HOOLIGAN

There it is, that smooth, easy way he can turn any conversation around so that it's not about him. He does it to everyone, even his parents, because opening up means being vulnerable and Chris — Chris can't afford that. Not right now.

Accepting the shift, watching the way his friend leans forward and Chris mirrors his actions, he smiles. "You're drinking with an Australian, mate. Shouldn't you think about keeping up with me?" The teasing competitiveness comes through as he nods towards Jungkook's warm drink. "You like yours room temperature now?"

His gaze drops briefly to his drink at the comment, then back up, like he met and accepted his challenge. Jungkook lets out a quiet, almost disbelieving laugh, shaking his head once before he brings the glass up and downs what’s left in one smooth go. He sets it back down with a dull thud, sliding it slightly forward across the table.

"Order another," he says simply, voice low but sure, leaning back just enough to give him space to move. "And try to keep up this time." There’s a pause, then a smirk pulls at his lips, just a little sharper now. "Wouldn’t want you tapping out early, right?" He reaches over, giving Chris a quick pat against the back. "I woke up at, like, 3 pm, so I’m good," he adds with a quiet huff, rolling his shoulder as his head tilts slightly, like he’s gearing up for something. "Been waiting for this."

Sliding into the booth, a fresh beer placed down in front, Chris makes sure he's sitting directly across from his friend. The music vibrates through the air, the floor, all around him but luckily for him — he's able to remained focus on the conversation at hand and the accusation thrown his way. One that isn't wrong at all, which is why Chris nods his head as he agrees. "Should I be concerned that you, and everyone else, knows that I basically live there? I've slept on that couch more times this week than I have in my own bed." He admits, scoffing a little.

He does it to himself, he knows, but it still bothers him at times.

A quiet scoff leaves him, head tilting as he leans back again. "Concerned? No," he shakes his head. "Annoyed? Yeah, a little."There’s no real bite to it, though. His eyes narrow just slightly, studying him. "You look like you’ve been running on caffeine and bad decisions." As if Jungkook was one to talk.

He pulls the phone slightly away from his ear, setting it on speaker as he moves around the apartment. Not that it’s messy... far from it, but his hands still find things to fix. A cushion slightly out of place gets straightened. A jacket draped over the chair gets folded and tossed neatly aside. He glances at the kitchen, wiping down a spotless counter like it somehow matters more now. Like she might notice. At her hum, his lips twitch faintly.

"Yeah, I figured you’d remember," Jungkook says, voice carrying easily through the quiet space as he moves. "You always do." There’s history in that.

Her next line earns a soft scoff under his breath, head shaking as he pauses near the hallway mirror. His eyes flick up, taking himself in for a second subtle, quick, but not careless. He adjusts the sleeve of his shirt, fingers brushing over his hair, pushing it back into place like it wasn’t already fine.

He gets bored easily. She refuses to wait. Both always somehow finding their way back to each other as if that's where they're meant to be.

Karina lightly scoffs, the microphone not picking up the sound as she tosses her hair over her shoulder. "Oppa~." She says the word again, the sweetness of her tone laced with something more suggestive underneath. There's no follow up, no lead to a question, a statement, an innuendo as Karina continues to lightly apply her make-up.

Just the word, lingering in the air, reminding them both of the times when she would call him such so sweetly.

His following statement has her lips quirking, a small movement, before smoothing out into her usual indifference, "and yet, you never change it." Just like she's never changed hers. Not that it would matter, they'd learn it again. Every time. Memorised like their own.

His movements, the soft falls of his feet as he walks through his apartment, have her wondering if he's obsessively cleaning before her arrival. Is he tidying the pillows? Wiping the counter? Fixing his hair... habits she knows and can picture — only to be pushed to the back of her mind as she focuses on the task.

That is, until those two words catch her off guard.

"My girl."

There was a day when that was true. Heck, maybe it'll always be true.

── .✦. ──

Karina slips out of the car, stunning features hidden behind her mask, before thanking the driver and closing the door. She's not worried about being seen, she never is, a professional at this by now, but it never hurts to be cautious.

Safe.

The mask remains in place until she's safely inside the building, item placed in her purse before fixing her hair and lip gloss in the reflection of the elevator doors. Hazy, but workable.

"Aishhh," he mutters to no one, a faint, almost disbelieving smile tugging at his lips. Her voice still ringing in his mind. "You know exactly what you’re doing." The apartment is already clean. It always is. But still... he moves. A habit. He adjusts the edge of the rug by the couch, straightens a frame on the shelf that hadn’t even been crooked, picks up dog toys that Bam left behind before he was taken to his brother's for the night, fingers brushing over surfaces that don’t need attention. It’s not about cleanliness, not really. It’s anticipation. His steps slow again as he passes the mirror, gaze flickering toward his reflection. He pauses this time.

His head tilts slightly, fingers coming up to push his hair back, then forward again like he can’t decide which version of himself she’ll walk in on. He sighs loud, shaking his head at how annoyingly long he stared at his reflection.

The soft click of the door pulls him out of it. Jungkook’s head turns immediately, body going still for half a second before he moves toward the entryway, unhurried but intentional. Like he already knew it was her. Like it was inevitable. He doesn’t rush. Instead, he straightens his posture as he walks towards the entrance running his fingers through his hair one last time before opening the door. A small smirk tugs at his lips when he freely glances at her top to bottom then up again.

They aren't dating so he doesn't get that privilege, and besides, she needs to make sure he knows what he's missing out on.

"I know." Karina responds as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. Her eyes lift from her hand playing with her foundation to look at her face in the mirror, expecting herself, from her perfect, slender nose to her full lips. The woman knows that she looks good, better than good, and to suggest otherwise is criminal. "But you can say it again, oppa." There's that playful tone, subtle but there, as she tests him to see if he'll give her what she wants.

The question reminds her how many times they've done this dance. How many times she's caved. How many times she swore would be the last only to end up here again. "Mm," she hums, confirming that she knows the code, before her eyes roll. "You don't rush perfection."

With so much as a goodbye, Karina hangs up, phone placed down on the vanity before she gets to work. Make-up, hair, lingerie, outfit. The man is lucky that she knows how to get ready, how to craft the right look for the right event — he's lucky she answered. That's what she tells herself as she gives herself a once over in the mirror before putting on her shoes to head out the door.

He pulls the phone slightly away from his ear, setting it on speaker as he moves around the apartment. Not that it’s messy... far from it, but his hands still find things to fix. A cushion slightly out of place gets straightened. A jacket draped over the chair gets folded and tossed neatly aside. He glances at the kitchen, wiping down a spotless counter like it somehow matters more now. Like she might notice. At her hum, his lips twitch faintly.

"Yeah, I figured you’d remember," Jungkook says, voice carrying easily through the quiet space as he moves. "You always do." There’s history in that.

Her next line earns a soft scoff under his breath, head shaking as he pauses near the hallway mirror. His eyes flick up, taking himself in for a second subtle, quick, but not careless. He adjusts the sleeve of his shirt, fingers brushing over his hair, pushing it back into place like it wasn’t already fine.

── 「 ✦ STARTER ✦ 」 for @letjeonkook

Walking into the club, the music immediately vibrating through his chest as his eyes narrow and look around the room to try and find the man who had invited him out. It's been too long since Chris had seen his best friend and even if he's been stressed out later — how could he pass up the opportunity.

Spotting Jungkook in a booth, looking comfortable and like he belonged, Chris raps his knuckles against the table and gives him a bright smile. "Aren't we both a little too busy to be out like this, man?"

The words are said playfully, teasing. If they didn't get out when they were busy then they might never leave their house, or studio, and Chris knows that better than anyone.

A grin tugged at his lips before Chris even reached him, smaller at first, then widening into something warmer, easier, something that didn’t show up for just anyone. Jungkook huffed softly. "Says the one who actually answered my text," he shot back, voice raised just enough to cut through the music without losing its lazy edge.

He set his drink down, nudging it aside as he leaned forward, forearms resting against the table now, fully present in a way he hadn’t been a few seconds ago. "Figured if I didn’t drag you out, you’d stay locked in the studio for another week." There’s a hint of accusation there, but it’s softened by the curve of his smile, by the way his gaze lingers like he’s making up for lost time without saying it outright.

In front of her vanity, sitting in her most comfortable chair, wearing her favourite red satin robe, after having finished washing up, Karina answers the phone and waits for him to speak first. No hello, no asking him what he wanted — just the soft instrumentals she listens to when unwinding for the night.

'You still awake', the question has her rolling her eyes because he knows she is. He knows better than anyone that she's awake this late — God, she hates that he knows. Or so, that's what she tries to convince herself of.

A few seconds pass before she answers, wanting Jungkook to wait for her answer, not wanting to give it right away. As usual.

"I can be there in 30." Her own voice is low, less playful than his but if he knows her as well as she thinks he does, he can hear the smile playing on her lips. "I'm not dressing up for you, though."

His tongue presses against the inside of his cheek, a small, almost disbelieving huff escaping under his breath as he pushes himself off the counter. He starts pacing without thinking, hand dragging over the back of his neck as he begins to straighten things around his apartment.

"Yeah?" he murmurs finally, voice low, a little rough around the edges now. At her next comment, he lets out a soft laugh. "Good," Jungkook replies, voice dropping just a little, playful but edged with something knowing. "Don’t. You look good either way." A small pause. His steps slow, stopping near the window, gaze flickering out into the night but not really seeing any of it.