of the passenger seat to reach Jungkook. Taking a deep breath and turning his whole body to face Jungkook, he placed a hand on Jungkook’s thigh and lightly squeezed it and had to bite down his lip to refrain a giggle from escaping his lips when Jungkook straightened his back, tensed.

“Hey, hey. It’s just the two of us.”

Jungkook almost pressed so hard on the brake pedal when he heard Jimin whisper to him.

“Wh—”

Jimin moved to the back of Jungkook’s seat, knees on the floor mat as his hands softly caressing Jungkook’s chest and leaned down to whisper in Jungkook’s ear, “C’mon now, sir… you’ll give me a break, won’t you?”

It was only when he felt Jimin’s warm breath against his neck that he shuddered and pressed the brake, pulled up the emergency hand brake and exhaled a breath through his nose.

“Work for it,” Jungkook groaned.

“Mm,” Jimin hummed before lightly sucking on Jungkook’s earlobe, eliciting a soft grunt from the younger. He could smell the fruit scented shampoo Jungkook used, loved how he smelled sweet unlike how he presented himself.

The sergeant let out an inaudible sigh when Jimin pulled away.

“C’mere,” he heard Jimin coaxed from behind.

He knew he would get into trouble if they were found out – it was honestly suspicious to have a Humvee parked in the middle of the road but when Jungkook turned his head to the backseat to find Jimin already rubbing circles against his clothed crotch, Jungkook’s mind erased all the unwanted and possible scenarios of him getting fired because goddamn, Jimin was enticing. Too, too enticing.

Jimin saw a glint he had never seen in Jungkook’s eyes before and purposely let out a lewd moan to get a reaction from Jungkook. Jungkook’s breath hitched as he climbed to the back seat, the Humvee was not high enough to make him stand fully so he had to keep his knees on the ground.

The corner of Jimin’s mouth instantly quirked upwards the moment he caught Jungkook biting his lower lip.

Jimin straightened up, his hand grabbed Jungkook’s and pulled the man closer. “I’m gonna earn it,” he whispered, crescent eyes staring straight at Jungkook’s before he tilted his head and placed his lips on top of Jungkook’s. The sudden action caught Jungkook off guard, his eyes widened as he watched Jimin closing his eyes, lips puckering into the kiss and whatever curiosity Jungkook had towards his lips was now answered – yes, Jeon Jungkook, his lips were as soft as it looked.

Jungkook was not sure if he wanted to pull away or just stay awkwardly with Jimin’s lip on top of his and it was only when he felt Jimin’s warm tongue sliding against his lower lip that he decided that yeah, more kissing would not hurt anybody. The sergeant parted his lips, barely registering Jimin’s hand that was softly caressing the side of his neck when Jimin’s tongue slid against his.

His hand made its way underneath Jimin’s plain shirt to stroke his body and it was only then Jimin pulled away, a smirk on his lips.

“Nu uh,” Jimin grinned, placing a hand on top of Jungkook’s and removed it from his stomach. “Why don’t you take a seat, sir?”

Jungkook hated the teasing tone in Jimin’s voice, but his cock was twitching in his cargo pants, as if it was screaming for Jungkook to just get over it already and sit on the fucking chair. So he did, on the chair behind the passenger seat. Jimin, on the other hand, was secretly enjoying the control he had to make Jungkook listen to him.

He crawled towards Jungkook, placing a small peck on the younger’s neck as his hand lowered down the waistband of his pants.

“Wow,” Jimin gasped at the obvious bulge on Jungkook’s boxer, causing Jungkook to turn away with red spots on his cheeks. “Excited?” Jimin teased, before nosing on the bulge.

“Ya, don’t do that.”

Jimin giggled.

Jimin was going to be the death of him, Jungkook swore. He took his time getting into the real thing, licking Jungkook’s clothed semi and often grazing his teeth slightly while his hands kneaded Jungkook’s inner thighs, spreading them open. Jungkook refrained himself from making any noises that can bring him humiliation, and when Jimin realised this, he stopped.

“Oi, why—”

“How am I supposed to know I’m doing a good job if you’re keeping it in?”

“You’re absurd.”

“Come on, sir,” Jimin emphasized with a lilt.

“Shut up.”

Jimin rolled his eyes before lowering Jungkook’s boxer and grinned in amusement when Jungkook’s dick was full on display, red and curving wonderfully towards his stomach. Jungkook groaned in embarrassment when he caught sight of Jimin staring at it like it was the most beautiful art in the museum. Jungkook wanted to clamp his thighs shut, but Jimin had both hands on his inner thighs, preventing them from closing.

“Ah, you’re so excited.”

“Are you going to just keep talking or what?” Jungkook grunted impatiently.

“Relax, sir,” Jimin murmured, grabbing the base of Jungkook’s cock before pecking it. Jungkook swallowed, eyes locked on the way Jimin was planting soft kisses on the underside of his cock.

“Holy—” Jungkook gasped out when he felt Jimin’s fingers fondling his balls, sometimes squeezing lightly as his lips won’t leave his dick.

Jimin sucked on his tip then, looking up to watch Jungkook holding back his moans. Jimin bit back his giggle as he began moving his hand up and down on Jungkook’s erection, mouth lowering to engulf Jungkook’s balls, eliciting soft moans from Jungkook. Jimin smirked, sucking lightly on the sacs, running his tongue on the scrotum while thumbing the slit and used the oozing precome to stroke Jungkook easily. Jungkook’s hand flew to grip behind the chair tightly and had his other arm to cover his eyes.

Jimin pulled away then, leaving Jungkook breathless and chest heaving, cock still erect.

“Why did you—”

Jungkook wanted to touch himself, wanted a release but Jimin was right in front of him. Jimin only smirked, hastily climbing up to Jungkook’s lap and squirmed his ass on Jungkook’s thighs. Jimin let out a soft moan when his clothed cock accidentally brushed against Jungkook’s, hand gripping tight on Jungkook’s shoulder to steady himself.  

“I’d let you fuck me but I don’t have lube with me,” Jimin murmured, giving Jungkook a lazy smile.

“I do.”

Jimin cocked an eyebrow in amusement, lips curving into a sardonic grin.

Jungkook cleared his throat as he thumbed Jimin’s slit, earning a shudder from Jimin. “In my room.”

“Mmhm,” Jimin hummed before licking his lips. “So we’re just gonna go back like this?”

Jungkook smirked, squeezing Jimin’s ass as he nipped on Jimin’s collarbone. “Nu uh.”

    They managed to sneak into Jungkook’s office without looking suspicious, the both of them walked side by side while pretending as if Jungkook wanted to talk to Jimin about something Serious. But the moment the door was closed, Jungkook was pinned against the wall, both hands at the side of his head as Jimin attacked his lips with hunger. This time though, Jungkook readily opened his lips for Jimin to explore, tongues sliding against each other. Jimin was the one who pulled away, panting as strings of saliva dripped from his lips. Jungkook licked his lips, breathless from the sudden kiss.

“Get in,” Jungkook murmured, jerking his head towards the direction of his room.

Jimin stripped himself on his way there, leaving article of his clothing on the floor. Jungkook’s room was smaller than he imagined, with only a single bed situated in the middle of the room, a brown wardrobe that probably had countless amounts of plain white shirts and a bedtable with a lamp on top. Jimin plopped himself on the bed, legs spread open as he inserted two fingers inside his mouth, slowly sucking on his fingers when he heard Jungkook’s footsteps approaching the room.

Jungkook had a bottle in his hand, and Jimin thanked God that he was already naked and semi hard again. Jimin had sucked Jungkook off while the man was driving, and Jungkook had to stop the car at the gates when he came. They were fortunate that the security was off to the bathroom else they might get caught. With spit covered fingers, Jimin circled around the rim of his entrance, teasing himself before inserting a finger.

The sergeant gulped at the sight he was witnessing; Jimin’s tousled hair, sticking up everywhere as his half-lidded eyes that appeared darker were focused on him – only him, he reminded himself – while opening himself up. Jimin held the sergeant’s gaze the whole time he was fucking himself that it made Jungkook groan, gripping on the bottle tighter and cock aching as Jimin began thrusting his finger in and out of his hole, purposely letting out libidinous moans as if he was putting on a show.

“Shit, Jimin,” Jungkook hissed, forcefully pulling out Jimin’s fingers and received a whine as a respond. “Can’t fucking wait for me, can’t you?”

“Sorry, sir.” Although the way he batted his eyelashes and grin showed the exact opposite of feeling sorry.

He did not catch the mischievous glint in Jimin’s eyes and when he opened his mouth to speak, Jimin used the strength Jungkook did not know the smaller had to push Jungkook down and change their position, so now Jungkook was the one who had his back against the mattress and Jimin standing on his knees, looming over Jungkook.  

Whatever Jungkook was about to say was lost somewhere, replaced by grunts when Jimin’s thigh brushed slightly against his semi. He did not realize Jimin had taken the lube from him, and when Jungkook opened his eyes, Jimin already had a finger inside of him, head thrown back with a soft groan. Jungkook slowly stroke himself, unable to tear his eyes away from the perfection that was Jimin.

Jungkook would have looked away when Jimin’s eyes were on him, a smirk evident on his lips but he found himself leaning closer, one hand on Jimin’s waist while placing a kiss on his tanned stomach, earning the softest sigh from the man standing in front of him. He had seen countless of men half-naked before, but none of them made his cock as hard as Jimin could. Jungkook began stroking his length then, which only made Jimin swatted his hand away and frowned.

“I’ll be doing all the work,” Jimin growled, pushing Jungkook back with his free hand. “Gotta earn it.”

Jungkook only chuckled, slapped a hand lightly on Jimin’s left cheek before squeezing his ass again. Jimin only moaned in response. Jungkook had to fight the urge to pin Jimin down, to enter him and fuck him to oblivion but the mere sight of Jimin stretching himself out made Jungkook wait and watched – Jimin was better than any of the porn he had seen. Grabbing the bottle beside them, Jungkook smeared a liberal amount on his fingers before inserting a digit inside of Jimin, causing Jimin to let out a gasp and looked down at him with a scandalized expression.

He thought Jimin would have protested again, but he began thrusting his finger inside and out at an incessant pace, felt how stretched Jimin was with three fingers inside of him and added another one. Jimin arched his back, lips hung open as he drowned in pleasure of his and Jungkook’s fingers fucking him.

Jungkook had to swallow at the sight, obscene noises bouncing around the room and it was only when Jimin panted, “Stop… stop!” that he slowed his fingers down and pulled out. Jimin panted heavily, one hand gripping on Jungkook’s shoulder as he hung his head down. From the way he was breathing rather heavily, cock twitching and thighs quivering, Jungkook knew he could not last long. While Jimin was regaining his breath, Jungkook took the time to coat himself with the lubricant, squeezing the hell out of the bottle.

Jimin shifted a little bit closer, sucking on Jungkook’s neck while aligning Jungkook’s dick to his entrance.

“I’m gonna ride you,” Jimin murmured against his skin. “Gonna ride you so good.”

“Yeah?”

“Uhuh… ah!” Jimin gasped when he managed to get the tip in. Jungkook groaned as Jimin began lowering himself, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Jungkook watched as Jimin’s hole greedily swallow his cock, his plump lips agape while both of his hands held onto Jungkook’s shoulders for support.

Jungkook swallowed, licking his bottom lips at the sight. He let his fingers curl around Jimin’s length, not jerking him off, just feeling the way it was hot in his hand, how it curved prettily against Jimin’s stomach. Jimin bit his lower lip, not moving just yet. He had always imagined Jungkook to be big, bigger than he was, and he was not wrong. As soon as Jungkook was fully inside of him, he took a second to breathe.

Jungkook sat up then, thumbing Jimin’s nipple as his other hand slightly squeezed Jimin’s thigh. It made Jimin shudder, eliciting a soft gasp. Jimin began to move slowly and steadily, with his teeth biting onto his lip. Jungkook smirk, somehow satisfaction surging through his veins when Jimin furrowed his brows, desperately yet patiently wanting to adjust to Jungkook’s size.

“Fuck…” Jimin gasped. “You’re so big, sir…”

Jungkook chuckled, finger brushing against Jimin’s lips. Jimin opened up his lips to lick Jungkook’s thumb and proceeded to suck it into his mouth, earning another chuckle from the sergeant. Jungkook replaced his thumb with his index and middle finger, which Jimin eagerly opened his mouth for. Jungkook took his fingers back to rub against Jimin’s areola, making Jimin slightly arch. He grinned before leaning in to circle his tongue around Jimin’s nipple.

“I told you I’m gonna earn it, Sarge,” Jimin panted with a sardonic grin before he pushed Jungkook’s chest, causing him to have his back against the mattress. “So why don’t you… ah… enjoy the ride?” toppling

Jimin began to move then, slowly rising up on his knees and back down again, one hand on Jungkook’s pecs to steady himself. The sergeant let out a groan when Jimin slammed down hard. Jungkook buck his hip up, earning a whimper from the man above him. Gradually, Jimin began to speed up, moaning. Jungkook let his gaze rake over Jimin’s body, shining with sweat, eyes hooded as he looked down at Jungkook.

Jungkook thought he could come like this, with Jimin holding his gaze so seductively and his cock bouncing against his stomach. He had slept with other recruits before, but none of them can ever match Jimin’s beauty. Jimin was the prettiest, always the prettiest. Jungkook fisted the mattress, feeling the heat pooling in his stomach for the second time that night. He let out a gasp when Jimin clenched around him.

“Fuck, fuck…” Jimin moaned, eyes closed as he moved at an incessant speed, the sound of skin slapping against skin only got louder and louder by the second.

Jimin was nearing his peak, Jungkook knew, because when he opened his eyes, his gaze was dark and unfocused, his movements began to stutter. Jungkook took the chance to sit up, pushing Jimin against the mattress, startling the hell out of Jimin. Jimin’s gaze finally focused on Jungkook, who was caging him with both his hands on Jimin’s side, sweat gleaming on his temple.

The sergeant looked so devilishly handsome that it made Jimin want to curse. “Wh—”

“You seem like you’re enjoying yourself,” Jungkook grinned.

Jimin’s breath hitched when he felt Jungkook spreading his legs wide open, slowly thrusting in and out of his entrance. Jimin threw his head back, exposing his slender neck for Jungkook to leave a mark.

“You’re so pretty,” Jungkook whispered against the crook of Jimin’s neck. “Do you know that?”

Jimin hummed in response, bringing his arms to wrap around Jungkook’s neck to bring the man closer. Jimin lightly graze his teeth against Jungkook’s earlobe before nipping it. Jungkook propped himself up on one elbow while the other found its way to hook itself around Jimin’s waist, lifting his hip up to change the angle. He began thrusting, earning a yelp from Jimin.

Jungkook fell into a rhythm, thrusting in and out of Jimin, fueled on Jimin’s words of encouragement for him to go faster. Jimin pitched out a cry with the next thrust, which was a little more erratically than before. Jungkook smirked against his skin, before licking his neck to taste the racing pulse beating just beneath his lips. He found it.

Jimin’s hip pushed forward to meet his thrusts, lips hung open. If he thought Jimin was prettier before he was wrong. Jimin looked the absolute prettiest like this, needy and flushed under him. He felt Jimin’s hands against his biceps, moaning Jungkook’s name as his back arched.

“Oh god, oh god…”

“You’re gonna come for me, princess? Yeah? You’re gonna come for me?”

“Close… close, I’m close…” Jimin whined, his hand beginning to fist his neglected cock.

Jungkook’s hips work faster, deeper, his grip on Jimin’s waist tightened that Jimin was sure it will leave a mark.

“Touch yourself, Jimin, come on now.”

Jimin whined, stroking his length, breaths coming out in sharp staccato ‘ah’s. The immense pleasure from being fucked and touching himself was overwhelming, threatening to send him over the edge. Jungkook let out a grunt, never missing a rhythm as he fucked into Jimin’s clenching heat, repeatedly hitting the right spot.

Jimin’s breath get caught in his throat when he came with a violent shake of his body, crying out Jungkook’s name.

“Fuck, fuck,” Jungkook groaned, thrusting erratically.

Jimin pulled him closer, whimpering and arms shaking. His eyes were glazing, body lurching with each frantic thrust. “St—” the words get caught in his throat, his back bowing and he cannot think of anything but Jungkook, Jungkook and Jungkook. His body was shaking violently now, weakly pushing Jungkook away. “— Stop, fuck, fuck.”

Jungkook hushed, sucking on his neck and Jimin was so fucking sensitive, tears were pooling in the corner of his eyes.

“God, god, Jungkook, please,” he begged, unable to take the pleasure from being pounded over and over again.

“Close, m’close, princess.”

Jungkook let out a grunt then, his body stilled for a moment and Jimin felt Jungkook filling him up. He let out a sob, overwhelmed by the fullness. Jungkook shuddered, before thrusting one last time, causing Jimin to jolt, and then he trembled into Jimin’s body. Jimin was still shaking – hands meekly pushing Jungkook away from him, sensitive when Jungkook made contact with his cock.

“Fuck,” Jungkook panted, bracing his forearms beside Jimin before pulling himself up, sitting on his haunches.

Slowly, Jungkook pulled out with a low grunt, earning a shaky mewl from Jimin, his body twitching vehemently. His chest was rising up and down, desperate to get air into his lungs as his body went limp.

Jungkook let out a soft chuckle. Jimin’s hole was pink and puffy, clenching involuntarily and overflowing with cum. Jungkook’s finger brushed against Jimin’s hole, causing Jimin to convulse, pushing Jungkook’s hand away.

He loved seeing Jimin like this, so sensitive and beautiful.

Jimin swallowed, one arm on his middle as he attempted to regulate his breathing.

“You all right?” Jungkook asked.

Jimin nodded, not trusting his voice to speak. Eventually, he said, “You’re fucking crazy.”

Jungkook shook his head with a small laughter. “And you’re sensitive.”

Jimin rolled his eyes before slowly sitting up, glaring at Jungkook. Jungkook’s sardonic grin only grew wider as he reached toward the drawer to take out a small box of tissue. Jimin felt an impulse to brush away Jungkook’s fringe and managed to hold himself back. “You called me pretty,” Jimin voiced out. “Is that why you keep me here?”

Jungkook’s cheeks coloured pink, eyes narrowing as he threw the box of tissue to Jimin. “No.”

Jimin raised a brow, not buying it.

“Do I earn it then? The furlough?” Jimin batted his lashes before wiping himself with the tissue.

“Huh.”

“Huh?”

“Let me think about it.”

    Everyone in the whole damn world knew Jungkook was a hardheaded son of a bitch, but he did not expect him to be very difficult to crack. He was expecting to be given his leave the next day, but instead, he woke up to Jungkook blowing his whistle at ass o’clock, forcing him to wake up and run laps on the field.

Jungkook’s eyes were trained on him like a hawk, watching his every move, and he hated how the sergeant’s demeanor aroused him.

The training went on as usual, Jungkook acting normally as if Jimin was not riding him the night before and if Jimin were to be honest, it was quite frustrating. He had experience in one-night stands before, but none involved a superior and his furlough on the line. The sex was amazing, so there was no doubt that he should get his leave. Hell, he deserved two weeks just for giving Sergeant Jeon head in the Humvee!

Which was why, he decided to work even harder to earn it.

And that was how Jungkook found the recruit in his office, sitting on top of his desk with his leg crossed, ankle over knee.

Jungkook pinched the bridge of his nose before slamming his door shut, sighing in exasperation.

“You know you’re not allowed in my office if I’m not inside. I made it clear on your first day, Park Jimin,” Jungkook grumbled, making his way to the cabinet to grab a file.

Jimin’s eyes followed Jungkook’s movement, his body turning around to face the Sergeant.

“I’ve been meaning to ask when’s my leave, sir.”

“I’ll tell you when I tell you. Now, scram,” Jungkook deadpanned, flipping through the papers inside the thin file.

Jimin only watched as Jungkook was scanning the content on the paper, eyebrows furrowing and his lips pressing into a straight line. Jungkook’s attention was focused on the file as he abruptly grabbed his chair to sit and grab a pen, not even bothering to kick Jimin out of his room. Jimin pouted as he swung his leg, wanting to grab the Sergeant’s attention.

Jungkook was reading the document line by line, trying to find any mistake as Lieutenant Choi had suspected, only for Jimin to suddenly get down from the table to forcefully turn the office chair towards him.

“What the—”

Jimin had both his hands on the armrests, caging Jungkook with a smirk.

“Are you gonna pretend that you never called me pretty, sir?” he asked innocently, batting his eyelashes as he lowered himself to be on the same eye-level as Jungkook.

“Jimin, this is not the time—”

“I’ll show you a great time,” Jimin winked before he went down on his knees, hands reaching for the waistband of Jungkook’s camo pants. Luckily for Jimin, Jungkook was wearing one with a zipper. Eager to put on a show, he pulled it down with his teeth, never breaking eye contact with Jungkook.

“Park, don’t—” but he could not get the whole sentence out of his mouth as he heard a knock on the door. His eyes widened at the sudden intrusion. Jimin was grinning by then, his hand massaging Jungkook’s clothed cock. Jungkook could feel himself growing hard, and there was no way he could have explained to whoever it was that it was not what it looked like. He groaned, wanting to pull Jimin up but Jimin only knelt and positioned himself under the desk, pulling Jungkook towards him, hands on both Jungkook’s thighs.

The person knocked again, requesting permission to enter.

Jungkook peeked at Jimin, sending him a glare but the latter only grinned even wider, pulling down Jungkook’s brief to run his fingers gently over Jungkook’s cock. Being this close to Jungkook, he could smell the faintest hints of sweet-scented soap Jungkook always used in the shower.

Jungkook lowly growled before clearing his throat. “Enter.”

It was Seokjin who entered his room, ditching his usual white coat, clad in a blue flannel shirt and his round glasses perched on his nose. He had a brown plastic bag in his hand, probably the source of the pleasant aroma that was now flooding the room.

Seokjin gave him a nod as a greeting, waving the bag slightly. “Sarge, I got you the donut you asked for.”

Jungkook prayed that Seokjin was not going to stay and chat, but the doctor ended up pulling the chair across of him and made himself comfortable before placing the bag in front of Jungkook.

Meanwhile, Jimin rolled his eyes as he listened to the conversation. They were forbidden from eating Real Food, yet the superiors were the one who sneaked in fucking donuts into the centre? What a load of bullshit. Jimin huffed, sending the warm breath tickling Jungkook’s semi-erect dick.

‘While this douche eats a donut, I’ll be having something else,’ Jimin thought bitterly, before giving the tip a suck.

Jungkook inhaled sharply as he cleared his throat.

“Thanks, Seokjin.”

“I got you the caramel one though, they ran out of cookies and cream. I hope that’s okay?”

Jimin began licking from the base to the tip, careful not to make any sounds as he performed the action repeatedly. He stopped to lick the slit, the pre-cum salty on his tongue, and wrapped his lips around the swollen head. He let his hand massaged Jungkook’s balls, while the other held onto Jungkook’s thighs, softly caressing it.

“Y-yeah, it is.”

Jungkook tried to keep his response short, in hopes that Seokjin would get the hint to fuck off, but knowing Kim Seokjin, he would want to chatter until the sun set.

“Anyway!” Seokjin began, eyes gleaming and lips grinning and Jungkook had to held back a groan because that was a sign that he was not leaving any time soon.

Jungkook gripped the armrest when he felt Jimin engulfing his cock. Jimin sunk down nearly to the base, breathing slow and steady out of his nose as he purposely clenched and unclenched his throat around the head of Jungkook’s cock. Jungkook cannot seem to focus on what Seokjin was saying, his head too wrapped up in the thought of getting caught by a colleague he respected.

Jimin began to bob his head up and down then, unbothered with the saliva and precum that were pooling on the base of Jungkook’s cock. Jimin used them to fondle Jungkook’s balls gently while he hollowed his cheek to suck the tip.

“— and the americano, oh my god!” Seokjin laughed, slapping his knee at something he said. Jungkook could not pay any attention, cannot afford to, not when Jimin was on his knees under his desk, tongue skilfully licking Jungkook’s cock.

Jungkook attempted to keep his breathing steady, purposely positioning himself to slightly buck his hip into Jimin’s mouth.

Jimin smirked, thankful that the sudden movement did not choke him.

“I-I’m…” Jungkook huffed, praying to God that he did not sound like he was panting. “I’d like to visit the b-bakery with you. One day, perhaps. I’m kinda busy now so…”

“Oh! Okay, no problem. Should I—?”

“Yes, yes, please,” Jungkook answered, aware that he sounded as if he was begging for Seokjin to leave.

Fortunately, Seokjin did not notice how desperate he sounded because the man only smiled, playfully saluting him as he stood up. Before closing the door, he beamed, “Enjoy the donut, Sarge! Savour every bite!”

Jungkook waved a hand, forcing himself to smile as his teeth sink into his lower lip. When the door was shut, he let out a groan, spreading his leg wider and leaning back to look at Jimin. Jimin’s eyelids were drooping, popping Jungkook’s dick to move to his balls, sucking the sacs and coating them with his saliva. Jungkook’s breath quickened, his hand now on Jimin’s head, threading into Jimin’s dark locks.

He could feel Jimin grinning against his balls, before he stuck his tongue out, trailing all the way up until he was back at the tip, now sucking on it. Jimin began stroking him, absolutely satisfied at the way Jungkook’s body tense when he swiped his tongue over the slit of his cock.

“Fuck, fuck,” Jungkook moaned, tightening his grip on the armrest and Jimin’s hair.

Jimin sardonically grin, his hand movement sped up. “Are you gonna come, sir? Are you gonna come on my face?”

“Close,” Jungkook grunted. “M’fucking close.”

Jungkook’s toes are curling inside his boots, lips parted, letting out mellifluous ‘ah’s, and Jimin thought he could not get anymore beautiful than this. His hips were now slightly lifted from the seat, rutting into Jimin’s hand.

“Am I good, sir? Are you gonna come for me?”

“G-gonna come for you, princess, gonna—”

It took Jimin two harsh strokes for Jungkook to come undone, hand on Jimin’s hair tightened painfully, crying out Jimin’s name as his thighs violently shook, painting his shirt and Jimin’s face white. Ecstasy rocketed through his veins, senses exploding and his mind was empty except for Jimin, Jimin, Jimin. Jungkook’s body twitched involuntarily when Jimin swirled his thumb around the hypersensitive head.

Jimin let out a laugh as Jungkook’s body twitched again, sensitive when Jimin’s thumb grazed against his tip.

“Fuck,” Jungkook panted, pulling Jimin’s hair, forcing Jimin to look up at him. “You’re gonna be the death of me, do you know that?”

Jimin licked his lips seductively, his hand finally stopped moving from milking Jungkook dry. He grinned when Jungkook’s thighs twitched. “Do I look pretty like this, Sarge?”

“Lock the fucking door,” Jungkook commanded. “Now.”

     Sergeant Jeon returned the favor by demanding Jimin to lay on his chest against the desk, legs spread open on the floor. Jimin could not help but bit his lower lip as he felt fissures of anticipation crawling down his thighs, not quite expecting that Jungkook would have wanted to take care of him too. He felt Jungkook’s fingers pulling his pants down, not letting them drop the floor, but rather leaving them below the cleavage of his ass.

Jungkook knead the cheeks before lightly biting the left side, earning a soft gasp from Jimin.

“You’re hard already, aren’t you? Do you enjoy getting caught?” Jungkook growled before he spread Jimin’s cheeks with both hands.

“Maybe I do, sir,” Jimin replied, shaking his ass enticingly.

“Quiet,” Jungkook demanded. “Face forward, legs wider.”

Jimin obeyed as instructed, spreading his legs as wide as his pants let him. Jimin gasped again when he felt Jungkook’s warm hand wrapping his shaft, thumb swirling on the slit. He heard Jungkook chuckle when he began stroking his length.

“You’re fucking hard already. Does sucking me excite you, huh?”

Jimin opened his mouth to speak, to response, only for him to let out another gasp when he felt Jungkook’s tongue on his hole. Jungkook flicked his tongue upwards and downwards, keenly licking the pink rim while his hand went to work, gently moving them up and down. Jimin’s eyes screwed shut, letting his mouth hang open.

Jungkook hummed contently as he ate Jimin out, tilting his head slightly, tongue licking in further.

“Mmh.” Jimin whimpered, tongue sweeping against his lower lip as he pushed his ass back.

Jungkook’s tongue entered his hole, tracing it around the rim before lapping at Jimin’s wall as far as he could, saliva running down his chin. Blood was pumping in his ears as Jungkook’s grip became tighter, and he no longer could control the noises that left his lips.

Jimin whined when Jungkook leaned back, staring at the pucker which was now redder in colour, somehow making Jimin prettier than he already was.

“J-Jeon, don’t stop, don’t stop—”

“What’s that?” Jungkook teased, slowing down his hand movement that it made Jimin let out a sob. “Close, are we?”

Jimin helplessly nodded, his legs were starting to shake as he felt pleasure ran all over his body. He was moaning and whimpering, broken noises tumbling from his throat. He was close, so so close.

Jungkook’s hand sped up again as he planted a kiss on Jimin’s cheek, shifting his position so now he was on his right knee. He used his free hand to spread Jimin’s cheek again, licking his entrance before thrusting his tongue inside, sliding it inside and out and flicking left and right against the walls. Jungkook pulled back and thrust it in harder this time, causing Jimin’s legs to start shaking, the familiar heat he felt from his groin now threatening to spread all over his body.

With a high-pitched moan, Jimin came in Jungkook’s hand, ass pressing into Jungkook’s face as he released strings of white all over the floor. His legs were spasming, body jerking violently as Jungkook continued to stroke him, not showing any sign of slowing down. Jimin writhed, whimpering as his fingers scrabbling against Jungkook’s desk, begging for him to stop.

“J-Jungkook, stop, ah, stop—”

Jungkook continued licking Jimin’s hole through his orgasm, not stopping even when Jimin’s legs finally gave in, turning into jelly as he collapsed right onto the floor. He panted as he held onto the edge of the desk, body pliant, letting Jungkook maneuver him so he had his back rested against Jungkook’s chest. He let out a gasp, flinching when Jungkook teasingly stroke him.

“Nn—” he whimpered, wanting to protest but Jungkook only pumped his cock faster.

His legs were trembling rather terribly that his body slid down from Jungkook’s, barely registering how cold the floor was. He was now lying on Jungkook’s lap, hands weakly trying to pry Jungkook’s fingers away from his cock while his other hand tried to grasp into anything he can reach. “Fuck, fuck, Jungkook, I can’t, I c—” he sobbed, unable to stop himself from quivering when Jungkook stopped stroking and instead, stimulate the tip of his cock with his palm.

“Shh, look at me, look at me,” Jungkook hushed.

With teary eyes and drenched cheeks, Jimin meekly looked up to Jungkook. He had a gentle expression on his face, as if he wanted to hang all the stars for Jimin. “Just a bit more, you can do that for me, yeah?” Jungkook breathed before placing a gentle kiss on the back of Jimin’s head. Jimin wanted to believe him, but the sensation was too overwhelming.

“I’m gonna—”

“Don’t hold back, princess,” Jungkook murmured.

He let out a groan when he felt his release coming, letting his eyes screwed shut. The pleasure was too intense that Jimin’s mind went blank as his body jerked again, cock releasing a clear, watery liquid. He let out a mewl, body sagging.

“There ya go,” Jungkook said, giving Jimin’s cock another stroke.

“Don’t!” he threatened meekly, turning his head to glare at Jungkook.

Jungkook laughed as respond, the Tough and Douchey demeanor vanishing from his face. “You’re sensitive as fuck.”

“And you’re still as douchey as fuck,” Jimin countered with a pant.

Jungkook chortled, shaking his head.

“Clean the floor, Park. And get the hell out of my office.”

     It was only after a few more trips to the Sergeant’s room that Jimin finally earned his furlough. But now that it was nearing to his leave, he almost felt as if he did not want to. Not when the sex was amazing, when Jungkook whispering compliments in his ear instead of insults. Jimin was only given a leave after his comrades arrived. Before leaving, he got a chance to welcome them back and he was elated to find Seokmin smuggling chocopies for him.

The day before he left, he knocked on Sergeant Jeon’s office and barged in even before he was given the permission to enter. Jungkook let out an exasperated sigh as soon as he saw it was Jimin who entered.

“Look, you’ve earned your leave already and I am behind work, thanks to you. I really need to finish this, Park.”

“Look,” he mocked, with an eyeroll as he crossed his arms, “I just wanna let you know that even though you’re a prick, you’re good at what you do.”

Jungkook’s brow quirked in response, his lips curling into a smirk as he leaned back against his chair. “Fucking you or organizing the equipment?”

Jimin’s face was scarlet with mingled embarrassment and irritation. “Both,” Jimin answered rather boldly, making Jungkook chuckle in respond.

“I know you guys actually smuggle in sweets and stuff, so I have no doubt you’ll have a laptop or PC somewhere, correct?”

Jungkook shrugged.

Jimin squinted his eyes. “I know you guys do, just admit it.”

“Okay, okay, fine. We do. So what?”

Jimin fished out a paper from his pocket before slamming it onto Jungkook’s desk, startling the Sergeant. “This is my skype username, just in case you’re fucking lonely at night. Don’t go fucking around others behind my back.”

Jimin wanted to run and never come back as soon as the words leave his lips, because he could not believe that he was not letting Jungkook being intimate with anyone other than him. It did not sound as terrible when he rehearsed it in his head, but now that he had let the words out, he wished he had the power to stop himself. Jungkook’s eyes widened a smidgen, surprised that Jimin was proposing for them to wank off to each other during a video call.

“What?”

“You heard me,” Jimin snapped, saving himself from the humiliation of repeating those words again. “I’m gonna go now. Good night, Sarge. Dream of me tonight,” he said before leaving the room.

Jungkook stared at the folded piece of paper on his desk, tempting him to open it. After pondering over it for a while, he finally grabbed the paper and unfold it.

  Skype username: @pjm95

Spoiler: there will be toys

To whoever thought being a teacher in a kindergarten is an easy job, Jungkook would love to confront you with twenty pages of an essay, listing out the reason why you are very wrong and perhaps slap you to another universe where the statement was deemed acceptable.

While he would have loved to stay home and spend the rest of his day reading comic books or finishing a season of the latest anime he discovered, his mother had a different idea that involved him being in a kindergarten for six hours on school days.

‘How hard could it be?’ he initially thought.

After two days of working, he found an answer: it was, indeed, difficult.

Fortunately for Jungkook, his mother applied him as an assistant teacher – which meant his job would only be temporary. He would have quitted the moment he stepped a foot inside the Satan’s Playground, but the pay was good and he got free chocolate milks at the end of the day. Jungkook will never ever say no to free chocolate milks.

Including Jungkook, there were only three assistant teachers and the both of them were probably around his age. Being sociable was not his forte, but having children around made it easier to communicate with people.

Sooyoung and Hansol started working in January, making Jungkook the newbie. Jungkook was certain that those two have seen and experienced a lot of horrifying things to the extent that they developed some sort of special skill to avoid doing the tedious jobs. For example: changing the kids’ diapers.

Whenever they managed to sniff some smell that did not belong there, Sooyoung and Hansol would make themselves busy; leaving Jungkook to clean up some other kid’s shit. Never in his life he ever changed a kid’s diaper before, or had he ever washed someone else’s butt and there he was, internally screaming and outwardly crying during his first time doing said job.

So far, that was the worst thing Jungkook had done in the kindergarten.

But boy, could he get any more wrong.

Jungkook thought himself as someone who was fond of children although, he was pretty sure he would have chosen animals than kids any day but some kids really loved to get on his nerves. The kids loved him too, that was how he saw it anyway, but if he were to say a few things, it would be that he was not fond of Park Jooyeon.

Jungkook could swear, with God almighty and the teachers in the kindergarten as his witnesses, that Park Jooyeon was probably the Satan reincarnate herself. Judging from how expensive-looking her bag was, it was no mistake that she was a hundred percent a spoiled brat. And honestly, dealing with a spoiled brat was probably one of the worst things Jungkook had to experience in his nineteen years of life.

They were not allowed to use the word brat with the kids around, because as Sooyoung said, “That word is forbidden here,” but outside of the school, Jungkook was free to cuss at Park Jooyeon behind her back.

(That was really mature of Jeon Jungkook to do that. To a child. Yeah.)

In Jungkook’s honest opinion, he would have loved to get the kid kick out of the kindergarten. Some kids can be troublesome, but he had never seen such obnoxious, exasperating kid before.

And the fact that this Satan in the form of cute girl in a blue dress can speak fluently in words and well-strung sentences only made him want to choke himself to death.

Thankfully, Jooyeon was in the third kindergarten, which meant Sooyoung was the one that handle the class whereas Jungkook was in charge of the second kindergarten. Out of the three of them, only Sooyoung was patient enough not to hit the little monster. He could literally see the vein on Hansol’s forehead throbbing rather erratically when the curly haired bloke had to deal with Jooyeon.

However, on Jungkook’s third day of working, Sooyoung called in sick. Without the female warrior, the kindergarten gotten more chaotic as Jooyeon began acting up. She stole her friends’ food, broke the crayons and made three kids cry – and all of these happen in just the span of one hour.

The eldest teacher, Miyoung, suggested placing Jooyeon in an unused classroom and having one assistant teacher supervising her behaviour. Jungkook thought the idea was brilliant; at least they will have the peace they needed without the brat around.

“So, Jungkook, you can rest a bit today and leave the photocopying work to Hansol. You’ll be looking after Jooyeon.”

“Wait, what?”

    He would rather be given a lot of work (excluding changing diapers) than babysitting Park Jooyeon.

Jooyeon was sitting across of him at the orange-coloured table, just staring at Jungkook as if she was ready to challenge him to a fight.

‘She probably is,’ he thought bitterly with a frown.

Unexpectedly, she was somehow tolerable and less demonic when she was alone. Jungkook would not fathom how such kid can bring misery to the kindergarten. There was no doubt that she was probably the villain in some myth in her past life. The girl screamed trouble. The first time they met, he was fooled by her almond eyes and adorable voice. Thirty minutes after that, Jungkook had to calm down a kid she ‘accidentally’ hit with a lego.

‘One of these days, someone needs to meet her parents and tell them how wrong they’ve raised this girl.’

“Jooyeon, do you want to colour using crayons or colour pencils?” Jungkook tried in the sweetest voice he could muster as he stood up to grab a colouring book from the small shelf.

“Don’t wanna.”

“Listen, you insolent little bitch, I am going to be stuck with you for the next two hours and you have no choice to listen to me because I am the elder here and I have the power to order you around. If I were to be given a choice, I would rather headbutt myself to this brick wall and die from internal bleeding rather than being in the same room as you but Choi fucking Hansol, that sneaky son of a bitch, beat me into pretending he was busy and now here I am. Now, I’m going to ask you again, do you want to fucking use the crayons or colour pencils?” Jungkook demanded with gritted teeth.

Jungkook took a deep breath at the scene and the choice of words he used to scold Jooyeon inside his head and decided to push the thought far, far away as possible. Another deep breath later, he turned around to Jooyeon with a smile that he hoped looked genuine and beamed, “The colour pencils, it is!”

Unlike the behaviour she showed outside of the classroom, Jooyeon was far quieter and for once, actually listened to Jungkook.

Jungkook only watched as she looked as if she was having a conflict in deciding the shade for the flower she was going to colour next, and when she realised she was being observed, she looked up to Jungkook almost shyly.

He could not help but to bit his lower lip to prevent himself from giggling at the adorable reaction and scooted his chair closer to her. He pointed at the uncoloured sun on the book and asked, “Jooyeon, what is this?”

“The sun.”

“The sun? All right, then what is this?”

“Clouds.”

Jungkook nodded in satisfaction at her replies, and continued to watch as she slowly coloured the page. Jungkook had seen a few of her works when he was collecting papers and he had to admit that for a five year-old, she had her work done brilliantly than the others. Jooyeon might undeniably be a brat, but she was a smart kid. Jungkook overheard the teachers praising her during their meetings and when he first heard of this, he only scoffed in disbelief.

The two spent their time in silent, often Jungkook would try to make small conversations and she would always reply in short sentences, eyes never daring to look up to Jungkook. Not that Jungkook minded, anyways. As long as she did not make him cry, he was fine with it.

   “How was she?” Hansol chuckled.

‘Bastard.’ “Alright, I suppose. Did some colouring and they turn out nice.”

“Yeah?”

“Uhuh. What about you? Have you finished with the worksheets? Mr. Hyungwon asked me to scan the Shapes, Colours and Patterns workbook. Did you do that too?” Jungkook asked before bending down to pick up Yeri who came up to him and hugged his leg.

Yeri let out a giggle, wrapping her small arms around Jungkook’s neck. Hansol grinned at the kid, bopping her nose with his finger and replied, “I did.”

“Teacher Kook, Teacher Kook!”

“Yes?” Jungkook asked with a voice that was two octaves higher than usual, as he turned his attention to the kids who were tugging on his jeans.

“Jooyeon took my milk again!” Chan complained with a pout.

“Yeah! Yeah!” Somi nodded vigorously from behind Chan, hands tugging self-consciously at her braids. “And she said my braids are ugly too!”

Hansol only chuckled while Jungkook sighed, handing Yeri to him before he bent down to their level. “Your braids are not ugly, Somi. Don’t let her words get to you.”

“You think so?” Somi asked, eyes shining with hope.

Jungkook grinned so wide, it almost reached his ears. Children like Somi made his heart swell with adoration at their cuteness. “Yes, I do,” Jungkook assured her as he lightly pinched her cheeks, receiving a cute giggle in return.

“I’ll talk to Jooyeon and made sure she won’t get any milk, yeah? I’ll tell Teacher Miyoung not to give her any candy anymore, is that okay?”

“Okay!” Chan chirped with a nod.

“Now, go on and play. Remember not to push your friends, all right?”

   Six hours.

He was supposed to be in the kindergarten for six hours only – that was what his mother promised him at first.

But it had been six hours and a half, yet he was still hanging around in the lobby, sighing once in a while to look up to Jooyeon who was still sitting down in one of the brightly painted chairs. Not once did she take off her backpack, she chose to sit with it although it looked uncomfortable to Jungkook. Jungkook would have asked her to take it off, but after the stunt she pulled earlier (making two kids cry simultaneously), Jungkook did not have any energy left to speak to her.

Today was Jungkook’s duty to look after the kids when classes were over, and on this very eventful day, Jungkook was sure with every fibre of his being that Choi Hansol was an asshole. Jungkook cursed Hansol under his breath when Hansol gave him a wink before leaving the school. How dare that moron – he did not even offer to help!

All the kids were picked up by their guardians except for Jooyeon.

Even after school if over, this brat managed to make Jungkook suffer.

While he expected Jooyeon to create some havoc with her tiny yet disastrous hands, Jooyeon was sat silently on the chair and her dreamlike eyes were glued to the glass door, waiting for her guardian to pick her up. Jungkook was a bit humoured at this and decided that as long as Jooyeon was not going to turn the area upside down, he was fine with it.

After what seemed like forever, Jungkook decided to be a good teacher for once and for all, and approached the girl.

“Hey.”

He stood on his knees, glancing at the glass door before placing a hand on Jooyeon’s shoulder. “Seems like your mommy’s running a little late today, isn’t she?”

Jooyeon shrugged, eyes still glued to the glass door. Jungkook breathed out loudly through his nose.

“Wanna take your bag off for a sec? You’ll hurt your back like this.”

“No.”

“Jooyeon, are you bored? Wanna watch a cartoon with Teacher Kook?” Jungkook asked in the best honeyed voice he could muster. “We could kill some time.”

She turned towards Jungkook and blinked. “Killing is bad.”

Jungkook let out a soft chuckle and fixed his choice of words as he said, “We could watch cartoon while waiting for mommy. Is that okay?”

She hummed, playing hard to get with Jungkook as she fiddled her tiny fingers, making Jungkook wait for a response. Jungkook tilted his head, pouting while batting his eyelashes, hoping that his puppy face would work. Jooyeon broke into a grin when Jungkook did his pleading eyes and she nodded as a response. “Okay!”

   Fifteen minutes through Tom & Jerry’s Giant Adventure, they were interrupted by a loud cough. Jungkook had Jooyeon comfortable on his lap, his chin resting slightly on top of her head when he heard the cough. Groaning at the intrusion, he turned to the source only to find a young man with tangerine hair leaning against the wall with one hand in his pocket.

“Oh my god,” Jungkook whispered under his breath because that man looked like someone the ancient people sing about – breathtakingly gorgeous with the ability to break mortals’ hearts. Except that he would break hearts with the kind smile on his face and crescent eyes.

Jungkook did not realise he was staring (or drooling, to be accurate) at the man until he was missing the weight on his lap as Jooyeon leapt to the ground and ran towards the man. Tangerine’s grin widened when Jooyeon ran towards him, her voice high with happiness as she squealed, the bag behind her was bouncing with every step she took.

Tangerine lifted Jooyeon easily, letting out a giggle that Jooyeon’s cuteness coaxed out of him and Jungkook wanted to swear that it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever the pleasure of listening to (besides that cooking ASMR videos on youtube) but in this kindergarten, they were not allowed to swear.

With one hand hooked underneath Jooyeon’s bottom to support her and Jooyeon’s arms wrapped around his neck, he turned to Jungkook to give an apologetic smile when they were done having their father-daughter reunion moment. “Sorry for being late.”

“It’s—” his voice cracked and he hoped that his expression was calm enough to make it not obvious that he was screaming in embarrassment internally. He cleared his throat before repeating, “It’s fine.”

The thing was: it was not fine.

This man just took nearly an hour of his life.

“No, it’s not,” Tangerine shook his head.

Jungkook wanted to snap, “Damn right and yet you’re still late.” But while Jungkook did not have the ability to talk normally to a handsome man, he was blessed with the ability to hold himself back.

“I am truly sorry for what happened, there was a thing in the office. Two workers got into a fight and I had to get involved to break them apart,” Tangerine continued, as if Jungkook was begging for him to tell the story of his life.

“Oh no, it’s fine,” Jungkook let out a humourless chuckle.

“I believe she’s well behaved, yes?” Tangerine questioned, eyes narrowing sceptically in a rather playful way at the girl he was holding.

Jungkook begged to differ, all the things he wanted to say was all ready at the tip of his tongue but they all evaporated into thin air when Jooyeon answered the question by nodding vehemently which caused Tangerine to let out a soft giggle.

“I certainly hope that was true,” Tangerine chuckled at Jungkook and Jungkook only smiled back. “Anyways, sorry again. I’m glad she’s in the hands of someone responsible. Thank you for taking care of her, Teacher.”

“Oh, no. I’m just the Assistant Teacher,” he corrected. He felt his cheeks warming up when he was called a teacher, embarrassed and feeling good at the same time. “And it’s my duty to take care of the students.”

“Well then. We better take our leave now. Good bye, Assistant Teacher,” Tangerine grinned before he walked away with a child in his arms.

Jungkook watched as they left, Jooyeon peeking from Tangerine’s shoulder to look at Jungkook. Instinctively, he raised his hand and waved at her, to which she waved back. He smiled at the innocent gesture.

And boy, he tried really really hard not to smile when Tangerine waved at him before getting into the car.

  ♡♡♡

  Jungkook learnt that Tangerine’s real name was Jimin and unfortunately, Jooyeon referred to him as daddy.

(Jungkook would call him daddy too and all Jimin had to do was ask.)

It was the second session of Jungkook babysitting Jooyeon after she made Chan cry by calling his hairstyle ugly when he found out his name. What made Chan cried even more was the fact that every kid agreed. In all honesty, Jungkook also agreed. His mother should have went to the barber instead of cutting his hair by herself.

Of course, Teacher Miyoung decided that she had enough of children crying that day and what better solution than having the stem of the problem locked away from the children?

Sighing, Jungkook leaned back against the small wooden chair, scrutinizing Jooyeon. She had her attention on the paper, colouring them carefully and making sure she did not cross over the black lines.

“Hey, Jooyeon,” Jungkook called out.

“Hm?” she responded, eyes never leaving the paper.

“Is that the first-time mommy didn’t pick you up? Has she always been busy?” Jungkook questioned, careful not to jump so quickly to Tangerine because no, Jungkook was totally not thinking of him.

Jooyeon nodded before sitting up straight to pick another colour for Mickey Mouse’s shirt.

“What about—” Stop right there, Jeon. Don’t ask don’t ask don’t ask. “— your daddy?”

“Daddy doesn’t live with mommy anymore,” she murmured.

Oh, fuck.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Jungkook apologized sincerely. Although, there was a voice inside his head chanting: YES!! YES HE’S SINGLE.

She grabbed an orange pencil from the container and Jungkook’s lips quirked into a smile, reminded of the bright orange mop of hair that belonged to a certain man that was residing temporarily in his mind.

“Orange! It’s the colour of your daddy’s hair,” Jungkook quipped.

At the mention of her dad, she grinned and for once, looked up from her paper. “Jimin’s hair!”

“Jimin? Is that his name?”

“Jimin, Jimin, Jimin, Jiminie, Jiminie,” she sang, eyes now sparkling and lips smiling so wide.

“Jimin,” Jungkook repeated, more like whispering to himself, testing the new name on his tongue.

   “Quick question, are Jooyeon’s parents young?” Jungkook blurted out when he and Sooyoung were alone at the pantry.

Sooyoung looked up from the refrigerator to Jungkook a confused look – one eyebrow raised, lips pursed and head tilted. Hansol was outside, helping the children with their lunch boxes while they were taking out the chocolate milks for the kids. Hansol would only laugh his ass off if Jungkook asked him instead of Sooyoung. That bastard will know if something was up.

“I think so,” Sooyoung answered. “I mean, her mother looks pretty young. Probably only a few years older than me. Never seen her father.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“How young is her mother?”

Sooyoung took out four packets of chocolate milks at once, placing them carefully on top of the sunflower-clothed table with a huff. “Dunno,” she murmured, finger moving to count the amount of milk inside her head.

Jungkook twisted his lips to the side, unsatisfied with her lack of answers and tempted to ask Sooyoung with more questions but decided that he was against it. “I saw her father yesterday,” he informed, leaning closer to Sooyoung as if he was telling a secret.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Pretty young too.”

“Grab me another packet, will you?” Jungkook did as he was told as Sooyoung continued, “Not surprising. Rumour has it that they had her when they were in high school.”

“Oh. That explains then.”

“Well, enough chit-chat. Let’s get these to the kids.”

   Just as he would have guessed, Jooyeon was the only kid left. Jungkook waved a hand to Seungjae, who was the second-to-last kid that was picked up by his father. He watched as the car drove away before turning towards Jooyeon with a sigh.

“I guess it’s you and me again, huh,” Jungkook muttered.

Jooyeon jutted her lower lip, as if she was feeling guilty. Jungkook scratched the back of his neck as he approached her and when he was near, he reached out a hand for her to hold. “Wanna continue the movie from where we left off?”

He took her huge grin as a yes.

 When Jimin arrived at school, he did not pretend to cough loudly. This time he pulled up a chair quietly and sat beside Jungkook, who had Jooyeon sitting on his left thigh.

“Hello,” Jimin whispered, startling both Jungkook and Jooyeon who were too absorbed in the animation.

“Jiminie!” Jooyeon squealed in happiness.

“Hello baby,” Jimin cooed, leaning down to pinch her cheek lightly.

Jungkook attempted to tamper down the smile that threatened to take over his face by biting down his lower lip and failed miserably as his heart swell and beat erratically against his chest at the heart-warming bond the two shared.

“Well, now that daddy’s here,” Jungkook huffed, missing the way Jimin’s eyes flicker in suspicion and confusion as he hefted Jooyeon with ease to make her stand on the ground. “You should go home now.”

“Sorry for being late again,” Jimin apologized with sincerity dripping from his voice, accepting the hug Jooyeon was giving him with open arms. He lifted her, hooked one arm underneath her legs as he stood up. “My workplace is far from here and her mother’s busy lately.”

“No problem.” Jungkook stood up, dusting his jeans. “It’s my pleasure to be her company. At least I’ve got to watch shows my mom forbid me of watching at home,” he jested with a chuckle, only to regret it afterwards as he realised what a big dork he sounded like.

Jimin beamed, shaking his head in amusement. “I assumed you are Teacher Kook…?”

“Yes, that is me,” Jungkook answered. “The adults call me Jungkook.”

Stop embarrassing yourself, fool.

He swore Jimin’s grin reached his ears because of his silliness, causing a faint pinkness dusting Jungkook’s cheeks.

Jooyeon was looking at Jungkook as he spoke, bright eyes analysing every move he made, little fists curled tightly on Jimin’s shirt. He was not sure if he was reading too much into it, but the little devil seemed to be forming a plan to annihilate Jungkook and dominate the world.

“Well, Jungkook, I am Jimin and my baby here,” – Jimin gestured by resting his head against the top of Jooyeon’s – “Can’t stop talking about the movie you two were watching yesterday. She absolutely loved it and she loves you too.”

Jooyeon and love in a sentence seemed like a fantasy to Jungkook unless it went something like ‘Jooyeon loved to make kids cry’. Jungkook nearly choked at Jimin’s words, baffled at how Jimin came to such ridiculous conclusion. If there was anything Jooyeon did to Jungkook was close to love, it would be she loved making his life miserable.

He masked his bewilderment with a polite smile and shook his head. “Oh no, you must be mistaken—”

Before he could finish his sentence, the girl interrupted with a shy, “Jooyeon loves Teacher Kook!”

Jungkook eyes widened a smidgen at the sudden outburst, wondering where the hell did that came from and he figured that Jimin must be the OFF-switch button for her demonic behaviours.

“See?” Jimin giggled, placing a kiss on top of her head.

“Well…” Jungkook cleared his throat, embarrassed and pleased at the same time. “That’s lovely.”

Jimin beamed again before he said, “We better go now. Thank you, Jungkook. Baby, say thank you to Teacher Kook.”

“Thank you, Teacher Kook.”

Jungkook smiled as he patted her head.

“All right. I’ll see you around, yeah?”

Jungkook did not dare to reply, afraid that his voice might betray him or he might have started screaming in euphoria.

With a slight bow and a smile to die for, Jimin and his baby left the kindergarten with light steps, giggling and talking cutely to each other in their own bubble. When the noise of the engine starting could be heard and he was sure that they have really left, Jungkook squealed before twirling like Barbie in Swan Lake, giddy that he was given the chance to interact with Jimin.

‘I’ll see you around’ he said. He said that to me! Does that mean he wants to see me around sometime?

However, his internal monologue was interrupted when Hansol came from the bathroom, pants rolled up to his knees and the hem of his shirt soaked. Hansol let out the most dramatic gasp of the century. “What the fuck?”

“Hey, language!”

  ♡♡♡

  Although cycling to school had its advantage, Jungkook refused to be seen riding his dumb bicycle to school.

Jungkook was a living proof that being the youngest child in the family suck, seeing that most of the stuff he had was hand-me-downs from his older brother. Unfortunately for Jungkook, the bicycle he now owned used to be his mother’s and his mother was not exactly the rock and roll type. In fact, she was a floral lady, a lover of pastel colours.

Savitar – which was the name of his bicycle – was originally pink with sunflower patterns all over it. His friends would have killed him if he was seen riding that and with the help of his allowance money, he managed to buy black spray paints and transformed Savitar to the badass bicycle it was now.

The only thing he did not dare change was the huge basket attached to Savitar. His mother was upset when she knew the changes he made to her old bicycle, and the last thing he wanted was for his mother to yell at him again. So, he decided to let it be. The basket proven to be of help to Jungkook anyways.

Which is why, he thought it was just his rotten luck, that he had to stumble upon Jimin while riding Savitar.

Sure, he had dreamt of seeing Jimin outside of school but not when he had Savitar’s basket filled with a plastic bag full of snacks.

It was on Sunday afternoon when it happened. He was cycling back home from the grocery store, after he had spent nearly five hours at Taehyung’s house. He would have biked past through Jimin, if only Jimin had a normal hair colour on him. It was pretty hard to miss his orange hair, to be honest.

Jungkook halted before he slowly turned back to the car that was parked near the sidewalk. Jimin had his head tilted when he looked at Jungkook, he was sat on the hood of his car, his knees close to his chest and when he recognized Jungkook, he gave him a grin. “Hey.”

He tried not to blush. Jungkook had a problem controlling his face and heart when it comes to attractive men. “Hello,” he mumbled, bowing slightly to hide his reddening face. “What are you doing here?”

Jimin heaved a sigh, scratching the back of his neck as he motioned towards the car. “It was the battery.”

“Oh.”

Jungkook contemplated whether he should continue the conversation or bid Jimin farewell. If he was selfish, he would have gone with the latter. However, if he chose the former, he would start to spout some mumbo jumbo that will make him sound like a loser and he might have make it obvious that he had the hots for the orange-haired man.

In the end, he got off of Savitar and manoeuvre it with the handles to approach Jimin. “I don’t know how car works exactly. How long until it’s fully charged?”

“Until what?”

“How long until the battery’s fully charged?”

Jimin let out a guffaw, eyes curving into crescents and his entire body shook. Jungkook blinked, wondering if he had said something wrong to make Jimin laugh. Maybe a bird pooped on Jungkook and he did not realise it. Worried, he patted his head to find that it was clean. Unwashed for two days, but still clean of bird poop.

Eventually, the laughter turned into small chortles as Jimin wiped the tears that were forming in the corner of his eyes with his fingers. “Oh, Teacher Kook, the battery won’t charge itself.”

“W-What?” A humiliated blush climbed up his neck, his face was getting warmer by the seconds. Trying to save his face, he stuttered, “I k-knew that!”

“Sure,” Jimin giggled again, his face showing the opposite of belief. “I’m waiting for the tow truck to pick me up.”

“Oh…” Jungkook murmured, looking away from Jimin.

“Do you live around here?” Jimin asked, getting off of the hood as he dusted his pants.

“Yeah,” he answered. “It’s a fifteen-minute walk. Ten, with a bicycle.”

“That’s cool.”

Jungkook looked back at the car, it finally dawned on him that something – or rather, somebody – was missing in this picture. “Where’s Jooyeon? She’s not with you today?”

“She’s with her mother.”

“Oh, I see.”

The ensuing silence that came after was palpable. Jungkook glanced to his left to find the old lady from the grocery store jogging on the other side of the road, one bottled water in hand.

“Teacher Kook?” He heard Jimin called him out, which was a surprise. He thought both of them would have drowned in the silence.

“Yes?”

“How old are you?” Jimin inquired, folding his arms together as he turned to the direction Jungkook was staring at. The old lady was still at it, she was slow but she was moving consistently.

Jungkook fought the urge to raise his eyebrow at the man. He did not want to come off as rude. “I’m nineteen.”

“Really?” Jimin nearly gasped, one hand on his chest. Dramatic. “You’re only two years younger than me?”

Jungkook did a quick math in his head. Nineteen plus two… which meant Jimin was only twenty-one years old. Which also meant that Jimin had Jooyeon when he was sixteen. Oh god.

“I suppose,” Jungkook shrugged, appearing nonchalant although he was freaking out on the inside.

Jimin smiled again, the smile that made his eyes disappeared and cheeks irresistible to pinch. There was a resemblance to Jooyeon the longer Jungkook observed, and to say that Jungkook did not feel a pang in his chest would be a lie.

‘It’s just a dumb crush,’ he reminded himself.

“Jooyeon’s absolutely in love with you. It’s quite a surprise, really. She’s not fond with just anyone.”

Jungkook rolled his lips in before he smacked them, unsure what to do with that fact. It was the perfect time for Jungkook to spill the truth about what a little bitch Jimin’s daughter was, but just as Jungkook opened his lips to speak, a yellow tow truck came into his line of sight.

The loud noise coming from the vehicle made Jimin turned towards it before he heaved a sigh of relief. “About damn time.” He heard Jimin muttered under his breath.

“Great, your ride’s here,” Jungkook mumbled. When Jimin faced him, he concealed his disappointment with a grin. “I gotta go now. My mom’s gonna be worried sick if I’m not home before dinner.”

“Thank you for accompanying me, Jungkook. I’ll see you at school?” Jimin beamed.

He was not sure if it was his mind that was playing tricks with him, or it was his wishful thinking that Jimin sounded hopeful when he spoke.

Jungkook had to get on his bicycle when he replied, afraid that he would be caught grinning at the thought. “Yeah, see ya!”

  ♡♡♡

  “Teacher Kook? Teacher Kook?”

Jungkook was not aware of the little girl calling him out, wanting to grab his attention. He let out a sigh, still pondering over the words Jimin said to him a day ago. Did that mean Jimin wanted to see him? Or was it Jungkook who wanted Jimin to want to see him?

“Jungkook!”

Startled by the shout coming from across of him, he turned towards the direction of the voice to find Jooyeon pouting angrily at him. Her arms stretched towards him, one hand holding a yellow colour pencil tightly.

“Hey, what did you just call me?” Jungkook furrowed his eyebrows, displeased that the child was being disrespectful towards him. “I am older than you. Where are your manners, Park Jooyeon?”

Jooyeon grinned, her rosy cheeks were as squishy as her dad’s.

“Jiminie calls you Jungkook so I can call you Jungkook too!”

Jungkook nearly choked on air. “He — what?”

Jooyeon turned away, looking as sly as she always was.

Not once Jungkook dreamt in his life that he was begging at some devil trapped in a child’s body for some answers. He glared at Jooyeon, hoping that it would intimidate her but he knew that nothing could scare Jooyeon.

“Do you want to know, Teacher Kook?”

“Yes—” You fucking pain in the arse, “Jooyeon.”

Jooyeon dropped her colour pencil to the table, hands on both cheeks. Jungkook was certain that she was swinging her legs under the table by now.

“Jiminie,” she began, voice lilting and sweet. One thing Jungkook noticed about Jooyeon was how she always spoke of Jimin with pure admiration and love. Her eyes seemed to sparkle and frankly, she looked like an angel when she did so. She let out a giggle, eyes closing and it reminded Jungkook of how Jimin’s eyes turned to crescents when he laughed. “Jiminie likes Jungkook.”

He tried to suffocate a flush that was trying to creep on his cheekbones and snorted. “Liar. Liar liar pants on fire.”

She let out a giggle again. “I’m wearing skirt! And I’m not lying. Jooyeonie promise.”

He squinted his eyes towards her in disbelief while she stared back at him with her huge eyes.

With one hand still on her cheek, now her head tilting slightly to the left, she held out her hand to Jungkook. All of his fingers were closed except for the smallest finger. “Pinky promise!” she said, to assure Jungkook that she was telling the truth.

Reluctantly, Jungkook wrapped his pinky around hers.

She gave him a grin before letting her pinky go. A part of him hoped that Jooyeon was lying, it was never good to get his hopes up in the first place. However, the bigger part of him wished that it was true.

“What did he say? What did he say about me?”

“Will Jooyeonie get banana milk if Jooyeonie tell?”

Jungkook stared at her incredulously. How dare this child barter with him, after all the torment he had to go through because of her? Jungkook would have gone to the kitchen to get Jooyeon the flavoured milk she wanted if only it was available there. She knew it was only Jungkook who brought the banana milk to school as his lunch. She knew damned well Jungkook was the only one who had a banana milk on him.

“Fucking evil genius.” Jungkook gritted his teeth, hoping that the words he uttered did not make sense to her. Concealing his annoyance, he feigned a smile, “You do know that we only have chocolate milk, don’t you?”

She nodded. “But Jungkook does. I see you drink banana milk every day in the kitchen!”

He squinted his eyes towards her, hands grabbing the sides of the wooden chair he was sitting on, hoping they will stay there and not do anything irrational like flinging the colour pencil from her hand and scare her to death. She blinked, eyes sparkling with mischievous and Jungkook let out an irritated sigh, giving in. “Fine.”

She giggled in triumph. “Yes!”

“Now, tell me. We had a deal.”

She hummed, small finger tapping her chin as she pretended she was in a deep thought. “Well~” she sing-songed, lips pouty like Jimin’s. “Jiminie would like to take you on a date!”

“He did?”

“Jiminie said Jungkook’s cute!”

He tried not to grin although he was sure that the red spots flaring on his cheeks was betraying him. “R-really?”

“Uhuh!” she answered, nodding her head vigorously. “Does Jungkookie likes Jiminie too?”

Jungkook jutted out his lower lip, shrugging. “Jiminie’s cute too, I guess.”

Maybe it was because she was a child that he felt the need to speak Jimin’s name cutely like she did. It bugged him a little that it was easy for Jooyeon to drop honorifics, even towards the man who gave her life, but he was too high on the new information he received to care. It was not everyday a cute guy likes him back.

“Do you wanna go out with Jiminie?”

Jungkook shrugged again. “I dunno… seems inappropriate, don’t you think?”

She tilted her head innocently, brown eyes staring at Jungkook with wonder dancing in them. “What’s ina… inappro…”

“You’ll learn later when you grow up. Now come on, let’s finish colouring Rapunzel. I’ll help you this time.”

   Jungkook was not sure what Jooyeon’s intention was, but his theory of her being a malevolent witch in her past life was proven to be true when she dragged Jungkook for a ‘small’ date with Jimin.

Jimin had arrived at school earlier than usual, although Jooyeon was still the last one to be picked up and the girl had the audacity to ask Jimin for ice-cream, which he gladly obliged and on top of being a whiny brat, she begged Jimin to bring Jungkook with them. Jungkook wanted to dig a hole in the middle of the school, crawl in it and never going up forever.

To his surprise, Jimin was not as flustered as he was and if Jungkook was honest, he would say Jimin seemed to love the idea – it was written on his face, clear as day.

“What do you say?” Jimin asked, carrying his kid effortlessly with one arm while the other was holding onto her purple backpack. “Don’t wanna disappoint Jooyeonie here, don’t you?”

Despite thinking of how weird it was, Jungkook was not able to say no. Especially not when there were two pairs of puppy eyes staring at him.

With a sigh, he gave in. “Fine…”

Thankfully, Sooyoung was staying back to clean the classrooms and Jungkook had to inform her that he had to go. Sooyoung gave him a suspicious look but chose not to question him and let him go anyway. He had called his mom, telling her not to pick him up as he would go home a little later.

By the time Jungkook stepped a foot outside of the school, Jimin and Jooyeon were already in the car. The tangerine-haired man had his eyes glued to the door the whole time and it was only when Jungkook exited the school that his eyes lit up and a soft smile painted his feature.

Jungkook tried not to blush at the thought, and when he entered the car through the back door, he murmured an apology. “Sorry for the intrusion…”

“Alrighty, are we all set?”

“I am! I am!!” Jooyeon squealed from the seat next to the driver’s.

“And you, Jungkook?” Jimin asked, glancing at the rear-view mirror to look at Jungkook.

Jungkook pressed his lips into a thin smile before nodding.

“Okay, let’s go.”

Then, he shifted to the first gear.

   Initially, Jungkook thought they would go to the nearest park and get some cheap ice-creams from the ice-cream truck but unfortunately, they went to the nearest shopping complex and bought expensive ice-creams in one of the renowned ice-cream parlours. Of course, Jungkook was not able to afford it and he even refused to get one but Jimin insisted.

“Think of it as a ‘thank you’ for taking care of Jooyeon,” Jimin convinced. He was one step away from giving Jungkook the puppy eyes again.

Jungkook gave in and ordered the cheapest ice-cream they sold, no extra toppings and only one scoop of a strawberry cheesecake. Jooyeon had two scoops – one vanilla and one ice-cream whereas Jimin had chosen cookies and cream.

Jimin carried both his and Jooyeon’s ice-cream to the table while Jooyeon waddled behind him. Placing the cups on the table, he hefted Jooyeon with ease onto the plastic chair before pulling out another chair for Jungkook. Jungkook stared in confusion and embarrassment, flattered that Jimin was being such a gentleman. Jimin gave him a heart-stopping smile before sitting down on his seat.

Awkwardly, Jungkook sat next to Jimin, not bothering to look up and only stared at his ice-cream.

Jooyeon was happily eating her own ice-cream, oblivious at the uncomfortable situation she was putting Jungkook in. He heard Jimin complained about Jooyeon’s eating habits before he feed himself a spoonful of strawberry cheesecake.

“So, Jungkook…”

It startled him into lifting his head, to look at Jimin who had the small pink spoon between his lips. Jimin took it out, softly stabbing his ice-cream with it before continuing, “I’m guessing you’re waiting for your results?”

“I am, actually,” he answered, playing with the ice-cream using his spoon.

“Are you thinking of going to Uni or…?”

“Maybe. I’m not sure yet. I don’t feel like going, but it feels like the only right thing to do.”

Their conversation was interrupted by Jooyeon, who was calling Jimin’s name repeatedly. Jimin turned towards Jooyeon, annoyance never present in his face and his feature was so, so soft when he patted her hair.

“Jiminie! Jiminie! Say aah!” Jooyeon called out, one hand holding on a spoon full of mixed ice-cream.

Jimin’s face broke into a huge grin, and Jungkook thought there was nothing purer than Jimin bringing his face closer to Jooyeon, mouth open wide to be fed by his little girl. Jooyeon was careful, her eyes trained on the spoon she was holding as she fed Jimin. Jimin pat her head again, thanking her for the delicious ice-cream before turning back to Jungkook.

Jungkook looked away, trying to occupy himself by eating his ice-cream and hoped that Jimin did not catch him staring.

“You know what’s the right thing to do?”

Jimin’s question caused Jungkook to turn to him, wondering what was to come next. Jungkook did not answer, waiting for Jimin to proceed.

When he did, Jimin had an unreadable expression on his face. Jungkook could not decide if it was worry or agony, but he ended it with a smile that tug on Jungkook’s heartstrings. “Believing in yourself. What’s the use of forcing yourself going somewhere you don’t wanna go?”

Jungkook swallowed nervously, unable to tear his eyes away from Jimin’s.

“What about you?” he asked, voice lowered that he thought he was only thinking it. He continued, louder this time, “Did you go?”

“I didn’t,” Jimin replied. “Her mother needed me. So, I didn’t go.”

“Oh…”

“Well! My ice-cream’s melting. Let’s finish up, shall we?”

Jungkook knew it was just a dumb crush, but he could not help feeling the flower of jealousy blooming in his chest at the mention of Jooyeon’s mother and the way Jimin spoke softly of her. He knew he should have not gone with them, getting to know Jimin would only come with more damage. Jungkook knew, he damn well knew, but he went for it anyway.

  After struggling to keep Jooyeon away from the toy store, Jimin drove Jungkook home.

The journey to Jungkook’s house was filled with Jooyeon happily singing along to Baby Shark Doo Doo Doo Doo that was playing on Jimin’s phone. Jimin would sing along to it too, just to entertain Jooyeon and Jungkook caught himself humming to the tune at the red light.

Unfortunately for Jungkook, Jimin saw his actions through the rear-view mirror and burst into a fit of laughter. Jungkook’s face was scarlet with mingled embarrassment and fury. “It’s catchy, okay!”

“It’s a children’s song, of course it’s supposed to be catchy. Wouldn’t want Jooyeonie to grow up listening to Cash Me Outside Remix, wouldn’t we?”

Jungkook blew raspberries as he folded his arms petulantly.

“Oh, come on now,” Jimin giggled, effortlessly shifting into the second gear, crescent eyes glancing at the rear-view mirror now and then. “I already have a baby here, don’t be a baby too.”

Jungkook’s eyes widened a smidgen, jaw dropping to the ground and was at loss for words at the remark. “How dare you!”

The older man winked. “I don’t mind if it’s you, though.”

“Oh my god,” Jungkook murmured under his breath, trying to hard to suffocate the flush that was trying to creep on his cheekbones. He looked away from Jimin, willing himself to stare at the cars outside the window than give Jimin the satisfaction of seeing him blush.

“Left or right, Jungkookie?”

“Right.”

“Say, don’t your mother worries that you’re going out with a stranger?” Jimin questioned, eyes focused on the road as he made a signal to turn right.

Jungkook shrugged. “Technically, we’re not going out. Besides, you’re not a stranger. You’re Jooyeonie’s father.”

He could see the amusement in Jimin’s eyes through the reflection of the mirror when he raised his eyebrows.

“Uh… what about your girlfriend?”

“Don’t have one.”

“Boyfriend?”

“Searching for one,” he muttered under his breath.

“What was that?”

“Don’t have one either,” he answered, louder than before.

“I see. Do I turn left or—?”

“Just go straight.”

“Can’t do that. I’m gay,” Jimin chuckled.

Jungkook nearly choked on his breath at the sudden revelation. There were some questions forming inside Jungkook’s head, waiting to be let out and desperate to be answered but Jungkook managed to clamp his mouth shut. He did not want to seem like he was prying or mildly interested in Jimin’s sudden revelation.

“T… That’s cool,” Jungkook managed, only to yell at himself in his head for being totally uncool.

The ensuing silence lasted for a minute or two until the familiar red roof appeared in Jungkook’s line of vision. He was never this glad to have seen his house before. All he wanted to do was to run outside and stand in the middle of the road, waiting for a dumpster truck to run him over. He could not seem to stop embarrassing himself around Jimin and it was killing him slowly.

“There it is.”

“Here?”

“Yep.”

The car slowed down and Jungkook waited for it to come to a stop to make a grand exit. He considered somersaulting to the window, breaking the glasses into pieces but the last thing he wanted was to owe Jimin money to fix his car windows.

“Thank you for the treat. That was very nice of you,” Jungkook said hurriedly before bowing slightly, a part of him feeling guilty for sounding impolite but he was more worried of exposing more of his dorky side to Jimin.

Jimin had the window down by then, one arm resting on the windowsill, which made him ten times more handsome and Jungkook wanted to sob right there and then. Before Jungkook could dash to his house, Jimin spoke up.

“Jungkookie?”

“Yeah?”

“Here.” Jimin looked down momentarily, one hand rustling through what Jungkook assumed was the pocket of his jeans before taking out a piece of folded napkin to hand in to Jungkook. Bewildered, Jungkook inched closer to take it. “You had a lil something on your lip there.”

“O… kay.”

“Bye, Jungkookie. Jooyeon, say bye to Teacher Kook.”

Without looking up from the phone in her tiny hands, Jooyeon let out an enthusiastic, “Bye!!”

Jimin chuckled before giving Jungkook a lopsided smile. “See ya.”

“Yeah.”

Jungkook watched as Jimin began to drive, and it was only when Jimin’s car was just a dot in his vision that he started to let out a scream, elated that he lived this long to experience such a wonderful thing. Sure, it was not like all the soap operas his mother watched on TV, but it felt so much better and it was enough for him. He let out a dreamy sigh, skipping to his house with joy with the folded napkin held tightly onto his chest.

It was only when he reached the front door when he unfolded the napkin on his hand to find a number scrawled on it.

“What the—” he muttered, narrowing his eyes as if the action would help in figuring out what the digits meant.

Perhaps it was true what they say about having crushes, that crushes only make you stupid.

And Jungkook finally got it when his hand touched the doorknob. It was Jimin’s number.

  ♡♡♡

 “It’s so… weird,” Jungkook frowned, eyes staring straight at the ceiling.

He had the tendency to sit around, doing absolutely nothing after a hot shower and tonight he decided to give Yugyeom a call. Still in his bathrobe, he lain on his bed with one arm up for no reason while his other hand held his phone to his ear. He examined his arm, widening the gap of his fingers and wondered if Jimin’s hand fit around his.

(Because, honestly, you can call Jungkook a creep for staring at Jiminie’s hands for too long. They were smaller than this, Jungkook was sure, and his fingers were so stubby it was too adorable.)

“What is? You crushing on men you won’t be able to get? Yeah, we’ve been there, buddy,” Yugyeom replied. Jungkook could already see the boy rolling his eyes.

“Don’t you think it’s weird? I mean, I’m his kid’s teacher. Isn’t it against the law to date your student’s father?”

“Dude, you’re just an assistant teacher. Technically, you’re not teaching his kid shit. Besides, you’re more of a babysitter than a teacher.”

Jungkook groaned, sitting up from his bed so abruptly that it creaked. He ruffled his wet hair in annoyance, not bothering to grab the hairdryer only a few metres away from him. “Yeah, but like… it’s inappropriate, isn’t it?”

“The kid confirms that he likes you too. What’s the problem with that?”

“The problem is that he has a kid.” Jungkook winced internally. “And just like you said, I’m babysitting his kid. That’s just fucking weird.”

“Look, Jeon Jungkook, I can see my date waving his hand to me right now and he’s approaching me. Do you know why I’m on a date now? Because I’m not a moron like you. I saw a chance and I took it. I’m gonna go now, bye bye.”

The moment the line was cut off abruptly, Jungkook tore the phone away from his ear to stare at the home screen incredulously, a little bit startled that Yugyeom dared to ditch his best friend alone when in trouble.

He let out a sigh, the words Yugyeom said a few seconds ago lingering inside his mind.

He liked Jimin, he really did. Jimin was sweet, he was even sweeter to Jooyeon and he probably had no idea that his kid was such a devil. Scrunching his nose in distaste, he laid back to the mattress, hoping his dumb crush would just disappear into thin air.

He saved Jimin’s number in his phone and spent nearly half an hour debating with himself whether it was even okay for him to do so. Despite the fact that his position as an assistant teacher would only last in less than two months, he still thought that it was wrong for him to harbour a crush towards Jimin. His job was only temporary and if he remembered it correctly, it never really specified that it was against his contract to date Jimin.

“Oh my god,” he muttered before shaking his head in an attempt to get the image of him holding Jimin’s hand from his head. “How the fuck did I even get myself into this mess…”

   His mother assured him that he would be fine if he rested for the whole day but it was only on the third day that he was starting to feel better. Due to his non-stop sneezing and sudden coughing fits, Jungkook took three days off from work which meant that he missed seeing Jimin even if it usually lasted for a minute. Two, if he was lucky. Missing work also meant that he got to spend all day in bed, neglecting his responsibilities and finally catching up on the webtoons he was supposed to read.

When he got back to work, Sooyoung was kind enough to let Jungkook do lighter tasks. Surprisingly, Hansol had half a heart to wash the children’s butts for the whole day instead of running away from it. Of course, Jooyeon just had to make a girl cry today and was punished to be put away in The Room.

As if she knew it was Jungkook who was assigned to her, she placed what seemed like a ‘get well soon’ card on top of the table across of hers. When Jungkook went inside the room, a handkerchief in hand, he found her sitting in a polite manner. Both hands on her knees and legs staying still.

Jungkook nearly scoffed at the rare sight he was witnessing before pulling the green chair to sit in front of her. His eyes were immediately drawn to the paper on top of his table as it was terribly hard to miss.

“What’s this?” he asked, motioning towards the card.

“Get Well Soon card. It’s for Jungkookie. Do you like it?”

The front page was full of various colours made by crayons, there was a purple-coloured sun on the corner of the top page. Scrawled in the middle of the page was Jooyeon’s handwriting that read “To : Kookie Teacher” in yellow and there was, what Jungkook assumed, him.

He remained silent the whole time he was staring at the card, not really sure how to feel. Grateful? Absolutely. Touched? Definitely. If this was coming from Yeri or Somi, Jungkook would have scooped them in his arms and smother them with kisses. But this was coming from Park Jooyeon, whom every staff tried to avoid, who prove that the devil reincarnates do exist.

He opened the card gently, not expecting a huge perfectly drawn red heart at the centre of the page. Much different than the scrawled drawings at the cover. There was a drawing of a stick man with orange hair, and it was only when Jungkook noticed it when it dawned to him that it was Jimin.

‘Get well soon, Teacher Kookie!! Drink lots of water & eat veggies!’ was written neatly, and upon knowing that it was not Jooyeon’s handwriting, a small smile cracked on his lips.

“Do you like it? Do you like it?”

Jungkook chuckled, slightly shaking his head in an attempt to hide his smile before looking up and pat her head gently. “I do.”

“Do you wanna know a secret?”

“Hm?”

Jooyeon leaned in closer, both hands cupping the sides of her mouth in an attempt to avoid Pooh the Bear on the shelf from reading her lips. “That was Jiminie. It was Jiminie who write that,” she whispered.

“Really?” he raised a brow, playing along. He could not help but to grin when Jooyeon nodded vigorously.

“Really! He also said… you are pretty.”

Jungkook felt himself heat up and cleared his throat. “Excuse me?”

“And! And! And! And you should call him!”

“He said that?”

“Uhuh! He did!”

“And how did you know this…?”

“Jiminie told me!”

Jungkook squinted his eyes towards Jooyeon, sceptical at the confidence the girl was radiating. As much as he wanted to trust her, he hesitated in doing so. Why would the little witch say all of these things, was it to give Jungkook temporary happiness only for it to die later?

“I don’t trust you,” Jungkook muttered.

She shrugged, as if to say ‘it’s your loss’.

“Also…” she puffed her rosy cheeks, one finger tapping on her chin to pretend as if she was thinking. “You promised banana milk!”

“Ah, crap…”

Of course, Jungkook ended up giving his banana milk to Jooyeon behind the teachers’ backs. Hansol caught him sneakily placing the banana milk underneath his shirt but Jungkook was lucky that Hansol was laidback and the guy did not give a single fuck to why Jungkook was on full alert mode the moment he entered the kitchen.

Jooyeon drank the milk happily, although it was not recess yet. He hated to admit that he was probably growing fond for the girl, and he hated himself more for thinking that he was doing this because he wanted to get to know Jimin. He frowned when the realisation hit him, only for his lips to quickly curve into a smile when Jooyeon beamed brightly at him.

When school was over, Jooyeon was picked up early by her grandmother, much to Jungkook’s chagrin. Jooyeon going home early meant that he could go home early too. Just as he was about to grab his phone to give his mother a call, Sooyoung approached him to let him know there was a small impromptu meeting among the teachers.

It baffled Jungkook that the assistants were also called, because usually it would only be the teaching staff.

There were only seven teachers in total, including the assistants. The school was not exactly what Jungkook would call humongous and the students were only a few, so it made sense that they held the meeting in one of the classrooms. All of them were sat on the tiny, colourful, wooden chairs the students used and Jungkook took the seat next to Hansol.

The meeting was only brief, with the teachers explaining their plans to let the kids go out during physical activities and the next parent-teacher meeting event. Jungkook was only half-listening, back already slumping and it was only when he heard his name mentioned that he jolted in his seat.

“… Jungkook-ssi?”

“Uh… sorry?” He could feel his ears turning red at his own stupidity. Out of all times to not pay attention, he just had to choose one where they all have their first meeting.

The oldest teacher in the school, Ms. Yoora, only smiled at Jungkook’s action. “You’re assigned to look after Park Jooyeon, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Anything you want to say regarding the child? We could file it and let her parents know.”

“No, actually. She’s been tolerable so far.”

Ms. Yoora smiled again before chuckling. Jungkook noticed that everyone’s attention was on him now and he suddenly had this strong urge to clear his throat and look away.

“It’s fine, Jungkook-ssi. It wouldn’t be Park Jooyeon if there aren’t any complaints.”

His finger twitched to tap against the wooden table, eyebrow slightly raised in confusion at the words Ms. Yoora uttered. It was almost as if she wanted Jungkook to have dirt against a child. “Well…” he took a deep breath before shaking his head. “No. She’s improved. Besides, she always finishes her work now.”

“That’s good to know.”

Jungkook caught the disbelief look that flashed across Mr. Jinki’s face. For a moment there, he felt uncomfortable.

“Less than two months until you’re resigning, right Jungkook-ssi?”

As if it was not humiliating enough that his mother was the one who got him this job, his mother also had the audacity to emphasize that Jungkook was only staying until the application for the university was open. He pressed his lips in a straight line in an attempt to smile but failing to do so.

“Yes,” he answered, hoping his ears were not turning red despite them feeling warm.

Jungkook could finally breathe easy when Ms. Yoora took her attention off of him to say something about the children recess hour. He felt a small nudge on his shoulder and when he looked up, Hansol was giving him a lopsided grin.

And despite being excited that he was going to leave soon, there was an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach.

  ♡♡♡

  “Jiminie’s wondering why you’re not giving him a call.”

It never ceased to amuse Jungkook how Jooyeon could just call Jimin ‘Jiminie’ as if it was the most normal thing to do for a kid. Jungkook learnt to brush it off because Jimin did not seem to mind. Besides, it also gave him a chance to use the cute nickname whenever they got around to talking about topics relating to Jiminie.

Due to her recent behaviour, Jooyeon was no longer being isolated in a room with Jungkook although the girl seemed like that she preferred to have it that way. Truth be told, Jungkook kind of enjoying the time they spent together. With all the kids around, it was quite difficult to talk about the man who may be the love of his life.

Jungkook can dream.

Jungkook shrugged. “I don’t know…”

“Why don’t you know? How can you not know? You’re an adult.”

“I’m nineteen, Jooyeon,” he said exasperatedly.

Jooyeon pouted before getting off from the chair to crawl onto Jungkook’s lap. Jungkook sighed in annoyance but chose to not do anything about it when she settled nicely on his lap. She tilted her head slightly to look up at him. “Do you not like Jiminie?”

He narrowed his eyes sceptically, not exactly sure how to answer.

“What do you not like? Jiminie is handsome.”

“Did he ask you to say that?”

She giggled, covering her mouth with her tiny hands. Jungkook rolled his eyes.

“If you like Jiminie, does that mean you’re his boyfriend?”

Jungkook facepalmed, embarrassed that the kid was asking him questions regarding that. He had enough of his relatives asking him to bring his partner to family events and now he had to listen a kid asking him to date her dad.

“No, Jooyeon. He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Why?”

“Because it doesn’t work like that.”

“Why?”

Jungkook heaved a sigh before lifting her up to place her on top of the table to face him. He leaned in closer, doe eyes staring straight into hers. “To be boyfriends, we have to go on a date. Not only dates, but we have to love each other too. That’s simply impossible.”

“I see!”

“Okay?”

“Okay. I’ll get you a date.”

“Wait what?”

  True to her words, Jungkook did get a date.

It was two days after she made a promise when Jimin came by to the kindergarten to greet Jungkook. Jungkook was not able to look at Jimin in the eyes when he came through the entrance, looking more gorgeous from Jungkook last saw him. Jooyeon ran straight up to him and in turn, Jimin lifted her effortlessly and kissed her cheek.

Jungkook only smiled, ready to turn his back and ran to the kitchen to lock himself up. It was the first day they met since Jimin slyly gave Jungkook his digits. The only thing Jungkook wanted was to vanish into thin air at the moment, anxious to have the inevitable ‘why didn’t you call?’ conversation.

Before he could dash to the kitchen, Jimin called him out, voice light and sweet.

“Teacher Kook…?”

“Fuck,” Jungkook murmured underneath his breath before giving Jimin a smile that he hoped did not show how awkward he was feeling inside. “Yes?”

Jimin gave Jungkook a lopsided smile, making him even more charming than usual. With Jooyeon still in his hold, he said, “Did you get my number?”

“Ah, yes…”

“Was wondering when you’d call.” Jimin’s grin turned wider, almost blinding Jungkook with his beauty. “Or did I get the wrong signal…?”

Jimin’s gaze on him made his stomach turn, baffled and amazed at how Jimin was so confident. Jungkook turned to Jooyeon instead, whose small hands was clutching onto Jimin’s white shirt as she looked up to Jungkook. She looked innocent, almost too pure even, and yet Jungkook could not help but to scream internally at the sight of her. He knew she was the one who did this. He just was not sure if he should be thankful or pay someone to run him over with a truck.

“Um…”

“Little birdie told me I was not wrong though,” Jimin giggled.

“W-what?”

“Little birdie suggested that we should go on a date,” Jimin continued, hefting Jooyeon to hold her closer and more securely.

Jungkook glared at Jooyeon, who was by then grinning as if she was not the one to blame.

Jimin chewed on his lower lip before saying, “So… I’m taking a chance here and I’d like to ask you out on a date. What do you say? Please don’t be obliged to say yes, I don’t want to force you into doing anything you don’t wanna do.”

He felt that familiar heat crept up his spine and engulf his face from the ears. All he could do was nod and force himself to breathe through his terror. Someone asking him out on a date? That was not something that come rather easily. Besides, it was Park Jimin. Jungkook could not say no. Especially not when Jimin was being all charming and Jooyeon giggling softly at his reaction.

“Oh, thank god…” Jimin murmured. “For a moment I thought you’d say no.”

Jungkook scrunched his nose, letting a small laugh escape his lips.

“Great. I’ll pick you up later, yeah?”

Jungkook did not say anything, his blood was rushing to his brain in an attempt to comprehend the words that he thought he will never hear for the rest of his life. It was only when Jimin was only a step away from the exit that Jungkook blurted out, “Later?”

“Yeah,” Jimin turned to wink before he left.

Jungkook was left alone, jaw dropping to the floor.

“Oh my god…” he muttered. He repeated, even louder this time, “Oh my god.”

Fuck. He was really going to go on a date with Jimin.

And it was only when Jimin left that he remembered he did not ask for the time. Fuck.

  ♡♡♡

  Honestly, Jungkook was never really a big fan for fashion. Most of the times, he would just get something comfortable for him to wear. Comfortable and clean. Besides the suit for formal occasion, none of the stuff he had in the closet were very attractive. Most of them are graphic t-shirts, and these shirts were not exactly something he would want to wear on a first date.

He called Yugyeom for help, but the bloke only burst out a boisterous laughter for five minutes straight rather than giving him any help. Not being able to stand the teasing, he hung up and decided to grab a plain white shirt and his favourite lucky jeans.

“Fuck,” he muttered, a scowl visible on his lips when he looked at his reflection on the mirror. The shirt was too big on him, and while any other day he would just get out of the house without giving a second thought about how he looked, a small part of him wanted to impress Jimin.

He sighed before tucking the shirt in, noting that this look would show off his bum. “Ah, I don’t know anymore!”

With one last glance on the mirror, he took his phone and house key from the table.

  Despite promising himself not to text Jimin, he ended up doing so. However, he deemed his reason as strong enough so it certainly did not count as breaking the promise. Before he could even panic over one typo, he heard a familiar ding, saving him from drowning in a puddle of embarrassment.

One thing he knew for sure was first dates were supposed to be magical. Jungkook had been on three dates so far, and looking back, they were not really pleasant now that he thought of it. He was young, blinded by love and it surely was… not cool.

But this date with Jimin made his heart pound vehemently against his chest, threatening to crack his ribs and hands sweat profusely. He sat on the couch in the living room, anxiously switching the channels on the TV. Fortunately for him, his mother was out to buy grocery so he did not have to hear his mother prattling about how unusual it was of Jungkook to leave his room.

He settled on a cartoon channel, finally putting down the remote after pressing on the next button for so long. In between the episode of Spongebob going to karate island, he kept on locking and unlocking his phone to check the time.

It was only on 3.14PM when he heard the sound of a car approaching. Grabbing the remote quickly, he turned off the TV and leaped over the couch to peek out of the window.

His breath hitched when he caught sight of Jimin, heart beating wildly and mind racing because he could not believe that he was really going on a date.

And he was going on a date with a gorgeous demigod, looking so beautiful from head to toe. As Jimin made his way towards the front door, Jungkook mind decided it was the perfect time to alert him of how truly unpresentable his house was. Eyes widening in panic, he rushed towards the front door, nearly bumping onto Jimin who had his hand up in an attempt to knock.

“Hey,” Jimin grinned, nearly killing Jungkook with the heart-stopping smile. Jungkook swore he saw one of the dead flowers in his mother so-called garden grew.

“Hi.”

“Are you okay?” Jimin asked with a chuckle.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” God, he was fucking panting.

“You ready to go?”

“Yep.”

Jimin giggled at the enthusiasm dripping from his voice, eyes forming half-moons when the adorable sound coming out of his mouth. Jungkook gulped, worried that he was coming off as weird already. The last thing he wanted was for Jimin to think he was a weirdo and regret going out with him.

Without Jooyeon around, it was certainly different. While the girl would interrupt whenever a conversation was happening, it was now quiet and awkward even. Jungkook tried to ignore the obvious glances Jimin took at him, but it was proven to be difficult when all Jungkook wanted to do was stare at Jimin (not creepily, of course) as he drove.

His mind was consumed with the thoughts of him screwing up that he did not realize they have arrived at the destination until the sound of the handbrake being pulled was heard. Jungkook turned to Jimin, confusion written all over his face when he’d seen the familiar place outside of the window.

“Amusement park?” he heard himself mutter and good lord, did he regret it. Jimin’s face fell as soon as the words left his mouth, causing him to panic.

“You don’t like it? God, I’m so sorry—”

“No, no, no! I like it, it’s just that — I didn’t take you for an amusement park type of person.”

“Yeah? What do you take me for then?” Jimin grinned, not a single malicious intent underneath his succulent voice.

Jungkook found himself grinning too as he shrugged. “I don’t know… expensive restaurant type of person, I guess.”

Jimin let out a small laugh, mellifluous and contagious, as he threw his head back, covering his mouth in the process. “Lucky for you, I can be both.”

“Pfft.”

“You don’t trust me?” Jimin pouted, feigning hurt as he placed a hand on his chest.

Jungkook could only roll his eyes, a reaction that seemed to be appropriate at the moment as an attempt to hide the fact how fast his heart was beating.

“Maybe on our next date, we’ll go there. C’mon now, let’s ride the merry go round.”

He thanked the lord that Jimin went out of the car, or else he would have seen how red Jungkook was the moment he mentioned the possibility of next date.

   While Jungkook’s friends would go out to hang out at the amusement park on Sundays, Jungkook would be staying in as he got a tutor to teach him at home. The last time he went to an amusement park was with his whole family, and he did not even get to enjoy it the fullest with his dad suddenly being called to go to his office.

So, when he finally set foot again at the age of nineteen, he finally understood why his friends really loved going there. All thoughts of him being a weirdo in Jimin’s eyes dissipated, now replaced with the burning desire to win every single game he laid his eyes upon.

Jimin seemed to be amused as he tagged along, letting Jungkook drag him to a new game after winning the one he was currently playing.

The whole time Jungkook was being talkative than usual, the fire in his eyes visible as he rolled his sleeves to hit a beaver with the squeaky hammer. Jimin helped him by hitting the beavers with his hand, it was cheating and they ended up laughing when the owner chased them away.

They were sitting on one of the tables, Jungkook now acquired a ridiculous headband he put on his head while Jimin now had a new plushy friend. The sundae they ordered tasted splendid, maybe it was because the both of them were famished from all the laughter and energy they spent on the games.

“You’ve been here before?”

Jungkook shrugged, eyes fixated on the chocolate ice-cream as he took a scoop using his plastic spoon. “Once. Twice, I think. Back then they did not have lots of games.”

“I was so worried you might hate it.”

“Hate it?” Jungkook chuckled in disbelief, looking up to Jimin with an eyebrow raised. “More like, love it. I never really got the time to do this, even with my friends. So really, thank you for this.”

Subconsciously, Jimin quirked his head to the side slightly, blinking at him in confusion before asking, “What do you mean?”

“Well,” Jungkook began with a sigh. “I was mostly tutored at home on Sundays, with a promise to get into some school thinking that maybe if I do get in, I’d have more time to myself. But turns out it’s wrong, because as soon as I got in, there’s more work to be done and I ended up having no time at all.”

Jimin had this sympathetic look on his face, where his plump lips parted and his eyes filled with pity as he looked at Jungkook. Jungkook hated it, hated being pitied and all he wished for right there and then, was for the ground to open up and swallow him whole so Jimin could stop pitying him.

“What course did you take?”

“Accounting,” he answered, shrugging nonchalantly although his voice was heavy.

“You like it?”

He shook his head. “No.”

“Is that why you’re not planning to go to Uni?”

He nodded sceptically. He was not comfortable in talking about educational stuff because it made him scared of the future, but there was just something in the way Jimin spoke, how he found comfort in his presence, that Jungkook felt like he wanted to spill it all out to Jimin despite finding it hard to do so with his own friends.

“I’m a college dropout, and the last thing you wanted to hear is an advice from me,” Jimin murmured. “But if it feels like the right thing to do, you should go for it. When will you live your life the way you wanted to, if you keep on letting others decide for you?”

“It’s just so difficult for me. I don’t know, honestly.”

Jimin smiled. “You’ll find out eventually. You’ll know, I believe in you.”

Jungkook did not want to be that person who broke down to tears every time a person said something nice about him, and he certainly did not want to cry on his first date with Jimin, so he said the first thing that came into his mind:

“Let’s ride the pirate ship.”

   Riding the pirate ship was fun because of two things:

a)    It turned out Jimin was not a big fan of heights nor thrill rides, so the screams emitted from the tangerine haired man surprised the hell out of Jungkook but it was hilarious. (He felt bad for laughing afterwards mainly because Jimin sulked.)

b)    Everyone, including Jimin, was too busy screaming to notice the tear that slipped from Jungkook’s eye due to the heart-warming conversation they had earlier. (So, Jungkook was an emotional man, sue him.)

“That was fun!” Jungkook squealed, after getting off the pirate ship while Jimin had to hold onto the railing for some support.

Jimin let out a cough before glaring at Jungkook. “Fun? I nearly died!”

“Let’s go again!”

“Oh no, I don’t think so. Once is enough.”

Jungkook only laughed at the response, immediately feeling ten times better than he did minutes ago. He suggested to go to the rollercoaster next, which Jimin abruptly denied, threatening that he’d go straight back home if Jungkook forced him to go.

The sky turned scarlet gold by the time they were on their way back to the parking lot, hands full of items they won from the games they have played. Unlike their ride to the amusement park, they began to feel more comfortable around each other, Jungkook cracking a cheesy joke once in a while and when he heard himself, he wished he has not said it but the moment Jimin broke into a boisterous laughter, shoulders shaking so hard he had to pull over to the side of the road from laughing too hard, Jungkook decided that he loved making Jimin laugh.

He thought Jimin would have sent him straight back home, seeing that it was nearly 7PM and when he voiced it out, Jimin only replied with, “Without feeding you? No way!”

Which was how they ended up in a small restaurant Jungkook never heard of, situated between a vintage shop and a bookstore. Even before he stepped a foot in, the smell of fried chicken tickled his nostrils and filled his lungs, causing his stomach to growl in hunger.

The moment the both of them entered the restaurant, an aunty from the counter greeted with a booming voice, “Hello, Jiminie! Came back with a friend now, I see.”

Jimin chuckled, replying back with a, “I miss your food already,” as he pulled a chair from the table near the wall.

The aunty giggled, treading towards their table with a notepad ready in one hand.

The both of them ordered one plate of chicken, Jimin requesting all of them to be the wing parts. Jungkook settled with fried rice while Jimin went with ramen.

“I love this place, I’ve gone here since I was a kid.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, my dad used to take me here after school. I plan to bring Jooyeon here someday, but I just did not have the time.”

Jungkook hoped Jimin did not caught the flash of apprehension on his face as soon as he uttered his kid’s name, a reminder to Jungkook that the man with him now had a child, possibly had a wife before then too. He managed to cover his feelings with a grin.

“That reminds me, actually. I was wondering why you were always late when picking her up…”

Jimin tilted his head slightly, eyes not meeting Jungkook’s as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Well,” he susurrated, “Her mother got a new job in the city and although it’s not exactly near my workplace, I was the closest to her at the moment. Usually my parents would offer to pick her up, but they also had their own thing going so…”

“Oh, I see. I understand,” Jungkook murmured.

“Terribly sorry though, for all the troubles I’ve caused you. We’re thinking of moving her to a new school, but it’ll only take months from her graduation day so we decided against it.”

Jungkook furrowed his eyebrows, surprised at the news. “Moving Jooyeon? Really?”

Jimin chuckled, shaking his head. “My sister told her first, and she threw a fit. She loves the school, you see.”

‘Of course she loved it, she’s the Supreme Lord who wants to dominate everybody,’ Jungkook thought.

“She loves you too.”

Now, that one Jungkook never expect to see it coming. Park Jooyeon? Loving somebody? It was absurd to Jungkook.

“She talks about you every single day after we got home, she told us how nice you were to her and how you’re never angry at her,” Jimin smiled. “We always receive complains, you know, whenever there’s a parent-teacher meeting. It was the first time I’ve heard of someone not punishing her for making other kid cry.”

Jungkook pressed his lips into a straight line, feeling a bit guilty for having Jimin praising him. Most of what he said was true, Jungkook never yelled or punish Jooyeon, and that was only because he mastered the art of avoiding her. Whenever she stirred up troubles, it was always the others that handle her.

“She’s a kid. I can’t do that to a kid, Jimin,” Jungkook muttered.

“And I can see now why she loves you, Jungkook. Really, thank you for taking care of her.”

He felt warmth on top of his hand and he glanced to find Jimin’s hand on top of his.

Jungkook did not look up, afraid to look at Jimin as guilt flowed into his veins. He looked up to Jimin eventually when Jimin’s thumb circled gently on his, the man had a soft smile on his lips, eyes filled with what Jungkook believed were little stars, tightening the clamp around Jungkook’s chest.

Jungkook swallowed, forcing himself to smile back but it was difficult when his head was filled with the thought of the feelings he stored for his daughter back then, the thought of Jimin with the mother of his kid.

He struggled to find the right words for him to say, and thankfully for him, their food arrived just in time.

  The drive back home was filled with comfortable silence between them, only the radio playing the latest hit songs with Jimin humming to the ones he knew. Once arrived, the both of them went out of the car, Jimin hurriedly running to open the back door for Jungkook to grab his stuff.

“Thanks for today,” Jungkook smiled, hugging the plushies close to his chest.

Jimin grinned as he closed the door, folding his arms after as he leaned against the car. “I had a great time, Jungkook.”

“Me too.”

“I…” Jimin stood up straight now, the confident demeanour he had just seconds ago now vanished into thin air. “I was wondering,” he started with a huff, looking as if he was debating with himself.

“Uhuh.”

“I was wondering if… uh… if you’d like to this again. Sometimes. If you don’t mind.”

Jungkook chuckled, letting his gaze fall to his shoes, unsure what to answer Jimin. He liked Jimin, he really did. Jimin made him open up in a way no one ever did, he made Jungkook feel like he mattered.

“I’d love to, I really do,” Jungkook answered before letting out a sigh. “But…”

Jimin panicked. “But…?”

“But my results coming up real soon, and I think I might want to pursue higher education. So… I might be a bit busy.”

Jimin heaved out a sigh of relief. “Noted. Understood. For a second there, I thought you might not like me. That’ll be a real problem.”

As soon as the words escaped his mouth, Jimin’s eyes widened and he stuttered to fix his mistake, “I mean — you’re a great person and a-all.”

Jungkook only let out a small laugh.

‘But I do like you. A lot. And that’s the real problem.’

  ♡♡♡

  Jungkook was nineteen, nearly twenty in just a couple of months, when it dawned to him that he made terrible life choices sometimes.

And accepting Jimin’s invitation for the date might be on the list now. Because the date turned out pretty well, he had tons of fun which lead his small crush developing into a humongous mess of feelings.

Although he really, really, really liked Jimin, his conscience was begging him to stop. There was absolutely nothing wrong with Jimin – he smelled good, his voice could put the angels down to sleep, he looked as if god took extra time to carve him and the most important of it all, he laughed at Jungkook’s lame ass jokes (yeah, fuck you, Seungcheol, Jungkook did have a sense of humour).

But Jimin happened to have a kid, who was one of Jungkook’s students. He did not know what he was thinking when he kept on looking out for Jimin.

The voice at the back of his head told him that it was not wrong, seeing that they practically did not do anything out of the line at all.

(Sure, Jimin almost kissed him the night after their date – but they were interrupted by Jungkook’s mother, who yelled at Jungkook when she saw them outside. It was embarrassing and certainly a pity, because Jungkook did want to know what it felt like to have Jimin’s lips on his.)

Yugyeom assured him that it was fine, it was not as if Jungkook was a permanent teacher there. He did not even teach Jooyeon – or any of the kids, as a matter of fact – which meant that he was not technically her teacher.

However, he found the whole thing to be unsettling, which made him refused to reply Jimin’s text.

Jimin sent him a message that night.

His debated with himself whether he should, which he did but ended up backspacing everything and turning off his phone. It had been a week since their date, and he had not heard a word from Jimin. A part of him wished that Jimin would send him more texts, wanted Jimin to be wary of why he was not replying, but another part of him was glad that Jimin was not persistent.

After all, it would make the whole ‘moving on’ thing a lot easier.

(Technically, they were never even together but Jungkook was embarrassed to say that he had such strong feelings towards Jimin.)

    It was not Jungkook’s intention to avoid talking to Jooyeon entirely, but he could not help but felt a pang in his chest every time the girl initiated a conversation. It was no secret that it was Jooyeon that brought him closer to Jimin, but she was also the main reason why Jungkook did not allow himself to involve himself any further.

Besides, it was Jooyeon’s grandparents who picked her up lately, which meant there was no need for Jungkook to stay and watch over her as she went home early.

He hated himself for feeling this way, but he missed her. He really did.

    Jungkook’s mind was wandering around, unfocused even though he was staring straight at the TV. Somi was on his lap, too absorbed in watching Mickey Mouse to notice Jungkook was not paying attention. Jooyeon was back in the room again, this time with Sooyoung monitoring her.

When recess came, Jooyeon was allowed to eat with the others and the moment she sat down, she was already looking at Jungkook as if she was asking him to come over. Jungkook purposely made himself busy, feeding the younger children their food and helping them to open their lunchboxes.

The next thing he knew when he was washing his hands, he heard a loud cry from one of the girls, followed by a scream from Sooyoung. The sudden noise made him jump and he abruptly dried his hands to see the commotion.

Jungkook observed the surroundings; a half-eaten sandwich was on the ground, Sooyoung panicking as she picked up Jooyeon from the ground, Hansol flipping through one of the students’ personal files and Mr. Jinki was on the phone as he paced around.

Jungkook’s eyes widened a smidgen, a feeling of dread coursing through his veins as Sooyoung patting on Jooyeon’s back softly.

“What’s happening?” Jungkook asked.

“Allergy reactions. She ate a peanut butter.”

“It’ll take too long for the ambulance to arrive, I’ll bring her to the hospital,” Mr. Jinki suggested, placing his phone at the back of his slacks as he took Jooyeon from Sooyoung’s embrace. “Hansol, have you called her mother? One of you should come with me.”

Jooyeon started sneezing then before she kept on sniffing. “K-koo…”

“I’ll go with you,” Jungkook chimed in. “I can call her father on our way there.”

“Found it!” Hansol exclaimed, eyes scanning through the contact details quickly. “And, uh, Kook? I don’t think there’s a need to call her dad…”

   Mr. Jinki had to go back to school to teach while Jungkook had to wait for Jooyeon and explain her situation to her parents. Her grandparents arrived as soon as she was brought to the emergency room. Honestly, Jungkook was expecting for them to start yelling and point fingers to him or Mr. Jinki, but they were surprisingly very quiet about it.

In fact, they only waited for the doctor patiently and even had the decency to get Jungkook a cup of coffee although he did not deserve it. The doctor came out a few moments later, asking for the legal guardians to go with him. It only dawned to Jungkook how dumb it was to act on impulse and volunteered to go with Mr. Jinki.

As he sat on the chair, arms folded and brows etched, his train of angry thoughts was disturbed by hastened footsteps. Turning to the source of noise, he frowned when he found out whom it belonged it.

Fucking brilliant.

Just motherfucking brilliant.

“Oh my god.” Jimin halted, panting from running. He gulped. “Where- Where’s Jooyeon?”

Jungkook glared at Jimin, the anger burning bright in his veins as he felt his entire body tense with the need to shove Jimin away.

He ended up calling Jimin in the car, despite initially not wanting to do so. The last thing he wanted was to see the liar’s face. Hansol had told him earlier that Jooyeon’s father was somewhere abroad now, that the man would be unreachable which would be impossible for him to come back here to check up on his kid.

Jungkook refused to believe it at first, because he did meet her father.

During the wait, Jungkook took the chance to call Hansol, asking for explanation. Instead of explaining, he hung up and sent Jungkook a picture of Jooyeon’s personal details.

And lo and behold, under FATHER’S NAME, was the name of someone Jungkook was not familiar with.

Instead of PARK JIMIN, what was written underneath the column was CHOI SIWON.

The urge to scream at Jimin was too strong, and luckily Jungkook was aware that they were at the hospital and refrained himself from doing things that might cause trouble.

“Who the fuck are you?” Jungkook demanded. “You’re not her father. Why did you lie to me?”

Jimin’s face fell, his lips parted open and brow raised in confusion. “W-what?”

“All this fucking time, Jimin, all this fucking time—”

“Jungkook, what the heck?”

Jungkook stood up from his seat, ignoring the noise he made when the chair rattled. Folding his arms, he let a scoff jumbled out of his lips. “You’re not her father, Jimin. What type of person would lie about that?”

“Oh my god,” Jimin muttered devastatingly as he ran his fingers through his tangerine bangs. “Look, I’m so sorry about that. It was not my intention.”

“Then who are you? Why would you lie to me? Do you think it’s funny this whole goddamn time?”

Jimin sighed, weariness evident on his face and the way his shoulder slumped. “Kook, I just couldn’t find the right time to—”

Jungkook interrupted him with an empty chuckle as he cocked his head, shaking his head in weak attempt to rein his emotions. “You did not even bother to tell me? Did you take me for a fool?”

“Jungkook, no, what the f— I never think of you like that.”

“Then?”

“You never even asked.”

“Wow,” Jungkook gasped mockingly. “To think that I actually like you. Thank you for proving me wrong.” Jungkook did not want to speak in such venomous tone, but it just came out that way on its account. With one last glare, Jungkook walked away, not bothering to turn to Jimin even when the orange-haired man called out his name.

   11 missed calls from DO NOT ANSWER.

6 new messages from DO NOT ANSWER.

   Jungkook received his results on a Tuesday, when he was watching a rerun of That 70’s Show with a bowl full of potato chips on his lap. He decided to get a day off as he never had one before since he started working there. He managed to drown himself in an ocean of self-loathing, imagining what he would have said more just to hurt Jimin and ended up tearing up at their imaginary argument.

He had not seen Jimin after their meeting at the hospital, and Jooyeon was absent three days after that, meaning he had no contact at all with Jimin. Sure, Jimin sent him several text messages (which he did not bother to open) and missed calls (which he purposely ignored), but soon enough it stopped.

It was as if Jimin gave up on trying to apologize and explain, which Jungkook found to be irritating really, because if he wanted forgiveness, he should work harder for it.

It was during the part where Jackie and Hyde were slow dancing when his phone vibrated on the coffee table. “Finally,” he muttered with an eyeroll, secretly hoping it was Jimin who came back in a desperate attempt to apologize. But instead, it was an email notification from his school.

“Fuck,” he groaned, angry at himself for getting his hopes up.

He lain back on the couch and lazily opened the notification only to jump in surprise as soon as his eyes finished scanning the content.

“Holy shit…” he murmured, rereading the text over and over again to ensure himself that he was not dreaming. “Holy shit!!”

He abruptly called his mother after that, screaming his results the moment she picked up the phone and soon enough his mother started screaming in joy too.

“My smart, beautiful son!” she cooed proudly. If she was there she would have suffocated him in a tight embrace. “I know you can make it, my lovely boy. Do you want to resign this week?”

“Um… what?”

“Your job. I’m sure the they already knew that you’ll be resigning after you’ve gotten your results, right? So, you can focus on Uni now?”

“Oh.” His voice dropped an octave as a wave of realisation hit him that he won’t be able to see Jooyeon (Jimin) anymore. “Yeah, they do.”

“Okay then.” He heard her sigh in content before adding, “We’ll have dinner outside later, yeah? As a celebration. I love you, Jungkook. I’m really proud of you.”

All the anger he consumed made him forgot that he would leave the school, reducing the chances of him to ever see Jimin again. “Fuck,” he muttered, letting himself fall on the couch as he dragged his hand across his face in frustration.

He should be feeling happy that he was leaving soon, and he fucking hated himself for feeling dreadful that he would leave what could-have-been ‘them aka Jimin & Jungkook’ like that; no explanation, just the small argument on the hallway at the hospital.

Fuck.  

   “Teacher Kook.” He heard a small voice calling him while he was stacking chocolate milks carefully on the fridge. He turned to the direction of the source of the voice, to find that Jooyeon was standing in the doorway. Her hair was braided this time and she had her backpack on, clutching the straps tightly.

“Hey,” Jungkook replied, closing the fridge to get up to her. “You’re going home late this time?”

She nodded, stretching out her arms to make grabby hands, implying she wanted to be held. Jungkook sighed before giving in, hefting her effortlessly from the ground and she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Why didn’t you come yesterday?” she asked, voice so gentle Jungkook thought he was hearing things.

“I was busy,” he answered, going back to the fridge to stack the remaining milks with only one hand this time.

“Are you gonna leave Jooyeon?”

He was not sure whether his ears were defying him, because he would never expect this day to come. The day when he got to hear fear in Jooyeon’s voice, the day when she actually sounded like a harmless little girl.

Incredulous, Jungkook looked down at her. “What? No. I’m gonna stay here until someone picks you up.”

She tilted her head to look up at him, her eyes were huge and Jungkook daresay gleaming with what seemed like tears. It was as if she was putting on her puppy eyes, but it was more different this time. “Teacher Jinki says you’re going to leave.”

“Oh. You mean that,” he murmured.

“Please don’t leave.”

Jungkook took a deep breath, pressing his lips into a straight line before deciding that he was just going to lie through his teeth. One thing he learnt while being surrounded with kids nearly every day, it was that sometimes you got to lie. Now he knew what his mother felt when she told him his father was going on vacation for a long time.

“I won’t.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“Okay,” she grinned, the mistiness in her eyes were replaced by thousands of stars and Jungkook almost felt bad for lying.

“Alright, let’s wait at the front, shall we? We can watch Peppa to kill time.”

And Jungkook wished that someone would just kill him when he saw Park fucking Jimin standing near the counter.

‘Ah, fuck.’

“Hey,” Jimin said slowly, testing the waters as he raised his hand to awkwardly waved.

“Hello,” Jungkook replied as uninterested as he could. “Jooyeon, Jimin’s here,” he told her, but her grip around her only seemed to tightened.

“Can we talk?” Jimin asked.

Jungkook would be lying if he did not say no because he really did. Although he was relieved that Jimin was not a father, a part of him felt a little betrayed that Jimin chose to go with the lie instead of telling Jungkook the truth. He sighed before attempting to hand Jooyeon to Jimin, but the attempt proved to be unsuccessful as Jooyeon clung harder to him like a koala. Confused, he asked, “What’s wrong? You shouldn’t keep Jimin waiting.”

“Don’t wanna go, don’t wanna go!”

“Crap,” Jimin murmured, running his fingers through his tangerine locks before approaching them. “She’s been acting up since a few days ago.”

Jungkook wanted to ask why but held himself back. He did not want to get involved anymore.

“Jooyeonie, come on,” Jimin coaxed, trying to pull her away from Jungkook but to no avail.

After a few more tries, Jimin successfully pried her away from him, causing Jooyeon to broke into a fit as she struggled to escape Jimin’s hold. Jungkook only smiled sympathetically as he watched Jimin hushing her to quiet down, gently pushing her head against her chest to silence her screams. She started crying them, sobbing onto Jimin’s chest and while Jungkook would have felt better hearing her cry weeks ago, it was now substituted with a feeling of pity.

“I’m so sorry,” Jimin whispered, one hand caressing her head soothingly.

Before he could stop himself, he heard himself ask, “For her crying or for lying?”

“Okay, I deserved that,” Jimin muttered before answering, “For both. But more towards the lying.”

Jungkook only hummed as a response.

“Jooyeonie, stop crying, won’t you? Teacher Kook’s here now,” Jimin murmured, looking down to Jooyeon as he wiped her tears with his thumb. “He’s here now.”

Jooyeon sniffed, glancing at Jungkook as if she was scared Jungkook might have disappeared into thin air. Jungkook faked a smile he hoped was genuine. “What’s wrong? You’re a big girl now, you shouldn’t be crying.”

Jooyeon pouted, lips trembling as she stared at Jungkook with teary wide eyes.

“It’s fine,” Jungkook assured, bending down to pat her head gently. “You should go home and sleep, okay?”

He looked up to Jimin, who mouthed a thank you before straightening up, hoping they would just leave.

“Look, Jungkook, can we talk outside? Properly, this time?”

“Why?” That was dumb, but it was the only appropriate respond Jungkook would come out with.

“Please. You don’t want two babies to start crying here, don’t you?” Jimin pouted.

Jungkook turned away, forcing himself to tamper down the grin that threatened to take over his face. “Fine,” he answered with a huff. “Only because Hansol is in the toilet.”

To which, a respond from Hansol coming from the toilet was heard. “I wasn’t eavesdropping! Y’all talk too loud!”

  ♡♡♡

   Jooyeon fell asleep in Jimin’s arm as soon as she stopped crying. Carefully, Jimin positioned her on the passenger’s seat and put on the safety belt. Jungkook ignored the way his heart skipped a beat at the sight of Jimin being caring towards the girl who apparently was not his.

With folded arms, Jungkook tilted his head to the side and asked, “What is it that you want to talk about?”

Jimin sighed, putting a hand in the back pocket of his jeans while the other consciously rubbing the back of his neck. “Listen, I’m so sorry, okay.”

“Huh.”

“It was not my intention, I can swear on it. It just happened. You assumed I was her dad, and it was my fault for not correcting you in the first place. I thought it was… amusing at first, and truth be told, I was scared that if I told you the truth, there would not be any reason for me to see you again.”

‘What.’

“I mean, you were this nice guy who put up with her. Trust me, I know what a monster she was. I babysit her all the time, for God’s sake. And knowing that she actually likes you, a person who had only been with her for weeks, it’s kind of… I don’t know, it makes me envious?”

‘The.’

Jimin took a deep breath, directing his gaze heavenward as if seeking divine guidance before continuing, “At first I just wanted to get to know who is this guy? The guy whom my baby claimed to love? And then I saw how good you were with her, how comfortable she was with you and I know that I’ll like you too.”

‘Fuck.’

“Okay, see,” Jungkook interrupted. “Things like you calling her your baby, is what caused the assumption in the first place.”

“But she really is my baby! I raised her,” Jimin countered defensively with a small pout.

Jungkook raised an eyebrow. “I’m confused now.”

“I’m her uncle, Jungkook. My sister is her mother. I had no choice but to help her in times of crisis. I dropped out of college to help her. Which brings me to my second point—”

Jungkook’s jaw dropped at the revelation, slowly realizing what a dumbass he was. He felt guilty for being mad at Jimin for no apparent reason.

“— I have not been able to reach out to you because, well, I was busy. I’m taking night classes for private exams.”

And there Jungkook’s pride went. Right to the trash can.

“Okay, fuck, Jimin. I had no idea, I’m so sorry that I think of you as this big liar,” Jungkook murmured in shame, not daring to look up to Jimin because he was in The Wrong.

Jimin chuckled. “It’s fine. I’m not really big on talking about stuff like that, honestly. I guess I was just too interested in getting to know you that I forgot to tell you my story.”

“Really though,” Jungkook smiled sympathetically. “I truly am sorry.”

Jimin sighed before grinning. “Are we okay now?”

“Yeah… we are.”

“Good. Cause I’d really like to take you out on a second date, if you don’t mind?”

“What…” Jungkook let out a small laugh, face reddening with embarrassment at Jimin’s bluntness. “But why?”

Jimin raised an eyebrow sceptically. “I thought you… like me too?”

Jungkook blinked.

“Jooyeon loves you, I lo— like you. Maybe we should give us a try again.”

“I—” Jungkook was about to protest, but then he saw the look in Jimin’s eyes – how genuine his eyes were, how careful he was when the words left his lips – and after all the nights he spent awake, wondering why he did not deserve Jimin and why Jimin would lie to him, he knew that it was worth a try. “— okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah.”

Jimin giggled, a sound Jungkook did not know he was dreading to hear again. “Alright. I’ll… talk to you later?”

He felt a smile crept on his lips and this time he did not try to conceal it with a frown. “Okay.”

  ♡♡♡

 Taehyung thought Jimin was creepy for crushing on a total stranger but Jimin begged to differ. Technically, the boy next door was not a total stranger.

Sure, Jimin had never seen him before (he tried to look over the fence but to no avail, the boy had his back facing Jimin) and Jimin did not know which school he was from (although his build was sort of familiar to Jimin) and Jimin did not know his name —

So, yeah, maybe he is a total stranger. However, it was not as if Jimin had hung pictures of the boy or attempted to stalk him. It was not Jimin’s fault that the guy sang out loud to his heart’s content at fucking 2 in the goddamn morning.

It first happened when Jimin was pulling an all-nighter that he heard a mellifluous voice from the outside. Hell, he would have hide himself under the blanket but surprisingly, he recognized the song and lo and behold, it was a fucking Charlie Puth’s single. He wanted to stop listening and yell at his neighbour to shut the fuck up but he sounded so so good, much better than Charlie Puth Jimin might add, that he did the most irrational thing to do at ass o’oclock: open the window.

His saccharine voice made Jimin thought about a lover’s kiss and Jimin almost did not want him to stop when the song ended. He waited a few more minutes, hoping that maybe the boy would sing some more. He did not care what song it would be; he can even tolerate Baby Shark if it meant the boy will sing again.

Often, the boy would sing in the afternoon on a Sunday. The both of them were separated by the tall fence on their backyards; both their houses back facing each other.  

Taehyung suggested for Jimin to man up and just pay him a visit but Jimin refused to do so. The boy might have stopped singing if Jimin came up to compliment him out of nowhere.

Alas, he had no choice but to wait for the boy’s next concert again.

 — ♡ —

 Jimin never really hated anyone in his entire life but Jeon Jeongguk made it so easy to climb up to Jimin #1 NO-NO list. The big moron was made of cocky smile, fruity cologne and muscles. He may be gorgeous, but that did not change the fact that he was a jerk. It was as if Jeongguk’s mission in life was to humiliate Jimin for god-knows-what.

First, it was about his height. (“Where is Jimin hyung? I can hear him but I can’t see him!”)

Then, for some unknown reasons, it escalated to his bum. (“Mm, hyung, doing the 30-day squat challenge, are we?”) ((For your information, it was an EVERYDAY squat challenge so fuck you))

And the latest one, was dropping formalities altogether. (“Oi, Jiminie! Can I copy your homework?”)

Seokjin hyung insisted that Jeongguk had a crush on him but it did not feel like it when all Jeongguk did was making Jimin’s blood boil. Not to mention that Jeongguk was in the school’s football team, a group of guys Jimin tend to avoid due to their unnecessary cat-calling and suggestive winks.

Jeongguk never really flirt openly or anything, and if Seokjin hyung was right, the least Jeongguk can do is grow some fucking balls and ask Jimin out on a date so he can reject him in front of the whole school.

 The universe can be a bitch sometimes.

Not only his phone was dead, now his car would not start. Nostrils flaring in annoyance, he took in few large breaths through his nose before screaming and bang his head against the steering wheel, accidentally letting out a huge honk in the process. “FUCK!” he yelled, surprised as he lifted his head to rub on the sore spot.

As if to prove how much a bitch the universe is, he heard a soft rhythmic knock on the window and turn to find Jeongguk had his brow raised at him. Jimin let out a sigh before pressing on the button to lower the window. “What the fuck do you want?”

“You’re contributing to noise pollution, Jimin-ssi. I, as a representative for these people, ask you to stop.”

“Shut up.”

“Feisty. Wanna tell me what’s going on?”

He had his cocky smile plastered on his face when he asked that, causing Jimin to roll his eyes before letting out a huff. “My car won’t start.”

Jimin expected Jeongguk to laugh on his face or say something to anger Jimin, but instead his hand reached out inside, pressing on the unlock button to open Jimin’s door. “Alright. Let’s go then. I’ll give you a ride.”

Jimin only stared at him in confusion, narrowing his eyes and pursing his lips in disbelief.

Jeongguk let out a small laugh, almost melodious in Jimin’s ear if he was to tell the truth. “C’mon now.”

With reluctance, Jimin took his car keys and stepped out of the car. He would much rather stay in his car and die of heat, or maybe walk back home but when he had an assignment due tomorrow, he just could not say no.

  If it was not for the radio, the whole ride would be awkward and quiet. Jeongguk’s car was cleaner than Jimin anticipated, there was not even a single candy wrapper found. To Jimin’s chagrin, his car smelled nice also – just like the cologne Jeongguk always wore. Jeongguk was humming to the song playing on the radio, some top 40 songs that Jimin never really listened to. Jimin preferred indie than mainstream songs.

Jimin only stayed still in his seat, eyes focused on the road, in fear that Jeongguk might be one of those reckless drivers but he was barely reaching 70 km/h and he had both of his hands on the wheel. Cute, he mused. And when he realised what he had just done, he screamed internally. Jeongguk is far from cute. He was a dick.

Four more pop songs later, they arrived at Jimin’s house. Jimin got out of the car, contemplating whether he should thank Jeongguk or just run at full speed and never look back.

He hated Jeongguk but that did not mean Jimin will be disrespectful as he was. But it was only when he stepped out of the car and turned back to Jeongguk that it dawned to him he never told Jeongguk his address.

“Thanks for the lift…” Jimin started, only to falter when the realisation hit him. “How do you know where I live anyway?”

Jeongguk’s lip quirked upwards, all cocky and handsome, it made Jimin want to slap the smirk from his face.

“Oh? You didn’t know?”

“Huh?”

Jeongguk loved Jimin. Truly. With all of his heart and soul. Though sometimes, Jeongguk just want to strangle Jimin with his own bare hands. No, it was not lovingly neither was Jeongguk thinking of the kind of things they do in their bedroom (and bathrooms. Kitchen, too. And also, their living room.)

Literally. Jeongguk meant it literally.

Jimin had a habit of being late at almost everything. For example, on their first date. Jimin had the nerve to giggle and pretend nothing ever happened after he was fifteen minutes late. He was even late on Jeongguk’s brother wedding, making it seem like Jeongguk was being stood up.

He could go on and on. Living with Jimin for nearly three years would make it seem that this habit of his was tolerable but Jeongguk was wrong. Jeongguk’s car broke down the other day and was now at the repair shop. Unfortunately for him, he could not reach Seokjin and thus, he had to depend on his boyfriend.

Jeongguk had been waiting for nearly half an hour since he called Jimin. The man promised that he would get there as soon as possible and in Jimin’s dictionary, it translated to ‘an hour’.

Crossing his arms in irritation, Jeongguk let out a groan. He was not a big fan of waiting, especially not when he needed to go home to finish grading his students’ papers.

Jeongguk stood up, finally making the decision to walk back home although their shared apartment took a twenty-minute drive from the library. Just as he hefted his bag using the strap from the bench, he heard the familiar engine sound and turned to find Jimin stopping the car few meters away from him.

“Fucking finally,” he muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes and hoped that Jimin could sense his anger.

Not only Jimin was late, he had the nerve to press the honk.

Jeongguk glared Jimin the whole time he made his way inside the car. He slammed the door angrily, not wanting to face Jimin and unbothered to wear the safety belt despite knowing how Jimin felt about it.

“Hiya, babe, sorry late,” Jimin chuckled, pressing on the gas pedal and slowly changing lanes. “Had to take care of some things on my way here.”

Jeongguk purposely turned his attention to the view outside. He had the urge to yell at Jimin, just to hurt him with his words but decided that it was better to scream inside his head.

Jimin glanced at Jungkook before focusing back on the road, finally the realisation sinking in.

“Babe?”

Jeongguk rolled his eyes again.

He heard Jimin taking in a large breath through his nose before exhaling from his mouth.

“Look, why don’t I take you to the park as an apology?”

“Just. Take. Me. Home.” Jeongguk gritted through his teeth, fighting the urge to open the door and jump out of the car when it came to a halt at the traffic light.

He heard Jimin sighed again.

The car ride back home was silent. He could tell how uncomfortable he made Jimin by the way Jimin kept on glancing at his direction and from the way Jimin was shifting in his seat. They had plenty of arguments before this, but never once he made Jimin feel uncomfortable. Usually Jimin would have apologized like a broken track record by now and as much as it annoyed Jeongguk, he would rather have Jimin apologizing than nothing at all.

Jeongguk did not wait for Jimin to change the gear to neutral for him to get out of the car. He went inside the elevator, scanned his card and clicked on the ninth floor without waiting for Jimin. A small part of him felt guilty for giving Jimin the cold shoulder, but his mind was overriding with the thought of Jimin being unable to fix this lousy habit of his.

He threw his coat on to their sofa as he made his way to the kitchen to grab something for him to snack on while grading. Before he could grab a ceramic bowl for his chips, Jimin arrived with a concerned look on his face. Jeongguk ignored his presence, although Jimin was attempting to grab his attention by staring at him.

“Babe?”

Jeongguk looked up at Jimin briefly and noticed that he was holding a banana milk. A banana milk would be great right now, Jeongguk thought and if it was not for the anger he was feeling, he would have taken it from Jimin.

“Jeongguk.”

“What?” Jeongguk snapped at the same time as he placed the chips on the marbled counter.

“I know you’re angry with me and I’m sorry,” Jimin murmured, avoiding Jeongguk’s eyes. Jeongguk tried not to focus on how fidgety Jimin was, how his finger was tapping against the banana milk vehemently and how he was rocking back and forth on his heels.

Jeongguk narrowed his eyes into exasperated slits.

“Here. It’s for you,” Jimin continued, handing the banana milk to Jeongguk.

Jeongguk glared at Jimin before he reluctantly reached out to grab the milk. He was about to go to their study room when Jimin stopped him.

“You – you have to drink it here.”

Jeongguk wanted to fire back. He wanted to so badly to speak, but instead, he only glared at Jimin again. Belatedly, he realised that the bottle did not come with a straw. Jimin knew Jeongguk loved to drink using the straw, claimed that he wanted to savour the milk as long as he could. He was not sure if Jimin was trying to anger him even more but he decided to pick on the aluminium cover only to find out that it was attached strongly to the plastic bottle.

“You have to pull it open.”

“I know,” he growled, pulling the aluminium as hard as it could but to no avail.

“Let me help,” Jimin murmured softly, grabbing the milk from Jeongguk before pulling the upper half of the bottle open and bent down on one knee.

“What? What the fuck—”

His first instinct was to scream, to get Jimin up because he was being weird. Jimin could not be proposing to Jeongguk. He just could not. It would take Jimin probably ten years, but there Jimin was, with hope glimmering in his wonderful eyes. In his hand was the banana milk, only it was not really a banana milk.

With the upper half opened, Jeongguk could see the most beautiful ring stored inside.

He let out a gasp and brought his hand to his mouth and the other on his chest, thankful that he was not holding the bowl or else there will be one less ceramic bowl in the apartment.

“Jimin, Jimin, what?”

Jimin chuckled, a faint pinkness dusted his cheeks. “I love you, Jeon Jeongguk. I love you even when you’re angry. I love you even when you look like you want to murder me. I love you even when you turn your back against me. Will you marry me?”

“Jimin, what the fuck, get up!” Jeongguk nearly choked. He could not take his eyes off the ring.

Just a few minutes ago, he swore he would have choked Jimin with his thighs and now, his heart was full and his mind was going haywire. The last thing he expected was Jimin to propose to him after he angered Jeongguk. It did not make sense to him, never will be, he supposed.

Jimin giggled, still looking up to Jeongguk and presenting the ring to him. “I won’t get up until I get an answer.”

Jeongguk stared at Jimin in disbelief and Jimin was so scared that he would say no until Jeongguk forcefully lifted Jimin up with his collar and kissed him as if there was no tomorrow. Jeongguk could feel Jimin smiling against his lips, which made Jeongguk pull away to roll his eyes at him. “Of course, it’s a yes, you silly, silly fool!”

Jimin grinned, his smile reaching to his ears when he carefully took the ring out of the box to slip it to Jeongguk’s finger.

“For a second there, I thought you might say no,” Jimin muttered before placing a kiss on Jeongguk’s lower lip.

“I was considering it, I admit.”

“Liar.”

"Ah—ah—AHCHOO!"

 Hurriedly, Jimin reached for the tissue on his bed-side table. Before he could even wipe his nose, he sneezed again. Irritated, he blew his nose in hope that he would have gotten rid of the mucus.

 Jimin had always claimed that he had stronger antibodies than most people, which was slightly true, as he was rarely sick but the thing was, when Jimin got sick, he got it pretty badly. It was just a cold — Jimin did not even know where or how he caught it, but he had been sneezing for a million times that day.

 Not to mention that his throat was itchy and dry for the past two days and he kept on coughing vigorously and throwing up at the most unpredictable time as if he was pregnant.

 For the umpteenth time of the day, his phone vibrated. He blew his nose again to the tissue for the second time before picking up his phone.

 Most of the messages were from Taemin. And one from his boyfriend, Jeongguk.

 How romantic. He knew he should have gone out with Taemin instead of Jeongguk.

 (Jimin had a crush on Taemin first but he ended up with Jeongguk because Jimin had a thing for mean curly haired boys)

 Jimin let out a sigh before clicking Taemin's name, only scrolling the texts that moron sent him rather than reading them. Most of them were about Minho. Jimin rolled his eyes as his eyes were scanning Minho's name at every text Taemin sent.

 Taemin, the only person Jimin depended on when he was sick, was not here.

 Angry, he did not even bother to reply Taemin and proceeded to click his boyfriend's name on his contact and read his message.

  From: Bèbe

do u wanna do something babe ;)

 Jimin did not have the moment to roll his eyes because he abruptly sneezed. “Oh my God,” Jimin let out a groan in irritation.

 To: Bèbe

I told u I’m sick

 As soon as he clicked send, Jimin began to break into a fit of coughs. In an attempt to stop himself from coughing, he clamped his mouth shut and tried to take a deep breath. When he felt that his coughing had stopped, he took another deep breath and picked up his phone, anticipating Jeongguk’s text but his no-good boyfriend had not replied yet.  

 With a loud exasperated groan, he threw his phone gently on the pillow and closed his eyes. Just great, he thought.

 He had always wanted to live alone. Back then, before college, he used to live with his mom. It was not that he hated his mom or anything, but she babied him a lot. Heck, Jimin just knew how to wash his own laundry when he began to move to his current apartment. He used to crave for independence, for freedom, but now that he was sick, he wanted his mommy back.

 “Mommy!” he cried out to no one in particular. “I want your soup!”

 He remembered his mother used to give him her homemade chicken soup and now he missed his mother. Sniffing, he took his phone and texted his mother as he pouted.

 To: Madame Park

Mommy I’m sick and I miss you :(

I also miss your soup :(

I wish you were here :(

 His mother usually replied him as fast as lightning (especially the first few weeks since he moved out), but it seemed like his mother was busy right now.

 Before he could grab another tissue, he heard a loud knock on the door. “Who the hell?” he groaned, cursing the person on the other side of the door for forcing him to stand up. Jimin slowly get off from his bed, blowing his nose onto the tissue. As he made his way to the door, the knocking became more vigorous.

 “Wait!” he called out as he aimlessly threw the tissue on the rubbish bin.

 Despite being the captain of the basketball team, the crumpled tissue did not made it into the bin. Instead, it lay next to the bin, along with other crumpled tissues from yesterday.

 He muttered something under his breath before opening the door, revealing his boyfriend with a huge grin on his face. “Hello!” Jeongguk greeted cheerfully; his forehead was glistening with sweat as he entered Jimin’s apartment without any invitation.

 Jimin rolled his eyes before slamming the door closed.

 “Why are you here?”

 Jimin did not intend to sound rude, but it accidentally came out harsh. It was not the first time Jeongguk came without warning. In fact, whenever Jimin was sick, Jeongguk never failed to leave him alone to die in the apartment. Thank God, Jimin was still alive. Besides, Jeongguk was not a good company when it comes to sick people.

 Jeongguk placed something on the wooden table, but Jimin was too nauseas to ask him what he was bringing.

 Jeongguk pouted, a little bit offended at Jimin’s tone. “I’m here for you.”

 Jimin sniffed as he narrowed his eyes. “I don’t need you.”

 “You look like shit, by the way.”

 “Thank you so much,” Jimin replied sarcastically, making his way towards his bedroom.

 “I’m gonna go have some rest. You do whatever you want,” Jimin said from his bedroom. He did not have the chance to lie down on his bed when Jeongguk barged into his room, just watching him making himself comfortable on the bed.

 “Why are you staring at me?” Jimin snapped, pulling the blanket to his chest.

 “I’m bored,” Jeongguk replied.

 “It’s Wednesday. You have class,” Jimin murmured as he rolled onto the other side of the bed, his back was facing Jeongguk.

 “How can I attend class when my boyfriend’s sick?” Jeongguk cooed, as he made his way to Jimin’s bed and sat on it, his hand resting on Jimin’s hip.

 “Last time I recall, you actually went to a concert when I was sick and gave my ticket to Wonwoo instead of accompanying me here. So yeah, I don’t need you. I’d be fine,” Jimin replied bitterly, still not bothering to look at Jeongguk’s face.

 “Come on, it was probably like, his first and last concert in Korea. You can’t blame me!”

 “And it didn’t occur to you that it might be your last time seeing me?”

 “But— but—” Jeongguk was struggling to find the right answer because Jimin did have a point.

 Satisfied with Jeongguk’s stuttering respond, he mumbled, “It’s okay, Jeongguk. I’ll be fine. I’d survive my sick days without you. You weren’t here when I first caught a cold so why are you here now?”

 Jeongguk whined. “But you haven’t attended any of your class for, like, a week.”

 With a sigh, Jimin responded, “I did not attend the first two days because I need to finish my Physics assignment and I was excused not to come to the other classes. Then I got sick. And for the record, I did not attend classes for only five days and that’s not a week.”

 “But I miss you.”

 “You’re only saying that because you’re horny.”

 “That’s true, but—”

 Jimin finally rolled onto his back to face Jeongguk and as much as he hated to admit, he did miss Jeongguk. He missed his skin, his kisses and— he shook his head. He was not supposed to be thinking about this right now.

 “What are you suggesting?” Jimin murmured as he attempted to sit up.

 “I don’t know,” Jeongguk sing-songed, his eyes were glimmering with mischief.

 Jimin smirked, trying his hardest to look sexy in his bathrobe although his throat was itching like hell.

 “Maybe…” Jeongguk began as he got up on the bed and straddled Jimin.

 Jimin, whose brain was half sleeping and half screaming for Jimin to take Jeongguk right there and right then, only smiled lazily as he placed his hand on Jeongguk’s bum.

 “I could give you something, no?” Jeongguk whispered seductively.

  The whole thing would be sensual (Jimin cringed when he thought about this again) and something that came out of a nice erotic movie, if it weren’t for his nose, who perfectly chose this exact moment to sneeze on Jeongguk’s shirt.

 “Ew!” Jeongguk shrieked as he took his shirt off (which was now full of Jimin’s snot) and threw it on the floor while Jimin grabbed the tissue and wiped his nose.

 “Shit,” Jimin groaned before blowing his nose to the tissue again before pointlessly throwing the tissue onto the bucket near his bedside table.

 Jeongguk, still straddling Jimin, placed a hand on Jimin’s temple. “Babe, you’re burning.”

 “And you think I can’t tell that?”

 And then the sexy moment was over just like that. Though Jimin was disappointed (damn, he really wanted to know what Jeongguk was going to give him), he felt a little bit relieved that Jeongguk was now serious because of his condition.

 Even the sight of Jeongguk half-naked did not give him the strength to do anything anymore.

 Jeongguk sighed. “I’m serious right now, alright. Didn’t you take any medicine?”

 Jimin was not a believer of medicine, somehow. He hated pills, mainly because he was never able to swallow them and he hated the liquid medicine too because it tasted like shit. Most of the time, he believed that sleeping can cure sickness. Well, of course, except for cancer and anything serious but when it comes to small things like headaches and coughing, sleeping might help.

 “No,” Jimin mumbled.

 Jeongguk gave him a smirk. Jimin wanted to slap the smirk from his face, because this was no time for smirking, but it was not like he had any strength left. He wanted to sleep. He needed to sleep.

 “If you say I’m the best boyfriend ever, I’ll give you something you really need.”

 “Jeongguk, I’m in no mood for se—”

 “Just say it.”

 He did not have any more power to argue. “You are the best boyfriend in the world,” he drawled because it was not true. If anything, Jeongguk was probably the world’s worst boyfriend. He deserved an award for being a jerk boyfriend. Jimin was still bitter that he had chosen a concert over him.

 “Alright. That’s what I wanna hear,” Jeongguk giggled before placing a kiss on top of Jimin’s forehead and get off him.

 Jimin closed his eyes to rest for a moment; he felt serene when Jeongguk left despite the loud sounds he made at, Jimin surmised, the kitchen.

 Jeongguk came back to his room a few minutes after that, and saw that he had, indeed, brought something Jimin needed. He would have guessed this earlier, if it were not for his clogged nose but the sight of it already gave Jimin a little bit of strength.

 “Oh my god. Is that—”

“Yeah!” Jeongguk answered.

 Jeongguk had come to his room, bringing a tray and a bowl of soup.

 Still sitting up on his bed, his head rested on the wooden bed head, Jeongguk placed the tray carefully on his lap while Jimin stared eagerly at the chicken soup.

 “Did you make this for me?”

 “Nah,” Jeongguk said nonchalantly. “I drove to Jeju yesterday to get your mom to cook your soup for you. It was a long drive and I keep on falling asleep but it was worth it.”

 Jimin tried to blink the tears that were beginning to fall from his eyes. “Really?”

 “Yeah,” Jeongguk shrugged, as if it was not a big deal, but his eyes did not dare to meet Jimin’s. Jeongguk was shy, Jimin knew. And despite his annoying attitude, deep down he really loved Jimin and it was crazy because Jeongguk was really really really really in love with Jimin.

 “You did that for me?”

 Jeongguk shrugged again. “I’m just worried about you, really. I mean, I have left you alone with Taemin when you were sick before.”

 Jimin took the spoon and stir the soup with it. “Did you also—”

 “Yeah, I specifically asked Taemin not to come here. Whatever,” he nonchalantly shrugged again.

 Jeongguk and his shrugging. He always did this when he was nervous. Or embarrassed.

 “I mean, he had always been there when you’re sick and it bums me out. It’s like he takes care of you or something, it’s annoying. This time, it should be me because I’m your boyfriend and you love only me.” And he shrugged again.

 Jimin’s lips curved into a smile.

  In his defence, there were lots of boxes in Jimin’s closet. How was he supposed to know which one he should’ve taken? Sure, Jimin did specifically say the beige box but they were all brown to Jeongguk. Of course, his greed had a part in this too. He just had to open the box to see if the stuff inside was worth being kept for himself.

He expected the comic books and figurines Jimin said earlier. If Jimin had action figurines that he had no use anymore, Jeongguk could keep it on his shelf along with his other collections. His Rick Grimes figurine was really lonely and if he remembered correctly, Jimin had one of Daryl.

Instead, it was filled with magazines, handcuffs and—

“What the fuck…?” Jeongguk murmured in disbelief, eyes as wide as saucers as he took out the pink plastic resembling a dick with straps on it delicately with only his index finger and thumb. “A fucking strapon? Really?”

He swore the strapon stared back at it, as if it was mocking him however he was brought back to reality when he heard Jimin calling him again.

“Coming, hyung!” he answered. He glanced at the strapon he dropped back inside the box and with a smirk, he mumbled, “Coming real hard,” to himself before chuckling.

 ▬▬▬▬▬▬

 “Jeongguk, what the fuck?” Jimin yelled, nearly dropping the box to his own feet.

Jeongguk emerged from the room with the smug grin Jimin was used to seeing, wearing something Jimin had not seen in a while tied around his waist.

“Didn’t know you were into this kind of thing, hyung.”

“It’s not mine, Jeongguk. Take it off and just burn it!” Jimin raised his voice, which only made Jeongguk’s grin grew wider.

A humiliated blush climbed up Jimin’s neck as he placed the box angrily on their shared sofa and admittedly, Jeongguk had a thing when it came to riling Jimin up. To rile Jimin up even further, Jeongguk thrusted his hip into their air as he dramatically let out a gasp. “Oh!”

“Jeongguk!”

“You like taking it up in the ass, hyung?”

“H-hey!” Jimin stammered, lunging forward in an attempt to stop Jeongguk but his action only made it seem as if he was tugging Jeongguk’s dick. Right, this is a fucking strapon and not a dildo.

“Yeah, jerk me off, hyung.” Jeongguk burst into a fit of laughter at Jimin’s reaction, turning Jimin’s face even redder than it already was.

“Stop joking around, idiot. We still have work to do. Take that filthy thing off and burn it to hell for all I care.” Jimin rolled his eyes in an attempt to mask the burning embarrassment he was feeling. Jeongguk only gave him a sardonic grin.

“What are you so mad about? I’m just joking around,” Jeongguk chuckled. “Curious how there is this in your room, hyung. It’s got to be yours if it’s in your room.”

“It’s not,” Jimin deadpanned, eyes narrowing into exasperated slits as he folded his arms.

“Your ex-girlfriend then?”

“Shut up.”

It happened so fast the moment Jimin turned away from him, probably to hide his expression his traitor body was showing but Jeongguk caught his eyes wavering and lips twitching. Jeongguk grinned again, webs of ideas connecting together and he got it. He must have been the greatest detective in his past life.

“Jeongyeon noona? It’s hers? She used it on you?”

“I said shut up.”

“Oh my fucking god.”

“Jeongguk.”

“Why would you need this plastic thing when you’ve got the right thing here?”

Jimin turned back to Jeongguk, his jaw dropping to the floor and both of his hands on his hips. “What. The. Fuck.”

Jeongguk shrugged, the shit-eating grin coming back to give his feature a douchebag look. “I mean, I don’t mind. Bros help each other, right?”

“You disgust me.”

“I’m not the one with this,” Jeongguk pointed to the pink plastic dick on his crotch, “In my room.”

Jimin rolled his eyes in annoyance again, already deciding to kick Jeongguk out of their shared apartment and made a mental note to start searching for new roommate. He thought Jeongguk would let it go, but he knew it would not for a long time now.